Good Day for a Picnic: Simple Food That Travels Well (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this collection of pleasant enough recipes, Jackson (The Cornbread Book) takes one of our most enduring leisure activities and complicates it absurdly. His aggressively quirky introduction starts with the observation that any food eaten outside will taste better than when eaten indoors. Fair enough, but doesn't that make a book of specially devised picnic foods counterintuitive? Jackson goes on to recommend concoctions like Sekanjabin, a Mideastern sweet and sour drink made with vinegar and mint, and Crepes Stuffed with Chard, Feta, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins. Neither would fare well when stashed in a knapsack slung over the shoulder as one heads into the great outdoors. Many of these dishes are meant to be served warm, like Cornsommé, a soup made of a single shallot, three ears of corn and a few thyme sprigs, to be transported in a thermos. Make Your Own Spring Rolls (with Two Sauces) aka "Choose Your Own Adventure Spring Rolls" aren't only a mouthful to pronounce, but require assembling small, separate bowls of 10 different ingredients. Even the appealingly seasonal Chunky Summer Salad with Peaches, Tomatoes, and Farmer Cheese is better if tossed together on-site, Jackson admits. The recipes are all competent, and some sound delicious, but they're never going to replace potato salad and fried chicken. Photos. (May 3)

Product Description

Bored with traditional picnic fare? Coleslaw?Potato salad? Soggy sandwiches? In Good Day for a Picnic, Jeremy Jackson offers up a collection of new recipe ideas for the park and the patio, the backyard and the beach, and beyond.

This is not a book of "classics" -- after all, who needs another fried-chicken recipe? It's a fresh, flavorful (and funny) look at picnics. The 120 recipes include everything from drinks and starters to sandwiches, entrées, and desserts. There's Ginger Iced Tea and Fig Pâté, Lamb Pita Meze and Noodles with Walnut and Blue Cheese Pesto, Sour Cherry Mini-Crumbles and Strawberry Cupcakes. The dishes are simple, wholesome, and quick to prepare, with lots of make-aheads and tips on food transport.

In Good Day for a Picnic, Jeremy Jackson gives dining alfresco the attention it deserves. So whether you've found a sunny spot of grass or a cozy patch of carpet, it's time to spread out the food and dig in!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks (May 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060726806
• ISBN-13: 978-0060726805
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #911,000 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another lovely, lovely book from Jeremy Jackson, May 10, 2005

By	Nina Beckman (Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews

This book inspired my husband and I to have a picnic on Mother's Day - tablecloth on the picnic table underneath the oak tree, portable radio playing tinny-sounding oldies on the AM dial. What a perfect brunch. We started with Jackson's "Champagne Punch #5" and later had the delicate and scrumptious "Crepes w/Swiss Chard & Golden Raisins." I'm making his "Rhubarb Custard Tart" next, which looks really delicious -- even though, as he says, food tastes a little better when you're outside, I'm sure this is going to taste pretty darn good when I eat it in the house as well.

I'm such a fan of Jeremy Jackson's other cookbooks, too - his writing is so fun and personable -- when's the last time you read a cookbook cover-to-cover, and laughed out loud? This book is all about simple, unpretentious, food. The recipes are original and pretty easy to make, too.

I should also add that usually never write reviews, but I felt like I had to write something because the review above from Publisher's Weekly got it all wrong -- it sounds like that reviewer just had a bad day and was letting off some steam. Which is too bad, because this is a wonderful book. I'm looking forward to a long summer full of beautiful meals and beautiful picnics.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure to provide new interest., September 23, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

GOOD DAY FOR A PICNIC SIMPLE FOOD THAT TRAVELS WELL goes beyond the standard picnic fare to provide new recipe ideas for the park, backyard and beyond. Over a hundred such recipes cover everything from drinks to sandwiches, entrees and desserts, and provide easily-prepared dishes which are just as easily transported to be served later. Crisp Green Beans in Jalapeno Oil, Ham and Swiss Cheese Biscuits, and Barbecue Shredded Pork are only some of the dishes sure to provide new interest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read, Great Recipes, August 28, 2008

By	B. Moore - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very well written cookbook, both entertaining to read and with great recipes. I'm not sure what the issue was with the review from Publisher's Weekly. I felt like it made the book seem subversive (as if Jackson were trying to *gasp* replace fried chicken as a picnic staple) and juvenile (accusing him of being aggressively quirky), the book is neither, well at least not juvenile (sometimes a little subversive in the kitchen is fun). I know I got tired of Fried Chicken and Potato Salad at every outdoor family get together years ago. And in point of fact, to said reviewer, Sekanjabin does indeed travel well in a backpack, in the appropriate container. The old photo illustrations are clever, and Jackson's writing style is conversational, and comically unconventional, like sitting down with a close friend to talk food. I enjoy the anecdotes he provides for each recipe. Please don't let the negative reviews hold you back, if you're looking for clever, tasty recipes to try out on your family and friends, or just a nice read to get you through a cold winter, dreaming about a picnic, this is a great find.