Practical Gourmet: Small Plates for Sharing.

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

This book signals a new direction for Company’s Coming. For decades, Jean Paré and company have concentrated on homestyle recipes made from easy-to-find ingredients. In this new work, Paré introduces her readers to what the French call “amuse bouche”—little treats that stress artistic presentation and creative use of ingredients as much as flavour and filling the belly.

The content is divided into eight chapters. “Bed & Pillows” examines finger food like Roasted Spinach Portobello Mushrooms, Spiced Jam with Roasted Garlic and Cambozola Cheese Dip, Wild Rice Blinis, and Potato Crostini with Caramelized Bacon Bits. In the “Little Bowls” chapter, forks or spoons are required to sample treats like Shrimp Bisque, Sun Dried Tomato and Leek Mussels, Mango Gazpacho, and Miso Mushroom Risotto. In “Maverick Morsels,” familiar tastes are given a new twist, like Peanut Noodle Cakes with Sweet Chili Prawns, Walnut Pesto-Crusted Lamb Chops with Cranberry Port Jus, and Spiced Panko Chicken with Tropical Rum Dip. Other chapters include “On the Green” (vegetables), “Rolled Up and Tucked In” (treats that are wrapped or shaped in balls), “Skewered,” “Small,” and “Sweet and Simply Sophisticated.”

Although some of the recipes demand moderately experienced cooking skills, the majority of the dishes in this book can be easily prepared by even novice cooks. Tips and background information about ingredients are included with every recipe. As with all Company’s Coming cookbooks, nutritional analysis is included for each dish, which is handy for those who need to watch their calorie or sodium intakes. A glossary, suggested menu combinations, and tip and recipe indexes are included at the back of the book.

This book is the first of a new Company’s Coming series called Practical Gourmet. It delivers on its promise to take readers into new gourmet realms and it is a great resource for anyone who is searching for new food entertainment ideas. The only drawback is if they really wanted to be truly practical, they would have kept the trademark spiral binding that makes other Company’s Coming books so handy in the kitchen.