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Like spices in our spice cupboard that we might never use, we have hundreds of cookbooks on our shelves just in case we need a little inspiration. But unlike spices, cookbooks never expire, so there’s really no downside to building your own culinary library so you can browse through new recipes, look at gorgeous photos, and read little vignettes about travel, family recipes, life as a chef, and more. And who knows more about cookbooks than Martha Stewart, whose own 100th cookbook is coming out this November? She just shared three new cookbooks that are inspiring her this summer, and we’re so ready to take a look ourselves to get the creative kitchen juices flowing.
Martha: The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen
Martha Stewart’s recommended cookbooks this season are all pretty different from one another, which makes it an exciting collection. There’s an ode to fried chicken, a cozy tome about Irish baking that will make you crave a country cottage getaway, and a gorgeous photo-focused cookbook all about seasonal, local seafood. Take a look at her cookbook picks, which she calls “inspiring and beautiful,” and see if any are a fit for your own home.
Kung Pao & Beyond: Fried Chicken Recipes from East and Southeast Asia by Susan Jung
Stewart’s first pick is Kung Pao & Beyond: Fried Chicken Recipes from East and Southeast Asia by Susan Jung. If making Southern fried chicken is one of your summer go-tos (cold fried chicken is a classic picnic food for a reason), then you’ll love these recipes that broaden your repertoire, from Korean Fried Chicken to Vietnamese Butter Wings and Japanese Karaage. There are more than 60 savory, juicy, crispy and crunchy fried chicken recipes to experiment with, and we have a feeling your friends and family won’t mind being your guinea pigs as you work your way through the cookbook.
The Irish Bakery Cookbook by Cherie Denham
If you live in America, then hearing about Irish baking probably makes you think about soda bread…and maybe your thoughts stop there. But there’s so much more to Ireland’s rich baking culture on display in the lovely The Irish Bakery Cookbook by Cherie Denham, from farls (potato-based flatbreads) and batch loaves to beef shin and Guinness pie with a buttery homemade crust. The 80 recipes in this book are accompanied by recipe photos, as well as gorgeous images of Ireland that will have you scrambling to book plane tickets.
A Touch of Salt
Stewart’s next recommendation wouldn’t be out of place in any of her elegant homes, because it’s not just a cookbook — it’s a coffee table-style art book that happens to feature recipes and images starring fresh seafood, all thanks to the Rowayton Seafood family. A Touch of Salt is filled with simple, classic recipes like Maine lobster rolls, and photographs and information about harvesting seafood like prized Blue Point oysters. With 148 photographs to gaze at, this book deserves a place on your coffee table, where it can be appreciated whenever you have a spare moment to flip through a summery read.
In search of more summer recipes? Giada De Laurentiis has plenty:
Watch: How to Make Watermelon Mango Salsa
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