Cook's Corner: Summer cookbooks yield party-perfect recipes ...

Summertime, and cooking isn't on my mind. At least that's the way I've felt as unrelenting heat and damaging storms have battered the Northern Virginia suburbs where I live. Curling up to read new cookbooks has proven an entertaining - and mouthwatering - diversion.

My favorite of the recent crop is the lush and lavish "The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History" by Ricky Lauren (Wiley, $40). Lauren, wife of designer Ralph, uses personal and historical anecdotes and wonderful recipes stylishly presented to show us The Hamptons, where her family has summered for 40 years.

The recipes are, for the most part, easy to follow, honing to Ricky Lauren's philosophy of taking advantage of natural settings and entertaining outdoors whenever you can.

Besides offering a peek into the lives of the rich and famous on a Gatsby-esque estate, the book charmed me with family stories like this one, which introduces David's Ice Cream and Brownie Cannonball recipe:

"On Saturday evenings after the children were bathed, fed and dressed in their Dr. Denton pajamas and little plaid robes, we would all gather in the living room to watch "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" on television. During "intermission," the children would race off to the kitchen to climb on chairs to scale the kitchen counters, and rush to prepare their favorite snacks to share with us.

"The children were like a team of Oompa Loompas on an assembly line, tossing Twinkies, Mallomars, red Twizzlers and Mr. Salty pretzel bags down to one another, squealing with delight, raiding the freezer for ice cream and sorbets, sharing in the fun of concocting treats of malteds, shakes and ice-cream sodas."

DAVID'S ICE CREAM AND BROWNIE CANNONBALL

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1/2 quart chocolate sorbet

1/2 quart coffee ice cream

6 brownie pieces with nuts, broken by hand into chunky bits

1 cup chopped mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios and/or almonds)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Remove the ice cream and sorbet from the freezer and allow them to soften, 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a bowl and add the brownie, nuts and chips. Mix to just incorporate. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, smooth the top, and freeze until hard, at least 2 hours.

To serve, run the outside of the bowl under hot water to loosen the frozen ball. Place a plate on top of the bowl and invert it. If you feel like an extra delight, serve with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 713 calories (47 percent from fat), 38 g fat (15.6 g saturated, 11.5 g monounsaturated), 64 mg cholesterol, 14.4 g protein, 83 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g fiber, 321 mg sodium.

MARTHA'S LATEST

I've never met a Martha Stewart cookbook I didn't enjoy immensely and cook from often, but I'm especially taken by Martha's "American Food" (Clarkson Potter, $40). It offers more than 200 recipes from across America, organized by region. Stewart describes it as "a culinary road trip" and a "celebration of the extraordinary quilt of American ingredients and cuisine."

There are recipes for favorites such as clam chowder, pulled pork, chicken pot pies, Shaker lemon tarts, blueberry crisp and strawberry shortcake, plus lots of stories about our national dishes and the stories behind them.

Since I had received a basket of fresh mangoes from a generous Miami friend with a backyard tree, I tried the chicken recipe here with mangoes rather than peaches. It was simple and yet delicious.

MARTHA STEWART'S GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SPICY PEACH GLAZE

1 cup peach preserves or jam

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil, for grill

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 5 pounds), split into halves

4 ripe but firm peaches, halved and pitted

Heat grill to medium. (If you are using charcoal, the coals are ready when you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grates for just 4 to 5 seconds.)

In a medium bowl, combine preserves, garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, dry mustard and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. When grill is hot, brush grates with vegetable oil. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, on the grill.

Cook about 10 minutes on each side before brushing top with glaze. Continue cooking another 10 to 12 minutes, turning chicken every 3 to 5 minutes and brushing top with glaze, until chicken is cooked through. (Move pieces to a cooler part of grill if they get too dark before they are cooked through.) Transfer to a platter.

While chicken is cooking, place peach halves on the grill, cut side down and cook 2 minutes. Turn and brush the tops with glaze. Grill 3 to 4 minutes more, until the peaches are soft and the cavities fill with juices. Transfer to platter with chicken. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 378 calories (36 percent from fat), 14.8 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 6.8 g monounsaturated), 72.5 mg cholesterol, 25.3 g protein, 35.5 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 211 mg sodium.

SLEUTH'S CORNER:

Q: I tasted the best creme brulee cheesecake several years ago. The cheesecake was topped with creme brulee custard, then caramelized sugar over the top. I would love to make this for my next party dessert.

-J.L., Pembroke Pines, Fla.

TRIED AND NEW

Several readers reported having trouble finding the picadillo seasoning packet from Nueva Cocina mentioned in a recent column. If you have Internet access, there is a store locator and online shop at nuevacocina.com. You can also call 800-630-1125.

Send questions and responses to LindaCiceroCooks@aol.com. Personal replies cannot be guaranteed.

Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/07/23/4130373/cooks-corner-summer-cookbooks.html

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