16 Volumes Worth Staining

By Amy Riolo Capital Books, $20; 130 recipes

Rest assured that someone who owns dozens of cookbooks will not have anything like this paperback on their shelves. Food historian Riolo, who maintains homes in Germantown and north of Cairo, divulges recipes she acquired in the guest palaces of Mecca, Medina and Jeddah.

The food is presented in cultural-culinary menus, with tips and a preparatory timeline for putting on a whole celebratory meal for Eid or Ramadan, or an Arabian dessert party or tea party. That's not to say the recipes can't be appreciated on their own.

People who do not drink alcohol are always looking for worthy substitutions, so Riolo's Sunset, Red Sky and Kiwi fruit juice cocktails might work well. Her helpful "Where to Buy" guide includes Washington area shops.

IN PRAISE OF PECANS

By June Jackson Bright Sky Press, $24.95; 100 recipes

Whether you are a PEE-kan or a pih-KAHN person, there's probably a new way to enjoy the nut in this memoir-filled cookbook. Bethesda resident and native Louisianian Jackson has compiled a lifetime's worth of recipes that use pecans in every course. So the nuts show up in unexpected places: a broccoli shepherd's pie, a lemony mayonnaise, a four-cheese pizza. It's a homey, slim volume that contains pecan history lessons, state-by-state resources and a glossary of insider terminology. What do Grape-Nuts have to do with pecans? The answer lies within.

Big Books/Bells and Whistles

COOKING: 600 RECIPES, 1500 PHOTOGRAPHS, ONE KITCHEN EDUCATION

By James Peterson Ten Speed Press, $40; 600 recipes

It's heavy enough -- and good enough -- to warrant a permanent place within easy reach. Thousands of opportunities for food photography, hundreds of students and three decades of teaching the craft of cooking have led Peterson to publish this, his 13th book.

Think of it as a cook's encyclopedia that uses extended series of photos to help tell the story of creation: how to fillet raw fish and cooked fish; what pie dough looks like when built by hand vs. by food processor vs. by stand mixer; cut-slice shots of steak that clearly delineate degrees of doneness.

The text is clear and easy to read. Peterson's ancillary material at the end of some recipes earns special merit as the most varied and interesting factoids in any books we've seen this year. It's good to know why salt is added to an egg wash (to loosen and thin a whole egg, making it easier to apply).

THE MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK: THE NEW CLASSICS and THE MARTHA STEWART LIVING COOKBOOK: THE ORIGINAL CLASSICS

Clarkson Potter, $35 each. 1,200-plus recipes; 1,100-plus recipes

It's a good thing to have Martha's recipes bound in two smart volumes, but longtime fans may miss seeing her domestic-diva smile. Compilations span Martha Stewart Living magazine recipes from 2000 to 2006 and 1990 to 2000.

Small quibbles: The tasteful typeface is light and a bit small for middle-aged eyesight (making fractions especially hard to decipher); the directions are in numbered paragraphs even though many steps are simultaneous. Some recipes have headnotes, some do not. (See Cider-Glazed Baked Apples and Ras el Hanout recipes, Page F10.)

CR¿OLE

By Babette de Rozi¿res Phaidon, $39.95; 160-plus recipes

The author runs a beautiful restaurant in Paris, and this art-book-quality edition is filled with her colorful cooking and many equally beautifully photographs (there are, in fact, more photos than recipes).

It is a collection that could expand any weeknight repertoire, with about half of the recipes doable in less than 45 minutes. There are occasional author's comments, but no headnotes; notes and substitutions are not specifically marked, but the information is usually at the end of a recipe.

We wish the typography -- a small, light typewriter-like font printed on off-white pages -- were easier to read. (See Lime-Marinated Swordfish Strips With Mangoes and Coconut recipe, Page F10.)

COOK WITH JAMIE: MY GUIDE TO MAKING YOU A BETTER COOK

By Jamie Oliver Hyperion, $37.50; 154 recipes

The boyish British chef will donate all of this cookbook's profits to his famous Fifteen effort, which underwrites culinary training for disadvantaged youths. It is written in Oliver's cheeky style, with directions that are not as explicit as they might be ("heat a griddle until white-hot"; "simply put the meat on a barbecue"). Oliver fans will enjoy the slightly ethnic mix of dishes.

We wish the alternate type/subheads were colored something other than bright blue, although the same hue is helpfully used in the index to note vegetarian recipes. (See Sticky Saucepan Carrots recipe, Page F10.)

MY LAST SUPPER: 50 GREAT CHEFS AND THEIR FINAL MEALS

By Melanie Dunea Bloomsbury, $39.95; 50-plus recipes

This is an artsy coffee-table specimen tailor-made for people who call themselves foodies, their focus affixed on the celebrity-chef firmament. The photographer-author shot 50 of the world's best and got them to answer "What would be your last meal on Earth?" and related queries.

One can assume the recipes the chefs came up with are dishes they really enjoy. Washington's Jos¿ Andr¿s and Michel Richard made the cut. Some photos are playful, some are stunning . . . and then there's Anthony Bourdain, who reveals raw talent.

(See Shrimp in Crazy Water recipe, Page F10.)