
When it’s too hot to cook, easy, no-oven recipes can be a lifesaver.
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Alison Stewart
This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alex. Hi, 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 8pm 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 Finders NYCGovernor CoolingCenters. We'll also put on Instagram when it comes. 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 up 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 Margot Lasky from the New York Times. Hi Margo.
Margot Lasky
Hi.
Alison Stewart
Margot is the Associate editor of Recipes for New York Times Cooking. She collaborates with recipe developers and testers to create approachable and affordable meals. Margo 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 2124-3396-9221-2433 wnyc or let us know via social media at OliveT wnyc. So what is the first thing you think about when planning a summer meal or without the oven?
Guest Chef
The first thing I think about is ease. Right? 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, and then obviously it needs to be delicious, right? I mean that probably goes without saying, but I think sometimes people think no cooked meals can't be delicious. But I, but I'm here to say that as absolutely not true. They can be delicious and exciting.
Progressive Insurance
What can keep a summer dish another word, satisfying.
Guest Chef
Ah, that's a good one. Well, I think like I said, delicious. It needs to be delicious. It can't. You can't Sort of just throw a couple, you know, crackers and cheese on a plate and call it. I mean, you can for sure, but it maybe won't. And certainly I have.
Margot Lasky
But it.
Guest Chef
It won't probably be as satisfying as you would like it to be. I think, you know, deliciousness, for one. Probably there's some. Gotta be a little bit of protein in there. I would imag imagine to make it feel satisfying. And, you know, it should be. It should be fun. It should be fun.
Progressive Insurance
Are there any particular summer flavors that are always a hit?
Guest Chef
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 it's. It's. 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 and that you may miss with other raw vegetables. What else does really well? Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
Progressive Insurance
I was gonna say, what's a surprising combination that people would not think? This wouldn't. I wouldn't put this in the heat. I wouldn't eat this in heat. And you think, wait a minute, it's delicious.
Guest Chef
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. And it is not only gorgeous, but also so, so delicious. And I think a surprising combination. You don't immediately think of that, but the. The tart sweet of the peaches, the creaminess of the mozzarell spiciness of the gochujang vinaigrette is like magic.
Progressive Insurance
Do you have any tips for folks who are headed out to the farmer's market?
Margot Lasky
Yeah.
Progressive Insurance
I guess the right way to get the most out of your trip to a farmer's market in this kind of heat.
Guest Chef
Well, I would say go in the morning because it's so hot in the afternoon. Obviously, I would go in the morning, and obviously, you're going to get the best selection first thing in the morning. And, you know, ask about what's. Ask the purveyors about what's best. You know, they're the experts, so, you know, ask them what's what they Recommend would be my suggestion. What's seasonal? I mean, 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 by that and then come to NYT Cooking and look up those ingredients and you can find a recipe that would, that would utilize those.
Progressive Insurance
Let's take some calls. Let's talk to Eleanor from the Upper west side. Hi, Eleanor, thanks for calling, all of it.
Margot Lasky
Hi, thanks for taking my call. One of my favorite meals in the hot weather is a salad of lettuce, tomato, avocado, have to have avocado, orange, pepper, cucumber, cheese, any kind of cheese and corn chips. And I dress it with oil and vinegar and a little salt, maybe pepper. I love it. I eat it all the time.
Progressive Insurance
Eleanor, good call. I have a question about salads, Margo. Yeah, 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?
Guest Chef
Yeah, for sure. I mean, first of all, I should say that we just published on New York Times Cooking three really spectacular salad dressing recipes from Sunny Nasrat that you should definitely check out. That I think will up your salad game. For one, Like, 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. And also my grandmother taught me to make sure you add a little bit of salt to your greens. That can actually and to your vegetables. It can actually make a really big difference. But we have loads and loads of salads. I mean, I mentioned that one from LAX with the peaches and the gochujang and mozzarella, which I'm going to keep singing about. But we also have an amazing cucumber and avocado salad that is super satisfying, but only like three ingredients, but also unexpected and has like a sesame vinaigrette that I think you should really try.
Progressive Insurance
Something's gotta give on my salads because my salads are like, there's no good. Let's talk to Victoria, who's calling from Portland, Maine. Hi, Victoria. Thank you for calling, all of it.
