Vegetables by 40 Great French Chefs

Better suited to the coffee table than the kitchen counter, this heavy, gorgeous volume is filled with photos of specialty vegetables grown by a certain kind of celebrity farmer popular in France. French celebrity farmers are different from civilian farmers in that, instead of growing plain old radishes, say, they grow ""cherry belle"" radishes, and then hand them over to French celebrity chefs, who in turn make them into ""Spider Crabs in Cherry Belle Radish Jello, with a Pistou of Radish Tops."" While it's doubtful that a civilian chef would want to attempt this kind of dish at home, the full-page photo of it is a treat in itself, looking as much like jewelry as food. The same goes for ""Summer Sprouting Broccoli with Calamari and its Ink"" and ""Slice of Slim Jim Eggplant with Fall Flavors."" Even in the midst of all this lovely frivolity, however, a few recipes are both easy to source and cook. ""Sweet White Onions in a Pissaladiere"" is a tasty dish full of anchovies and olives; ""Cantaloupe Melon Granita"" is a refreshing dessert any kid with a blender could throw together. But despite a handful of relatively simple recipes, one can't help thinking that a cookbook this pretty shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the kitchen.