FROM her tiny office at Alfred Knopf Publishers in New York, Judith Jones edits literary giants such as John Updike, as well as culinary icons Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, and the late James Beard.
Cooking is Ms Jones' hobby and cookbooks are a passion.
''The purpose of a good cookbook is to teach,'' she explained years ago in an interview. ''It must go beyond a collection of recipes and teach about people and culture.
''Even a photo caption has to contribute more than a description.
''And a recipe, if it is well-written, teaches the way of cooking as well as the how-to.'' With Ms Jones' criteria in mind, we looked at a few books available now (or shortly) as summer reading suggestions.
Curries and Bugles: Cookbook of the British Raj by Jennifer Brennan ($221 Penguin Books). This book is impossible to skim through, especially if the reader is a fan of Indian food, culture or just good writing.