
It’s summertime and the living is easy or at least the entertaining is. Now, it’s probably obvious that I am a year-round dinner party enthusiast. But summertime parties have got to be the easiest and, paradoxically, the best. I mean, in what other context does “minimal effort” and “maximum payoff” intersect? Outside of August, it’s pretty much the equivalent of finding a unicorn waiting in the check out line at Target. And to capture these unicorn-esque vibes, I give you this Hot Crab Dip with Shishito Peppers. It asks of you little more than stirring and it is only elevated by the presence of cold beer. Basically, it’s the makings of an impromptu summer gathering covered in gooey, gooey cheese.


Guys, I know I say this about all of my recipes but today’s Shrimp Bisque Risotto is so. damn. good! Like so good! I ate it for three straight days and I was sad when it was gone. That never happens to me because when it comes to food cravings, I have the attention span of a gnat. I took a huge risk making this risotto because I knew I’d be on the hook to eat the whole thing. Bae does not do seafood, so when it came to leftovers, it was either me or the compost. Needless to say, the compost did not see a grain of this Shrimp Bisque Risotto.
When I was a kid, my mom and I had a ritual. If we ever found ourselves alone for dinner, we’d pop over to our neighborhood Chinese joint. The order was always the same: A plate of Shanghai noodles to split and two orders of wonton soup. It wasn’t a common occurrence because I come from a family of 5. But even if my mom and I only split those noodles 4 or 5 times, those moments had a big impact on me. So much so that to this day, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling every time I see wonton soup on a menu. And that feeling was what I had in mind when I whipped up today’s Scallop Wonton Soup.