Pot Pies: Forty Savory Suppers

``Old cookbooks sometimes explained that a crackling, singing sound--like that of a blackbird--indicated that a pie was done,'' writes Ojakangas ( The Finnish Cookbook ). Readers partial to savory casseroles will enjoy the main-dish pies presented here, culled from Greek, Italian, French, Mexican, Moroccan and Ojakangas's own Finnish recipes. She understands the need for straight-on but imaginative foods to set on the dinner table. Ready-made conveniences, such a frozen phyllo and bottled salsa, make the pies seem accessible, not exotic. Yet Ojakangas does not even mention ready-made pie crusts, refrigerated crusts or frozen puff pastry as alternatives to crusts made from scratch. Given that most new cooks are intimidated by pastry-making, Ojakangas may have overlooked that audience by offering only cursory instructions on how to handle pastry. She begins the book with a review of equipment and pie preparations, then organizes recipes into chapters by main ingredient (cheese, egg, meat, etc.). Some recipes are simply dolled-up standards: for example, instead of serving chili spooned on top of cornbread, Ojakangas bakes a cornbread crust on top of a kettle of vegetarian chili, and puts a whipped potato crust atop a carbonnade stew. More inviting are the Chilean chicken corn pie with olives, raisins and loads of ground chili, and shrimp pie with dilled Havarti and fragrant roasted red and yellow bell peppers. Illustrated. (Jan.)