Visions of cookbooks dance in their heads

New food volumes make tasty reading, delicious presents

Index

PARMIGIANO- REGGIANO CRISPS WITH GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE

By Joan Brunskill, Associated Press writer

NEW YORK -- Some food books are so good to look at you wonder if they will ever get taken into the kitchen and exposed to splashes and splatter.

But they make wonderful gifts, because they are not the kind of books people buy for themselves. They can be costly, but inspiration does not always come cheap. The value of the insights dished out by masters of the art of cooking is beyond calculation.

Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller is revered. His restaurant, the French Laundry, in Yountville, Calif., is a mecca for connoisseurs of fine food. His new book, "The French Laundry Cookbook" (Artisan, $50) is a dream of refined yet simply elegant presentation.

But his extraordinary reputation and the adulation showered on him rest light as a souffle on Chef Keller's shoulders.

Preparing some of his recipes for a rapt audience recently in Manhattan, he loped unaffectedly around the kitchen area and laced his low-key commentary with humor.

It's clear he sets the highest standards of purity and taste, yet he's a man who can irreverently label as "macaroni and cheese" his sophisticated combination of butter-poached Maine lobster with broth and mascarpone-enriched orzo.

Other recipes in the book include complex delicacies casually listed as fish and chips (red mullet with garlic disks, parsley coulis and garlic chips) and "Yabba Dabba Do" (rib steak, chanterelles and Bordelaise sauce).

This cannot hide Keller's utterly serious attitude to food. "Respect" and "integrity" are key words when he talks about ingredients and their presentation.

The book tells his story, he says, and his story is full of appreciation of the people he works with, especially his suppliers.

"This is all about relationships, people's respect for each other's excellence," Keller says, and so there are chapters on "The Mushroom Lady," "The Pittsburgh Lamber" and "The Accidental Fishmonger."

Profiles and chapters of general culinary background alternate with detailed recipes in the large-format book, which is written by Keller with Susie Heller and Michael Ruhlman, and is generously illustrated with color photographs by Deborah Jones.

Keller's advice to home cooks is reassuring. "The recipes are guidelines, you need to feel free to follow your taste, your likes," he says.

"Cooking is a learning process. If it doesn't come out right the first time, try again -- and again."

"The History of Bread" (Abrams, $60) by Bernard Dupaigne begins with the bread of the pharaohs and ancient Greece, rambles colorfully through history and around the world, and ends with recipes for Walnut Raisin Bread and Pita Bread for today's home cook.

That is absolutely fitting for a book about the very staff of life and the many forms it has assumed.

Dupaigne is a French academic, whose translated text in this expansive volume is almost subordinate to the illustrations. A major part of the story is told in fine reproductions of paintings and drawings, in period and new photographs -- turning the pages is as entertaining as it is informative.

The idea of cold foods makes sense when they are the subject of a stylish book to browse through, with the reader cozily ensconced indoors away from winter's chill.

"Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen" (Wiley, $54.95), from the Culinary Institute of America, provides a complete course in the preparation of every kind of cold food: simple sandwiches, smart hors d'oeuvre, cheeses and sausages, salads and sauces, and more. The range includes a Whole Smoked Ham and a Vegetable Burger.

There are more than 400 recipes, with careful explanations of basic preparation techniques; color photos illustrate step-by-step methods and finished dishes. You might try the Deviled Quail Egg Canapes now for a holiday party -- and make note of the Spring Herb Salad for later.

Two handsome books on French and Italian cooking, in the "Savoring" series that is a joint venture between Williams-Sonoma and Time-Life Books, are winners even judged only on the beauty of their color photos.

They are "Savoring France: Recipes and Reflections on French Cooking" (Time-Life, $39.95) by Georgeanne Brennan; and "Savoring Italy: Recipes and Reflections on Italian Cooking" (Time-Life, $39.95) by Michele Scicolone.

Both have food photos by Noel Barnhurst and scenic photos by Steven Rothfeld that evoke the distinctive settings and flavors of each country. From France, images showing the beach at Nice, a Parisian bakery, a bowl of bouillabaisse. From Italy, Florentine sculpture, a Tuscan hillside, ossobuco and delectable desserts -- dolci.

You may well want to rush off to Europe without delay; failing that, there's no lack of appealing recipes to whip up in your own kitchen here at home.

"Chocolate Passion: Recipes and Inspiration from the Kitchens of Chocolatier Magazine" (Wiley, $39.95), by Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty, will no doubt prove irresistible to chocoholics and those who love them.

It has helpful text on basic techniques and equipment. But what will really inspire devotees of the choc-lit genre will be the recipes, illustrated by John Uher's photos.

Picture the delicate crunch of Cashew White Chocolate Meringue Cake; the shameless charm of little Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Mice; the seduction of Dipped Bittersweet Chocolate Scones with Rum-Macerated Dried Cherries.

Culinary treasure troves without illustrations but loaded with food lore are:

"The Best of Craig Claiborne" (Times Books, $35) by Craig Claiborne with Pierre Franey. This brings together 1,000 previously published recipes, drawn from the late writer's New York Times food columns and four of his classic cookbooks.

"A Mediterranean Feast" (Morrow, $35) by Clifford A. Wright, which tells of the evolution of the rich and pungent cuisines of the countries around the Mediterranean.

