The Hour Magazine Cookbook

Devotees of the daytime television program Hour Magazine will undoubtedly be happy to have a souvenir of the popular cooking segment. The only unifying factor here is that the recipes have either been aired on the show or contributed by staff members and guest celebrities. The result is a melange of uneven quality, ranging from the sublimeofferings from such experts as James Beard, Craig Claiborne and Paul Prudhommeto the ridiculous; not even the most avid fan will be interested in a TV seriesstar's salad (onions, radishes, turkey, red cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce and a low-calorie dressing for which no recipe is given), or a tuna, rice, mushroom soup and potato chip casserole. And few readers will be tempted to try chicken baked with orange soda and soy sauce. There are, however, a number of interesting and well-presented contributions. Among them are culinary expert Michele Braden's smoked ham mousse, Jo Stallard's baked garlic soup and Pierre Franey's chicken breasts in curried cream sauce with riz au sultan. It would be more convenient for the reader if the recipes were grouped in sensible categories rather than arranged by type of cook (celebrities, gastronomes, etc.). Photos not seen by PW. November 4