Great Food Without Fuss: Simple Recipes from the Best Cooks

McCullough, a leading cookbook editor, and Witt, a Washington, D.C., restaurateur, have gleaned over 120 recipes from the works of such food world luminaries as Julia Child, Craig Claiborne and Alice Waters, as well as from 60 other food professionals. What all of these recipes--starters, main dishes, accompaniments, quick breads and desserts--have in common is their ease of preparation. ``These recipes are not only a snap to put together, they're also forgiving if you don't follow them slavishly,'' claim the authors, and they're right. Recipes are accompanied by serving advice--a great boon--and often by other tips. For example, buttered angel hair pasta is suggested as a base for Jasper White's Cape scallops sauteed with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and a salad is advised as a way to supply missing vitamins. Julia Child's test for detecting watery scallops is also provided. The authors couldn't resist adding their own recipes, which appear throughout. Among the especially addictive are their anchovies gremolata, enchiladas suizas--using leftover turkey--and ``Huffy Puffy,'' a Swedish oven pancake. This is a delightful book, informative, friendly and easy to use. (Sept.)