cover image The Greens Book

The Greens Book

Susan Belsinger. Interweave Press, $14.95 (112pp) ISBN 978-1-883010-05-8

Belsinger and Dille (Chesapeake Cookbook) know their greens-both in the kitchen and out in the garden. In the comprehensive, gracefully written introduction, they offer descriptions, historical background and cultural information for greens from around the world (with the odd exception of parsley). Broadening the concept of ``green,'' they include red-leaved radicchio, purple amaranth, blue kale and golden orach. A real boon to gardeners, they recommend the best-tasting varieties of each vegetable, and-just as valuable-tell what not to do (don't randomly combine packets of seeds from the hardware store for a DIY ``salad mix''). The recipes reflect the authors' eclectic and sophisticated tastes: Ancho Corn Pudding, Sushi with Perilla, Naples-Style Cabbage and Endive Soup, Jamaican-Style Greens. However, even Popeye might balk at eating Green Cake with Pistachios and White Chocolate Ganache, photographed against a plate whose rim unappetizingly echoes the dessert's spinach-blotched interior. Coca's otherwise luscious photographs are a balm to winter-weary eyes and palates. (Mar.)