Margot Lasky
Oh, hi. How are you? Yeah, can you hear me? Okay.
Progressive Insurance
You sound great.
Margot Lasky
Okay, great. So one of my go to's in summertime is I take two cups of bread. So basically just, 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. And you just put it in the blender and it's delicious. It's just like such a delicious gazpacho. White gazpacho.
Alison Stewart
That sounds good.
Progressive Insurance
It does, right?
Margot Lasky
Yeah. And it's so easy. It's like the easiest recipe in the world. Could you just shove everything into the, into the blender or, you know, whatever you have that can blend stuff up. I mean, you could probably even make it for like a one person meal if you want to. You know, 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. Really? And garlic and honey.
Progressive Insurance
All right, Victoria, thanks for the tip. Now, how does one prevent one salad from getting soggy?
Guest Chef
Well, certainly. I mean, I would hold off on dressing it until just before serving for sure. And, you know, if you're traveling, obviously pack up your dressing and dress it once you arrive. I mean, honestly, that's my biggest tip. I think that, like, that's the best way to do it. And also make sure your greens are very dry before, you know, make sure they're nicely, you know, 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?
Guest Chef
Let's see. Now, I don't have all the ingredients memorized, so let me look this up here. We got the spicy cucumber with mint scallions and crushed peanuts. And there's a little bit of lime juice, a little bit of fish sauce, and Thai chilies, a Fresno chili, scallions, loads of mint and fresh basil and cilantro.
Alison Stewart
You just mentioned chili on the day when we're trying to keep cool. How does that work?
Guest Chef
Well, the heat actually spicy foods actually make trick your body into feeling a bit cooler.
Alison Stewart
Truly. Is that true?
Guest Chef
Yeah, yeah, 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. Okay. It's room temperature sauce. In a blender, put a bunch of chopped up tomatoes, peeled and seeded cucumbers, balsamic vinaigrette, a small chopped glove of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta or whatever. It's delicious and refreshing.
Guest Chef
That's great. It's like a no cook tomato sauce. Brilliant. And 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, Margot?
Guest Chef
I want that recipe for New York Times Cooking.
Alison Stewart
I'm noticing a lot of mushing and putting together and smushing in our recipes.
Guest Chef
Yes, for sure. Well, I think it's really smart. What I'm noticing is a lot of smart flavor combinations to, like brighten things up. Like you were saying how your salads can be a little boring. I think you sort of have to experiment a little bit with different flavor combinations and try stuff out, you know.
Alison Stewart
My guest is Margot Lasky. She is from New York Times Cooking. We are talking about summer, 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 numbers, 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. After the break, we'll learn the difference, the difference between assembling and not cooking. You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is Margot Lasky. She's with New York Times Cooking. She is helping us with some summer cooking recipes. Read, 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. I think. There you go.
Guest Chef
Can you hear me?
Alison Stewart
Yeah, hear you now.
Guest Chef
Okay. Sorry about that. I think it's important to start with sort of a centerpiece, one thing that maybe takes a little bit more effort than the rest. And our recipe for a charcuterie board starts with a really simple whipped ricotta. And then, you know, you surround it with the things that you love that feel Satisfying and special, you know, and. And 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. You know, throw stuff on there that makes. Makes it feel special and not like just, you 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 know, you want to think salty sweet. Think of all the different textures. Salty, sweet, crunchy, soft. And 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.
Margot Lasky
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. And so 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, and 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.
Progressive Insurance
All right, let's talk about the classic sandwich.
Margot Lasky
Mmm.
Progressive Insurance
What are some of your sandwich recommendations?
Margot Lasky
Ooh.
Guest Chef
We've 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, you know, vegetarians, people who aren't interested in having meat. And this recipe is super smart because sometimes when you make tomato sandwiches, that 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 and so you can travel with that sandwich and you don't end up with a soggy mess. When you arrive. And then we have a really smart riff on a blt. And instead of blt, it calls for smoked mackerel, which is like chewy and hearty and is a nice little, nice little riff on the blt.
Progressive Insurance
Are you pro tinned fish?
Guest Chef
I am pro tin fish. I really like tinfish. And we have quite a few good recipes for tinned fish. I mean, 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 a tuna tostada, which you take two cans of tuna and toss it with lime juice and fresh tomato and avocado again makes an appearance. And you top it, top crispy tostadas with it. And it's really a lovely, lovely, like, desk lunch.
Progressive Insurance
Let's talk to Olivia from Brooklyn. Hey, Olivia, thanks for calling all of it.
Margot Lasky
Oh, my gosh. Hey. Of course. So 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 biggest tub. But 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, you know, balsamic, if you like, 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. Let's talk to Susan from Cranford, New Jersey. Hey, Susan, what are you making?
Margot Lasky
Oh, it's a great cold soup that my husband's family is from Lithuania. And the soup is called shell tiboche. And it is red beets, 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. And it is so refreshing and delicious on a hot summer day.
Alison Stewart
Thanks for the tip. We really appreciate it. All right, Margot, Every time I go on Instagram, all I keep hearing is, you need protein. You gotta have protein. All right, so people who want their protein, is there a summer no cook meal?
Guest Chef
Absolutely. I mean, one that I love is a very simple chickpea salad. It's almost like a Potato salad, but made with chickpeas. And it's got fresh scallions and tons of herbs. And 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 that makes you want to take a nap afterwards.
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?
Guest Chef
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. And then the charcuterie board, going back to that, which in our house we call stuff on a plate.
Alison Stewart
Stuff on a plate.
Guest Chef
Stuff on a plate.
Alison Stewart
I like that as much.
Guest Chef
And they can, you know, they can pick and choose what they want to put on there, too. They have some. They have input.
Alison Stewart
Let's talk to Alan calling in from New Canaan, Connecticut. Hey, Alan, thanks for calling, all of it.
Caller
I love this conversation. So 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. So 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. And 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 good. Sliced onion, very little greens, possibly a little arugula, not much. They don't use greens. And Greek salads and other kinds of accoutrements, they're skipping my mind now. On top with the best olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Progressive Insurance
We need just a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Alison Stewart
Thanks a lot for calling. All right, we're up to desserts. What are your favorite no bake desserts.
Guest Chef
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. How do you do that?
Alison Stewart
Nutella.
Guest Chef
It's Nutella egg and baking powder and you stir it together and pop it into your microwave. And 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. And it's wonderful. It's really. I like to add a little bit of salt to mine and the girls love it. And then we also have a microwave sticky toffee pudding which kind of 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. And you top it with macerated berries, like berries that have just sat with 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 but like sophisticated and really great. Margot, you can't have a meal without dessert.
Progressive Insurance
Of course not. Margo Lasky is an associate editor with New York Times Cooking. She has been walking us through some summer cooking recipes to get us through this heat wave. Margo, thanks for joining us.
Guest Chef
Thank you so much for having me.
Alison Stewart
And 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.
Progressive Insurance
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Podcast Summary: All Of It – "A Few Recipe Suggestions To Keep Your Kitchen Cool"
Episode Information
Alison Stewart opens the episode by addressing the current heat advisory in New York City, which is in effect until 8 PM. She emphasizes the importance of staying cool by avoiding the oven and suggests alternative cooling locations like libraries and NYC cooling centers for those without air conditioning. The focus of the episode is introduced: offering quick and easy meal ideas that don’t require extensive use of the oven.
Notable Quote:
“When it's blazing hot outside, the last thing anyone wants to do is to turn on the oven for long stretches of time.” – Alison Stewart [00:50]
Margot Lasky is introduced as the Associate Editor of Recipes for New York Times Cooking. She collaborates with recipe developers to create approachable and affordable meals. Margot recently curated 100 summer recipes and invites listeners to share their favorite low-heat meal ideas via call or social media.
Notable Quote:
“Do you have a favorite recipe that does not require an oven?” – Alison Stewart [02:00]
Margot emphasizes the importance of ease and deliciousness when planning summer meals. She challenges the notion that no-cook meals can't be satisfying, asserting that they can indeed be both delicious and exciting.
