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Get me to the grillHello! I’m back from my travels, recharged, well fed and eager to start cooking again. I ate really well in both London and Andalusia, Spain, but I missed my kitchen. I felt a pang of lost opportunity at every market I visited. The piles of purple garlic, figs as big as oranges, shrimp in every shade of pink, all those sea snails! And none of it was coming home with me. (Except the figs, which I ate on the plane.) The trip did give me plenty of ideas of new-to-me things to make. For example, salmorejo — an Andalusian classic that’s similar to gazpacho but thicker, with a higher proportion of bread blended in. It’s on my list for this week. I’m also itching to get back to my grill, which has been a bit neglected this summer because of the weather — either too hot or too rainy. Ashley Lonsdale has a new recipe for grilled chicken thighs with tomato and avocado that I can’t wait to try when the time is right. In it, she chars the plum tomatoes and avocado halves alongside the chicken to add caramelized notes, then dresses everything with a mustard vinaigrette sweetened with golden raisins. It’s a brilliant combination that’s perfect for right now. Featured Recipe Grilled Chicken Thighs With Tomato and AvocadoAlso on the menuShrimp a la plancha: Steven Raichlen writes that the pimentón is optional in his speedy, tapas-inspired recipe, but I wouldn’t skip it. It adds a fruity, spicy note to the garlicky shrimp and helps make a punchy, ruddy-colored sauce to scoop up with a torn baguette. Tomato-watermelon gazpacho with avocado: In my totally nontraditional gazpacho, I add watermelon for sweetness and a topping of cubed avocado for richness. It’s a cooling, light meal for the hottest days. Flan de leche: My visit to Andalusia made me want to master flan, and I’m starting with Katie Button and Genevieve Ko’s classic, Spanish-style recipe (adapted by Julia Moskin). Made from just eggs, milk and sugar (plus seasonings), it has an especially delicate flavor and a soft, custardy texture. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. Reading and eatingA few Sundays ago, I wrote about the delightful “Jeeves and Wooster” series by P.G. Wodehouse, and it reminded me of Daniel Kehlmann’s wrenching book, “The Director.” Mr. Kehlmann’s main subject is the filmmaker G.W. Pabst (who helped begin the careers of Greta Garbo and Louise Brooks) and his Faustian compromises with the Nazis. But P.G. Wodehouse also makes a brief (and similarly ambivalent) cameo. There’s not much food in “The Director,” and what there is reflects wartime hardship. But there is one early scene in which two Austrian expats in Los Angeles compare the virtues of California fruit to the delicacies of their homeland: “Who needs Sachertorte, I always say, when you can have mango every day!” Luckily, we no longer have to choose only one. But since it’s too hot for Sacher torte at the moment, let me suggest Hetty Lui McKinnon’s ultracreamy, two-ingredient mango soft serve.
What are you reading? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com — I’m always looking for my next great read. That’s all for now. I’ll be back tomorrow.
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