Recipes! Ice Cream Float; Vinaigrette-Marinated Grilled Chicken; Barley and Black Bean Salad; Orange Crush Cocktail and more

What to cook during the week ahead, from Post Food editors.

An ice cream float is pure, unbridled joy in a glass. I couldn't help but think that earlier this week, as I watched our team photograph these summertime staples. We cracked up as foam overflowed onto our set. We licked our sticky fingers when we went in for samples, and we sighed with happiness digging into scoops of silky ice cream.

These days, who couldn't use that kind of happy refreshment in their lives, with large swaths of the country gripped by oppressive heat. "One of the only things that makes summer ever-so-slightly sufferable is remembering that ice cream floats exist," Allison Robicelli wrote. I agree!

Allison offers a base formula in her Ice Cream Float recipe, but then shares a few clever riffs, including apple pie a la mode and coffee. As you can see, we whipped up even more possibilities, including strawberry ice cream with lime soda, and orange-cream ice cream with orange soda. Delectable. What's your favorite ice cream float, or ice cream float memory? I'd love to know, so email me by clicking on my name at the top of this newsletter!

Need more refreshment? We dropped several other recipes for cool beverages this week: Harborside Orange Crush Cocktail, Melon Agua Fresca, Coconut Agua Fresca and Hibiscus Agua Fresca.

Any of these drinks would pair splendidly with Olga Massov's Vinaigrette-Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs, in which she makes one batch of dressing that's split between the meat and a simple summer salad. So smart and so summery.

Ellie Krieger's Barley and Black Bean Salad With Pickled Vegetables is another lovely, light summer meal. It employs the cooked, cooled grain with a combination of fresh and pickled vegetables. Speaking of grains and legumes, Joe Yonan's Chickpea Quinoa Cakes With Pumpkin Seed Salsa are kind of like a grain salad in patty form. If you're looking for a meatless main with a decent amount of protein, check them out.

What else is hitting the spot for you right now as we make our way through summer? Let's hear about it, as well as your pressing cooking questions, in the live weekly chat Aaron Hutcherson and I host every Wednesday at noon Eastern. Submit your questions now and come back next week to talk in real time.

Until next time, stay cool and happy cooking!