A Few Recipe Suggestions To Keep Your Kitchen Cool

When it’s too hot to cook, easy, no-oven recipes can be a lifesaver. New York Times associate editor Margaux Laskey recently published a list of "100 Easy Summer Recipes for Right Now." She talks about her favorites, and listeners share their go-to hot-weather meals.

Check out the recipe for Ali Slagle's Microwave Nutella Pudding Cake that was discussed toward the end of the conversation. 

Alison Stewart: This is All of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. Today we're talking about how to keep the kitchen cool during a citywide heat advisory with no baked meals. By the way, that heat advisory is in effect until 8:00 PM tonight. To stay safe, they recommend if you don't have AC, you can go to the library or visit an NYC cooling center. You can find one at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters. We'll also put on Instagram. When it's blazing hot outside, the last thing anyone wants to do is to turn on the oven for long stretches of time.

Here at All of It, we're offering quick, easy meals that don't require a lot of baking, and by us, I mean our guest. To help us think creatively about low-heat meals is Margaux Laskey from the New York Times. Hi Margaux.

Margaux Laskey: Hi.

Alison Stewart: Margaux is the associate editor of recipes for New York Times Cooking. She collaborates with recipe developers and testers to create approachable and affordable meals. Margaux recently curated 100 summer recipes for right now. Listeners, we want to hear some of your best ideas for beating the heat in the kitchen during this heat advisory. Do you have a favorite recipe that does not require an oven? Give us a call at 212-433-9692. 212-433-WNYC, or let us know via social media at All of It WNYC. What is the first thing you think about when planning a summer meal without the oven?

Margaux Laskey: The first thing I think about is ease. You want something super easy, as easy as can be. If it's blazing hot outside, you don't want to have to put a lot of effort into meals, so I think ease is probably the first thing, and then obviously, it needs to be delicious. That probably goes without saying, but I think sometimes people think no cooked meals can't be delicious. I'm here to say that is absolutely not true. They can be delicious and exciting.

Alison Stewart: What can keep a summer dish, another word, "satisfying"?

Margaux Laskey: Ah, that's a good one. Well, I think like I said, delicious. It needs to be delicious. You can't just throw a couple of crackers and cheese on a plate and call it-- I mean, you can, for sure, and certainly I have, but it won't probably be as satisfying as you would like it to be. I think deliciousness, for one. Probably, there's got to be a little bit of protein in there, I would imagine, to make it feel satisfying, and it should be fun. It should be fun.

Alison Stewart: Are there any particular summer flavors that are always a hit?

Margaux Laskey: I would say, thinking about that today, how hot it is, I'm like, "What do I want to eat, cucumber?" Cucumber does really well in weather like this. Cucumber salads. We have a lot of wonderful cucumber salads on site that are delicious. We also have like a cucumber soup. I would say avocado is really big right now, too, because I think there's no heat. Obviously, there's no heat element. You don't have to cook it, but it provides a little bit of that fattiness that it could be really satisfying, that you may miss with other raw vegetables. What else does really well? [crosstalk] Oh, sorry, go ahead.

Alison Stewart: I'll just say, what's a surprising combination that people would not think, "I wouldn't put this in the heat. I wouldn't eat this in heat," and you think, "Wait a minute [crosstalk]"

Margaux Laskey: It's delicious, yes. The one that immediately pops to mind, we have Alexa Weibel who is brilliant with produce. She has a beautiful salad with peaches and mozzarella and a gochujang vinaigrette. It is not only gorgeous but also so, so delicious. I think surprising combination. You don't immediately think of that, but the tart sweet of the peaches, the creaminess of the mozzarella, and the spiciness of the gochujang vinaigrette is like magic.

Alison Stewart: Do you have any tips for folks who are headed out to the farmer's market? I guess the right way to get the most out of your trip to a farmer's market in this kind of heat?

Margaux Laskey: Well, I would say go in the morning [chuckles] because it's so hot in the afternoon. Obviously, I would go in the morning. Obviously, you're going to get the best selection first thing in the morning. Ask the purveyors about what's best. They're the experts, so ask them what they recommend would be my suggestion. What's seasonal. Most farmers market markets, especially the one in Union Square, I know there's a sign that tells you what's in season, so look at that and go buy that, and then come to NYT Cooking and look up those ingredients and you can find a recipe that would utilize those.

Alison Stewart: Let's take some calls. Let's talk to Eleanor from the Upper West Side. Hi, Eleanor. Thanks for calling All of It.

