It’s summer, and that means fun, freedom and food. What combines that better than the art of cooking, an act which bonds people across culture and time? Summer food has certain requirements: something cold and refreshing for a drink, something spicy and juicy for a dish. The writers below have shopped for ingredients and created the foods that epitomize summer.
— Ben Luu and Campbell Johns, Summer Managing Arts Editors
Gelato
Picture this: You’re on a small island in the Saronic Region of Greece. The days have been the definition of “island time”: late mornings immediately followed by fresh bread for breakfast, lunches filled with appetizers and delicious entrees immediately followed by the perfect afternoon siesta. Class happens in the afternoon, and there is your window — the 15-minute break snuck between the three hours of lecture. Your salvation exists just down a (lengthy) staircase, Pure Gelato Gelateria. An absolutely perfect pick-me-up. With flavors like Kinder Hungry Hippos, pistachio and even “Minecraft” (it tastes like cotton candy with mixed-in cookie dough), you’re in heaven.
Yes, I’ve fallen into the #EuroSummer trend and romanticized my foray into European culture — which is ironic as someone who can’t even explain the difference between gelato, ice cream or frozen yogurt (they all taste basically the same?!). But hey, people romanticize for a reason, and quite frankly, the flavors were way better than what you can find here in the States. Arguably, it even rivals the Michigan State University Dairy Store (the only thing I’ll go green and white for). So, if you’re looking for the perfect summer treat, head across the pond and find a local gelato shop. You won’t regret it.
Daily Arts Writer Ian Gallmore can be reached at gallmore@umich.edu.
Lemonade
It’s a classic for a reason! After a summer abroad where “lemonade” stands for a variant of Sprite (if you ever find yourself in Scotland looking for the lemonade that you’re used to, look for “cloudy lemonade”), I came home desperate for the refreshing, simple, sugary drink I had made every summer as a kid. I’m embarrassed to admit, however, that my absolute favorite type of lemonade is not a meticulously mixed smooth drink, but rather the type of cheap, gritty lemonade you’d find at the state fair. What makes it for me, and my sweet tooth, is the floating grains of sugar you can crunch on as the tartness coats your tongue.
I’ll often make it in a single serving. Juice a small lemon, shake the juice (pulp and all) in a tumbler with some ice and sugar and then combine with water and shake again, and it’s ready to serve. Not giving the sugar any time to dissolve — or to only half-dissolve — is crucial for my weird Frankenstein concoction, but do as you please.
I’ve also discovered the lovely world of adding syrups, iced tea or — perhaps a holdover from my summer — a splash of soda water. Even taking the same ingredients and blending them (make sure to peel the lemon first) results in a lovely variation of the classic summer drink.
Daily Arts Writer Cora Rolfes can be reached at corolfes@umich.edu.
Chapli kebab burgers
It’s a cool 8 p.m. in Ann Arbor. You’re walking down East University Avenue. Rising seniors are enjoying a cold one on the rickety porch of the house they just moved into. Someone is riding a scooter on the sidewalk much faster than they should be. The frat guys are playing die, belligerently. Nature is healing. You stop. You smell: burgers.
Nothing says summer better than some burgers. But for a young brown man such as myself, you can’t be content with just any burgers on summer nights like the ones I described above. No, we need to Pakistani-ify it.
Chapli kebab burgers are a simple play on a Pakistani classic. They’re made with ground beef, green onions, cilantro, peppers of your choice, flour and an assortment of spices with the amount of each unspecified (the ones you can find in a brown household, give or take a few). Mix it together, throw it on the grill and watch them sizzle. I like to put them on some sesame seed buns and top them with some Sweet Baby Ray’s. Don’t judge me.
With this short 20-minute recipe, you, too, can be a part of the vibrant East University scenery, the kind that really defines Ann Arbor in the summer. Just go to your porch, open your grill and make some burgers.
Daily Arts Contributor Zhane Yamin can be reached at zhane@umich.edu.
Garlic fried rice
My mom’s garlic fried rice is my favorite dish. Simply, its minced garlic stirred into a batch of old rice, with fish sauce as seasoning. The rice is cooked until it takes on a brownish hue, and scrambled or sunny-side up eggs top the plate (my mom also adds chili flakes for some spice notes). The deep umami flavors, thanks to the fish sauce, are rich but the eggs help balance out the sodium.
But I will admit that it’s not the healthiest — where are the vegetables? So, this summer, I’ve modified my mom’s recipe.
Everything basically stays the same except I cook the garlic with onions for a stronger base and add on some finely chopped mushrooms for a funkier texture. Carrots now add more vibrancy to the brown dish — with fish sauce and cayenne for flavor. Lastly, I fry two eggs on the side and dump a lot, a lot, a lot of spinach to the rice. (Everything done with the eye-test.)
The whole dish takes about 30 minutes, and it’s a staple in my fridge. If you ever want to try something simple and Vietnamese (and you can handle some garlicky goodness), put some oil on the pan and start frying!
Summer Managing Arts Editor Ben Luu can be reached at benllv@umich.edu.
