This is the time of year that allows us to win the award for Being Pulled in the Most Directions. Unlike the school-based positions that many mothers hold, editorial positions don’t have a summer chill period. On the contrary, there’s a lot of buildup work that happens now for the coming Yamim Tovim. The combination of all the different summer schedules (don’t forget the night schedules) and planning for Yom Tov, like beavers for the winter, makes this time of year arguably the most stressful.

Now let’s add in a few more pieces. Ask any socially aware middle-schooler, and they will tell you that it’s totally socially off to not go away as a family at any time that there’s a lull in scheduling. Then add in your own desire to bring the family together and plan an amazing, unforgettable, family-bonding trip. But this mother here works, and while I’ve always been a heat-loving, sun-loving, trip-loving summer girl, my current luxury is sitting outside savoring the silence like it’s a melting ice cream cone.

I know this is a long kvetch (disguising it didn’t work, so I’m just going to go with it), I really savor the summer and don’t want it to end, even if it means I’m pulled in every direction. There’s something about the everything-goes summer attitude that just makes things okay, even if they wouldn’t be okay year-round.

For this week’s recipes, I wanted to catch this attitude and put it on paper. Mr. Yussi Weisz swoops in with four fun and delicious things to do with fries that’ll have you forgetting all your to-do lists and people to get back to, and thinking that this summer vibe will last forever.

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table
Editor in Chief, Kosher.com

String Bean Salad

• blanched string beans
• roasted sesame seeds
• juice of ½ lemon (squeeze before Shabbos)
• salt
• pepper
• sliced scallions
• sliced yellow cherry tomatoes

Can Safety

Don’t use deeply dented cans. Check this out, per the USDA website:

“If a can containing food has a small dent but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam.”

—USDA

Serve It Right

I have this bowl in this color and in black, and all food looks amazing in it.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 754)