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TITLE: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream by Dick Warren with Bobbi Dempsey (Alpha, $14.95; 280 pages).
Generally speaking: Hot Florida summers call for ice cream, and The Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream will make you want to get that ice cream maker out of storage. Also included are recipes for homemade yogurt, sherbet, sorbet and, of course, ice cream.
Sample recipes: Honey yogurt, pina colada ice cream, date ice cream, chocolate rum raisin ice cream, rose petal ice cream, dulce de leche ice cream, crme brulee ice cream and white crme de menthe ice cream.
FOR: Those looking for a few fresh, new ice cream flavors. Some recipes contain alcohol and are not suitable for children. But many flavors are family-friendly and would be great with a slice of pie or birthday cake.
Degree of Difficulty: These recipes are a piece of cake when you use an automatic ice cream maker. An instant-read thermometer will come in handy: Most of these recipes require you to completely chill the mixture (to 40 degrees) before placing it in the machine.
Best Feature: Included are recipes for toppings and sauces, too. Try a pecan-mocha sauce, maple sauce, raspberry sauce, marshmallow sauce and lots more. There are also recipes and ideas for ice cream parties.
TITLE: The Home Depot Grilling 1-2-3 (Meredith Books, $24.95; 240 pages).
Generally speaking: Some think grilling is only for men. Grilling 1-2-3 will teach anyone to use the grill like a pro. The home improvement people at Home Depot are the experts behind this cookbook with step-by-step instructions to make things easy for any skill level.
Sample recipes: Planked salmon with cucumber dill sauce, smoked curried chicken, sirloin with horseradish sauce, marinated rotisserie rump roast, Thai shrimp kebabs, brats with jalapeno green apple kraut, beer and caraway pork chops and Dijon-crusted lamb rib roast.
For: Those who love grilling and those who want to learn. Grilling 1-2-3 goes beyond basic charcoal or gas grilling. The book includes recipes for rotisseries and smokers.
TITLE: Johnsonville Big Taste of Sausage Cookbook by Shelly Stayer and Shannon Kring Biro (Broadway Books, $15.95; 192 pages).
Generally speaking: Some may think that sausage is the ultimate manly man's meal. This new cookbook from the Johnsonville company changes all that.
For: Sausage lovers. Besides grilling brats, this cookbook has a wide variety of other recipes perfect for a number of special occasions: plenty of finger foods for game night, hearty dishes for cookouts and even some recipes that are suitable for potlucks. There are more than 125 recipes, for everything from breakfast to dinner.
Sample recipes: Pizza party snacks, Southwest black bean soup, sausage, pecan and cranberry stuffing, sausage gumbo, egg and sausage strudel and cool garlic summer pasta salad.
Skill level: Some recipes are far more time-consuming than others, but if you know basic kitchen techniques such as chopping, slicing and dicing you can prepare these dishes easily.
DIJON-CRUSTED LAMB RIB ROAST
1 lamb rib roast (8 ribs, approximately 2½ pounds)
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup sour cream
Trim fat from meat. In a small bowl stir together mustard, oil, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic. Place 2 tablespoons of the mustard mixture in a separate small bowl; cover and set aside. Spread meat with remaining mustard mixture. Insert a meat thermometer into meat, not touching the bone.
For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above the drip pan. Place meat, bone side down, on the grill rack over the drip pan. Cover; grill until the meat thermometer registers 140 degrees for medium-rare (50 to 60 minutes) or 155 degrees for medium doneness (1 to 1½ hours), adding fresh coals as needed to maintain temperature. (Preheat gas grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.)
Remove meat from grill. Cover with foil. Let stand for 15 minutes. The meat's temperature will rise 5 degrees while resting. Meanwhile, for the sauce, stir sour cream into the reserved mustard mixture in the small bowl. To serve, cut meat into four 2-rib portions. Pass sauce with meat.
Serves: 4
Source: "The Home Depot Grilling 1-2-3" (Meredith Books, $24.95)
COOL GARLIC SUMMER PASTA SALAD
1 pound uncooked penne
1 (12-ounce) package Johnsonville Garlic Summer Sausage, julienned
1 tomato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup snow peas, trimmed, sliced in half crosswise
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed
12 ounces Italian dressing
8 ounces balsamic vinaigrette
Cook the pasta according to the package instruction. Drain.
Place the pasta in a very large bowl. Add the sausage, tomato, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, snow peas, scallions, Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, Italian dressing and vinaigrette and toss well to combine.
Serves: 6 to 8
Source: "Johnsonville Big Taste of Sausage Cookbook" by Shelly Stayer and Shannon Kring Biro (Broadway Books, $15.95)
CREME BRULEE ICE CREAM
2½ cups table sugar
4 tablespoons water
6 egg yolks
3 cups heavy cream
3 cups half and half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a heavy saucepan combine sugar and water. Over medium heat, cook sugar mixture until sugar turns golden brown. Remove from heat.
Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add half and half and place in the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Cook until temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat, and slowly stir in sugar mixture. (If mixture has hardened, place on stove and remelt over low heat.)
Place mixture in ice bath and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl add cooled mixture, heavy cream and vanilla. Mix well.
Completely cool in the refrigerator.
Place cold mixture into the ice cream freezer and follow manufacturer's directions.
Makes about 2 quarts.
Source: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homemade Ice Cream" by Dick Warren with Bobbi Dempsey (Alpha, $14.95)