“Kitchen Sense,” by Mitchell Davis (Clarkson Potter, $35)
New general cookbooks with thousands of recipes abound this year, from reference works to magazine compilations. “Kitchen Sense,” by Mitchell Davis, also takes a survey approach, but on a smaller scale. The recipe notes are especially helpful, with information on cooking time, storing leftovers and advance preparation. The more than 600 recipes range from breakfast to hors d’oeuvres, with spot-on discussions of basics like cooking bacon (in the oven is best) and soothing encouragement for more challenging dishes.
Davis, vice president of the James Beard Foundation, aims to empower cooks. A guacamole recipe, for example, advises that you’ll need to buy avocados as much as a week in advance to ensure they’ll be ripe in time to make the dip, a useful tip that few cookbooks offer.
Regional favorites like Cheese Grits are here, along with Shrimp and Green Papaya Salad, Beer-braised Pot Roast and Roasted Figs With Mascarpone Mousse.|Elizabeth Lee, Cox News Service
