Nicole Routhier's Fruit Cookbook

Routhier (The Foods of Vietnam and Cooking Under Wraps) is a generous cookbook author. This outstanding compendium of dishes with fruit is not only packed with interesting, flavorful recipes, but sidebars and tips--on everything from best-taste combinations for a fruit-and-cheese board to working with chocolate-- could almost stand alone as a second book. And all this guidance comes without clutter or filler. Drawn from many cultures, even the traditional recipes take an innovative edge. Rosy Baba Ghanoush is perked up with pomegranate juice and seeds. Shiitake mushrooms float atop Mom's Green Papaya Soup (""the Asian equivalent of Jewish chicken soup""); in Fruited Noodle Pudding, white wine and beaten egg whites stand in for sour cream. Routhier often brings tastes together in new combinations like Steak Salad with Blackberries, Grilled Tuna Steaks with Strawberry Salsa, and Iced Apple Tea with Apricots. Other recipes introduce unusual ingredients and/or techniques (always with meticulous instructions) such as Veal Scaloppine with Grapefruit, Festive Cactus Pear and Wine Jelly, and Tea-Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Tangerine Glaze. American cooks, many of whom are just learning how to make the most of vegetables, are well served by Routhier's authoritative guide to the unfrequented culinary world of fruits. (July)