Staff Picks: Hot Weather Cookbooks

Mon, 08/05/2024 - 1:17pm by eapearce

Ah, August. A month for enjoying all that summer has to offer before the weather starts getting cooler, the days get shorter, kids head back to school and we all transition to fall. One thing you might want to avoid during the hot August days is turning on your oven! It’s a month of fresh fruit and veggies, easy grill-able dinners, and simple recipes that don’t keep cooks in the kitchen for too long. Check out recipes from some of these cookbooks that will give you ideas for things to make that don’t involve standing over a hot stove making the air conditioning work even harder.

The Vegetable Eater, by Cara Mangini | Request Now

Cara Mangini loves vegetables and her bright, delicious ideas for preparing them and incorporating them into a variety of dishes make this cookbook a great one to have on hand. Organized into sections by the type of dish you’re preparing (salads, bowls, tacos, etc), this book makes eating veggie-forward meals simple and easy. Handy kitchen and cooking tips, like how to segment an orange, or different ways to cut carrots are a nice addition, too. Got extra vegetables from your garden or CSA? You’ll surely be able to find a way to use them up in The Vegetable Eater!

 

 

 

 

American Grill, by Tyler Florence | Request Now

Grilling isn’t always as easy as some people can make it seem! Making sure the temperature is hot enough—but not too hot, spacing items out on the grill properly so that everything cooks evenly, when to close or open the grill lid… it can get complicated! Tyler Florence is here to help with his new cookbook all about grilling and related techniques. He offers tips for upping your grilling skillset and explains how to grill not only all types of meat but vegetables, fish and fruit, too. Florence is a griller of just about anything, including dips and cakes and he employs a variety of tools to aid in his endeavors, including cast iron skillets, cooling racks and grilling pans. Grilling purists don’t need to worry though: there are plenty of recipes in the book that require nothing but a well-seasoned slab of meat and some dexterity with the flame control to make a fabulous summer meal.

 

Salads Are More Than Leaves, by Elena Silcock | Request Now

Salads and summer just go together. And there’s a salad for everyone in Elena Silcock’s Salads Are More Than Leaves. She moves salads from a side dish or accompaniment to be the center of the table, chock full of texture, flavor and variety. Her unique ingredient ideas allow for substitutions and variations and while some of the salads in the book feature meat and dairy, many are vegan and vegetarian friendly. If you like this one, you might also want to check out Salad Freak, by Jess Damuck (she made Martha Stewart’s lunch salads for many years!).

 

 

 

 

The Salt & Straw Ice Cream Cookbook, by Tyler Malek | Request Now

What better time to try your hand at making ice cream than August? Homemade ice cream often has a bad reputation for being difficult and time consuming, but this cookbook walks you through the steps clearly and carefully so that you’ll be an ice cream whiz in no time. Starting with a simple base created by the brothers who wrote the book together, you can then use their recipes to make a bunch of different flavors and combinations. There are also tips for inventing flavors of your own!