Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish: An English-Spanish/Spanish-English Kitchen Companion" by Lourdes Castro (Ten Speed, $18.99)

Which phrase would you rather learn in Spanish?

"Excuse me, sir, could you direct me to the nearest post office?"

"Excuse me, sir, could you direct me to the nearest doughnut?"

Lourdes Castro is here to tutor your sweet tooth and just your buen apetito (good appetite) in general. She suggests you skip the post office and head right over to the closest bunuelo (doughnut or fritter) purveyor.

Castro, a translator who teaches food science at New York University, has cleverly turned the learning of a second language into a delicious pursuit in "Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish: An English-Spanish/Spanish-English Kitchen Companion." Two thousand entries are sliced up to make you both a better cook and a better conversationalist.

The logic, too, is that once you've mastered these mouthwatering terms it will be only a hop, skip and a tortilla until you've aced full-blown dialog, too. At the least, you will be skilled at shopping in Latin markets and the ethnic aisle at your supermarket.

First you're given a pronunciation guide. Then all alphabetical entries are featured phonetically and defined. You'll undoubtedly become proficient at asking for everything from almonds (almendra) to zucchini (calabacin).

Castro, who is also director of the Culinary Academy at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., and the author of "Simply Mexican," also peppers invaluable cooking techniques throughout the brief descriptions.

The Spanish to English half of the book serves as a great way to learn about ingredients with which you otherwise may not have been familiar.

Unique terms have no English translation. Here are a few tidbits:

— Corazon; koh-rah-SOHN; (heart): Used much more than in American cooking. Organ meat that is made up almost entirely of muscle. Its very low fat content means it can become tough if cooked improperly for too long. It can come from cattle, calves, chickens or lambs.

— Empanadilla; ehm-pah-nah-DEE-yah: A bite-size Spanish empanada (pie) — the suffix "-illa" refers to something small — shaped like turnovers. Empanadillas are stuffed with a variety of fillings and eaten as a tapa (Spanish bite-size appetizer).

— Gazpachuelo; gahs-pah-CHWEH-loh: A Spanish fish soup flavored with vinegar and mayonnaise that sounds like, but has nothing to do with, gazpacho, the chilled tomato soup.

— Morcilla; mohr-SEE-yah; (blood sausage): Popular pork sausage made with the blood of a pig. It can contain other ingredients such as bread crumbs, rice, nuts and spices. It is generally eaten fried.

— Rabo de buey; RAH-boh deh boo-WEH; (oxtail): Meat from the tail of cattle, although it used to come from oxen. Rabo de buey is bony and filled with lots of connective tissue that must be cooked by a slow and moist method (stewing or braising) in order for it to become tender, but it is very flavorful.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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