Sheridan and Allen.

Years ago, after grad school and before I came back to Maine, I taught for a company that sent me around the country to run workshops on learning skills, test prep, and reading rate. I drove through the Mid-Atlantic area a fair amount, and taught in Pennsylvania a lot. The first time I had Amish macaroni salad I think it was from a Wawa, really late at night. This macaroni salad was miles away from the kind I had grown up on, and I was absurdly fascinated with it. Admittedly it was not my best culinary moment, but I’m pretty sure I had been on the road for an obscene amount of time and I was probably desperate. Whatever the reason, it still holds a special place in my heart. Here’s my favorite version of it so far, admittedly far from what Amish macaroni salad actually is like, but I am, after all, still a girl from Down East Maine. Adapted from this recipe, which added tuna.

• 16 oz box elbow macaroni, cooked
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 3 -4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup dill relish
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 1½ cup mayonnaise
• salt & pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the chopped eggs, celery, bell pepper, onion, and the relishes. Add the mayonnaise and the salt & pepper. Stir in the pasta until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Refrigerate for a few hours, if you can.

Allen’s made a lot of cocktails that have been delicious, and in the moment we can’t imagine forgetting the recipe. But somehow, some of them seem to disappear into the ether. So here’s this one, at least. Definitely agree that this is summer in a glass.

Add ice to two pint glasses. Combine the following (makes 2 servings).

• 6 ounces grapefruit juice
• 3 ounces vodka
• 3 tablespoon rosemary simple syrup

Distribute between the two glasses, and add sparkling water (or club soda) to fill. Add a pinch of salt before serving. (Makes a wonderful difference!)

This seems like a ridiculous recipe to have to write down, but I view this more as a means for remembering that dropping a few sprigs of rosemary (something that will actually grow in my little garden without that damn groundhog nibbling it down to a nub) in simple syrup can really make a difference.

Bring to a boil:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Reduce the heat and add 5 or so sprigs of rosemary. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from heat. Let cool, and remove the rosemary with a sieve. Store in the refrigerator.

Sure, you could fry it on top of the stove. But wouldn’t you rather have it (almost) make itself? Nothing revolutionary here. Just instructional. Thanks to Rachel Ray for bringing this idea into my life a few years ago. It’s adapted it for my oven and my preferences.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with tinfoil. (This just makes it easier to clean up later.) Place a wire rack over the tinfoil and lay the bacon out on top of the rack. Try not to overlap the pieces, because that will prevent the bacon from cooking evenly.

Put the bacon in the oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees (that’s right! no preheating!) and set the time to 20 minutes if it’s regular bacon and 24 minutes if it’s thick cut. Check it when it’s time, and then leave it in if you want it crispier. The top of the bacon will have collected a bit of grease, but you can remove it by blotting with a paper towel, should you wish.

Two of my favorite words.

Making this was a weekend goal of mine. Achievement unlocked. Here’s the original recipe. I made a couple of adjustments.

The first step is cooking the bacon. You can do this in a frying pan, or you can bake it in the oven. (That’s my preference.)

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked, chopped bacon.
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 large yellow onions, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, divided
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Melt butter over medium heat and add the diced onions and salt. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in sugar, red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp of the thyme, and the peppers. Then add the bacon. Stir in the water and then continue to cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. The jam will thicken and become dark brown in color. Remove from heat and taste. If you’d like a sweeter taste, like I did, add a tbsp or so of brown sugar. Add the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil, and taste again. Adjust accordingly.

Store in the refrigerator. Great on burgers and as part of a cheese plate.

This recipe made about 4 cups of jam.