14 Recipes Our Editors Are Excited to Cook Right Now

Tomato tart on a wooden surface — Serious Eats / Amanda Saurez

The dog days of summer are here, and it's sweltering—at least in New York, where I live. Lately, I've been tuning in regularly to artist Jack Klein's Instagram page for temperature updates. Armed with a thermometer, Klein descends into the subway to measure the platform's stifling heat and humidity. As I watch him sweat under the fluorescent lights, I can't help but crave a cold, sweet treat and a big plate of grilled fish. Turns out, our editors feel the same.

When I polled them for their favorite recipes this month, I noticed a shared excitement for smoky flavors from the grill paired with fun, zesty marinades, whether in tamarind-glazed grilled prawns (or shrimp) or sardines coated in herbaceous chermoula. We're also not shy about riffing on summer classics: We've got a za'atar–feta Caesar salad (a unanimous favorite!) and a bitter, briny dirty Negroni. Plus, we couldn't stop thinking about a few no-bake desserts, such as no-churn mango ice cream and black forest icebox cake. Keep reading to explore all 14 of our editor-approved picks this month, and I guarantee you'll find a way to handle (or even enjoy) the heat.

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Spicy Maryland Crab Dip

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

"Summer means dinner parties, and parties mean dips and chips. This fried pickle dip has been my go-to for the past year, but it's time to try something different. And different, in this instance, means getting all hot and crabby. I am a sucker for a warm, cheesy, gooey dip, and this one's loaded with sweet crabmeat and the je ne sais quoi of Old Bay—say no more." —Grace Kelly, senior editor

Spicy Maryland Crab Dip
Dirty Negroni

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

"Sorry to everyone else on Earth, but I'm pretty sure Kelli developed this recipe specifically for me. She combined my favorite traditional cocktails, so I no longer have to pick between bitter and briny (my two moods) on sweltering summer evenings. As for the optional olive oil fat wash? That gets a resounding 'heck yeah' from me." —Ashlee Redger, writer

Dirty Negroni
No-Churn Mango Ice Cream

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

"New York has been incredibly hot and humid. I need all the icy cold snacks and beverages I can get my hands on! I'm particularly excited to make contributor Swetha Sivakumar's three-ingredient no-churn mango ice cream, which sounds so luxuriously creamy." —Genevieve Yam, senior editor

No-Churn Mango Ice Cream
Galayet Bandora (Jordanian Stewed Tomatoes)

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

I was lucky enough to be in the kitchen when Laila was making this dish, and I discovered a new favorite meal! I also discovered that there's somebody who loves olive oil as much as I do. I feel so seen, Laila. A long cook time and plenty of olive oil make this vegetarian tomato dish so rich, flavorful, and satisfying. - Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

Galayet Bandora (Jordanian Stewed Tomatoes)

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Grilled Chermoula Sardines

Serious Eats / Vy Tran

"Nothing captures the spirit of summer quite like grilled fish. And fresh sardines are easily among my top three favorite fish. In Nargisse Benkabbou's recipe, they're coated in charmoula, an herbaceous, oil-based marinade made with garlic, cumin, paprika, and fresh lemon juice. It's one of the best pairings for sardines, with the lemon's brightness cutting cleanly through their signature richness. The little fish are then grilled over charcoal, picking up a deep smoky flavor. They end up tasting like something you'd eat in a coastal city at the height of summer." — Laila Ibrahim, associate culinary editor

Grilled Chermoula Sardines
Grilled Tamarind-Marinated Prawns

Serious Eats / Vy Tran

"I don't own a grill—that's a sad fact of life for most New Yorkers—but somehow, someway, I'm gonna make these grilled shrimp because that tangy, savory tamarind–fish sauce glaze is calling to me, loudly. Hey, that reminds me, reader: Do you have a grill and live within driving distance of NYC? Can I come to your place with my whole family? There'll be some shrimp in it for you..." —Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Grilled Tamarind-Marinated Prawns
Pan con Tomate (Spanish-Style Grilled Bread With Tomato)

Serious Eats / Diana Chistruga

"Every summer, I wait for what I call peak tomato—that glorious moment when the farmers market (and my dad’s backyard) overflows with tomatoes in every color: red, yellow, green, pink, even purple. Maybe it’s the Jersey girl in me, but nothing beats a perfect tomato—and there's nothing simpler or better than pan con tomate. Just do it. And don’t skip the bread. In NYC, She Wolf Bakery is my go-to (IYKYK. And if you don’t? Even better—more for me.)" —Kelli Solomon, senior social media editor

Pan con Tomate (Spanish-Style Grilled Bread With Tomato)
Za'atar-Feta Caesar Salad

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

"I hate to pick my own recipe, but I've been making this particularly punchy take on a Caesar all summer long. It's loaded with some of my favorite things: labneh, za'atar, and feta. Oh, and it's croutonless—breadcrumbs stand in for a less laborious chew." — Laila

Za'atar-Feta Caesar Salad

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Okra With Tamarind and Jaggery

Serious Eats / Jatin Sharma

"Sure, okra can be polarizing, but whoever has a grudge against this vegetable has clearly never had it prepared right. I'm excited to try this sweet and sour dish!" —Genevieve

Okra With Tamarind and Jaggery
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Serious Eats / Lorena Masso

"Sweet corn doesn't taste as good when it's not in season, so in high summer I eat as much as I can. This recipe is perfect for when you're up to your ears in ears (hehe), and can't look at another piece of boiled corn. The lime vinaigrette also makes a great marinade for meat!" — Rochelle Bilow, editor

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
Black Forest Icebox Cake

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

"Immediately after editing this cherry dessert round-up, I rushed over to my local supermarket to buy a bag of plump cherries, and have been keeping up this weekly habit ever since. I've had my eye on this rich, luscious, chocolate-y icebox cake for a while, and I can't wait to convert all my friends to the dark (cherry) side." —Jess Eng, associate editor

Black Forest Icebox Cake
Tarte à Tomate et à La Moutarde (Tomato and Mustard Tart)

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

"I am a creature of habit and ease, so it is not an exaggeration when I say I ate some variation of tomato toast for the last three weeks in July. But it's now August, so new month, new me. This means I will be making Daniel's tarte à tomate et à la moutarde at least once (before I evidently re-adapt it to, you guessed it, a tomato toast variation). The mustard and tomato combo is a revelation to me, and the ease of the recipe makes me feel like I've elevated my dinner." — Amanda Suarez, associate visuals director

Tarte à Tomate Et à La Moutarde (Tomato and Mustard Tart)

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Yam Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad With Shrimp)

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

"There's nothing I crave more on a hot, sweltering day than a chilled-out noodle salad. This Thai glass noodle salad contains all of my favorite elements—slippery noodles, roasted peanuts, and plump, tender shrimp. Plus, I love that it's finished with a deeply flavorful dab of fish sauce." — Jess

Yam Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad With Shrimp)
Hummus Fatteh (Hummus With Crisp Pita, Fried Meat, and Pine Nuts)

Serious Eats / Mai Kakish

"I have been craving contributor Reem Kassis' hummus fatteh all week. Crispy pita, tender chickpeas, a creamy yogurt and tahini sauce, complete with morsels of lamb, pomegranates, and toasted pine nuts? Oh, that sounds dreamy, alright." - Genevieve

Hummus Fatteh (Hummus With Crisp Pita, Fried Meat, and Pine Nuts)

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