Graham Kerr's Swiftly Seasoned

With this, his 22nd book and companion to his new TV series, Kerr again focuses on low-fat recipes and speedy preparation. Recipes, grouped mainly by course (Soups and Salads, Vegetable and Starch Dishes, etc.), come with discussions of appliances new and old (pressure cooker; bread machine) that can cut down on cooking time. Kerr delivers some enticing offerings, including Sea Bass Fillets Bathed in Saffron Lemon Juice and Roasted Corn with Tamari and Lime Juice, but others are quite out-of-the-mainstream. Examples are recipes built around low-fat but hard-to-find meats such as ostrich (Roast Ostrich with Tart Cherry Cabernet Sauce) and bison (Buffalo Joe) and the kind of globe-trotting molded vegetarian dishes that Kerr calls the MEV, or molded ethnic vegetables. These individual molds of vegetables, grains and legumes seasoned in various ethnic traditions require separate preparation of their elements and thus fall outside of Kerr's goal of swift preparation. Oddly organized, the book features only 17 recipes in the meat and fish entree section and only one recipe each for lamb and pasta. Kerr is known for his willingness to upend culinary expectations in his quest for healthful dishes, but some of the innovations here are more bizarre than intriguing. (Jan.)