Cool Kitchen: No Oven, No Stove, No Sweat! 125 Delicious, No-Work Recipes for Summertime or Anytime

The majority of recipes in this book are no-cook, but there are several that require cooking with some form of heat - boiling, frying, scrambling, poaching, grilling, toasting, some of which are the main ingredients for the uncooked sauces and salads (recipes for poached fish and poultry, pasta and couscous, scrambled eggs, steamed vegetables, grilled bread, etc.), or required cooked ingredients that you're bound to want to cook yourself (like hard boiled eggs, overpriced to buy them cooked, and who knows how fresh they are, if you can find them). Many of the basic ingredients can be purchased pre-cooked. This is not a 'raw foods' cookbook, and the 'No-Work Recipes' as claimed on the cover are going to require someone's work to make them, with all the peeling and chopping of the fresh ingredients (and the actual cooking with heat!). Otherwise, there are many nice ideas for heat-free cooking, but the book isn't 100% no-cook.

This is my favorite cookbook. Here's why: I'm an impatient, busy person with champagne taste, and I find these recipes are so easy, beautiful, and delicious. They are completely fool- proof! The recipes are mainly for the warmer months, although poached salmon with anchovy-lemon butter, for example, can be served anytime. I hope that Ms. Chattman will come out with more ideas for the winter months, and a book of more party foods would be great. I get so many requests for the Jamaican Papaya and Avocado relish. I would love more salad recipes, too-her salads are amazing and make terrific summer dinners. Thank you, Lauren!

This is one of my favorite cookbooks! The recipes are simple yet elegant. The salads, sandwiches, dips and appetizers contain interesting flavors, yet barely take any time to prepare. This is such a great book to use for throwing spur of the moment get- togethers.

This source is a good reference for those who hate to cook when it's too hot to do anything. The recipes can be adapted to whatever region you are living in, northwest versus southwest, east coast versus west coast. The book is a good reference for those familiar with cooking when it's hot and need an occasional inspiration.