By 1954, John Lehmann’s publishing firm had been closed down and Elizabeth found herself contracted to Macdonald. She intensely disliked Macdonald and felt that they showed little care for her books and manuscripts. Elizabeth was able to persuade them to relinquish their option on her next book. Elizabeth sold her next book to Museum Press, which published ‘Summer Cooking’, illustrated by a friend of Elizabeth’s, Adrian Daintrey, in 1955. In ‘Summer Cooking’, Elizabeth wrote about dishes from around the world, including Britain, India, Russia, Turkey, France, Italy and Greece. The book reflected her strong belief in seasonal foods, which anticipated today’s rediscovery of the importance of seasonality in the use of ingredients. Soon after the publication of ‘Summer Cooking’, Elizabeth started writing for ‘Vogue’ magazine, which offered her a prominent full central page as well as a full-page photograph. The new contract also enabled her to write for the sister magazine of ‘Vogue’, ‘House & Garden’. ‘Vogue’ provided her with funds to undertake new research in France which led to her next book, ‘French Provincial Cooking’, which was published in 1960. ‘French Provincial Cooking’ was the culmination of over ten years work and ran to 600 pages, establishing Elizabeth’s reputation as not only a cook but as a writer of excellence. ‘The Observer’ spoke of Elizabeth as having ‘a very special kind of genius’. The publication of ‘French Provincial Cooking’ coincided with Elizabeth’s long delayed divorce from Anthony David in 1960.