Best Summer Weekends Cookbook

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Ah, cottage food. There once was a time when a plate of lukewarm canned
pasta or a campfire-charred no-name wiener on a stale bun were perfectly
acceptable offerings. But Canadian palates have gone upscale. These
days, the voice crying in the wilderness is likely saying, “Honey,
don’t tell me we forgot to pack the basmati rice!” Yet the whole
point of “getting away” is to simplify life.

This book, by veteran Cottage Life food writer Jane Rodmell, attempts
to define that fine line between eating well and cooking hell by
offering more than 300 gourmet recipes that are easy to prepare, even
under rustic circumstances. The text is divided into seven chapters:
“Appetizers,” “Great Grilling,” “Salads and Side Dishes,”
“Make-Ahead Main Dishes and One-Pot Meals,” “Soups and
Sandwiches,” “Breakfast and Brunch,” and “Baking and
Desserts.” Many of the recipes include time-saving tips or suggested
ingredient substitutions.

There are old favourites like Huevos Rancheros, Wine-Marinated Steak
Kebabs, Greek Salad, Guacamole, Barbecued Pork Tenderloin, Grilled
Vegetables, Classic Gazpacho, and One-Pot Brownies. For the more
adventurous, there are recipes for Cottage Tapenade, Roasted Pepper
Pesto, Grilled Polenta and Portobellos, Chilled Cantaloupe Soup, Mussels
on the Half Shell with Roasted Tomato Corn Salsa, Meze Platter, Chicken
Tagine, and Espresso Ice Cream Loaf. More than 90 large colour
photographs illustrate the dishes. Although some of the recipes sound
difficult to make, the instructions are very easy to follow, so even
novice cooks should not be intimidated. This is a terrific cookbook for
easy summer cooking at the cottage or at home.