Nathalie Dupree Cooks Quick Meals for Busy Days: 180 Delicious Timesaving Recipes

In this no-steps-wasted book, companion to her new TV series, Dupree (Nathalie Dupree Cooks from a Well-Stocked Pantry) counsels organization as key for speedy, stressless cooking. Among her tactics are planning meals in advance, limiting exotic ingredients, doubling recipes in order to freeze the extras and measuring ingredients early in the day. Other suggestions, such as flattening butterflied Cornish hens under a weight before cooking, or setting something to cook on the stove while unpacking groceries, may prove challenging in practice. While ``whetters'' (Blink-of-the-Eye Antipasto; Grits with Shrimp) do indeed take the edge off appetites and buy the cook some time, they also take planning and preparation. And entrees such as Grilled Lamb Chops with Herbed Garlic Paste or Chicken with Rutabaga and Potatoes, while elegant and streamlined, are presented as one of several courses, thus calling into question Dupree's proclaimed half-hour from kitchen to table. Recipes for breads (Squash and Carrot Nut Bread; Olive-Rosemary Focaccia) and desserts (Chocolate Raspberry Won Ton Packets), while sumptuous and direct, are sometimes demanding. Beginners are advised to allow extra time. (Feb.)