Cookbook review: The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook

By Tom Mentzer
Scripps Howard News Service
August 21, 2007

If "The New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook" (St. Martin's Press, $32) were a movie, it would be a Rat Pack classic, circa early 1960s. This book pulls recipes from dozens of today's most celebrated chefs into one volume.

The book's pretext -- recipes suitable for a weekend in the country -- is a pretty flimsy one, but the results are good nonetheless.

Contributors range from current TV superstars Mario Batali and Jacques Pepin to historic heavyweights Craig Claiborne and James Beard. All are collected under the eye of editor Linda Amster, with NYT columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman making the occasional appearance.

The country theme is more about recipe organization than content. The collection of more than 300 entries maps out your vacation, from the cocktail hour to a quick post-drive supper, leisurely brunches to lazy lunches, the impulse buys at the farm stand to that all-night dinner party -- there is even a special recipe for the final hectic hours of the trip.

Because the book cherry picks so many wonderful recipes from so many talented chefs, it's hard to select a handful of dishes that represent the whole work. But one way to judge quality is how the trends of the day are treated, and "Country Weekend" doesn't disappoint.

The mojito, in all its various incarnations, has overwhelmed the cocktail circuit. So why not toss up a mojito salad? Minty and refreshing, the dressing calls for an "optional" splash of rum. Panzanella, the ubiquitous bread salad, is everywhere, but the corn bread version in this book is a nice change of pace.

The volume keeps things relatively simple, fitting for the ill-stocked country kitchen. Even a pair of Thomas Keller's French Laundry recipes are approachable to all. Mark Bittman puts together a handy section on tacos, and the farm stand recipes offer something for everyone.

I wish some of the recipes came with a bit more back story about their creation; some of the entries from notable chefs offer no context at all. But on the whole, this book is a great collection of recipes, even if there's no vacation cottage in your immediate future.

(Tom Mentzer is a freelance writer. Contact him at tom.mentzer@gmail.com.)