THE MAINE SUMMERS COOKBOOK

Tiny Isle au Haut—winter population 60—off the coast of Maine makes a big splash when a stellar mother-daughter cooking duo team up to bring readers blue-ribbon formulas for great summer eating.

Taking full advantage of the unique bounty provided by the rugged island and surrounding ocean, the Greenlaws’ latest cookbook (Recipes from a Very Small Island, 2005) bursts with irresistible recipes for hearty and sophisticated starters, sides, salads and desserts for family feasts, as well as social get-togethers like clambakes, dinner parties, picnics and sunset cruises. Maine blueberries and fresh seafood righteously steal the spotlight; the authors transform the bounty of backyard berry patches into Chilled Berry Soup, Blackened Swordfish with Blueberry Chutney and Cinnamon Blueberry Ice Cream, and offer fresh takes on the daily catch with spectacular recipes for Barbecued Maine Lobster, Red Crab Cakes and Beer-Steamed Clams. The Greenlaws lavish credit on the island’s many recipe contributors, and their engaging headnotes and concise directions will guide the inexperienced cook through whipping up a Mile High Strawberry Pie in the wink of an eye. Detailed and insightful essays on island rituals during the short summer season captures the sheer exuberance of the annual Fourth of July parade and the gastronomic thrill of firing up the onboard gas grill as guests arrive at the dock, laden with chilled salads and party fixings. There is also a hilarious retelling of the island’s first pig roast that rings with authenticity and never once resorts to faux folksy humor. Gorgeous photographs of the island and ocean panoramas bring to life this isolate place and its people. Haute cuisine from Isle au Haut.