The Way We Cook: Recipes from the New American Kitchen by Sheryl Julian & Julie Riven (HC/DJ)

The "we" of the The Way We Cook are authors Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven, co-creators of a widely popular Boston Globe food column. The book offers over 250 recipes for simple yet attractive fare that's rooted in American home cooking but which also satisfies worldly palates. Thus the couple provides recipes like Grilled Chicken in Lettuce Leaves with Asian Vinaigrette, Braised Beef in Balsamic Vinegar, and Quick Fish Stew with Ginger and Thyme, while also offering recipes for too-good-to-mess-with favorites including Shrimp and Spanish Rice, Hot and Sour Soup, and a particularly good rendering of roast loin of pork with dry fruits. There's also a fine chapter on sides--don't miss the Crusty Smashed Potatoes--and sections on sweets including Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Congo Bars, Ice Cream Pie, and Julie's Mother's Apple Cake. Other cookbooks work the same territory that Julian and Riven do, but The Way We Cook offers exemplary taste, especially well-crafted recipes, and, perhaps above all, a keen response to the modern cook's need to make limited kitchen time count. -–Arthur Boehm