In The Kitchen With SI Swimsuit: The Perfect Summer Trio

This quarantine has brought out the Julia Child in all of us. From peanut butter cookies to sourdough bread, from soup to caramelized shallot pasta, everyone seems to be cooking and baking all day. For many in New York City, this means cleaning out kitchen storage spaces (aka the oven) to make way for the newest breakfast casserole or that banana bread that seems to be on everybody's Instagram story. Many SI Swimsuit models love to cook and we’ve been getting some amazing inspiration from their creations in this recurring column.

This week in the kitchen Ashley Graham shared her grandmother’s pasta salad recipe; Chrissy Teigen whipped up the perfect summer salad from Brooklyn hot spot Lucali; and a snack made by Jasmine Sanders broke the internet. All of these recipes are perfect for a summer BBQ, a picnic in the park or a socially distanced gathering with friends.

Ashley Graham’s Pasta Salad: Ashley Graham said she “doesn’t cook, won’t cook, can’t cook” but luckily for us she shared her grandmother’s recipe for the perfect summer pasta dish. The secret ingredient is this dressing by Dorothy Lynch. I wasn’t familiar with this brand before but I will definitely be picking up a bottle of this sweet and spicy condiment. Once you have secured this -- or sub in another tomato-based dressing -- you can mix up a batch of this pasta salad in no time. All you need is some pasta, frozen peas, radishes, onion and mayo. Bring this salad to your next BBQ and you’ll be sure to be the hit of the party. Now excuse me while I order 75 bottles of that dressing.

Photo courtesy of Dorothy Lynch

Chrissy Teigen’s Lucali Salad: If you’ve ever been lucky enough to get a table at Lucali, you know you’re in for a treat. Ever since this restaurant appeared on David Chang’s Ugly Delicious (watch the episode here) it’s even harder to score that coveted seat. Usually the restaurant only serves pizza and calzones; the salad is a special offering, Chrissy Teigen loved it so much she decided to recreate it at home and you can, too, with this recipe. If you hurry, you can catch this spread on Chrissy’s Instagram story and you’ll be running to the store to get the ingredients in no time.

Photo courtesy of Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times

Jasmine Sanders’s Apple and Almond Butter Treat: Jasmine posted this on her Instagram story a few days ago, and her legions of fans are now recreating the snack in their own kitchens. You need three ingredients: apples, a nut butter of your choice and granola. Just cut the apples into rings, schmear with your favorite nut butter and, for the final touch, top with granola. If you want to kick them up a notch, add some cinnamon sugar on top (this recipe by Ree Drummond is two thumbs up). You won’t regret it.

Photo courtesy of Food Network