Whether for cocktails and bites at the lake house or a come one, come all dinner with friends, here are more than 100 seasonally inspired recipes guided by the principle that summer cooking means keeping things loose (and the oven off when it’s just too hot out).

Fuel up for a surf day with a basket of Fantastic Focaccia Sandwiches, host lunch on the deck with a Grilled Shrimp Louie salad, pass around the beach picnic fare (hello, Spicy Pineapple Spears and Landlubber’s Lobster Rolls).

It’s a cookbook and so much more, with perfect party menus—how to choose between a Paella Party and Grilled Rib Revelry?—tiki cocktails, Five-Minute Frosé, tips on building a beach firepit. And to wrap it all up on the sweetest note, what could be better than Six Sensational Ice Cream Sandwiches?

Summer: A Cookbook: Inspired Recipes for Lazy Days and Magical Nights is available at Amazon.com and Indigo.ca. (more…)