Filled with advice on preparing authentic, regional American dishes, this collection of casserole recipes from the American heartland features advice on preparing one-dish meals using meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Villas, who was food and wine editor of Town & Country for almost 30 years, has written eloquently about American regional cooking in many cookbooks, including Stews, Bogs, and Burgoos. His latest is something of a companion to that title, as he believes that casseroles "boast a versatility that is matched only by soups and stews." He also believes that they, more than any other dish, "illustrate what authentic regional cooking is all about," and he offers dozens of recipes from around the country to prove his point: Chicago Shrimp de Jonghe, Portland Oyster and Bacon Pie, Yankee Corned Beef and Vegetable Pot, and Ann Arbor Venison and Wild Mushroom Bake. Villas's text is informed, opinionated, witty, and a pleasure to read, and with its wide-ranging selection of recipes, it will interest culinary historians as well as home cooks. Highly recommended. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. On a cold winter's night, a casserole bubbling in the oven can be just the thing to pique a family's appetites. Noted cookbook author James P. Villas has assembled 275 recipes in Crazy for Casseroles that offer creative and original ideas for casseroles far removed from typical hamburger, macaroni, and soup renditions. Tarragon scents a casserole of veal stew meat, carrots, and olives. Venison, parsnips, and mushrooms offer a way to use up excess game. Chicken and kohlrabi souffle makes use of a little appreciated vegetable. Goose, sausage, and chestnuts vary the standard holiday fowl. Even macaroni and cheese gets a few handfuls of fresh oysters for a New England twist on the predictable casserole. For the more traditionally minded, Villas creates Blue Plate Noodle, Beef, and Cheese casserole to appeal to the less expansive palate with everyday ingredients. Mark Knoblauch Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Used Book in Good Condition