Summer has arrived. Hard. We're experiencing our second day of 90+ degree day, when just last week I was wearing wool socks and a fleece to stay warm. I prefer summer weather as this often means firing up the grill, dinners on the patio, and a fun cocktail served over ice.

My go-to summertime drink has always been the classic gin and tonic. But this year I am a Paloma girl. It's super refreshing with the different layers of citrus. The traditional Paloma is made with grapefruit soda. I prefer something less sweet with fewer calories and have become a big fan of Spindrift Sparkling Water made with real fruit juice.  The Paloma pairs perfectly with fish tacos - and ice cream sandwiches too. It's just as fun as a margarita, but without the nasty hangover.

To make: In a tall glass over ice, mix 1 1/2 oz of blanco tequila, 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice, juice from one lime, and top with sparking grapefruit water and stir. Sip and enjoy!

I am in love with summer, especially this summer. The weather has been spectacular (though we could definitely use some rain) with fun-filled days ending with tired but happy boys. It's hard to believe it is already August and school is just around the corner. So when I heard about Ferragosto, I was all in.

Ferragosto is an Italian national holiday celebrated on August 15th through the end of the month. It marks the celebration of the Assumption of Mary and the beginning of Italy's summer holiday period. Life moves at a slower pace while families enjoy some R&R. So I'm embracing my new favorite holiday by taking it slow and heading to the beach for a picnic dinner with the family.

To celebrate Ferragosto, I'm preparing a traditional Italian meal that's easy to whip up and travels well for beachside dining.

Antipasto salad: caprese salad, prosciutto, salami, olives

Grilled veggies with a lemon, garlic and thyme plus crusty bread

And some Barone Fini Pinot Grigio - classic, crisp and fruity wine that pairs perfectly with this meal and feels like summer in a bottle.

Looking for more ideas to celebrate Ferragosto? Head to Prezza in the North End where Chef Anthony Caturano will be featuring a special Ferragosto menu from August 8-15th. Or head to Prezza after work for happy hour for every glass of Barone Fini wine purchase, 100% proceeds benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank.

See you on the beach! Ciao!

Disclosure: Thank you Barone Fini Winery for sending me a bottle of wine to try. As always, all opinions are my own.

It *finally* feels like summer around here thanks to spectacular June weather, school is out and kids are coming in from playing until twilight, exhausted but happy. Now summer just got 80x better thanks to the Highland Street Foundation's Free Fun Fridays program. Now in it's 8th year, the Highland Street Foundation has partnered with 80 different cultural institutions across Massachusetts to offer free (!) admission to museums, zoos, and gardens every Friday until August 26th! It's true!


I had the opportunity to check out the MIT Museum for the first time with my boys last Friday. We got our science on big time and loved every minute of it.


From mind-blowing holograms, robotics gallery and our favorite Gestural Engineering exhibit (think wind-up toys to a new level), it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.


The MIT Museum has plenty of hands-on activities for kids, but it's just the right size for you to explore everything the museum has to offer in a few hours.

And as a treat, we headed across the street to our all-time favorite bakery, Flour, for some sticky buns and oreo cookies.

Check out the full schedule here and get out there and #SeeMoreSummer!

Disclosure: Thanks to Highland Street Foundation and MIT Museum for hosting us, which I received free of charge. As always, opinions are my own.

Harvesting Ground Cherries at the Lowell Elementary School Garden

I feel incredibly lucky that our elementary school has a fantastic learning garden. During the school year, students help prep, plant and maintain the garden. During the summer, families volunteer to take care of the garden, making sure the beds get plenty of water, weeding as needed and harvesting ripe vegetables. Last week was our week to tend to the garden and when we arrived, the boys and I were delighted to see their literal fruits of their labor from earlier in the school year. The garden was overflowing with big, fat juicy tomatoes, deep purple eggplant, humungous zucchini and vibrant peppers. Ratatouille anyone?

Well, not for my kids who are pretty much against eggplant and zucchini. But I recently came across this Grilled Ratatouille with Pasta recipe from Martha Stewart and I knew I had a chance to convert them.

