Don’t let summer slide by without having your last fling with an easy summer supper. The main thing to do with this menu is to prepare ahead, store everything in airtight containers and shove it in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do is relax, enjoy a cool shower or bath, don shorts and a T-shirt and chill out until your guests arrive.
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It’s hot, hot hot, but you can stay cool, cool, cool by chilling out with food that’s served cold or at room temperature. There is no reason to heat up the kitchen, stand over a hot stove, or skimp on a meal in hot weather.
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When I’m lucky enough to be able to spend a few days, a week or even a longer period at the beach, what to eat is a major part of my getaway plan. I usually bring as along a casserole or two to pop in the oven, and the makings for sandwiches and salads, but I always try to set aside an evening to prepare a meal to enjoy while watching the sun take its westerly dip into the horizon on the ocean.
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Rosemary, highly aromatic (smells like lemon and pine) and full-flavored, is an herb that has long been popular in Mediterranean cuisines. The dark green pine-like leaves have also been used as a medicinal herb. It is most often used to flavor hearty and full-flavored dishes of lamb, pork, veal, and chicken but can also add a great depth of taste to fruit salads and tarts, teas, and fish and egg dishes. Just use the herb frugally as too much can cause a dish to taste acrid.
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The oils contained in most nuts are apt to go rancid if stored too long or in a warm place. To extend the life of your nuts, store them in the freezer in an airtight container.

The flavor of fresh ginger is incomparable, so, too, can be the task of peeling and chopping it. Next time, try “scraping” the peel off using the back edge of any knife. It should come off quite easily. To simplify the chopping process, try cutting the ginger crosswise (across the grain) into thin slices.¬†Then, using any flat surface (the side of a large chef’s knife or cleaver work well for this), pound the ginger against your cutting board. This should do the job for you, but if you need it a little finer, a couple of passes with your knife should finish the job easily.

Every now and then I find myself wishing for three hands in the kitchen, such as when trying to drizzle oil into a mayonnaise or vinaigrette while fervently whisking with the other hand (meanwhile, your bowl is rocking and spinning all over the place).
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If you find yourself wanting to cook a pot of beans but don’t have the luxury of soaking them overnight, try the quick-soak method. Place rinsed and sorted beans in a large pot or Dutch oven and cover with cold water (for 1 pound of dried beans add at least 2 quarts of water). Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover pot and let sit 1 hour. Drain and cook as desired.

Dental floss is a must in the kitchen! It’s the perfect “utensil” to slice certain things, such as goat cheese logs or cheesecake. Simply cut a piece long enough for whatever task is at hand, hold both ends tautly and press down on item to be “sliced”. It leaves you with a clean, beautiful slice without all the mess of a wet knife.

Oversalted the soup or the gravy? Try adding chunks of raw potato.
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