32 Warm Weather Dishes [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION When the mercury starts to inch upward, the last thing you want to do is light the oven. On those hot and sticky days of summer, your family will want only a light meal—one that's cool, refreshing, and simple. And since appetites tend to wane when the temperature rises, the foods you serve need to be visually appealing as well. What better chance to practice your artistry than by arranging crisp dark spinach leaves round a salad of cubed chicken and whole shrimp (p. 7). Or crumble a hard-cooked egg yolk and sieve it onto a chilled trout in an egg and mustard sauce (p. I 3). Scoop out the seeds from cucumbers and fill these light green boats with a sturdy herring salad (p. 23). If it's sandwiches instead, wow them with heros brimming over with rolled cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Pretty foods don't have to be difficult or expensive, either. An easy tuna ring molded with tomato juice and gelatin is a tasty nest for a macaroni salad crunchy with carrots, peppers, and pineapple (p. 15). The loaf of smoked ham, spicy with mustard and cloves, is drizzled with a tart mustardy mayonnaise and served with a contrasting salad of sweet potatoes and fruit (p. 49). An unusual frozen salad of applesauce and raspberries is an easy freezer preparation to accompany an oven-crisped chicken served cold (p. 25). Generally hot-weather cooking is light and simple. The favorite foods for this time of year include chicken, fish and shellfish, and salads because these foods are easy to digest, with uncomplicated flavors that are excellent served chilled. Lightness is also the key for accompaniments—crusty French breads, dry and fruity wines, fresh vegetables only just plucked from the garden. It's a time when almost everything good is in season, so you can proudly as- semble the vegetable or fruit salads that are never quite as good the rest of the year. Cantaloupes have been kissed by the sun; stuff them with a zesty mix of apples, grapefruits, and melon balls (p. 9) and serve with rolls of ham filled with cream cheese. Squash vines have zucchini on them every day in summer; pick them when they are young, and blend them with eggplant, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes for a cold ratatouille salad (p. 11 ). Entertaining guests during the warm-weather months can be trying, especially if you attempt too much. Keep your menus simple and feature seemingly elegant preparations like a molded salmon mousse (p. 31) or slices of roast veal with a cauliflower sauced a la russe. For special occasions, stuff a lobster on an Italian theme. When friends are due for a luncheon, have ready the frosted loaf with its surprise of three different fillings, and decorate the platter with delicate radish flowers (p. 39). For drinks before dinner, serve the pâté (p. 41), an easy but tasty spread to accompany fresh vegetables slivered or cut in fancy shapes. Other party ideas include making miniature versions of the Meat Turnovers (p. 51) or the stuffed shrimp served with the Papaya Tropicale (p. 61 ). Summer food doesn't always have to be cold; there are dishes that everyone will enjoy but that will require you to spend only a little time in the kitchen. One of these is the Speedy Taco, a Mexican-inspired mixture of beans, onions, peppers, and cheese sauce served on corn chips (p. 57). Whatever recipe you choose, remember that people generally prefer to eat less in hot weather. With these 32 recipes in hand, you'll please your family, your friends, and yourself—honest, delicious recipes for a summertime when the livin' is easy. C.B.