Eleanor: Hi. Thanks for taking my call. One of my favorite meals in the hot weather is a salad of lettuce, tomato, avocado, has to have avocado, orange pepper, cucumber, cheese, any kind of cheese, and corn chips. I dress it with oil and vinegar and a little salt, maybe pepper. I love it. I eat it all the time.

Alison Stewart: Eleanor, good call. I have a question about salads, Margaux. Sometimes they seem dull at times. I'm speaking to myself. I'm speaking just to me. I take my romaine lettuce, I have a little tomato. Can you please suggest a salad that goes beyond the basics?

Margaux Laskey: Yes, for sure. First of all, I should say that we just published on New York Times Cooking three really spectacular salad dressing recipes from Samin Nosrat that you should definitely check out, that I think will up your salad game, for one. I think that's probably the biggest thing that people don't do with salads is they don't dress them appropriately, and that can make a really, really big difference. Also, my grandmother taught me to make sure you add a little bit of salt to your greens and to your vegetables. It can actually make a really big difference.

We have loads and loads of salads. I mentioned that one from Lex with the peaches and the gochujang and mozzarella, which I'm going to keep singing about. We also have an amazing cucumber and avocado salad that is super satisfying, only like three ingredients, but also unexpected, and has like a sesame vinaigrette that I think you should really try.

Alison Stewart: Something's got to give on my salads because my salads [unintelligible 00:07:09] There's no good. Let's talk to Victoria, who's calling from Portland, Maine. Hi, Victoria. Thank you for calling, All of It.

Victoria: Oh, hi. How are you? Can you hear me okay?

Alison Stewart: You sound great.

Victoria: Okay, great. One of my go-tos in summertime is I take two cups of bread, so basically, just really any bread that you can find that's old or white, put it in some water, take a bunch of cucumbers, like maybe three or four large cucumbers. Then I add almonds and I just soak the almonds so they're soft. You can blanch them or you could just soak them, and then add some garlic and add some olive oil, like a fourth cup of olive oil. Some vinegar, a little bit of honey, salt and pepper, and that's it. You just put it in the blender and it's delicious. It's just such a delicious gazpacho, a white gazpacho.

Alison Stewart: That sounds good. That sounds amazing.

Margaux Laskey: It does, right?

Victoria: Good. Yes, and it's so easy. It's like the easiest recipe in the world because you just shove everything into the blender or whatever you have that can blend stuff up. You could probably even make it for a one-person meal if you want to. Just put a little bit of whatever you have as far as bread. Soak the almonds a little bit so they're soft. Cucumbers, cherry or just vinegar, lemon and olive oil, and garlic and honey.

Alison Stewart: All right, Victoria. Thanks for the tip. Now, how does one prevent one's salad from getting soggy?

Margaux Laskey: Well, certainly I would hold off on dressing it until just before serving, for sure. If you're traveling, obviously pack up your dressing and dress it once you arrive. Honestly, that's my biggest tip. I think that's the best way to do it. Also, make sure your greens are very dry. Make sure they're dry before you toss them into the bowl because that extra water is just going to make them wilt.

Alison Stewart: You've got here a spicy cucumbers with mint recipe. What's in this?

Margaux Laskey: Let's see. Now, I don't have all the ingredients memorized, so let me look this up. Here we go. The spicy cucumber with mint scallions and crushed peanuts. There's a little bit of lime juice, a little bit of fish sauce and Thai chilies, a Fresno chili, scallions, loads of mint, fresh basil, and cilantro.

Alison Stewart: You just mentioned chili on the day when we're trying to keep cool. How does that work?

Margaux Laskey: [laughs] Spicy foods actually trick your body into feeling a bit cooler.

Alison Stewart: Truly? Is that true?

Margaux Laskey: Yes. No, it's true. That's why you find so many spicy foods in areas where it's hot all the time.

Alison Stewart: This text says, "I make this in the summer, though it does involve boiling water for pasta. It's room-temperature sauce. In a blender, put a bunch of chopped-up tomatoes, peeled and seeded cucumbers, balsamic vinaigrette, a small chopped clove of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over the pasta or whatever. It's delicious and refreshing."

Margaux Laskey: That's great. It's like a no-cook tomato sauce. Brilliant. If you cook your pasta in advance, you can just have it in the fridge and then you have a nice cold pasta.

Alison Stewart: This one says, "On hot days, we like to make raw borscht that involves juicing, carrots, beets, lemon, ginger, and OJ pureeing. Half an avocado with garlic, hot pepper, and some of the juice, and mixing it all together with chopped kimchi, the rest of the avocado, salt, and olive oil." So good. What say you, Margaux?

