Cooking as a couple

REVIEWS BY SYBIL PRATT

'Tis the season for showers and weddings, but presents can present a problem: You've gone through the gift registry, the big items have even bigger price tags and the smaller ones seem too insignificant. The super solution is Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook: Recipes for Cooking Together by Gayle Pirie and John Clark. It's an elegant package, printed on heavy, coated stock, with a satin ribbon marker and, all dressed up in frilly wrappings, should be a very welcome, dare we say much-needed, gift for the happy couple. The authors are happily married professional chefs who have cooked in great San Francisco restaurants for more than 20 years and really know their stuff. They have the answers to every essential cooking question, from what constitutes a well-stocked pantry (shopping list included) to what wine should be poured with a pork roast and the very basics such as "how do I peel a tomato or bake a potato?" The 150 modern classic recipes offer newlyweds a course in the courses, starting with starters like bruschetta and moving on to fabulous finales like a raspberry-lemon tart, with stops for Osso Bucco, Pasta Puttanesca, sides, salads, soups and breakfast. I now pronounce you capable cooks!


All in the family

The gorgeous Giada De Laurentiis, with her flashing smile and trademark décolleté (watch out, Nigella), has become an established star of the Food Network. Italian through and through, Giada believes that the heart of family life is in the kitchen, sharing "family-style" meals. Put that together with her emphasis on everyday easy with an Italian accent and you have Giada's Family Dinners, a collection of 117 accessible, uncomplicated "down-home" Italian recipes, flexible enough to feed five or 15, and as redolent as they are reliable. For a weeknight quickie you can choose Broiled Salmon with Garlic, Mustard and Herbs; pick a pasta to pile on plates such as Fresh Fettuccine with Roasted Chicken (yes, use that supermarket rotisserie special) and Broccoli Rabe; grill Tuna Burgers with Tapenade or ladle out a bowl of hearty, comforting Pasta e Fagioli livened up with fresh herbs. If you have a little more time and are expecting a small crowd (or even a large one), try Zuppa di Pesce topped with garlicky aioli, Veal Stew with Cipollini Onions or Turkey Bolognese. Desserts, salads, sandwiches and sides aplenty will round out your dinners and bring you a round of accolades for elevating the everyday.


Celebrating the seasonal

Seasonal, local, artisanal—that's the mantra of many of our most influential chefs and it's become a rallying cry for millions of Americans who want to get away from the large corporate system that puts standardized products on the shelves and in the fruit and vegetable bins of our supermarket chains. For those of us not blessed with the land or the time to garden, the best way to follow Mother Nature's rhythms is to seek out year-round farmer's markets—growing in urban jungles, too; roadside stands; small farms where you pick your own; and good greengrocers. If you're drawn to organic and greenmarket goods, whether you're a veteran vegephile or new kid on the block, Jeff Cox's The Organic Cook's Bible is the authoritative, inspiring guide you need. Here, in alphabetical arrangement, is chapter and verse on the vegetables, fruits, grains, spices, seeds, nuts, herbs, meat, poultry and dairy offered in these alternative venues. Cox, a renowned expert on all things organic, takes you every step of the way, from explaining "why organic" to when to buy, what to look for, preparation, storage and how to maximize use. He also includes more than 250 recipes that showcase the splendor of the entries.


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