The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time [Hardcover]

Debra Ponzek (Author), Geralyn Delaney Graham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2003

Whether your summer house is a beachside bungalow, a lakeside cottage, or a year-round retreat, cooking for family and friends while on vacation can be a delight—if you know how to keep it simple. The Summer House Cookbook has all of the tips, tricks, and recipes guaranteed to make summertime cooking a breeze.

Rather than stocking a vacation home with a full array of spices, whip up a couple “make-to-take” infused oils, marinades, and spice blends to bring along—they’ll give instant, effortless flavor to meats and fish. Save time in the kitchen by cleverly dressing up leftovers—turn extra roast chicken into Tarragon Tree Chicken Salad, and grilled flank steak into a great sandwich with some Balsamic-Marinated Red Onions. From crowd-pleasing recipes such as Picnic Basket Fried Chicken, Memorial Day Coleslaw, and Bar Harbor Lobster Cakes to sophisticated offerings like Charred Pesto Shrimp and Grilled Lamb Chops with Olive Butter, these dishes require nothing more than the basic equipment available in even a bare-bones kitchen.

The Summer House Cookbook is filled with great ways to enjoy the pleasures of the season. Share a big pitcher of margaritas and a bowl of Best-Ever Guacamole with friends, or celebrate summer produce with Fourth of July Strawberry Shortcakes and Perfect Peach Pie.

Filled with evocative photographs and the stove-side advice of two friends who love to cook together, The Summer House Cookbook is all you need to create delicious food in any kitchen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When the temperature and humidity rise, slaving over a hot stove starts to sound a lot less appealing, and home cooks might find themselves in the "summer house state of mind." Friends and former colleagues Ponzek and Graham (the former was the executive chef of Montrachet in New York City, the latter, Montrachet's day manager) have devised a spirited cookbook based on family summer recipes. When cooks use the freshest meats, fish and farmers' market produce, the authors say, they'll insure their dishes pack a flavor wallop without all kinds of preparatory fuss. Their useful kitchen tips about planning ahead, cooking double batches and transforming leftovers-"multitasking for summer minimalism," they call it-leave more time for lounging around in the yard or on the beach. For those with an actual summer retreat, the culinary duo provides pantry lists, equipment suggestions (don't forget the blender), and pointers on foodstuffs to bring from home (e.g., infused oils, for which they provide several recipes, add depth of flavor to quickly grilled vegetables and fillets). Though many of the recipes are speedy and delicious-such as Sea Bright Striped Bass, Cod with Oven-Roasted-Tomato Vinaigrette, Fresh Country Potato Salad, and Alsatian Frittata-not all of the recipes can be thrown together at a moment's notice. The Fiesta Flank Steak and the Very Special French Toast both require extra effort and preparation in advance. But they're almost uniformly pleasing, and simple recipes for tangy marinades, tasty sandwiches, refreshing beverages and seasonal salads give the home chef ways keep palates pleased during the dog days of summer.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Whether your summer house is a beachside bungalow, a lakeside cottage, or a year-round retreat, cooking for family and friends while on vacation can be a delight?if you know how to keep it simple. The Summer House Cookbook has all of the tips, tricks, and recipes guaranteed to make summertime cooking a breeze.

Rather than stocking a vacation home with a full array of spices, whip up a couple ?make-to-take? infused oils, marinades, and spice blends to bring along?they?ll give instant, effortless flavor to meats and fish. Save time in the kitchen by cleverly dressing up leftovers?turn extra roast chicken into Tarragon Tree Chicken Salad, and grilled flank steak into a great sandwich with some Balsamic-Marinated Red Onions. From crowd-pleasing recipes such as Picnic Basket Fried Chicken, Memorial Day Coleslaw, and Bar Harbor Lobster Cakes to sophisticated offerings like Charred Pesto Shrimp and Grilled Lamb Chops with Olive Butter, these dishes require nothing more than the basic equipment available in even a bare-bones kitchen.

The Summer House Cookbook is filled with great ways to enjoy the pleasures of the season. Share a big pitcher of margaritas and a bowl of Best-Ever Guacamole with friends, or celebrate summer produce with Fourth of July Strawberry Shortcakes and Perfect Peach Pie.

Filled with evocative photographs and the stove-side advice of two friends who love to cook together, The Summer House Cookbook is all you need to create delicious food in any kitchen.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (May 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609608223
• ISBN-13: 978-0609608227
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.7 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,028,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the summer and year 'round, June 5, 2003

By 

Linda Yaniro (Madison, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time (Hardcover)

Healthy, natural, and easy. This book puts the fun back into cooking at a time of year when there are so many other things to do. Starting the day with Lemon Blueberry Muffins followed at lunch with Jerssey Corn chowder, convinced me that this is a cookbook that will be always be open when I want my family to have wonderful food while I have the time to participate in their summer fun.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Summer House Cookbook, May 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time (Hardcover)

My wife and I enjoy cooking while on vacation, as well as in our backyard during the summer months. We have often felt that without all the cooking tools we have at home, our success while on vacation would be hampered. The authors took special care to ensure that every recipe can be made using only the most basic utensils. The focus on keeping it simple is consistently adhered to--as the book says, as much as we enjoy great food we have better things to do on vacation than lots of preparation. We really appreciate the pantry list--which makes organizing for our summer house adventure effortless. Try the grill-roasted oysters and the heirloom tomato salad. The Aux Delices Orzo Salad is great!! Having sampled author Ponzek's fine food at Aux Delices in Greenwich, Conn. I can tell you we are thrilled to have the insight of a four-star chef translated into simple meals that we can enjoy with minimal fuss. Love it!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate cookbook!!, October 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time (Hardcover)

It's now Autumn, but this book will be used year round in our kitchen. I used the "Only Pie Crust Recipe You'll Ever Need" in this book. It was right! The results were a light, flaky crust. I used it for an apple pie. All I heard from the kitchen table were moans and groans. What a reward that was!
I highly recommend this book for the crust and all other recipes! "MMMMMMM!"