The Original Baltimore Neighborhood Cookbook

Although Smith and Hazan (coauthors of The Original Philadelphia Neighborhood Cookbook ) ladle up some serviceable recipes, this work remains ordinary because it reveals little of Baltimore's unique character. Each recipe is identified with an area of the city--for example, baked winter squash comes from ``Cross Street Market, Federal Hill''--but such notes will make sense only to readers already familiar with the city. As for the dishes themselves, many, such as oxtail stew and chicken pie with sour cream pastry, make satisfying family meals, while others, like veal Marsala and lobster and crab Benjamin, are fancy enough for parties. And some, like Brazilian baked shrimp with coconut sauce, German hot cabbage salad and two versions of bul-go-gi (Korean barbecued beef), hint at the city's cultural diversity. But a few offerings, such as meatloaf surprise (the ``surprise'' is cheddar cheese) and a chicken with rice made with canned soups, are so commonplace that it is difficult to see why they're included. Illustrated. (Aug.)