Cooking By The Book A Good How-To Cookbook Will Give Life To Your Kitchen

In a sense, all cookbooks are how-to books. They tell you how to cook something, some in better detail than others.

But there’s another kind of how-to cookbook - books that aim to come into the kitchen with you, hold your hand and lead you, step by step, into the promised land of competent cooking. Books that show you not only how to, but what to, when to and why to.

This season’s cookbook crop includes several that fall squarely into that category. Some are new; others are extensive updates of earlier books. Look at their names and you’ll understand their mission: “Cooking A to Z.” “The Essential Cook Book.” “The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook.” “Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques.” “CookWise.”

Then there’s “Cook Something” by “twentysomething” food writer Mitchell Davis, aimed at enticing members of his generation into the kitchen.

And there are more to come - including the much-anticipated revision of the classic “Joy of Cooking,” due next month. The combined product of 130 food writers and chefs, the new “Joy” will focus on fresher, leaner preparations.

Christopher Kimball, editor of the ultimate step-by-step magazine, Cook’s Illustrated, and author of his own how-to book last year, “The Cook’s Bible” (Little Brown), says many of the cookbook authors he knows have similar books in the works.

“Editors think, and rightfully so, there is for the first time in America a generation of people that grew up in households that didn’t cook,” Kimball says. “They think there’s a large untapped market.”

Dulcy Brainard, cookbook review editor at Publisher’s Weekly, says these books are part of a move in America toward cooking for pleasure, not obligation.

“People in their 20s and 30s grew up in families where it was such a relief to their parents not to be enslaved by the stove,” she says. “As kids, they didn’t know what fun it could be to bake a cake or cook a pot roast. I think there’s a lot of rediscovery going on.”

Cooking can be intimidating for a beginner. All of us want a grandmother to hold our hands in the kitchen. So these books, with their extensive illustrations and glossaries, aim to be that teacher who is ready when you are.

But how well can they accomplish that task?

To be successful, Kimball says, how-to books need to be written “from the point of view of somebody who’s never picked up a whisk.”

And many of the books he sees don’t hit that mark.

“It’s very hard to do well,” he says. “These (books) are being done by people who know a lot about cooking, and they don’t successfully put themselves in the shoes of people who don’t.”

To judge a how-to book, he says, look at the directions for simple things - a basic pie dough, for instance, or roast chicken.

When dealing with novice cooks, Kimball says, “There’s a lot of things you have to think through. They’re not going to understand what basting is. I’m not sure they even know where the thigh is. You have to take them through it without being silly.

“Do they truss it or not? What oven temperature do they use? How does the author help you along so you understand how things are supposed to look and smell along the way? You have to help the reader visualize and give them tips.”

While the book market is becoming tighter - one publisher, HarperCollins, has canceled cookbook contracts this year - Brainard says there is still a wide spot on the shelf for cookbooks.

“There are more people looking to home and family and looking to things they can do together,” she says, “to draw the family together, not fragment it.”

Gratin Dauphinois

From “Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques,” by Jeni Wright and Eric Treuille (Morrow, 1997). While the dish - a fancy version of scalloped potatoes - is delicious, the recipe raises questions: How thinly do you slice the potatoes? What size baking dish? What kind of potatoes? We’ve added answers - we think - in parentheses.

2 pounds potatoes (we used white Idaho)

2 cups milk

1 bouquet garni (see note)

Freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and white pepper (black will do)

1 garlic clove, halved

2 tablespoons butter, softened (see note)

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, grated

Peel potatoes and thinly slice them. (We put the peeled potatoes in water to keep them from darkening, patted them dry, then sliced them very thinly with the slicing side of a grater.)

Bring milk to boil in pan. Add bouquet garni, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Add potatoes and return to boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. (Stir potatoes occasionally and watch carefully to keep them from burning and sticking.)

Drain potatoes and reserve milk. (We found the remaining milk so thickened that it was easier to remove the potato slices and leave the thickened residue in the pan.)

Rub garlic over inside of baking dish. (We used a 13- by 9-inch glass casserole.) Butter dish (see note) and layer potatoes in it, seasoning each layer. (With salt and pepper, we presume.) Add cream to milk, bring to boil and pour over potatoes. Top with Gruyere and bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 515 calories, 33.8 grams fat (59 percent fat calories), 17 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrate, 118 milligrams cholesterol, 238 milligrams sodium.

