The Tasty Side of New England

This engaging volume describes 160 New England firms that supply foods by mail. The range of products offered will delight any cook with a mailbox: finnan haddie, sweet potato chips, goat's milk feta cheese and blueberry taffy. Company descriptions are warmly enthusiastic, making no critical assessment of products or services. Most entries include an appealing recipe to showcase a product: potatoes stuffed with baby Maine shrimp and lobster mousseline with lobster coral sauce, summer squash and cheddar cheese, whole wheat pizza with caramelized onion and Gorgonzola cheese, Norwegian-style meat pie, and boneless stuffed leg of lamb with spinach and hazelnut stuffing call for commonly available ingredients. However, some dishes, such as braised brisket from the ``Great Beyond,'' coffee milkshake, Vermont maple flan and Shaker apple-gingerbread cake, require ingredients from the company offering the recipe. Hillson is food editor for the Hartford (Conn.) Courant. (Jan.)