THE BEST FOODS OF RUSSIA

. . . turn out to be the foods of the Caucasus, that much-touted region of the world where people sometimes ""live to be 130 and more."" Uvezian doesn't guarantee longevity, but there's no doubt that this is healthy fare: bulgar and rice pilafs; Georgian walnuts and Armenian almonds which appear in main courses, salads, and soups; an abundance of herbs (mint, coriander, saffron) used to season fresh vegetables and yogurt, yogurt, yogurt. Actually, Uvezian wrote one third of this book before (The Cuisine of Armenia, 1974) but since the Caucasus is uncharted culinary territory, the dishes from Georgia and Azerbaidzhan will be welcome. Whether or not American cooks will take to them will depend in large part on how they feel about cooking with fruit--plums, pomegranates, dried apricots. Fruit appears in such unexpected dishes as Fish with Prunes, Lamb Soup with Chestnuts, Quince and Prunes, and Chicken with Peaches. Uvezian keeps the directions simple. Surprising taste combinations and much better nutritional value than most so-called ""health food"" cookery provides.