The warm summer months call for lighter dishes, and provide a whole new palette of seasonal cooking ingredients. In that vein, Recipes from an Italian Summer – the latest offering from the authors of the best-selling Italian cooking bible, The Silver Spoon – features 380 recipes for summertime entertaining. Each dish celebrates simple, seasonal ingredients – like fresh herbs, veggies and fruits – perfect for impromptu picnics and barbecues or more sophisticated dinner parties. With summer drinks, salads, light supper dishes and desserts, this is a fantastic resource for those who want to enjoy la dolce vita. The recipes are easy to follow, and presented beside stunning photographs of Italy by world renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz and food photography by award-winning, London-based photographer Andy Sewell.

Not totally convinced? Then try it for yourself! To get your tastebuds excited, we’ve got two great recipes below – for watermelon smoothies and cold octopus and eggplant salad – courtesy of publisher Phaidon.

*above: Milanese Minestrone

*above: Chilled Wine with Strawberries

*above: Summer Stuffed Peppers

RECIPES…

Watermelon Smoothies:
(Frullato di cocomero)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients: 1 slice watermelon, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces; juice of 1/2 orange, strained; juice of 1/2 lemon, strained; scant 1/2 cup dry sparkling white wine, chilled; 1 tablespoon superfine sugar; 1 small, unpeeled watermelon triangle, to decorate

Instructions:
Put the watermelon, orange jice and lemon juice into a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher, pour in the wine, stir in the sugar until dissolved, and serve in a tall glass decorated with a small triangle of watermelon.

Cold Octopus & Eggplant Salad:
(insalata di polpo freddo e melanzane)

Preparation time: 3 hours, including marinating and cooling
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, thinly sliced lengthwise; 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 fresh red chile, seeded & chopped; 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley; 3/4 cup white-wine vinegar; 2 & 1/4 pounds octopus, 2 tablespoons capers preserved in salt, rinsed, drained and chopped; 12 black olives, pitted and sliced; 4 tomatoes, cut into wedges; 4-5 basil leaves

Instructions:
Heat a nonstick skillet, sear the eggplant slices for a few minutes, turning once, then remove from the heat and put them into a salad bowl. In a separate skillet, heat the olive oil with the garlic and chile. Add teh parslety and vinegar, bring to a boil, and pour the mixture over the eggplants, then let marinate for two hours.

Meanwhile, if it has not already been cleaned, prepare the octopus. Turn the body inside out, and pull away innards and stiff strips that stick to the sides. Cut off the stomach sac. Rinse the octopus thoroughly under cold running water and turn the body right side out. Press out the beak and its soft surrounding tissue from the center of the tentacles and cut it out. Finally, beat it well with a meat mallet. Put the octopus into a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the octopus cool in the cooking water. When the octopus is cool, skin it and cut into very thin slices. Add the slices to the eggplants, then add the capers and olives, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with the tomatoes and basil leaves.

Recipes from an Italian Summer
Published by Phaidon Press, 2010
432 pp, 130 color illustrations
Hardback
$39.95 US
Available now through Phaidon or Amazon.

*Images and recipes courtesy of Phaidon, www.phaidon.com. All food photography © Andy Sewell / All other photographs © Joel Meyerowitz,

Swiss-born, New York-based photographer Henry Leutwyler‘s new series, “Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson,” considers Jackson’s life through the artifacts he’s left behind: the iconic white glove, the black hat, the bejeweled jackets. Shot at Neverland Ranch in the year prior to Jackson’s death (when these items were intended for auction), this extensive series of archeological-style object portraits reveals a side of Jackson most were not privy to: the life of a man caught between his public persona as one of the greatest entertainers of all time and his sequestered, private life. Collectively, they also compose an adult Jackson’s self-constructed fantasy world, one which seemed in many ways an attempt to recreate a childhood he may never have really had.

Now, Leutwyler’s series has been published in gorgeous book form by Steidl, (available for purchase through Amazon), and an exhibit of the same name is open now through August 14th at M+B in Los Angeles. Below, check out photographs from the series, plus an interview with Leutwyler for Center Stage, Mark Gordon’s weekly radio show.

According to the ever-eloquent Leutwyler: “This collection of photographs was never intended to be a book. In February of 2009, I flew to California on a magazine assignment to photograph the iconic white glove of pop star Michael Jackson. Even though I am a lifelong portrait photographer, I have always had the urge to investigate people through the simplicity of the artifacts that make up their lives. I went to Los Angeles with one vision in mind and little more than a day to capture it. Michael Jackson’s primary home at Neverland had been vacant for several years and his belongings lay packed and stored in crates, awaiting public auction. When I arrived at the venue for the shoot, I had no idea what I’d find. What I discovered in those crates evoked in me a deep sadness. From the man who would be king, his artefacts were of the simplest design. A sequinned tube sock. A child’s trinket. The famous glove – so revealing in its dime store simplicity, so mundane in its plainness. I completed the initial assignment in two days, yet found myself unable to leave. My assistants and I remained on location for another twenty-four hours, poring over more than a thousand items from which we had to choose our images. I returned to New York after three days, with a premonition that the task wasn’t finished.”

