THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412020059
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEREMIAH CRONIN, SPECIAL TO SUNDAY FLAVOR
LENGTH: Long : 160 lines
WHETHER YOU'RE an experienced chef, a beginning cook or one of the great food-loving masses in between, you'll find something to your liking in the rasher of cookbooks out this year.
Because it's the season for sharing good food with friends and family, we present a holiday wish list of fine cookbooks. You might not want to wait for gift-giving time - these books are filled with dishes sure to please.
``Now You're Cooking: Everything a Beginner Needs To Know To Start Cooking Today'' by Elaine Corn (Harlow & Ratner, $24.95) is a wonderfully written introduction to the enjoyment of cooking.
The book grew out of an award-winning, 10-part series that Corn was inspired by a frustrated non-cooking friend to write. It's ideal for those setting up their first working kitchen or anyone who wants to avoid the daily restaurant scene.
Corn begins with a pep talk and information on a few basic skills and utensils. The encouragement continues: The aspiring cook is introduced to techniques through a well-formated series of recipes.
Corn begins each recipe with a list of techniques, cookware and equipment required. This is followed by an explanation of what the cook is trying to accomplish and what is happening to the food as it is prepared.
Each recipe is written clearly and has a side section including topics such as ingredient selection and variations.
``Cooking in the South: A Modern Approach to Traditional Southern Fare'' by Anne Byrn (Peachtree Publishers, paperback reissue, $12.95) is a straightforward compendium of new and traditional Southern recipes.
It is broken down into foods and courses and each section begins with a one-page vignette on a typical Southern recipe. For example, the section on meats tells how to pit-cook a pig; the eggs and cheese section sings the praises of boiled custard.
Recipes make up the bulk of the book, with little embellishment on technique. The recipes are clearly written, with helpful notes on such topics as substitutions, preparing ahead and freezing.
The traditional Southern cook will find old favorites here but with some interesting twists, such as the substitution of cumin for ham hock in seasoning green beans.
``Cooking in France'' (Alfred A. Knopf, $30) was written by Pierre Franey and Richard Flaste as a companion to a public television series. It covers 19 areas of France and their distinctive cuisines.
While by no means a complete primer of any one region's cooking, the book gives the reader an excellent feel for the soul of each region and its food.
Some of the well-presented stories are excellent for the mind of an aspiring chef. In particular, the discovery that the precise practitioners of haute cuisine are easing up; that big plate/small portion artists of nouvelle cuisine are starting to realize that people are hungry; and that hearty country fare is enjoying a deserved renaissance, is particularly liberating.
Each region begins with a listing of the specialties, including main courses and a mixture of desserts, wines and cheeses when appropriate. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. A small section of color plates provides ideas for presentation.
``The Beautiful Cookbooks - Three Hundred of the Best Recipes From Italy, France, Mexico'' (Collins, $50) is a boxed set of smaller versions of three books from the ``Beautiful Cookbooks'' coffee-table series.
Typical courses are given for each cuisine. The recipes are presented well, and start with culinary wisdom about the dish, its ingredients or the country. Instructions follow.
In addition to wonderful descriptions of food, nearly every page features a full-color photograph of a recipe. The name ``Beautiful Cookbooks'' is well suited to the series, and the recipes are fun to read.
The information about the countries and foods is inspiring; the presentation is lavish.
``The African-American Kitchen - Cooking From Our Heritage'' by Angela Shelf Madearis (Dutton, $23.95) is filled with the love of good family, good food and traditions. Anyone enjoys the aromas and flavors of African-influenced cooking will like this book.
Madearis covers Africa, the Caribbean, Slave Kitchens, the African-American Kitchen and African-American Traditions. Recipes are interspersed with intriguing tales and insightful proverbs.
The recipes are well laid out and easy to follow, although some assumptions are made about the reader's knowledge of technique, such as thickening a flour gravy without lumps. Of particular interest is the inclusion of non-alcoholic drinks appropriate to each section.
