Book Report: We pick 11 new cookbooks to usher in summer

Summer is such a bountiful season that cooks of modest skill could go for months without cracking open a cookbook. And yet, these 11 new titles offer flavor combinations they might never come up with on their own. Each of the following, listed here in alphabetical order, makes the case for consulting the pros when the heat is really on.

The Great Ceviche Book Revised
By Douglas Rodriguez with Laura Zimmerman (Ten Speed Press, 2010; $20)
60 recipes

This Miami chef-restaurateur improves on his own 2003 cookbook with a range of simple and complex dishes, as well as complementary sides. Next time I poach shrimp, I'll try Rodriguez's additions of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, pickling spices and lemon. A tuna ceviche with watermelon is sweet and spicy, and the halibut with lemon and coriander oil ceviche is satisfyingly toothsome; see related recipes.

Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly: Recipes From Southern Appalachia
By Joan E. Aller (Andrews McMeel, 2010; $27.99)
100-plus recipes

Some of the dishes in this irresistibly titled book date to the 1800s. The inclusion of a southern Appalachian dictionary shows it doesn't take itself too seriously. A map of the eight states is a nice bonus. Worth investigating: old-fashioned root beer, corn cob jelly and and an appetizer called Mississippi Sin that's made with French bread, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cooked ham, sour cream and a holy trinity of sweet onion, bell pepper and Worcestershire sauce.

See the recipe for Southern Butter-Crusted Chicken, featured as this week's Dinner in Minutes.

Fast, Fresh & Green
By Susie Middleton (Chronicle, 2010; $24.95)
90-plus recipes

With an infectious, positive attitude, the author picks a cooking method, vegetables and flavorings. Then she starts chopping. The method dictates how the vegetables are cut and include "hands-on sauteing," stir-frying and grilling. If you like your recipes flexible, check out the foundations. Although the book sounds vegetarian, 25 percent of the recipes contain meat. Try the braised fennel with pink sauce and the cucumber salad with Greek yogurt, lime and honey.

Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food for Great Times With Friends
By Rick Bayless with Deann Bayless (W.W. Norton, July 2010; $35)
150 recipes

The seventh book from one of America's most beloved chefs feels a little dated in its extreme game plans for themed parties, but it is comprehensive. Recommendations run the soup-to-nuts approach, with an iPod playlist so you can cook, and groove, like Rick. Expect the unexpected, in the form of directions for building a fire pit and recipes for Green Chile Crackers and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars, made with pretzel crumbs.

Gorgeous Vegetables
By Annie Bell (Kyle, 2010; $19.95)
100-plus recipes

It has been a decade since the author wrote her first book on vegetables. This one has great new flavor combinations and uncomplicated dishes, such as a beginner-level asparagus tart. A European sensibility is evident in a savory clafouti of zucchini, smoky bacon and rosemary and a potato salad with Roquefort cheese and walnuts. Check out the pea, feta and basil tart and a little gem: almond and raisin salad.