Published: January 09, 2008 09:25 am            

Watching and reading

‘Jamie At Home’

Jamie Oliver is offering a lush new view of his pared-down cooking.

In his latest television series, which begins airing Jan. 12 on Food Network, Oliver offers quick and easy recipes inspired by produce grown in his garden.

Each 30-minute episode focuses on a new ingredient, with Oliver demonstrating uses of it. The premiere features pumpkin and squash, roasted for salad, pureed for soup and baked into cupcakes.

It’s a simple concept, but Oliver executes it well. And in his trademark style, he spends just enough time with each dish to get you hungry, without lingering over unnecessary details or boring with idle stove chatter.

‘Real Food, Real Fast’

If you’ve got 5 minutes and are at least 10 years old, Sam Stern has a few recipes for you.

Stern is the latest culinary whiz kid to come out of England.

The 17-year-old’s second book, ‘‘Real Food, Real Fast,’’ is not dinner party fodder. And that’s the point.

The layout of the book (recipes are sorted by how long the take, starting at 5 minutes and ending with 30 minutes) and many pictures of Stern cooking and eating with his friends will appeal to a young audience.

And no surprise, the recipes themselves also have real kid appeal — burgers, pasta, pizzas. But Stern isn’t doing junk food. His is real cooking, and it packs in plenty of veggies.

        

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