by Elizabeth David
British food writer Elizabeth David, who died in 1992, was revered as a foodie prophet for teaching her countrymen in such works as A Book of Mediterranean Food that there is more to dining than fish and chips. Nutmeg is a bouillabaisse of her magazine articles, essays and recipes. At her best David mocks the gourmet craze, calling incompetent food writers "psoodies" and denouncing trendy kitchen gadgets ("Garlic Presses Are Utterly Useless"). Her essay on the aristocratic lineage of a 16th-century-cookbook author, though, is about as exciting as last week's bread, and the recipes are confusingly organized. (Viking, $29.95)
Bottom Line: Could have used one more pass through the sieve
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