When lettuce prices rise, as they have recently because of rains in California, switch to corn and bean salads and relishes, antipasto trays of artichoke hearts, olives, pickled peppers, garlic and other pickled vegetables. Canned tomatoes are a reliable year-round alternative to fresh tomatoes for pasta and rice sauces. Flavored tomatoes such as Italian, Cajun and Mexican eliminate peeling, chopping and soaking. Canned green chilies give macaroni and cheese a Southwest touch. Winning recipes showed how some of the 1,500 canned foods available today can help streamline rush-hour cooking.
Some recipes follow.
Joy of Cooking magazine Family Circle and Joy of Cooking have joined forces in a new magazine, Family Circle Joy of Cooking. It spent eight weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. Within three or four months, more than 1,250,000 copies were in print. The magazine features a three-layer coconut cake on the cover and focuses on food that puts pleasure back on the menu, according to editor Peggy Katalinich. Three menus offer recipes for a picnic in the park, dinner at sunset and lunch at the beach.