Here Comes the Fun Whether for cocktails and bites at the lake house or a come one, come all dinner with friends, here are more than 100 seasonally inspired recipes guided by the principle that summer cooking means keeping things loose (and the oven off when it's just too hot out). Fuel up for a surf day with a basket of Fantastic Focaccia Sandwiches, host lunch on the deck with a Grilled Shrimp Louie salad, pass around the beach picnic fare (hello, Spicy Pineapple Spears and Landlubber's Lobster Rolls). It's a cookbook and so much more, with perfect party menus—how to choose between a Paella Party and Grilled Rib Revelry?—tiki cocktails, Five-Minute Frosé, tips on building a beach firepit. And to wrap it all up on the sweetest note, what could be better than Six Sensational Ice Cream Sandwiches?

The only cookbook you'll need during the year's warmest months A hot day and hanging over your stove were never meant to be. When fresh produce beckons but you haven't much energy to respond, these recipes help you settle into a more relaxed kind of cooking designed to keep you and your kitchen cool. Untether yourself from the oven with make-ahead meals best served cold (or at room temp), like Poached Salmon with Cucumber and Tomato salad and Tzatziki. Fix-and-forget recipes like North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork made in the electric pressure cooker won't steam up the kitchen. Equally easy are dinner salads; we've got enough to keep them interesting and varied, from Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Garlic Toasts to Grilled Caesar Salad. Barely more effort are fresh summer recipes requiring the briefest stint in a pan, such as Beet and Carrot Noodle Salad with Chicken or Braised Striped Bass with Zucchini and Tomatoes. Ready to take the party outside? You'll find all you need for casual patio meals prepared entirely on the grill (from meat to veggies, even pizza). Throw a fantastic cookout with easy starters, frosty drinks, and picnic must-haves like Picnic Fried Chicken, Classic Potato Salad, and Buttermilk Coleslaw. Visited the farmers' market? Find ideas for main dishes as well as sides inspired by the seasonal bounty, plus the best fruit desserts worth turning on the oven for. To end your meal on a cooler note, turn to a chapter of icebox desserts and no-bake sweets.

“A grab bag of summer flavors and dishes . . . Think of van Boven as the activities director of your own culinary summer camp.” —The New York Times The author of Home Made and Home Made Winter returns with a new cookbook filled with tasty recipes, beautiful photos, clear instructions, and hand-drawn artwork throughout. Home Made Summer presents her absolute favorite recipes for spring and summer. Inspired by her childhood in Ireland and her summers in Provence, van Boven has created a collection sure to tempt you to step into the kitchen. Using seasonal ingredients, such as freshly picked apples and berries, delicate summer lettuces and fresh herbs, she presents recipes for Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch, Snacks, Beverages, Appetizers, Main Courses, and Dessert. “Home Made Summer is a happy book, fun to look at, fun to read. It’s downright frivolous, in fact. And that’s what summer is all about.” —The New York Times Book Review “In the last two years, she has published three cookbooks, Home Made, Home Made Winter and Home Made Summer, that exemplify the indie spirit: They're filled with her illustrations and do-it-yourself recipes, like hand-cranked ice cream, from-scratch mustards and Dutch-style beef sausages and croquettes.” —Food & Wine “Flipping through the pages feels a bit like stepping into a fantasy land, one with jars and jars of citrusy-tomato mayonnaise awaiting crab cakes and stacks of powdered sugar-dusted ‘ultimate puffy pancakes’ (topped with crème fraîche and berries in lieu of syrup).” —LA Weekly “Stunning savory dishes.” —Serious Eats “Yvette’s attitude, like her recipes, is lighthearted and friendly, her header notes charmingly personal, and her thorough instructions chatty and fun.” —BookPage

