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By Alan Hooker
Color Illustrations by Beatrice Wood
272 Pages,
7” x 10”, Paperback
Price: $20.00 plus shipping and handling.
Call (805) 646-3381 to order by phone.
The heart of the matter, the main course, is your access to Alan Hooker's ground-breaking experience, which has for 40 years defined the American version of the art of cooking with herbs. This includes, among other things, tips on technique which are so real-world, so useful and so clearly intended for those of us who have not spent years at cooking academies, that they can't help but seem a little subversive; also, a concise "mini-encyclopedia" of herbs, giving some of their background lore and general uses; and of course there are hundreds of extraordinary recipes, from dips to desserts.
It is not Furofad, not macrobiotic, not high-fiber, not low-fat. It is - rarity of rarities - a sane, balanced, intelligent approach to preparing the best ingredients in the most beautiful and nourishing ways. Which is of course exactly what has been going on, lo these many years, at the Ranch House Restaurant, founded by Alan and his wife Helen.
Beyond these essentials, there is what might be called an elegant garnish of sly and whimsical illustrations by Beatrice Wood, distinguished artist, ceramicist and centenarian wildwoman. And still further beyond, you will encounter the truly dangerous aspect of the book, the part that is everywhere and nowhere, that will catch you unawares: the irrepressible enthusiasm of Alan Hooker. Don't be too surprised to find that his genuine love of good food, and the buoyant sense of adventure he brings to the explanations of its preparation, lead you in spite of yourself to experiment with recipes of your own - and to have more and more fun with them.
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California Herb Cookery