A series on things to make, eat and imbibe this summer.

The almanac says we've got a few weeks left of summer. But if you're like me, Labor Day is the bookend that marks summer’s close and the beginning of all things fall—that pivot point when the the state fair shuts down and college football starts up. While I can't get my head around summer ending just yet, I love the transition to fall, when grilling moves from the backyard to the tailgate. If you’re planning one final blowout of the summer in observance of our favorite socialist holiday, don't bore your guests with [...]

In honor of today, the first day of summer—the summer solstice—the day the northern hemisphere gets more daylight than any other day of the year, the astronomical first day of summer (as opposed to the American first day of summer, which is Memorial Day), we celebrate that seasonal genre of music known colloquially as the "Summer Jam." I asked some Awl contributors to name their favorites, and it turns out that the scope of the Summer Jam is much broader than I anticipated. There are four distinct types of Summer Jam: the Bouncy Summer Jam, for dancing at barbeques; the Languid Summer Jam, for falling asleep in the grass; [...]

A series on things to make, eat and imbibe this summer.

In New York, some people mark the beginning of summer as the day the MTA turns on the air conditioning in the subway cars. For me, summer starts that first Saturday when everyone flees to their summer shares and the city empties out giving the remaining few a blissful On The Beach-type moment.

But if you're one of the lucky ones who are actually on the beach, at some point you're going to need to eat. With that in mind, here’s an easy menu for a weekend at your summer share. This menu strives to meld the [...]

A series on things to make, eat and imbibe this summer.

You know what? Forget about groups and gatherings. Enough with the ever-faithful host to the hordes, the slaving over the hot grill for others just to watch them bogart all of your ribs. Deep into the dog days of summer, it's time to slow down and relax with a somewhat indulgent meal. Save it for one of those summer Saturday nights when you have nothing planned and nowhere particular to go. Sometimes a delightful summer evening requires nothing more than you and your sweetheart. And a huge hunk of beef.

Main: T-Bone Fiorentina Sides: Grilled ramps and [...]

Sometimes, the curses of living in NYC turn out to be its blessings. When you can stretch your arms out and touch both walls of your bedroom—or, both roommates—the great outdoors becomes less an escape and more of a living room. Luckily, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had your back even before you moved in with your "boyfriend." New Yorkers have long enjoyed recreational use of open public spaces. I like to uphold that tradition with the classic picnic in the park. And sure, grabbing a slice and flopping down on someone's sweatshirt in Washington Square can be perfectly nice—and easy. But with a little more effort, [...]

A series on things to make, eat and imbibe this summer.

My favorite summer moments involve impromptu gatherings, especially those where you find yourself hosting on relatively short notice. I know, it's tough being that popular! Whether because you have spontaneous friends, a grill, or a really great, fireworks-proximate roof deck, you may find yourself unexpectedly entertaining this summer. Sometimes these friends will bring beer; sometimes they'll just show up. No need to panic. Here's an excellent menu that easily feeds a group of six to eight without trotting out the tired cliche of burgers and dogs. (Fair warning: this will just encourage people to keep converging on your place [...]

A series on things to make, eat and imbibe this summer.

My current pipe dream is to drive an ice-cream food truck and stock it with nontraditional flavors—tamarind sorbet, dark chocolate-beet ice cream, honey mustard custard. So far I can see only two obstacles: not having start-up capital and not having a driver's license. But even if it were to happen, I still wouldn’t be able to sell my favorite recipe as there are probably crazy restrictions on selling alcohol-soaked ice cream out of a brightly colored van.

The recipe here is adapted from a four-ingredient beaut from the LA Times that happens to be the second result [...]