More people will come if they think we have punch and crostata!
-Eric Cartman (who knows his pie substitutions)
youtu.be/IVkhqReJOug

Personally I prefer making crostatas because I like the fruit-to-crust ratio better than pies (read: I'm only in it for the crust). 

Take advantage of the peak pluot and plum season with this crostata. 

​Adapted from: Honestly Yum
Number of servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3-4 pluots (or red plums if you can’t find pluots)
• ⅓ cup and 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 2-inch piece of ginger (which yields about 2 teaspoons of juice)
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch
• 1 ¼ cup of all purpose flour, and more for dusting
• 1 stick of cold butter
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup of iced water
• 1 egg, beaten
• granulated sugar for dusting
• vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions

1. Pit and thinly slice the pluots. Toss with the ⅓ cup of sugar and corn starch. Grate the ginger on a microplane grater and strain through a small fine-mesh strainer. Using the back of a spoon lightly press the grated ginger against the strainer to release the liquid. Discard the dry fiberous ginger. Add 2 teaspoons of ginger juice to the pluots and lightly toss.
2. To make the dough, cube the cold butter. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 ¼ cup of flour to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is about pea sized. Add the water and pulse until the mixture barely comes together. Shape into a flattened disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. When you are ready to bake the crostata, preheat the oven to 425 °F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until the dough is about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Lay the slices of pluot in concentric circles leaving about an inch of crust around the outside.
5. Fold the edges over the fruit and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the crust.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes until crust is deep golden brown.
7. Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Cut and top with ice cream.

Growing up in Portland and Sweet Home, Oregon, we only ate corn in August. Not by choice. It wasn't available in the grocery store or from nearby farms at any other time.

There was a farm about five miles away that offered "U-pick" corn; my siblings and I would fill a laundry basket, weigh it, bring it to my mom, who would then steam it, poke corn holders www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-corn-holders-image85158 (do people still use these?) in the cobs, and serve on the table with a cube of butter and shaker of salt. Corn was the only vegetable that I liked, and since we only could get it during August, it was a real treat that we all looked forward to.
 
Now, I’m spoiled, and live in an area with farmers markets and grocery stores carrying fresh corn all year round. (That said, I still try to buy it only in late summer because the quality is better. Chalk it up to childhood bias.) I like to make fresh corn in a variety of ways, always off the cob, usually sprinkled with lime and salt.

I streamlined this recipe from Food52, and loved that the corn flavor was so robust, yet the soup itself was very light. It's also vegan, dairy free, gluten free, paleo, Whole30, and comes together in about thirty minutes.

Remember, always try to get the freshest corn possible–the season is almost over!

Adapted from: Food52
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 ears corn, yellow, white or both varieties (shucked)
• 8 cilantro sprigs plus 2-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
• ½ cup finely diced white onion
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon hot or mild paprika
• Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly gound pepper
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime (or more) to taste

Directions

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Slice the corn off the cobs. Place the cobs in a large mixing bowl and slice the corn off the cobs with a sharp knife.
2. Break the cobs and put them in the heating water with the cilantro branches. Simmer for at least 15 minutes–longer if you can (longer the simmer, the more flavorful the broth). Strain.
3. Heat the olive oil, or melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add spices and cook a few minutes more. Add in the coconut milk, corn, 1½ cups corn stock and 1 teaspoon salt. If soup is too thick, thin it with more stock. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Squeeze in lime juice. Taste, adjusting salt if needed. 
4. Add chopped cilantro leaves and serve.

L-R: Jacquie, Michael, Janette, and John (missing little sister Julie), celebrating an August birthday.

Ice cream–it’s not my jam. When I was a child, several times over summer our family hit the DQ for ice cream. My two sisters, two brothers, grandmother and parents all ordered a child-size vanilla soft serve chocolate-dipped cone (you know, the cone with the signature curly swirl on top), but I was allowed to order…a hot dog.

I detested ice cream this much.

Being allowed to substitute was a big deal. I grew up in a family where you ate what was served for dinner and you could not make something else. Allowances were not allowed.

As fate would have it, in the last decade, (because of my ice cream loving boyfriend [Ed. Note: DID SOMEONE SAY ICE CREAM?]) I have developed a taste for it. Still not the number-one choice, but this key lime ice cream is sublime.

This recipe from Jenn Segal is perfect. Didn’t change a thing. It’s actually creamier than normal ice cream, luscious, tart, and tastes like a key lime pie. Perhaps best of all, no need for an ice cream maker (which I do not own). Minus the chill-time, it comes together in about a half-hour.

Adapted from: Once Upon a Chef
Number of Servings: 6
​
Ingredients
Crust

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, from 8 whole crackers
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• Pinch Salt

For the Ice Cream

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 packed tablespoon finely grated key lime zest, from about 3 limes (regular limes are fine)
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 3 limes
• Pinch salt

Directions

1. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 °F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Using a spoon first and then your fingers, mix until evenly combined, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Press the crust into an even ¼-inch layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden around the edges, 7-8 minutes. Let cool, then use a spoon to break into chunks.
3. Make the ice cream: In an electric mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and beat until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Assemble: Arrange half of the crust crumbles evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Pour the ice cream mixture over top, then cover with the remaining crust crumbles. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, at least 8 hours or overnight. NOTE: It is also delicious frozen for 4-6 hours, consistency is more like gelato than ice cream.

