Cap off the Summer With a Cookout

Every year, America celebrates the unofficial end of summer and the contributions of the nation’s workers by taking a Monday off. Naturally, this calls for a cookout! Serious Eats recommends going beyond the old backyard standbys — burgers and franks — to grill up more exotic entrées such as Japanese chicken meatballs, curry kebabs and grilled fish tacos. “Rather than wallow in despair at the changing of the seasons, use the holiday as an excuse for one last, pull-out-all-the-stops backyard cookout,” the site says.