Books aim to pin down food superlatives

At a historical turning point, a year's end, it's fun to take soundings, compile overviews. Food writers do it, of course, and here are three new books in which they offer their findings.

"Best Food Writing 2003"

Edited by travel writer Holly Hughes, this book sets a different focus. It's a very portable, entertaining anthology in which the text comes first, with a sprinkling of recipes.

The 50 examples of food literature are culled from books, newspapers, magazines and Web sites. The contents list is studded with impressive bylines, ranging from Calvin Trillin to Madhur Jaffrey, from Judy Rodgers to Jeffrey Steingarten. Some are chefs, some are philosophers or bons vivants, some are wits, some are all of that. (Marlow & Co., 2003, $14.95 paperback)

"The Cook's Canon: 101 Classic Recipes Everyone Should Know"

"Cook's Canon" is food writer Raymond Sokolov's pick from a wide field, historically and geographically. His list includes apple pie and choucroute, moussaka, osso buco alla Milanese and Peking duck.

Sokolov says cooks need a canon, an essential source, because there's a decline in literacy in the kitchen, as elsewhere. He sees a generation whose palates need training, whose connection with traditional foods has been short-circuited. He wants them to learn about where the food they like is coming from -- hence his pantheon of "divine" recipes, each served up with brightly presented historical, cultural and sometimes scientific information. (HarperCollins, 2003, $25.95)

"Best of the Best"

This book elaborates its aim in its challenging subtitle. It claims to offer "the best recipes from the 25 best cookbooks of the year."

That also offers readers first, the fun of finding heated fault with the editors' definition of "best," but second, the reward of discovering some marvelous dishes. Editors are named as Dana Cowin, Food & Wine magazine's editor in chief, and Kate Heddings, editor of Food & Wine cookbooks.

Offered for your tasting and disputing are some 100 recipes, tested by the magazine's kitchen. There are interviews with Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck and the other top-ranked cookbook authors. Recipes are grouped by book and author, but are also indexed alphabetically and by subject, such as appetizers and desserts; there are plenty of attractive color photos. (Food & Wine Books, 2003, $29.95)