Fried Chicken Bao with Black Vinegar Pickled Plums

Okay, I realize frying chicken isn’t exactly a summer-friendly activity. Come to think of it, neither is steaming a basket of buns or anything for that matter. So yeah, maybe these Fried Chicken Bao aren’t going to “summer vibes” or the break from the heat you’re looking for. But they do taste a treat when you’re sitting on the grass on a sunny summer evening. So, are they worth the sweaty sheen and the smeared mascara they impose? Of course, they are! We’re talking about fried chicken here. And what’s more, we’re talking about fried chicken tucked into pillowy bao. The dehydration is temporary, this eating memory is forever.

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Beer Can Chicken Nachos

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Today’s recipe is a twofer. Yes, these Beer Can Chicken Nachos are obviously nachos, but you’re looking at two meals here if you live in a two-person household. Bae and I ate roughly half of the beer can chicken with a few sides one night and a mountain of nachos the next. Yes, we know we are incredibly hard done by. The best thing about this recipe is it is very much a choose-your-own-adventure kind of deal. Not so much about nachos, just make the chicken. Nacho-loving vegetarian? Forget about the chicken and double down on the pinto beans. Whatever your heart desires, today’s recipe has it…provided your heart wants Tex Mex.

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Larb Fresh Rolls

Today’s Larb Fresh Rolls are brought to you by seasonal temperatures! Yes, the weather is finally on the upswing here and I once again believe in the existence of summer. This long-awaited shift has got me thinking about salads, chilled noodles, and boxes upon boxes of popsicles, the more colorful and bizarre-looking the better. Basically, all things refreshing have been strolling through my mind for the better part of a week. Gone are the baked pasta fantasies and mashed potato daydreams. Now, all I want is grilled fish, cool crisp fruit plates and all the fresh rolls I can handle. I’m starting to realize my eating habits would be much healthier if I lived in a warmer climate. Dang. Oh well!

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Chipotle Hot Wings with Cucumber-Avocado Dip

Chipotle Hot Wings with Cucumber-Avocado Dip

Chicken wings are the perfect party food. Okay, that may be a touch too enthusiastic; it’s hard to imagine anyone nibbling daintily on one at a funeral. But chicken wings are the perfect party food for a particular type of party. I’m not going to say they’re perfect for a Super Bowl party or something equally jocky because, aside from being painfully obvious, it’s far too limiting. I think wings are capable of so much more than that. Having said that, I did make today’s Chipotle Hot Wings as a companion to a Toronto Raptor’s playoff game. But I have on numerous occasions made wings for non-sporting events and served them to sports-adverse humans with great success. Everyone loves wings, so why relegate them exclusively to man caves and sports bars. Free the wing!

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