Ice cream, hot dogs, blueberries — the tastes of summer! We tend to associate the phrase “comfort food” with colder temperatures, but you know what? June, July, and August have their own line-up of summery comfort cuisine, and we need to celebrate these short-lived refreshments. Cherries, peaches, melons, fresh corn, berries — yum! I know for a fact that I’m celebrating — one more bag of cherries and I just might turn into a cherry tree. But if you don’t get the summer food while it’s hot (literally), the gettin’ will be gone.
Plenty of cookbooks and other food-related guides are available at the library and are just waiting to be discovered by you, dear reader. In the list below you will find a sampling of titles that are mostly summer-menu oriented. I use the term “mostly” because while thematic reading lists are useful — perhaps even fun — including a random title (i.e., askew or cockeyed — two of my favorite words, by the way) is a guaranteed boost to the merriment factor. Unless, of course, randomness drives you bats. Proceed with caution, lovers of rationality. Limited chaos ensues.
• “Dandelion & Quince: Exploring the Wide World of Unusual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs,” by Michelle McKenzie: While maybe not that unusual of a title to include in a summer-food reading list, the reason for including it, is. Did you know that July is National Horseradish Month? If you search for the word “horseradish” in the library’s catalog, it might surprise you to know that not many titles pop up. Huh. But this one does, so horseradish-lovers everywhere, add this book to your horseradish reading list. Dandelions and quinces (I actually had to look up the plural of “quince” because, well, what are the odds of having more than one quince?) are included, but take them or leave them, as you will.
• “From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Your Own Wine,” by Jeff Cox: National Strawberry Rhubarb Wine Day was yesterday — but you probably already knew that (and celebrated accordingly, no doubt). As it so happens, just about every type of wine has a special day. I say, why not start planning now for next year’s special wine days by planting some grape vines and learning the art of winemaking? Practice makes perfect, so ferment on, fermenters.
