Every year, I find myself looking forward to assigning summer food essays because I’m aware of the diversity of life experiences among our contributing food writers. They are all well-traveled folks with interesting backgrounds and educated palates who add unique perspective to the Chronicle Cuisines section. This year, Pableaux Johnson attempts, once and for all, to settle a long-standing snowball debate with a childhood friend; Rebecca Chastenet de Géry reminisces about fresh corn suppers in a neighbor’s back yard; M.M. Pack revels in the bounty of fresh peaches; while Barbara Chisholm takes us on a family outing to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a taste of Cornish pasties; Rachel Feit transports us to her grandmother’s Fifties kitchen for a lesson in cooking and family traditions; and Mick Vann has a whopper of a fish story. The essays are sometimes funny, often bittersweet, but always evocative of the culinary essence of summer. We invite you to savor more of our summer food memories. They’re free, they’re delectable, and best of all this time of year, they won’t heat up the house.
This article appears in July 14 • 2000.