Lifestyle Notes

Nearly 30 years ago, Poppin' Fresh, the roly-poly Pillsbury Doughboy, first appeared on the scene. The entertaining little guy has since become part of the culture. Life is much more hectic now and many families come together only at mealtime. Pillsbury Doughboy Family Pleasing Recipes: 170 Recipes for Every Night encourages the participation of everyone in the house to prepare quick, simple and nutritious meals. Dishes such as Smothered Swiss Steak, French Dip Burgers, Chicken-Broccoli Divan Pot Pie and Calico Kitty Cookies utilize packaged, frozen and preserved items, many of which are Pillsbury products. Sidebars throughout offer advice on preparation, suggestions about how the kids can participate and tips for making the meal special. Sixty full-color photographs highlight the crowd-pleasers. (Clarkson Potter, $19.95 176p ISBN 0-609-60860-6; Mar.)

Henry Tewksbury, former film and television producer, now Vermont resident and manager of the cheese department of the Brattleboro Food Co-op, celebrates cheese makers in The Cheeses of Vermont: A Gourmet Guide to Vermont's Artisanal Cheese Makers. He provides a brief history of the art and craft of the process, highlighting various cheese makers and facilities. Cheese makers are organized by region, and cheeses by types for easy access, and "Henry the Cheeseman" provides an appendix on locating the makers (including directions), farmer's markets and a glossary of terms. Color and black-and-white photos and a map complete the production. (Countryman, $21.95 240p ISBN 0-88150-513-7; Apr.)

Max McCalman, maître fromager at New York's Picholine and Artisanal restaurants, with writer David Gibbons, has prepared The Cheese Plate as an introduction to world-class cheeses. McCalman offers a brief overview then points the way toward profiles of various producers, discussions of how the various cheeses are made, how to store, unwrap, serve, what's good and what's not, pairings for tastings, tips and arcana. Susan Salinger's 55 full-color photographs enrich this presentation. (Clarkson Potter, $32.50 240p ISBN 0-609-60496-1; Mar.)