Reviews

This slender book from the doyenne of gourmet cooking is a boon for those who need a refresher course in, or a handy source for, basics. These notes come from Child's own kitchen notebook, years in the making. Generally, each recipe is included in "master" form with numerous variations; for example, a section on potatoes explains the ins and outs of Mashed Potatoes, as well as provides a recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Child's voice is always welcome, and never more so than when she is providing no-muss-no-fuss advice like this. A quick section on dried beans covers soaking as well as cooking in a pressure cooker or Crock-Pot, and some more esoteric treats, such as homemade bread and souffl‚s, have their place here. Helpful tips proliferate throughout: Sea Scallops Saut‚ed with Garlic and Herbs are followed by a paragraph on scallops that exude too much juice, and a section on tarts explains how to prebake a shell. Even Hamburgers (plain and flavored) are covered here. (Nov. 19) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Appearances can indeed be deceiving. Of course, this comes from the inestimable Child, but it is a short, small-format book, packaged as the companion volume to a two-hour PSB special that will air in December. In fact, it is packed with more information than many cookbooks three times its size contain. Julia refers to it as a "mini aide-m‚moire" for home cooks, a book that grew out of her own loose-leaf kitchen notebook, revised and rethought over the years. The focus is on technique, but there are dozens of recipes as well, both "master recipes" and their spin-offs, and others that stand aloneÄan amazing variety, in fact. This would be the one cookbook to take to a summer vacation house, for example, but any home cook will find it a useful reference time and time again. An essential purchase, obviously; most libraries will want multiple copies. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.