Mediterranean magic

REVIEWS BY SYBIL PRATT

Jeannette Seaver is a superb cook and I say that in all honesty because I've had the pleasure of dining in her home—I should say homes—in New York and in Provence. Though she works more than full-time running one of the very few independently owned American publishing companies with her husband, she's a renowned hostess whose dinner parties are always home-cooked and always fantastic. Jeannette, who grew up in France, has shared her cooking secrets with us in three previous cookbooks and now turns to the sunny, sensuous, seasonal and good-for-you food of the Mediterranean in My New Mediterranean Cookbook. The book is aptly titled since Jeannette is the kind of innovative, instinctive cook who puts herself and her enthusiasm for good food into every recipe. Focusing on the ingredients that unify the traditional Mediterranean diet, one of the world's most healthful, life-lengthening cuisines, Jeannette offers nearly 200 recipes for light, savory, taste-bud stimulating first courses and marvelous mains, including lots of veggies and salads and sweet finales that will wow your family and friends. From the first recipe for Anchoiade, a classic anchovy dip made especially smooth by Jeannette's addition of cream cheese, to unusual, robust Fillets of Salmon à la Bourguignonne, to simple Broiled Fresh Figs with Honey and sumptuous layered meringue-almond Dacquoise, you'll meander through Mediterranean marvels with the ideal gourmet guide, a true home cook who's at your side in the kitchen with solid instructions, tips and a true love for serving the very best.


Italian everyday

Keeping to our Mediterranean motif, we have Giada de Laurentiis' first cookbook, Everyday Italian, a new, delightfully simple collection of recipes that show you how to create real Italian meals in your own kitchen every day of the week. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles (the granddaughter of famed Hollywood producer Dino de Laurentiis), Giada says that she has always had fun in the kitchen preparing the meals that play such a major role in Italian families. She's parlayed that fun into an exciting career as a cook in some of the best California restaurants, a caterer and now star of the very popular "Everyday Italian" Food Network show, a new series exploring Italian-American traditions and a multi-episode special shot in Italy. Though she's done the fancy stuff, her goal is everyday-easy and her style quick, straightforward and practical. You'll find antipasti that spring from the pantry, homemade marinara sauce—sensational solo or the basis for four fabulous variations—a passel of fragrant pestos, classic cutlets of various sorts that cook in a jiff, roasts, stews, greens and divine dolci. Cooking with Giada is an everyday treat, but looking like the gorgeous Giada might be even better.


Soothing the Cookie Monster within

Now for a little (well, not so little) indulgence—we all love cookies, often the bigger the better, so a whole book devoted to Big Fat Cookies is a big treat. Elinor Klivans' tribute to the chewy, the chunky, the crispy and the "two-fisted" sandwich cookies offers 50 foolproof recipes to send as gifts or for sustenance, fill your cookie jar, celebrate the happy times and help endure the stressful ones. Elinor starts off with practical, timesaving tips for mixing, baking and storing, and ideas for serving big cookies as dessert for both informal and more formal occasions. The full-color illustrations are not only good enough to eat; they're downright inspirational. One look at the Chocolate Chip-stuffed cookies, Big City Black and Whites, Toasted Coconut Washboards, Pine Nut and Fig Roundups or the Lemon-Ginger Cookie sandwiches will have you in the kitchen with baking sheets out, flour flying and a big fat smile on your face.


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