Cook: Grilled Burgers with Cheddar and Caramelized Onions

Grilling is the quintessential method of summer cooking.  Unfortunately, our NYC apartment doesn't allow us the luxury of owning a grill.  On a recent trip to Denver, Colorado, we had a chance to grill up these burgers.  The simplicity of grilling and the amount of flavor that it imparts to the meat convinced us that we need to look for an apartment with outdoor space.  Hopefully we find one -- you'll see many more grilled recipes here if we do!

Bake: Better than Tagalongs

Tagalongs are my preferred Girl Scout Cookie variety.  I decided to make these with dark chocolate from Scharffen Berger, on the recommendation of a commenter.  The shortbread is the same used in the non-Samoas recipe, and the peanut butter filling is a snap to make.  These are possibly my new favorite cookies.  Ever.

Cook: Vegetarian Tacos with Guacamole

In an effort to lose some weight and reduce our carbon footprint, we're cutting back on meat.  Since it was recently Cinco de Mayo, I decided to go with Mexican food.  I substituted diced mushrooms for the meat in these tacos, and we actually ended up liking the meatless version better.  The guacamole is a recipe I've perfected over the years.  I triple the recipe used here, and bring it to BBQs - it's usually gone within the first hour.

Bake: I Can't Legally Call These Samoas

Girl Scout Cookies are delicious, but they keep raising the price and decreasing the quantity/size.  Being an avid baker, I figured I could replicate some of the best selling GSCs in my own kitchen.  About 19% of the GSCs sold are Samoas - "Tender vanilla cookies, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating."  I decided to use a vanilla shortbread, homemade caramel, and dark chocolate to give these "girl" cookies an adult flair.