Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #571967 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-20
• Released on: 2003-05-20
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 9.30" h x .71" w x 7.77" l, 1.69 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

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.

About the Author
DEBRA PONZEK is the chef and owner of the renowned specialty food shop, Aux Délices, with branches in Greenwich and Riverside, Connecticut. She has been featured in the New York Times, Food & Wine, and Redbook and was the chef of New York’s Montrachet. She has had numerous television appearances, from Food Network to David Letterman and NBC News. Her previous book is French Food American Accent. She lives with her husband and three children in Greenwich, Connecticut.

GERALYN DELANEY GRAHAM is the founder and president of Resources, a public relations firm that specializes in publicity and marketing promotions for the food and wine industry. She has been featured in articles in Food Arts and Advertising Age for her work with high-profile chefs and restaurants like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, La Caravelle, and Chanterelle. She and her husband live near the Jersey Shore.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Rosemary-Skewered Chicken
Makes 20 hors d’oeuvres

Look like a pro without spending a lot of time in the kitchen with these pretty rosemary-skewered hors d’oeuvres. They have never failed to impress our guests, no matter what the season.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into twenty 11?2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1?2 cup canola oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
20 rosemary sprigs, or long toothpicks

In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, chopped rosemary, lemon zest and juice, 6 tablespoons of the oil, salt, and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

In a medium saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until smoking. Sear the chicken pieces for 11?2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Remove some of the leaves from the end of each rosemary sprig, then insert the sprig (or a toothpick) into each chunk of chicken.

Citrus Martini
Serves 2

On a hot summer’s evening, martini lovers will appreciate this refreshing variation on the classic. To get an icy cold drink, shake the cocktail shaker vigorously so that slivers of ice break off and are poured into the glasses with the liquid.

4 ounces Absolut Mandrin or Absolut Citron vodka
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Orange zest, for garnish

In a large shaker filled with ice, add all of the ingredients except the orange rind. Shake very vigorously. Pour the mixture through a cocktail strainer into well-chilled martini glasses.

To make the orange garnish, use a good-quality zester to slice a piece of orange zest 1?2 inch wide by about 6 inches long (vegetable peelers and paring knives work well too). Wrap the strip lengthwise around a cocktail stirrer, wooden spoon, or chopstick. Hold the strip in place for a minute, then slide it off. You’ll have a beautiful orange “spiral” to garnish your cocktail.