Hi, friends! July was a whirlwind of travel, incredible fútbol, settling into new routines (or lack thereof), and surviving some pretty extreme heat. As we head into the last chapter of summer, we’re cataloging the best things we ate and bought this month, the links you loved, and a recap of everything we wrote. What were some standouts for you in July? Anything we absolutely must add to our meal plans for August?
Ajoblanco: I knowwwwwwww chilled almond soup sounds a bit too out there, and all I can say is that I think something gets a little lost in translation. Ajoblanco is rich and refreshing, yet somehow light and filling. I’m addicted to its slight sweetness from the almonds with a bit of bite from the raw garlic. Paired with chopped apple, it’s peak Spanish summer food. Between making it in my house and also eating it with my in-laws at the beach this month, I’ve probably had eight bowls! -Katie
Grilled chicken thighs and corn with lime-basil butter: Hands down the best thing I made in July (Katie: GIRL, SAME). Juicy, tender chicken thighs with a refreshing yet buttery finish. The kids loved it, I loved it, and Katie loved it! -Meredith
Six Seasons things: Meredith and I have THOUGHTS about cooking through Six Seasons (which we’ll share in a future post!), and we can’t deny the fact that we’ve been eating very well. Stand-outs for me this month were the celery salad with apricots, pistachios, and tons of herbs (page 196), plus the cauliflower steaks roasted with provolone, pickled peppers, lemon zest, olives, and capers (page 191). -Katie
Welcome home spaghetti: Your first meal at home after a trip is always a tricky one. Do you order in, even though you spent a lot of money while you were away? Do you try to make it to the supermarket while you’re jetlagged and bloated? Katie has shared this tip before, but the best solution is stocking your freezer before you go! The spaghetti I made with homemade broth, bacon, broccoli, and Sicilian meatballs from the freezer hit the spot. -Meredith
Buttery biscuits: I found so much inspiration in Dawn Perry’s Around the Table interview, and I loved making the buttery biscuits she mentioned from her book Ready, Set, Cook (page 194). Unfussy and delicious! -Katie
A favorite pie dough: The method for making pie dough from Fat + Flour (using a stand mixer!) continues to blow me away. -Katie
Gazpacho forever: We ate this so many times this month, I can’t even count! I no longer refer to the recipe, and it’s always a win at our dinner table. -Meredith
Cold pork rice noodles with cucumber and peanuts: This summer I discovered the beauty of chilled noodles (which I consider to be SO different to a classic pasta salad), and there is no looking back. These cold pork rice noodles with cucumber and peanuts were one of my best bites in a while! (Meredith: Yes! So good!) -Katie
Smash burgers: I loved that these patties had the cheese directly mixed in. They were so good, required minimum effort, and the kids loved them! -Meredith
Giant personal pancake: I love pancakes for breakfast, but we normally reserve them for unrushed weekend mornings. This giant personal pancake, however, was completely doable on a weekday — quick, custardy, and satisfying thanks to a pretty high Greek yogurt ratio. -Katie
Melt-in-your-mouth chicken thighs: I’ve had Good Things in my hands since December, and I’m slowly discovering the beauty within its pages. The chivi spice chicken thighs (page 298) blew me away. The final dish was melt-in-your-mouth tender, warm, spicy, and so satisfying. I loved it most when I paired frozen leftovers with chickpeas for a surprisingly delicious bowl of comfort on a day I had very little time and energy to cook. -Katie
A classic roast chicken, just not the whole thing: If you’ve been here for a while, you know we love this roast chicken, but this month I’ve just been roasting bone-in, skin-on thighs. I keep it simple with olive oil, salt, and maybe a clove or two of garlic, and it’s really wonderful. -Meredith
Spanish empanada: I’ve been working on mastering homemade Spanish empanada, and I made a great tuna-filled one this month. The crust was made with the leftover oil from the sofrito, which not only added an orange hue to the dough, but also made it crackly crisp. You can truly use any leftover protein you’d like to fill them, but I think the real magic in a Spanish empanada is the art of a slow sofrito, drawing out as much flavor as possible from the onions, peppers, and pimentón. -Katie
