You say tomato, I say risotto

This fast, five-star recipe is a perfect peak tomato meal.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 28, 2024 David Tanis's tomato risotto. Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Iah Pinkney. You say tomato, I say risotto By Melissa Clark In my head, a steaming bowl of risotto has always been wintry fare, maybe because I associate it with cozy dinner parties and other cold-weather pursuits. But David Tanis has made me rethink my life yet again, this time with his ruddy-hued summer tomato risotto. By substituting chopped ripe tomatoes for some of the liquid and olive oil for the butter, he brings a complex depth to the mix while also lightening and brightening it. Then, to contrast with all the juicy sweetness, he replaces the usual Parmesan with pecorino or provolone and adds red pepper flakes for a kick. Another assumption-buster: You don't need to stand there forever stirring the risotto pot. Just gradually add the liquid, give it a good stir every once in a while and it will simmer into creamy perfection. Add an arugula salad and it's a beautiful peak tomato meal, in between your BLTs and gazpachos. Featured Recipe Tomato Risotto View Recipe → Labor Day sneaked right up on me this year, and I've been on the fence about what to cook. But an irresistible candidate for the main slot is Samin Nosrat's chapli burgers, inspired by the patty-shaped Pakistani chapli kebabs. Samin spices ground beef assertively with garam masala, cumin, coriander and ginger, adding pounded pomegranate seeds for a sour, juicy pop. Served with an herby yogurt and tamarind ketchup, the burgers are a punchy, fragrant alternative to the same-old-same-old cookout fare. For the side dish slot, Ham El-Waylly's zucchini-peach salad with creamy lime dressing will shine next to pretty much anything you may be grilling. Ham makes a strong case for zuke summer: You can let them sit with a little salt and they'll soften beautifully with no cooking whatsoever. And zucchini is always down to absorb whatever dressings and seasonings you like. For this recipe, he went for a mix of sour cream, lime juice and zest, and fresh dill, all of which also work wonderfully with the sliced ripe peaches. Speedy and colorful, zesty and sweet, it's a Labor Day weekend shoo-in! Another shoo-in is Lidey Heuck's instant classic, Parmesan-crusted chicken. The thin cutlets are swabbed with mayonnaise, breaded in grated cheese and herbs, and then baked until golden and crisp all over. They have the crunchy appeal of their fried cousins, but none of the oily mess. I'm also putting Connie Chung's ginger-scallion steamed fish (as adapted by Ali Slagle) on my list. Serve these tender, easy-to-eat cubes of salmon with rice and a crunchy cucumber salad for a crowd-pleasing meal any time of the year. For dessert, I'm thinking cool, creamy and tangy sweet. Enter Ifrah F. Ahmed's mango labaniyad. Based on a beloved eggy pudding that's a fixture in Somali households during Ramadan, Ifrah's version has mango puréed into the custard as well as cubed on top. Just the thing to end your Labor Day cookout on the sunniest, fruitiest note. To get these and all the other summery and season-agnostic recipes at New York Times Cooking, you'll want to subscribe. If you're hit by some kind of a technical snafu, email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. One-Pan Creamed Spinach With Eggs Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Eugene Jho. Do you love creamed spinach? Do you love runny eggs? Hetty "Dream Ticket" Lui McKinnon's got the one-pot recipe you need right now. It's a skillet full of gooey, cream-cheese enriched spinach nestled with soft-yolked baked eggs. Buttered toast is optional, but it has my highest endorsement. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver. Chapli Burgers By Samin Nosrat 30 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Zucchini-Peach Salad With Creamy Lime Dressing By Ham El-Waylly 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Parmesan-Crusted Chicken  By Lidey Heuck 45 minutes Makes 4 servings Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Ginger-Scallion Steamed Fish Recipe from Connie Chung Adapted by Ali Slagle 25 minutes Makes 4 servings Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Eugene Jho. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane. Arugula Salad With Parmesan By Ali Slagle 5 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Cucumber Salad By Ali Slagle 15 minutes Makes 4 servings Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Mango Labaniyad (Creamy Custard) By Ifrah F. Ahmed 30 minutes, plus 4 hours' chilling Makes 3 to 4 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018