Kitchen aids: These books can help newlyweds with basics

Getting married? Going to a wedding and need a gift? Here are some books that will help the bride and groom learn the basics of setting up a kitchen and entertaining:

"Bride & Groom: First and Forever Cookbook" (Chronicle Books, $35) by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford, twin sisters and former owners of Thymes Two Catering in San Francisco, offers the basics and beyond, for those setting up a new life and home together.

Look further than the romantically hued cover, the heart-shaped strawberry shortcakes in one of many full-page color photos, and the elegant but occasionally impractical type. This solid book includes a lot of practical advice on equipping kitchen and pantry, plus recipes ranging from quick weekday suppers for two, to party food for a crowd, including an "inspirational" menu for Chanukah.

"Good Housekeeping Great Baking" (Hearst Books, $29.95) is a re-titled reprint of the first book, published in 1999.

Edited by Susan Westmoreland, Good Housekeeping's food director, this is a survey of cooking tools and techniques, leading to about 600 fully detailed recipes using them.

There's a trademark air of reliability about the clear presentation; generous layouts of color photos include step-by-step series to help you carry out recipes, and mouthwatering full-page illustrations of the finished dishes.