Cooking from Scratch: 120 Recipes for Colorful, Seasonal Food from PCC Community Markets

This volume from PCC Community Markets, Seattle's pioneering co-op grocery chain, sets itself apart with its clarity, range, and beautiful presentation. The recipes, covering everything from breakfast to cocktails, are straightforward and appropriately detailed. It's clear that PCC's chefs have written these recipes with home cooks in mind: they produce hearty dishes combining interesting flavors. The chapter on salads is a standout, with unusual variations on familiar themes, such as orzo salad with roasted cherries, arugula, and chorizo. Headnotes and sidebars are illuminating and often funny: of rhubarb (a recurring item) the authors say, "When vegetables are this determined to be odd, all we can do is enjoy them in their weirdness." Inserted occasionally throughout are "Flavor in Five" guides to various cooking basics, including vinaigrettes, marinades, chowders, stir-fries, and crisps.