The 40 lb. Cook Book

"One Big Table, A Portrait of American Cooking" by Molly O'Neill Simon & Schuster 864 (864) pages $50

Gentle Reader, I implore you not to think, "I'll just read a couple of recipes before I go to sleep" and take this book to bed with you. It measures 8.5 in. x 9.5 in. and is 2 1/4 inches thick. Our scales are gone so I can't give you the exact weight. Just think, "heavier than Grandma's Christmas fruitcake." Because if you doze off and the book falls forward, your breasts will reside in your armpits for several days.

O'Neill hunted down 600 recipes from all over the country and the format is: each contributor gets a page (often with a photo) to tell their background and give their recipe. The vast number of ethnicities was stunning -- Russian, Iranian, Asian, American Indian -- and clearly all of them eat!

Some of the recipes jumped out at me -- BBQ Matzoh Balls! Roll 'em, split 'em and barbecue 'em split side down on the grill. West Indian Pumpkin Soup's list of ingredients begins with "1/2 lb. pig tails" Kachumbari, billed as "Kenyan Coleslaw" is a dish you're met often even if you've never been to Africa -- we call it "pico de gallo."

"Nothing beats Coke for balancing the acidity of tomatoes," said Hal White of Jackson Miss., who routinely adds it to his spaghetti sauces.

There are sections with the histories of various products or food items. Campbell's Tomato Soup was first produced in 1897 -- made with "English thoroughness and French art." A trivia fan would get lots and lots of oddities out of this book.

All in all, given the size, heft and amount of information, it's a big job just to give you an idea of what's in the 40 lb. cook book. And I'm only as far as page 186 in the salads department!