'At Home' author covers all the bases

By Sue Story Truax

Jorj Morgan has a good premise for "At Home in the Kitchen." She asserts that the process of home cooking is as important as the food served. She stresses the need for shared time, shared work and shared food among family and friends. Morgan, a former caterer, learned to streamline recipes and ingredients. She's big on fresh herbs but not too snooty for packaged products as a place to start. She also knows what people really like to eat.

None of her recipes is overly complicated, but she's a little too inspecific for a novice cook.

Her Family Style Rice, for example, calls for "1 package yellow rice." She fails to specify what size package or to tell readers how many servings the finished dish will provide. Had she given the number of servings, a careful cook could have worked backward to figure out the size of the package.

In the intro notes for Basic Marinara Sauce, Morgan suggests to "double the recipe to make a large pot, and save some for quick use on a busy day." Experienced cooks would package and freeze the extras, but a novice might put leftovers at the back of the refrigerator and then be unhappy when mold developed.

Use common sense or e-mail questions to the cookbook's companion Web site - www.jorj.com

The index is cross-referenced and easy to use.

Morgan offers a list of pantry basics, oodles of menus for weekday meals and special occasions, and a good glossary of gadgets and their uses.

Chapter titles read like a tour of local dining establishments. Chapters include Totally Takeout, The Soup and Sandwich Deli, The Corner Italian Restaurant, The Cozy Comfort Diner, The Dessert Cafe and Upscale Dining Made Easy.

She even offers a recipe that uses 2 pounds of those baby artichokes popping up in stores. The delectable-sounding entree is Lemon Chicken With Baby Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Shiitake Mushrooms.

She gives formulas for lots of quesadillas, pasta dishes, Mexican meals and everything in between.

She even gives scene-setting suggestions, such as these for Thick Cinnamon French Toast, a brunch item. "Place the toast on a warm platter. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place a pitcher of warm maple syrup nearby. Top the toast with toasted pecans or almonds for a totally upscale twist on French toast."

Here is a recipe from the book.

Home Style Macaroni and Cheese 4 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced, about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 cups cubed sharp white Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound pasta, such as macaroni or rigatoni
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook until just beginning to brown. Add the flour and stir to make a paste.

Add the milk and stir until the sauce is thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cheese.

Add the sour cream and stir.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a casserole dish. Stir the sauce into the pasta. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the top begins to brown and casserole bubbles. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Simple substitution: Feel free to try different cheese. Yellow American and extra sharp Cheddar are great, but don't forget blue cheese or Fontina for a fun dish!

Casserole stretcher: Stir in chunked baked ham or pieces of smoked turkey before baking.