He goes on: “It seems that an individual’s belongings rarely become available without some tragedy as a backdrop. Despite my exhaustive efforts to create a window into Jackson’s private world, the portrait was not complete. I knew there were other objects that had not been made available to be photographed. In April of 2009, I flew back to California. Through perseverance and good fortune, we were granted one last access. This time, when I returned to New York, I had the pieces I needed to complete the story. Shortly thereafter, our investigation became a documentation of a life cut short. It is said that the Pharaohs built tombs to reveal their lives to future generations. Michael Jackson sacrificed his childhood to the calling of his musical gift. Neverland was the pyramid he constructed to a lost childhood. The artifacts captured in this book return us to the Neverland he lost.”

Henry Leutwyler’s work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, Esquire and Vanity Fair. In 2008, Leutwyler was the recipient of the ASME Magazine Cover of the Year award and recognized as the Graphis Photographer of the Year. His work has also received acclaim from the Art Directors Club of New York, The Society of Publication Designers, Photo District News, D&AD, American Photography and the James Beard Foundation. For more information on Henry Leutwyler – and to see more of his stunning work – visit henryleutwyler.com.

*All images courtesy of Henry Leutwyler.

An in-depth, thoughtful look at the history, evolution and current state of container architecture, Gestalten‘s latest title – Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture – is an informative, visually stimulating collection of examples of this “contemporary architectural phenomenon.”

The book’s introduction provides background on the container story, taking readers back to the early 20th century, when former trucking entrepreneur Malcolm McLean began to push for the implementation of standardized containers for universal freight transport, and through to the steel boxes’ role in US Army logistical operations of World War II. But it’s the visual examination of these containers’ prevalent roles in contemporary society that demands the most attention. For example, their use in :

Social/low budget architecture: Since the containers are accessible and functional, they are suitable for use in charitable organizations funded by donations, such as Melbourne’s Children’s Activity Centre (Phooey Architects), made of four shipping containers transformed into a social facility for children.

Events/exhibitions/installations: Such as architect Shigeru Ban‘s Nomadic Museum, which employs containers in two ways: as building blocks that form the supporting structure for the exhibit hall, and as transport containers for building elements and for the display specimens themselves.

Commercial/corporate architecture: Such as the mobile PUMA salesroom by LOT-EK, consising of 24 shipping containers staggered to form a three-story building.

…as well as examples of housing, public buildings, offices, art and more.

In addition to gorgeous photos of existing container architecture (check out a sampling of images below!) Container Atlas also includes plans and associated costs for each project. It even suggests solutions for common problems in the arena, making it a reliable reference for everyone from professional architects and planners to marketing managers and the general public.

Container Atlas
A Practical Guide to Container Architecture
Editors: H. Slawik, J. Bergmann, M. Buchmeier, S. Tinney
Published by: Gestalten
Price: € 49,90 / $ 78,00 / £ 45,00
Format: 24 x 30 cm
Features: 256 pages, full color, hardcover

Available now from Amazon or Gestalten.

*All images from Container Atlas: A Practical Guide to Container Architecture, © Gestalten 2010.

Since 1973, William Furlong has recorded his interviews with leading international artists around the globe for Audio Arts, an audio “magazine” offering listeners intimate access to leading artists, curators and composers. A new Phaidon collection – Speaking of Art: Four Decades of Art in Conversation – presents several of these interviews in written form for the first time ever. These revealing transcripts include conversations with everyone from Richard Serra, Gilbert & George, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, to Anish Kapoor, Chuck Close, Marina Abramovic and Jeff Wall. Over forty conversations grant one-of-a-kind insight into those creatives who’ve defined the contemporary art world for the last four decades, as the artists themselves discuss the creative process, lifestyle and specific works.

True to its audio cassette origins, Speaking of Art has even been designed with “A” and “B” sides; halfway through, one simply flips the book over to continue reading. Scroll down for some great images from the book!

Speaking of Art: Four Decades of Art in Conversation
by William Furlong
Published by Phaidon Press
256 pages, $39.95
43 black and white illustrations
9 5/8 x 6 3/4 inches

Speaking of Art is available now through Amazon.

*above: Philip Glass interviewed by William Furlong, London, 1982.

above: Damien Hirst (centre) interviewed by William Furlong and Norman Rosenthal, London, 2003.

*above: Gilbert & George interviewed by William Furlong, Milton Keynes Gallery, 1999.

