ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 18, 1995 TAG: 9512180013
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
It's that magical time of the year. It's when a roly-poly man in a bright red suit tumbles pell-mell down chimneys carrying a huge sack of - the year's best cookbooks.
Veteran teacher Nick Malgieri explains every step to baking success in How To Bake: The Complete Guide to Perfect Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Tarts, Breads, Pizzas, and Muffins (Harper Collins Publishers, $35). Nine chapters and over 400 clearly written recipes cover the entire range of sweet and savory baked goods. This book appeals both to experienced bakers and beginners.
In Book of Tarts: Form, Function, and Flavor (William Morrow & Co., $25.) Maury Rubin shares his secrets for transforming a simple, but finely textured cookie dough into the crusts for 40 elegant tarts made in the bottomless molds called flan rings. His uncomplicated recipes yield dazzling and delectable results.
Besides explaining agar-agar and zerde, Carole Bloom compiles more than 800 desserts, baking terms, and techniques in The International Dictionary of Desserts, Pastries and Confections (Hearst Books, $17.95). Bloom provides 86 classic recipesand says where to find and how to use specialized equipment. A must for the traveler, the inquisitive, and the baker.
Bread For All Seasons: Delicious and Distinctive Recipes for Year-Round Baking (Chronicle Books, $18.95), by Beth Hensperger, is a collection of 80 recipes for baking some of the best loaves of bread for every month of the year. My tastebuds swooned with delight as I bit into April's Pain Hawaiian, a savory bread gloriously crunchy with macadamia nuts, and don't wait for May to try Rosemary Raisin bread. This engaging book not only delights the palate but captivates the intellect with its rich, informative prose.
Natalie Haughton devotes her newest book, The Best Slow Cooker Cookbook Ever (HarperCollins, $17.95), to one-pot meals that cook themselves without tending. The simple-to-use slow cooker stars in 150 practical recipes for appetizers, soups, chillis, stews, poultry, meat and meatless main courses, side dishes, condiments, desserts and beverages.
Anyone who has steamed vegetables knows the incomparable colors and flavors, the pure subtle tastes this cooking method unlocks. In The Art of Cooking with Steam (``Cuisine A La Vapeur'') translated and interpreted by Stephanie Lyness (William Morrow & Co., $25), the late Jacques Maniere opens the door to this technique through more than 100 recipes. Hailed for the healthful simplicity and freshness of his food, Maniere derives the best from vegetables, seafood, poultry, meats, and desserts.
Ronni Lundy entertains and captivates with Shuck Beans, Stack Cakes, and Honest Fried Chicken: The Heart and Soul of Southern Country Kitchens (Atlantic Monthly Press, $24.95). This collection of 189 recipes savors the memories of food, family, and friendship from some of country music's most beloved performers. If you've been searching for a collection of real southern recipes, this is it.
In The Festive Table: Your Own Holiday Traditions (North Point Press, $27.50.), Lundy travels across the country conversing with folks who celebrate traditional holidays with a flair. A year' s worth of inventive celebrations and a mosaic of cuisines, ranging from a Meatless Passover with Manna-from Heaven Stuffed Vegetables to a Chinese Rosh Hashanah, come to life on these pages. This upbeat book energizes the soul and renews the spirit.
In his eighth cookbook, chef and cooking teacher Jay Harlow visits a classic American standby - the sandwich - and creates more than 60 tempting combinations with finesse and class. The Art Of The Sandwich (Chronicle Books, $14.95) uncovers ingredients suitable for making sandwiches the star of any occasion. Try an Italian ham with mushrooms, or do a cold swordfish sandwich with tapenade. With this book, you have access to hundreds of delectable ideas that won't stretch your bank account, and Victor Budnik's photographs almost jump off the pages.
Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen (Harlow & Ratner, $18.95), by Laxmi Hiremath, features a simplified approach to the aromatic and flavorful vegetarian dishes of India. The author replaces baking with frying, yet maintains authentic flavors and textures, and she uses modern appliances instead of the typical time-consuming methods.
