Weekly Wrap-Up: 5/12-5/18

In case you missed them, here’s a wrap up of our favorite blog posts of the week. Read, get inspired, and start cooking!

 

Farro Salad Fresh, light and satisfying are the first words that come to mind for this inspired salad. Plus, it’s easy to make ahead: store cooked farro, hard-boiled eggs and chopped vegetables separately for making salads during the week.

Ingredient Spotlight: Cherries Maybe it’s their short season that makes perfectly ripe, fresh cherries such an unrivaled treat. As they hit farmers’ markets in late spring, use our tips for choosing and preparing cherries and try a few of our favorite ways to prepare them, straight from the Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen.

Pad Thai Truth: making homemade pad thai could change your life. Planned correctly, the whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes, and it tastes infinitely better than takeout.

All About Chiles What better way to add some heat to your favorite food and drinks than with fresh chiles? From mildest to hottest, here are all the chiles you need to turn up the heat in the kitchen.

Spice Up Summer Foods! As the temperature rises, so does the spice level — we’re all about spicy foods and drinks with kick. Using this season’s new recipes as inspiration, we’ve gathered our best ideas for adding some heat to your summer meals. Spice it up!

Buttermilk Tartlets with Fresh Berries Tangy buttermilk is tempered by the richness of egg yolks and cream in these miniature tarts. The lemon-kissed tartlets make a perfect base for the juicy berries, but nearly any ripe summer fruit — from sliced nectarines and apricots to halved cherries — could be substituted.

Recipe Roundup: Chiles Ready to spice things up? Get cooking with some of our favorite recipes with chiles.

Dried Chile Guide Traditionally used in Southwestern and Latin American cooking, dried chiles add a depth of taste that just can’t be matched by ground chile powder. Read on to discover our favorite kinds and how to prepare them.

Grilled Baby Artichokes with Spicy Garlic Butter A gently steamed artichoke leaf dipped in melted butter is exquisite, but grilled baby artichokes only improve on a good thing. Once you strip away the burnt outer leaves, you’ll find a fork-tender center.

DIY Dried Chiles Whether your garden is producing a bumper crop of chiles this summer or you couldn’t resist buying a big basket of colorful peppers at the farmers’ market, drying them will allow you to enjoy their fiery flavor all year long. Read on our tips for how to dry them in your own kitchen.

Party Planner: Spicy Cookout Our festive menu gets its kick from several kinds of chiles, and as a bonus, most of the dishes can be prepared on the grill. That means you can gather your friends, share a fun meal, and make the most of the season’s warm nights. Here’s how to pull it off.

Brioche French Toast with Fruit Syrup and Meyer Lemon Marmalade A fragrant vanilla bean and whole cardamom pods are baked right into this dish from Portland’s Ned Ludd restaurant, resulting in an unusually decadent French toast. Dressed up with a Meyer lemon marmalade, it can even be served as a dessert.

Baked Pasta Primavera Colorful zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes nestle in this creamy pasta. Lemon zest brightens the dish, and fresh bread crumbs on top add a delightful crunch.