Cookbooks
“Refreshing and delightful...
an informative, entertaining,
and inspiring approach sure
to resonate with seafood
lovers of all skill levels.”
—Publishers WeeklyOn Sale April 7
Hardcover | $24.95“A strong argument that wine
rightfully deserves a spot at the
BBQ table.... [The] recipes will
be enjoyed by home cooks and
grill enthusiasts of all skill
levels and tastes.”
—Publishers WeeklyOn Sale April 28
Hardcover | $24.95sasquatchbooks.comthat feature their beloved chapulines (grasshoppers), the
authors impart their enthusiasm for local flavors, as in their
Texas caviar (it has Fritos) and “good for you” margaritas
complete with vitamin-packed hibiscus flowers.
Hungry for Harbor Country
Lindsay Navama. Agate Midway, May
When California native Navama relocated to the “third
coast” of southwest Michigan with her husband, she
was surprised to discover an ardent food community
serving locally sourced meals, wine, desserts, and
coffee. Her homey cookbook contains recipes, many
of them gluten- and dairy-free, from the area’s
renowned restaurants and shops, such as Whistle
Stop Grocery’s Asian noodle salad, and blueberry
mascarpone crepes from Luisa’s Café.
The Ladies’ Village Improvement Society
Cookbook
Florence Fabricant. Rizzoli, Apr.
New York Times doyenne Fabricant teamed up with
East Hampton’s 125-year-old historical society to
capture the social spirit of the famous spit of land,
through stories of parties and other events, repro-
ductions of archival newspaper clippings and
vintage photographs, and 100 recipes from local
chefs and purveyors, including Ina Garten, Martha
Stewart, and Eli Zabar. Recipes are organized into
themed menus—lunch by the pool features, among
other dishes, Lobster Cakes from Stuart’s Seafood
and Doughnut Pudding from Dreesen’s Market.
Flexibility is key to building a sustainable home
kitchen, according to Lucia Watson, executive editor at
Avery. “Every home cook should learn to substitute,”
she says, echoing the lessons in Seizan Dreux Ellis’s Love
Is Served (Apr.), which includes evocatively named dishes
(“I Am Awakening”; “I Am Passionate”) from his Café
Gratitude outposts in Southern California. The recipes
“use mashed bananas in place of eggs and incorporate
mushrooms to add the umami flavor that people asso-
ciate with meat,” Watson says. These substitutions
allow readers to dabble in plants-first cooking without
swearing off burgers forever.
Readers striving to create delicious meals at home but lacking restaurant-grade
equipment, access to specialty wholesalers, or their own Netflix special can take heart
in the message from these author-chefs: knife skills are important, but so are confidence,
curiosity, and a willingness to experiment. “Go to your local farmer’s market,”
Annemarie Ahearn suggests, “and put some planters of herbs in the windowsill. Grow
something. Understand what that feels like.” ■
Liz Scheier is a writer, editor, and product developer living in Washington, D.C.