ON THE RANGE: Cooking Western Style

Pfrommer makes no attempt at authenticity in this collection of Tenderfoot, Ranger Rider, and Bronco Buster recipes, though the dishes probably are in line with most American kids' idea of a fun meal. Black bean soup, Indian corn cakes, homemade baked beans, ""Fried Rice Mexicano,"" and two basic chiles are among the all-American Southwest standards included. But so are tomato sauce for spaghetti, ""prairie pizza"" on English muffin, chicken à la king, and dishes flavored with canned mushroom soup, dried onion soup, Worcestershire sauce, catsup, bottled taco sauce, and other processed concoctions that never saw a chuck wagon. No one learns to cook (or to taste) from a collection like this, though Marshall's drawings have more flavor and the package might rope in kids ready to take a step beyond canned and frozen dinners.