Summer Cookbooks

As you can see from the array of grilling articles recently posted on What's Cookin', summer is upon us. With the sun and added heat comes a peak in barbecue, pie, seasonal produce like corn and melons, and my personal favorite, summer cookbooks.

While I am an open lover of all seasonal cookbooks, something about the bright new books for summer, filled with the colors of long, hazy days, brings a new excitement to those recipe-laden pages. Dazzling yellows of fresh, sweet corn and gorgeous pinks of the summer's berries provide a treat for the senses and make sifting through the pages almost as much fun as creating the dishes themselves.

Read on for my picks of this season's summer cookbooks and be sure to tell us your favorite summer recipe sources in the comments below!

Photo courtesy of chotda via Flickr/cc

I Love Corn by Lisa Skye ($19)

This new cookbook just screams summer, with its brightly colored pages, beautiful photographs, and corn-centric recipes. Lisa Skye pulls together recipes from renowned chefs and food designers from across the country, with each presenter sharing a bit about the dish before the recipe is explained.

Including everything from tips on buying and storing corn to how to make Jalepeno Corn Muffins, Corn and Lobster Bruschetta and more, this is a sure pick for the summer season.

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Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal by Chris Cosentino ($25)

Chris Cosentino is famous for his appearances on "The Next Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America" and his love for offal dishes. Now he brings that love, along with his incredible restaurant cuisine, to new book "Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal."

The book starts with an in-depth guide to salumi, highlighting fresh sausage, cured salumi and everything in between. From there Cosentino moves through the seasons to bring an array of dishes to the reader, featuring everything from at-home cured fish to an easy yet delicious bread and tomato salad. Each recipe is listed with an anecdote about preparing the recipe and why it was chosen. This is a must-read for Cosentino fans, but will serve just as informational to those without previous knowledge.

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Waffles: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Meal by Tara Duggan ($20)

Similar to "I Love Corn" in its attention to only one food item, "Waffles: Sweet & Savory Recipes for Every Meal" shows us how this beloved breakfast treat is more of a jack-of-all-trades than normally believed. Creating recipes for breakfast, brunch, dinner and more, this book will really make you re-think your waffle iron.

With the photos large and gorgeous and the recipes mouthwatering, you will be left dreaming of the fluffy favorites we all know and love before you get through the first recipe. Dishes are grouped into categories including Breakfast & Brunch and Lunch & Dinner, but the recipes are obviously able to be overlapped between. We just love the Pecan-Crusted Waffles with Cranberry Sauce and the Zucchini-Asiago Waffles.

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Cooking From the Farmer's Market by Jodi Liano and Tasha DeSerio ($35)

An incredibly in-depth guide to everything at your farmers' market, this book explains the ins and outs of each fruit and vegetable you'll find and the season you'll find it in. Focusing on how to recognize the best produce and exactly what to do once you purchase it, "Cooking From the Farmers' Market" provides a unique key for maneuvering the seasonal markets.

With further exploration, the book opens up into a year-long guide to your kitchen. Enticing flavor medleys of recipes include Bulgur Pilaf with Pumpkin and Raisins, Avocado, Bacon and Tomato Tartines, Blueberry-Vanilla Panna Cotta, Fusilli with Lemon Zest and Ricotta, Grapefruit, Avocado and Crab Salad, and much much more.

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