Summer Eating!

According to National Day Calendar (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/july-monthly-observations/), July is National Culinary Arts Month, National Grilling Month, and National Picnic Month. It is also National Baked Bean Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Ice Cream Month, National Horseradish Month, and, apparently, National July Belongs to Blueberries Month. So, in honor of all this, here are a few cookbooks to help you through this tasty, tasty month!

In Buttermilk & Bourbon: New Orleans Recipes with a Modern Flair, author Jason Santos cooks up a boatload of traditional New Orleans dishes with a story or two and a whole lot of flair. "On screen and in the kitchen, Jason Santos is known for two things: his smack-you-in-the-mouthflavored dishes and his larger-than-life personality. Buttermilk & Bourbon, the name of Jason’s wildly popular restaurant and his standout cookbook, showcases incredible recipes inspired by the exciting flavors and culture of New Orleans.Jason has gathered his best Southern-inspired recipes―the ones that restaurant-goers write about impassioned letters and the ones even his line cooks can’t resist―and laid them bare for you. Make his signature dishes at home like Literally the Best Fried Chicken Wings in the History of Chicken and Flamin‘ Hot Cheeto Mac & Cheese. Binge on Smoked Gouda Cornbread or go all in on New Orleans BBQ Shrimp with Jalapeño Grits. Finish with a signature cocktail like Voodoo on the Bayou and desserts like Fresh Fried Beignets." (from Amazon.com)

Emma Frisch offers up easy tantalizing recipes for camping season in Feast by Firelight: Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors. Amazon.com calls the book "A transporting, lushly photographed book with easy-to-prepare recipes for gatherings at campgrounds and cabins alike. Feast by Firelight offers solution-oriented recipes that make cooking outdoors feel effortless and downright fun and it shows how to utilize clever cooking methods, prep food at home, and pack smart. The book includes recipes for camp cooking as well as detailed menus, shopping and equipment lists, and tips showing how to prepare before you leave. Featuring 70 accessible recipes, it is the first of its kind in the outdoor-cooking niche to pair useful information with evocative photography of finished dishes and useful illustrations (such as how to pack a cooler and how to build a fire), setting a new standard for camping cookbooks."

Want some recipes to take to the beach? Why not try The Beach House Cookbook: Easy Breezy Recipes with a Southern Accent? According to Amazon.com, "You don’t have to own a beach house to enjoy Mary Kay Andrews’ recipes. All you need is an appetite for delicious, casual dishes, cooked with the best fresh, local ingredients and presented with the breezy flair that make Mary Kay Andrews’ novels a summertime favorite at the beach. From an early spring dinner of cherry balsamic-glazed pork medallions and bacon-kissed Brussels sprouts to Fourth of July buttermilk-brined fried chicken, potato salad, and pudding parfaits to her New Year’s Day Open House menu of roast oysters, home-cured gravlax, grits 'n’ greens casserole, and lemon-cream cheese pound cake, this cookbook will supply ideas for menus and recipes designed to put you in a permanently carefree, coastal state of mind all year long."

Author Carlo Sernaglia kicks the summer season in high gear with food and drink pairings from the Margaritaville restaurants. "Warm sun, cool drink, and nowhere to be―that’s Margaritaville! It’s a celebration of relaxation and an invitation to enjoy good food and good company. Margaritaville: The Cookbook is filled with recipes that bring the flavor of island living and the spirit of Jimmy Buffett's iconic song straight into your home. The first official cookbook from the beloved world of Margaritaville features laid-back favorites like the explosively good Volcano Nachos and the heaven-on-earth-with-an-onion-slice Cheeseburger in Paradise, alongside more sophisticated options that will wow your guests (Coho Salmon in Lemongrass-Miso Broth, anyone?). With its combination of recipes, stories, and gorgeous full color food and lifestyle photographs throughout, it is sure to put you in a Margaritaville state of mind! Margaritaville isn’t confined to single spot on the map -- the recipes draw inspiration from around the world, from Jerk Chicken to Tuna Poke with Plantain Chips and Jimmy’s Jammin’ Jambalaya. And we've got you all covered, from family-friendly Aloha Hotdogs to drool-worthy Vegetarian Burgers. It's 5 o'clock somewhere and no vacation is complete without a cocktail―preferably a margarita, of course! Margaritaville: The Cookbook is loaded with drink recipes to inspire your blissful island cocktail hour―from Jimmy's Perfect Margarita and Paradise Palomas to Cajun Bloody Mary's and the quintessential Key West Coconut and Lime Frozen Margarita." (from Amazon.com)