cover image The Lobster Roll: {And Other Pleasures of Summer by the Beach}

The Lobster Roll: {And Other Pleasures of Summer by the Beach}

Jodi Della Femina, Jodi Della Femina, Andrea Terry. Clarkson N Potter Publishers, $19.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-1-4000-4584-6

For those eager for balmy weather and picnics on the beach, this little cookbook dishes out recipes designed for summer consumption, when open air markets feature the freshest bounty from soil and sea. Named after the famed Hamptons eatery, a.k.a. Lunch, a fish shack turned into an area icon by Terry's now ex-husband, this volume offers entrees, snacks, salads, soups and desserts from the""quintessential summer restaurant,"" including the much-loved Lobster Roll sandwich. The book includes family recipes in addition to those from the restaurant: Pickled Zucchini with Mint, for example, is Della Femina tradition. Della Femina (author of the helpful and locally infamous Jodi's Shortcuts) and Terry, who owns the Lobster Roll, give plenty of advice on cooking seafood, such as oysters, clams, and mussels. (On soft-shell crabs:""Using poultry shears, snip off the face of the crab, located directly behind the eyes--this will also instantly kill the crab."") Fresh sides, such as Tomato, Vidalia Onion, and Basil Salad, the feta and mint-enhanced Savory Watermelon Salad and Chopped Tarragon and Blue Cheese Salad, add vigor to traditional accompaniments. The entrees, which include Grilled Citrus Chicken, Baked Lemon Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce and classic Crab Cakes, are all perfect for warm sultry evenings. Recipes are simple and easy-to-prepare--though the authors throw in a few gimmes, such as recipes for S'mores and a straightforward Summer Fruit Salad--and the cooking tips interspersed throughout make this a delightful guide to summer eating. 60 full-color photographs.