Lee Bailey's Portable Food

Leave it to Lee Bailey to come up with a stylish book chock-full of tasty recipes for packable, make-aheadable food. Lee has always shown his readers how to put together delicious and elegant meals that make eating at home a special experience. Now eating away from home -- in the office, on a picnic in the park, or at the beach -- an be just as good with a little help from Lee Bailey's Portable Food.

Here is a variety of recipes for foods that travel so well they taste better once they've reached their final destination than they did when they were first made in the kitchen back home: Orzo and Vegetable Salad, Chicken Enchiladas with Andouille Sausage, Onion Parmesan Breadsticks, and Southern Fried Pecan Chicken, a new and tempting twist on an old classic. This is a far cry from the usual soup and sandwich, although you'll be happy to find innovative versions of those here as well, like sumptuous Smoked Salmon or Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato sandwich spreads and wholesome soups like Potato and Red Pepper or a Summer Tomato that perfectly embodies the flavors of the season. Or you can leave the utensils at home and try a little savory pie with any number of delectable fillings: lamb with port wine, prunes, and walnuts; eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and fresh basil: or simple sausage and cheese. Muffins, rolls, and pickles round out this "hands on" meal. And Lee never forgets dessert: take your pick from a sweet selection that includes an apple and cherry tart, Lemon Crisps, Pecan Coconut Biscotti, Shasta Mountain Brownies, and more.

So pack it up now and hit the open road with wonderful food that tastes good and travels well. Portable Food makes entertaining away from home easier and more delicious than ever before.

Lee Bailey is the author of many books on food and entertaining, including Country Weekends, winner of of the Tastemaker Award for Cookbook of the Year. He contributes articles to Gourmet, Food & Wine, Mirabella, Australian Vogue, and other major magazines. He lives in New York City.