Food in summer has particular resonance, it speaks of holidays and outdoor meals, the soft-fruit harvests, and the varied greens of a well composed salad. Summer cooking is less about the stove, and more about what is good at the market, and what time and temperature dictates. Find a wealth of ideas for summer in these books; from recipes maximising the vegetable harvests, to no-bake sweet treats.
This collection is full of fresh ideas from around the world for easy and flavorful side dishes and desserts for leisurely picnics, backyard barbecues, and no-cook meals on warm summer days. Make the most of the season's bounty of fruits and vegetables with these recipes.
Curated collections from ckbk's editors
Hannah Miles was a finalist on MasterChef in 2007, and is a passionate home baker. As a cookbook author she has written many bestselling baking books, including Cake Pops, and No-Bake Cakes and Treats.
Peter Fang is a Chinese-American chef, and founder of the iconic House of Nanking. Opened in 1988 it grew to become, and remains, one of San Francisco's most celebrated Chinese restaurants. He runs the restaurant with his daughter Kathy Fang, who is also co-writer of their cookbook House of Nanking: Family Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite Chinese Restaurant.
Julia Rutland is a Washington DC based food writer and recipe developer. Her work regularly appears in publications such as Coastal Living, Southern Living, and the Weight Watchers cookbooks. Her many books include Discover Dinnertime, and The Campfire Foodie Cookbook.
Michael Krondl is a New York based chef and food writer whose work has appeared in publications such as Good Food, Chocolatier, and The Oxford Companion on Sugar and Sweets. His books include The Donut: History, Recipes and Lore.
Gabriella English is a cookery writer, recipe developer and food stylist. Her work has appeared in publications such as Olive Magazine, and Delicious. Seasonal Snacks is her debut cookbook.
Harper Alexander was a cinematographer when he discovered authentic Italian food thanks to his wife Eva Santaguida. Their YouTube channel Pasta Grammar is a hugely popular platform where they share recipes, videos and Italian food knowledge. The Italian Family Kitchen is their first cookbook.

MasterChef finalist and cookbook author Hannah Miles loves baking, and has published many books and magazine columns on the subject. But she also understands that there are times when we want a cake or sweet treat with less faff and oven heat. In No-Bake Cakes & Treats: Delectable Sweets Without Turning on the Oven Hannah brings 40 recipes to satisfy any sweet tooth, that are tea-party worthy and won’t leave the chef over-heated.

Elisabeth Luard is the author of more than 20 books. A particular focus through her career has been in depth research into the anthropology of food, and regional traditions involving food throughout the world. In this Behind the Cookbook series she tells the story of how she came to write Sacred Food: Cooking for Spiritual Nourishment, first published in 2001 and now available on ckbk. As well as being a writer, Luard is also an illustrator and watercolorist, and ckbk’s re-release of Sacred Food includes a number of Luard’s own illustrations.

“I understand that the thought of candy making can be overwhelming. I get it, I’ve been there. But I wrote this book to help give you the confidence to make candy from scratch. If you want to learn how to make chewy taffy for your children, smooth truffles for a bake sale, old-fashioned fudge for your grandchildren, caramels for your friends, and chocolates for your sweetheart, let me help you. I’ve cooked my way through batches of toffee just so I can tell you what NOT to do. And, well, so I’d be able to eat really delicious homemade toffee.” Sally McKenney

“There’s something about a campsite that makes everything taste better. I’m not sure if it’s the scent of the trees or the campfires—or, perhaps, that nature itself casts a seasoning over your meals, making them richer and more satisfying. Either way, eating by a campfire brings a special kind of satisfaction.” Julia Rutland, author of The Campfire Foodie Cookbook.

We have a fondness at ckbk for books that tell the story of a place through its food, that elucidate a culture and its history via the culinary. So we are thrilled to have two books newly added to ckbk that bring the history and heart of two American classics.
New York City based food writer Michael Krondl’s book The Donut: History, Recipes and Lore, charts the donut’s significance and popularity across history, across the globe, and to modern day Americans. Meanwhile Sweet Land of Liberty: The History of America in 11 Pies, is a narrative history from the colonial era to the civil rights movement.
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