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“It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying, ¡°I drank too much last night.”
― John Cheever, The Stories of John Cheever

“Midsummer Night was roasting hot. The shore, of red granite, glowed with the heat; the dark blood of the earth seemed to be rising from below. There was a sharp, unbearable smell of birds, of cod, of green decaying seaweed. Through the mist the huge ruddy sun loomed nearer and nearer. And in the sea, dark blood welled up to meet it - in bloated, rearing, huge white waves.
Night. The mouth of the bay between two cliffs was like a window. A window shutting out curious eyes with a white shade-white woolly fog. And all that you could see was that behind it something red was happening. ("The North")”
― Yevgeny Zamyatin, The Dragon: Fifteen Stories

“Sunlight was everywhere, glittering gold off the bright green leaves of the garden. A blackcap, concealed within the foliage of a nearby willow, sang a sweet fanfare and a pair of mallards fought over a particularly juicy snail. The orchestra was rehearsing a dance number and music skimmed across the surface of the lake. How lucky they were to get a day like this one! After weeks of agonizing, of their studying the dawn, of consulting Those Who Ought to Know, the sun had risen, burning off any lingering cloud, just as it should on Midsummer's Eve. The evening would be warm, the breeze light, the party as bewitching as ever.”
― Kate Morton, The Lake House

“On a midsummer night, on a night that was eerie with stars,
In a wood too deep for a single star to look through,
You led down a path whose turnings you knew in the darkness,
But the scent of the dew-dripping cedars was all that I knew.

I drank of the darkness, I was fed with the honey of fragrance,
I was glad of my life, the drawing of breath was sweet;
I heard your voice, you said, 'Look down, see the glow-worm!'
It was there before me, a small star white at my feet.”
― Sara Teasdale, The Collected Poems

“How delicious! Layer upon layer of exquisitely delicate sweetness blooms in the mouth like the unfurling petals of a flower! And it's different from the cake Sarge presented in one very distinct way!"
?!
The flavors explode not like a bomb but a firecracker! What a silky-smooth, mild sweetness!
"How were you able to create such a uniquely beautiful flavor?"
"See, for the cake, I used Colza oil, flour, baking powder... and a secret ingredient...
Mashed Japanese mountain yam!
That gave the batter some mild sweetness along with a thick creaminess. Simply mashing it instead of pureeing it gave the cake's texture some soft body as well.
Then there're the two different frostings I used! The white cream I made by blending into a smooth paste banana, avocado, soy milk, rice syrup and some puffed rice I found at the convenience store. I used this for the filling.
*Rice syrup, also called rice malt, is a sweetener made by transforming the starch in rice into sugars. A centuries-old condiment, it's known for being gentle on the stomach.
*
I made the dark cream I used to frost the cake by adding cocoa powder to the white cream."
"I see. How astonishing. This cake uses no dairy or added sugar. Instead, it combines and maximizes the natural sweetness of its ingredients to create a light and wonderfully delicious cake!"
"What?!"
"He didn't put in any sugar at all?!"
"But why go to all that time and effort?!"
"For the people patiently waiting to eat it, of course.
This cake was made especially for these people and for this season.
When it's hot and humid out... even if it's a Christmas Cake, I figured you'd all prefer one that's lighter and softer instead of something rich and heavy.
I mean, that's the kind of cake I'd want in this weather.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, ʳꪤΥ½©`¥Þ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“Gentlemen and ladies- in green, yellow, pink- arriving on the terrace, sweeping down the stone stairs onto the lawn. Jazz music floating on the air; Chinese lanterns flickering in the breeze; Mr. Hamilton's hired waiters balancing huge silver trays of sparkling champagne flutes on raised hands, weaving through the growing crowds; Emmeline, shimmering in pink, leading a laughing fellow to the dance floor to perform the Shimmy shake.”
― Kate Morton, The House at Riverton

“Her hands pressed warm against the glass as her gaze swept the scene below: cream and pink roses, petals shining as if they'd been buffed; precious peaches clinging to the sheltered garden wall; the long silver lake gleaming in the mid-morning light. The whole estate had already been preened and primped to a state of impossible perfection, and yet there was still bustle everywhere.”
― Kate Morton, The Lake House

“June is the beginning of summer, and on the 24th of
this month is Midsummer Day. The old legends tell us
that on Midsummer Night the fairies have their dances and revels.”
― E.L. Grant Watson, What To Look For In Summer