Lynn's Spicy Zucchini Bread 3 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 3 eggs 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 cups lightly packed coarsely grated zucchini 1 cup raisins (opt) 3/4 cup nuts (opt) Sift dry ingred. Beat eggs with sugar, oil, vanilla. Gradually beat in dry ingred. Stir in zucchini, adding nuts and raisins if you like. Divide between 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Bake preheated 350° oven 50-60 minutes. Stealing cookbooks should be a capital offense. Carol

As usual, I find Rachelellen's post full of wisdom. It gives me some of the guidance I want. Cooking the same cuisine (not the same dishes) for one week straight would be no hardship at all for me. When I returned from a one week trip to Italy I cooked nothing but northern Italian food for at least three weeks. There was nothing monotonous about it. That experience has faded. I need another trip to Italy for a refresher course. I don't see the need to limit the experiment to a single cookbook, although that could be an effective way to do it, given the right book. Books I would recommend are: Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy These books are similar in approach and format although about different cuisines and by different authors. They provide a solid foundation for cooking each cuisine. Again, I say that switching to another ethnic cuisine for an extended period of time is a fine idea. Those for whom that is their native cuisine eat it daily year after year don't they? Jim

I have been a cookbook collector for years. I guess it's my way of making up for not cooking. Like Vannie, I prefer the ones put out by Jr. Leagues, schools, churches, offices, and neighborhood organizations, charities, etc. I have an entire bookcase full of them. The only problem is finding which book has which recipe when you want it. I don't buy them nearly as often anymore. There is such a thing as running out of space and practicality is starting to take over as I'm getting older. I'm finally realizing that I probably never will take up cooking again. Still, I love reading through them.

I didn't know which one you wanted so I scanned them all: REMARKABLE FUDGE Butter sides of heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add 4 cups granulated sugar, one 14-1/2-ounce can (1-2/3 cups), evaporated milk, and 1 cup butter. Cook over medium heat to soft ball stage (236ú); stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add one 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces, 1 pint marshmallow creme, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup broken walnuts. Beat till chocolate melts, Pour into buttered 13x9x2-inch pan. Score while warm, cut when cool and firm. BLUE RIBBON FUDGE Butter sides of heavy 2-quart saucepan. In it combine 2 cups granulated sugar, one 6-ounce can evaporated milk, two l-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, dash salt, and 1 teaspoon light corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat till chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Cook to soft ball stage (236ú), Immediately remove from heat, Add 2 tablespoons butter without stirring. Cool to lukewarm (110ú). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat vigorously till fudge stiffens and loses its gloss. Quickly stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, Push from pan, (don't scrape sides) into buttered shallow pan. Score while warm; cut when firm. OPERA FUDGE Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. In it combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup light cream, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till sugar dissolves and mixture boils, Cook to soft ball stage (238ú). Immediately remove from heat; cool to lukewarm ,(110ú) without stirring. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla, Beat vigorously till fudge stiffens and loses its gloss. Quickly stir in 1/4 cup chopped candied cherries, Spread in buttered 9x5x3-inch pan. Score while warm; cut when firm.