The Soup Bible

Larousse (The Hors D'Oeuvre Bible) tells us everything we ever wanted to know about soup in this exhaustive compilation, which lists more than 1000 soups (though there are fewer than 100 full recipes). This volume is more dictionary than bible, more catalogue than cookbook. After serving up a lively history of soup-making in the preface and some excellent ""stock tips"" in the first chapter, Larousse lets his encyclopedic knowledge of his topic run away with him. Sections on Clear, Thickened, Chilled and Regional and National Soups are long on descriptions of exotic consommes and bisques named for famous people (from Mona Lisa to Sarah Bernhardt), but short on easy-to-find ingredients for the home cook: Eels? Pureed pheasant? The Regional and National Soups are more workable, with a gingery Chicken Soup, Hunan style and a pungent Fish and Garlic Soup, Provence Style among the more attractive and feasible entries; but beware the gluey Polish Palewka (""water thickened with rye flour..."") and Hare Soup. Brightened by 16 pages of color photographs, many line drawings and some charming historical asides, this is a book for the serious culinary researcher and food historian, but it's less likely to help the home cook looking for something to serve for supper. (Apr.)