ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050004
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: REVIEW
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
RECIPEASELS not only contain
great food ideas, they also fit
compactly on the kitchen counter.|
``Wow!''
``What a great idea!''
``Where do I get these books?''
These are typical comments from everyone who has looked through my four Recipeasels cookbooks from Chronicle Books, San Francisco.
Indeed, Recipeasels are the newest concept in cookbook publication. The name refers to the style, which combines the best attributes of a stenographer's stand-up spiral notebook, the compactness of stain-resistant recipe cards and the attractiveness of a costly bound book. Recipeasels are imaginative, clever and practical. They store easily. They're ergonomic. And they make wonderful gifts for beginning and experienced cooks alike. In short, they're great.
A free-standing Recipeasels flips open to fit in a 61/4 x 43/4-inch space. Its print and letters are the same size as in standard cookbooks.
Recipeasels cost $14.95 each and hold 125 or more recipes from best-selling cookbooks. Each book contains several blank pages for personal notes, a thorough cross-referencing index and a resource section. They come in attractively designed slipcases, making storage no problem.
Barbara Kafka's ``Microwave Gourmet Healthstyle'' features 150 concise recipes in 12 chapters. Every recipe begins with an interesting headnote and concludes with complete nutritional information, plus ideas for variations. Each of the remaining three books - Steven Raichlen's "High-Flavor Low-Fat Cooking," "Mollie Katzen's New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant" and Lee Bailey's "Great Meals For Family and Friends" - offer 125 user-friendly recipes as well as a comprehensive range of information and data. I found all the materials to be exactly what I needed and wanted. From each Recipeasel, I randomly selected and cooked several representative recipes so I could give you a better picture of what's inside.
Kafka's recipe produced a tasty sauce that couldn't be any easier to make. I used a bit mixed in with black beans, lots of chopped parsley and couscous for a colorful side dish.
My family enjoyed Bailey's green beans as a side dish with grilled chicken. The combination of rosemary and a vinaigrette-laced mustard enhances the beans with unusual flavors and in a streaked, marbleized pattern.
The vintage Katzen recipe is a surprise play of tart and sweet golden apricots among the flaky phyllo layers. This is an easy recipe with few ingredients. Every mouthful is a reward for the time this takes to put together.
Raichlen's recipe and its accompaniments produce a tasty, attractive dish that comes together in no time. The assortment of spices makes a fragrant, compelling mixture that harmonizes nicely with the spinach and shrimp. recipies: APRICOT BAKLAVA< TOMATO SAUCE CASALINGA< GREEN BEANS IN MUSTARD MARINADE< SHRIMP SAAG
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB