Taste of the Season or Very Blueberry

Taste of the Season: Inspired Recipes for Fall and Winter

Author: Diane Rossen Worthington

Renowned cookbook author Diane Worthington knows that with the arrival of cooler climes come cozier cravings. And what could be cozier than this collection of 75 hearty recipes? Spicy chicken gumbo, tangy short ribs -- nothing makes a house a home more than a kitchen filled with the aromas of good cooking like this. These are dishes that fit easily into today s busy lives. Roast Duck with Lavender Honey Sauce can be cooking in the oven while the cook is out enjoying the colorful fall foliage. Hearty Lentil Soup with Grilled Sweet and Hot Italian Sausages is equally satisfying before or after skiing. And a slice of Toasted Coconut Cake or Mocha Truffle Tart is the perfect ending to any mid-winter meal. Diane offers an informative peek into her seasonal cupboard for ideas on which ingredients to keep on hand, plus she includes tips for advance prep for each recipe. The Taste of the Season brings a warm glow to the long, dark nights.

Publishers Weekly

Anyone can cook during the summer months, when produce is abundant and grills are at the ready. More challenging, however, is winter cuisine, with its brussels sprouts, cabbages and seemingly endless parade of root vegetables. Snowbound home cooks are likely to welcome any inspiration geared to the season, and Worthington's book serves the purpose well. The author of The Taste of Summer and Seriously Simple knows cold weather can be the best excuse to dig into comfort foods too time-consuming or rich for the rest of the year. Some of her best recipes make the most of complex flavors that develop slowly in stews and braises: White Bean and Arugula Stew Gratin e, or Short Ribs with Dried Mushrooms and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Worthington's use of winter ingredients is efficient and at times inspired, as in Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup, Autumn Salad with Persimmons and Pomegranates, and Pumpkin-Chocolate Bread Pudding. A few dishes lack any clear connection to the season, though, like Crispy Roast Duck with Lavender Honey Sauce, and Toasted Coconut Cake (but they're no less appealing). The book features beautiful photographs, a clean layout and somewhat small print. Down-to-earth and accessible, Worthington's paean to winter does much to make the slow, deep flavors of the colder months something to look forward to throughout the year. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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Very Blueberry

Author: Jennifer Trainer Thompson

JENNIFER TRAINER THOMPSON grew up in blueberry country and is the author of 11 books, including FEASTS AFLOAT, JUMP UP AND KISS ME, and Beyond Einstein. Thrice nominated for a James Beard Award, she's the owner and chef of the Jump Up & Kiss Me brand of food products and hot sauces. Thompson lives with her family in rural Massachusetts.