Chicken etc

Marcia Sweet, formerly head of the Douglas Library’s
Information/Reference Unit at Queen’s University, is currently an
Ottawa-based information consultant and freelance editor.

This collection of 179 recipes covers poultry and its
accompaniments—not just chicken. The recipes are for mostly
traditional dishes (Chicken а la King, Chicken Croquettes, Clubhouse
Sandwich), but ethnic, contemporary, sophisticated, and exotic dishes
are also well represented (Bali Wings, Blue Chicken, Foreign Stew, Go
Chicken Go, Special Legs, and Roast Quail).

Most of the recipes require a small number of ordinary ingredients
(although Pasta Chicken Cake calls for 24 ingredients), which are listed
in both metric and imperial measures. Instructions are simple and
explicit, and presented in the order in which each step must be executed
(a warning to the cook at an early stage to preheat the oven would be
helpful). The length of time required to cook each dish is not given,
but the number of persons served is.

The author includes valuable advice about nutrition, thawing, freezing,
and stuffing, and suggests ways of preparing the ingredients to cut fat
and calorie content. Other likable aspects of the book are its spiral
binding (allowing the book to lie flat on the counter), an excellent
index, and high-quality food photography. The book’s one drawback is
that its pale red text is printed on pink paper, making the recipes
difficult to read.