HOT & SPICY COOKING. Wine, Cynthia. Markham (Ont.), Penguin Books. cl984. 160pp, paper, spiral bound, $12.95, ISBN 0-14-046654-1. CIP Grades 11 and up Reviewed by Joyce Brown Volume 13 Number 4 1985 July Cynthia Wine, writer and broadcaster, is a former food editor of Homemaker's Magazine. She was assisted in preparing this book by Cathy Chute, who learned to cook hot foods in her native Venezuela. Most of the hot cuisines were developed in the southern hot countries so one is not surprised to see Indian, Mexican, Indonesian, Szechuan, and Cajan foods. The book begins with a chapter describing the agents of heat, such substances as chili peppers, cayenne, and paprika, and advises on the purchasing and preparation of these spices. The author also discusses commercial mixtures such as curry powder and tabasco. However, food should not be so hot that all one tastes is spice. The novice is advised to experiment with less spice to begin with and build up to a throat-gripping, eyes-watering feast. Further advice is also given on accompaniments and poultices or "How to eat food that bites back." Each recipe is preceded by a brief description. Words such as "hotter version," "intense ginger taste," "hot sauce spiked with garlic," and "Vesuvius of cayenne and cumin" give one an idea of the fire in these recipes. To facilitate use, all recipes are written in both metric and imperial measures. Attractive coloured plates and many black ink sketches make this an attractive addition to one's cookbook collection. Joyce Brown, Dunsmuir S.S., Victoria, B.C.