Note: The recipe didn’t cross-reference directions for a bouquet garni, which was several pages away and involved rolling herbs in leek leaves. We used a simpler, more common version: thyme and parsley sprigs, a bay leaf and peppercorns tied in a cheesecloth bundle.

The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons butter, but uses it only to grease a baking dish. We used less than 1 tablespoon to grease it heavily, then dotted the rest of the butter over the potatoes. Next time, we’d use 1 teaspoon butter and save the fat.

Country French Chicken

From “The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook” (Hearst, $30). What’s a chicken cutlet? The cookbook doesn’t enlighten you. We used chicken breast tenderloins, but you could also use skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin.

1-1/2 pounds chicken cutlets

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (you may need more)

1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake), sliced

1 large shallot, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup dry white wine

Chopped fresh tarragon or parsley (optional, garnish)

(Cooked pasta or rice for serving)

Place chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper and pound with mallet or rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness. On a sheet of waxed paper, mix flour, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (1/2 teaspoon dried). Press chicken pieces into flour mixture to coat both sides.

In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring often, 12 to 15 minutes, until any liquid evaporates. Transfer to bowl.

In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add half of chicken (don’t overcrowd the skillet - you may need to do several batches) and cook about 4 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken and transfer to platter. (Add a little more oil to skillet if necessary and lower heat slightly if it gets too hot).

To drippings in skillet, add broth, wine, mushroom mixture and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon; boil 1 minute. Pour mushroom sauce over chicken cutlets; garnish with chopped tarragon, if desired. (Serve over pasta or rice.)

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving, without pasta or rice: 200 calories, 6.5 grams fat (29 percent fat calories), 25 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrate, 53 milligrams cholesterol, 503 milligrams sodium.

Old-Fashioned Grated Sweet Potato Pudding

From “CookWise,” by Shirley O. Corriher (Morrow, 1997). The grated sweet potato gives this dish an unusual texture that would be interesting on a holiday table. Corriher notes that “deep orange carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables can be cooked for longer times than green vegetables without loss of color or nutrients,” and says “stirring after partially baking prevents the outer edges from overcooking before the center is done.”

Nonstick cooking spray

1 pound (2 large or 3 small) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons cornmeal, white or yellow

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9- by 13- by 2-1/2-inch casserole with nonstick cooking spray.

Finely chop sweet potatoes to texture of large rice in several batches in food processor with steel blade, using on/off pulses. Mix sweet potatoes, brown sugars, salt, ginger and cornmeal in large mixing bowl. Stir in egg, egg yolks, cream and vanilla.

Pour into casserole and bake 15 minutes. Stir from outside to middle. Continue baking and stir again after 10 minutes. Cook until lightly brown and just set, about 40 minutes in all. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 283 calories, 13 grams fat (41 percent fat calories), 3 grams protein, 40 grams carbohydrate, 117 milligrams cholesterol, 36 milligrams sodium.

Cheese Thing

From “Cook Something,” by Mitchell Davis (Macmillan, 1997). Writes Davis: “My mother has been making this dish for so long, you’d think it would have a real name by now. ‘Cheese Thing’ doesn’t really do it justice, what with the gooey, crispy melted Cheddar and tomatoes and crunchy noodles, but that’s all we’ve ever called it. It is the ultimate comfort food … I have been known to make and eat an entire Cheese Thing myself after an emotionally taxing day.”

1 pound penne or other tubular pasta

1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 pound mild Cheddar cheese

1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes, with juice

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Bring a large pot of salted water (at least 5 quarts) to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes (don’t worry if the pasta is a little undercooked; it will be finished in the oven).

Meanwhile, cut cheeses into 1/2-inch cubes. Leave tomatoes in their juice and cut them into bite-sized pieces with a knife or, for fun, squeeze them with your hands.

When pasta is done, drain and return to pot. Add butter and stir until almost melted. Add cheese, tomatoes, sugar and salt and stir well. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish (glass or ceramic is best). For best results, the Cheese Thing should sit for 12 to 24 hours before baking, although it can be baked right away. It can stay covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set Cheese Thing on rack in middle of oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until it is bubbly and the noodles poking out of the top have browned considerably. Serve hot as an entree with salad, or as a side dish for meat, or cold for breakfast the next morning.

