Seattle Chefs, Writers Turn Out New Cookbooks
Chefs and writers from in and around Seattle turned out a shelf full of cookbooks in 1997, though not all with a Northwest regional accent. Among them:
“Cocina de la Familia,” by Marilyn Tausend and Miguel Ravago (Simon & Schuster, 415 pages, $27.50). Setting forth from her home in Gig Harbor, Tausend traveled across the United States and into Mexico to collect what the subtitle bills as “more than 200 authentic recipes from Mexican-American home kitchens.” Her book chronicles a cuisine in transition, reflected in such dishes as chicken with spicy prune sauce, in which the fire of chilies is cooled by Coca-Cola.
“For Cooks Who Love Wine,” by John Sarich (Sasquatch Books, 176 pages, $21.95). What could be more natural for the chef at Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville than a cookbook that emphasizes pairing food with wine? Divided into menus to pair with white wine and red wine, this smallish but richly illustrated book ranges from the simple to the grand, from barbecued burgers to apple- and prune-stuffed pork tenderloin.
“The Gathering Place,” by Graham Kerr (Camano Press, 234 pages, $27.95). Television’s former “Galloping Gourmet,” now a Camano Island resident and prolific cookbook author, assembles recipes for complete meals inspired by a round-the-world cruise and designed to foster companionship at the table. Stops include Colombia (poached eggs Cartagena), Acapulco (broiled shrimp with chili sauce) and Samoa (curried chicken with sweet potatoes and bananas); the focus is on low-fat fare.
“In Season: Culinary Adventures of a San Juan Island Chef,” by Greg Atkinson (Sasquatch Books, 240 pages, $16.95). Atkinson sprinkles 75 recipes through a series of personal essays and reminiscences that trace the cycles of the year. The recipes lean to the informal, as in mussels steamed with garlic and herbs, or “windy day” chocolate cream pie.
“Pasta & Co. Encore,” by Marcella Rosene (Sasquatch Books, 238 pages, $16.95). The third book from the folks at one of Seattle’s most successful gourmet takeout shops, this one mines the stores’ “Yellow Line” of low-fat dishes for such entries as black bean lasagne. But it delves into such cholesterol-laden pleasures as chicken breasts stuffed with butter and cream cheese dressing in recipes that go well beyond noodles.
“Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” by Braiden Rex-Johnson (Ten Speed Press, 341 pages, $19.95). For her sequel to the “Pike Place Public Market Cookbook,” Rex-Johnson prowled the seafood stalls of the market, just a half block from her home. The book offers a piscatorial primer from abalone to wolffish along with 150 recipe, drawn from Rex-Johnson’s own files, market sources and restaurants throughout Seattle.