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Beach reading comes in a variety of tastes and flavors — and foodies are always interested in the new harvest of summer cookbooks. This season brought a small crop.
Whenever I think of warm-weather cooking at the Jersey Shore, barbecue and fresh fish immediately come to mind. Some of us are fortunate to visit family and friends at their beach house or attend an outdoor party poolside.
Gulf Coast Kitchens: Bright Flavors From Key West to the Yucatan by Constance Snow ($32.50, Clarkson Potter, hardbound with full-color photographs) is a salute to the multiethnic cuisine enjoyed along the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, you will find recipes for Cajun/Creole foods that make New Orleans famous, Tex-Mex dishes, Greek taverna fare, Cuban specialties, Vietnamese dishes, Sicilian specialties and other Southern favorites.
The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer ($26, Broadway Books, hardbound) offers many of the classic and modern fish and shellfish recipes that have made the family-owned Legal Sea Foods restaurants famous for more than 50 years. The recipes are simple and feature easy-to-find ingredients. Recipes for salads and side dishes are also included.
Although it was published last fall, The Whole Foods Market Cookbook by Steve Petusevsky ($25.95, Clarkson Potter, softcover) is filled with easy recipes for everything from unusual dips to desserts. I’ve made a number of dishes from this book, which focuses on organic products and lots of fresh herbs and spices.
Here are recipes for a Shore dinner.
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Spinach Artichoke Dip
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Ingredients:
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the cheeses, mayonnaise and sour cream in a large bowl until well blended. Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Place the mixture in a 1- to 1-1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake the dip uncovered for 15 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling.
Makes 4 cups.
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Chilled Avocado and Crabmeat Soup
From Gulf Coast Kitchens
Ingredients:
3 Haas avocados, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups cool chicken stock or broth, plus more if needed
Salt
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any bits of shell
Directions:
Puree the avocados with the lime juice in a food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the salt and crabmeat. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the soup to seal. Refrigerate for four to six hours.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve in chilled bowls, topped with lump crabmeat.
Serves four.
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Marinated Grilled Shrimp
From The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons green or black peppercorns, crushed (optional)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups olive oil
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled
Directions:
Place the first nine ingredients in a food processor and pulse on and off for 15 seconds. With the motor running, add the oil and pulse an additional 15 seconds. Put the shrimp in a nonreactive bowl and toss with the marinade. Let sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the grill.
Skewer the shrimp and cook on an oiled grill, turning once. The shrimp should cook through in five to eight minutes.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You may wish to cook some vegetables such as onions, red peppers, eggplant or zucchini on the grill to enjoy during dinner or in the future.
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Thai Cucumber Salad
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
For the curry-lemongrass dressing:
1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the salad:
2 pounds cucumbers (about 6 medium ones) peeled in strips, seeded and thinly sliced
1 jalape�o pepper, seeded and minced
3 scallions, sliced thinly and diagonally
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
Directions:
To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
To prepare the salad, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the peanuts and toss well. Pour on the dressing and allow to stand about 15 to 20 minutes. When ready to serve, roughly chop the peanuts and sprinkle over the top of the salad.
Serves eight.
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Bistro Bow-Tie Salad
From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Ingredients:
1/2 pound bow-tie pasta
1 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large tomato, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plumped in olive oil and thinly sliced
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, washed and stemmed
1-1/4 cups your favorite bottled Italian herb salad dressing or vinaigrette
Directions:
In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta until it is al dente, following the directions on the package. Drain in a colander and run cold water over the pasta until chilled through.
In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and blend well. Add the pasta, toss well and serve.
Serves four to six.
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Bananas Foster
From Gulf Coast Kitchens
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved crosswise
1/4 cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
Directions:
Combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a skillet. Place the skillet over low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the skillet. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the skillet slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the skillet and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon the warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.
Serves four.
