In chapters on every course from appetizers to desserts, the author presents recipe upon recipe for flavorful and healthy dishes--all without meat, dairy, or eggs. Appetizers like Mushrooms Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Parsley, and Garlic--given a sweet and nutty zing from the addition of a fortified wine--or Baked Black Olives with Herbes de Provence and Anise are so full flavored they certainly don't need the richness of animal products. The Poor Man's Pesto (so named because of the absence of cheese) that tops fluffy Potato Gnocchi proves that fruity green olive oil is the heart and garden-fresh basil is the soul of a good pesto. Desserts don't disappoint either. Relying on fresh fruits for flavor, they are just the sort of sweet and rich concoctions we expect from the Mediterranean. Baked Pears are stuffed with a rich blend of bread crumbs, toasted almonds, and chocolate and baked in a flavorful mixture of marsala, white wine, and pear or apple juice.

An extremely helpful Meals in Minutes section offers menu suggestions for those whose schedules allow only an hour or less for meal preparation, and the nutritional information provided for each dish is a welcome bonus for health-conscious cooks. --Robin Donovan

From Library Journal
Food writer Klein's goal was to include only vegan recipes "that really exist in Mediterranean cuisine," and because much of Mediterranean cooking is vegan by nature olive oil is used in many cuisines rather than butter, and meat has never been the centerpiece of the meal, for example she was successful. Rather than experimenting with replacements for anchovies and the like, she chose recipes that already met the requirements of a vegan diet, from a Moroccan Couscous with Seven-Vegetable Tagine to Proven?al Tomatoes Stuffed with Herbed Rice. The one ingredient that is conspicuously absent, which Klein acknowledges, is cheese, as it's difficult to think of pesto and many pasta dishes without it; she leaves the option of using cheese substitutes to her readers. For all vegetarian collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed business Information, Inc.

With thousands of photos showing step-by-step instructions, you'll learn to identify and trim any kind of meat, seafood, fruit, and vegetable, and extensive photos and descriptions of spices, pasta, and grains take the guesswork out of new and unusual recipes. Seemingly complicated techniques for recipes such as Hollandaise Sauce are described with photos and with so many tips, tricks, and troubleshooting guides you feel as though an instructor is cooking alongside you. Organized from the simplest techniques and most basic information to the more complicated, you can use this book as a reference guide, a resource for increasing your confidence in the kitchen, or as a recipe-filled cookbook. The seventh edition has been completely reworked to include more-contemporary techniques alongside classic, more-sophisticated recipes, and there's greater emphasis on food safety, nutrition, and technology in the kitchen. --Leora Y. Bloom

From Library Journal
In the seventh revised edition of the basic textbook for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the editors claim that they explain to the potential chef not just how to cook, but why the CIA insists on doing things the way it does. Since the CIA is often criticized for problems ranging from its devotion to classic French technique to its role in maintaining the patriarchy that dominates the profession, such justification seems in order. But there is actually little of it, either in the introductory essays or in the text that follows. There is little else to find fault with in this well-organized, comprehensive text. But while anyone aspiring to a career in food service may find it useful, it falls short of being a good learning text for the average cook. Its recipes are all written in scaled formulas, rather than in the cups and spoons measures most consumers use. In addition, those recipes mostly yield ten servings, and the task of reducing them to manageable proportions will put off most nonprofessional users. So although this is an excellent guide to the profession, it is recommended only for academic libraries supporting culinary programs and larger public libraries with comprehensive cookery collections. Tom Cooper, Richmond Heights Memorial Lib., MO
Copyright 2001 Reed business Information, Inc.

Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). After reading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at the class scapegoat again without a measure of compassion and understanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath the silence. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. Divided into the four marking periods of an academic year, the novel, narrated by Melinda Sordino, begins on her first day as a high school freshman. No one will sit with Melinda on the bus. At school, students call her names and harass her; her best friends from junior high scatter to different cliques and abandon her. Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. A girl at a school pep rally offers an explanation of the heroine's pariah status when she confronts Melinda about calling the police at a summer party, resulting in several arrests. But readers do not learn why Melinda made the call until much later: a popular senior raped her that night and, because of her trauma, she barely speaks at all. Only through her work in art class, and with the support of a compassionate teacher there, does she begin to reach out to others and eventually find her voice. Through the first-person narration, the author makes Melinda's pain palpable: "I stand in the center aisle of the auditorium, a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special." Though the symbolism is sometimes heavy-handed, it is effective. The ending, in which her attacker comes after her once more, is the only part of the plot that feels forced. But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Fast is, of course, a relative term, and readers will find more than a few dishes in the book that may require more time or attention than they're willing to spend on a daily basis. But overall, the book offers enough easily made recipes, and super-time-saving formulas, like Instant Vegetable Soup, to make it a true cooking resource. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly
Longtime fans of Pepin may cherish their copies of La Méthode, a gorgeously lush cookbook that devotes pages to his elaborate knife technique. But no one can accuse Pepin of falling behind the times. If the great French chef and popular peer to the late Julia Child misses the days of food as elaborate edible sculpture, he's keeping it to himself, cheerfully hosting a PBS series (Fast Food My Way) and now penning this companion book. "More often than not, I prefer simple, straightforward food that can be prepared quickly," Pepin swears, and most of the recipes stick to that statement, sometimes to excess: recipes that do little more than suggest readers add boiling water to couscous or try microwaving their potato probably add little to the repertoire of even minimally experienced chefs. The cookbook's best sections take traditional French food—braised endive, beef stew—and show readers how to skip steps to achieve a different but similarly pleasing result. Although Pepin has always packaged himself brilliantly, some of his recipe names could use a redesign: Soupy Rice and Peas hardly stimulates the appetite, and Tomato Tartare with Tomato Water Sauce actively turns it off. Other charming recipes, however, invoke the same aspirational lifestyle that older, elaborate cookbooks do, but with a different spin: Pepin says his recipe for Banana Bourbon Coupe was just something he whipped up one afternoon fresh off the slopes, making the best of the few ingredients on hand. French cooking, Pepin reminds us, is not just a matter of technique; it's a matter of chic.
Copyright © Reed business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Trout, Salmon, flounder, perch,
I'll ride my minibike into church.
Dace, tuna, haddock, trout,
Wait'll you hear the minister shout."

How to Eat Fried Worms is a ghastly gastronomical treat that will dazzle young listeners. (Running time: two hours, two cassettes) --Naomi Gesinger --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-The story of Billy who, because of a bet, is in the uncomfortable position of having to eat 15 worms in 15 days.
Copyright 1998 Reed business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.