so into that: 5 quick things
a bonus recipe for farmers market sheet-pan gnocchi, bathing suits we love, a kitchen-essential giveaway, and more!
Hi from a bare bones lodge in the Big Sur mountains — the only place near our family’s little off-the-grid cabin that has even a lick of wifi! My kids start school again next week (yes, California summers are really short, no, I can’t believe it either), then I’m setting off on book tour, so we have been squeezing in as much time together time as possible in these dwindling days of summer.
If you’re a parent with school-age kids, how much summer break do you have left? My friends in the Northeast are on break until mid-September! Wild.
It’s been really, really fun to share the What To Cook show with you these last two weeks. I worked like a crazy lady all May to write and — with Jillian from What to Cook’s help! — test and test the recipes until they were ready, then we filmed the whole series the first week of my kids’ summer break. We were going for a real-life look into a real-life kitchen for this show — as opposed to a more classic sterile and calm cooking show vibe — and… we got it. In this week’s episode you’ll see George wander through the kitchen, still slightly sedated from a colonoscopy he insisted he didn’t need to reschedule despite having a film crew in our house, LOL.
Anyhoo — I’m so excited to see you all finally cooking these recipes!!! Record numbers of you have cooked the sheet-pan polenta and the melty zucchini pasta, and so many of you have reached out to tell me that actually watching me cook the recipe of the week makes it feel even easier and more doable. Good! That was the goal!!
It has me even more excited to roll out the cookbook — another major delayed-gratification-style project! — in less than two weeks. Thank you, thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered Make It Fast and/or is coming to a book tour stop.
Don’t forget that if you pre-order a copy, you’re invited to a big old Sunday supper party in my kitchen on August 30th at 5:30 p.m. EST / 2:30 p.m. PT!
All you have to do is RSVP and upload proof of purchase here. We'll cook dinner from the book together (recipe TBD), and I'll be giving away lots of great things from my favorite brands. I cannot wait!!
I cooked this farmers market sheet-pan gnocchi over the weekend and oh my gawd, it was good. Many people asked for the recipe when I posted a pic of it on IG, so I’ve written one up! Find it at the bottom of this email.
For more easy summer recipes, this time last year we shared eight no-recipe recipes for summer, including pesto grilled shrimp bowls, steak and caprese with grilled garlic bread, and chicken tacos with Mexican street corn-inspired salad. They’re so simple you’ll be able to memorize them, no recipe required!
I have one book left in the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series and you guys I just love this series so, so much. It’s set in 19th-century London and stars a witty, smart 21-year-old woman who inherits a quirky old home in a quirky neighborhood. Trouble and hilarious mishaps follow her wherever she goes. It’s light and funny and such a dopamine hit. I have toggled between reading it on my Kindle, inheriting paperbacks from my friend Jess, and listening on Spotify — the narration is really good if you’re a book listener!
I’ve been wearing this bathing suit all summer and it’s so comfy. It’s not full coverage on the bum, but it’s also not too skimpy. From Molly from What To Cook: Speaking of suits, I recently got this one and really love it! Great quality, stays put, and has good coverage for a bikini (I got the “standard, normal” cut bottom).
Also shown above are these shorts that IMO are a perfect cut-off jean short. I also currently live in these slip-on poplin pants. I really like a light cotton pant in the summer, I’ve decided!
One of my all-time most frequently-asked questions is what sheet pan I use for sheet-pan dinner recipes like the farmers market sheet-pan gnocchi recipe below (and like the sheet-pan shrimp panzanella that will be hitting your inbox this Saturday!). My answer is this Nordic Ware half sheet. It’s huge and leaves my roasted vegetables beautifully golden. We want to send one of you a pair of them!1
Comment on this post between now and August 5 to enter to win a pack of my favorite sheet pans. We’d love to hear what you’re cooking for dinners this week, and/or how much summer break you have left if you’re a parent of school-age kids!
Every week, we dig into the What To Cook archives to see what we were cooking this time in years past — the recipes worth bringing back into your rotation and/or making a meal plan out of for next week. Here’s this week’s lineup.
1. chopped Italian deli wraps, 2025
My dear friend Gaby Dalkin filled in for me for week two of maternity leave last summer and brought you these insanely easy and delicious no-cook wraps. They’re perfect for poolside eating, should you be on the hunt for summery recipes that travel well.
2. pimento cheese BLTs, 2024
Take your BLTs to the next level with a thick swipe of homemade pimento cheese. Crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and creamy, tangy pimento are stacked on lightly toasted sourdough for the ultimate summer sandwich. Serve them build-your-own style! It makes for a fun, kid-friendly, crowd-pleasing meal.
3. boursin summer squash galette, 2023
This might be the most elegant thing you can make with a store-bought pie crust and a fridge/garden full of zucchini. Layered with garlicky Boursin and thin slices of summer squash, it bakes into a savory, golden showstopper that works served hot or at room temp. Perfect for a picnic, a new-parent meal drop, or just a cozy dinner.
4. 30-minute summer steak tostadas, 2022
These fresh, flavor-packed steak tostadas are loaded with creamy avocado, juicy grilled steak, sweet peach-jalapeño salsa, and salty cotija on crispy tostadas. Served alongside grilled zucchini and squash with a charred scallion salsa, it’s an easy 30-minute summer dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights or a build-your-own fiesta with friends.
5. sheet-pan chicken with artichokes and potatoes, 2021
This sheet-pan chicken with artichokes and potatoes is a five-ingredient dinner that delivers big flavor with minimal cleanup. Chicken thighs are marinated in the briny juices from marinated artichokes, then roasted alongside baby potatoes until golden and finished with butter, Parmesan, and fresh herbs for a simple yet satisfying weeknight meal.
Serves 4
Cook time: 40 minutes (~10 active minutes, 25 inactive minutes)
Tools:
Your largest rimmed sheet pan (use 2 pans if 1 is way too full)
Microplane
Ingredients:
