THE ULTIMATE SHRIMP BOOK

Having tackled candy, ice cream and party drinks in his three previous "Ultimate" collections, Weinstein now turns his attention to what he recognizes as the "world's most popular fresh seafood." This is a Swiss Army Knife of a book, packing at least a half-dozen cuisines and more than 650 recipes into about 250 pages. To come up with so many variations upon a single crustacean, Weinstein is not above taking some everyday foods and simply adding a handful of shrimp. Thus, there are Shrimp Pizza, Shrimp Tacos and Shrimp Bruschetta. Also, buyer beware: only about one in five recipes is a unique entry. The others are simply alterations. Take for instance the listing for Vatapa, a Brazilian stew featuring a great concoction of flavors including peanuts, coconut milk, jalapeños and beer. As with all the main entries, a very short introduction gives the reader serving suggestions and a dash of the dish's origin. Ingredients and instructions are then presented in concise, easy-to-follow fashion. Then, five revisions of the dish are listed (other entrées have anywhere from three to 10), none taking more than a few brief sentences to lay out. The Double Shrimp Vatapa recipe, for instance, merely states, "Add 2 tablespoons dried shrimp with the raw shrimp." The dishes are presented in alphabetical order, so the Etouffee finds itself between the Enchiladas and the Fajitas while various stews pop up from beginning to end. Still, those who are in a hurry to find Shrimp Curry will appreciate this utilitarian approach, and those who are not will marvel at the variety that can be found within a mere eight-page spread: Lo Mein, Maki, Mole and Mousse. (Mar.)