Bored with traditional picnic fare? Coleslaw?Potato salad? Soggy sandwiches? In Good Day for a Picnic, Jeremy Jackson offers up a collection of new recipe ideas for the park and the patio, the backyard and the beach, and beyond.

This is not a book of "classics" -- after all, who needs another fried-chicken recipe? It's a fresh, flavorful (and funny) look at picnics. The 120 recipes include everything from drinks and starters to sandwiches, entrées, and desserts. There's Ginger Iced Tea and Fig Pâté, Lamb Pita Meze and Noodles with Walnut and Blue Cheese Pesto, Sour Cherry Mini-Crumbles and Strawberry Cupcakes. The dishes are simple, wholesome, and quick to prepare, with lots of make-aheads and tips on food transport.

In Good Day for a Picnic, Jeremy Jackson gives dining alfresco the attention it deserves. So whether you've found a sunny spot of grass or a cozy patch of carpet, it's time to spread out the food and dig in!

This is a very well written cookbook, both entertaining to read and with great recipes. I'm not sure what the issue was with the review from Publisher's Weekly. I felt like it made the book seem subversive (as if Jackson were trying to *gasp* replace fried chicken as a picnic staple) and juvenile (accusing him of being aggressively quirky), the book is neither, well at least not juvenile (sometimes a little subversive in the kitchen is fun). I know I got tired of Fried Chicken and Potato Salad at every outdoor family get together years ago. And in point of fact, to said reviewer, Sekanjabin does indeed travel well in a backpack, in the appropriate container. The old photo illustrations are clever, and Jackson's writing style is conversational, and comically unconventional, like sitting down with a close friend to talk food. I enjoy the anecdotes he provides for each recipe. Please don't let the negative reviews hold you back, if you're looking for clever, tasty recipes to try out on your family and friends, or just a nice read to get you through a cold winter, dreaming about a picnic, this is a great find.

No pictures, which would be fine if he came up with some good recipes. But some of the things he gave were not picniccy at all.

GOOD DAY FOR A PICNIC SIMPLE FOOD THAT TRAVELS WELL goes beyond the standard picnic fare to provide new recipe ideas for the park, backyard and beyond. Over a hundred such recipes cover everything from drinks to sandwiches, entrees and desserts, and provide easily-prepared dishes which are just as easily transported to be served later. Crisp Green Beans in Jalapeno Oil, Ham and Swiss Cheese Biscuits, and Barbecue Shredded Pork are only some of the dishes sure to provide new interest.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book inspired my husband and I to have a picnic on Mother's Day - tablecloth on the picnic table underneath the oak tree, portable radio playing tinny-sounding oldies on the AM dial. What a perfect brunch. We started with Jackson's "Champagne Punch #5" and later had the delicate and scrumptious "Crepes w/Swiss Chard & Golden Raisins." I'm making his "Rhubarb Custard Tart" next, which looks really delicious -- even though, as he says, food tastes a little better when you're outside, I'm sure this is going to taste pretty darn good when I eat it in the house as well.

I'm such a fan of Jeremy Jackson's other cookbooks, too - his writing is so fun and personable -- when's the last time you read a cookbook cover-to-cover, and laughed out loud? This book is all about simple, unpretentious, food. The recipes are original and pretty easy to make, too.

I should also add that usually never write reviews, but I felt like I had to write something because the review above from Publisher's Weekly got it all wrong -- it sounds like that reviewer just had a bad day and was letting off some steam. Which is too bad, because this is a wonderful book. I'm looking forward to a long summer full of beautiful meals and beautiful picnics.