How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Hello, and welcome to The Action Cookbook Newsletter.

This is a Friday newsletter, but it’s not the Friday Newsletter: the ACBN’s weekly recipe-cocktail-music-book-TV-discussion-and-pets compendium went out to paying subscribers this morning. It was a good one, too, featuring dueling BBQ rubs, a Negroni-influenced sangria, and a host of other great things to make your Labor Day weekend better. I highly recommend you read it, if you haven’t already done so:

Let's give summer the ol' double-bird

I lament summer’s presence right up until it’s almost gone. The season gives one plenty to grouse about, especially if you’re a sweaty person like me. The heat and humidity are stifling. It feels impossible to get anything done at work, as every person you need something from is on vacation at the exact moment you need it from them. My children go borderline feral in the summer; I think I saw my daughter wear a Halloween costume more often than she wore shoes these last three months.

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We’ve reached the emotional, if not literal, end of summer. Yes, the equinox isn’t for another three weeks, and it’ll be hot here in Kentucky well into October, but it’s Labor Day weekend. We’ve had 1.5 borderline-crisp mornings, my kids are back in school, and there’s meaningful college football on the TV this weekend.

Summer? Ya done for. Hit the bricks.

I’m excited to flip the switch to fall—cider and hayrides and stews and pumpkin spice and all that jazz—but it was a great summer here on The Action Cookbook Newsletter, and I’d like to share with you some of the top Food and Drink highlights from the last three months of the ACBN.

Chicken Chile Verde Burgers (published August 5th)

Hatch Chile season’s arrival provided the inspiration for these delicious and juicy griddled burgers, which combine hand-chopped chicken thighs with green chiles and spices for a spectacular and original spin on summer grilling:

Summer's got a few surprises left.

It feels like summer just began, and now it’s almost over. My kids start back at school next week, and if you haven’t already shopped for school supplies, good luck—our local stores’ shelves were stripped bare by the third week of July. We’re frantically squeezing in as many visits as we can to the pool before it closes for the season. Football starts at the end of the month, and my associated fall planning is in full swing. (Go Bearcats.)

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Achiote-Mustard Turkey Breast (published July 1st)

Q3 started with a bang, as a marinade powered by annatto seed and whole-grain mustard provided a wonderful, earthy and rich flavor for a boneless turkey breast that’s as good in an air-fryer as it is on the grill or smoker:

Just Watch The Fireworks

Hello, and welcome to Friday at The Action Cookbook Newsletter. This is a bigger welcome than normal, because there are a lot of you who are new around here; in fact, the last week has marked the single largest one-week jump in subscribers that I’ve had in more than three years of publishing the ACBN.

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Soft-Shell Crab “CLTs” (published June 10th)

A guest chef stepped in to share this perfectly-summery but still-in-season-now plan for pan-seared soft-shell crabs served on English muffins; it just might be the best sandwich you’ll have all season:

Seafood, clear liquor and chill tunes? It must be summer.

I never used to be a beach person. Some people have it in them practically from birth. The beach beckons them, calls to them, becomes a fundamental part of their personality and self-image. They collected sea shells when they could barely walk, took spring breaks and then summer vacations there, and hope to retire to somewhere by the sand one day.

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Broccoli-Bacon Salad (published July 22nd)

A good cookout isn’t just about the meat, and that’s why I had to share with you my most reliable BBQ side, a salad made with roasted broccoli, crispy bacon, shredded cheese and crispy peppers. I’ve never had leftovers when I’ve made this, and I’ve made it a lot. You should too:

The Friday Side Quest

Friends, it’s cookout season. Now, there’s few things I enjoy more this time of year than cooking up a big ol’ piece of meat. I’ll take any excuse I can to fire up the smoker. Fourth of July? Smoking meat. Neighborhood block party? Smoking meat. Friends or family visiting? Smoking meat. Kid’s birthday party? Oh, you better believe I’m smoking meat. If I’ve got a day to play with and even halfway-decent weather, there’s a darn good chance I’m throwing on a pork butt, a rack of ribs, or maybe even a brisket if I’m feeling ambitious.

