Inspired by years working as a chef in New York City and the Hamptons, as well as her childhood summers on Nantucket, Meredith Hayden makes food that is both unfussy and elegant—often with a touch of whimsy. In The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook, Meredith teaches you to cook like a professional hostess (and have fun while doing it). This is the kind of food to celebrate every season of life; the kind of cooking you don’t start until you’ve made yourself a drink first. Recipes range from 20-minute meals to show-stopping centerpieces, all fit for your next dinner party.

Here you’ll find big salads (Blueberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad) and sharable sammies (the Ultimate Italian); there are your starters, your grazers, your chatting-with-friends snackers like Hot Crab Dip and Really Good Guac. Serve the Pink Lemon Pasta when friends come over after work or pack up the Farro Broccoli Salad for lunch the next day. Snack on an Heirloom Tomato Galette and veg out on Asparagus Fries with Feta. Your authority on all things seafood, Meredith shows you the easiest way to break down a lobster so that you can use it in a number of recipes like the Lobster Avocado Salad and Wok Lobster. Or how to shuck oysters so you can enjoy them grilled or with a yuzu kosho mignonette. Throw your own Nantucket Clam Bake, why not?

With sharp, witty commentary, themed menus, and gorgeous imagery, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook will inspire you to rediscover the joy in cooking, romanticize your grocery hauls, and find any excuse to celebrate with friends and family.