IN CELEBRATION OF FOOD

After an introductory piece on back homemade meals in the Chicago of her childhood, Virginia Pasley has a first section on menus for all occasions -- holidays -- ethnic or religious, birthdays, weddings, etc., with one chapter of foods children (under sixteen) can prepare and another for dieters. But the main part of the book consists of recipes, adapted for the more hurried cook and certainly accessible to the inexperienced one, which go from soup to candy. On the whole they are average-American in their appeal, although here and there the best known continental dishes (Quiche, Beef Stroganoff, chocolate mousse) are to be found. Essentially a basic cookbook, sound, explicit and undemanding.