10 Books to Make Sure Your Summer Cooking Season is the Best it Can Be

Posted on June 21, 2023

by Franco V

With the arrival of summer comes an array of vibrant colors, fresh produce, and an opportunity to indulge in delicious seasonal dishes. As the sun shines brightly and the temperatures rise, it’s the perfect time to embrace summer cooking and explore the plethora of flavors that nature has to offer. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, planning a picnic, or simply looking for some light and refreshing meals, summer is a food lover’s paradise. These books delve into the joys of summer cooking and provide some inspiration for culinary adventures during the sunny months.

Summer Food: New Summer Classics

This cookbook features more than 90 recipes for light and flavorful fair showcasing the simplicity and beauty of carefree summer cooking.

A Summer Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom 

If you want to make summer magical for the kids in your lives, this book might just be the way to do it. Full of projects, recipes, and more, you’ll learn how to homestead and make the most of summer.

The Complete Summer Cookbook: Beat the Heat with 500 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer’s Bounty

So many summer recipes all in one place, this “complete” cookbook will maximize your summer cooking.

Home Made Summer

This collection of sun-drenched dishes whose inspiration came from the author’s day-to-day life in Amsterdam and Paris, but even more so from summers spent in Provence, on an orchard near Avignon.

The Summer Table: Recipes and Menus for Casual Outdoor Entertaining

Warm the grill, whip up some sides and sweets, and prepare to share these simple, delicious dishes. Festive menus feature a Mexican Grill Party, Father’s Day Barbecue, Beach Buffet, and Cocktail Party, along with picnics, pizza, lunches, and brunches.

Recipes from an Italian Summer

Your summer vacation may or may not include a trip to Italy. If it doesn’t, bring the Italian food to you!

Food x Fire: Grilling and BBQ

Live fire cooking expert Derek Wolf provides an exploration of techniques and recipes built around fire.

How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables Over Live Fire

America’s grilling guru offers a primer for how to grill vegetables – with lots of creative flavors and techniques – whether you’re eating main dishes that highlight vegetables, or you’re rounding out the barbecue menu with grilled garden-fresh sides. Not a vegetarian book, but vegetable-forward (and with vegetarian and vegan adaptations).

The Green Barbecue: Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In

Fire up the barbecue and grab your tongs-these 75 plant-forward recipes guarantee a flavorful and fun cookout! If you thought “meat-free” and “barbecue” were opposing concepts, think again: Rukmini Iyer’s collection of delicious grill recipes is delightfully plant-based.

Hot Dog: A Global History

So this one isn’t technically a cookbook, but is there something more “summer” than hot dogs? In this history of the hot dog, Bruce Kraig examines the dish’s origins, with the arrival of European sausages in the 19th century and its place in American culture today. He also explores the US’s numerous regional varieties, from New England examples served with Boston Baked Beans to Southern corn dogs.

Summaries provided via the Library’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more information.

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