fourth of july favorites ⋆⭒˚.⋆
plus: cucumber crunch salad with tofu
Monday, June 30, 2025
Good morning!
Pizza Math [Cup of Jo]
It’s Indian Mango Season, and the Cutthroat Selling Frenzy Is On [NYT, unlocked]
Has you noticed how many holidays this year fall on a Friday? Valentine’s, Lunar New Year, Halloween will too, and this week, July 4th as well. It’s almost like the universe wants us to have as many long festive weekends as possible and I’m sure you’re as here for it as I am. Below, some of my favorite Independence Day recipes, the ones to me it feels downright wrong to go the weekend without: ribs, potato salad, the best cornbread, fat slices of watermelon (or blended into a perfect mojito), a berry-decked flag cake, and the best and easiest cheesecake bars in the world. I hope you’re hungry.
Cheers,
Deb
I’ve written three cookbooks and one audiobook and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. My most recent cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Keepers, is a collection of new classics specifically written with making them forever in mind, and it has a special audio edition that I hope feels exactly like you’ve pulled up a chair and I’m hanging out in the kitchen with you. My first, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, is my love letter to approachable, uncompromised home cooking. And my second, Smitten Kitchen Every Day, is a celebration of triumphant and unfussy home cooking. Not sure which one to check out first? Take a look at the recipe index and see which collection jumps out at you most.
cucumber crunch salad with tofu
New! I’m overdue to share with you the only thing I want to eat when it’s this hot out: a no-cook salad with thick batons of cold tofu + crisp cucumbers + a heavenly dressing that does all the lifting + a finishing layer of crunchy, salty, spicy stuff. I can’t wait to find out if you get as obsessed with it as we are.
three-ingredient summertime salsa
My favorite summer salsa is also the easiest, just fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic (plus optional onion) broiled or grilled until charred and blended with seasoning. The best salsa is also the easiest.
chile-lime melon salad
This is my kind of fruit salad -- a little salty, a little sweet, a little spicy -- inspired by the cups of seasoned fruit you can buy on the street in Mexico. The moment I have a bite, I can no longer remember why I'd ever eat anything else on a hot day.
pasta salad with roasted tomatoes
Stop swearing off pasta salad -- just the gloopy ones. This one is all texture and zip: al dente noodles, slow-roasted tomatoes, crunchy nuts, salty cheese and a garlic-oregano vinaigrette. I wish I always had some in the fridge.
rosanne cash's all-american potato salad
A classic, perfectly seasoned, never overdressed, a little crunchy, always-disappears-first potato salad is a non-negotiable part of our summer bbq spreads and this is my forever go-to. Just make it; you'll be so glad you did.
oven ribs, even better
Holiday weekend agenda: Ribs party! Trust me, nobody would dream of missing it. No grill required, these are perfect from the oven every time and the recipe has been updated and streamlined with cooking times that adjust to your schedule and the simplest, most balanced rub yet. Your friends are going to ask you to make this an annual feast.
slow-and-low dry rub oven chicken
What if we gave chicken the oven ribs treatment, that is thickly coated with dry rub and cooked until falling apart and then finished it with a sauce simmered from the drippings? Indoor (and rain-resistant) barbecue magic, is what.
perfect, forever cornbread
This is my summer wish for us: I think we should bring a pan of freshly-baked, thick, buttery, crisp on top cornbread to our next picnic/potluck/barbecue to share with friends and I think it should be this one, my forever favorite. A pat of salted butter on top is mandatory. You'll be so glad you made this.
flag cake
This is not only the most delicious flag cake I've made (in my totally unbiased opinion), it's also the easiest: one-bowl cake, dreamy cream cheese frosting, plus all the fresh berries. [Video below!]
cheesecake bars with all the berries
My favorite simple, fuss-free cheesecake is poured into a sheet pan (for better proportions and more servings) and then heaped with every summer berry you can get your hands on -- or basically all of them; they're gloriously in season right now. This is a perfect summer dessert.
frozen watermelon mojitos
There is no time like a holiday week to find new, amazing things to do with watermelon, in this case, freezing it in cubes and blending it with lime juice, rum, and mint for the best frozen mojito I've ever had. (P.S. It's also extremely delicious without the rum.)
flag cake
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more than you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most — yes, including the the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser (which is back in stock!). For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
What’s the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser? It’s an 11-inch, 4-quart braiser — essentially a lower profile enameled cast-iron Dutch oven that works as as well as a deep sauté pan as it does a soup pot, roasting pan, or even casserole dish that perfectly fits a pasta bake. Not a week has gone by in the decade I’ve had mine when I don’t use it at least three times. And we just got in a limited run of a stunning blue color for spring!
Your braiser purchase contains three new recipes (two savory, one sweet) by me that work perfectly in your new pot. If you’re looking for even more ideas, I created a category on the site to highlight some of my favorite dishes I make in mine.
See you next week!
