The Best Cookbooks of Summer 2013
Now's the time to let the peaches, zucchini and other seasonal produce do all the work for you. These five books show you how (and you won't even break a sweat).
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Franny's: Simple Seasonal Italian
By Melissa Clark, Andrew Feinberg and Francine Stephens
376 pages;
Artisan
When culinary legend Alice Waters says a recipe is " shockingly straightforward," we listen. She's talking, in the introduction to this rustic Italian cookbook, about little garlicky toasts overflowing with fresh fava beans, torn mint leaves and pecorino cheese. But she could also be referring to the book's early-summer caramelized zucchini and penne, or its stripped-down pizza that has simply a sprinkling of big, crunchy flakes of sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil on top. The book, from Feinberg and Stephens, the chefs behind the Brooklyn restaurant
Franny's, and food writer Clark, has tons of ideas for everyday cooking with fresh ingredients—and reminds us that just a few items (lemon, capers, pecorino) can make an ordinary dish amazing.
— Lynn Andriani
Published 07/12/2013