In a League of Its Own

“California Sizzles� isn’t as hot as the title implies. Some recipes approach the cutting edge, but many others veer off to the past.

Search for “now� food and you’ll get no farther than blue corn-bread madeleines and pizza with smoked salmon and caviar. This isn’t a criticism. It’s a relief to have a cookbook that lets you plop down in a comfy kitchen chair, kick off your shoes and get real.

You’ll still need sun-dried tomatoes, fresh rosemary and extra-virgin olive oil, but you’ll also shop for canned cream of mushroom soup, frozen chopped spinach and Lawry’s taco seasoning mix.

Remember when lasagna was trendy and desserts were “Mexican� because they contained Kahlua? “California Sizzles� draws heavily on that era. And it’s sprinkled with “cute� dishes: very berry spinach salad, tantalizing turmeric chicken, rainy-day pot roast. . . .

If those aren’t your style, turn to more sophisticated food. There’s plenty of it, especially in pasta and seafood. Hits of the recent past such as blackened Cajun catfish and pasta primavera show up with renovations. The fish has a tequila-lime sauce, and the pasta includes chicken.

Some people really don’t like to cook, and “California Sizzles� acknowledges this. A promotional blurb on the back cover promises “shortcuts for cooks with better things to do with their time.�

Those readers will turn to simple pasta sauce, timesaver turkey breast, zippy carrots and shortcut spinach. Or they’ll get the work out of the way with Overnight Ham-and-Cheese Bake or make-ahead sausage souffle.

Non-cooks could even put together a fancy dinner. It could start with effortless spinach potato soup, which is based on frozen spinach souffle and canned potato soup. The main dish could be a breast of duck with cherries in port wine. There are just three ingredients: the duck breasts, cherry jam and Port (plus, of course, salt and pepper). Dessert is even easier. Penguin cake, a lavish angel-food cake concoction, comes out of the freezer. It’s made in advance with store-bought cake.

“California Sizzles� is the latest in a series of cookbooks compiled by the Junior League of Pasadena. To order a copy, call the cookbook hot line, (818) 796-0162. The price is $19.95.

OVERNIGHT HAM-AND-CHEESE BAKE

6 slices bread

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 pound ham, thinly sliced

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in butter

1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles

2 cups shredded Jack cheese

6 eggs

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Spread 6 slices bread with butter. Place bread, buttered-side down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Place ham on top of cheese, then add mushrooms and chiles. Top with Jack cheese.

Beat eggs and add milk, salt, paprika, basil, onion salt, pepper and dry mustard. Pour over ingredients in dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Uncover casserole and bake at 325 degrees 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

649 calories; 2,386 mg sodium; 333 mg cholesterol; 40 grams fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 42 grams protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

SHRIMP-AND-SCALLOP LINGUINE IN CORIANDER CREAM

Olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 cup vermouth

1 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 pound bay scallops

1 pound fresh linguine

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in flour and coriander and cook 1 minute. Add vermouth and whipping cream. Bring to gentle boil, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and scallops and cook 3 to 5 minutes, just until seafood turns opaque. Do not overcook. Set aside.

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and toss with little olive oil and 2 tablespoons parsley. Divide pasta among 4 plates and top with seafood sauce. Garnish with remaining parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

860 calories; 203 mg sodium; 187 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 95 grams carbohydrates; 37 grams protein; 0.61 gram fiber.