I tend to keep a rotating stack of cookbooks on the kitchen counter. Each season, as the weather changes, I go through my library and pull books I’m excited about cooking from in the coming months. The rule is: only as many books as I can carry. Lol. Some of these books are old friends, others are new acquisitions. Some I just like to keep close at hand because the vibe is right. I switched up my stack this week and thought some of you might like to have a quick look at my summer cookbook situation.
Summer Cookbook Stack 2025
- La Buvette (2020): We like to have people over to our house for drinks, snacks, and whatnot when the weather is beautiful. We sit on the patio under the bougainvillea and I like to serve little plates of snacks and bites. It’s a bonus to be able to prepare whatever it is before hand so I can just chill and enjoy our friends. This book hits the mark exactly. Or rather, exactement! I’ve been to Camille Fourmont’s La Buvette in Paris, and the vibe is everything I love – easy, relaxed, detailed, considered, personal, delicious, and a reminder that a good edit is everything. Keeping this book close at hand to channel all of it.
- Al Fresco (2022): I love to keep this book nearby because every time I flip through it I’m reminded to get out there and nature harder – picnic, grill, throw a big towel on the beach, pack a cooler, stargaze, whatever. And, note to self, don’t over complicate it. Julie Pointer Adams includes a collection of beautifully photographed profiles and interviews related to outdoor meals and living. Every time I crack the spine on this book I’m inspired. So, as we round the corner into summer it’s in the summer stack.
- Moro East (2007): Moro East forever. I even wrote a piece for Bon Appétit about it back in 2017. This is a cookbook that documents restauranteurs Sam & Sam Clark (Moro) during their final growing season at the Manor Garden Allotments in East London. The gardens were established in the early 1900s by banker and philanthropist Arthur Villiers and razed in 2012 by the London Olympic Committee. Anyone who loves cooking and gardening should own and be inspired by this book.
- Kismet (2024): I’ve loved everything I’ve ever had to eat at Kismet in LA, and I cooked my way through a chunk of their vibrant beauty of a cookbook last year. This summer I’m back for more. I love their colorful, produce-forward creations. Versions of their Tahini with Green Olives + Calabrian Chile were on repeat last year, along with the Stewy Cranberry Beans + Greens. And I like to do a Kabocha squash version of their Tangy Toasted Sweet Potatoes tossing any broccoli or cauliflower I have in as well. Looking forward: Marinated Feta with Spice-Roasted Tomatoes + Grapefruit is earmarked along with the Kismet Spicy Watermelon + Feta Salad, the Baharat-Roasted Mushrooms, and the Grilled Corn in Pepperoncini Butter. I like to make my own labneh, and they have a bunch of labneh inspiration as well – preserved lemon, ranch, bay leaf, etc. It goes on and on. So many recipes bookmarked!
- Le Sud (2024) – THIS BOOK. It had more of an impact on our summer last year than any other book. Our L.A. patio was channeling South of France pretty hard. For starters, Rebekah Peppler’s Sans Fin became our house cocktail. It’s genius, beautiful, and the epitome of summertime deliciousness. You mix it up, put it in a pretty bottle or decanter, refrigerate (hours, days, weeks, what ever) and it’s ready to serve. Replenish the mix at the end of the night, and store it in the back of your refrigerator until the next time friends drop by. I do the lillet version and go extra light on the pastis. I also love the lighter, spritzy La Grande Plage and would often start by serving this sunset sparkler made with a dry bottle of bubbles, along with a kiss of lillet, amaro, angostura bitters, and lemon. There are more drinks to explore this summer along with a long list of earmarked family-style recipes.
- The Four Horsemen (2024) – I bought this recently, sat down, and ended up reading it cover to cover. It’s the story of The Four Horsemen, a tiny restaurant in Brooklyn I’ve never been to. They’ve been around for just about a decade and what I loved about the book/cookbook was how it documented the project (starting a restaurant with no experience) from the beginning – the conversations, hopes, the people involved, the successes, the fails, all of it. It’s a great story about really going for it and working through the hurdles. The head chef is Nick Curtola. He has Northern California in his DNA and worked with Russ Moore at Camino. The minute I read that, I bought the book. You just know the food is going to be good. I’m going to make the Sweet Corn Salad with Pine Nut Dressing, Mint, and Peppers first, The Sugar Snap Peas with Calabrian Chile, Mint, and Ricotta Salata before the last of the peas are done this year. And the Sesame Focaccia might be the foundation for a good number or sandwiches in our future.
- Cradle of Flavor (2006): Jim Oseland is a legend and every time I feel like I need a real jolt of inspiration or a reminder of why I love home cooking I revisit Cradle of Flavor. It’s the definition of an inspired cookbook and achieves that elusive cocktail of being able to combine comfortable, personal story-telling with a knowledgeable command of the topic at hand. In this case it’s a spice-loaded culinary journey to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. You get a lens into his infectious curiosity throughout the book and it’s clear, that’s where the magic in this book starts. Curiosity can lead you on life’s wildest adventures. On a practical front, I volunteered to test a few recipes for this project, and love the recipes so much I’ve tested 20? Maybe more. It means I’ve been keeping a lot of lemongrass, fresh chiles, palm sugar, galangal, etc. on hand. Making it a breeze to jump over to Cradle of Flavor for a whole other range of sir-fries, Malaysian laksa, spiced rices, and satays. It is going to be a well-spiced summer.
- Mandy’s Gourmet Salads (2020) and More Mandy’s (2022) – Despite the fact that there is no shortage of salad recipes in my life, I love a Mandy’s salad project! They understand “salad as a meal” and their dressings are legit. Same goes for a lot of their accompaniments – crunchy bits or add ins to make each salad special. If you were going to choose one of these books to start, the original is more “greatest hits” from their popular Montreal gourmet salad bars, also more summery overall. More Mandy’s includes cold-weather meals and soups in addition to some great salads. Excited to get a few more of their salads in the mix over here as we head into peak salad season.
- The Ranch at Live Oak Cookbook (2015) – Straight-up California spa food. I really crave it as the weather heats up. This cookbook often finds its way into my seasonal cookbook stack often, especially spring and summer-ish. I made the Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Broth and White Bean Brandade years ago and loved it. Then went on to cook a number of the other recipes in this book and enjoyed them as well. The Walnut Carne with Jicama Salad + Chipotle Guacamole along with their Black Beans de Olla made an especially satisfying, feel-good meal. I’m never sorry when I jump into this book.
Let me know (in the comments) what cookbooks are on your counter right now. You know I’m always happy to add another one or two to my stack. xoxo -h
More Summer Recipes
- Spicy Summer Miso Soup
- Summer Drink Ideas
- Summer Melon Salad
- Pluot Summer Salad
- Summer Toast
- Summer Fruit Salad
- all summer recipes
Continue reading Summer Cookbooks on 101 Cookbooks
