Mrs. Cook's Kitchen: Basics and Beyond

Susan Cleyle is a systems librarian in the QEII Library at Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

Food specialist Gay Cook’s first cookbook is, in her words, “the
culmination of all my years of food experience.” Her desire to become
a chef, her professional involvement with the food industry, her love of
preparation and its place in daily living are all expressed in these
pages.

The book includes information about kitchen equipment, spirits (wine,
beer, and others), and menus, with the majority of the sections based on
recipes by food type (appetizers, soups, salads, breads, egg and cheese,
pasta, fish, poultry, game, vegetables, and sweets). A mixture of text
fonts and styles are used fairly effectively to distinguish between
recipe name, summary information, the author’s commentary, and the
actual recipe. Some color photographs of dishes provide indication of
results, while black-and-white illustrations depict tools and
techniques.

As the title suggests, recipes range from the basics (Old Fashioned
Apple Pie) to beyond (Chinese Lemon Sea Scallops with Broccoli
Stir-Fry), with the majority of selections leaning closer to the basic
side. If your cookbook library requires a foundation book with solid
recipes and helpful (sometimes inspirational) techniques, Mrs. Cook’s
Kitchen is well worth the purchase price.