Truck Food Cookbook, Hot Sauce! & People's Pops

Food in one hand, a book in the other

One-handed dishes are a staple of al fresco eating.

But what does one do with the other hand? Our suggestion: Use the other hand to hold the following well-timed books. Their contents will lead you to delicious outdoor dishes with which to occupy your other hand.

Truck Food Cookbook: This is the latest work from Southern-food diplomat John T. Edge, and uncovers moving street-food targets from Tucson to Minneapolis. But this food is just as delicious off the street; taste for yourself by making one of the more than 100 recipes (Frito pie, sweet-potato cupcakes) at home (click here to buy).

Hot Sauce!: Promising to increase the numbers of devoted chile-heads, this tome offers a thorough hot-sauce schooling. There are histories on famed brands and heat levels of individual peppers, plus multiple recipes for various types of hot sauce, so you'll be primed for every plate of wings you meet this summer (click here to buy).

People's Pops: We've already dog-eared our copy of this book, which documents the recipes from the seasonal New York popsicle stand of the same name. Right now, the rhubarb and jasmine pops are our staple, but come late summer, we'll be dedicated to corn and blackberry pops (click here to buy).