SECRETS OF THE TSIL CAF

A man's perspective is rare in the current crush of culinary-inspired fiction, but in this first novel based around hotter-than-hot peppers, it's macho to wield a saucepan. Narrator Wes Hingler, son of dueling chefs, is a terrific kitchen guide: lusty, culturally hip, erudite but without intellectual pretense, unsentimental. Wes's father, Robert, is the owner of the Tsil Cafe, serving New Mexican food in Kansas City, Mo.; his mother, Maria Tito Hingler, runs Buen AppeTito catering. Growing up in their two kitchens, Wes embodies their conflicts and collusions: New World versus Old World ingredients, heat and warmth. He must become himself as well as their child, and the book recounts his tortuous, triumphant journey to his own restaurant, Weston's One-World Cafe. Tsil (pronounced like the first syllable in chili, but with a hiss) is the Hopi name for a chili pepper come to life, and nearly all the recipes gathered in the book include a chili or two in the ingredient list. Those who prefer their meals bland are forewarned, as should be vegetarians and pet owners: at the culminating feast, soup with llama blood is served. Sometimes Wes's extended family seems a dish with a confusing number of spices. But O. Henry Award–winning short story writer Averill uses the issue of roots to make a fine point about the influence of many cooks on even a signature dish. Readable if not readily cookable, Tsil Cafe will heat up the summer. Agent, Stephanie von Hirschberg. National publicity.(July)