Cooking Under Wraps: The Art of Wrapping Hors D'Oeuvres, Main Courses, and Desserts

Both a chronicle of culinary history and a cook's world tour, this irresistible guide to the first fast foods unfolds the hidden delights of such ethnic specialties as crepes, calzoni and quesadillas, stuffed cabbage and sushi, roulades and rissoles, empanadas, mu-shu and pot pies. Arranged according to wrapper in such chapters as ``Phyllo,'' ``Flatbreads,'' ``Pasta and Noodles'' and ``Leaf and Vegetable Wrappers,'' the recipes cross--and connect--cultures in a fascinating approach that dramatically allies the home cook with other worlds and other generations. Along with her personal passion for these foodstuffs, Routhier ( The Foods of Vietnam ) supplies her recipes with illustrations demonstrating preparation techniques, notes on finding and substituting ingredients, and timing advice, necessary for safely storing wrapped food before cooking. Phyllo purses may be tucked with Gorgonzola and basil or with prune plums, themselves stuffed with chocolate and ground almonds; short pastry wraps are featured in savory pork empanadas, spiced chicken samosas, potato and smoked cheese knishes and South African minced meat bobotie. This contemporary turn around the cooking world will inspire any modern kitchen adventurer. BOMC/HomeStyle alternate; author tour. (Mar.)