FOOD FOR THOUGHT
3 books that'll make your mouth water

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Some recommended culinary releases in paperback:

Brennan is a gardener who cooks, a food writer and former owner of a specialty seed company in California. In this very up-to-date, chic-looking book, she offers dozens of ideas for dishes built around greens from iceberg to m‰che. The first segment is the book's heart: a greens glossary, a section on techniques for preparing greens and another on which greens readily substitute for others, so that you can make do with what's available in your grocery store or farmer's market. Since greens generally require little cooking, the recipes are often uncomplicated and don't use a large number of ingredients. Educational and inspiring.

"La Cucina Di Lidia" by Lidia Bastianich and Jay Jacobs; Broadway Books, paper, $19.95.

Here's the paperback edition of the classic culinary memoir from the James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur and TV show host Lidia Bastianich. It's subtitled "Recipes and Memories from Italy's Adriatic Coast; it's written in partnership with journalist and food critic Jay Jacobs, which gives the long biographical chapter a pleasant, storytelling character. Bastianich grew up on the Istrian Peninsula in what is now Croatia; it was part of Italy when she was born, and was annexed by Yugoslavia when she was a child. Still, the Italian culinary influence, especially that of nearby Venice, is strong. Bastianich — who is ethnically Italian except for a little Romanian — learned a cuisine that was primarily Italian but with Slavic accents. So you will find risotto and polenta here, but also yota, the classic Istrian bean soup (and hangover cure) and sguazet, a particularly Istrian technique for preparing tougher cuts of meat, slowly stewing them with onion, shallot, tomato, herbs and wine. The latter is among the most popular dishes at Felidia, Bastianich's original New York restaurant. Well-written, technique-oriented and mouth-watering.

"A Flash in the Pan" by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard; Chronicle Books, paper, $22.95.

Subtitled "fast, fabulous recipes in a single skillet," this book is meant to be the weeknight cook's friend with a 30-minute preparation time line. The book is international in scope, with recipes ranging from lemon-grass beef to Tuscan sausages with cannelini beans. Contemporary and not too challenging.