Entertaining Light: Healthy Company Menus with Great Style

Sophisticated stuff--not just low-fat formulations--is the subject of Shulman's ( Mediterranean Light ) newest work. It's a masterpiece of food writing and recipe development, orchestrated from the author's Paris home. But, like so much else that is great, it is both fabulous and somewhat flawed. True to title, the volume is a wellspring of ideas for entertaining--but few are truly low-calorie, low-fat or anywhere near low-budget. That said, information about wines (mainly French), cocktails and aperitifs is solid, and Shulman's hors d'oeuvres and canapes are original and easily expandable (as are many other recipes). Some highlights include: spring rolls with vegetables, shrimp, herbs and ginger; mushroom ``gravy'' (a ragout to accompany turkey); tuna, broiled or grilled and larded with garlic; and bitter chocolate sorbet with mint. Recipes are handily organized into menus, and one of the most valuable sections discusses ``impromptu entertaining'' with ingredients at hand, including a guide on how to stock a pantry. Unfortunately, the author in her Paris environs issues forth ingredients not readily available in, let's say, Omaha--without mention of substitutions. (Nov.)