Delight Your Thanksgiving Guests With This Bubbly Cranberry Cocktail

Niçoise Salad

Salads are perhaps the most expected light summer meals, but this one totally defies expectations by being packed with tons of nutritious goodies like tomatoes, green beans, olives, egg, and tuna. (via Brit + Co)

Mediterranean Chicken Skewers

The trick to making these gorgeous Mediterranean chicken skewers is letting the marinade, well, marinate for up to 24 hours. This period of letting the flavors soak in is the most labor-intensive part of this recipe – the actual grilling part will only last 10-12 minutes! Serve with some fresh veg to really get in the groove. (via Brit + Co)

Greek Salad

This no-cook salad makes the ultimate side dish for backyard get-togethers! It's bursting with flavor from crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, salty olives, and feta cheese. The tangy dressing is a simple mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper – all measured to your liking. (via Brit + Co)

Pineapple Al Pastor Tacos

Pineapple is the prime fruit for summer, so we'll take any excuse to incorporate it into our recipes! A strong, flavorful al pastor marinade generously coats some chicken before getting quickly grilled and layered with pineapple salsa in this light summer recipe. Goes exceptionally well with an ice-cold beer or tequila cocktails! (via Brit + Co)

California Black Bean Burgers

All you need to craft these uber-fresh (and way better than store-bought) veggie burgers is a food processor and the hearty mix of beans, grains, and spices. Forewarning, you will need to use the oven to cook 'em, albeit at a low temperature of 250°F. (via Brit + Co)

Vegan Chickpea Cranberry Lettuce Wraps

Sometimes chowing down on meat feels like too hard a chore, especially in the scorching-hot summer. That's where vegan recipes like this one come in! No cooking is required for the chickpea-cranberry filling that gets stuffed into crisp romaine wraps. These make an excellent light lunch or even mid-day snack! (via Brit + Co)

Honey-Lemon Chicken Thighs

Although these chicken thighs require a good amount of time in the skillet, you could easily save yourself the time and effort by meal prepping a ton of pieces to eat on throughout the week. The honey-lemon flavors are *not* to be missed, and once cooked, you can enjoy this protein hot or cold. (via Brit + Co)

Spring Mix Salad with Lemon Baked Tofu

This crunchy salad is topped with perhaps the tastiest baked tofu bits around. They get wonderfully seasoned with ginger, lemon, miso, mustard, and other spices, all while supplying a good serving of plant-based protein. The salad bed itself is also bulked up with quinoa, avocado, and edamame. (via Brit + Co)

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

If you're hungry for something a bit heartier, the Instant Pot can be a big helper in achieving satisfying summer meals since it's relatively hands-off. This one-pot pasta dish is pressure cooked to cheesy perfection for only 5 minutes, and delivers a delicious garlicky, umami-y flavor you'll wanna eat again and again. (via Brit + Co)

Watermelon Feta Mint Salad

Watermelon, cucumber, feta cheese, and fresh mint is an underrated combo that you just *have* to try out this season. This salad recipe makes a great side for any and all light summer meals, or you could simply serve it as the main course just as easily! (via The Edgy Veg)

Vegan Summer Rolls

Any food served in wrap form gets our stamp of approval, and these vegan rolls stuffed with miso-glazed tofu pieces and plenty of colorful veggies are simply ahh-mazing. They are also super adaptable based on you and your family's personal preferences. (via Crowded Kitchen)

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Make some bomb Caesar salad, toss some freshly-cooked pasta in that bad boy, and boom – you've got yourself one of the easiest, tastiest light summer meals out there. You don't necessarily need to craft your own dressing, either, if you don't want to. Just go with the best store-bought stuff to save yourself some time this summer, and it'll be just as good! (via Completely Delicious)

Asian Noodle Salad in Peanut Dressing

You certainly won't miss out on your daily serving of veggies with this Asian-inspired noodle salad! The best part is the carrots, radishes, and cabbage are all thinly sliced and julienned so they kind of hide in between and blend in with the egg noodles. The peanut sauce that drenches every inch of this dish is to die for. (via Vikalinka)

Quinoa, Cherry & Goat Cheese Salad

Recipes that have both savory and sweet elements to them are fantastic for switching up your usual meal routine. This summer-ready quinoa salad brimming with cherries, goat cheese, and mint is just the thing you need for a healthy and fun-to-eat lunch or dinner this season! (via Averie Cooks)

Tuscan Bean Salad

Bean salads are a nice summer lunch staple to hang onto since they're heavy on protein content. You won't need to turn on a single appliance to make this one that assumes the best Tuscan flavors – cannellini beans, tomatoes, parsley, and onion are tossed together and served with a perfectly zesty dressing. If you wish to bulk up your bite even more, consider adding sliced salami or diced chicken to the mix! (via Earthly Provisions)

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is worthy of any summer BBQs, potlucks, or dinner parties you have in the pipeline. It's definitely on the more filling side, but still light enough for the season since you can serve it cold. (via The Real Food Dietitians)

