Cook simply, live fully Flexible, flavorful recipes for any mood

In this enticing outing, Fahr (Boards & Spreads) shares dozens of breezy weeknight dinners. She divides the recipes into three sections based on the reader's energy level and mood. "Lap dinners," which require minimal prep and are ready in 15-20 minutes, include miso salmon with broccolini and chipotle cumin black bean soup. "Coffee table dinners," which are slightly more time-consuming and require some rudimentary knife skills, kick things up a notch, with dishes such as Spanish-style olive oil--poached fish and one-pot lemony cumin chicken with rice and feta. When readers are feeling more enthusiastic, they can refer to the "at the dinner table" section, where they'll find vinegary pork chops with parmesan white beans, sheet pan Mediterranean nachos, and other more involved fare. Fahr's bubbly personality shines through in her fun introductions to each recipe ("For a long time, I was very anti-fruit-in-savory foods, but I was wrong," she writes of the sheet pan citrus-ginger chicken with stone fruits), and her casually written instructions are easy to follow. (To make croutons, "tear or cut the bread into bite-size pieces, asking yourself, could I comfortably take a bite of this if it were on my plate?") Home cooks of all levels will find many ideas to freshen up their routines. Agent: Kari Stuart, Creative Artists Agency. (Apr.)

Fahr, author of Keeping It Simple and a contributor to the New York Times cooking section, wants to help all those readers who are tired of trying to decide what's for dinner. She gathers together over 100 recipes in her fabulous new cookbook, which is divided into fun chapters focusing on how much energy and motivation cooks have at the moment. Whether readers are tired and have only 15 to 20 minutes to fix something to eat or if they're feeling great and have 30 minutes or more to putter around the kitchen, Fahr has everyone covered with dishes such as pan con tomate with jamon, simple cheesy pasta (with lots of possibilities), and sausage meatballs with halloumi and tomatoes. Her easy, breezy writing style and a road map-like culinary philosophy--detours and short cuts are allowed--are the perfect delivery vehicle for her simple yet flavorful dishes. A useful wine-pairing chart, tips on essential tools and ingredients, and a smattering of essays on topics such as polenta and chicken dinners round things out. VERDICT Newly minted and old-hand cooks alike will find Fahr's joy in cooking and life to be both infectious and inspiring.--John Charles