It doesn't get any easier than this:



Cook a 1lb of pasta (we used farfalle) according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water and return cooked pasta to the pot. Heat grill. Brush the following with olive oil: 1 large zucchini (cut lengthwise into thick slices), 2 bell peppers (halved, stemmed and seeded), 2 red onions (halved), 1 large eggplant (cut lengthwise into thick slices), 4-6 large tomatoes (cut crosswise into thick slices). Season with salt and pepper and grill all the vegetables until browned and tender. Roughly chop the grilled vegetables then add to pasta. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

The boys ate it all up. And asked for seconds. Just one of many reasons all schools should have a school garden!

Yes, it is way hot. But it's also August and after the brutal winter we had earlier, I've embraced the heat and humidity here in New England. It is hard to deny the weather has definitely affected my cooking mojo. Lots of simple dinners cooked on the grill around here lately. But even I'm now groaning when BBQ chicken and corn are on the menu. I decided to shake things up by 1) making something WITHOUT using a recipe (I'm a recipe girl) and 2) not slaving over the grill or stove (and not have it be sandwiches for dinner). The answer? Fresh Vegetable Summer Rolls.

Like a burrito or wrap, you can pretty much customize this with whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. For me, I go with lots of traditional Asian produce: bean sprouts, julienned cucumbers, scallions, cilantro, and carrots. We had leftover purple cabbage, bibb lettuce and avocado, so I threw that in too.

Step 1: Prep and gather all your ingredients and have them nearby your work station. 

Step 2: Soak spring roll skin in a shallow dish filled with hot water until soft and pliable (about 10 seconds). 

Step 3: Lay out spring roll skin on a clean surface and layer ingredients on the bottom third of the wrap. 

Step 4: Like a burrito, pull skin over filling, tuck in sides and roll to a close. Work quickly as the skin becomes super sticky and becomes trickier to work with.

I do have to come clean about two things. The boys were famished so I wanted to add some protein to some of the rolls so quickly boiled some shrimp to add to these spring rolls. You also need a killer peanut dipping sauce if you're going to go through the trouble of making summer rolls right? I whipped up this super easy dipping sauce from Epicurious. So a little cooking and a little recipe inspiration. And glad I did both because dinner was amazing.

Brushing off the cobwebs both on this blog and on our grill for a special Memorial Day post! We're doing a happy dance here as this weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer. In celebration of such a joyous occasion, I'm digging into the "vault" and pulling out some of our all-time favorite grilling recipes:

BBQ Chicken Throwdown: David Chang v. Martha Stewart: I test David Chang's Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken recipe against Martha's Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken. And the winner is... 

Grilled Butterfly Chicken: Who knew butterflying a whole chicken and cooking it on the grill would result in the tastiest chicken ever? Cooks Illustrated knew of course. 

Fish Tacos, Purple Cabbage Slaw and Mango Avocado Salsa: These recipes from ChopChop are in regular rotation at our house, even in the dead of winter.  

Peach Plum Salsa: This fruit salsa is just about perfect on anything you throw on the grill.  

Put-This-On-Just-About-Everything-Spice-Rub: This is pretty much a perfect blend of savory, briny, sweet, and spicy goodness. We make this by the bucket-full at the start of the summer.

Happy grilling!

It's that time of year again. Highlights (and lowlights) of the past year are flooding my newsfeed. New diets and detox regimens for a "new you." New Year Resolutions. For me, I like to review some of my best meals and with that, moments in the past year. Drum roll please...

#10: Matzo Ball Soup - this was my second time ever making matzo ball soup. I made them with schmaltz (melted chicken fat). No matzo ball mix here. The result? Crazy good.

#9: DIY Rice Bowls with Fried Egg - Such a humble dish but all-around family favorite. Rice topped with some stir-fry veggies and a fried egg. One dish you won't need a recipe for.

#8: Scallion Pancakes - These golden beauties from Joanne Chang's Flour, Too cookbook are now a must-have during Chinese New Year celebrations.

#7: Roasted Pumpkin Soup at Henrietta's Table - I had the good fortune of getting a cooking demonstration by Chef Peter Davis for making this luscious soup. It's a bowl full of Autumn.

#6: Asian-Style BBQ Chicken - from one of my 2014 favorite cookbooks, Dinner: The Playbook, this BBQ chicken dish is packed with flavor. Plus my kids love it and it's so easy to make. Yep, it's a keeper.

