Since 2007, Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton have produced Canal House Cooking, a periodical cookbook published three times a year that they write, photograph and design themselves. They also have a popular blog documenting the daily lunches they make for themselves in the Canal House in Lambertville, N.J. Canal House Cooks Every Day is that blog transformed into a gorgeous, hefty cookbook. Beginning on April 1, it tells the story of a year of seasonal lunches at Canal House, giving the weather and a recipe for each day. April starts with asparagus; they move on to summer strawberries, fall chanterelles and ducks, winter apples and pasta, then back to spring greens.
The stories accompanying each recipe tell of Christopher and Melissa's close relationship with their food and their dedication to fresh, seasonal ingredients. The photos are stunning; the recipes range from simple deviled eggs to a more time-consuming pork stewed in guajillo chile mole, making the book appealing to cooks of all abilities. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm