Southwest Tastes

This stylish companion volume to an upcoming PBS-TV series is a masterful, comprehensive treatment of Southwestern cuisine. Cooking techniques peculiar to the region are competently demonstrated and illustrated by accompanying photos. Trailblazing chefs (Lydia Shire, Bradley Ogden, Jimmy Schmidt, Michael Roberts) and rising stars are profiled in charming biographical sketches. Veteran food writer and editor Brown (The Great Chefs of Chicago, etc.) has done an impressive job of whipping a vast amount of material into shape and making it accessible to the home cook. Many innovative, compelling recipes, contributions of 44 chefs, are proffered here: Brie and papaya quesadillas; escargot sombreros in saffron-cream sauce; grilled lobster tails stuffed with deviled shrimp in brown sauce with tamarind and smoked crab; curried lamb sausage with compote and pecan pancakes; rabbit livers with roasted apples; jalapeno pasta with rattlesnake sausage; and herb sorbet with champagne.