Books for Cooks

“Seriously Simple Holidays”

By Diane Rossen Worthington

(Chronicle Books, $24.95)

Nothing irritates me more than cookbooks promising “easy,” “fast” or “simple” recipes, but failing to deliver. Worthington, who has twice won a James Beard Award for her work, delivers. Now, don’t take that the wrong way. She’s not suggesting you open a couple of cans, dump them in a pot and voila! holiday dinner awaits. The recipes and tips in “Seriously Simple” are elegant and yet practical for cooks with a well-stocked pantry. The “simple” part is that she has done the work of thinking of things to fill that pantry, planning the menus, streamlining recipes and finding shortcuts.

Look inside today’s Food section for a sample recipe worthy of Thanksgiving dinner and an idea for a homemade holiday gift from the book.