Books for Cooks

Barbara Burke

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"I'm in the Mood for Food: In the Kitchen with Garfield" Jim Davis (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2003, $18.95)

Cartoon cat offers
recipes worth reading
and cooking

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A cookbook with whimsical recipes such as "I'd Rather Be Happy Than Thin Chocolate-Chunk Cookies" and "Big Fat Hairy Strawberry-Banana Smoothie" is just what I expected from the corpulent cat Garfield. What took me by surprise are the more sophisticated offerings, such as "Zorba the Greek Herbed Garlic Leg of Lamb" and "Spice is the Variety of Life Tandoori Dip."

There's a lesson to be learned here. Never underestimate Garfield and his creator, cartoonist Jim Davis, who have entertained fans for a quarter of a century. That's counting in human, not feline, years.

The cookbook is divided into seven sections: Fundamentals, Pasta, Party Food, the Thrill of the Grill, Cool Kid Food, Snack Attack and Sweets & Treats. It's a fun family cookbook with recipes ranging from super simple to decadent and gourmet. It will keep you smiling with dozens of full-color cartoons and humorous quips scattered throughout the 127 pages. "Sleeping makes me hungry and eating makes me sleepy. Life is good," Garfield observes.

Oh, there are some slimming recipes, such as "Tempting Tuna Steaks with Chili Rub and Cherry-Tomato Salsa," but those must have been included when Garfield was napping. It's obvious that this lasagna-loving cat (whose passion for food and sleep is matched only by his aversion to diet and exercise) doesn't count calories.

At the other end of the nutritional spectrum you'll find "Ooey Gooey Chewy Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole" which has more than 40 grams of fat per serving. The recipes were developed by Barbara Albright, a registered dietitian and former editor-in-chief of "Chocolatier" magazine. (Don't those professions seem oxymoronic?)

There's no need to boil the lasagna noodles ahead of time in "Lazy Cat's Lasagna." Using bottled spaghetti sauce speeds things up even more. It's a perfect recipe for a cat who won't spend all day in the kitchen.

Lazy Cat's Lasagna

2 containers (15 ounces each) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
About 3-1/2 cups or 1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) marinara sauce
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked (regular or oven-ready)
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, egg and basil until combined.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of marinara sauce in bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Place 3 noodles on top. Evenly spread half the ricotta mixture over the top; sprinkle with 1-1/2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers once.

Top with last 3 noodles and rest of sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with foil.

Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil. Bake 15 minutes longer, until noodles are tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information per serving (using part-skim ricotta and part-skim mozzarella cheeses): 430 calories, 20 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 28 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 1,030 mg sodium.

Rating Scale: Best in its class / Highly recommended / Recommended / Not recommended

Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com