Ken Frank's La Toque Cookbook

The chef and owner of La Toque in Los Angeles, Frank here imparts recipes and techniques for the restaurant's most popular entrees. American-born and raised, he shares the secret of his inspiration: a year with his family in France, where he cut his eye teeth on the wonders of country French cooking. His own version of French food reflects this passion--it isn't classical French cuisine, but a mixture of rural French likes and California ingredients, often given an Asian accent. Examples: toasted salmon skin salad47 , artichokes stuffed with snails and basil60 , Santa Barbara shrimp with mustard56 ,please stet comma/MM if you'd like, just remind me once and i'll always stet in food book reviews/ pre and--what could be more California?--Zinfandel sorbet.181 And the author, though insisting that ``ultimately soul is at the core of cooking really great food,''15 is utterly down-to-earth in his directions. He includes ``mise en place'' (make-ahead) suggestions for every recipe, because the secret of La Toque's fare, he says, is the art of cooking each dish to order--not a simple task unless the chef is scrupulously organized. While some ingredients may be somewhat difficult to locate, these won't distract from what is ultimately a fine guide to some original--and actually quite accessible--feasts. Author tour. (Apr.)