by Frank Schroth

The weather is gorgeous this time of year and Milton residents have some excellent al fresco dining options. Here in Milton there is 88 Wharf Street which (we think) is on a rebound. They have re-invigorated the menu in recent months. You can dine on the patio overlooking the Neposet at Milton Landing.

Across the Neponset in Lower Mills there is ester which was recently cited as one of the 50 best al fresco restaurant options by Boston magazine and the only one in Dorchester. They have a great outdoor patio in the back that is a welcome respite.

Further up Dorchester Avenue across from the Ashmont T stop is the Ashmont Grill which also has a patio in the back which while not flagged by Boston Magazine is worth a stop.

Also of interest to cooks and foodies will be the chefs stopping into the Fruit Center this month. September is Cookbook Author Month @ Fruit Center

The Fruit Center reached out to five notable cookbook authors who live and work within an hour of their two stores. The result is a full month of in-store cookbook sales and on-the-spot autographing by the authors.

Dates and times vary and cookbook quantities are limited. There is no charge to meet and speak to these authors. Book sales will be available by cash or major credit card. Look for these exciting culinary experts:

Amy Traverso
The Apple Lover’s Cookbook
Thursday, September 11 from 4-5 PM in the Milton store
Cost: $30 per autographed copy

Winner of IACP’s “Best Cookbook” award in 2012. Apple Lover’s Cookbook celebrates the beauty of apples in all their delicious variety, taking you from the orchard to the kitchen with recipes both sweet (like Apple-Stuffed Biscuit Buns and Blue Ribbon Deep-Dish Apple Pie) and savory (like Cider-Brined Turkey and Apple Squash Gratin). It offers a full-color guide to fifty-nine apple varieties, with descriptions of their flavor, history, and, most important, how to use them in the kitchen. Amy is an editor at Yankee magazine.

Beatrice Peltre’
La Tartine Gourmand
Saturday, September 13 1-2 PM in the Milton store
Cost: $20 per autographed copy

What could be sweeter than life with friendship and food at its center? For Béatrice Peltre, author of the award-winning blog LaTartineGourmande.com, to cook is to delight in the best of what life has to offer. Welcome to a world where flavors are collected as souvenirs and shared as heirlooms, and where the dishes we create are expressions of our joie de vivre. With nearly 100 recipes and charming anecdotes, La Tartine Gourmande takes you on a journey, not only through the meals of the day but around the world, as Béa revisits her inspiration for each dish.

Catherine Walthers
Kale, Glorious Kale -Cooking Class Wednesday, September 24

5:30-7:00 PM in the 2nd floor café’ at the Milton store
10 Bassett Street
$25 for 90-minute cooking class; cost includes an autographed cookbook

Now, with the guidance of cookbook author Cathy Walthers – whose other top sellers include Raising the Salad Bar and Soups & Sides – every home cook can explore the multitude of ways this most healthy of foods can be made into delectable and satisfying meals. From Baked Eggs over Kale in the morning to main courses like Chicken Braised with Kale and Cider, Kale, Glorious Kale, which hit bookstores on September 15, will be your complete guide to the greatest of green vegetables.

Paula Marcoux
Cooking with Fire
Saturday, September 27 from 12-1 PM in the Milton store

Cooking with live fire goes way beyond the barbecue grill, says Marcoux, who is food editor of Edible South Shore. Rediscover the pleasures of a variety of unconventional techniques, from roasting pork on a spit to baking bread in ashes, searing fish on a griddle, roasting vegetables in a fireplace, making soup in a cast-iron pot, baking pizza in a wood-fired oven, cooking bacon on a stick, and much, much more. Includes 100 recipes for everything from roasted rabbit and fish chowder to baguettes and burnt cream.