14 Recipes BA Staffers Are Really Eating (and Drinking) for Memorial Day
This year, Memorial Day is taking on a lot of new meaning for our staff. Of course, it’s the beginning of the summer #grillingseason, bringing with it plenty of fair weather ingredients and recipes we’ve been patiently waiting to eat in these warmer months (burgers and berries are here to stay). But for many of us, it’s also the first chance in over a year to safely connect with friends and family in the ways we know best: by cooking, eating, and drinking. We asked our staff to share the recipes that they’ll actually be making this year, including frozen Memorial Day desserts, fried fish, and so much more. From the crowd-pleasing grilled steaks we’ve been waiting all winter for to the refreshing summer drinks we’ll be mixing up to toast Moderna and Pfizer, this is everything we’re cooking for this Memorial Day.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson1/14Grilled Strip Steak with Blistered Tomatoes and Green Beans
“For the first big grilling weekend of summer, I waste zero time and go straight for the steak. This recipe is just the bare necessities: salt, pepper, and paprika for seasoning, and a blistery charred salad to up the smoke factor. I’ll be mellowing out the whole mix with an herby pour of chimichurri, the summer sauce that goes on everything in my house.” —Nico Avalle, digital production assistant
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown2/14Pistachio and Mango Sans Rival
“I’m currently having a ‘mango moment’ (as in, I eat one champagne mango per day) and I love ambitious baking projects. It’s only logical, then, that I take advantage of the long weekend to make Elaine Townsend’s sans rival. It’s got layers of pistachio meringue and mango-flavored buttercream, as well as an elaborately decorated top, and when it’s served straight from the freezer, it’s better than ice cream.” —Sarah Jampel, senior cooking editor
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova3/14Healthyish Barbecued Chicken
“This chicken with homemade barbecue sauce is my lazy grilling go-to. I make a big batch of the sauce ahead of time—I'm never mad about having a leftover jar in the fridge—and substitute bone-in chicken thighs when I don't want to go to the trouble of cutting up a whole chicken. It's not that much harder than cracking open a bottle of store-bought BBQ sauce, but the results are so much better.” —MacKenzie Chung Fegan, senior commerce editor
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco4/14Fried Fish Sandwiches with Cucumbers and Tartar Sauce
“The fried fish sandwich is really having a moment and I have to say I am completely here for it. That's why on Memorial Day I'll be cooking up Chris Morocco's fried fish sandwich with cucumbers and tartar sauce. Toasted buns, creamy tartar, and perfectly crispy fish is really something I can't pass up on this long weekend.” —June Kim, vice president digital video programming
Photographs by Yudi Ela, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio5/14Tequila, Beer, and Citrus Cocktail
“This Memorial Day, find me in my backyard with at least three other real live humans mixing up Tiffanie Barriere's Tequila, Beer, and Citrus Cocktail. She developed this recipe for us in the middle of the Winter From Hell as a beach-in-a-glass type deal, but now that we've actually got something to celebrate, I'm ready to dive face first into Vaxxed Girl Summer with this fizzy-spicy-sour-sweet concoction.” —Hilary Cadigan, culture editor
Photographs by Laura Murray, food styling by Rose Daniels and Yia Vang6/14Tri-Tip Steak With Tiger Bite Sauce
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski7/14Strawberry-Raspberry Fools
“I spotted strawberries at the market this weekend, which seems like as good an excuse as any to make these Strawberry Fools. They combine two of my favorite things—berries and whipped cream—and, just as important, they are outrageously easy to make.” —Meryl Rothstein, deputy editor
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones8/14Jalapeño Popper Gougères
“I've got Sarah Jampel's Jalapeño Popper Gougères on my mind. I admire the bar food-meets-French-accent feeling about them. Like wearing cowboy boots to Le Bernardin, a fantasy of mine. I plan on air frying them for extra pop (no idea if that's what'll happen or if they'll explode). Serving with piña coladas, le duh!” —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
Photo by Julian Cousins, food styling by Adriana Paschen, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime9/14Any-Berry Shrub
10/14Pan Bagnat
“My only plan for Memorial Day weekend is to post up in the park from morning til night, and see all the friends I've missed this past year. That means I'm going to need something to fuel all those (vaccinated) happy-teared hugs I plan to give, and this protein-packed sandwich is it. Better yet, it only improves the longer it sits, smashed at the very bottom of a tote filled with a huge water bottle, sunscreen, and all the damn tissues I'm going to need.” —Sasha Levine, digital director
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani11/14Muhammara
“When I think about Memorial Day, I can't shake my disdain for leaving refrigerated foods out in the heat seeing/tasting them miserably coming to room temperature :( . Which is why I opt for foods that thrive even when they're sitting outside out in the sun, like this muhammara, a hearty, rich dip made from blending roasted sweet peppers and walnuts. I like to make it ahead of time and serve it with pita chips or crackers when it's time to celebrate!” —Mehreen Karim, recipe production assistant
Photo by Peden + Munk, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky12/14Grilled Corn Salad with Hot Honey-Lime Dressing
“I'm excited to up my side dish game with this quick and easy corn salad, which goes perfectly with pretty much anything else you’d bring to a barbecue. After all, who doesn't love juicy, charry bites of grilled corn, especially when it's mixed with avocados and serrano chilies?” —Dondre Stuetly, assistant visuals editor
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Judy Mancini13/14Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Caesar-ish Dressing
“This sandwich is my go-to whenever I have access to a grill. The mustardy marinade makes for a delicious grilled chicken, but it’s the crunch of fresh fennel and cornichons that put it over the top. The recipe calls for a brioche bun, but I wouldn’t be mad about a good old-fashioned potato bun either.” —Alex Pastron, audience development manager
Photo by Heidi's Bridge14/14Red Snapper, Shrimp, and Watermelon Ceviche
“As soon as it's above 80 degrees I want nothing to do with heating my food, so I’ll be making this Red Snapper, Shrimp, and Watermelon Ceviche recipe, no fire required. Serving on any crispy vehicle like plantain, tortilla, cassava chips is super satisfying. And if anyone asks, yes, cooking with acid is still cooking!” —Phillip Cheng, supervising producer
