Pasta

There are a few reactions to potato salad:

1. Potato salad, yay!
2. Potato salad, ew.
3. Potato salad, eh.

The combination of potatoes and mayonnaise gets a bad rap as a maligned picnic food of yesteryear. It's put into the same category as too mushy pasta salad with canned black olives or (gasp!) that molded Jell-o stuff patterned with grated carrot that wiggles like nothing in this world should.

It's too dang hot. We'll say it again: It's. Too. Dang. Hot.

We love to cook. And so do you (otherwise, you probably wouldn't be here, reading this). But when the oven causes your house/apartment's temperature to raise to something akin to an inferno, it's time to cook selectively. By that, we mean cook what's necessary and no-cook what's not, like sauces.

Move over Sriracha, this spicy North African paste is finally having its time in the limelight. Originating in Tunisia, harissa is usually composed of chiles blended with garlic and olive oil, but regional variations (such as cumin, coriander, or tomatoes) exist throughout Africa and the Middle East.

The flavor and heat depends on who's making it, but most recipes include a variety of peppers such as Baklouti (known as the pepper of Tunisia), roasted red bell peppers, and other types of hot chili peppers. A popular twist is to smoke the peppers to add an extra depth of flavor.