``The Christmas Table - A Holiday Cookbook'' by Carolyn Miller (HarperPerennial, $17) is an all-around holiday feast. The author presents 12 full menus for holiday meals and a special section on Christmas treats.
The traditionally influenced menus range from Christmas Day breakfast and New Year's Brunch to Advent Open House and Tree Trimming Parties. Miller adds spice to the book with information on the roots of traditions dating to the pre-Christian era that have been integrated into our understanding and enjoyment of the ``holy days.''
Each section leads with the menu and instructions on coordinating the feast, including pre-preparation. Recipes follow. Though they appear daunting at first glance, the instructions are uncomplicated - the author simply leaves nothing to chance.
The photographs are more artsy than instructive but do set the mood. This is an excellent book for planning the food portion of a holiday get-together.
``Fusion Food Cookbook'' by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison (Artisan, $35) provides insight into the style of cooking that has come to be known as new American. Often identified with California, where Carpenter and wife Sandison live in the Napa Valley, it represents the combining of flavors, styles and ingredients in unexpected ways.
As Carpenter points out, fusion is not a new concept. When the first tomatoes and chilies came from the New World, they forever changed the cooking in Europe and Asia. Likewise, the Portuguese introduced the now-characteristic citrus fruits and cheeses to the New World.
What inspires the latest version of an old concept is the ready access to experiencing other cultures through jet-set travel, and the increasing availability of ingredients from around the world.
Carpenter begins with a section on his philosophy of cooking and an introduction to the way he creates. The recipe format is well thought out.
In addition to excellent cooking instructions, information on advance preparation and menu ideas, Carpenter gives level of difficulty. This allows the home cook to ease into it and build skill through practice.
The salad section is particularly inspiring, and uses a variety of ingredients.
``Focaccia - Simple Breads From the Italian Oven'' by Carol Field (Chronicle Books, $14.95) is an introduction and guide to making these simple but versatile flat breads from Italy. As Field points out, what pizza is to Naples and the south of Italy, focaccia is to Genoa and the north.
After reading and playing with the recipes in this book, you will understand why focaccia is appearing on menus for everything from desserts to sandwiches.
Field clearly tells how to make focaccia in its many forms. Savory breads flavored with rosemary, filled breads stuffed with artichokes, and sweet breads flavored with oranges, raisins and nuts are among the recipes.
With basic techniques at the beginning of the book, cooks can experiment to their hearts' content.
``Roger Verge's Vegetables in the French Style'' by Roger Verge (Artisan, $35) is a brilliant piece of work by a man who has a deep love for these oft-neglected stars of the table. In this translated version of a 1992 French book, vegetables take center stage.
The cooking section begins with a variety of recipes for saucing vegetables. Subsequent sections deal with sun-drenched, green, earthy and foreign vegetables.
The write-ups on each vegetable include what to look for, when to look for it and the best ways of cooking it. The remainder of the section contains intriguing recipes, such as a dessert of honey-crusted spinach leaves.
The book finishes with sections on techniques applicable to vegetables, and tables indicating what works best. The recipes inspire, and are supported by instructions for working the wonders yourself.
``Chocolate and the Art of Making Low-Fat Desserts'' by Alice Medrich (Warner Books, $35) is a welcome addition to the ranks of low-fat cookbooks. Although not many of the recipes would be deemed heart-healthy, they represent a significant drop in the fat and cholesterol levels normally associated with such decadent fare.
Medrich, the proprietress of the Cocolat dessert shops, has applied her skills to creating a set of basics for dessert-making.
In addition to well-written recipes for lower-fat versions of Chocolate Decadence, Black Bottom Banana Napoleons and more, she gives techniques for transforming old favorites or creating new ones.
Instructions are well-written, and the recipes include nutritional information, work and bake times and ideas for variations. MEMO: Jeremiah Cronin is a free-lance writer, book reviewer and avid cook
living in Norfolk.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
by CNB