Strawberry love 45 sweet and savory recipes for shortcakes, hand pies, salads, salsas, and more

Food writer and cooking teacher Graubart (Thanksgiving for Two (or Four), 2020; Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking, 2019) brings readers two fruit-filled books that will help make the most of spring and summer's bounty of blueberries and strawberries. Graubart instructs readers on how to purchase, pick, freeze, dry, and store blueberries; and offers tips for buying, picking, hulling, and slicing strawberries. Readers will take comfort in classic recipes like blueberry jam and blueberry coffee cake and delight in the unique recipes like blueberry cinnamon spiced doughnuts and blueberry and red onion salsa. Strawberry recipes include strawberry jam and strawberry pie along with unexpected options like sautéed chicken breast with strawberry onion jam and even a strawberry scrub. Each recipe is partnered with bright and cheerful pictures and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions. Readers will be dreaming of perfectly sweet, in-season berries and sunny springtime kitchens.

James Beard Award--winning chef Graubart (Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking) takes a delightful deep dive into dishes that feature strawberries. She kicks things off with an introduction loaded with strawberry trivia ("Ancient Romans used wild strawberries to treat sore throats and even depression," and Native Americans "steeped leaves and roots into teas that treated gum and internal inflammations") before getting into the recipes, which are organized into three sections: Bright Mornings, Savory Delights, and Sweet Treats. Breakfast dishes often come with berry-infused sides such as strawberry-orange muffins, which are accompanied by a honey-strawberry butter, or sour cream strawberry waffles topped with strawberry syrup. Desserts run the gamut of everyday fare--strawberry-mint sorbet, cupcakes with strawberry frosting--to special occasion-worthy stunners--an extravagant strawberry meringue stack cake and a strawberry-pistachio bundt cake with lemon glaze. Savory options include fish tacos with strawberry salsa, and pork chops with a strawberry-balsamic sauce. To wash it all down, drinks like strawberry lemon-limeade, mezcal-based smoked strawberry smash, or an old-fashioned strawberry milkshake appear throughout. This is perfect for home cooks ready to take the next step beyond strawberry shortcake. (Apr.)