Cuisine Rapide: A Classic Cookbook from the 60-Minute Gourmet
Pot-au-Feu, Parsleyed Rack of Lamb, and Grand Marnier Soufflé are indeed classic French dishes, but do they belong in a book with "Rapide" in the title? Certainly, says Pierre Franey, longtime author of  "The 60-Minute Gourmet" forThe New York Times, proving in more than 250 recipes that quality and short order can go together as a "style of home cooking that is efficient, accessible, and refined." This volume is practically an encyclopedia of French country classics--except that every dish is designed to cook in no more than an hour. (Truth be told, a handful exceed the 60-minute mark, but the vast majority can be prepared in a flash.) Clear, detailed instructions will appeal to both the seasoned cook and the novice. Sixty-five line drawings describe tips and techniques from trussing poultry to preparing artichoke bottoms to making tomato roses. Franey's French background comes through in dishes such as Country-Style Pâté, Cassoulet, and Breast of Chicken Bonne Maman (which takes, from start to finish, less than 30 minutes to prepare). But he wrote this book after almost 50 years in America, so his understanding and appreciation of America's melting-pot culture and its favorite ingredients is well represented by such dishes as Lamb Curry, Veal Scaloppine Milanese, Mexican Posole, and Pork Chops with Fresh Cranberry Sauce.Many of Franey's recipes begin with a short explanation of where or why he first made the dish. He begins his recipe for Sautéed Trout with Lime, for instance, by describing a sudden craving for trout he experienced one day and the lengths to which he went to find a fresh fish. Often he includes tips and tricks to make preparation even easier. In Skate with Black Butter Sauce, he warns that a skate's wing-shaped fins have many long bones, but shows how they are easily removed. These introductions, plus the fact that every recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients (and it's usually a short list), make this book read more like a treasured inheritance from a favorite uncle who loved to cook than a "Classic Cookbook" written by someone most of us never had the privilege of meeting.--Leora Y. Bloom