Custard's last stand

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Katherine Hall Page

Caterer and small-town minister's wife Faith Fairchild might never have accepted the job teaching a course on Cooking for Idiots at Mansfield Academy had it not been for Daryl Martin. An African-American student at the prestigious prep school, Daryl has lately become the target of a series of vicious and anonymous racial attacks -- and Faith is determined to put an end to the injustice. But Mansfield, she finds, is a seething cauldron of secrets, academic in-fighting, and unspoken rules that complicate her task. When someone tampers with her classroom cooking ingredients -- and then the remains of her prime suspect are discovered smoldering in a campus bonfire -- she realizes that a monstrous evil is stalking both Daryl and the school. And suddenly Faith's own life is in serious jeopardy as well!

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Jim Botsacos with Judy Choate

Before the Livanos family opened Molyvos, they wanted to be sure their food hit all the night notes. So they hired gifted chef Jim Borsacos and took him on a tour of the Greek isles, spending many nights dining and cooking in Greek homes. Jim's immersion in Greek cuisine and his own bistro-influenced sensibility made an immediate impression on New York restaurant critics, including Ruth Reichel, whose three-star rave thanked Molyvos for reminding her "how truly wonderful Greek food can be." Now with The New Greek Cuisine, anyone can "go Greek" with flair. While staying true to tradition, the recipes in The New Greek Cuisine bring everything to the next level by emphasizing ingredients and presentation and intensifying flavors. Home cooks can start small by learning to make marvelous mezes, including mussels, with mint or a crust less leek and cheese pie. When it's time to move on to entrees, there are plenty of tasty and satisfying options, from braised lamb shanks with orzo to plank grilled prawns. Inventively simple sides such as roasted "cracked" potatoes with coriander and red wine, and comforting pastitsio-a Greek macaroni and cheese - could become new family favorites. And no Greek meal would be complete without desserts like semolina cake with yogurt and spoon sweets or easy pinwheel shaped baklava. Based on staples, such as fish, whole grains, and olive oil. Greek food not only is healthy and delicious but offers a welcome break from other overexposed Mediterranean cuisines. And this richly illustrated cookbook by one of the new Greek cuisine's most talented practitioners is the perfect way to discover its many delights.

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Joanne Fluke

"The Cookie Jar's busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time ... for Christmas cookies, Hannah's own special plum pudding--and romance! She also gets a kick out of "Lunatic Larry Jaeger's Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot," a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green. But then Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office ... Now, with so many suspects to investigate and the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah's running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn't want her to see the New Year ..."--Back cover.

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Alexander Lobrano

"The most authoritative and charming guide to eating well in the French capital, Hungry for Paris includes reviews of all of the really fabulous new restaurants you won't want to miss during your next trip, as well as updated maps and indexes. It's a savvy, insider's roadmap to the 112 best restaurants in Paris, selected and reviewed by popular food writer and restaurant critic Alexander Lobrano, an American who has lived and dined in the city for over twenty years"-- "If you're passionate about eating well, you couldn't ask for a better travel companion than Alexander Lobrano's charming, friendly, and authoritative Hungry for Paris, the fully revised and updated guide to this renowned culinary scene. Having written about Paris for almost every major food and travel magazine since moving there in 1986, Lobrano shares his personal selection of the city's best restaurants, from bistros featuring the hottest young chefs to the secret spots Parisians love. In lively prose that is not only informative but a pleasure to read, Lobrano reveals the ambience, clientele, history, and most delicious dishes of each establishment--alongside helpful maps and beautiful photographs that will surely whet your appetite for Paris; Praise for Hungry for Paris: "A wonderful guide to eating in Paris"--Alice Waters; "Nobody else has such an intimate knowledge of what is going on in the Paris food world right this minute. Happily, Alexander Lobrano has written it all down in this wonderful book"--Ruth Reichl; "Delightful. The sort of guide you read before you go to Paris--to get in the mood and pick up a few tips, a little style"--Los Angeles Times; "When I got the book, I started flipping through it, jumping in and out of various chapters listlessly. But the writing was so good, I wanted to do it justice and read it front-to-back, and found it to be not just a list of restaurants but a truly superb read"--David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris; "Hungry for Paris is like a cozy bistro on a chilly day: It makes you feel welcome"--The Washington Post; "This book will make readers more than merely hungry for the culinary riches of Paris; it will make them ravenous for a dining companion with Monsieur Lobrano's particular warmth, wry charm, and refreshingly pure joie de vivre"--Julia Glass"--