I bought this older (1998) cookbook for a dollar at a Friends of the Mukilteo Library book sale and the purchase was one of the best dollars I spent in a long time. The wide assortment of recipes practically guarantee that all readers will find something they want to make. Many of the recipes are impractical for small families. They call for massive amounts of ingredients measured in cans and pounds and yield 10 servings. There are a few that are suitable for empty-nesters like my wife and myself, and others can be reduced to a manageable size.

The book is organized into 18 chapters that are a mixture of food (e.g., appetizers and beverages, breads, salads and salad dressings, soups and sandwiches) and primary ingredient (e.g., beef, pork, eggs, vegetables). Additional chapters cover kitchen basics and menu planning. Most of the sections include tables that summarize cooking times and other considerations.

I try to list the recipes I want to try in the front of every cookbook I own, and in this instance the list is 55 items long. ( )