Happy Memorial Day! It’s time to party, and we’ve got the fashion, music, food and drink to help you celebrate summer in style.
Keep your fashion cool!
Throwing fashionable shade this summer means framing your face with the perfect pair of sunglasses. An Audrey-esque cat-eye style will set you apart from the Wayfarer-wearing crowd. And when it comes to white, let your your feet in on the fun with fresh espadrilles. Like all classic kicks, a bit of dirt never hurt — just beware of the barbecue drip.
Mix it up
Looking to sip something summery? Lara Crystal and Lindsey Andrews, co-founders of Minibar, a new app that allows you to order booze with your smartphone and have it delivered anywhere within Brooklyn, Queens or Manhattan in an hour, suggest the Tegroni (at left) — a riff on a classic Negroni that’s made with tequila instead of gin. “This is the perfect summer cocktail, best served with a grapefruit twist,” says Andrews.
Tegroni
1 ounce silver tequila
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
grapefruit twist for garnish
Stir liquid ingredients together with ice. Pour unstrained into a Mason jar or rocks glass. Garnish and serve!
Give it a fry!
“When I think of summer, I think of fried chicken, watermelon, ice cream, school being out — a time to relax and enjoy,” says Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the New York City Wine and Food Festival and the author of the new cookbook “Fried & True: More Than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides” ($22.50, Clarkson Potter). To write the book, Schrager and his co-author, Adeena Sussman, traveled around the country to find America’s best fried chicken. Here, they share a simple-to-make favorite from (the now-closed) Kermit’s Treme Speakeasy Restaurant in New Orleans.
Kermit Ruffins and Ray Boom Boom hard-fried chicken
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup all-purpose seasoning, such as Morton Season-All
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil, for frying
1 whole chicken, washed, patted dry, cut into 8 pieces
and well chilled
sea salt
Make the dredge: In a large bowl, combine the flour, seasoning, baking powder and pepper.
Fry the chicken: Prepare a deep fryer or fill a large (at least 6-quart) pot halfway with oil, and heat to 355 to 360 degrees. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and fry until the chicken is dark brown and the crust is brittle, 16 to 18 minutes. Drain on paper towels, and season with salt to taste.
Get grilling
Summer means it’s time to light up the barbecue, but make sure you do it right. John Stage, founder and pit master of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (dinosaurbarbque.com) has these tips.
■ To build flavor in your meat, start with a rub and finish with barbecue sauce. Never slather on barbecue sauce in the beginning — it often has a high sugar content and will burn before your meat is finished cooking. Wait until the last 10 to 15 minutes, and then brush on the sauce flavor.
■ If you’re using a marinade, make sure to pat your meat dry once it’s been removed. If the meat is wet, you’ll end up steaming it.
■ Buy a thermometer! Cutting your meat to check for doneness will release all the juices. Instead, use a meat thermometer.
Pack it in!
Don’t think outside the box when it comes to wine. Public House boxed wine (above) is surprisingly quaffable, comes with 10 cups in the box and, at $35 for the equivalent of four bottles of wine, is priced right for picnics and barbecues. Go to publichousewine.com to find stores throughout the city.
Songs to start the summer
Need a soundtrack for your Memorial Day cookout? Then, seek out these warm-weather numbers to help the party go off with a bang.
“Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus
Give the wrecking ball a rest because this is still Miley’s best song.
“American Girl,” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Even though everyone’s heard it millions of times already, hearing this song always feels like a warm hug from an old friend.
“Living in America,” James Brown
There aren’t that many songs that inspire patriotism and laughter at the same time. James Brown’s 1985 hit is one of the corniest things he ever did, but still makes you feel good.
“Summer in the City,” the Lovin’ Spoonful
One for the grandparents, it’s a baby-boomer anthem that’s still as cool and as catchy as ever.
“Summertime,” DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
It’s hard to remember, but before the poor sci-fi movies and terrible “Men in Black” sequels, Will Smith was once a credible rapper.
“War,” Edwin Starr
It’s worth taking a minute to note that Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for America’s war dead. Edwin Starr’s Motown smash is a frustrated (and funky) take on the futility of those losses.
“Summer,” Calvin Harris
Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” was the dance hit of last summer, and there’s a good chance that Calvin Harris’ current single will take the same honor this year.
“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
If it’s a dance party you want, then this current chart hit from the Aussie rapper will have your Memorial Day barbecue jumping.
“Jamming,” Bob Marley & the Wailers
A dash of reggae always goes well with warm weather, so now’s a perfect time to dig out this Marley classic.
“Milkshake,” Kelis
The former Mrs. Nas is mounting a decent comeback with her current album “Food,” but this will always be her signature song — now and forever.