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Celebrate the joys of comfort food

TITLE: The All-American Dessert Book by Nancy Baggett (Houghton Mifflin, $35; 448 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: It's refreshing to find a cookbook with so many recipes made from scratch. That said, most recipes are extremely time-consuming. If you are looking for a new dessert this holiday season, you will probably find it in The All-American Dessert Book.

SAMPLE RECIPES: No-bake Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Pie, Lemon Shortbread Sandwiches With Tangerine Lemon Curd, Chocolate-Rocky Road Fudge and Peanut Butter Munchies.

FOR: Experienced cooks with lots of time to spend in the kitchen. The drink recipes are probably the easiest to prepare in the cookbook. Few convenience foods are used. The recipe for Kitchen Maple Kettle Corn does offer the option of using microwave popcorn.

SHARE THE GOODIES: Some recipes make generous amounts, enough to share with your friends and family.

TITLE: Pizza by Diane Morgan and Tony Gemignani (Chronicle Books, $18.95; 168 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: Pizza will inspire you to make your own pie, rather than ordering delivery. If you like white pizza, you'll find recipes here. If a more traditional style is your favorite, it's here too. Likewise, dessert pizza or pizza on the grill. A baking stone is suggested for some recipes. Plus, you'll learn how to toss a pizza.

SAMPLE RECIPES: Deep Dish Pizza With Sausage, Garlic and Mozzarella, Barbecued Chicken, Thai Curry Chicken Pizza, Edwardo's Famous Stuffed Spinach Pizza and Lasagna Pizza.

FOR: Pizza lovers. There are so many things that can go on a pizza and this book covers them in New York, Chicago or California style and includes quick and kid-friendly pizza.

HELPFUL POINTS: Each recipe tells what size pizza it will make and how many it will serve.

WARNING: The delicious photos will make you hungry for pizza.

TITLE: Everyday Celebrations: Savoring Food, Family and Life at Home by Donata Maggipinto (Chronicle Books, $24.95; 180 pages).

GENERALLY SPEAKING: At first glance, it looks like you have to read through the recipe instructions to get the ingredients because the recipes are set up differently than most cookbooks. If it sounds confusing, it is. On the upside, you'll want to share the recipes with friends.

SAMPLE RECIPES: Old-fashioned Blueberry Muffins With Streusel Topping, Spanish Sugar Cookies, Lemon and Orange Sorbets in Citrus Cups, Cape Cod Clam Chowder, Curried Parsnip Soup Sips, Deviled Crab Dip and Sweet and Spicy Nut Brittle.

FOR: Those who enjoy being with family and friends and who like to make that time extra special. Most of the recipes look intimidating and some are. This cookbook is geared toward a more experienced cook. Some recipes have numerous steps, while others require a fair amount of preparation.

NOTEWORTHY: You should read the ingredients and recipe completely before beginning. For example, the Cape Cod Clam Chowder recipe below requires cheesecloth to reserve the clam liquid. It is an important step because the liquid is used in the recipe.

- Ellen Folkman's cookbook review column appears monthly in the Taste section.

48 clams in the shell, scrubbed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

3 cups water

3 cups dry white wine

8 ounces pancetta or lean bacon, coarsely chopped

2 leeks, including tender green portions, rinsed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

4 cups half-and-half

4 unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 teaspoon ground thyme

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or green onions (green part only)

2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

Discard any cracked or open clams.

In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and saute until it begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf, water and wine. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the clams, cover and steam just until they open, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on their size.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Drain the clams, discarding any unopened ones.

Reserve the strained liquid.

Rinse the pot. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and place the pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook just until it begins to brown. Add the leeks and saute until they soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and cook, stirring 1 minute.

Stirring constantly, pour in the reserved clam liquid and half-and-half. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the potatoes and thyme, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the clams from the shells, reserving a few in their shells for garnish. When the potatoes are tender, add the shelled clams and the corn, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the chopped chives, parsley and a whole clam or two.

Serves 8.

Source - "Everyday Celebrations: Savoring Food, Family and Life at Home" by Donata Maggipinto (Chronicle Books, $24.95).

21/2 cups hulled whole strawberries, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 small slightly overripe banana, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into chunks

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the strawberries and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Let stand until the juices are released and the sugar dissolves.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Let stand, stirring once or twice, until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.

In a heavy, nonreactive medium saucepan, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, the lemon juice, and the cream and gelatin mixture.

Bring almost to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until the gelatin dissolves. Let cool slightly.

Transfer the cream mixture to a food processor. Add the banana. With the motor running, add the cream cheese, several chunks at a time. Process until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the strawberries, processing in pulses just until the berries are chopped moderately fine.

Turn out the mixture into a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 41/2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream finishes processing, turn out into a chilled plastic storage container.

Let firm up for at least 1 hour in the freezer before serving.

The ice cream will keep, tightly covered, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Makes a generous 1 quart.

Source - "The All-American Dessert Book" by Nancy Baggett (Houghton Mifflin Company, $35).