Last August, I spent a relaxing week vacationing on North Carolina's Outer Banks with a friend (and fellow personal chef) and our husbands. Away from our work kitchen and surrounded by fresh seafood and summer's best produce, cooking was a real joy instead of part of the daily grind. No complicated menus, no stress, just a week of straightforward, satisfying meals made from scratch. The vacation kitchen is where easy-to-memorize recipes like this classic blue cheese dressing really shine.

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I haven't traveled abroad in almost two years now — life just gets in the way sometimes. But my partner and I have been saving for a trip (hopefully this fall). While we both have different tastes in travel locations and haven't nailed down anything yet, I do know one thing for sure: there will be peanut butter. This is a lesson that's taken me many years to learn. 

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File this under foods to try next winter. During my one-year stint in Scandinavia, this is an absolute favorite food combination I picked up. Never had I tasted these two rich but seemingly-opposed flavors together. But one fateful evening in Sweden, I was offered thin, crisp gingersnaps smeared with blue cheese alongside a glass of glogg. It seemed weird to me only for that split second between the offer and the first bite. Ever since, it's been a perfect combo in my book:

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It doesn't often get swelteringly hot in Seattle. Even in the heart of the summer, we'll have a few record-setting days, but rarely more than a handful. But when I visit my mom's cabin in upstate New York, the marriage of heat and humidity can often make for pretty uncomfortable days and a loss of appetite — which is why we always have this cool, easy yogurt dip at the ready. 

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I had only been living in the Bay Area for a few weeks — boxes still unpacked, favorite shoes still missing — when I boarded a puddle-jumper plane bound for San Diego to be with an old and dear friend while she got married. She met me at the airport with two other friends, and before heading to the hotel, before diving into pre-wedding prep, and before even catching our breath, we were off to get tacos.

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If you're like me, when you travel there's usually a food destination or two on the list of things to see and do along your journey. But between those mega-meals I'm always looking for things to keep my tummy and incessant need-to-snack in check. My go-to snack for these moments is comprised of three parts, and it goes with me on every single road trip I take! 

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Summertime is all about easy entertaining and easier food: bountiful produce allows us to spend less time fussing in the kitchen and more time al fresco with friends. I'm all about quick recipes that produce big flavor, and these marinated mozzarella balls do just that. The best part? They get better the longer they sit, so make a triple batch and you'll always be ready for unannounced guests that come your way. 

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All this week we've been talking about travel snacks here on The Kitchn. An ideal travel snack is portable, versatile, configurable, and heat-resistant. (Unfortunately that last factor rules out chocolate as a viable option.) You know what meets all those criteria in spades, though? The chickpea! Roast 'em, dry 'em, shake 'em all up. You've just found your new travel buddy.

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If you're anything like me, summer breakfasts look a lot different than fall and winter breakfasts. I usually reach for something warm like oatmeal in the cooler months while yogurt and fresh fruit get a lot of play in the summer. But regardless of the season, toast and a little nut butter is always a nice way to break up the breakfast routine — especially if that nut butter is made with maple syrup!

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I long to be one of those people who packs a healthy, well-balanced meal when they travel. I have friends who pack lunches for their plane journeys — thinking out which foods will complement others and how it will affect the way they feel mid-flight. I don't do this. Usually I can barely manage to eat a decent breakfast before I get out the door. But what I can do is throw together a trail mix for those flights — one that's been put to the test during quick camping trips, day hikes or longer car rides. And I'm always thankful that I took the few minutes to do so.

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