In Trattoria: The Best of Casual Italian Cooking (Sunset Books, $19.95/hardcover), Mary Beth Clark invites you into the neighborhood restaurants of Milan, Venice, Rome and Palermo, where the real Italian food is served. Clark's carefully written recipes are honest and easy to follow. They produce the genuine, delicious flavors and mouthwatering presentations we seek in Italian foods. She covers the spectrum with antipasto, the first courses, the main courses, side dishes, and desserts.
Bistro: The Best of Casual French Cooking (Sunset Books, $19.95/hardcover), by Gerald Hirigoyen brings to the home kitchen the simple, traditional regional French dishes created with seasonal ingredients. Nothing is complicated, from starters like chestnut and celery soup to such main courses as sauteed shrimp with fried garlic. This well-balanced book includes suggestions on selecting the proper beverage, plus an interesting history lesson on the origin of the bistro. A native of the Basque region, Hirigoyen owns Fringale Restaurant in San Francisco, and writes for several national publications.
Diane Rossen Worthington, a Los Angeles-based food writer and consultant, settles into a cozy booth and brings Diner: The Best of Casual American Cooking ($19.95/hardcover) into the home kitchen. Hearty, wholesome and satisfying American food comes alive in these recipes for meatloaf, soups, blue plate specials, strawberry-topped French toast, the chocolate malted, a flaky pie crust, the Mile-High Chocolate Layer Cake, sandwiches, salads, sides and melts.
Sausage making takes only a few minutes and no special equipment, according to Flying Sausages: Simple, Savory Recipes for Creating and Cooking with Chicken and Turkey Sausages (Chronicle Books, $14.95), by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly. The book begins with seven basic recipes that take you through 140 applications. I tried the Italian Turkey and Sun Dried Tomato Sausage and the Chinese Black Mushroom Sausage and my food processor made short shrift of both versions. Not only were the flavors a knockout but there's absolutely no excess fat, no casings are required and no special equipment is needed. Best of all, I knew what I was eating.
The Woman 's Day Cookbook: Great Recipes, Bright Ideas, and Healthy Choices for Today 's Cook (Viking, $24.95) offers more than 700 dependable recipes that meet the needs of today's busy and health-conscious cooks. Eighteen chapters provide information on techniques and nutritional breakdown, plus invaluable ``make ahead'' tips.
The Greens Book (Interweave Press, $14.95), by Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille, introduces myriad green vegetables into 40 delectable recipes. Stuff a ham with chard, puff ravioli with beet greens and dress them with a walnut sage sauce, or simply stir-fry a mixture of jade and ruby greens.
Make the most of low fat cooking with Lean Italian Meatless Meals (Fawcett Columbine, $18.50), by Anne Casale, and Rose Reisman Brings Home Light Pasta (Robert Rose Inc., $16.95). Casale's 130 homestyle recipes sacrifice fat but deliver tremendous Italian-style flavor and nutrition. Reisman is passionate about all kinds of pasta and its sauces. For this book, she roams the globe while transforming 175 noodle dishes into light, delicious creations. Both books provide nutritional analysis, meaningful cooking tips, and great style.
The Basic Gourmet: 100 Foolproof Recipes and Essential Techniques for the Beginning Cook (Chronicle Books, $15.95), is a collaborative effort from a group of Washington State cooking teachers who offer a simple and direct approach to American food. Each recipe provides step-by-step instructions and answers to questions. Invaluable headnotes provide information and technical knowledge.
Contented with his night' s work, Santa sits near the hearth to rest for a moment. He reads the brief note left on top of a small dish of cookies. ``Dear Santa, Thanks for the joy. Before you do your anti-gravity trip up the chimney, take a break and enjoy these cookies. They're from Cookies By The Dozen: Over 75 Recipes For A Dozen Cookies Each by Dolores Kostelni (Warner Books, $10.99).''
LENGTH: Long : 140 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Cindy Pinkston. 1. Cookbooks that cover the basics areby CNBhot items for this year's gift list. 2. From "The Best Slow Cooker
Cookbook Evert" to "Flying Sausages," there's a cookbook for
everyone. color.