Cookbooks conjure summer's flavors

Cookbooks conjure summer's flavors

The Book of Burger

by Rachael Ray

(Atria, $24.99)

The author: Cookbook author, syndicated TV star and Food Network TV personality

Seasonal recipes: 5-spice pork burgers with warm mu shu slaw; "Smoke and Fireworks" bacon-wrapped chipotle burgers' portobello burgers with spinach pesto.

Summer yum factor: Nothing says summer like a burger cooked on the grill, and as Ray often says "How good does that look!"

People's Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops From Brooklyn's Coolest Pop Shop by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell and Joel Horowitz (Ten Speed Press, $16.99)

< p class="inside-copy">The authors: Founded People's Pops in 2008. They live in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Seasonal recipes: Rhubarb elderflower; apricot lavender; cantaloupe Campari ice pops.

Summer yum factor: Not for just kids, these high-end "popsicles," fruity, sweet and frozen, are the definitive summer time treat.

Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasured Dishes, From Coast to Coast

(Potter, $40)

by Martha Stewart

The author: Celebrity author of dozens of best-selling books on food, gardening, decorating and entertaining.

Seasonal recipes: Classic potato salad; creamy cole s law; chicken-fried steak; grilled chile-citrus turkey breast

Summer yum factor: Stewart offers a chapter called "All-American" and divides the rest of the book into regions â€" Northeast, South, Midwest, Southwest and West â€" with recipes enhanced with seasonal fruits and vegetables.

I Love Corn

by Lisa Skye

(Andrews McMeel, $19.99)

The author: Skye field-produced the Discovery Channel show Go Ahead, Make My Dinner

Seasonal recipes: Fresh corn gazpacho; fresh corn ice cream; grilled corn Mexican style.

Summer yum factor: Celebrities including Daniel Boulud and Martha Stewart contribute. Lots of practical tips, too: "When buying corn, look for ears that feel plump."

Lobster! 55 Fresh Simple Recipes for Everyday Eating

by Brooke Dojny

(Storey, $14.95)

The author: Dojny also wrote Dishing Up Maine and The New England Clam Shack Cookbook

Seasonal recipes: Mini lobster rolls; seashell lobster pasta salad with lemon-dill cream; grilled lobster with basil-lime butter.

Summer yum factor: Can't get to the beach? Evoke the seaside at your backyard picnic with the sweet meat of what Drojny calls the "cardinal of the ocean."

The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History

by Ricky Lauren< /p>

(Wiley, $40)

The author: Photographer and artist, wife of designer Ralph Lauren; this is her fourth book in what she calls her "personal lifestyle" genre.

Seasonal recipes: Dylan's sunshine salad with mango dressing; shrimp and scallop burgers; pasta with Hamptons summer vegetables.

Summer yum factor: Does anything say summer more than Southampton, Amagansett, Montauk and East Hampton? Lauren takes you there.

Edible Cocktails: From Garden to Glass â€" Seasonal Cocktails With a Fresh Twist

by Natalie Bovis

(Adams Media, $17.95)

The author: AKA the Liquid Muse, she's a mixologist and co-creator of a line of pre-bottled organic cocktails called O.M.

Seasonal recipes: Cilantro-cucumber vodka collins; basil grass lemon drop; Caprese martini.

Summer yum factor: Cheers for teaching how to plant a "cocktail garden" from "seedling to first sip" and use fresh farmers' market ingredients.

The Gardener the Grill: The Bounty of the Garden Meets the Sizzle of the Grill

by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig

(Running Press, $20)

The authors: These barbeque queens have appeared on the Food Network and Better Homes and Gardens TV.

Seasonal recipes: Char-grilled baby summer squash pizza; flame-licked tomatoes on the stem; grilled gazpacho.

Summer yum factor: The authors' mantra: "Let's grab our garden trowels and our grill tongs and get busy."

The Fire Island Cookbook

by Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen; fo reword by Al Roker

(Emily Bestler Books, $30)

The authors: AKA the World Wine Guys, they are wine, spirits, food and travel writers.

Seasonal recipes: Stacked tomato and mozzarella Caprese salad; grilled sweet peaches; Mike's Caribbean spiced ribs.

Summer yum factor: The book offers meals for each weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day with a strong focus on seasonal produce.

Cornelia Guest's Simple Pleasures: Healthy Seasonal Cooking Easy Entertaining

by Cornelia Guest

(Weinstein Books, $32.50)

The author: Philanthropist; founder of Cornelia Guest Events and Cornelia Guest Cookies.

Seasonal recipes: Vegetable carpaccio and stuffed squash blossoms; grilled bread panzanella; grilled corn and avocado salad

Summer yum factor: Guest has entertaining in her DNA: she shows how effortless and elegant entertaining can complement your summer dishes.