Hey Reader,

Happy almost Fourth of July! Hope you've got something good planned — even if it's just a cookout in the backyard with people you like. I've been in the kitchen a lot this week and I have a pasta salad situation that I need to tell you about immediately. Plus a cheesecake bar that's got a whole grandma story attached to it. Let's get into it.

A little story first

Or keep scrolling if you want to skip to the recipes

My grandma wasn't the type of grandma who spent tons of time in the kitchen or often invited me into the kitchen to teach me how to bake. However, I have a handful of very specific food memories centered around her and she absolutely loved recipe books.

When I was little, she had an apple tree in her yard and she'd make dehydrated apple slices, which I loved as an after-school snack. It just so happened that she lived right by the school, so I would often stop by, get the eggs out of the chicken coop, and visit with her. I don't remember her specifically showing me how to cook many things when I was little, but as I got older, I became curious and wanted to learn. Especially after I graduated and moved away.

One thing I didn't learn to bake from her was pies. Loved that lady to death, but man, her pie crusts were almost always burnt. My dad later told me that she often made them with bear lard. Or at least she did when he was little. That's mountain life for you.

As my grandma got older and wasn't really able to get around the kitchen as much, I took over her recipes and made them with and for her. Her Kansas City Pan Rolls (which she got from a cookbook) have long been a family favorite and now I make them every holiday season.

I remember one time when she was showing me how to make them, she forgot the egg. She wasn't about to waste a whole batch of rolls, so she literally kneaded the raw egg into the already mixed dough. Surprisingly, they still turned out decent. This past holiday season I altered that recipe to make it into a sourdough discard recipe.

She had a couple of other things, like frog eye salad and this sweet pasta salad she would bring as side dishes as well. And you cannot forget the fudge she made every Christmas.

Once she was older and I would go home to visit for the holidays, I would invite her up to my parents' house to make it with me. Mostly, this consisted of me making it while she sat at the counter and bossed me around. I'm so thankful that I made those memories with her. She loved watching shows about food around the world and loved trying my new recipes.

All this to say, she always made my older brother a cheesecake for his birthday, which is the week before the Fourth of July. So this year, I decided to put a patriotic twist on her 'secret' recipe. You can check out the recipe on my blog. It's a mix between a no-bake cheesecake and the well-known strawberry pretzel salad.

I love tasting new food, but more than that, I love creating new memories around it. Food is fuel, of course, but food is also emotions, culture, and connection. With all of my recipes, I want to make someone, somewhere, feel something.

Have a recipe from your childhood you want recreated? Send me an email and I will add it to my bake list and do my best to recreate it.

🌽 This week's recipe: Street Corn Pasta Salad

I'm a big fan of elote (Mexican street corn), and since sweet corn is everywhere this time of year, I wanted to turn those flavors into the perfect summer BBQ side dish.

This Street Corn Pasta Salad has grilled corn, cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, plenty of lime, and a creamy chili-lime dressing that brings everything together. It's fresh, flavorful, and one of those dishes that disappears fast at a cookout. If you're looking for something a little different than the usual pasta or potato salad this Fourth of July, give this one a try!

Salad

• 12 oz cooked bow tie or rotini pasta
• 2 cups grilled corn kernels (about 3 ears)
• 1 diced Roma tomato
• ½ cup cotija cheese
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 finely diced jalapeño (optional)

Dressing

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 3–4 limes
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions and grill the corn until lightly charred. Let both cool while you prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled pasta and grilled corn to the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated. Fold in the cotija cheese, cilantro, diced tomato, and jalapeño (if using) until well combined. Garnish with extra cotija, cilantro, a sprinkle of chili powder, and lime wedges before serving.

👉 Watch me make it on Instagram​

🍓 Also on the blog

If you still need a Fourth of July dessert — this is it. Buttery pretzel crust, no-bake cheesecake filling, strawberries and blueberries on top. They're the thing people are still talking about after the cookout is over. And yes, this is the grandma cheesecake from the story above. Full circle.

👉 Red, White & Blue Pretzel Cheesecake Bars​

🛒 What I'm using this week

Not sponsored — just things I actually reach for every week:

My cookie sheets — perfect for baking and storage both. I use these constantly. Shop here →​

My rotary grater — used it for the cotija on that pasta salad. Also my go-to for frozen butter when I'm making biscuits, pie dough, or scones. Shop here →​

My loaf pans — sourdough double pan method, banana bread, you name it. A good loaf pan genuinely makes a difference. Shop here →​

Affiliate links — no extra cost to you, just helps support what I do here.

👀 In the food world this week

Has anyone else been watching the Fruity Pebbles cake pop drama on social media? I've been thoroughly entertained. But honestly it got me thinking — Fruity Pebbles deserve better, and I've been developing something. Stay tuned for a mashup between Fruity Pebbles and an oatmeal cream pie. I cannot stop thinking about it.

Make it a moment

Make the pasta salad or cheesecake bars for someone this week. Bring it to a neighbor, show up to a cookout with it, or just put it on the table for whoever's around.

Don't wait for a reason — summer is the reason. Food genuinely tastes better when it's shared, and that's not just me being sentimental. There's research behind it.

If you make the pasta salad or the cheesecake bars, I want to see them. Tag me or reply with a photo — I genuinely love seeing what you make.

Have a great Fourth.

Amber

Amber Mae Baking Co

​
​

​
​
​

​
​