Good American cooking with a personal touch

Although not titled as such, John Clancy's Favorite Recipes, A Personal Cookbook, by John Clancy (Atheneum, $21.95), is probably one of the year's best examples of good American cooking. An eminent chef and teacher in classic foreign cuisines, Mr. Clancy is at his best telling about his favorite recipes, developed through years of experience at the well-known Cape Cod restaurant, Chillingsworth, at New York's equally famed Coach House, and at his own seafood place in Greenwich Village, John Clancy's.

Recipes included range from Barbecued Ribs and Blueberry Shortcake to Vitello Tonnato, Oriental Sea Bass, and Flemish Cream of Chicken Soup. All are relatively easy to follow and have Clancy's personal touch in a bit of the recipe's history or background.