AMY VANDERBILT'S COMPLETE COOKBOOK

Companion volume to the famous Complete Book of Etiquette-this is automatically off to a good start, and should keep a lead on its own virtues. There's a practical, down-to-brass-tacks approach, in the assumption of a maidless household-need for economy of time-advance planning, preparation, thinking through, whether for appetizers for the cocktail hour or pre-meal snacks, or for picnics, chafing dish suppers or buffets. There are good introductory comments for each section, suggesting equipment, ingredients, timing, incidentals, causes of success (or failure), and so on. So this makes a good basic cookbook, while still offering variety, originality, a gourmet touch for the housewife in need of a lift. Watch out for order- it is unusual. Instead of going from appetizers to desserts, the order is alphabetical:-candies precede casseroles, skillet suppers follow sauces. Following the recipe section there are menus (cross referenced), and such things as data on herbs, carving, terminology, etc.