It's a quirky little book and it's been fun to read. The title is "Cooking in the Nude - Quickies". Apparently there are several books in this Cooking in the Nude series. This one promises gourmet recipes that take less than an hour to make.

The contents are:

Introduction
Ready for Action (Presentation)
Fooling Around (Creating the Mood)
A Lick and a Promise (The Well-Stocked Pantry)

Teasing and Pleasing (Appetizers)
Love 'em and Leaf 'em (Salads)
Dressed for Success (Dressings)
Fast Au Fares (Entrees)
Making Time (Vegetables)

Subject Index
Recipe Index
Fleeting Fantasies (Notes)

The whimsy continues throughout the book with each recipe being given a cute title, usually a play on words. Under each funny title is a plain, descriptive title of what each recipe is and then a line about the recipe. For instance, "It Had to Be Ewe - Medallions of Lamb in Rosemary-Brandy Sauce - Make it known who you have in mind when you serve this entrée".

The entrée chapter is the longest and each entrée has a suggested menu using the other recipes in the book to make great sounding meals. Each menu has a wine suggestion as well. Sketches of various foods and other items are presented with each menu.

Here's one suggested menu: Hot Baked Brie - Caesar and Please Her (Caesar salad) - Skinny Dippin' Shrimp (Rich Shrimp Chowder) - Crusty French Bread - Dry Chenin Blanc.

The indexes are nice, but don't list the recipes by main ingredient, except by the protein like beef, lamb, etc. Surprisingly, there aren't any dessert recipes in this book.

I made probably the simplest recipe in the book, Lemon Rice. I wasn't sure I'd like it as it adds a beaten egg into the cooked rice, but it was quite tasty. A nice change from plain rice and very "Spring-like".

There are many recipes that sound delicious in this book. Some of the other recipes that I might try include: Crowns of Crab (Crab-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms); French Dip (Leek Dip in a French Bread Bowl); Halibut My Place? (Halibut in Caper Cream Sauce); Creamy Honey-Lemon Dressing; Cop a Fillet (Snapper Filets in Ginger Cream Sauce); Casual Encounters (Crab and Artichokes in Madeira Cream Sauce; Chicken Porno Bleu (Roquefort-Stuffed Breasts in Wine and Herb Sauce; Game, Set, Match (Linguine with Scallops in Avocado Cream Sauce; Brussels Sprouts in Garlic-Parmesan Butter.

Book Title: Cooking in the Nude - Quickies
Author(s): ? Revised, expanded edition copyright 1995 by Debbie and Stephen Cornwell.
Category: quick cooking, humorous
ISBN: 0943231965

Publisher: Howell Press
Publisher website: www.howellpress.com
Date published: 2001
Edition: eighth

Description: softcover
Illustrated: some simple line drawings throughout
Photographs: no

Pages: 96
List Price: $9.95
Reviewed on 18 March 2007 ( )