Cooking can be a challenge during the summer months. Who wants to be around a hot oven or stovetop when outside temperatures climb into the 90s and above? Firing up a grill on the patio is an option, but what if you don’t have a grill or a patio? Dining out can be expensive, so what is a hungry person to do when the sun is at its summertime peak?
May I suggest a trip to the library to check out cool cookbooks for sizzling days. When I say cool cookbooks, I mean cool as in swell, and cool as in refreshing — that’s double duty! The titles in this week’s reading list invite cooks to create delicious dishes using summer vegetables and fruits, and many of the recipes are oven-free. You’ll also find guides for making frozen desserts and tasty beverages. And because strawberries are an essential part of summertime eats (in my opinion) I’ve included a cookbook devoted to this sweet, red fruit.
Here’s to chill summer eats!
- “The Complete Summer Cookbook: Beat the Heat with 500 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer’s Bounty” by America’s Test Kitchen.
- “Food52 Ice Cream and Friends: 60 Recipes & Riffs for Sorbets, Sandwiches, No-Churn Ice Creams and More” by the editors of Food52.
- “Mocktails Punches & Shrubs” by Vikas Khanna.
- “The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy!: Recipes for Making Fabulous Salads Every Day” by Darlene Schrijver.
- “Strawberry Love: 45 Sweet and Savory Recipes for Shortcakes, Hand Pies, Salads, Salsas, and More” by Cynthia Stevens Graubart.
- “The Uncook Book: The Essential Guide to a Raw Food Lifestyle” by Tanya Maher.
