For many of us, the beginning of September is the start of crossing our fingers for reaching cool weather, enjoying hot beverages and absorbing all things spooky. It is the early stage of back-to-school shenanigans, and, for myself, growing up with two teachers as parents, it is usually a matter of officially kissing summer goodbye in every sense of routine. One thing that was able to remain consistent this summer was cooking out at home for dinner, and transitioning into my favorite fall treats comes at the cost of breaking away from summertime favorites.
New Yorkers and their salt potatoes hold an unbreakable love I have been lucky enough to witness for just about my entire life. With my dad’s side of the family all born and raised upstaters, salt potatoes manage to weave their way into a summer dinner whenever possible. They provide a sense of home for my family and taste incredible while doing so. It is almost never a meal unless salt potatoes are present.
Sweet corn, an Ohio staple, is pounced upon by my entire family as soon as it is ready. It seems as though every start of summer is spent awaiting its arrival, and when it hits, it hits wonderfully. Present in just about every summer meal at both my mom and dad’s houses, sweet corn always ranks its way right up to the top of favorites. While fall is able to bring us caramel apples, the first round of sweet corn of the season is almost always incomparable.
Another summertime favorite of my New York side is the infamous spiedie sauce. When my dad found this marinade at our local Kroger, the excitement was equivalent to receiving the best news of all time. At any given point in the summer, there was often a container of contents marinating in our refrigerator. With spiedie sauce serving as this marinade of choice, the outcome was enjoyed by all.
The spooky season is my favorite time of the year, yet the summer cookout favorites that fade out are always a bummer. September brings the kickoff to this loss of classic outdoor dinner staples but comes with other seasonal dishes to enjoy. While sipping a salted caramel mocha, I will think about summer favorites that are not as sweet but are surely worth missing.
Lauren Patterson is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the views and ideas of columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Lauren? Tweet her @lpaatt.