*All images courtesy of Phaidon.

Iranian born photographer, videographer and filmmaker Shirin Neshat first rose to the international stage in the mid-90s with a photo series called Women of Allah, an intense body of work exploring women and martyrdom in Islamic culture. Since then, her work has progressed from photographs to video installations and short films, covering difficult topics like Eastern and Western boundaries, men and women, the sacred and the profane, exile and belonging.

A new book out this month entitled, simply, Shirin Neshat, explores the evolution of Neshat’s potent imagery (see below!). Featuring a foreword by world renowned artist Marina Abramovic and an essay by art critic Arthur Danto, this stunning collection covers everything from Women of Allah, focusing the lens on militant Muslim women, to her first feature film, Women Without Men, based on a novella by Shahrnush Parsipur, which was banned from the author’s native Iran. The film follows the lives of four women during the summer of 1953, when an American-led coup d’etat brought down Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister and reinstalled the Shah to power. Notably, Women Without Men makes its U.S. debut this year, and has already earned the Silver Lion for best director at the Venice Film Festival and been selected as part of 2010′s New Directors/New Films program of MoMA and the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Neshat’s work is boldly beautiful, incredibly powerful, and at times even stark: women cloaked in black veils with excerpts of Farsi poetry inscribed across the surface; videos of clans of men and women in barren landscapes chanting, sacred burial rituals, groups of men and women listening to rousing moralistic sermons in a public hall, and more recently, magical realist works in which women fly or plant themselves in gardens to ensure their fertility.

Shirin Neshat is available now through Amazon or Rizzoli.

Shirin Neshat
essay by Arthur Danto
foreword by Marina Abramovic
Published by Rizzoli
Hardcover, $75.00

*above: Shirin Neshat, Women of Allah Series, 1994. B&W RC print (photo taken by Cynthia Preston), 31 x 46 1/2 inches (79 x 118 cm). Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York.

*above: Shirin Neshat, Allegiance with Wakefulness, 1994. B&W RC print & ink (photo taken by Cynthia Preston), 46 3/4 x 37 1/8 inches (118.7 x 94.3 cm). Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York.

*above: Shirin Neshat, Stories of Martyrdom, 1994. B&W RC print and ink (photo taken by Cynthia Preston). 11 x 14 inches (27.9 x 35.6 cm). Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York.

*above: Shirin Neshat, Production Still. Rapture, 1999. Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York

*above: Shirin Neshat, Rapture Series, 1999. Gelatin silver print. 44 x 69 inches (111.8 x 175.3 cm). Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York

*above: Shirin Neshat, Passage Series, 2001. Cibachrome print. 51-1/8 x 63 inches framed. 130 x 160 cm framed. Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York

*above: Shirin Neshat, Passage Series, 2001. Cibachrome print. 51-1/8 x 63 inches framed. 130 x 160 cm framed. Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York

*above: Shirin Neshat, Passage Series, 2001. Cibachrome print. 42 x 63 1/8 inches (106.7 x 160.3 cm) framed. Copyright Shirin Neshat. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York

*All images courtesy of Gladstone Gallery, New York

Capturing Dennis Hopper’s very full career as an actor, director and artist over the last 40 years is an ambitious task. Flammarion’s latest title – Dennis Hopper & The New Hollywood – does just that, offering a visual testament to both Hopper’s personal creative evolution and American counterculture at large. Born of an exhibition by the Cinematheque Francaise, the new book pairs Hopper’s own paintings, photography and film work with his impressive private collection of contemporary art by names like Jenny Holzer, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns. Interviews and insightful essays give further context, completing a tome that offers a thoughtful look at one of the era’s greatest fringe icons.

Dennis Hopper & The New Hollywood
Contributions by Pierre Evil, Bernard Marcade, Matthiew Orlean and Jean-Baptiste Thoret
Hardcover, 192 pages, 230 color & b&w illustrations
Published by Flammarion (distributed by Rizzoli through Random House)

“He resisted, but I insisted.” -Dennis Hopper on casting disputes during Easy Rider

*above: Victor Skrebneski, Dennis Hopper, 1990 Gelatin Silver Print, 24 ½ x 33 ¾ in. (62.2 x 85.7 cm). Victor Skrebneski Collection, Chicago. Skrebneski Photograph © 1990, from Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood, Paris: Flammarion, 2009.

*above: Andy Warhol, Dennis Hopper, 1971. Mixed media. Silkscreen print made from synthetic polymer and ink on canvas, 40 x 40 in. (101.6 x 101.6 cm). Dennis Hopper collection, Los Angeles.’
© Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / ADAGP, Paris 2008, from Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood, Paris: Flammarion, 2009.

*Images courtesy of Flammarion.
Available now through Amazon.