Essence Brings You Great Cooking

Nash, food editor for Essence , has written this book with two purposes in mind. The first is to celebrate African American food traditions in all their diversity; the second, to create a cookbook that will make nutritious home cooking appealing to the everyday cook. She succeeds on both counts. The many recipes offered here come from a number of sources, some from professional chefs, some from home cooks. Whether African American, Southern, or Caribbean in style, all reflect a varied food heritage. Nash wants to provide healthful recipes and, to that end, has eliminated crackling, lard, salt pork, ham hocks and heavy use of salt. Her recipes emphasize flavor and texture. Likewise, readers will find more recipes for chicken and turkey than for red meat. (There are also a number of vegetarian recipes.) Each recipe provides a breakdown of its major nutrients, which can aid in preparing menus. The recipes themselves are quite simple and can be tackled by anyone with moderate cooking skill. After browsing through the book, readers can concoct meals around regional themes, like ``authentic Jamaican jerk chicken,'' or old favorites like ``hot-and-spicy collards,'' with a grits souffle thrown in for flair. Regardless, we're bound to learn more about how African Americans have influenced the American food scene--and to end up with some very tasty meals. Photos not seen by PW. (May)