Haute Potatoes (Herbed Potato Salad)

One of my favorite parts of summer is the cookouts and barbecues, but options to do so in Harvard Square are more limited. I can still enjoy some of my favorite cookout foods, though, like potato salad. Rather than watch that mayonnaise sit all day in the hot sun, I favor less creamy versions, made with extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and lots of green herbs. A pared-down variation of my grandmother's recipe, still featuring a hot shower in oil and vinegar, this offers something fresh and bright to cut through rich foods and is light and cool for hot summer days.

Fresh & Bright

Tortilla Tapas (Spanish Tortilla)

One tradition dearly celebrated between our friends is the ritual of "victory tapas," where we kick back and commemorate recent successes with panoply of bite-sized Spanish delicacies. Too often, people seem to think I mean celebrating "victory topless," possibly because Williamsport doesn't have a tapas restaurant of its own. The word tapas comes from the Spanish tapar, meaning "to cover," as the original tapa is a little canapé of bread and chorizo, acting as a fly-deterring lid atop a glass of sherry. Tapas have evolved from those humble origins into a delicious array of snacks meant to be served with drinks and enjoyed casually over the course of the evening. As such, it's no surprise that we're sometimes tempted to declare "victory tapas" over victories as simple as getting up in the morning.

Victorious