Like Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa, Pump's Hampton's gourmet food store and catering business, Loaves and Fishes, took on a second life in cookbooks (previous cookbooks include Loaves and Fishes Cookbook
and Country Weekend Entertaining
). The German-born caterer first tells the story of how she came to buy the Loaves and Fishes store 25 years ago before embarking on this well-organized collection of clear and simple recipes. With personal head notes—useful and not overly chatty—the author explains the many ways to entertain or cook for your friends and family. Starters such as clam and bacon dip can get a party off with a bang, while fresh corn soup with local corn is a pure taste of summer. Pump also suggests innovative sandwiches that can be brought to the beach, like Grilled Eggplant, Pepper and Soppressata Sandwiches. She also includes alternatives for inclement weather, such as oven-fried chicken that can be prepared in the kitchen. This is a cookbook that expresses the irrepressible joy of summer. (June)
