J. M. Hirsch - High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking

A book may be conceived as one persons dream, but it is born the labor of many. I am lucky in ways I never imagined to be surrounded by so many people who care enough to help me succeed.

Lisa Tolin, Lou Ferrara, Sally Jacobsen, and Kathleen Carroll, my bosses at The Associated Press. You give me the freedom and responsibility to make my little corner of the worlds largest news organization shine. Nothing Ive done could have occurred without your support.

Diane Davis, my former boss. Shortly after she left AP, she told me I was supposed to say either Many thanks to my wonderful editor who let me have my way with the best gig in the cooking world, or Many thanks to the person who told me to buy any prop and ingredient I needed, even the organic stuff that costs extra money and the top-shelf booze I like. So there. Ive said it. And I mean it.

Pamela Cannon, my editor. Thank you for seeing such promise in this project, then helping me make it a reality. Nevertheless, its time you give your colored pencils to your children and embrace the digital age. Thanks also to the whole Ballantine team, especially Susan Corcoran in publicity.

Larry Crowe, APs food photographer. Wheres that radar we were talking about ? After nearly a decade you still manage to make my slop look good. Sometimes. Now lets grab some of that top-shelf booze and toast to another ten years.

Joseph DeVita, Ryan King, and Alison Ladman, my test cooks. Week after week you make a wreck of the kitchen, keep my son stuffed with bacon, and consistently make it seem as though I know what Im doing. I owe you big.

Michele Kayal, friend and fellow writer. If I didnt have somebody to bounce this insanity off of, I wouldnt have made it this far. Many thanks.

Charlie Dougiello and Phil DiIanni, my publicists. It was over a cup of coffee and I think Charlies words were, Dude! You have got to pitch this. And so we did. My gratitude is eternal.

Eric Lupfer, my agent at William Morris Endeavor. I can be a bit of a clueless clod. Thank you so much for steering the ship and making me seem less so.

Matthew Mead, Jenny, and the rest of the gang at Matthew Mead Productions. Your photos made my ideas not just come to life, but vibrantly so. Thank you so much.

Hilary Chapman, Deb Moskey, and Karen Smith, my mommy friends. Thanks for the millions of little ways you make my life (and my sons) so much easier and more fun.

Robin, Chris, and Stephen Starr. We started as friends-of-friends, became friends, then traveling companions, and finally family. Thank you so much for riding the crazy with us.

Mom and Dad. I love you and cant thank you enough for everything youve given me. Actually, Id have preferred thin genes.

Holly, my wife. Because Nigella and Katie and Rachael would never put up with me. Yet you continue to. Thank you. I love you.

J. M. H IRSCH is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He oversees a team of writers, cooks, and photographers whose stories and recipes appear in thousands of newspapers and on countless websites around the globe. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and six-year-old son.

www.jmhirsch.com

P eople tend to have a certain image of a food editors life, mostly involving plenty of wining and dining, noshing with celebs, and whipping up multicourse gourmet meals.

I so do not have that life. I do have a six-year-old son. And that, combined with living in rural New Hampshire, tends to limit my fine-dining options.

As for gourmet cooking? Not quite. My knife skills amount to running a lawn mower over the food. Ive managed to set fire to nearly every flammable ingredient (and several parts of my home). And any recipe requiring exacting measurements or fussy techniques lands in the recycling bin.

Celebs? I do have better-than-average access, but even that I tend to bungle.

As in the time I attended a dinner with Rachael Ray, Katie Lee, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and Bill Clinton. It was fine until I left and decidedwith perhaps a bit too much wine influencing the decisionto call my wife. And loudly tell her how gorgeous Katie Lee was. And that she might have touched my arm.

Im smooth like that.

But what I do have is a determination to eat well and eat real. Because after Ive spent the first half of my day playing editor and the second half as the only dad at my sons playdates, I want food that sucker punches me with flavor. No matter how little effort, time, or skill I can manage.

As in these starters. Any starter that cant be made while drinking wine and chatting with friends is a nonstarter. Because lets face it, starters are for company. I wish I was the sort of guy who had the time and energy to make appetizers for my family, but they can dream on.

So most of these recipes take about 10 to 20 minutes and require no special skills or equipment. Not sure where to start? Try the . Its intensely good, ridiculously easy, and everyone will love it.

Anytime you can play salty, crunchy foods against creamy, soft ones you probably have a winner of a dish. For a variation, substitute a slab of gouda for the goat cheese, then pop the assembled crostini in a 350F oven until the cheese just begins to soften.

2 slices prosciutto

4-ounce log chevre (soft goat cheese), room temperature

2 large fresh basil leaves, cut into slivers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper, to taste

12-inch baguette, cut crosswise into 12 slices, lightly toasted

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add the prosciutto and cook over medium-high heat until just lightly browned and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to absorb excess oil, then cut it into small pieces.

In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the goat cheese. Add the basil and olive oil. Mix well, then season with pepper.

Spread a bit of the cheese mixture over each slice of bread, then sprinkle with sliced scallion and bits of prosciutto.

HOW LONG? 10 MINUTES

HOW MUCH? 12 CROSTINI

Feta keeps you thin. Or so went the advice of the diet counselor who helped me shed some serious pounds during high school. Her theory sounded good. Fetas assertive flavor meant you were less likely to eat as much as you would a milder cheese.

Nice try. But I was not lugging around a spare eighty pounds because of a bland diet. I tend to pack it inbland, spicy, whatever. I can eat feta by the pound. And thanks to living in the test kitchen, I still manage a twenty-pound year-round yo-yo. Maybe I just havent eaten enough feta.

Just about any nut (as long as its unsalted) will work in place of the walnuts here. As with all cheeses, be sure to serve this close to room temperature.