Each summer I look forward to the Pitchfork Music Festival held in Chicago's Union Park. Three days, 3 stages, diverse programming across so many genres and styles of rock, hip hop, and jazz music. Over the years we've built a little community of music lovers that makes camp under the trees. Love it. This year we dodged more than a few raindrops but still kept the party going as long as the music played.

​I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet, so let's indulge in an Afternoon Dance Break featuring just a few of the artists who made Pitchfork 2018 another rousing success.

The playlist Is just under 15 minutes -- perfect timing to move away from your workspace, stretch your body, shake shake shake, and get a little silly with yourself. Turn it up! 
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The Fish for Dinner feature chronicles my education in the ways of fish-cookery. I grew up avoiding fish other than sticks and was well into adulthood before adding the real deal into my diet, usually at a restaurant. The impetus to cook more fish at home comes from joining a sustainable fish program through Hooked on Fish. I’ll tell you what we made and how we liked it, plus occasionally a few tips and tunes too.

The Occasion: Bourbon-Glazed Salmon with Firecracker Slaw is a perfect dish for weeknight suppers or weekend dinner parties. Dressed up or down, this is an easy and flavorful meal that’s sure to please. 

The Recipe: I found this tasty number in the August 2018 issue of Cooking Light. As always, their recipes are high-quality, relatively healthy, and easy to execute. I’ve been a subscriber for years – yes in print, it’s not dead yet – for these very reasons AND for their excellent food photography which makes everything look good enough to eat. I guess that’s the whole point!

What Makes it Special: Any recipe that includes the word Bourbon is going to catch my attention. It’s not my favorite spirit to drink, but for cooking? Mwah, perfection! 

Kitchen Tip: When assembling the slaw be sure to taste your chili pepper and then adjust the quantity up or down accordingly. You want a little zap of heat without burning off your face. 

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: Yes! It’s easy, flavorful, and a complete meal. Okay sure, I added some mashed potatoes – which were delish with the bourbon sauce BTW – but even with just the fish and slaw you’ll leave the dinner table full and satisfied. I didn’t really taste the bourbon, but trust that it adds depth and a smoky note to the sweet elements of the marinade/sauce, which would also be good with chicken or pork, maybe portobello mushrooms.

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon with Firecracker Slaw
Recipe source: Robin Bashinsky for Cooking Light
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups very thinly sliced cabbage
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, divided
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1 Fresno chile, seeded and sliced
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
• 4 (6-oz.) skin-on salmon fillets (such as wild Alaskan)

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat a charcoal grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). (If you need to use another kind of grill, that’s fine.
• Make the Slaw: Place cabbage, 1/4 cup scallions, carrot, mayonnaise, chile, vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Stir well to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
• Make the Fish Marinade: Whisk together brown sugar, bourbon, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Pour into a shallow dish. Place salmon, flesh side down, in sauce.
• Chill 15 minutes.
• Grill the Fish: Remove salmon from dish. Place marinade in a saucepan; boil 2 minutes.
• Place salmon, skin side down, on oiled grates; grill, covered, to desired degree of doneness, 10 to 12 minutes for medium, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade.
• Place on a platter; top with remaining 1/4 cup scallions and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with slaw.

 

Yes, we might be putting this drink on a pedestal with a name like Nectar of the Gods, but on the other hand, you gotta call it like you see it. Or taste it. This is the good stuff.
 
The Occasion: This adult beverage will meet all of your summer sipping needs. 

​The name of the cocktail – Nectar of the Gods – made me think of the ‘Hammer of the Gods’ lyric in Led Zeppelin’s amazing rocker, Immigrant Song. ​And here we are. Play this one extra loud as you read on. ​

The Recipe: Sprung from the creative brain of our house mixologist Ilise, this cocktail is a variation on her recipe from Summer 2016, the Grilled Peach Bourbon Smash. Also worth a look-see.

What Makes it Special: It’s the smoked rum which gives this drink a complex and flavorful twist. We use the Stolen brand and enjoy it very much. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: This cocktail has a darker, more complex personality than you might expect from a summertime rum drink. Still fruit-forward, the smoky Stolen rum adds some welcome depth to the drink. If you prefer a lighter, sweeter rum instead, go for it. Use fresh, local nectarines and you can’t go wrong with this tasty tipple! 

Nectar of the Gods aka Nectarine Rum Smash
Recipe by Ilise Goldberg
Yield: 1 cocktail
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ounces Stolen Smoked Rum
• 1 ½ ounces Nectarine Simple Syrup (recipe below)
• ½-ounce Lemon Juice
• Small handful of Mint Leaves plus more for garnish
• 1-2 dashes Bitters
• Nectarine Slices for garnish

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Combine the nectarine simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Add a small handful of mint leaves and muddle.
• Add smoked rum and ice and shake until chilled. 
• Pour the drink into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Add one to two dashes of bitters.
• Garnish with a slice of nectarine and a sprig of mint.

 
Nectarine Simple Syrup:

• 5 Large Nectarines cut in cubes
• 1 cup of Water
• ½ cup of Sugar

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• In a saucepan over high heat, combine the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the nectarine chunks and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
• Once the fruit is nice and tender use a potato masher to mash the fruit and release as much juice as possible. 
• Remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool completely.
• Strain the syrup into a container and store it for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. 
• This recipe yields approx. 24 oz of simple syrup.
• If making far in advance, the simple syrup freezes well. 

The Fish for Dinner feature chronicles my education in the ways of fish-cookery. I grew up avoiding fish other than sticks and was well into adulthood before adding the real deal into my diet, usually at a restaurant. The impetus to cook more fish at home comes from joining a sustainable fish program through Hooked on Fish. I’ll tell you what we made and how we liked it, plus occasionally a few tips and tunes too.

The Occasion: Whenever you crave a speedy and spectacular summer supper. When a bumper crop of corn, tomatoes, and fresh herbs at the farmers market makes you swoon, this recipe will put the primo ingredients to good use. 

The Recipe: Today’s recipe comes from Serious Eats, a great website that combines recipes, kitchen how-to tips, and useful news from the food world’s movers and shakers. If they’re not already on your Must Read list of sites, check ‘em out. 

What Makes It Special: What’s special is the ease of preparation and using super-fresh, local produce. Taken on their own, these ingredients would be good, not necessarily great. But marry them together in this tasty dish and you’ll be serving up summer on a plate in just a matter of minutes.

The Verdict: Much like the musical pairing, this fish dish is easy. So easy, in fact, that you can substitute other mild white fish fillets in place of the whitefish if you prefer. And if, say, you like oregano better than basil you can swap that too. Lemon juice instead of lime in the dressing? No problem. This dish is so easy, versatile, and delicious, it will become your new summertime BFF. 

​Pan-Fried Whitefish with Corn-Tomato-Avocado Salad
Recipe source: Jennifer Olvera for Serious Eats
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ears of corn on the cob, cooked, kernels removed (about 1 cup cooked kernels)
• 1 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium Hass avocado, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 small tomato, diced (about 1 cup), or 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 skin-on whitefish (or other light, white-fleshed fish) fillets, about 6 ounces each, patted dry with paper towels

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine corn, red onion, avocado, tomato, red wine vinegar, lime juice,1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Season fish with salt and pepper.
• Melt butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter is foaming.
• Add fish, skin side-down, and cook, pressing gently on back of fillets to ensure good contact with skin, until skin is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. If skin shows resistance when attempting to lift with a spatula, allow it to continue to cook until it lifts easily.
• Flip fish and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer fish to plates, top with salad and serve immediately.