The California Pizza Kitchen Cookbook

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 30, 1996 by Michael Schrader

Books whose proceeds are used for charitable purposes not only instruct us; they also nurture the needy. The following charity cookbooks are examples of the genre.

THE CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN COOKBOOK, Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfeld, 95 pages, New York: MAcmillan, $20.

Pizza is the food that started my lifelong love affair with cuisine, and this is the perfect cookbook for all aficionados. It is beautifully illustrated, well-written and designed to drive home this message: Pizza is the ultimate taste treat of the '90s.

Flax and Rosenfeld were friends and law partners who decided it was more fun to make gourmet pizzas than to argue cases in the courtroom. They now have more than 6,000 employees in a 79-unit chain that is well-known for innovative pizza toppings.

The 26 pizza recipes are grouped as follows: chicken, meat and seafood, vegetarian; and novelty. There are also eight recipes for pasta, soups, salads and sides.

As the authors explain: "It is no coincidence that this unpretentious combination of bread, tomato and cheese is more popular than ever. Each year, more than 11 billion slices of pizza are eaten in the United States. The average American consumes almost 25 pounds per year. The best-selling topping, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is pepperoni. But at California Pizza Kitchen -- where upwards of 50 million pizzas have been consumed -- the clear favorite is BBQ chicken."

The pie of far-out ingredients called California pizza assumes such guises here as chicken tostada pizza, Tandoori chicken pizza, Thai chicken pizza, Hawaiian pizza, shrimp scamp) pizza and shrimp pesto pizza. Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph, and the text is sprinkled with informative tips.

This cookbook is the apotheosis of everyone's favorite food.

THE JUNIOR LEAGUE CENTENNIAL COOKBOOK, The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc., 406 pages, New York: Doubleday, $25.

This enormously interesting cookbook is not only a collection of more than 750 recipes but also a chronicle of the many accomplishments of local Junior Leagues. The groups are dedicated to meeting community needs in many ways: empowerment of women delivery of health information to low-income families and the pursuit of an advocacy agenda that includes volunteerism, historic preservation and help for the afflicted.

The savory fare has been culled from more than 200 Junior League cookbooks and includes such treats as Norwegian stuffed chicken, Greek potatoes and Key Lime bars.

I'll TASTE MANHATTAN, 223 pages, New York: The Junior League of the City of New York Inc., $28.

This is a culinary celebration of the nation's largest city. At a time of soaring rents and sinking city services, this cookbook shows us what is still spirit-lifting. Illustrated with photos of food and landmark buildings, it is a culinary walk through the architectural marvels of the city. The more than 180 recipes include ginger soft-shell crabs and lemon souffle.