The Book of Pasta

Seven years ago my husband Dub and I sailed into Whangarai Harbour in New Zealand. On our way in I spied some friends or ours, Gayle and John, who we'd met in Tahiti. They were Kiwis and they were ending their five year circumnavigation, home at last. We anchored close to their boat and later dinghied over for sundowners (usually Coke and Rum). That evening, as usual, we told tall tales of our adventures at sea and we congratulated ourselves on being in this wonderful place at this wonderful time. Later, as we were saying our goodbyes, Gayle gave me her set of the Salamandar Book of Series Cookbooks. They are sold by HP Books in the States as paperbacks. Gayle carried these books around the planet and now she was giving them to me, complete with her notes (written in the books) on the recipes, how well she and John liked certain dishes, which were their favorites, how hard they were to prepare. She knew I was a cook and she thought I'd appreciate them. She was right. Like all the books in the series "The Book of Pasta" is about five inches wide and about a foot tall, making them kind of unique among cookbooks. But one should not be put off because of the odd shape, these are real books and you can find mighty darned good recipes in them, really good recipes in this little pasta tome. The book starts out with a short intro in how to perfectly cook pasta, then goes into the types of pasta, then how to make it and let me tell you there are some delightful pasta dishes here you'd never ever have thought of making, like the delicous Avocado and Orange Pasta Salad on Page 33 and the Mongolian Hot Pot on Page 84, both divine. One of my favorites is the Japanese Curried Noodles on Page 93, but whatever you crave pastawise, you'll find it here and you'll find a lot more. This is simply a must have little cookbook. Review Submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

In its almost 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes. This installment, the Book of Pasta, presents recipe suggestions for all major courses, from pasta soups to fried pasta and even desserts. Special chapters are dedicated to pasta salads, sauces, and main, oriental and vegetarian pasta dishes. Classics such as lasagna, ravioli, tortellini, béchamel, Bolognese, tomato and carbonara sauces, cannelloni, macaroni, pesto and spaghetti with meatballs appear next to unique dishes such as fish and pasta pie, lemon and green peppercorn sauce, pear and pasta pudding, spinach pasta roll and vermicelli flan. From almond ravioli and raspberry sauce to zucchini and pasta mold, this collection of recipes, while not all-encompassing, is a great introduction to the endless possibilities of cutting dough into funny shapes or long stripes and mixing it with a delicious sauce - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended for fans of Italian cooking: This series' installments on light pasta sauces, antipasti and pizzas and Italian breads. Also recommended: Around the World Cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery) Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006