Chili crunch ground chicken bowls: As soon as I tried these chili crunch ground chicken bowls, I knew I’d be coming back to them. This is weekday cooking at its finest — easy-to-access ingredients, quick prep, and a satisfying final dish with sweet, savory, and spicy notes. -Katie
I blew through We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker in about three days. I was gripped by the story and moved by the entire fragile situation the characters found themselves in. Whitaker’s character development was excellent, sharing just enough on each page to wonder if someone was simply imperfectly human and flawed, or actually capable of cold-blooded murder. -Katie
Our family’s new favorite sunscreen, plus this one for my face (Katie and I both swear by it). -Meredith
We haven’t invested in a real grill yet, so I picked up a basic grill pan, and surprisingly, it really does the trick! Those grilled chicken thighs with basil-lime butter and corn couldn’t have come out juicier. -Katie
I ordered a bunch of things from Quince while I was in the US and kept this silk cami and these barrel-leg jeans. -Meredith
OMG, wait speaking of barrel jeans! I picked up a pair of these in white, and they are SO flattering. I love them! -Katie
I bought this color organizer that spins for Clara, my drawing-obsessed 5-year-old. She was delighted to see the upgrade from an old plastic box we had bumping around the house, and I love that with a quick spin she can see every colored pencil, marker, and crayon she has at her disposal. -Katie
We upgraded to a king-size bed, and all I can say is WOW. What a difference. We cosleep, and having the extra 30cm has been a game changer. We did it on a budget by putting together two twin beds. I had one platform already, picked up another for €15 on a secondhand site, and bought two mattresses from IKEA (which I am shocked to see are double the price in the US!). I grabbed a king-size mattress topper and some new sheets and a duvet cover, and for under €500, we are extremely comfortable! I still need a new headboard, but am waiting for the local tapicero or upholsterer to get back from vacation. -Meredith
This is the yeast I buy and replenish about every two or three years, and store in my freezer, and it’s about time to freshen up my stash! -Katie
Katie’s recipe for Spanish meatballs in white wine sauce
The pancakes Katie’s family swears by (fluffy beauties!)
The life-changing cheater croissants Katie hasn’t found time for, but most certainly will ASAP
The ham, cheese, and peach hand pies that we all need right now
Sign us up: Denmark’s chilled, sweetened bowl of yogurt or kefir with crumbled cookies
We’ve heard SO many good things about this blueberry cornmeal tart
A ridiculously good dressing for a perfect summer slaw
A super unique peach salad to make this summer + a broccoli spoon salad that sounds so fun to eat
“I can be a good mother and a woman who needs room,” plus more truths in Ryan Shepard’s beautiful essay on the importance of taking time away from our kids
Turns out we do really match the stereotype here in Europe
Our monthly leftovers, featuring Katie’s recipe for chilled almond soup + how to prep just enough to not lose your mind on a beach vacation
10 ways Spain taught us to slow down and truly enjoy vacation
We FINALLY (after a casual year of living in our house) hung our first bits of art. They’re old postcards from past feria posters, and I love them. -Katie
I often talk about how lucky I am to have a village, but it has never felt more true than after three weeks of non-stop work, parenting, and travel. Some of my village is inherited (family), some is paid (our nanny), and some is found (friends), and I’m so grateful for all of it. -Meredith
A full recovery from last week’s stomach bug! Not being able to eat and nourish myself was pure torture, but I’m happy to report I could finally stomach food again this weekend at the beach, where I enjoyed my fair share of fried cuttlefish, grilled shrimp, dogfish, and olive-oil-and-vinegar-soaked potato salad. -Katie
We are going on our first real nuclear family vacation next week, and I am very excited! One whole week, just us, in a house in southern Portugal. We’ll have a small pool and will be a few minutes’ drive from so many beautiful beaches. I can’t wait! -Meredith
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