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Pull up a chair - or a patch of grass. Now is the perfect time to think about picnics. The fresh air. The sunshine. Good company. Good food.

Picnics don't always have to be the traditional potato salad and fried chicken fare. They can be anything, from elaborate gourmet spreads at a lawn concert to just a simple sandwich slapped together at the nearest park.

Ideally, a picnic is a moveable meal, a portable feast - memorable and always delicious.

We asked three cookbook authors to design a special picnic menu for a specific locale. Here is what they came up with.