FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Books offer tasty ways to cook, bake
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
The cookbook shelf is overflowing again with spring releases. This will the first of two columns offering mini-reviews of the most interesting books that have crossed my desk:
"Essentials of Cooking" by James Peterson; Artisan, paper, $24.95.
As much as I love my old standbys — "Joy of Cooking" and such — this new all-purpose cookbook reference is the one I'd probably give a new householder. Unlike the older-style basic cookbooks, this one is packed with pictures (worth at least 1,000 words each) and is focused less on recipes (which are everywhere) and more on step-by-step instruction for the sorts of building-block recipes we all use: how to cook artichokes, how to poach a big fish, how to make a vinaigrette. The focus is Mainlandish, of course, but the techniques for filleting a fish, for example, or grilling a piece of chicken apply whether the fish is Atlantic or Pacific and whether the chicken will be served with cream sauce or teriyaki. New York-based Peterson has won awards from the International Association of Cooking Professionals and the James Beard Foundation, and has taught at the prestigious Peter Kump Cooking School.
"Kraft Kitchens New Classics" from Kraft Foods; Clarkson Potter, paper, $15.95.
This is another reference cook, but of a different kind: a collection of Kraft Foods' most requested recipes updated to make them simpler to prepare and to bring them into line with today's more sophisticated tastes. Healthful alternatives are given in some cases. Variations are given with each recipe so you can alter the ideas depending on what you have in the fridge or cupboard. Tips are packaged throughout the book.
"Good Housekeeping Great Baking" by the editors of Good Housekeeping; Hearst Books, hardback, $29.95.
Cooks and bakers are often in two different camps: Many who don't much enjoy day-to-day food preparation do love to bake. It's a pastime that offers such wonderful, immediate gratification — you either get to eat the goods or collect the compliments. Each of the 600 recipes for cakes, cookies, breads, pies and pastries in this collection was tested three times in the Good Housekeeping kitchen under the guidance of food director Susan Westmoreland. It's all here: old favorite recipes plus updated ideas, a guide to tools, instruction in technique. Nutritional breakdowns are given for every recipe, so at least you know how bad you're being!