Yield: 1 to 8 servings, with leftovers.

Autumn Fruit Crisp

From “The Essential Cook Book,” by Caroline Conran, Terence Conran and Simon Hopkinson (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1997). Using your fingers to mix the topping can oversoften the butter and give the crust a shortbread consistency; we added directions for doing it another way.

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

2 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grated zest of 1 lemon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, in small pieces, divided

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 2-quart baking dish. Put apples and pears in baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and zest and toss to mix with fruit. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter.

Put remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl with flour and salt. Add remaining 7 tablespoons butter. Using your fingertips, quickly and lightly rub together until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. (Or blend lightly with pastry blender, fork or 2 knives.) Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over fruit.

Bake until topping is nicely brown and fruit is tender, about 40 minutes. (Ours took about 50 minutes to brown.) Serve warm, with whipped cream.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 304 calories, 15.6 grams fat (46 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrate, 41 milligrams cholesterol, 155 milligrams sodium.

Pumpkin Harvest Bread

From “Cooking A to Z,” edited by Jane Horn (Cole Group, 1997).

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled, or vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 4-1/2- by 9-inch loaf pan.

In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves and granulated sugar. Mix in walnuts and raisins.

In medium bowl, beat together eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and butter. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are barely moistened. (Batter will be very thick.)

Spread in prepared pan and bake until loaf is well browned and wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 1 loaf, approximately 6-8 servings.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 402 calories, 13.4 grams fat (30 percent fat calories), 7 grams protein, 65 grams carbohydrate, 87 milligrams cholesterol, 392 milligrams sodium.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU NEED HELP IN KITCHEN, BUY A GUIDE Charlotte Observer Here’s a guide to the new cooking guides: “The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook” (Hearst, $30, 552 pages): The emphasis is practical home cooking, including an illustrated equipment list, food safety and storage, nutrition, grilling, entertaining, a wine primer and glossary. The recipes mix the trendy, like Thai Turkey and Chicken Mole, with down-home stuff. Some recipes are highlighted with step-by-step pictures, others have less detail. “Cooking A to Z,” edited by Jane Horn (Cole Group, revised edition, $29.95, 629 pages with three indexes): With 800 recipes and lots of bright graphics, it looks promising. But the encyclopedia format is frustrating. Cookware is under “B” for “baking pans” and “C” for “cookware” and “M” for “materials for cookware.” And breads are under “Y” for “yeast” or “Q” for “quick breads.” This is a guidebook that needs its own guide. “CookWise,” by Shirley O. Corriher (Morrow, $28.50, 491 pages): Corriher’s career spans chemistry and cooking, and her long-awaited book is the bridge. The science is extensive but not intimidating, thanks to her friendly writing tone. This book has only a small section of photos and a few simple drawings, but the clear information makes up for it. Every recipe, for instance, starts with a list of what it demonstrates. “Cook Something,” by Mitchell Davis (Macmillan, $19.95, 246 pages): Davis, director of publications for the James Beard Foundation, has produced a hip paperback kitchen primer for fellow Gen-Xers. The black-and-white photos are more inspirational than instructional, but there’s a summary of cooking basics in plain, friendly language (i.e., “Cutting Things Up”) and recipes ranging from Mom’s Mushrooms and Onions to Crunchy Poppy Seed Biscotti. “Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques,” by Jeni Wright and Eric Treuille (Morrow, $40): So you can’t attend the real Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris? This lavishly illustrated guide aims to take you there. Well, almost; there are a lot of gaps. For instance, the lesson on basic stocks tells you to blanch the bones, but doesn’t tell or show how to do that. A reference book for accomplished cooks, not a guide for beginners. “The Essential Cook Book,” by Caroline Conran, Terence Conran and Simon Hopkinson (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 421 pages, $50): This was originally published in 1980 as “The Cook Book.” The new version has 450 recipes and 1,150 pictures. The type is very small, but the encyclopedia format is well organized. There are no step-by-step pictures, but the recipes have extensive indexes to related topics.