‘Savoring the Hamptons’ and a recipe for Pappardelle of Zucchini and Summer Squash with Pancetta

This gorgeous photograph is by Karen Wise.

         Once in a great while, a cookbook transcends just being a repository of recipes and becomes something more:  It tells the story of a place and its people, of its unique culinary heritage and the food that is grown on its farms and in its waters.  That is the great gift that ‘Savoring the Hamptons’ by Silvia Lehrer (Running Press 2011) has given all of us in her intriguing new cookbook. Whether this is a place you’ve only heard of or whether you’ve been coming here for years, (this is my 35th summer here!) this book is a must-read. 

Kat McCleland’s Unbelievably Delicious Almond Cake With Marscapone Whipped Cream

Almond Cake with Slivered Almonds and Marscapone Whipped Cream

Almond Cakes in their "Hurri-Cakes" incarnation 

         The first time Andrew made this magnificently moist, indescribably rich almond-to-the-core cake, it was one of two birthday cakes he provided for a friend’s very Big Birthday.  The second cake was a Chocolate Devil’s Food cake with Chocolate filling. The ultimate complement he was paid was by our friend Peter, an inveterate chocoholic if there ever was one.  Peter said, upon tasting its almond companion, “I never thought almond would trump chocolate but this one does”.   It is that good.  And there’s a story behind getting the recipe that’s a lot of fun too.