Chicken: 150 Great Recipes for All Seasons

Corn, whose Now You're Cooking made the kitchen not only welcoming but fun for beginners, brings her appealing, humorous and unintimidating style to the henhouse. There are plenty of books about chicken on the market, but Corn's stands out. First of all, the recipes are arranged by season--Grilled Chicken with Mopped-On Rhubarb-Butter Sauce for spring; Chicken Roasted with Beets and Orange Sections for winter--to encourage the use of fresh produce. Corn also goes far beyond the typical breast-and-thigh strategy, as evidenced in her Chicken Souffl with Spinach and Emmentaler, Brie Mousse with Chicken and Herbs and Cold Cucumber Soup with New Walnuts (made with a chicken stock base). She makes the whole undertaking fun with text boxes titled ""Chicken Nuggets,"" which answer questions such as, ""Why Is a Rooster Called a Cock?"" The introductory section is thorough, and the author occasionally supplies recipes for appropriate side dishes: she suggests serving Flavorful Basmati Rice with Grilled India Spice Thighs. Corn gets a little wacky with such recipes as Chicken Kebabs in Cola-Cardamom Marinade, and Gerald's Quick Summer Chicken with Odd Packaged Things (maple syrup and ketchup). The flip side of the weird recipes are gems such as Grilled Chicken Marinated in Rose Petals and Brandy and Chicken with Walnuts and Fig Sauce. (Apr.)