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The Action Cookbook Newsletter is a reader-supported publication; 100% of revenues come from subscriptions. It’s only $5/month or $50/year, and you’ll get three newsletters a week, every week, including these normally-subscriber-only Friday food-and-drink-plus digest. You’ll also get access to the internet’s best comment section, eligibility for my frequent giveaways, and you’ll help me buy treats for my two lovable bonehead dogs.

Hey, what about some drinks?

You got it!

The ACBN Mai Tai (published July 15th)

This July, the ACBN broke the fourth wall, as I collaborated with local favorites Lou Øyster Cült for a sold-out restaurant pop-up at Louisville’s Merryweather. In honor of that wonderful bar’s tiki-focused menu, I crafted my perfect version of a cocktail classic, the Mai Tai:

Who the heck is Action Cookbook?

There’s a chance you’re new around here. Maybe you’re one of the hundreds of people who signed up this week thanks to the (much-appreciated) recommendation of Charlotte at Simple and Straightforward. Perhaps it’s Saturday evening, you’re at The Merryweather in Louisville for

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The New Fashioned (published June 24th)

Via the excellent bartenders at Louisville’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery comes this twist on a classic cocktail, a summery version of the Old-Fashioned that combines bourbon, scotch and St-Germain elderflower liqueur into a fresh new cocktail that feels like it’s been around forever:

We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower

I feel like I’m constantly crowing about milestones and anniversaries around here, but you know what? I’m gonna do it again. This weekend marks three years since I launched the initial incarnation of this newsletter, which—as longtime readers may know—bore little resemblance to what it is today. I was in the midst of a brief foray into podcasting, and the newsletter, like the podcast it was intended to support, was primarily sports-focused. Most of my writing online to that point had been about sports, and when the businesses that supported that started to shift their focus, I decided to hang out my own shingle.

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Dad’s Iced Coffee (published June 17th)

In honor of Father’s Day, I decided to make an iced coffee fit for a dad. Incorporating freeze-distilled milk, espresso, bourbon and a wonderful new chocolate liqueur, this drink will give you all the strength you need to mow the lawn one more time before fall:

Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the deep-fried ribs

Friends, it’s Friday at The Action Cookbook Newsletter. Welcome back. The Friday Newsletter is the ACBN’s weekly flagship, the culmination of the week’s work, a recurring compendium of Certified Good Things that I think will help launch you into the weekend on a positive note.

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The Summer Jam, v2.0 (published August 19th)

I’ve been sharing cocktails in Friday newsletters for more than three years now, and occasionally, it’s worth revisiting one to see what can be improved. I took an already-great combination of bourbon, blackberry syrup, lemon juice and ginger beer and added a new layer with the addition of one of my favorite aperitifs:

Cleaning out summer's closet

Summer’s almost over. Or is it? The kids are back in school, but the pools, beaches and amusement parks are still open. It’s still hot and muggy outside, and the crickets and cicadas are still buzzing. The return to routine and regularity that autumn promises feels tantalizingly close, but still so far away.

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There’s plenty more where that all came from.

The Action Cookbook Newsletter shares great content like this every Friday, in addition to Monday and Wednesday newsletters that feature my writing on parenthood, food, sports, life and more.

It’s a pretty good newsletter! You should tell all your friends.

(I would greatly appreciate if you did, that is.)

I’ve got a big fall planned.

There’s much to look forward to in the coming months. Soon, I’ll be debuting a more-browsable index of recipes covering the 160+ weeks of Friday content I’ve sent out.

In October, I’ll be co-hosting a tailgate with Zach Rau and DVA Tailgating when LSU hosts Ole Miss—if you’re able to get to Baton Rouge on October 22nd, you should join us ! Zach’s going to be cooking up some authentic Cajun cuisine, and I’ll supply an ACBN-worthy cocktail or two.

I’ll be producing more merch soon, and you’ll be the first to hear about it!

The initial batch of new-logo ACBN merchandise back in July went fast, with over $1200 raised to support reproductive rights in my home state of Kentucky through the Kentucky Health Justice Network.

Finally, I’d like to open the floor:

What have you enjoyed about The Action Cookbook Newsletter? Have you made any of the recipes or cocktails—and, if so, what did you think? Is there something you’d like to see more of here? I’d love to hear your input. This place is nothing without its wonderful readers, and I’m grateful for your support every day.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

—Scott Hines (@actioncookbook)