Lots of people submitted recipes for this cookbook. Victoria Wise of Oakland compiled and wrote the book, which includes gardening tips as well as recipes. The chatty commentaries that accompany each dish make for good reading. Better yet, the recipes, collected from throughout the United States, are unpretentious and workable. You'll be glad to have them on hand when next year's zucchini and tomatoes start to overpower the kitchen.
Chocolate passion is a widespread emotional state.
The authors are the food editor and features editor of Chocolatier magazine. Certain recipes require the patience and skill of a pastry chef, but it's possible to break down some of these into components that are feasible for everyday cooks. One could, for example, extract the recipe for a cocoa-flavored pound cake from an elaborate concoction of cake layered with chocolate ganache, wrapped with filo dough and served with fruit compote and whipped cream. Even if you never use a recipe, though, you can savor chocolate heaven simply by paging through this handsome book. An apple a day is a wiser indulgence than the heavily caloric sweets that prevail at this time of year.