Photo:  Whitney Wasson

Kerry Dunnington’s passion for home cooking and entertaining shines on every page of her new cookbook. The Seasonal Kitchen is the most recent offering from Artichoke Publishers, the company she started in 2014. The Baltimore-based personal chef, caterer and food writer encourages home cooks to source local produce in season and support local farmers whenever possible.

Inspired by working with her mother in the family’s kitchen as a child, Dunnington tries to bring new twists to the classics and uses local harvest to create global flavors. The book is arranged by meal, course, or occasion (Morning Meals, Happy Hour, Dinner, Dessert) and each section and recipe is prefaced with a warm introduction.

Dunnington’s recipes tend toward the accessible and fuss-free. There’s a strong focus on vegetarian dishes (Quinoa Cheeseburgers with Curried Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, Honey-Buttered Peppered Turnips and Sweet Peas) along with updated classics (Vegetable Chowder with Cheese Tortellini, American- style Meatloaf with Pineapple Glaze, and Banana Upside Down Pancakes). Those who like to entertain will appreciate her variety of dips, from Hot Cheddar and Cauliflower Dip to Herb-Infused Bean dip.

The Seasonal Kitchen: Farm-Fresh Ingredients Enhance 165 Recipes (Artichoke Publishers, 2017) won a New York City Big Book Award for Independent Authors and Publishers. Dunnington is also author of Tasting the Seasons and This Book Cooks. The Seasonal Kitchen is available for purchase online at kerrydunnington.com. -Beth Hauptle