Margaux Laskey: I want that recipe for New York Times Cooking. [laughs]

Alison Stewart: I'm noticing a lot of mooshing and putting together and smooshing in our recipes.

Margaux Laskey: Yes, for sure. Well, I think it's really smart. What I'm noticing is a lot of smart flavor combinations to brighten things up. Like you were saying how your salads can be a little boring. I think you have to experiment a little bit with different flavor combinations and try stuff out.

Alison Stewart: My guest is Margaux Laskey. She is from New York Times Cooking. We are talking about summer cooking recipes. When you do not want to turn on the stove, call us, listeners, share your best no-cook recipes or low-cook tips. Our number's 212-433-9692. 212-433-WNYC. After the break, we'll learn the difference between assembling and not cooking.

[music]

You are listening to All of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is Margaux Laskey. She's with New York Times Cooking. She is helping us with some summer cooking recipes. Do not turn on the oven if you don't have to. All right. You have a great recipe for a charcuterie board. I'm not really sure how I do that. Could you walk me through how to make an excellent charcuterie board? Oh, I think you're on. There you go. Go ahead.

Margaux Laskey: Can you hear me?

Alison Stewart: Yes, hear you now.

Margaux Laskey: Okay. Sorry about that. I think it's important to start with a centerpiece, one thing that maybe takes a little bit more effort than the rest. Our recipe for a charcuterie board starts with a really simple whipped ricotta, and then you surround it with the things that you love that feel satisfying and special. That's a pile of nuts, Marcona almonds, some nice smoked meats if you eat meat. I always like to throw some veggies on there because I have two kids and I'm trying to always get them to eat more produce.

Throw stuff on there that makes it feel special and not just like assembly again, like cheese and crackers on a plate. A little bit of something sweet, like some guava paste or even strawberry jam works, if that's what you have in your refrigerator. You want to think salty, sweet. Think of all the different textures. Salty, sweet, crunchy, soft. If you think of all those different components, then you're going to end up with a charcuterie board that's really satisfying and special.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Susan from Stanford, Connecticut. Hi, Susan. Thanks for making the time to call All of It.

Susan: Thanks for letting me call in. I feel like my life changed when I learned to make corn on the cob still in its husk, no mess required in the microwave. Tonight, for example, I'm going to be making a salad of fresh corn on the cob with the kernels cut off, diced up zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese, and then just olive oil, some shallots, some salt, pepper. I'll probably serve it over whole wheat couscous for a little protein in there, which also I don't have to cook. I can just put boiling water on top of it and use my fork and fluff it and I'm done.

Alison Stewart: There you go. This text says, "I just discovered a grilled Mexican corn salad. It has all the ingredients of Mexican street corn, corn, mayo, lime juice, garlic, and scallions. The only thing to heat is the corn, and you can just grill frozen corn in advance and put it in the refrigerator, or you can use Susan's method of the microwave." All right, let's talk about the classic sandwich. What are some of your sandwich recommendations?

Margaux Laskey: Ooh. We got a lot of great sandwiches on this list this year. One of my favorites is a pimento cheese and tomato sandwich, which is great for vegetarians, people who aren't interested in having meat. This recipe is super smart because sometimes when you make tomato sandwiches, it can make the bread soggy, but we call for spreading a little bit of pimento cheese on both sides of the bread and then putting the tomato in between. You can travel with that sandwich and you don't end up with a soggy mess when you arrive. Then we have a really smart riff on a BLT, and instead of BLT, it calls for smoked mackerel, which is chewy and hardy, and is a nice little riff on the BLT.

Alison Stewart: Are you pro-tinned fish?

Margaux Laskey: I am pro tin fish. I really like tin fish. We have quite a few good recipes for tinned fish. Canned tuna, which I think a lot of people feel is kind of boring and lame and certainly can be, but we have a really smart recipe for it. A tuna tostada, which you take two cans of tuna and toss it with lime juice, fresh tomato, and avocado, again, makes an appearance. You top crispy tostadas with it, and it's really a lovely, lovely desk lunch.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Olivia from Brooklyn. Hey, Olivia. Thanks for calling All of It.

