GREAT AUNT JANE'S COOK AND GARDEN BOOK

A chatty Southern cookbook, tied to the seasons and to Great Aunt Jane's homey wisdom, taken from her columns in the Piedmont Virginian. She may polish the silver while the chili is on the stove, mourn a percolator that has lost its perk (puns abound), or kill a snake in her bedroom. She rambles on about the lemony scent of parsnips, mood rings, the first daffodils, Chaka her Malamute, and how to cultivate asparagus. Recipes range from tomato bisque flavored with cloves, white beans and lamb, and 3-day watermelon pickle to cheese grits souffle and Roast Possum and Sweet 'Taters (""First, catch your possum""). Ingredients include rose water, lots of fresh herbs, and molasses--even in chili and ratatouille. An acquired taste, perhaps, but strictly a regional appeal.