Hello,
July has a way of making ordinary days feel as though they ought to be stretched a little.
Lunch runs later, bread is left to rise, and there is less urgency to fill every hour. The best summer plans are often the loosest ones: something good to eat, somewhere pleasant to wander, and a book waiting for the evening.
This month on Culinary Travels, I’ve been leaning into slow summer days with no-knead ciabatta, porchetta made for piling into warm rolls, a weekend wandering through Cork, and a darkly addictive novel to carry into the evening.
There is something particularly satisfying about bread that asks for very little effort and rewards a little patience.
These no-knead ciabatta rolls begin with a simple dough and a slow rise before the oven turns them into flour-dusted rolls with crisp edges and a beautifully airy middle. They feel generous without being fussy, which is exactly what I want from summer cooking.
Split them warm and fill them with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, freeze a few for porchetta later in the week, or simply tear one open and dip it into excellent olive oil while pretending you were only checking the texture.
My no-knead ciabatta roll recipe is here if you fancy letting time do most of the work.
Porchetta is usually an oven affair, slow-roasted until tender and finished at high heat for that all-important crisp crackling. But on the kind of July day when keeping the oven on for hours feels like a questionable life choice, the slow cooker option rather comes into its own.
The pork is prepared with the same fennel, rosemary, garlic, and lemon, then left to cook gently until tender. A few minutes under a fiercely hot grill brings the crackling back to life, while the cooking juices can be strained and reduced into something rich enough to serve alongside for dipping.
Pile thick slices into a ciabatta roll, add rocket or salsa verde if you wish, then dunk as enthusiastically as dignity allows. It sits somewhere between a memory of Italian street food and a French-dip-style summer lunch, and I am very happy with that.
My porchetta recipe is here, with both the classic oven method and a slow cooker option for days when low effort sounds particularly appealing.
Once you have a batch of ciabatta rolls, the obvious question is what to put in them. Porchetta is one very good answer, but summer is long enough for more than one excellent sandwich.
For something fresh, crisp, and pleasingly messy, try a po’boy-inspired seafood roll with fried prawns or fish goujons, shredded lettuce, pickles, and a lemony hot-sauce mayonnaise.
For a picnic sandwich that can be made ahead, layer salami, mortadella, and provolone with chopped olives and a spoonful of my sunblush tomatoes. Press the filled roll for a little while so all those salty, oily flavours settle into the bread, and you have something loosely muffuletta-inspired and very good for sharing.
Or, instead of the usual barbecue hot dog, tuck a smoky chorizo sausage into ciabatta with jarred roasted peppers, rocket, aioli, and a few shavings of Manchego. Not an authentic Spanish sandwich, just a very good Spanish-inspired one.
These are less recipes than invitations to raid the fridge, open a few jars, and turn lunch into the main event. Add crisps, fruit, and something cold to drink, and that is a slow summer afternoon more or less sorted.
Cork is a city that rewards being explored without too much of a plan.
The centre is compact enough to wander on foot, but layered enough that a morning at the English Market can easily become lunch somewhere nearby, a walk along the River Lee, a climb towards Shandon, and one drink in a proper Cork pub that somehow turns into the evening.
For a long weekend, I would keep the city firmly at the heart of the trip. Give yourself time for markets, independent cafés, riverside walks, old streets, and food that feels rooted in the place, then add one easy day trip to Cobh, Kinsale, or Blarney if you have another day to spare. Cork is much better when you let it unfold rather than treating it as a list to be completed.
My long weekend in Cork guide is here if you fancy a few days of good food, atmospheric pubs, and wandering at a distinctly unhurried pace.
You might also find my guide to where to stay in Cork useful when planning your visit.
For July’s read, I highly recommend Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone by Louise O’Neill, a sharp, addictive novel steeped in the glossy, grimy celebrity culture of the early 2000s.
At its centre are twin sisters Madeline and Chelsea Stone, child stars shaped, packaged and exploited by the people around them. When Madeline disappears just as Chelsea’s career begins to soar, the mystery ripples through the next twenty years.
It is glamorous, poisonous and deeply unsettling, with plenty to say about fame, identity and what happens when girls are turned into products before they are old enough to know themselves.
My full review is over on Instagram, but this is your nudge if you like a quick, compulsive read with far more bite than its glossy surface suggests.
I hope July brings you something good to eat, somewhere worth wandering, and a little time to let the day unfold without rushing it.
As always, thank you for reading Culinary Travels and following along. It means a great deal.
Warmly,
Georgina
P.S. What would you put in your perfect summer sandwich, or where would you choose for an unhurried weekend away? I’d love to hear your recommendations. They often end up inspiring future Culinary Travels recipes and travel pieces, so do reply to this email or leave me a comment on socials.
