Fresh Tastes from a Well-Seasoned Kitchen

Roper's follow-up to A Well-Seasoned Kitchen expands on the approachable favorites that made her first effort such a hit, this time with a "fresh" take on classics that lend themselves to parties and get-togethers. The titular logic is a little awkward, but her recipes are graceful: smoked salmon eggs Benedict with mustard-dill sauce, cucumber leek vichyssoise, and Thai peanut shrimp over linguine live up to her theme without requiring a culinary degree. Even readers with little cooking or baking experience will be able to assemble impressive offerings such as tomato shortbread with olive tapenade, lemon-rosemary swordfish en papillote, or corn and prosciutto salad. The collection of over 170 dishes favors dinners and parties (sample menus for events that range from picnics to Thanksgiving are included) but there are also plenty of comfort food hits such as Cajun meatloaf and banana caramel baked French toast. Though it might not make the year-end lists of culinarians, Roper's fans will love it. This is a solid effort with practical dishes readers will likely find themselves returning to. (BookLife)