AN ALPHABET FOR GOURMETS<i> by M. F .K. Fisher (North Point Press: $12.95)</i>

A collection of short, pungent essays from 1949 that are less about food than people’s attitudes toward food. M. F .K. Fisher reflects on great meals, terrible meals and the popular misconceptions of what constitutes good cooking. The few recipes she includes sound horribly fatty by today’s cholesterol- and calorie-conscious standards, but Fisher probably would dismiss those qualms about fine food as unworthy caviling. The book’s charm lies in her straightforward, delightfully self-assured style: At just over 200 pages, it’s a minor gem that belongs in the library of anyone who likes to cook--or eat.