Something happened this weekend and, while I’m no Farmer’s Almanac, I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that our calendars have flipped to June. Yes, June. I’m not sure what June’s arrival brought in your neck of the woods, but here in Chicago, it made the air feel a little more dense, it prompted the bright petals of our begonias to begin to unfurl and it was scented by charcoal embers smoldering in the backyards up and down our block. To June and the summer she’ll usher in, I say: welcome. Come on in. Stay a while, won’t you?

On Sunday, we fashioned our best welcome wagon for June. We walked to a farmer’s market. We sat on our deck. We discussed the possibility of an afternoon ice cream treat no fewer than a half-dozen times. And, of course, we fired up our grill. Because, well, it was the least we could do.

(Click “more” for the rest of the story, more photos & the recipe.)

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It’s very often that I ask Kevin what we should make for dinner. It’s extremely rare, however, when he actually answers me. So, when he does, it’s sort of a done deal. Last week, our friend Seth was in town for a couple days for business and we had him for dinner one of the nights. Almost without hesitation, when I asked Kevin what we should make, he responded: “Mmmmm, those steak sandwiches.” Done.

It was a perfect choice. For one, the sandwiches are delicious: simple but bold flavors, resplendent with the textures of crunchy grilled ciabatta, languid sauteed onions, lush blue cheese and flank steak, with its dense chew. Plus, the sandwiches are really easy—thanks in large part to the fact that you only need to make one big sandwich (which you slice into individual servings) rather than a bunch of small ones.

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I’ve mentioned many times that my sister, Kevin and I have a little weekly tradition that we like to call Family Dinner. But really, we might as well call it “Expanding Ali’s Palate” night. Because somewhere along the line, we went from making crowd pleasers like pizza to subjecting my sister to crazy ideas like salmon, coq au vin and falafel. And, can I tell you something? She loves it. Just last night, I stuck a bowl of fava bean dip (no, I didn’t take photos and yes, I’m sorry) in front of her and she fearlessly dove in and proclaimed it “better than hummus,” which is very high praise indeed.

Not only does she seem to like all these new dishes, but she even requests that we make some of them twice. After Falafel Part I, we took falafel in a new direction with a spring pea falafel recipe (again, no pictures and, again, my apologies). But after we first made these turkey meatballs—about which Ali was way more than a little squeamish, at first—she wanted no variations. She wanted an exact replica. And, knowing me all too well (and thus knowing that repeats are not really my thing), she gently reminded me that I hadn’t even blogged about them the first time around. Well played, Ali.

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Now that I told you about the extremely delicious and completely comforting new tomato soup recipe that’s been placed securely in my repertoire, it’s only fair that I share a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich recipe with you too. Stop rolling your eyes! I know what you’re thinking: a recipe for grilled cheese? I was skeptical, too, but after one bite, that skepticism melted (insert laugh track, or maybe just more eye-rolling) away. Apparently, even grilled cheese sandwiches need recipes sometimes.

Grilled cheese sandwiches were one of the first things I learned to cook. And while my ingredients of choice have changed a bit (no more Kraft singles or Velveeta, though if I am very, very honest with myself and try really hard not to think about things like ingredient lists and “What actually is this?” I might actually still like a sandwich featuring just those cheeses; or “cheeses”), melding two pieces of stiff bread and a hunk or two (or six) of cold cheese into a melty sandwich is about as satisfying as it gets.

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Did you miss me? Sorry for my brief absence (I told you I couldn’t keep that pace up), but between an ethics exam in the morning yesterday and a dinner party last night, yesterday was a leetle busy. But, the ethics exam is over (!) and the dinner party was a smashing success. So, it’s back to the blog.

One of the things we made for last night’s dinner was a brisket I’ve already blogged about. More on other aspects of the dinner later this week. But, for now, I can’t resist sharing photos of what could possibly be the best leftovers ever: a brisket sandwich.

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