With the official end of summer on September 22, The Phillipian interviewed students on their favorite summer recipes. From casual delicacies to your next big meal, these recipes will give you the splash of summer your fall term needs.
Andie Shim ’25
“The food is a strawberry-lime summer drink. It’s [got] a hint of strawberry, and a hint of lime, and ginger ale…. No special ingredients, just fresh fruit [that] really makes it taste good. I enjoy cooking this dish because it allows my creativity to shine… I like cooking mostly over the summer when I’m at home, or whenever I have chances to make this drink.”
Strawberry Lime Refresher (1 serving)
Ingredients:
⁃ 3 strawberries
⁃ 1 oz. lime juice
⁃ 1 oz. simple syrup
⁃ 7 oz. ginger ale
Muddle strawberries in the bottom of a shaker. Add one ounce of lime juice and simple syrup. Place a few ice cubes in the shaker and shake. Pour ginger ale into the shaker and strain into a rocks glass with ice.
Mateo Schneider ’24
“The recipe is grilled chicken skewers and kale caesar. I really love caesar salad, but the one that they sell at the place closest to me is really expensive, so I make it myself. I just love how light it is, and how it’s very easy to make. It’s very refreshing.”
Kale Caesar Salad & Grilled Chicken Skewers
Ingredients:
– 2 lemons
– 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
– Kosher salt and pepper
– 8 thick slices baguette
– 1 clove garlic, halved, plus ½ small clove garlic, finely grated
– 1 large egg yolk
– ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
– ⅓ cup olive oil
– ¼ cup grated parmesan
– 5 oz. baby kale
Directions:
Cut 1 lemon in half. From the remaining lemon, finely grate 1 teaspoon zest, and squeeze 4 tablespoons of juice.
Cut chicken into 1.5-inch chunks; thread onto skewers and season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Grill 1 lemon half, cut side down, until charred; squeeze over chicken. Grill bread until toasted, rub both sides with garlic halves, then cut into cubes.
In a large bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, egg yolk, mustard, grated garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in oil. Fold in Parmesan, then kale and croutons, and season with pepper. Serve with chicken.
Editor’s Note: Schneider’s recipe is from Good Housekeeping online.
Carly Hopkins ’24
“I love making lemon/olive oil cake. I think baking is very relaxing and calming, and the flavors are very light…. It’s like summer flavors, and it’s fun to make. I use Greek olive oil, which is my Grandpa-approved, because being Greek, he’s always told me the benefits of Greek olive oil, and I use it in pretty much every dish. It makes baking dishes really flavorful and fragrant.”
Ingredients:
– 1 cup olive oil (see notes in the post about choosing an olive oil for this recipe)
– 3 large eggs
– 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus 2 tbsp. for sprinkling the top
– 2 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup lemon juice zest from 3 lemons
– 1 tsp. salt
– 1/2 tsp. baking powder
– 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 2 cups all purpose flour
– 1 1/4 cup whole milk powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 9″ springform pan by greasing the bottom and the sides well, and lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaks.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, and sugar.
Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk briefly to combine.
Sift together the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in a couple of batches. Try not to over-mix at this stage, you just want to combine everything until no streaks of dry flour remain.
Pour the batter into the springform pan. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of granulated sugar evenly over the top.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. The cake should be risen and starting to turn a bit golden brown on the top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then gently remove the cake from the springform pan and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
When cool, dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired.
Editor’s Note: Hopkins’s recipe is from The View From Great Island online.
Ella Kowal ’25
“The food is shrimp scampi. I think what makes it special is the white wine sauce; it adds a good flavor combination. It’s basically a spaghetti with a little hint of cooked-over white wine, with some chili flakes, and then it has a strong seafood and shrimp flavor. It’s very buttery.”
Ingredients
– 12 oz. linguine
– 1 1/2 lbs. extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
– 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
– 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
– 4 garlic cloves, minced (4 tsp)
– 1/2 cup dry white wine*
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
– 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
– 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook linguine according to package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining in case you’d like to thin the dish later.
Meanwhile, melt butter with olive oil in a 12-inch skillet just over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes until just lightly golden (don’t brown or it can taste bitter).
Add wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
Add in shrimp in an even layer season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook until shrimp turn pink, about 1.5-2 minutes per side.
Stir in lemon juice and a parsley then toss shrimp and sauce with pasta. Thin with pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.
Editor’s Note: Kowal’s recipe is from Cooking Classy online.
Max Huang ’24
“My food is 炒年糕 (chao nian gao), which is basically salted rice cakes. Part of the reason I like cooking this dish is because growing up my grandparents and my mom would cook it all the time, so I really like cooking it, especially if it’s with them. It connects me back to my culture in China, in Taiwan. The food, it’s a blend of everything in your mouth, because the rice cakes are sticky, chewy, and sweet, but you also have the bok choy, or cabbage, and then of course, oyster sauce, which has a very distinct taste.”
Ingredients
For the meat and marinade:
– 8 oz. pork shoulder or loin (julienned)
– 1 tbsp. water
– 2 tsp. light soy sauce
– 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
– 1/4 tsp. white pepper
– 1 tsp. vegetable oil
– 1 tsp. cornstarch
For the rest of the dish:
– 1 lb. rice cakes
– 8 oz. baby bok choy (or napa cabbage)
– 2 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped)
– 3 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces)
– 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked for 2 hours until reconstituted; can substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms)
– 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
– 1 tbsp. Shaoxing wine
– 1/2-3/4 cup water (depending on how hot your stove can get; for higher BTU stoves, use up to ¾ cup water)
– 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
– 1 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
– 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
– 2 tsp. oyster sauce
– 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
– 1/2 tsp. sugar/salt (to taste)
Instructions
Marinate the julienned pork with the water, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, vegetable oil, and cornstarch. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Rinse the rice cakes and drain. If using fresh or frozen rice cakes, you do not have to soak or thaw them. Only soak (according to package instructions) if using dried rice cakes.
Thoroughly wash the baby bok choy (or napa cabbage). Drain, shaking off excess water. If using baby bok choy, separate into individual leaves. If using napa cabbage, cut the large leaves into smaller bite-sized pieces. Also prepare the garlic and scallions.If using mushrooms, slice them thinly. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, save the soaking liquid.
Place your wok over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Add the vegetable oil to coat the wok, and add the pork and garlic. Cook until the pork turns opaque. If using mushrooms, add them now and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Stir in the scallions, bok choy/cabbage, and Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and move everything to the center of the wok to create an even “bed” of vegetables and meat. Distribute the rice cakes on top (this prevents them from sticking to the wok).Add water (or mushroom soaking water for extra flavor). Depending on how hot your stove gets, you can add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Cover, and cook for 2 minutes to steam the rice cakes and cook the vegetables.
Remove the cover, and add the sesame oil, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute over medium heat. Taste, and season with additional salt if necessary. Continue stir-frying until the rice cakes are coated in sauce, cooked through but still chewy. Plate and serve!
Editor’s Note: Huang’s recipe is from The Woks of Life online.
