Book Review: The Fire Island Cookbook

Here in the Midwest, the beginning of summer is always met with a lot of anticipation.  The foul weather is now behind us and we look forward to the hot, oppressive humidity that make the summer movie season (and the AC that goes with it) so special.  On the culinary front, summertime in the Midwest means cookouts - hot dogs, hamburgers, corn-on-the-cob and other veggies grilled over smoldering charcoal.  These, along with some friends and cold beverages are all that you really need to make your summer great.

One cookbook that was just released, however, could help you take your cookouts and holiday gatherings to the next level.  The Fire Island Cookbook by Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen includes a complete menu (appetizer to dessert along with suggested wine pairings) for each weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  The book includes 14 menus that were influenced by the "World Wine Guys'" travels in Spain, France, Italy, Mexico, Greece, and Hungary.  Jenssen and DeSimone are seasoned wine, food, and travel writers that are contributing editors for Wine Enthusiast Magazine and have also contributed articles and photos that have appeared in Saveur, Wine Enthusiast, and Wine Spectator.  The interesting commentary about each recipe, the mouth-watering photos, and expert wine pairings make this book enjoyable to page through time and time again.

As for the recipes themselves, we tried three:  Gambas Pil Pil, Helado Malagueño, and Grilled Asparagus in Pancetta Vinaigrette. The Helado malagueño is a dangerous dessert - creamy and cold, laced with the right amount of rum to make a perfect summer sobremesa.  We made the Gambas Pil Pil and the Grilled Asparagus in Pancetta Vinaigrette together paired with the suggested rosé wine.  All were delicious.  This cook book is a lot of fun and the recipes are easy to make with simple, readily available ingredients - all requirements to receive 5 stars out of 5 from the International Recipe Syndicate.  Pick up this one before Memorial Day!