#5: Warm Couscous Salad with Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Ginger-Scallion Dressing - from my other favorite 2014 cookbook, Flour, Too, this dish is hearty but so good for you, you can't help but love it.

#4: The Countdown - this was my favorite cocktail at one of my new favorite restaurants this year - Alden & Harlow. I can't recall what's in this drink (their drink menu changes regularly). What I can remember was this was a perfect drink for raising a glass to turning the big 4-0.

#3: Momofuku Noodle Bar's Shiitake Bun - this was a bittersweet meal. My long-awaited first visit to Momofuku Noodle Bar in NYC only happened because we were in the city for my grandmother's funeral. It was sad having to say goodbye, but so lovely being with family over some of the best food I've ever had.

#2: Sharing platter - there was nothing extraordinary about this charcuterie and cheese board. What makes it one of my favorite meals is the fact that this was our last picnic dinner on one of our favorite beaches on Cape Cod. Sigh.

#1: Mother's Day Breakfast - Oh my God, was this good. Umdaddy surprised me with the best breakfast a mom could ask for: Fried egg over baby arugula, skillet fried fingerling potatoes and monkey bread french toast. Not only was this out-of-this-world-good, but I got to share it with my family. I am so very lucky.

Here's to even more delicious meals with those you love in 2015!

(credit: Crudite Creations)

We're now in the throes of Summer which means 4th of July cookouts, year-end parties, birthdays, block parties, and picnics to name a few.  There are only so many pasta or potato salads I can really get excited for. Love me some watermelon, but unless they're super sweet and cold, I'll pass. So when I had the opportunity to try a Crudite Creation, I said "yes!" 

(credit: Crudite Creations)

Crudite Creation at the neighborhood block party. Everything else pales in comparison!

There are so many things I love about Summer - long days, warm temperatures, the kids playing outside (instead of underfoot in the house), grilling, farm stand produce, and summer cocktails just to name a few. As much as things seem to go at a more leisurely pace during the summer months, I still feel the need for quick and easy weeknight meals. Grill up some chicken and veggies with a loaf of fresh bread from the market and dinner is done.

To make things a little interesting, I make this homemade spice rub that goes great on everything. It's not too spicy or salty. It elevates whatever you're grilling, plus it is super simple to pull together. Make a batch and store in an air-tight container. This stuff comes with us when we go away on vacation. It's that good.

All-Purpose Spice Rub
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 1/4 cups (enough to season 5-10 lbs of meat, poultry or seafood). We think it works best with poultry.

• 1/3 cup sea salt
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients, using your hands to break up the sugar. Store in an airtight container, away from heat and light, up to 6 months.

Shrimp, Mango and Herb Summer Rolls w/Mango Puree

Wok-Stirred Veggies with Rice Noodle Salad

• Use fish sauce sparingly… the stuff is pungent. And you don’t want to know how fish sauce is made!
• To drain and stop pasta from cooking, drain in a salad spinner
• When cooking with green onions, use the white part for flavor and finish with the green part for garnish 
• For fresh lime juice, roll limes with your hand before squeezing. Then slice in half and use tongs to squeeze.
• Champagne pairs well with just about everything. Or as Ming puts it “it goes with everything, including mornings.”

Meeting an Iron Chef with Viola Cay

Move over hot dog. Here comes a new 4th of July staple.

Summer, so it feels, really only just began. The kids finally started day camp this week. We've already had two heat waves in the northeast. And I've already eaten many, many hot dogs and burgers. And it isn't even the 4th yet. Is it unpatriotic of me to just say "no" to hot dogs, burgers, and potato salad this Forth of July? Because I don't think my stomach (or waistline) could have another for a while.

So instead of the usual Independence Day fare (because we know our Forefathers chowed on dogs and sliders while drafting the declaration), we are going to grill some... wait for it... chicken. Gasp! All kidding aside, we found a fantastic recipe for butterflying and grilling a whole chicken. With some sharp kitchen shears and a little patience, it is probably the tastiest, juiciest chicken you will make this summer.


Butterflied Lemon Chicken
Adapted from Cook's Country Backyard Barbecue: 
The Absolute Best Recipes For all Your Summer Favorites

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• salt and pepper
• 1 (3.5-4 lb) whole chicken
• 3 lemons
• 1 tablepsoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

How to butterfly a chicken

Carved chicken chinese style - chop bone-in