A month of summer gone already! I don’t want to think about it.

I rediscovered my Fuji Instax over the weekend and have been firing off shots like I were made of money. That’s another thing I’ve decided not to think about.

I want June to have photo albums from her childhood – proper, three-dimensional albums! With the requisite wonky Polaroids! Like the olden days! Next up: suspenders and a paper route! – so I’m not allowed to fuss over the cost of film or the stupid, stupid, stupid flash that goes off whether I want it or not. Babies: they get your priorities straight. I appreciate that. Though I wouldn’t mind sleeping past 6:30 again someday. It seems like a small request.

So far this summer, the song I listen to more than any other is Neko Case’s “Guided by Wire.” It feels especially right in the car, where I can turn it up loud and sing along. If it’s a really great day, it’s loud enough to make my ears hurt. Growing up in Oklahoma, I carefully avoided any music with a twang: it was what I was supposed to like, and that meant it was terrible. But I don’t have so much to prove anymore, or not in that way. I can say it now: some of my favorite songs have a twang. All of my favorite Neko Case songs have a twang. Long live the twang! Another good one is “Whip the Blankets,” FYI. Very sexy.

Last month, I mentioned that I keep a dozen-ish favorite cookbooks on top of my fridge, and some of you asked me to tell you about them. You’re in luck. The good people at Serious Eats got me talking, and you can read all about my most beloved cookbooks (and see a picture of the ones on top of the fridge) over there.

Speaking of getting me talking, perhaps you’ve heard of the esteemed Christopher Kimball, the man behind Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen? I had the great pleasure – and anxiety; Kimball is big stuff – of talking with him about Delancey for America’s Test Kitchen Radio, and the interview aired in July 11th’s episode. To listen, go to America’s Test Kitchen Radio in iTunes, and look for the show titled, “How (Not) To Start a Pizzeria.” Our conversation begins at 18:40 and runs for about 17 minutes.

Also:

I love Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s take on the spritz.

A couple of months ago, I read this New Yorker article about extreme cavers, something I knew nothing about, and it so consumed my attention that I sometimes forgot to breathe. The same thing goes for this more recent New Yorker article about the ordeal of the Chilean miners. Visceral storytelling, spectacular reporting.

My good friends Hannah and David created a website called the 1K Project. This month, they invited me to contribute a photograph, and David wrote a 1,000-word story from it.

Columbus, Ohio! I’m coming to you next month! I’m going to eat a totally immoderate quantity of Jeni’s Ice Creams! But most importantly, I’ll be at The Seasoned Farmhouse on August 25, reading from and talking about Delancey (and anything else you’d like to talk about) while we share a three-course meal. Join me for lunch or for dinner; both are ticketed, limited-capacity events.

Hope you’re having a great week.