Olivia: Oh, my gosh. Hey. Of course. I have this recipe that I just can do on the go anytime. It serves one person or if you have more than one person, you get the big tub. Basically, you get the plastic container of pre-washed greens from the grocery store and then you put in your ingredients. I like to do cranberries, cut up some apples, cut up some cheddar cheese, pistachios, sunflower seeds if you're feeling like that, and then you can just put the dressing on top. I do honey mustard, but if you like balsamic, whatever you like, you can put it on top too. You close the lid, close the plastic lid, shake it up. No dishes. Not a single dish. Shake it up, shake it up. Then you got your salad. You don't even need a bowl.

Alison Stewart: Well, thanks for the call and the cleanup tip.

Margaux Laskey: I love that. [chuckles]

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Susan from Cranford, New Jersey. Hey, Susan, what are you making?

Susan: Oh, it's a great cold soup that-- my husband's family is from Lithuania, and the soup is called ŠaltibaršÄiai. It is cooked red beets, cucumber. You just grate a cucumber, cut up the red beets, green onion, lots of dill, and you just pour kefir in it. It is so refreshing and delicious on a hot summer day.

Alison Stewart: Thanks for the tip. We really appreciate it. All right, Margaux, Every time I go on Instagram, all I keep hearing is, "You need protein. You got to have protein. All right, so people who want their protein." Is there a summer no-cook meal?

Margaux Laskey: Absolutely. One that I love is a very simple chickpea salad. It's almost like a potato salad but made with chickpeas. It's got fresh scallions and tons of herbs. It's super satisfying but super filling, and it has that hit of protein that you're talking about. You don't have to cook anything. It doesn't involve any meat. It's vegetarian. It's also great to take to a potluck, too. It's a nice little change-up from traditional potato salad. It makes you want to take a nap afterwards. [laughs]

Alison Stewart: Let's talk kid-friendly. You have a lot of kid and family-friendly meals. What's on the top of your list?

Margaux Laskey: Ooh, the top of my list on here is the-- actually, I mentioned it already. The cucumber and avocado salad. Those are two things that my kids love, so they devour that. Then the charcuterie board, going back to that, which in our house we call stuff on a plate.

Alison Stewart: Stuff on a plate.

Margaux Laskey: Stuff on a plate.

Alison Stewart: I like that as much.

Margaux Laskey: They can they can pick and choose what they want to put on there, too. They have input.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Alan calling in from New Canaan, Connecticut. Hey, Alan. Thanks for calling All of It.

Alan: Hi. Love this conversation. I've been traveling to Greece for over 50 years, and one of the things I noticed there is that there's no true Greek salad. Every island has its own version of a Greek salad, its own version of feta cheese. I started experiment early on many years ago with a combination of Greek salad versus Mediterranean salad, and what I make now actually changes every time I make it. Sometimes I make it every day. It starts with cranberries and walnuts, feta cheese, of course. There's good feta cheese and bad feta cheese. I won't get into that right now.

The best tomatoes, usually small Campari tomatoes, not the vintage tomatoes that are not necessarily that good. Sliced onion, very little greens, possibly a little arugula, not much. They don't use greens in Greek salads and other kinds of accoutrements. They're skipping my mind now. I'll top with the best olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Alison Stewart: We need just a touch of balsamic vinegar. Thanks a lot for calling. All right, we're up to desserts. What are your favorite no-bake desserts?

Margaux Laskey: Well, one of the callers, I forget her name, I apologize, but she mentioned the microwave, and I think we cannot forget about the microwave. We have so many great actually microwave desserts on site. Specifically, a Nutella microwave pudding that has like three ingredients. Talk about kid-friendly. Something my kids like to make all by themselves.

Alison Stewart: How do you do that, Nutella?

Margaux Laskey: It's Nutella, egg, and baking powder. You stir it together and pop it into your microwave. I think it's like for two minutes and then you take it out and it's still kind of molten in the center, which is the way we all like it. It's wonderful. I like to add a little bit of salt to mine and the girls love it. Then we also have a microwave sticky toffee pudding, which works similarly as well. It's really, really great, and then doesn't involve the microwave.

It's a great one that is just combination of whipped cream and tangy yogurt. You top it with macerated berries, like berries that just sapped a little bit of sugar for a little while, so it releases their juices and you top it on. It's really, really so simple, like sophisticated and really great. You can't have a meal without dessert.

Alison Stewart: Of course not. Margaux Laskey is an associate editor with New York Times Cooking. She's been walking us through some summer cooking recipes to get us through this heat wave. Margaux, thanks for joining us.

Margaux Laskey: Thank you so much for having me.

Alison Stewart: That is All of It for today. I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I will meet you back here next time.