Dat Candy: Recipes for those capers hiding in the back of your fridge

Good morning. Later today, Spain and England will play for the European Championship—a soccer match some have dubbed the ultimate test of the Catholic faith. We won't go that far (Protestants buy sheet pans too), but we just might anoint the winning side as "the cuisine of the summer" in next week's newsletter. Here are some recipes that prove each country deserves the title:

For England:

"11 English Recipes To Beat The Heat" won't be my easiest assignment—but it's not impossible. River Cafe's Chocolate Nemesis, Pimm's Cups, and the genius recipes of Nigella Lawson are all welcomed at any summer get-together.

For Spain:

This writes itself. Some non-negotiable inclusions: Machego croquetas with smoked pimentón aioli, this chilled tomato soup with Serrano ham, and Amanda's take on the classic tortilla.

The only thing working harder than those soccer players? The capers in your fridge. No ingredient provides more flavor, while requiring less fridge space (and consistent attention) than capers. Point being: Capers have earned their opportunity to share the plate with grilled swordfish and lemon or with steamed broccoli and raisins and certainly with fried catfish and dill.

Grilled Swordfish with Lemon and Caper Sauce

April Bloomfield's Lemon Caper Dressing

Pantry Pasta with Anchovies, Olives and Capers

Steamed Broccoli with Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette

Earlier this week, Recipe Drop welcomed Emerald Chan to the show, where she demo'd the techniques behind her spicy Xi'an biang biang noodles. Hand-pulled, spiced with cumin and red pepper, and topped with cilantro, these noodles flourish in any occasion. Get the recipe here.

On the other hand, if you're looking for dessert inspiration, Nea and César have you covered—the pair debuted recipes for s'mores cookies and coconut sorbet, respectively.

And if you want to catch up on all of our most recent content, our Lazy Hazy Summer page is the place to start. It's got all of our best recipes, articles, and silly, little videos from the last few weeks.

For Kismet, our head of email, there's one pie that says summer more than any other.

"My mom would always make lemon meringue pie in the summer when I was a kid. When I could smell her caramelizing the top of the meringue, I would come sprinting in from the backyard."

One day we'll track down Kismet's mom's recipe. Until then, we like this version from Katie Workman and this take from Claire Saffitz.