I'm a movie-aholic, and The Usual Suspects is a perennial favorite–one that never gets stale. Few films stand up to repeat viewings; I typically don't see a movie more than once, even if it’s a favorite. Every time Fenster says something unintelligible, can't help but lose it.

​I’m the same way with food. I don’t like leftovers, with the exception of tacos. For some reason, Don and I can willingly eat tacos several nights in a row and not tire of it. [Ed. Note: Go figure.]

Let me introduce you to the roasted salmon taco. Not only is this super healthy, it only takes 30 minutes to prepare, and you will not tire of it (promise).

The recipe is from Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten (love that woman). The tacos have a bold flavor with the tender spiced salmon, beautifully contrasted by the tangy slaw and kicky creamy avocado.  Everything is fresh and simple and perfect for a weeknight meal. This might be a tad spicy for little kids, or those sensitive to heat, so adjust the chipotle chile powder accordingly. 

Adapted from: Cooking for Jeffrey, by Ina Garten
Number of Servings: 6 (2 tacos per person)
 
Ingredients
For the slaw

• ¾ pound green cabbage, cored and finely shredded
• ½ seedless cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and very thinly sliced
• ¼ cup good white-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 
For the salmon

• Olive oil, for greasing the pan
• 1 ¾ pounds center-cut fresh salmon fillet, skin removed
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, divided
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 4 ripe Hass avocados, seeded and peeled
• ¾ teaspoon Sriracha

 
Directions

1. At least an hour before you plan to serve the tacos, toss the cabbage, cucumber, vinegar, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper together in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the cabbage to marinate.
2. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 425 °F. Brush a baking dish with olive oil and place the salmon in it. Mix the chipotle chile powder, lime zest, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Brush the salmon with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice and sprinkle with the chipotle seasoning mixture. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until the salmon is just cooked through.
3. Wrap the tortillas in 2 foil packets and place them in the oven with the salmon. Roughly mash the avocados with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice, the Sriracha, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
4. To serve, lay 2 warm tortillas on each of 6 plates. Place a dollop of the avocado mixture on one side of each tortilla, then some large chunks of salmon, and finally, some of the slaw. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling (they will be messy!) and serve warm.

My boyfriend Don and his mother Kathy have many similar traits: a peculiar sense of humor, love of music, financial acumen, and love of all things citrus, vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and ice cream.

Today is his mother's birthday–she passed away last December 6. Amazingly, she and my mamala have birthdays a day apart (August 3 and 4), and passed one day apart (December 6 and 7). 

Over the years it has become something of a tradition for me to make Kathy a special birthday dessert, and I don't plan on ending this any time soon. I’m not sure if Kathy knew how much joy it gave me to make something special for her. [Ed. note: Um, Yeah.] Hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. Don grew up on Chipwiches and the San Francisco bay area's beloved It's It en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s-It_Ice_Cream, so this was part of my evil plan to get to his heart through his stomach. [Ed. note: Shut up, just shut up...]

The original recipe calls for pecans, which of course complement the butterscotch caramel flavor wonderfully, but since we like our desserts smooth, we sometimes leave them out. This particular cookie recipe works especially well for ice cream sandwiches because it retains its softness, and the butterscotch caramel flavor really shines through. 

Cookies Adapted from The Tenth Muse, by Judith Jones and Orangette
Number of servings:  30 cookies / 15 ice cream sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
•  ½ teaspoon baking soda
•  ½ teaspoon salt
•  14 (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•  1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar (lightly packed, just enough to smooth the top)
•  1 large egg
•  2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
•  1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•  1 cup finely chopped pecans 

Directions
Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Grease two cookie sheets, or line them with silicone mats.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. (I used my stand mixer for this.) Add the egg, dry milk, and vanilla extract, and beat to incorporate. Add the dry ingredients, and beat to blend. Fold in the pecans by hand.
4. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each mound (about 8-10 cookies on each sheet). With damp fingers, press each mound into a circle about 2 ½ to 3 inches in diameter. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Carefully scrape up the cookies with a spatula, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
5. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. NOTE: the flavor of these cookies takes some time to develop. If you can, bake the cookies 1 day prior to serving.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

1. Choose your ice cream (I used butter pecan, peach and espresso gelato).
2. Soften the ice cream a bit and scoop onto one cookie. Gently press down and place second cookie on top.
3. Place on baking sheet and flash freeze. If you are not serving immediately, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap. 

Mamala. This is how I affectionately referred to my beloved mother. Mamala. She passed away six years ago, and every year I still bake a cake on her birthday (Aug 4) in her honor.

As far back as I can remember, I made her birthday cakes. She was the ultimate chocoholic and I loved when her eyes rolled back in her head as she took the first bite of any dessert. Her two most favorite flavors were anything chocolate and anything malt, and here we get both. 

I have made hundreds of chocolate cakes, but this is The One. The go-to. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) never lets me down, and the addition of malt powder to the frosting gives it an extra kick. This cake is lush, never dry, super chocolatey with a superior texture. Definitely a dessert for chocoholics beyond recovery.
 
Adapted from: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home 
Number of Servings: 8-10
 
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

  
Chocolate Malt Frosting

• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons malt powder
• 4-5 tablespoons sour cream

 
Directions
Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
3. Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

​Chocolate Malt Frosting

1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.
3. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of hot tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate, coffee and malt to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Add sour cream and mix just until incorporated.
4. Spread immediately on the cooled cake. Place in refrigerator to firm up.