This summer I am calling it Alfresco Dining.

Summer is fast approaching and the temperatures are starting to soar during the daytime hours. All too soon the temperatures will continue to rise and stay that way long into the evening. But, for now, our evenings are still cool enough to enjoy a little outdoor time. And what better way to enjoy the outdoors than a little alfresco dining?

Alfresco dining simply means enjoying your meal outdoors and hopefully with family and good friends. Basically, it's another reason to entertain. So naturally I turn to one of my favorite culinary retail shops, Williams Sonoma, for a cookbook that is one of the most inspiring for recipes, menus, and the most helpful hints for an alfresco meal.

The cookbook is called Alfresco: 125 Recipes for Eating & Enjoying Outdoors. It was published in 2022 and it is truly a delight from cover to cover. It features all sorts of recipes with a special focus on the freshest, in-season ingredients. This cookbook is simply a must-have for anyone who loves to entertain and cook outdoors. A must-have!

Alfresco features classic recipes and new twists to old favorites, too. The recipes span from the simplest appetizers, like skewers and flatbreads, and desserts, like boozy ice cream floats (sound familiar?) and grilled pineapple. And everything in between like backyard grilling favorites, including grilled pizzas, burgers of all varieties, and seafood.

This fabulous book features all the ways to use those fresh finds at your local farmer's markets with recipes for every season with an extensive guide to let you know when your favorite veggies and fruits are in peak season. There is even a recipe called Farmers Market Salad and it is delish.

Menu planning becomes a breeze and there are dozens of wonderful entertaining tips. There are suggestions on how to handle serving foods outdoors and keeping things at the proper and safe temperatures.

The photography is also fabulous throughout the book. The food looks…well…good enough to eat, and do not get me started on the tablescapes. Every time I open Alfresco I find another tablescape for inspiration. And that is the best way to sum up this cookbook…it gives me a lot of inspiration. It is an 184-page idea book. My Nicoise Salad recipe is loosely based on the recipe from this book.

With strawberries in season right now, I think I might just grab some at the Farmers Market and make Alfresco’s Roasted Strawberry Shortcake. And next month, I must try the Puff Pastry Peach Tartlets. How’s that for inspiration?

Cheers!

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