Editor’s note: This is our second annual no-cook issue. All the recipes you’ll find in print and online at washingtonpost.com/food can be composed without the stove or microwave. For more no-cook recipes, go to wapo.st/nocook2012.
No cooking required
It’s meteorologically impossible to pinpoint the exact temperature at which the idea of cooking — that is, using some form of heat to prepare a meal — becomes completely unpalatable. By this point in the season, though, it’s clear that summer’s cumulative sizzle can zap the enthusiasm for the kitchen. Dinner may need making each night, but it’s nice when it doesn’t bring on a deep sweat.
The goal is to develop non-cooking preparations that are at once attractive, inspiring and satisfying. The inspiring part demands some thought. Anybody can toss together a PB&J, but a meal should be more than just bread and condiments. Create a play on Sunday lox by pairing smoked salmon with caper ricotta and peppery quick pickles. Or stack an Italian panino with thinly sliced salami and a marinated fennel salad.
“Marinating” or wilting vegetables is one trick to these no-cook preparations. Another is employing meaty ingredients that need no heat. Cut a thick piece of fresh tuna into thin slices and drizzle them with an intense lemon vinaigrette. Toss store-bought rotisserie chicken with a hoisin-sesame sauce and Asian noodles. Or pair full-flavored smoked mozzarella with stale pita bread and greens.
For dessert, give traditional peaches and cream an Italian twist by fortifying the cream with mascarpone and fresh rosemary . Arrange the cream and sliced peaches on store-bought pizzelle and then, as with the rest of these dishes, head somewhere cool to feast.
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ChefDriven truck drives off into the sunset
Owner Jerry Trice has sold his vehicle to the Everlasting Life Cafe, which hopes to start selling vegan and vegetarian fare on the streets in a few weeks.
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Orange seeks compromise in food truck regulations
The council member hopes his amendment will open the door for new vending laws in D.C.
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The $20 Diner finds chef-driven restaurants that pass the bar exam
Grab a bar stool for a cheap way to taste the work of some of Washington's most creative chefs.
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Tom Sietsema: A sparkling temple to seafood
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20 summer salad recipes
These recipes are cool, hot and warm; cheesy and crunchy.
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Chat Leftovers: Stalking the wild yeast
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Doughnuts, Week 12
A delivery service takes second place, while a bread-focused bakery and a pizzeria head to mid-pack.
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Bring on the zucchini
The Weeknight Vegetarian makes a main course out of summer’s most ubiquitous vegetable.
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Say, is that rosé intentional?
Our columnist dispels a few misperceptions about France’s contribution to summer sipping.
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5 rosés to try
Good rosé can be made anywhere; these come from France, Austria, California and Washington state.
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Washington Post Food calendar
Events include a coffee class, a whisky tasting and a pig roast.
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Dish: J&G Steakhouse will get a makeover
The W Hotel restaurant will close Aug. 4. When it reopens in September, it will have its own bar.
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Honey Pig to bring its Korean barbecue to Germantown
The owners aren't saying much yet, but all signs indicate that Annandale's 24-hour restaurant will open an outlet in Montgomery County.
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