1.   Cookbook author Melanie Barnard believes meatloaf has all the right stuff for modern cooks.

2.   Modern cooks are more concerned with taste than thrift.

3.   Modern cooks can bake Irish-style breads without sacrificing the convenience provided by gas and electric ovens.

4.   Modern French cooks dabble in Asian dishes, she says, so goods on hand might include lemongrass and cilantro along with the odd root and herb.

5.   Most modern cooks tend to make big meaty sauces.

6.   Smaller hand-held processors grind and chop fresh herbs and spices, one of the newest areas of interest for modern cooks.

7.   The realities of Colonial and frontier life may seem daunting to the modern cook.

8.   With a mortar in their kitchen, modern cooks share at least one culinary tool with their prehistoric ancestors.