Burt Wolf's Table

Wolf ( Eating Well ), already well-known to watchers of CNN and the Travel Channel, offers this new book to coincide with the launch of a new PBS series of the same title. As the basis for both, Wolf took 26 trips to various corners of the world to explore ``good things to eat and the reasons why people eat them.'' His chapters combine historical asides with recipes: we learn, for instance, why some Nova Scotian dishes resemble certain Carolinan favorites: the origins of both are Acadian. Wolf ranges from Hawaiian style to the Virgin Islands, China, Russia, Italy, Australia and Holland, illustrating the importance of potatoes to the last with an anecwith an anecdote about Van Gogh's Potato Eaters . Some readers may find the intercontinental foraging dizzying, like a gastronomic grab-bag. And some of the background information is pretty commonplace: ``Wheat is a form of grass,'' the author tells us. But for those who want the jaunt, Wolf provides the passage. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. (Aug.)