★What To Cook When You Don’t Feel like Cooking. Caroline Chambers. Union Square & Co. Aug. 2024. 272p. ISBN 9781454952718. $35. COOKING

Many cookbooks conceived during the pandemic addressed the need to cook from home while keeping meals interesting. Chambers (Just Married: A Cookbook for Newlyweds) continues this trend with the full force of her background as a professional recipe tester. She organizes her delicious and simple recipes by the time each requires, beginning at 15-ish minutes, with subsequent chapters describing more intensive periods. Every recipe offers options for swapping ingredients to match what cooks have on hand or prefer, and many recipes also offer multiple versions of basics, such as frittatas and noodles. This flexible approach does not just minimize time spent in the kitchen but also offers time-saving ideas for collecting essential staples and equipment. As readers try their hand at the book’s dishes that require more time, the volume’s simplicity remains and helps build confidence within cooks to be more adventurous in their meal choices. VERDICT Highly approachable and friendly to all skill levels, this book fits the bill for anyone who hesitates to prepare meals; a must-have for time-constrained cooks. Essential for every collection.