Simon and Schuster has published a facsimile edition of the 1949 classic The Fireside Cook Book by James Beard ($30, 9781416589679/1416589678, October 2008), and what a fine thing! First, there are the retro color illustrations by the Provensens, sweet and sometimes comical; then, the text from almost six decades ago, which often provides a smile: "Green or tossed salad has become increasingly popular in this country." "Many honest wines can be purchased below $2." Aside from the nostalgia factor, this is a first-rate cookbook, beginning with a word of advice: "There is absolutely no substitute for the best. Good food cannot be made of inferior ingredients masked with high flavor. It is true thrift to use the best ingredients available and to waste nothing . . . plan ahead . . . avoid having too many courses. If the food is good, that is all the more reason to limit the number of courses." That is guidance that could grace every cookbook introduction. And Beard wastes nothing. His recipes for leftover chicken alone are myriad ("Cut chicken in large dice . . . for guests, use only the white meat."), and while jellied chicken might not be a winner today, the comfort of creamed chicken on a biscuit is timeless.
Speaking of retro, what could be more retro and yet more in (witness the new passion for pork bellies) than fat? Glorious fat. That fundamental of flavor. Healthy fat. Jennifer McLagan, author of Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, With Recipes (Ten Speed Press, $32.50, 9781580089357/0771055773, September), has written an apologia for this much-maligned ingredient. Starting with "Butter: Worth It," she follows with chapters on pork, poultry, beef and lamb fats, with yummy recipes--Homemade Butter, Spicy Buttered Popcorn, Salted Butter Tart (with lots of whipped cream), Pumpkin and Bacon Soup, Bacon Fat Spice Cookies, Potatoes Sardelaise made with duck fat, Risotti Milanese made with marrow, Fruit Cobbler with Suet Biscuits--scared yet? McLagan persuasively makes the case for cooking with fat: "[It] makes everything we eat taste better, and eating fat is satisfying, so we eat less and our desire to snack is reduced. Enjoying our meals makes us happy and lowers our stress . . . [for most people], fat is a necessary part of our diet." The book is larded with bits of literature (Seamus Heaney, Alexander Dumas) and asides about fat (butter was once used to preserve eggs; it was rumored that A. J. Leibling used a piece of bacon for a bookmark) as well as practical advice (save butter wrappers for greasing pans).
Does the world need another appetizer cookbook? If it's 50 Great Appetizers by Pamela Sheldon Johns (Andrews McMeel, $14.99, 9780740776502/0740776509, October 2008), the answer is "yes." With the growing popularity of small plate meals and smaller meals in general, Johns has compiled creative recipes perfect for a party or a fun home dinner. Most of the recipes are simple, even if the ingredients list is long, although anything that calls for a pastry bag (Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms) would never make it at my house. But Lamb Fritters with Curry Sauce would, and B'stilla, where this slightly daunting dish made with phyllo dough, chicken, almonds, cinnamon, coriander and ginger, is made manageable by using muffin cups. Crispy parmigiano shells form an edible dish to hold mixed greens; bite-sized polenta squares are topped with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes; pesto dip is paired with spicy bread twists--having this appetizer-sized book, especially with themed menus, on your cookbook shelf will add some zest (and ease) to your parties and meals.--Marilyn Dahl