The history covers thousands of years, the disasters of war and the triumphs of culture. Recipes given with original and translated names have been culled from a wide swath of regions that include Moorish Spain and North Africa, Provence and Sicily, Turkey and the Near East.

A quartet of collections are the result of exhaustive selection, editors claim:

"The Best Recipe" (Boston Common Press, $29.95) by the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine. They tested 38 versions of creme caramel alone, they say, en route to opting for the 700 recipes included here -- from soups to souffles, all presumably just about foolproof.

"Family Circle All-Time Favorite Recipes" (Doubleday, $29.95) from the editors of Family Circle magazine. Here are some 600 of the recipes that have proved most popular with the magazine's readers, starting with appetizers and on through cakes and cookies, many shown in color photos.

"The Best American Recipes 1999" (Houghton Mifflin, $26) by Fran McCullough and Suzanne Hamlin. The writers of this book made their selection from the year's outpouring in books, magazines, newspapers and the Internet. They cooked up a storm and settled for 110, a lively variety that includes Birds in Grape Sauce, Shrimp and Grits, and Marion Cunningham's Buttermilk Pancakes.

"American Home Cooking" (Broadway, $35), by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, is a coast-to-coast sampling of traditional regional home cooking. This the real food that people are eating, right here and now, they say, and they offer about 300 recipes for tasting.

After bread, the next most elemental food may be the apple. Two books which encourage enjoyment of the fruit are:

"An Apple Harvest: Recipes and Orchard Lore" (Ten Speed Press, $17.95), by Frank Browning and Sharon Silva. The text is full of interest, the recipes encompass old favorites and new ideas, and the book is nicely illustrated with color photos.

"Cider Hard and Sweet" (Countryman Press, $19.95) by Ben Watson. Subtitled "History, Traditions and Making Your Own," this is the perfect complementary volume for those who want to know more about this use for apples.

Don't forget the heart of the home where all this good food is prepared and often eaten:

"Great Kitchens: At Home With America's Top Chefs" (Taunton Press, $34.95), by Ellen Whitaker, Colleen Mahoney and Wendy A. Jordan, is a wonderful tour of kitchens-to-dream-for.

Vivid color photos by Grey Crawford show the kitchens and the 26 chefs whose domains they are. To make you feel like one of the family, spouses, children, pet animals and the view from the kitchen window are often in the picture. Floor plans are included as well as an appendix with favorite recipes, for the action-minded.

Mark Miller's kitchen, in a home that overlooks the high desert countryside near Santa Fe, N.M., glows with color. Mary Sue Milliken cooks in a poolside kitchen in Los Angeles. Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison chose a large, airy kitchen for their farmhouse near Atlanta, and Michael McCarty's kitchen is part of a home perched above the Pacific, near Santa Monica, Calif.

If this book inspires you to remodel your kitchen, "The Kitchen Planner" (Chronicle, $29.95) by Suzanne Ardley, with its subtitle promising "Hundreds of Great Ideas for Your New Kitchen," is the next step.

You can experiment with floor plans using the book's reusable stickers; flip over its tri-split pages to mix-and-match wall, cabinet and floor colors; study its charts and directories, and absorb practical advice on how to fit up the perfect place to practice culinary art.

Here's a sample recipe from "The French Laundry Cookbook."

Parmigiano-Reggiano Crisps with Goat Cheese Mousse, are served to guests in his restaurant's courtyard, Chef Keller says. He calls them "simple and elegant bites you can eat standing, with a glass in one hand; they're especially delicious with Champagne before dinner."

It's a festive idea to copy for holiday entertaining.

"It's best to bake only half the crisps at a time, because they may harden while you're working with them."

PARMIGIANO- REGGIANO CRISPS WITH GOAT CHEESE MOUSSE

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (from a moist piece of cheese)
6 ounces fresh goat cheese (or other soft goat cheese)
4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A clean egg carton
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
To make the Parmesan crisps: Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (see note) or use a nonstick baking sheet.
Place a 21/2-inch ring mold in one corner of the baking sheet and fill it with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese. Using your finger, spread the cheese into an even layer. Repeat to make 8 rounds, leaving at least 1 inch between them.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crisps are a rich golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 30 seconds to firm the crisps enough so you can remove them with a spatula. One by one, remove the crisps and gently press each one into a hollow in the egg carton to form a tulip shape. After a few minutes, remove the cooled crisps from the carton and make 8 more crisps.
To make the goat cheese mousse: Place the goat cheese in a food processor and process (depending on the cheese used, it may look smooth or crumbly). Pour 1/4 cup of the cream through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture is smooth but will hold a shape when piped; if necessary, add a little more cream. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste and mix just to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The mousse can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften slightly before piping.
Place the mousse in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe 2 to 3 teaspoons of mousse into each Parmesan crisp and serve.
Makes 16 crisps.
Note: Silpat is a flexible silicon-coated nonstick fabric sold in sizes to fit commercial baking sheets.

Abrams photo via The Associated Press
2. A country woman has her arms full of her household's bread in Tuscany, Italy, in this photograph from "The History of Bread" by Bernard Dupaigne. 4. Chef Thomas Keller's personality and philosophy are conveyed in his "The French Laundry Cookbook."