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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 25, 2002

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Cookbooks that focus on quick

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

If you are reading this, you're probably interested in cooking. But since you are also living in the early years of the 21st century, you probably don't have much time. Here's a look at the pluses and minuses of new cookbooks that offer easy, time-saver recipes.

"The Minimalist Cooks at Home" by Mark Bittman; Broadway Books, hardcover, $26. Revised, streamlined re-release of popular book from the James Beard and Julia Child/IACP winning New York Times columnist and author of "How to Cook Everything."

Pluses: Recipes confined to single pages or facing pages. Each recipe features "Keys to Success" (tips) and "With Minimal Effort" (variations). Unpretentious. Wine recommendations and serving suggestions. Though recipes seem few, variations allow you to spin dishes many different ways.

Down side: No pictures. Though simple, some recipes aren't quick.

"Seriously Simple, Easy Recipes for Creative Cooks" by Diane Rossen Worthington; Chronicle books, paperback, $24.95. By a James Beard Award-winning food writer and broadcaster; previous books include "American Bistro" and "The Cuisine of California."

Pluses: Information intensive — in my first quick page-through, I picked half a dozen tips (i.e. trimming nasty black gills from portobello mushrooms; wrapping dried-out parmesan in damp paper towels to refresh it; having a butcher cut game hens in half to speed cooking time and make them easier to present and eat). Recipes each confined to one page. Innovative recipe ideas. Table of equivalents.

Down side: Graphic treatment in "Essential Pantry" section, with all lower-case letters, is annoying. A bit on the self-consciously "gourmet" side.

"Fast Entrees" by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison; Ten Speed Press, oversize paper, $17.95. Third in a series of photo-intensive "fast" books by these authors.

Emphasis on fresh, high-quality food. Eclectic, international recipe selection. Visually appealing guide to what belongs in a well-stocked pantry. Solid mini-lessons in cooking techniques with photos. Lots of tips.

Down side: Book format awkward; requires cookbook holder. They seem to think you need an awful lot of fancy tools.

It's the pre-Christmas publishing season; more cookbooks next week.