"Fresh food is more convenient than packaged," Marie Simmons says, and luckily for us, she provides more than 200 recipes to prove her point. In this book--Simmons' most ambitious to date--you'll see why her recipes, regularly featured in Bon Appétit , Woman's Day and Ladies' Home Journal , have become favorites with millions of cooks across the country. Whether it's Warm Egg Salad on Whole Wheat Toast or Lemon Basil Chicken, each is deftly simple, yet freshly conceived and imaginative.By following the inspirations of the seasons, Simmons shows how to vary your menu with dishes like Crisp-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs in spring, Roasted Tomato and Fresh Corn Soup in summer and Orange Baked Squash in fall. 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. Most can be made in less than 45 minutes, including: Lemon Basil Chicken, Warm New Potato Salad with Scallions, Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Soy and Orange, Sesame Brown Rice Pilaf, Spicy Marinated Shrimp, Easy Oven-Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Black Bean and Vegetable Burrito, Stir-Fry of Cabbages with Asian Flavors, Grandpa's Peaches in Red Wine, and Apple and Ginger Crisp. Break out of the fast-food burgers and shrink-wrapped sandwiches rut. "Fresh food is more convenient than packaged," Marie Simmons says, and luckily for us she provides more than 200 recipes to prove her point. Add variety to the your dull culinary palette and reawaken your palate with such recipes as Crisp-Fried Soft Shell Crab, Black Bean and Vegetable Burrito, and Roasted Tomato and Fresh Corn Soup. Simmons, a cookbook author and food writer whose syndicated newspaper column is called "Fresh and Fast," asserts that "life is too short to waste on a bad meal," and the 250 easy recipes presented here should allow any busy cook to avoid such a fate?without spending much time in the kitchen. Many recipes took fewer than 30 minutes from start to finish; a few that call for marinating or slower cooking, for example, are for "When You Have More Time," but even many of these require little hands-on preparation time. The recipes are simple but full of flavor: Brushcetta with Braised Escarole and Garlic, Pork Loin with Fennel and Garlic, Melon and Berries with Lime Syrup. Simmons also offers many suggestions for variations and alternatives and other tips to make life easier. In short, this is real food for real people. Highly recommended. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. "I cannot think of a more encouraging and rewarding first cookbook for those just starting out in the kitchen." -- Review Fresh and Fast is the best of what quick cooking can be. -- Good Housekeeping Fresh & Fast is the best of what quick cooking can be. -- Susan Westmoreland, Good Housekeeping A valuable collection for cooks who want to prepare tasty, preservative-free meals. -- Publishers Weekly Fresh food is cheaper, easier and quicker to prepare, and more nutritious than processed, packaged and bottled food. Marie Simmons' Fresh & Fast: Inspired Cooking For Every Season And Every Day provides more than 200 recipes which have become favorites with millions of cooks across the country. Whether it's Warm Egg Salad on Whole Wheat Toast or Lemon Basil Chicken -- each is deftly simple, yet freshly conceived and imaginative. Most can be made in less than 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. By following the seasons, Simmons shows how to vary your menu with ease and excitement all year 'round. -- Midwest Book Review Marie Simmons knows how to prepare fabulous-tasting food without a lot of extra work. Her great advice and tips will make you a more confident cook every day. -- Jan Turner Hazard, Ladies' Home Journal MARIE SIMMONS, a popular cooking teacher and author who has won both a James Beard Award and a Julia Child Award, is the culinary director of Copia, a food and wine cultural center in Napa, California. She is a frequent contributor to Cooking Light, Prevention, Cottage Living, and Eating Well. Her books include Fresh & Fast, The Light Touch Cookbook, Rice: The Amazing Grain, Lighter Quicker Better, and 365 Ways to Cook Pasta.