Maitake Steaks with Cauliflower Purée

I am both excited and nervous to share today's recipe with you guys. Why you ask? Well because I'm pretty sure this is my first ever vegan, gluten free recipe (that's not some kind of side salad or condiment). Gasp! "But Summer, you love bread, you love cheese, and good god where is the butter?" Slightly out of my element, I know, but being pushed out of your comfort zone is a good thing. And plus, today really isn't about me.

Today is about the beautiful and talented Lindsey Love of Dolly and Oatmeal and the new life she's bringing into the world. We're celebrating by throwing her a virtual baby shower, yay! Lindsey's blog focuses on dairy free, gluten free, and largely plant based recipes that are elegant, creative, and really accessible even for people who consider themselves the staunchest of omnivores. Not to mention her absolutely gorgeous photography has been a huge inspiration of mine since this blog was born. All of that is to say: the theme of today's baby shower is the same as the theme for Dolly and Oatmeal. Lindsey is constantly inspiring us to cook healthy, wholesome meals, so we're sharing recipes that are inspired by her, for her.

Tomato Tart with a Scallion Goat Cheese Filling

My family came to visit New York for the first time ever. We don't see each other very often since they live in Texas, but it was my birthday last Tuesday so we celebrated together. We went to the 9/11 memorial, took the staten island ferry to see the statue of liberty, went to the rockefeller center, ate soup dumplings in chinatown and gelato in little italy. It was truly the best birthday I've had in a while.

I took them to all my favorite restaurants. They also had a lot of firsts when it came to food: chopped liver, hipster thai food, halal truck lamb and rice. My dad raved about this amazing scallop ceviche we had, though I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what "ceviche" means—all that matters is he loved it. The meals we shared together were so carefree, and I was just happy to see them happy.

At the end of each day we were completely beat from all the walking, but also the insane heat + humidity. This weather has been ridiculous lately. Just ridiculous. My mom and brother even called an audible during their last full day here and went back to the hotel early in order to cool down. As of Friday, they escaped this heat wave by going back to Texas...where it's cooler right now.

It's only appropriate that the recipe I'm sharing today is a fresh tart made with uncooked tomatoes and a smooth, cool filling of goat cheese, ricotta, and scallions. It makes a great addition to any summer dinner party, but is no less enjoyable if you're dining alone. Either way, it's a good meal to beat the heat. Enjoy and stay cool!

Sardines, Lightly Cured and Pan Fried

Hey guys, I have a short and sweet post for you today featuring one of my favorite little fishies of all time: sardines. Up until a few years ago, I had dismissed any kind of fish often found in cans as little more than cat food. Anchovies, sardines, pickled herring, even tuna. Perhaps it was a lingering sense of embarrassment from school lunches where anything smellier than a ham and cheese sandwich elicited a chorus of "eww" and "gross" from other children, and where bringing in something like tuna fish ensured you would be the cafeteria outcast. As trivial as those past experiences seem now, they were clearly wounds that cut deep.

These days, I say screw what other people think. When I finally tried all of the aforementioned fish, it was love at first taste, I'm never going back. So here is a simple and delicious recipe for sardines that highlight their natural, briny flavor. They are lightly cured in a bright mixture of salt, sugar, and lemon zest then quickly pan fried to enhance their tender texture. Because the curing preserves them slightly, they'll keep in the fridge for up to a week if you don't finish them immediately.

Let's consider this recipe my love ballad for fish of all types, we'll forget about childhood pettiness and start anew. Hope you all enjoy these sardines as much as I do!

Beijing Roast Duck

One of the reasons I love food so much is the way it brings people together. You can share a meal with complete strangers and in the end feel like family. It's a commonality that connects us all.

I've been thinking a lot about the intro to this recipe. I could tell you a nostalgic story about my family and keep this place clean from current events and politics for fear of alienating some of my readers, but ultimately that's not what I want my blog to be. I want to talk to you like real people who live in the real world. I want to tell you about my struggles, and I want you to tell me about yours. I can't blog about the food that's supposed to bring us together while the world we live in falls apart. So here goes:

I don't want to live in a world where people are murdered while driving home or selling CDs because they are unfairly judged by the color of their skin. Or a world where the officers who risk their lives to protect us are gunned down in retaliation because of the uniform they wear. Or a world where families celebrating a national holiday are mowed down by a terrorist in a goddamn truck.

I wish we as a human race could have more empathy for each other. That sounds so childish to say, and I understand we will never live in a peaceful utopia where hunger, poverty, and racism don't exist, but is it really so naive to ask for an end to the senseless violence? What can we do? What more can we do than post some heartfelt words on Facebook that will be all but forgotten in a week? My answer is I simply don't know. But I will try my best to figure it out.