The Florida Cookbook: From Gulf Coast Gumbo to Key Lime Pie

Dispelling the stereotype of Florida as a Disney void or geriatric Levittown, Voltz ( Barbecued Ribs and Other Great Feeds ) and Stuart, southerners both, offer an entertaining overview of a cuisine that has ``more ethnic diversity than any in America, and possibly the world.'' Dividing Florida into six regions, they illustrate the character of each through recipes and vignettes. Interspersed between instructions for the Spanish-, French- and African American-influenced foods of the Panhandle, like boiled peanuts and smothered quail, are tales of Gulf Coast oysters and cockfighting in Pensacola. Like all cookbooks consorting with native kitchens and restaurants, this book is a voyeur's delight. Its recipes tickle readers with imaginary viewings of local legendary feats--building the titanic Greek salad at the Louis Pappas Restaurant in Tarpon Springs--and also treat us to the more homespun: throwing together a mess of pineapple coleslaw at barbecues for Florida rodeo riders. Although the book lacks the singular voice that could imbue this kind of collection with emotional meaning, its precision and comprehensiveness make it a valuable historical document, reminiscent of the WPA guides of the 1930s. Photos not seen by PW. (Feb.)