THE AMERICAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK

Decorated with taste and good sense, this handsome collation of traditional American recipes is a remarkable value for the price. Sensibly the editors have separated historical notes from the business end of the recipes by distance, color and type, so that the eye of the whirling cook may rest quickly on essentials. As for the recipes--a large variety, modernized as far as possible, although some--like ""Hartford Election Cake""--are more suitable to the days when sustenance could either be eaten or catapulted at an opponent. However, there are enough dishes here--from soup to some grand alcoholic depth charges--of all regional and ethnic varieties that the adventurous cook may browse with pleasure and profit. Also included -- 40 ""Historic"" menus. From fruited to plain--America's finest.