Customer Rating: 
Summary: Fussy, Fussy, Fussy!
Comment: I was excited to find a book filled with fun, fresh summer ideas but one look inside and I was so disappointed. The premise of the book is fresh, easy meals that appeal in those lazy summer days and nights yet the book is filled with not terribly interesting, not terribly difficult but very fussy meals. Who needs that in the summer? and who needs this book -- certainly not me!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Just not for me
Comment: I have to tell you for the average midwest simple minded cook, this is not the book for me. I was pretty disappointed when I received the book as a gift. The recipes seem to be to involved and high maintence ingredience. I think this book is more for the expreinced gourmet cook than us simple minded ones.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lightening Up Summer Cuisine
Comment: This is an approach that one would think other cookbooks deliver also, that of a summer style menu which eases up on the tedious prep work and makes placing enticing food before family and friends easy and yet delectable. They do, but here is a specialty cookbook which centers only on this aspect: light summer cusine.
These two experienced chefs achieve their stated purpose by providing lots of recipes both of the standard recipe fare and some unique ones as well. They begin with a superb section on "Getting Ready to Go" which provides hints that truly prepare one to get all the gear and chef tools and ingredients ready to take or find and purchase whether to stock the summer abode or take to a rental or one's own backyard cooking. There is also a "Make Ahead" section with oils and marinades, etc. which is truly a neat idea to achieve the desired: "summer state of mind."
The recipe groupings are around meals, i.e. breakfast, picnics, dinners, parties, rainy days and then around source: farm stand, dock, grill, and desserts.
My two favorites thus far are "From the Dock" and "Rainy Day Dinners." Feast your eyes and appetites on such as: Sea Bright Striped Bass" with peach, nectarine, and plum balsamic vinegar sauce; Malibu Soft-Shell Crab Salad with watermelon, fennel, arugala and orange salad; Sweet Corn Pudding; Lobster, Mushroom and Sweet Pea Risotto; Chilled White Peach Soup with Red Wine Ice; Fig and Raspbery Fool.
Well done with delightful text bolstered with superb color photos. Also, not thick, heavy book it packs and travels well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The ultimate cookbook!!
Comment: 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!"
Customer Rating:
Summary: Perfect for the summer and year 'round
Comment: 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.