Summer Cooking - first published in 1955 - is Elizabeth David's wonderful selection of dishes, for table, buffet and picnic, that are light, easy to prepare and based on seasonal ingredients. Elizabeth David shows how an imaginative use of herbs can enhance even the simplest meals, whether egg, fish or meat, while her recipes range from a simple salade niçoise to strawberry soufflé. Finally, Summer Cooking has chapters on hors d'oeuvres, summer soups, vegetables, sauces and sweets that are full of ideas for fresh, cool food all summer long. 'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday 'Britain's most inspirational food writer' Independent 'When you read Elizabeth David, you get perfect pitch. There is an understanding and evocation of flavours, colours, scents and places that lights up the page' Guardian 'Not only did she transform the way we cooked but she is a delight to read' Express on Sunday Elizabeth David (1913-1992) is the woman who changed the face of British cooking. Having travelled widely during the Second World War, she introduced post-war Britain to the sun-drenched delights of the Mediterranean and her recipes brought new flavours and aromas into kitchens across Britain. After her classic first book Mediterranean Food followed more bestsellers, including French Country Cooking, Summer Cooking, French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, Elizabeth David's Christmas and At Elizabeth David's Table.

Summer Food features more than 90 recipes for light and flavorful fare for every meal of the day—from brunch favorites to light suppers, refreshing cocktails, and fruit-forward desserts. Dishes like grilled escarole with plums and goat cheese; salmon with crème fraiche and garden herbs; quinoa with capers, torn basil, and tomatoes; and lamb burgers with minty pesto celebrate the fresh flavors of the season and are well suited for sharing with friends and family at alfresco meals. Gorgeous, photography throughout the book showcases the simplicity and beauty of summer cooking. Stunning scenic photography of the seaside, finished dishes, and summer ingredients, emphasize the book’s carefree nature and style. The perfect solution for home cooks who want easy, fresh recipes for light and flavorful fare that makes the most of seasonal ingredients and eating outdoors. With crowd-pleasing yet wholesome recipes like orzo with grilled corn, olives, torn basil and tomatoes; watermelon and chili salsa; grilled beets with mustard sauce; grilled pizza with pesto and prosciutto; lamb burgers with mint and feta dressing; and linguine with lox, lemon, and dill, this enticing collection is full of great ideas for low-key meals and simple menus for picnics and barbecues.

A companion to "The South Beach Diet" presents more than two hundred recipes that demonstrate how to eat healthfully without compromising taste, outlining the diet's basic philosophies and sharing personal success stories.

From acclaimed cookbook author, successful store proprietor, and regular guest on the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, comes Summer on a Plate, a cookbook filled with simple but elegant recipes that showcase the spectacular fresh produce of the summer months. Wherever you are, summer is a time to savor longer days and lazy weekends. Fresh produce abounds, and life moves at a more relaxed pace. Anna Pump, proprietor of the iconic Loaves & Fishes store on Long Island, has catered to a devoted clientele of Hamptons weekenders for more than twenty-five years and understands summer's rhythms. She knows that while you may want to enjoy a picnic on the beach or a late supper on the porch, you don't want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, painstakingly preparing elaborate dishes. In Summer on a Plate she shares more than 120 recipes for delicious, no-fuss, memorable meals that celebrate the bounty of summer. Anna never confuses simple with ordinary. A distinctive first course of Avocado Mousse and Shrimp on Tortilla Chips comes together in a flash. Chilled Tomato and Cucumber Soup with Seasoned Croutons makes a light and refreshing midday meal, and Spicy Corn Fritters with Salmon Caviar Dip are just the thing to set out for your weekend guests when a sunny Saturday on the beach turns into breezy evening on the deck. Many dishes can go straight from the grill to the table, like Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Fresh Herb Sauce or Perfect Whole Grilled Chicken with Plum Chutney. In the mood for seafood? Halibut Baked with Olives, Lemons, and Fresh Basil is a snap to prepare and full of fresh flavors. And what would summer be without salads? Serve Black Mission Figs with Goat Cheese and Upland Cress to begin a dinner party, while the Magret of Duck and Wild Rice Salad or the Asian-Flavor Beef, Pepper, and Spinach Salad are meals in themselves. If your favorite part of the meal is dessert (like Anna!) you won't be disappointed. Chocolate Chunk Orange Cake is a sweet ending to any meal (or even a sweet breakfast) and is just as satisfying with a cup of midafternoon coffee. Rhubarb Blueberry Pie or a Peach Tart with Almond Topping and a Cookie Crust take advantage of the best of summer fruits. The Coconut Lemon Layer Cake is a showstopper, or you can opt for a simple dish of dead-ripe berries lavished with a dollop of Crème Fraîche. Put summer on your plate and enjoy everything the season has to offer.