Fresh & Fast: Inspired Cooking for Every Season and Every Day

Houghton Mifflin 1996, Soft Cover $18.

To order: www.amazon.com

Fresh & Fast is testimony to why so many of Simmons’ recipes have become favorites of cooks across the country. By following the inspiration of the seasons Simmons shows how to vary your menu with over 200 recipes using fresh, readily accessible ingredients. The recipes are deftly simple, yet freshly conceived and imaginative. Most can be made in well under 45 minutes. Each recipe tells exactly how long it will take to prepare and alerts you in advance about any steps that require a little extra time. Recipes run the gamut from appetizers to soups, pasta, grains, salads, and a mouth-watering selection of creative vegetable dishes, plus easy to make desserts. There are many helpful hints and informative boxes throughout.

Recipe Sampler:

·        Potato and Garlic Soup with Prosciutto

·        Green Beans with Basil and Mint

·        Mussels in White Wine with Fresh Tomato Salsa

·        Herb Marinated Chicken with Shiitake and Roasted Potato Vinaigrette.

Praise for Fresh & Fast

“Marie Simmons writes books that make you want to cook.” New York Post

“Valuable and well organized. Uncomplicated, fast, and mostly light, the recipes are well suited to midweek meals.” Cooking Light

“I cannot think of a more encouraging and rewarding first cookbook for those just starting out in the kitchen.” Cooks Illustrated

“The inventive flavor combinations are truly inspired…..” Pittsburgh Post- Gazette