A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : Cooking by the Book

“I BRING THE COOKBOOK page to life by re-creating the look and taste of recipes as their authors intended,” says professional chef Ruth Hedges. Hedges, well aware of the great number of us who read cookbooks like novels--for pure pleasure, with absolutely no intention of actually preparing a recipe--has created Cookbook Fantasies.

“This service is unique, because unlike when dealing with caterers, you can control the entire menu,” Hedges says. “You get to serve a fantasy meal to friends without any effort.” So the next time you’re planning a party--whether an intimate gathering or a large affair----why not plan on pasta by Wolfgang Puck, or blackened snapper by Paul Prudhomme, and a Martha Stewart tart for dessert.

Ruth Hedges Culinary Productions, Cookbook Fantasies; (818) 897-2128.