great summer reads & delicious cold soups

1. the secret life of lobsters by trevor corson



yes, this is a book about lobsters. and its one of the best books i have ever read. in an intriguing yet scientific manner, corson invites us into the magical and hidden away world of crustaceans. he tells about their flirting, love making, and everyday life. next time you are enjoying a freshly grilled lobster, you will definetely see it with a different set of eyes.

1. the story of sushi by trevor corson



i haven´t actually read this book, but its written by the same author as "the secret life of lobsters", so it surely is a highly entertaining and quality read.

3. salt, a world history by mark kurlansky



this books tells us about the culture, economy, and history of something as basic as salt. not exactly a quick or easy read, but for someone who loves history and books like "collapse" packed with interesting facts, this will make a great book.

4. kitchen confidential by anthony bourdain



if you ever wanted to know what happens behind the closed doors of new york gourmet restaurants, this is your book. bourdains´s vivid and rough account of drug use, glamour, strange kitchen characters is a real page turner.

5. the omnivore´s dilemma by michael pollan



6. fast food nation by eric schlossberger



if you want to stop yourself from ever entering a burger kind or mcdonalds again, read this book. schlossberger takes us from meat factories where immigrants struggle to make a daily living and avoid getting their hands chopped off to the hamburger grills at fast food restaurants. although you end up with disgust, this is a really entertaining book, and makes you think twice before touching fast food again.

7. eat, pray, love by elizabeth gilbert




cold avocado cilantro soup



ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
1 l cold vegetable or chicken stock
juice of half a lime
dash of olive oil
dash of tabasco
1 dl sour cream
salt & pepper
handful of cilantro
50 g smoked salmon, finely cut (optional)

how to make it:

using a mixer or food processor, add the lime juice, the olive oil, the tabasco, and the 3 avocados to the stock, dice the fourth avocado and set aside. blend well. add the sour cream, and season with salt & pepper. chill at least 1 h in fridge. just before serving, divide into transparent glasses or bowls, add a handful of diced avocado and a little smoked salmon to each glass and sprinkle with cilantro.

chilled watermelon tomato soup with feta cheese



ingredients:

3-4 cups of watermelon, cubed
2 tomatoes
juice of half a lime
dash of olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons crumbled feta
handful of mint leaves

walnuts, chopped

how to make it:

using a mixer or food processor, blend the watermelon, tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar and oil until smooth. Chill for a couple of hours in the fridge. Before serving, divide the soup among bowls and top with feta, mint, and walnuts.

for another great summer soup check out the cold ginger carrot soup at bigoven!

link to the recipe