“Cook West” series (Rio Nuevo Publishers, $12.95 each)
How cool it is to present dinner guests with a favored old food prepared in a new way. The “Cook West” series of books offers 50 non- threatening recipes in each of its handsome single-ingredient volumes. Several recipes are perfect for summer, but many will do double duty year round.
Choose from “Cilantro,” “Citrus,” “Olive,” “Chile Aphrodesia,” Garlic” or “Avocado,” as a hostess gift, or buy them as a set for the bride who is getting lots of pots, but no idea what to do with them.
Some, like avocado-stuffed mushrooms, South American ceviche (from the chile book), and orange- grilled pork chops, while delicious, are almost too simple. Coming in November are two more volumes, “Nuts: Pistachio, Pecan and Pinon” and “Mole!” Among the various authors is Marilyn Noble, assistant editor of Sculptural Pursuit magazine, who lives in Denver. The photographs alone look good enough to eat.|Ellen Sweets
