All the new cookbooks (and easy recipes) we're looking forward to this summer

At the corner of summer reading and summer eating, you’ll find cookbooks.

Filled with mouth-watering photos and delectable recipes, cookbooks are capable of transporting readers to tables around the world from their own kitchens. Cookbooks capture the essence of place and time, whether the gastronomic destinations are faraway – like “Portugal: The Cookbook” by Leandro Carreira (out now) and “Kin Thai: Modern Thai Recipes to Cook at Home” by John Chantarasak (May 24) – or closer to home – like “My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef” by Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein (out now) and “Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans” by Mason Hereford with JJ Goode (June 21).

Books about food can expand our idea of identity, making the world feel more connected and vastly more interesting. In “That Noodle Life” (out now), Mike and Stephanie Le honor the cross-cultural penchant for slurping with recipes for Italian cacio e pepe, Vietnamese pho and fried Shanghai noodles. In “Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico” (out now) and “Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices” (Aug. 30), Rick Martínez and Anita Jaisinghani showcase the power of spice, sense of community and timeless appeal of Mexican and Indian cooking. Regional American flavors get their due in “Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul,” from Compton-raised Texas BBQ king Kevin Bludso (out now), and “A Year at Catbird Cottage: Recipes for a Nourished Life” (May 31), in which Melina Hammer celebrates upstate New York’s idyllic bounty.

Sure, cookbooks aren’t conventional reading. But they’re easily the most satisfying page-turners. Enjoy these recipes from some of our favorite recent cookbooks.

Sizzled Pork & Pineapple

“I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To),” by Ali Slagle

Pork shoulder

Pineapple

Orange

Limes

Garlic

Fresh chile

Corn tortillas

Avocado

Serves 4

1. Heat a grill to medium-high. Slice 1½ pounds boneless pork shoulder into ½-inch-thick steaks against the grain. Pat dry, drizzle with olive oil, and season with 1½ teaspoons salt and lots of pepper. Peel 1 pineapple, then cut into 1-inch-thick spears. Transfer to a sheet pan. Zest 1 orange onto a cutting board, then halve the orange and add to the sheet pan. Coat the pineapple and orange halves with olive oil and S&P.

2. On the cutting board with the zest, zest 2 limes. Coarsely chop 4 garlic cloves and 1 fresh chile (jalapeño, serrano). Bring the zest, garlic, and chile together, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, then chop until a coarse, juicy paste forms. Transfer to a medium bowl or shallow dish, then add the juice from the limes (about ¼ cup) and ¼ cup olive oil. Go to your grill with your pork, fruit, sauce, and 8 to 12 corn tortillas.

3. Grease the grill grates with olive oil. Add the pork, pineapple, and orange over direct heat. Grill the pork until cooked through and charred in spots, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Grill the pineapple and orange until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Move ingredients around as needed to char and avoid flare-ups. As things finish, add them to the sauce and toss to coat. (Everything can sit in this sauce for up to an hour.)

4. Grill the tortillas until lightly charred, less than a minute. Keep warm in a kitchen towel. Cut the pork and pineapple into bite-size pieces, then return to the sauce. Squeeze the orange halves into the sauce. Chunk 1 avocado and season with S&P. Eat the pork, pineapple, and avocado swaddled in a warm tortilla. Repeat.

Venetian Chicken with Almond Milk and Dates

“The Nutmeg Trail: Recipes and Stories Along the Ancient Spice Routes,” by Eleanor Ford

Serves 4

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

1 tablespoon plain flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 ounces ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch of ground cloves

2 bay leaves

1½ cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons verjuice

Pinch of saffron strands

2 tablespoons date syrup

4 Medjool dates, stoned and quartered

2 tablespoons toasted almond flakes

Handful cilantro leaves

Rice or polenta, to serve (optional)

Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, then dust with the flour. Set a large casserole pan over a medium–high heat and when hot, pour in the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and brown to a deep golden on all sides. Remove to a plate, leaving the oil behind.

