Tomatoes and Mozzarella: 100 Ways to Enjoy This Tantalizing Twosome All Year Long

The combination of tomatoes and mozzarella on pizza could hardly be more ubiquitous and familiar. But Harron and Sikora demonstrate that the two ingredients can be paired in many other ways, some obvious, others surprising. The authors (Harron's a professional chef; Sikora co-owns a restaurant chain) include recipes for every course except dessert, though the largest number are for snack foods or small dishes such as Pistachio Confetti Canapés or Mozzarella Crostini with Ginger Tomato Jam. Most also have a Mediterranean flavor: naturally, there is a chapter on pasta, and Italian items like Prosciutto-Draped Crostini and Caprese Chopped Salad dominate other sections. In some cases, the inclusion of mozzarella seems frivolous, though few people are likely to protest, for instance, the addition of cheese to the normally cheeseless Catalan Tomato Bread. An introductory section describes the different varieties of tomatoes and mozzarella, though not at great length; in particular, there is less on heirloom tomatoes than readers might hope for. Especially when tomatoes are in season, readers will find this book a great resource of ideas for innovative combinations of the two. Color photos not seen by PW . (May)