Here be food

[lsanderson]

Another month almost shot to hell.

Crisp, Complex and Refreshing

By ERIC ASIMOV
"ON a hot summer night, a beer need only be cold and wet to satisfy. But consider if the standard were set a little higher. Imagine a beer that offered more than the internal equivalent of holding a cold, glistening bottle against a
flushed and sweaty forehead. What if that beer did not merely satisfy, but inspired?"

No Longer a Wet Noodle
By MATT LEE and TED LEE
THE concept of a cold pasta salad is promising. It should be easy to prepare and soothingly cool, ideal for the summer table.

Recipe: Rice Noodle Salad With Tuna and Snow Peas

Recipe: Orzo Salad

Recipe: Orecchiette Salad

Burgers Without Borders
By JULIA MOSKIN
"TIME: Summer evening, the present.

"Scene: Backyard barbecue, somewhere in America.

"Enter: Grown woman, lurking by the kids' table.

"I admit it, I'm not above stealing burgers and hot dogs from children. At cookouts, I admire the grilled soft-shell crabs, pencil-thin asparagus and other adult fare, then check out what the toddlers are getting."

Recipe: Syrian Beef Kebabs
Recipe: Lemony Cucumber Salad

Recipe: Adana Kebabs
Recipe: Cucumber Yogurt Mint Salad

Recipe: Cilantro Mint Chutney

Recipe: Vietnamese Pork Kebabs
Recipe: Nuoc Cham

For Summer Baking, Take the Top Down
By MARK BITTMAN
"IT may be un-American to say so, but the Fourth of July makes me think of tarts, not pies. This could be because I grew up with neither, and when I began making pastries tarts seemed more appealing: not only did they look prettier, but they also appealed to my then-burgeoning Francophilic food snobbishness."

Recipe: Simple Berry Tart

Recipe: Free-Form Fruit Tart

Recipe: Berry Tart With Pastry Cream

An Attaché Case for Days When the Boss Is Out
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
"This jazzy woven plastic case, made in the Netherlands by Present Time, holds a
picnic service for eight, with durable reusable plastic utensils: plates, glasses, bowls, knives, forks and spoons. The attaché-style case also has room for accessories like a wine opener, napkins and a tablecloth, but not for food, which belongs in a cooler anyway."