Wading/waiting in the Shallow End

When it's not quite warm enough to dive right into summer.

Hi Bakers!

I always feel like the sign of a good vacation is being a little sad to leave but re-inspired to attack regular life with new energy. We were up in Whistler, BC for a 3-day weekend and my daughter said it best - she was looking forward to her own room and backyard, but also didn’t want to leave. 

Patches of late-spring snow still clung to the peaks of the mountains, but it was officially the off-season when we visited for her dance competition. It was nice to stroll the village and catch a few Canucks games without herds of skiers (although I bet après ski during peak time is off the charts fun).

And while the mini holiday wasn’t ever going to transform my whole life, it was enough for me to feel a slight shift and get me excited about summer cooking: garden salads, fresh berry cakes and cobblers, herby cheese bread, and mint iced coffee.

What I’ve Been Eating:

Spoon Salads - Think chopped salad, but diced finer. I love cleaning out the crisper drawer of peppers and cucumbers and tossing them with whatever crunchies I have in the pantry - nuts, seeds, dried noodles, etc. You can add beans, avocado, cheese and herbs - almost like a cowboy caviar. Dress and eat with a spoon! Sometimes the best part of a salad is the toppings - am I right? 

Baked Katsu - I love a thin, crispy cutlet. Call it katsu or schnitzel, make it with chicken or pork, but don’t skip the panko. I like to pre-toast my panko before breading the meat and then bake in the oven. Serve with plenty of lemon and fresh herbs. 

Crunchy Romaine - The whole heads of romaine in the garden are starting to take over my small space, so I’ve been harvesting the outer leaves weekly. A handful of chopped, crunchy romaine gets tossed on top of almost every dish around here - from taco skillets, to chopped peanut chicken (like a lettuce wrap bowl), to the above baked katsu dish. 

Mint Simple Syrup - There’s a coffee chain called Philz Coffee that I go to when I visit my parents back in California. It was here where I first had a mint iced coffee and I look forward to making them at home every summer. This year, I’m using mint simple syrup for coffee, tea, and lemon-limeade! Recipe to follow!

What I’ve Been Reading:

Have You Eaten? - Pull up a seat in Kristina Cho’s kitchen and explore the recipes that honor her Chinese heritage. Find weeknight dinner inspiration as well as innovative desserts, like Strawberry Passion Fruit Cookies.  Be sure to check out her Bun of the Month series! 

Letters From Tuscany - With flavorful splashes of Italian history, food culture, drool-worthy recipes, and general cooking info, I have been loving Giulia Scarpaleggia’s Substack. The seasonal recipes, travel photography, and local snapshots make her newsletter feel like a mini vacation.  Be sure to check out her Q&A series: Other People’s Pantries for interviews and inspiration from various food writers and chefs. 

Wrong Place, Wrong Time - I just started this new novel and it’s got me hooked from the first few chapters. So far it’s a bit like if Groundhog Day was a murder mystery, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.

What I’ve Been Listening To:

Dua Lipa - I’ve been a fan for a few years, after my daughter requested Cold Heart on repeat. The new album, Radical Optimism, is super fun and gets me excited for summer.

Nilüfer Yanya - This young, British songwriter is definitely an artist to check out. Seriously groovy indie pop. Perfect jams for summer cocktail hour!

Loot Season 2 - If you like 90’s/early 00’s R&B, then I think you will appreciate this playlist. I’ve been listening to it during my early morning workouts and I am reminded of my college dance team days.

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I am thrilled to report that my mini garden is still thriving! And I am just as excited about it as I was last month. We’ve been harvesting enough greens for about two salads a week, fresh herbs for batches of chimichurri, and a mini stash of kale and spinach for the freezer. Guys, I turned a packet of seeds into a jar of pickled radishes in under two months! I’m seriously in awe of how nature works sometimes. 

Here’s what I planted for summer:

From Seed:
Bush Beans
Carrots
Kale
Spinach
Golden Beets
Cosmos 

From Starters:
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Basil
Dill
Romaine Lettuce

Unfortunately, it was too cold for my jalapeño plants, but maybe I’ll try again when it heats up next month. The kids threw wildflower seed bombs where I trimmed off the dead tulips of spring, so we will see what blooms surprise us later in the season. 

Oh those peonies in the coffee image? Those are from the garden too! My mom planted me a peony bush our first spring in our house. I was still in a newborn haze at that point, my love for gardening yet to bloom. Now they are crazy beautiful!

Mint Simple Syrup

¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (180ml) water
½ cup mint leaves, loosely packed

• Make a simple syrup by simmering the sugar and water together over medium heat. Cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

• Stir in the mint leaves and remove from the heat. Allow to infuse for about 30 minutes. Strain out the leaves and pour the syrup in a jar or lidded container. Use to sweeten tea, coffee, or lemonade. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.