Notable Quotes:
“The first thing I think about is ease. Right? You want something super easy, as easy as can be if it's blazing hot outside.” – Guest Chef [02:00]
“They can be delicious and exciting.” – Guest Chef [02:29]
Margot discusses popular summer ingredients that thrive in hot weather, such as cucumbers and avocados. She highlights their versatility and how they add both flavor and nutritional value to dishes. Additionally, she shares a surprising yet delightful recipe combining peaches, mozzarella, and gochujang vinaigrette, creating a unique and flavorful salad.
Notable Quotes:
“Cucumber does really well in weather like this. Cucumber salads... avocado is really big right now too.” – Guest Chef [03:11]
“The tart sweet of the peaches, the creaminess of the mozzarella, spiciness of the gochujang vinaigrette is like magic.” – Guest Chef [04:03]
Margot advises visiting farmer's markets in the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and the freshest produce. She recommends engaging with purveyors to learn about seasonal offerings and suggests utilizing NYT Cooking resources to find recipes that highlight these ingredients.
Notable Quote:
“Ask the purveyors about what's best. They’re the experts.” – Guest Chef [04:49]
The episode features several listener calls, each sharing favorite no-cook or low-cook recipes:
Eleanor from Upper West Side [05:37]: Shares a hearty salad with lettuce, tomato, avocado, orange, pepper, cucumber, cheese, and corn chips, dressed with oil and vinegar.
Susan from Stanford, Connecticut [17:51]: Describes a Lithuanian-inspired cold soup called "shell tiboche" made with red beets, cucumber, green onion, dill, and kefir.
Victoria from Portland, Maine [07:39]: Provides a recipe for a white gazpacho blending bread, cucumbers, almonds, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
Alan from New Canaan, Connecticut [19:58]: Talks about his unique Greek-Mediterranean salad featuring cranberries, walnuts, feta cheese, Campari tomatoes, sliced onion, arugula, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Notable Quotes:
“I want that recipe for New York Times Cooking.” – Margot Lasky [11:16]
“It's like the easiest recipe in the world.” – Margot Lasky [08:24]
Margot offers practical advice for making salads more exciting and preventing them from becoming soggy. She emphasizes the importance of proper dressing application and recommends adding protein to enhance satisfaction.
Notable Quotes:
“People don’t dress them appropriately. And that can make a really, really big difference.” – Guest Chef [06:27]
“Make sure your greens are very dry before you toss them into the bowl.” – Guest Chef [09:32]
Margot introduces various creative recipes, including:
Charcuterie Board: Starts with whipped ricotta as a centerpiece, surrounded by nuts, smoked meats, veggies, and sweet elements like guava paste or strawberry jam to balance flavors and textures.
Cucumber and Avocado Salad: A favorite among children, incorporating fresh vegetables and allowing kids to customize their plates.
Chickpea Salad: A protein-rich, vegetarian alternative to traditional potato salad, ideal for potlucks and family meals.
Notable Quotes:
“Think salty, sweet. Think of all the different textures.” – Guest Chef [14:01]
“Stuff on a plate.” – Host, Alison Stewart [19:46]
The conversation shifts to delightful no-bake desserts perfect for summer:
Nutella Microwave Pudding: A simple mix of Nutella, egg, and baking powder, microwaved to a molten center—a favorite among kids.
Sticky Toffee Pudding: Combines whipped cream and tangy yogurt topped with macerated berries for a sophisticated yet easy dessert.
Notable Quotes:
“It’s Nutella, egg, and baking powder and you stir it together and pop it into your microwave.” – Guest Chef [21:21]
“It doesn’t involve the microwave. It’s a great one that is just a combination of whipped cream and tangy yogurt.” – Guest Chef [22:25]
Alison wraps up the episode by thanking Margot Lasky for her insightful contributions and encouraging listeners to try out the shared recipes to stay cool during the heatwave. The episode concludes with a brief mention of future topics and a reminder to tune in next time.
Notable Quote:
“Margot, thanks for joining us.” – Alison Stewart [22:36]
Key Takeaways:
This episode of All Of It offers a treasure trove of practical and innovative culinary ideas to help listeners enjoy delicious meals while keeping their kitchens cool during the sweltering summer heat.