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COOKBOOK TITLES FOR GARDENERS

© Connie Krochmal

When gardeners need a break during the winter from the seed catalogs, cookbooks come to the rescue. Here are some delightful cookbooks and guides I've discovered in the past few months when I couldn't be out in the garden.

For snacks and nibbles, I recommend two great titles. "Tapas Fantasticas-Appetizers with a Spanish Flair" by Coleen and Bob Simmons is a new book in the Nitty Gritty Cookbook Series from Bristol Publishing. It has scrumptious dishes with fruits, including empanadas, savories, seafood, and drinks. With over 100 easy, step-by-step recipes, this book is useful whether you're planning parties or family meals. The authors have also written "Cooking with Chile Peppers" and other titles for Bristol Pub.

"The Best Party Snacks" by Gregg R. Gillespie from Black Dog & Leventhal presents almost a hundred flavorful recipes for hors d'oeuvres, nibbles, and snacks. Recipes featuring fruit include fruit ecstasy, plum and cheese canapés, and cantaloupe seafood appetizers. The dishes are simple to make, and are suitable for most any occasion. You'll find this book is very easy to use because the table of contents lists the recipes alphabetically.

Golden West Publishers has so many wonderful titles. The fact that they are spiral-bound makes them easy to use. Among the titles of interest to fruit lovers are the "Apple Lovers Cookbook," the "Berry Lovers Cookbook," and the "Citrus Lovers Cookbook." The series includes several state cookbooks, including the "New York Cookbook," "Florida Cookbook," "Maine Cookbook," and the "North Carolina Cookbook." In addition to tasty recipes, they feature cooking tips and hints, and substitution charts.

When it comes to cookbooks and regional titles, Pineapple Press in Florida can't be beat. "The Mongo Mango Cookbook-and Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mangoes" by Cynthia Thuma has tips on preparing mangoes and dishes for every part of the meal from appetizers and salads to drinks, entrees, and deserts made from ripe and green fruits. This book is a treasure-trove when it comes to information on mangoes. The introductory section features a delightful history of the mango and its uses along with details on the different kinds of mangoes.

Pineapple Press also published "Exotic Foods-a Kitchen and Garden Guide" by Marian Van Atta. Whether you're looking for information on growing or using exotic fruits and nuts, this is the book for you. The introduction presents very useful gardening tips on how to protect the plants from cold temperatures, edible landscaping hints, and container gardening. Among the nuts covered are the olive, pine, and the horseradish tree. It features all sorts of edibles, including fruit, shrub, and vine crops as well as edible roots, bulbs, and seeds. Oh, I forgot to mention the exotic quail eggs.

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