Garden Gimlet

This floral gimlet is perfect for an outdoor get-together, similar to how the Bridgerton cast strolls down the promenade. Simply mix 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz simple syrup in a coupe glass, then top things off tastefully with a lavender sprig. (via Empress 1908 Gin for Brit + Co)

London Fog Latte

These London Fog lattes are also traditionally made non-alcoholic, but you can always add in a splash of your go-to spirit! To make one, steep 2 Earl Grey tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes, then add ¾ cup steamed (or warmed) milk and 2 to 3 tablespoons vanilla syrup or honey for sweetness. Yum! (via The Official Bridgerton Guide to Entertaining for Brit + Co)

Rumor-Stirring Blueberry Lavender Fizz

These fizzy sips come sans-alcohol, but you can always spice things up with your favorite vodka or gin. To make one of these cocktails, muddle 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers in a cocktail shaker before adding 1 tablespoon blueberry jam, 1⁄2 ounce lemon juice, 1⁄2 ounce lime juice, 1⁄2 ounce heavy cream, and 1 large egg white and shaking vigorously (without ice) until texture changes to a foam. Next, add some ice and shake again until chilled. Strain the mix into a Collins glass and top it off with sparkling water and lemon zest! (via Brit + Co)

Alpine Wildflower Old Fashioned

Floral notes are key, and this Old Fashioned is a master at including the best flavors. To make it, muddle 2 oz Stranahan’s Original, 1 brown sugar cube, and a pinch of grated cinnamon in a rocks glass before adding 2 dashes Angostura bitters and stirring to combine. Add a big ice cube and garnish with edible flowers for full effect! (via Stranahan’s Original Single Malt Whiskey)

Paloma Tea Party

The ton might've not been drinking tequila, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a tequila cocktail for the season 3 release! This one takes on the flavors of a paloma, and it's scrumptious. To make it, mix 6 oz 21Seeds Grapefruit Hibiscus Infused Tequila, 2 oz simple syrup, 2 oz lime juice, and 6 oz grapefruit juice in a pitcher – or better yet, a tea kettle – with ice, and serve! (via 21Seeds Tequila)

Caviar Dreams

Remind yourself of all things fancy and elegant with this slow-sipper. To make it, shake 2 oz Stranahan's Original, 0.25 oz dry vermouth, 0.25 oz sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes aromatic bitters over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, then garnish lavishly with olives, caviar, and a potato chip on the side. (via Stranahan’s Original Single Malt Whiskey)

Orange Honey Smash

This sweet, citrusy smash reminds us of the stunningly bright visuals in the show, and it's sure to be a hit. To make it, stir 2 oz Stranahan's Original, 0.5 oz sweet vermouth, 0.25 oz honey liqueur, 0.25 oz Amaro, 1 dash Angostura bitters, and 1 dash Orange bitters over ice. Then, strain into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist. (via Stranahan’s Original Single Malt Whiskey)

Yulin Kuang's Journey To "How To End A Love Story"

Some people seem to be born knowing they're destined to right, but some of us stumble into it and realize, "Hey, I'm pretty good at this." For Yulin, her journey to her debut novel How to End a Love Story takes the latter route. Her first dream, you make ask? To be an Olympic figure skater.

"...that didn't pan out so I turned to storytelling," Yulin admits. That pivot led her to set her sights on becoming an author as she began honing her creative writing skills via your classic marble composition notebooks. If you're still wondering if she kept some of them, the answer is yes!

The screenwriter and author then found herself drawn to other aspects of writing and film. She says, "I eventually fell in love with screenwriting and directing while in undergrad at Carnegie Mellon, and I spent my first decade post-grad concentrating on my filmmaking career."

Yulin Kuang's Approach To Filmmaking

It's a reason why her hard work and the stars aligned for her to adapt Emily Henry's Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation.

When I ask what helps her approach the book-to-film trajectory, she credits writing fan fiction. This feels similar to Christina Lauren's own experience, further proving that fan fiction deserves the utmost praise for helping some of the best literary and film minds who ultimately birth what I could only describe as masterpieces.

Yulin says, "Fan fiction is where I first learned you could play with characters originated by someone else to discover what you’d make them do in your own version." Although it would be easy for anyone to snap their fingers and have their first pitches accepted by everyone, she learned to lean on what writing fan fiction taught her.

"Early in my career, I would pitch on book-to-film adaptations and I’d be like, 'Change nothing, just shoot the book!' And I wouldn’t get those jobs, because I didn’t have a clear “take” and because you can’t actually just shoot a book – adaptation is an art form unto itself. So onceI started approaching adaptation with more of a fan fiction mindset – 'What is my take on these characters and this world?' – that helped me approach the book-to-screen trajectory more successfully," she proudly says.

However, this doesn't mean she never questioned if she could still find ways to create new ideas. "...in 2021, at a time when everything else I was working on was an adaptation, I found myself wondering if I had anything original left within me," she remembers.

