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I have two colourful late summer recipes for you to try. One you can serve as an appetizer or light lunch, the other a classic Italian-style dessert with a twist.

If I were a waiter in a restaurant I would describe today’s recipes as a sunny and bright tasting Mexican/Caribbean-style dinner for two. The kind of meal nice to enjoy on a patio while sipping a cocktail, perhaps a margarita, mojito or rum punch.

Decadent dessert a sweet way to serve in-season stone fruit

I recently watched an old episode of the late Anthony Bourdain’s CNN television show Parts Unknown where he visited Singapore. As he explored and ate his way around that city-state, it brought back tasty memories of my travels there many years ago.

I bought a beautiful basket of very ripe red tomatoes the other day and turned them into sauce. After making it, I pondered what to serve with it, leafed through my Italian cookbooks for inspiration and opted to make suppli al telefono.

Palate-pleasing, comforting and rib-sticking, it’s no surprise that mac and cheese appeals to all ages. And another big part of its allure is that it can be prepared in myriad ways.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I, like everyone else, have moments where I’m anxious about what’s going on. That’s when I like to get moving and get my brain occupied with other things — like heading out in search of local produce.

Once or twice every summer, I like to make cold soup. Something savoury, well chilled and refreshing that perks up and pleases your palate and is perfect to serve on a warm day.

Once in a while, I get a craving for chicken wings. If it’s summer, I’ll head out and cook them on the barbecue. Last week, I barbecued some wings that I flavoured Asian-style.

When sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ blueberries are in season, I like to keep a basket or two on hand to snack on. They have a sweet, slightly tart, appealing taste and are a good source of such things as vitamin C and fibre.