TEN BOOKS FOR SUMMER ENTERTAINING

Although the latter days of May herald the end of Spring - perhaps my favourite season - it also means that the long, dreamy months of Summer are on the horizon. This is a time for romantic picnics, long lunches with friends, and relaxed evenings under the stars as the warmth of the day’s sun lingers in the air as the moon lights up the evening.

Today I have selected 10 books that will get you in the mood for Summer Entertaining - from decor inspiration, to delicious recipes, these will awaken your enthusiasm for a Summer to remember.

Does anything say Summer more than Rattan? This unique tome which celebrates the beauty of the chic material will bring you some much-needed outdoor decor inspiration.

Showcasing rattan's appeal through archival images of beautiful interiors including Madeleine Castaing's winter garden in Paris, Michael Taylor's own Californian beach house, the Titanic's Café Parisian and the Billy Baldwin designed Mr. Kennedy's beauty salon in New York City. Rattan's many personalities are explored through its inclusion in settings as diverse as Impressionist paintings, flamboyant nightclubs and pared down contemporary drawing rooms.

Food writer and photographer Skye McAlpine shares with us her entertaining secrets in this delightful book which is filled with delicious recipes, tips, and everything you need to host an impressive soiree.

Whether mending a friend's heartbreak with baked fennel and burrata gratin, seducing someone new with roast duck legs and winter citrus, nourishing family with the perfect eggs on toast, or gathering all of them together around a lit birthday cake, Skye McAlpine knows the flavor of any dish is more than its ingredients. Rather, it's the emotions and memories we collect over a lifetime of cooking and being cooked for.

Willow Crossley has been my long time Instagram obsession! I just love her breezy, relaxed personality and encouraging warmth that makes everyone feel like they can create floral arrangements as beautiful as hers.

In Inspire: The Art of Living with Nature, Willow embraces her passion for plants and shows how to use both flower-shop purchases, beachcombing bounty, home-grown harvests and hedgerow finds foraged on countryside walks to decorate your home.

This exquisite book, put together by the masters of coffee-table elegance, Rizzoli, is a celebration of the photography of Slim Aarons.

Tracing a journey from the 1940s to the 1990s, Slim Aarons: La Dolce Vita takes us to Italy’s fashionable resorts, to its magnificent historic cities and small atmospheric towns, and to glorious landscapes, all reflecting the pleasures of the Italian art of living.

If you appreciate a good bottle of wine, this book is an interestingly beautiful read that explores the different varieties and how to best enjoy them.

Peppered with engaging facts and figures, each chapter surveys one grape or blend, featuring all-inclusive at-a-glance information that tells you what to expect in the glass, suggested food pairings, and hundreds of recommended wines, from cheerful bargains to worthy splurges.

Craft ice creams are all the rage, with new indie producers breaking the rules by creating unusual, exceptionally delicious flavor combinations. Kitty Travers, the creator of the beloved London-based brand La Grotta Ices, is changing our expectations when it comes to these cravable cold treats.
 
The ice creams, sorbets, and granitas featured in La Grotta are fruit-focused—the best produce goes into the ice cream and sorbet bases to ensure the purest taste of the fruit shines through. And when combined with unexpected herbs and other mix-ins, the results are eye-opening

Whether or not you are lucky enough to live by the sea, this beautiful book fill provide you with endless inspiration to create the most memorable occasions outdoors.

From a lunch around a weathered picnic table set with mason jars full of herbs under a pergola and a vintage boat picnic to cocktails on the deck overlooking the marshes and a dessert party of bakery favorites in an open-air garage, this book is brimming with ideas for entertaining with ease during the warm weather months.

Lela Rose is the ultimate party girl. In her second entertaining book, she is back with advice on giving stylish parties outside, filled with ideas for beautiful table settings, flower arrangements, and specialty cocktails and canapés.  

The parties featured are inspired by places that matter to Lela—her childhood home in Texas, her favorite vacation retreat in Jackson Hole, and her home base in New York City—but their concepts easily travel, from a sundowner cocktail hour to a party celebrating local cheeses.

In this new cookbook from award-winning author Olia Hercules, explore the diversity of Ukraine’s cuisine and heritage through the alluring window of summer kitchens—small structures alongside the main house where people cook and preserve summer fruits and vegetables for the winter months. Featuring 100 superb recipes, a gorgeous collection of food and lifestyle images, and evocative personal narrative, Hercules illustrates how the region’s cuisine varies as much as the landscapes, climate, and produce. 

Picknicking is one of my all time favourite summer activities - what could be better than creating a wonderful array of food and drinks, to enjoy outside with a gathering of friends!

The Art of Picnics is a beautiful accessible guide to create a fun outdoor gathering. Whether it’s cooking during the day for an upcountry lunch or preparing for a twilight gathering, you’ll capture a spark of outdoor adventure with these seasonal picnic ideas. 

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