Good to Eat: Flavorful Recipes from One of Television's Best-Known Food and Travel Journalists

Wolf, in this companion to his public television show, promises healthy and flavorful food--a difficult task, he says, because flavor often comes from fat. Unfortunately, what results is muddle: Skimming fat off chicken stock won't help if recipes call for bacon (Bahamian Grilled Chicken; Green Bean and Potato Salad), sausage (Hearty Bean Soup; Beaufort Stew) and cola (Cola Baked Ham). Skillet Spanish Rice, which could easily fulfill Wolf's criteria, is bland. Recipes are organized by food type and are accompanied by sketches of luxurious venues, but from the Excelsior in Rome to Antonio's in Las Vegas the pasta remains Olive Garden variety. Wolf recommends using pre-packaged ingredients--canned clams in Clam Chowder, despite a preface on fresh clams, and fig preserves in Fig-Glazed Pork Chops--frustrating to those who like cooking from scratch. He provides such alternatives as rum, Cognac or orange juice in Tiramis , but mainstays like heavy cream (Napa Crab Cakes) and processed starches (white bread in Cod Steaks with Tomato Sauce) will daunt dieters. Fans will enjoy Wolf's fifth collection if they can wade through the simple filler (Mozzarella Rice), but the book's unlikely to win many converts. Authour tour. (Apr.)