Add the onion to the pan and cook to soften but not color. Stir in the ginger, garlic, spices and bay leaves and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan in a single layer.

Pour in the almond milk and verjuice, scrunch in the strands of saffron and add the date syrup and dates. Season with salt. Bring to a bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. The chicken should be tender and falling from the bone.

Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and turn up the heat. Bubble the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve the chicken in the sauce, scattered with almonds and cilantro, alongside rice or polenta.

Carolina BBQ Salmon with Air Fryer Bacon–Brussels Sprouts

"Shaq's Family Style: Championship Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends," by Shaquille O'Neal

Serves 6

Carolina BBQ Salmon

½ cup yellow mustard

½ cup honey

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon Cajun Spice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (6-ounce) fresh salmon fillets, or frozen and thawed

Air Fryer Bacon-Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, tough stems trimmed and heads quartered

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces

½ cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

To prepare the salmon: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar, mayo, brown sugar, Cajun spice, salt, and black pepper. Place the salmon fillets in a baking dish or resealable plastic bag and pour the mixture over them. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Remove the salmon from the marinade and place the fillets skin-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve the marinade.

Bake the salmon for 10 minutes, or until the fillets are firm and the internal temperature reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the salmon from the oven and turn on the broiler. Brush the reserved marinade on the salmon and broil for 5 minutes, or until the fish is nicely browned. Let the salmon rest for 5 minutes.

To make the Brussels sprouts: While the fish marinates, in a medium bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the tray of an air fryer and place the bacon slices on top of the sprouts. Set the air fryer to 360°F and cook the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes, shaking the basket after 10 minutes so they cook evenly. (Alternatively, you can do this in an oven, roasting the Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes.)

In a small pot, stir together the orange juice, honey, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, until it’s thickened slightly.

Transfer the cooked Brussels sprouts to a serving bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Toss to coat.

Serve the salmon with the Brussels sprouts alongside.

Day Trip cocktail

“Drink Lightly: A Lighter Take on Serious Cocktails, with 100+ Recipes for Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks,” by Natasha David

Serves 1

Glassware: Highball

Ice: None

Garnish: Lime wedge

1½ ounces Aperitivo Cappelletti

¾ ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce pineapple gum syrup (recipe below)

¼ ounce Giffard Fruit de la Passion Liqueur

Belgian-style wheat beer, to top

Combine the Cappelletti, lime juice, pineapple gum syrup, and passion fruit liqueur in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a highball glass with no ice and top with the Belgian wheat beer. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Pineapple Gum Syrup

Makes about 2 cups

9 ounces white sugar

3 teaspoons gum arabic

Scant ½ teaspoon citric acid

9 ounces canned pineapple juice*

Fill a basin with water and set an immersion circulator to 140°F. In a blender, combine the sugar, gum arabic, and citric acid and mix on low until all the ingredients are incorporated. Begin to add the pineapple juice and blend until all the dry ingredients have dissolved. Add the mixture to a sealable, heatproof silicone bag, making sure to push out all the air. Once the circulator has reached the desired temperature, place the sealed bag in the water bath. Let cook for 2 hours. Once done, transfer the infusion to an ice bath until it reaches room temperature. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

No sous vide?

In a medium, heat-safe bowl, add the blended pineapple mixture. Cover the top of the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Place the covered bowl over a large pot filled with 3 to 5 inches of water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water (you are essentially creating a double boiler). Cook over medium heat for 2 hours. Remove from heat and let cool.

* Yes, I said canned pineapple juice! Well, here’s why: something about the almost candy-like flavor of canned pineapple juice makes for an absolutely delicious syrup. I’ve added a little citric acid to this as well to brighten it up a bit and mimic some of the tart notes in fresh pineapple juice. Listen, just trust the process

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Easy summer recipes from four new cookbooks