Go for the gold: Summer Pizza Party

July 28, 2021

Melina Hammer for The New York Times

Summer Pizza Party

By Sam Sifton

Good morning. We had a break in the heat and humidity and the kids wanted pizza and I realized that for all the recipes for pizza (above) I have, the only really important one is for dough. Everything else can be a riff, an improvisation, a no-recipe recipe. Just go easy on the toppings and strive for balance in the flavors: sweet against salty against spicy against bitter.

So, for instance, I marinated some halved cherry tomatoes in a splash of red wine vinegar with a healthy sprinkle of salt and red-pepper flakes, then drained them for a raw pomodoro sauce that I paired with mozzarella and roasted garlic. That was a good pie. So was one made with sliced wild mushrooms, goat cheese and fontina. So was a salad pie with greens, feta and mozzarella, drizzled with lemon juice. I know it's hot in lots of places. But pizza dough's a terrific summer canvas and, as I've pointed out before, you can grill it. Go paint something delicious.

Not that you should always cook off book. Eric Kim has two great new recipes to learn, one for skirt steak bulgogi and the other for eggplant bulgogi, along with an elegant article exploring the rich history of the dish, a staple of Korean barbecue restaurants and home kitchens that has its roots in the cuisine of the royal court during the Joseon dynasty. Either one of those bulgogis could make for a fine meal this evening, if you're not game for pizza.

Alternatively, you could take a look at this lovely pasta with fresh tomato sauce and ricotta. (Want to join the varsity practice today? Make your own ricotta!) Or give this surprising and delicious salad a shot: corn, mango, cucumber and halloumi. That's pretty good stuffed into a warm tortilla.

Mayo-marinated chicken with chimichurri? Roasted salmon with toasted sesame slaw? You could make these no-bake butterscotch custards, have leftovers for dinner, watch the Olympics and go to sleep happy, knowing that you're going to eat a custard for breakfast and no one will say boo about it.

Thousands and thousands more recipes to cook right now are waiting for you on New York Times Cooking. (It's true that you need a subscription to access them, just as you need a subscription to Apple TV+ to watch "Schmigadoon!" If you haven't taken one out already, I hope you will subscribe today.) And you can find further inspiration on our YouTube channel and on our Instagram. We post news and reviews on Twitter. (So do I. Follow me: @samsifton.)

And please sing out for help if you find yourself in a jam in your kitchen or on your computer: cookingcare@nytimes.com. Someone will get back you. (You can also write to me: foodeditor@nytimes.com. I read every letter sent.)

Now, it's not really about food, even if there are chicken salads in it, but you should read this excerpt from Deborah Copaken's memoir, "Ladyparts," in The Atlantic.

I enjoyed this Adam Dalva story in The New Yorker, about a mysterious pseudonymous novelist who sent Dalva work in installments, mailing them to his parents' address in New York, where he hadn't lived in more than a decade.

Here's a heartbreaking, brave personal essay in The Boston Globe Magazine by Jack Thomas, "I Just Learned I Only Have Months to Live. This Is What I Want to Say."

Finally, new music to play us off: Kamo Mphela's "Thula Thula." A tip of the hat to Isabelia Herrera for that one. She wrote about the song for The Times last week. Play loud, cook well and I'll be back on Friday.

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