Pestos!: Cooking with Herb Pastes

Pesto, the Italian concoction of basil, olive oil, cheese, garlic and nuts, has become a summertime mainstay in America. Rankin has made pesto, named for the pestle in which it was traditionally prepared, into a genre. First come 30 recipes for pesto variations using fresh mint, tarragon, savory, sage, cilantro, oregano, sorrel, rosemary, thyme, even fennel seeds and garlic chives. There are also winter pestos that call for dried herbs. In these modern versions, a food processor is essential and, for the winter recipes, a blender is recommended. Rankin then applies her sauces to pasta and pizza, salads, stews, grilled fish and meats. It's an inventive and tasteful collection, and it makes the possibilities of herb pastes so enticing one wonders why such a book hasn't appeared before now. PESTOS! is one of two debut titles in Crossing Press's specialty cookbook series. SALSAS! by Andrea Chesman ($16.95 ISBN 0-89594-179-1 ; paper $6.95 ISBN 0-89594-178-3 ) is an equally sparkling treatment on a more famiiar subjecthot sauces and dishes. November 20