The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook: Volume II: 375 All-New Recipes from America's Most Innovative Food Section

It's been four years since Chronicle food editors Bauer and Irwin published the first volume of 350 recipes drawn from their newspaper. Among changes here are added chapters on appetizers and morning repasts and notes citing online sources for hard-to-find foodstuffs. Otherwise the 375 all-new recipes are as solid and varied as their predecessors. Many dishes are credited to Marion Cunningham, Georgeanne Brennan, Flo Braker and other Chronicle contributors who make the most of the Bay Area's amalgam of cultures and abundance of fresh ingredients. Grilled Cheese on a Lemon Leaf may not be so easy to replicate everywhere, but Bauer's exotically accessible Vanilla Shrimp with Avocado-Tarragon Dip is. Most of the meals are easily prepared, such as Tomato and Pancetta Sauce for pasta and Chile Relleno Casserole. French-Vietnamese Bouillabaisse is notable for its lack of pretension and Grilled Lavender Chicken on Arugula for its novel blend of flavors. Some uncommon preparation techniques are exemplified by Lamb Klephtiko, which is seasoned and then wrapped in parchment and baked for four hours at just 200 degrees. Local celebrity is exhibited in such fare as The Best Way Roast Turkey, a brined bird la Chez Panisse. The editors declare that their intention is to achieve the best results with the least effort, and cooks countrywide will agree they have attained it once again. (Apr.)