| Hi, all. We made it to the weekend. What gets you through the workweek? For me, it's reading on my commute. I lean toward history books and rom-coms, if only because they help me momentarily disconnect from the real-life stuff going on around us. Sometimes I get a big boost from reading the comments on our website. Yes, people can be surprisingly harsh, even in recipes, but they can also be wonderfully insightful and kind, and often a nice word from a complete stranger is enough to make my day. Case in point: A question in our live chat this week about whether it's okay to bake with melted butter instead of creaming it with sugar. There are times I worry I'm getting a little too in the weeds when geeking out on food science, but then I feel vindicated — and reinvigorated — when I see responses like these: "I love cooking/baking questions like this, where there is an interesting science-y answer," and "Love the science start to the chat!" You'll find that kind of explanation in Olga Massov's new Strawberry Shortcake, which has an unexpected ingredient: hard-boiled egg yolks. That was an original feature of the biscuit recipe she adapted from famed chef and cookbook author James Beard, who, in turn, got it from his mother. As Olga says, "The small shreds of the hard-cooked egg yolks are combined with the dough's dry ingredients without contributing additional moisture, which reduces the amount of gluten formation and prevents the dough from getting weighed down with too much liquid." This leads to extra-tender biscuits, which when combined with a cloud of whipped cream and pile of juicy chopped strawberries gets you an out-of-this-world dessert. Ellie Krieger also taught me something this week in her Blueberry Almond Clafoutis. If you've ever baked blueberry muffins and been frustrated by seeing the fruit sink to the bottom, you'll love Ellie's suggestion here to bake a thin layer of the gluten-free custard batter until it's just set. Only then do you scatter the berries on top and proceed with baking the rest of this French dessert. So smart. For another clever baking recipe, check out Jessie Sheehan's Small-Batch Air Fryer Sugar Cookies. Using an air fryer maximizes the potential for a crisp exterior and gooey center, thanks to the appliance's powerful heat boosted by its convection-like fan. As written, these cookies are simple and sweet, but we offer several variations to customize them with different flavors. I recommend you take the concept of Daniela Galarza's Roasted Red Pepper Salad With Mozzarella, Olives and Pesto and run with it, too. Use whatever jarred, pickled and brined ingredients you have around for this no-cook marinated vegetable salad, along with your choice of crusty bread. (A sandwich loaf would be too soggy here, but I'd even grab a bag of salad croutons if that's all that was in the pantry.) "What a happy coincidence of things I had on hand and things I needed to use up," said one reader. "The brines made a delicious dressing, and soaking up the excess with pieces of baguette was a treat." You can also get creative with Joe Yonan's recipe for Tofu Cottage Cheese by spreading it on bread or crackers, and topping with your favorite fruit, vegetables and nuts. Ditto for scooping this vegan alternative into a bowl for a quick, protein-rich breakfast. Aaron Hutcherson's Spicy Zucchini Parm Skillet With Orzo makes a fine canvas for experimentation as well. Play around with the type of summer squash, try a different melty cheese, stir in other flavorful add-ins (my mind went to marinated artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes) or, as Aaron suggests, sauté bite-size pieces of chicken in the skillet before the zucchini gets browned. No matter what you pick, expect this cheesy, saucy and abundant one-pan meal on the table in 45 minutes. What else do you need cooking advice about? Aaron and I will be ready to help in our live chat Wednesday at noon Eastern. Send your questions now, then sign back on for the real-time conversation. Until next week, happy cooking. | 
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