Spring Pleasures: A Southern Seasons Book

Review No matter where you live, there are foods that herald the local spring season. Nashville, Tennessee-based caterer Martha Phelps Stamps, author of "Spring Pleasures" (Cumberland House Hearthside, 1999) says that asparagus is her harbinger of spring. She has several interesting treatments for these verdant spears in her book... -- Bon Appetit, April 2000One of Nshville's most creative and prolific chefs, Martha Phelps Stamps produced her third cookbook, "Spring Pleasures" this spring. Lush photos and menus are planned for special-or not so special-occasions lead you through seasonal recipes you'll want to cook all year. -- The Tennessean, August 2, 1999Somehow I missed Martha Phelps Stamps' lovely book- but you shouldn't. There are numerous dishes to enjoy right now: Grilled Tuna over Baby Spinach with new Potatoes, Steamed Beans, Cheese Croutons and Dijon Vinaigrette, and Grilled Veal Chops with Shiitakes, for example. -- Charleston, South Carolina Post & Courier, August 4, 1999 Product Description "Spring Pleasures," by Nashville resident Martha Phelps Stamps, is full of mouth-watering recipes that are indigenous to the South and based on foods that are their freshest and best during the spring of the year. From Crunchy Cole Slaw and Radish Tea Sandwiches to Country Ham Salad and Lemon Sented Yeast Rolls, "Spring Pleasures" offers a myriad of recipes divided by the months of March, April, and May. Beautiful photographs also accompany the text. From the Publisher "Spring Pleasures" is a beautiful book that serves as the companion to our "Fall Harvests" cookbook that also celebrates the beauty of the seasons. With more than 90 recipes and 16 menus, all of Stamps' creation, "Spring Pleasures" embodies the imagination and knowledge that are uniquely her own, and best of all, they are all rooted in traditional southern cooking. From the Inside Flap Eating and cooking with local and seasonal sensibility is simply a treat. I love to scour the local farmers' market for gifts from the earth. My earth. The earth around here. Don't give me asparagus in October, or peaches at Christmas. Each season has its own unique blessing, its own treats. And if you listen closely, your tummy (and your soul) are usually yearning for just what the earth is providing. In the spring I crave a tonic of fresh greens and wild things; and in the summer make it light, with lots of fresh fruit and simply cooked vegetables. "The Southern Seasons" celebrates the uniqueness of all of the times of the earth, with menus inspired by the bounty at hand. About the Author Martha Phelps Stamps is an honors graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. A professional chef, Stamps has been featured in "Southern Living" Magazine, and has also authored "The New Southern Basics," Cumberland House Publishing.