Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

The reassurance of potato salad, its portability, conviviality and – depending on the cook – blank slate for creativity have been appealing to Americans since the last half of the 19th century. Immigrants and travelers to America introduced many styles, including variations of salade Nicoise (the French salad of potatoes, olives, green beans and tuna, dressed with vinaigrette), and salade Russe (cubed potatoes, peas and carrots bound with mayonnaise). German settlers brought hot potato salad, and that savory combination of warm potatoes lightly dressed with hot bacon fat and vinegar became entrenched in Pennsylvania and throughout the Midwest. This is an adaptation of a classic version that was first published in the 1931 edition of “The Joy of Cooking.” Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Along with burgers and hot dogs, a good potato salad is a quintessential part of a cookout, and this one is a classic. It’s dressed with mayonnaise, mustard and juice from the sweet pickle jar and incorporates fresh herbs for taste and greenery.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Warmth is a given with chicken soup, but this one turns the heat up with ginger and chiles. It comes from Ismail Merchant, the Indian-born film producer and director who had a longtime partnership with James Ivory. It is an easy recipe and will take about an hour of your time, and is a deliciously healthy twist on an old standby. Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

This is a real julep, the now classic julep first served to Derby guests in 1875 by Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the founder of Churchill Downs. Now, as then, it is made with just four ingredients: finely crushed ice, a little sugar water, fresh spearmint and fine, aged, 90-proof straight Kentucky bourbon.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Lemon verbena’s seductive floral-citrus scent and taste lend energy and grace to ice cream. In this recipe, you’ll boil and steep fresh verbena leaves in half-and-half and sugar and, with seven egg yolks and heavy cream, turn the mixture into a custard over heat. Then freeze it in your ice cream maker. The best source for the leaves may be a plant of your own, or try your local farmers’ market or nursery. Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

These pine nut butter cookies gain a new dimension simply by toasting the pignoli.

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking

Suzanne Hamlin

Suzanne Hamlin · NYT Cooking