The Urban Picnic: Being an Idiosyncratic and Lyrically Recollected Account of Menus, Recipes, History, Trivia, and Admonitions on the Su

For urban hipsters determined to enjoy their Apple Polenta Flan al fresco, Burns and Caton have devised a winning tribute to the many sybaritic joys of dining outdoors. The giddy authors begin this lighthearted book with a history of such parties, noting that the earliest recorded use of the word ""pic-nic"" in English comes from England's Lord Chesterfield, who mentioned it in a letter in the 1740s. The authors have separated the menus into 21 categories for all manner of picnicking scenarios: Kids, Beach, Backpack, Spectator Sports, Winter, Afternoon Tea, On the Water, Hotel and the venerable ""Hipnic"" among them. What's more, they take care to include enticing vegetarian options. While some of the more than 200 offerings (many contributed by well-known chefs like Nigella Lawson, James McNair and Bob Blumer) might seem a bit optimistic for picnic fare-Jumbo Shrimp (Prawns) Sauteed in Lemon Butter or the rather labor-intensive Old Fashioned Cornish Pasties-Burns and Caton include far more take-along dishes that are effortless, like the divine Golden Yam Salad and a knockout Egg Salad sandwich spread. One of the most enticing role-playing picnic parties devised by the authors is a Shakespearian banquet, for which they suggest such hoary recipes as Pease Porrage sic and Grand Mixed Sallet with Roast Capon, with a special proviso: ""Vegetarians: Run for the hills!"" Many recipes here are enlivened by clean line-drawings, and the book does not suffer from its lack of color photographs. While readers may not choose to follow these comprehensive instructions to the letter, what lies between this book's merry covers will certainly offer ample inspiration for those eager to explore the delights of dining en plein air.