Books, books & more eye candy of the literary variety

Ever just go to Amazon & just peruse the cookbook covers?? I use to live for hours in the stacks but as Borders & my alma mater Barnes & Noble cease to carry the title list in house as in my days of the late 90s, that's not possible.
Here's a a few titles right now I'm loving & recommend.

Porch Parties is the newest from Dallas native Denise Gee whose Southern Cocktails was a favorite when published back in 2007. Don't let that cooling watermelon punch on the front fool you. Its chocked full of food too..baby crab cakes with lemon garlic aioli.


If you want to add a Hummingbird cake to the party go with Nancie McDemott's Southern Cakes or Mrs Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies by Mollie Cox Bryan. I'm getting hungry...

Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison is beautiful & works great with the new slo food & locavore food movements. If this book doesn't inspire trips to farms & farmer markets I don't know what will.
Perhaps Chronicle Publishing's Farmers Market Desserts by food writer & activist Jennie Schacht or Janet Fletcher's ( trained under Alice Waters need I say more) Fresh from the Farmers Market.

Cool off with The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto from the team behind Ciao Bella. If you've never had their Espresso Chip gelato at Whole Foods...holy moly you are missing heaven on a paddle. Perhaps their Vanilla Bean would go with something from The Perfect Finish from NYT food writer & White House pastry chef Bill Yosses. Get the feeling I'm in a sweet mood???? Well DIY Delicious from Vanessa Barrington does not release until August but it looks wonderful. It elevates scratch pantry cooking adding adventure but still cutting your food dollars down. As someone who makes ketchup I'm looking forward to this one. So what did I buy today?? Fred Plotkins new edition of his masterpiece Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, the ultimate gastronomic guide for our upcoming jaunt & the new Frances MayesEveryday in Tuscany. That's a no brainer. By the way the movie Under the Tuscan Sun murdered any impression one would have of the book if you had not read it. Read the book!!! Humorous, lyrical I devoured an advance copy waaaay back when & returning to the scene of her life again will not disappoint.
Finally... the new Ina Garten book is due in late October!!! Hopefully your week will be filled with treats for the your body & soul. Stay well.

Images courtsey of Amazon.com & Chronicle Publishing