I’m about to be in a two-bedroom Lake Michigan beach house with a dozen people, and I can’t wait. We’ll shop for smoked fish in Leland (where I once ran into Mario Batali, so it’s got to be good, right?), make cherry dishes from the local fruit, and drink wine as we watch the waves rush in and out. When you are in a kitchen with that many people, everyone helps.
For my father-in-law, the owner of the house, we’ll bring a set of Global chef knives–three good ones to keep up at the cabin so three people can slice and dice at once. Many of our meals will be eaten watching the sun set over the water, sitting at the Turkish-style low benches and table set on the cliff above the beach. The kids will run and laugh and we’ll all enjoy the time together.