Stocked with more than 375 recipes and peppered with preparation tips and techniques from the CIA classrooms, beginner and master chefs have everything they need at hand to create menus for quiet family evenings at home or dinner parties for friends and neighbors with "The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook" (Lebhar-Friedman Books, September 2008, $39.95).

From beverages and snacks to appetizers, soups, main dishes and desserts, the choices and combinations are nearly endless. Cooks can go casual or exotic with the selections found in "The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook" -- whip up a refreshing bowl of gazpacho with vegetables straight from the garden, or make a hearty eggplant rollatini for a delightful summer dinner. Many of the featured recipes offer six to eight servings, so a family of four can have plenty for dinner, with leftovers.

In addition to page after page of recipes, cooks will also find tips for selecting (and cooking) the perfect potato, selecting and preparing the right cuts of meat for the grill, making vinaigrettes step-by-step, freezing ingredients and extra portions, and more.

Enjoy the labors of summer with this recipe for cheddar corn fritters. The CIA suggests that cooks cut and scrape the corn kernels from the ears to release all the milk into a bowl, and add it to the batter.

Cheddar corn fritters

Makes six to eight servings

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder, optional

Salt and pepper, as needed

3 ears corn, plus corn milk (if available), or 2 cups corn kernels

3 tablespoons diced red or green pepper, optional

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup grated cheddar

2 tablespoons melted butter

Vegetable oil for pan frying

Stir together the flour, sugar, chili powder (if using), salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine the corn and corn milk (if available), pepper (if using), eggs, water and the cheese in a bowl. Add to the flour mixture all at once. Stir just until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the melted butter.

Pour the oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat over medium until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-frying thermometer.

Using a serving spoon and working in batches to avoid crowding, drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil to make 16 fritters in all. Pan fry on the first side until golden brown and crisp, about two minutes. Turn once, and fry until golden brown on the second side, two minutes more.

Drain the fritters on absorbent towels, and season with salt. If needed, you can keep the first batches of fritters warm in an oven at 200 degrees while you finish frying the rest. Serve at once.

(Recipe from "The Culinary Institute of America Cookbook," Lebhar-Friedman Books, September 2008)

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