It's natural for creatives to experience moments of doubt, but Yulin has been able to turn the tide and discover untapped ideas in her mind. Just don't expect her to set her own expectations about any adaptations she's working on.

She says, "Know that I am an avid reader of romance and a frequent consumer of this genre across mediums, and I will be bringing everything I know going into these adaptations. But more specifically to Beach Read, which I have more creative ownership over as the writer/director."

How Yulin Kuang Relates To Her Main Characters In "How To End A Love Story"

And since How to End a Love Story is truly Yulin's own creative body of work, it makes sense that main characters Helen and Grant have pieces of her personality as well as her characteristics.

"I gave Helen all my hopes and insecurities from high school and gave her the alternate universe path where I had pursued publishing instead of Hollywood. I examined what might have happened if I’d grown into certain qualities I’ve actively tried to grow away from," she says of Helen Zhang.

Right away, readers get the sense that Helen is a whip-smart and hardworking, but her penchant for being cautious about her success also peeks through. Though she's written highly successful YA (read: young adult) novels, Helen waits with bated breath for the moment people will call her bluff. She's relatable because many of us wonder if we're simply cosplaying as versions of ourselves who've reached any level of success.

On the other hand, there's Grant Shepard. He's seemingly this cool, calm, and collected screenwriter who has a complicated past with Helen. Yulin says, "I gave Grant a lot of the qualities I’m proud of and/or have coveted as a working screenwriter, and I certainly relate to many of his thoughts on screenwriting and the current state of our industry."

The more the reader learns about Helen and Grant, the more it becomes obvious that there's more to them than meets the eye. Sure, they are complicated...but who isn't?

"At their core, Helen and Grant are just two kids from Jersey trying to make it in Hollywood, and of course I relate deeply to that," she says.

Yulin Kuang's View Of Rom-Coms

Based on Yulin's genuine interest in romance novels and the fact she's well-versed in adapting them, she knows what it takes to make rom-coms flourish. Her first take? "Romantic tension is key to any romance – I always need to know why our couple can’t be together now. The second that tension is gone, so is audience interest," she points out.

This explains why we can't get enough of reading books about it, listening to albums dedicated to it, or watching films that depict all levels of romance. Still, there are some people who approach the genre with a side eye.

"There seems to be a natural human suspicion of things that make us feel too good – like, 'That can’t possibly be good for us, that’s just candy!' I wonder if it’s something evolutionary at work," she says before doubling down. "You can’t argue with the fact that people absolutely fucking love rom-coms, and I will die on the hill that a well-earned happily ever after is both harder to achieve and more narratively satisfying when it’s pulled off successfully."

She's the type of writer who really appreciates a big kiss that's handled correctly onscreen, but she's also not afraid to "groan every time it's fumbled." But, she knows everyone still won't see romance the way she and so many others view it, but she doesn't really care.

"Ultimately, I don’t concern myself too much with changing minds that don’t want to be changed.There are enough smart people who recognize the power and value of rom-coms, and I’d rather spend my precious time creating art to surprise and delight the people with good taste."

Need I say that this is yet another reason why How to End a Love Story works so well?

How Yulin Kuang Wishes The World Would Celebrate AAPI Month

As much as she's vocal about screenwriting and rom-coms, Yulin also has thoughts about the way society-at-large talks about BIPOC creative artists. "There’s a real, 'This is important, eat your vegetables,' vibe to things. And while that might be true, it’s not the most appealing way to market or discover art," she says.

She admits this could be due to how many diversity-in-film panels she's attended. As a Black woman, the conversations I see every year during Black History Month seem to have a certain "Let's check this box so everyone can be happy" vibe, so I can imagine attending panels about diversity and inclusion can start to sound repetitive after awhile.

Yulin doesn't hold back when she says, "I’m a little jaded when people ask me diversity questions at this point. I don’t want to attract the kind of readers who are only showing up to be supportive of my Asian-ness. It’s a bit like showing up to a date where someone says, 'I’m so excited that you’re Asian!!!'" This is an analogy I can so get behind because it makes a lot of sense!

It's one thing to have representation, but I like to think it's always obvious when people are approaching the conversation in a way that 'others' BIPOC people. We're literally not asking for a trophy, but more so an acknowledgement that we shouldn't be excluded from conversations, spaces, and careers or treated differently.

This sentiment is shared by Yulin who says, "That’s the thing about me that I didn’t do on purpose, and while I’m glad you’re excited, I hope there are things that I did do on purpose that you find exciting, too" and feels there is a way to be a genuine ally.

"...support AAPI creatives by all means, and perhaps begin by celebrating us as individual artists even after the designated month ends. And where applicable, talk about our work like it’s candy, not vegetables. I’d rather be irresistible than important," she states.

Take a page from Yulin Kuang's book and pick up a copy of How to End a Love Story today! You won't regret it!