8 Recipes to Cook on Repeat All Summer 🍅

Plus: The perfect staycation reads to whisk you away.

Hello, Downtime readers! Happy July and happy summer! What’s everyone doing for July 4th? We’re just doing some low-key grilling at home (hot dogs and chopped cheese, a NYC bodega staple my husband is excited to try), and I’d really like to recreate this cantaloupe margarita recipe from Grace Atwood (minus the tequila for me). 🍈

For today’s bonus issue, I’ve asked two special guests to take over the mic. Madeleine is here to share some transportive reads if you, like me, are looking to get away—at least through your imagination—this summer. (Right now, my ideal imaginary summer is spent on a sparkling lake…). And Aliza’s here to share a few solid recipes based on peak summer veg and fruit.

I’ve also got a quick poll for you, below, on this newsletter’s publishing schedule. Enjoy! x Alisha

---

A quick poll to get a temp check…

How often would you like the newsletter to come to your inbox? Aside from the guaranteed weekly recs Friday newsletter, what feels right for these additional subscriber-only sends? Weekly, so two newsletters/week in total? Every other week? A big ol’ jam-packed bonus edition once a month?

I have heaps of content ideas, but I also want to keep in mind quality over quantity…

Photo by Will Truettner on Unsplash

7 Transportive Reads for the Summer

You don’t have to travel this summer to be transported somewhere new. Lucky for us all, I have been carefully curating the perfect list of summer reads that will carry me straight out of my Brooklyn apartment into strange far-off places, and will hopefully do the same for you. From cozy evenings spent in Maine to mythic Greek adventures in modern-day London, these books will make you feel as though you’re on an adventure right alongside these protagonists—not sitting on your couch. — Madeleine Letellier, contributing writer

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes 

If you’re craving a summer in Maine, Flying Solo by Linda Holmes is a salve for the soul. In the wake of canceling her wedding, Laurie returns to her hometown in Maine to deal with her late great-aunt Dot’s estate. She discovers a mysterious wooden duck accompanied by a love letter, sending her on a quest for answers (especially once the duck mysteriously goes missing). A delightful adventure featuring antique dealers, con artists, her first love, and her oldest friends. Did I mention it’s set in Maine?

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

When Katy’s mother dies, she feels completely lost. Carol was her best friend, not just her mom, and their mother-daughter trip to Positano, Italy is looming. Katy decides to go on the trip, and immediately feels her mothers spirit in the Italian sun, and starts to feel lighter…until, in the flesh, she sees her mother in front of her—a young, sun-kissed 30-year-old version of the woman who raised her, that is. A beautiful book about love, connection and loss, and all with a stunning Amalfi backdrop.