This weekend I’m going to visit some friends in Akron who are hosting a lock-in. This group of friends meets weekly for what we call, simply, “hangouts.” I regularly attended when I lived in Akron but now I just tag along whenever I’m visiting Colin. He won’t be there this weekend but I’m going anyway, since I never turn down an invitation that promises board games, homemade pizza, pajamas and playing with Wes, a very talkative and intelligent 21-month-old. And, because there will be plenty of us staying overnight, and hanging out requires plenty of sustenance, I decided to whip up some snacky-type things to take along.

I’ve been experimenting lots with pastry lately, especially croissants, but when I’m in the mood for a pastry that isn’t so challenging that it makes make me want to slam my head in the refrigerator door, I make gougères. I’m embarrassed to say that what I love most about them is that they remind me of a certain brand, whose name I certainly won’t utter here, of cheddar-flavored crackers that I adored as a child. However, being made with gruyère, they are decidedly more grown-up, and the hollow center left behind when they puff up makes me believe that they would be lovely if piped full of some sort of whipped filling like salmon salad, though I’ve yet to try that. Even plain, they’re delicious and really a cinch to whip up.

I always make an extra big batch of gougères, because really, what’s the fun in only 12 gougères, or even 24? Fine, perhaps, if I don’t have to share! No, I like to make them four dozen at a time, so I’ve doubled this recipe and think you should, too (unless, like me, you have a really tiny food processor, and, unlike me, are deterred by this sort of setback).

I also really wanted to make a mango salsa, which I attempted for the first time last summer to great success, if I do say so myself (and I usually do). My grocery store seems to carry mangos in every season. I’ve often remarked (and rejoiced) that I live in a place where I can eat mangos, my favorite fruit, year-round, even though they’re never, ever, ever in season here in Ohio. Naturally today would be the one day that I found the produce section completely devoid of mangos. Zut, alors!

What did catch my eye were some plump tomatillos. And so a tomatillo guacamole was born, the tomatillos adding a welcome burst of acid. I decided not to go too spicy because, lacking any sort of sensitivity to spice, I am particularly bad at remembering who likes spicy food and who doesn’t. Still, I added a tiny bit of sriracha, which I have decided should not be limited to Thai food, or even Asian food, but is a perfectly acceptable source of heat in any cuisine.

Gougères (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons paprika
• 1 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups grated Swiss cheese (Emmenthaler or Gruyère)

1. Bring the milk, butter, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once, and mix vigorously with a wooden spatula until the mixture forms a ball. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute to dry the mixture a bit. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, let cool for 5 minutes, then process for about 5 seconds.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Add the eggs and paprika to the processor bowl, and process for 10 to 15 seconds, until well mixed. Transfer the choux paste to a mixing bowl, and let cool for 10 minutes.

3. If your cookie sheets aren’t nonstick, line them with parchment paper. Add both cheeses to the choux paste. Stir just enough to incorporate. Using a soup spoons, scoop out about a tablespoon of the gougère dough, and with a second soup spoon, push it off onto the cookie sheet. Continue making individual gougères, spacing them about 2-inches apart on the sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Tomatillo Guacamole (original recipe)

• 3 ripe avocados
• 2 medium or large tomatillos
• 1 small onion
• 1 small jalapeño pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon salt
• sriracha sauce to taste

1. Slice the avocados and half and, using a sharp knife, hack once, firmly, into the pit and twist to remove. Scoop out the fruit with a spoon and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Mash with a fork.

2. Husk and rinse the tomatillos (they are very sticky). Dice finely and add to the mixing bowl.

3. Finely chop the onion and jalapeño, and add those and all remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl. Stir to incorporate and serve with corn chips.