Reprinted with permission from "The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller. Copyright 1999, Artisan Books.

An armload or two of such books has appeared in recent months, and there's an especially big bundle of them from chefs who preside over some of America's most talked-about restaurant kitchens. Some are only for those with a passion for cooking; others will do just fine for the family cook looking to please the usual crowd on a weekend night. All are worth having for that afternoon of lounging.

"Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons" by Alfred Portale with Andrew Friedman, Broadway Books, $45.

The chef at New York City's famed Gotham City Bar & Grill takes a month-to-month approach in this book for serious cooks. Beginning in May, when the earth fairly explodes with culinary possibilities, Portale takes us through the year, letting ingredients - and occasionally cultural tradition - be our guides. May has morels, July has birthdays and summer grills, November, squab and, of course, turkey. Portale says up front that since he lives in the Northeast, his food has those regional roots. There are, for instance, lots of lobsters in this cookbook. Much else, though, is certainly familiar and easily available in our corner of the country.

That said, don't expect quick recipes for Tuesday-night supper. These are meals made in multiple steps, many requiring the patience of a devoted chef. Portale helps, introducing each recipe with something on "Thinking Ahead," and offering "Variations" and "Flavor Building" tips with most. Sidebars offer everything from personal anecdotes to advice on technique. Photos show the beauty of the food.

"The French Laundry Cookbook" by Thomas Keller, with Susie Heller and Michael Ruhlman, Artisan, $50.

Another serious cook's book, this tome is by the chef who runs one of Napa Valley's premier restaurants. Meant for those who are "fully engaged," Keller delivers an experience in "four-star cooking." Expensive ingredients - foie gras, caviar and truffles - are all over the place. And most recipes are really two or three recipes, such as a Braised Breast of Veal with Yellow Corn Polenta Cakes, Glazed Vegetables and Sweet Garlic. Everything is made with meticulous attention to detail.

Big, gorgeous pictures make the exquisitely composed food look so good you'll be tempted to eat the pages of this coffee-table-size book. But before you do, you'll get a fine education in classic French cooking refreshed with California-modern sensibilities.

"Terra, Cooking from the Heart of Napa Valley" by Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, Ten Speed Press, $40.

Another from one of America's gastronomic hot spots, "Terra" is the product of a Japanese chef trained in the classical manner and a California girl who grew up on her family's winery (Stags' Leap). In "Terra," as in their restaurant of the same name, the style is "Southern French and Northern Italian" but the sensibility is definitely Asian. Fusion phobes beware: Wonton wrappers stand in for the pasta part of ravioli and tortelloni dishes! And just when you think you've got this cultural mix figured out, you'll run into recipes for gravlax on potato latkes and spicy bread 'n' garlic soup with strong south-of-the-border leanings.

Main courses stick closer to the stated style in dishes like potato gnocchi with gorgonzola cream. The "in" food is here, too, with sashimi-grade tuna, wild mushrooms, goat cheese - you know the rest. Dessert lovers will be swooning thanks to Doumani, who worked the pastry beat at Wolfgang Puck's Spago in West Hollywood and at Roy Yamaguchi's 385 North in L.A. The profusion of brulees, tarts and other goodies could keep you salivating and sampling for days.

"Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home" by Charlie Trotter, Ten Speed Press, $32.50.

The famed Chicago chef of cutting-edge American cuisine gets down-home in this book, offering such straightforward fare as grilled strip loin steaks with rosemary-potato puree. Yes, there's a level of sophistication beyond Betty Crocker, but there isn't a lot of flash in the pan or flourish of fancy garnishes. Almost all recipes are contained on a single page of this smallish book, and while a beginner wouldn't buy this, it's within the scope of most good cooks who enjoy working with foods like sea bass and couscous.

Trotter begins with basics, offering instructions on making meat stock, roasting peppers and more. He ends with an index arranged by ingredients, from almonds to zucchini. Eight sample menus, complete with wine suggestions for each course, are included. This rather flashy fellow has delivered a surprisingly understated package.

"Charlie Palmer's Casual Cooking" by Charlie Palmer, William Morrow, $30.

This just in from the much-honored chef of New York City's Aureole Restaurant and other Manhattan dining meccas. But rather than offering us highlights from his high-tone restaurants, Palmer invites us into his home, where his four young boys pose a very different sort of culinary challenge.

Like so many of us, Palmer scrambles to make time for his family. And while he wants them to grow up with memories of good times and real food around the family table, he doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen. His book, then, focuses on food you might make on the weekend - Perfect Pot Roast, Baked Lemon Chicken (with enough leftovers for a yummy chicken salad), Turkey Soup with Wild Rice: meals like his mother served, only not from cans. And updated. Salmon cakes, for instance, made with fresh yellow pepper, parsley, chives and mint, as well as a spike of serrano chile. Directions encourage going with the flow: "No smoked salmon? Just use 1 pound fresh . . . Don't like heat? Kill the chile . . . "

Other dishes - Grilled Marinated Quail with Apple-Corn Relish - aren't at all like what most of us grew up eating, but they're the kind of thing new memories can be made of. Especially when followed by a classic strawberry shortcake. Dig in. This is a book for simple pleasures enjoyed at home.

"Staffmeals" by David Waltuck, Workman Publishing Co., Inc., $29.95.

Another acclaimed New York chef-owner serves us family-style, offering selections from the meals he cooks for his staff every day in the "back of the house" at the city's famed Chanterelle restaurant. The close-knit staff eats very well, indeed, from a wide selection of ultra-satisfying soups (from classic clam chowder to creamy tomato mint) to such mouth-watering main courses as crispy orange beef and smothered pork chops to flavorful sides and salads like summertime creamed corn and ginger pickled vegetables.

Throughout, directions are clear; recipes tantalizing but not overwhelming. You'll also get help pairing dishes, working ahead, and adding your own touches to the fare he offers. Loads of chef's tips also help with everything from "how to boil a potato" to "cooking crepes."

Kathleen Triesch Saul is a Seattle Times staff reporter.