We all have the best of intentions about food, but even the most motivated among us still find it a challenge to stay inspired. And even when we are not lacking for inspiration, we are often lacking for time. Nava Atlas, a noted cookbook author/illustrator (best-known for her classic Vegetariana), has now stepped to the plate, so to speak, with a very clearly-written, thoroughly tested, and useful new book, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet (Broadway Books 2001). In her own words:

"Ask any time-crunched cook what they look for in a meal, and the words "fast" and "easy" will likely come up. I'd like to add one more word to the busy cook's vocabulary: "Simple." It's a relaxng concept that goes beyond ease‹after all, a soup can have 25 ingredients that need merely to be tossed into the pot and so would be considered easy. Simple implies a paring down, getting to the essentials.

To my mind, simplicity does not by any means imply mindlessness; rather, I'd go along with Walt Whitman's view that "simplicity is the glory of expression."

By focusing on a few high-quality, well-chosen ingredients, I can enjoy a simple meal as much as a more elaborate one.

Being a devotee of good, healthful meals, I began developing recipes that are pared down to their very essence, but remain splendid...

Keeping things simple takes the frantic quality‹and pressure‹out of preparing a meal. Simplifying helps you to slow down and enjoy the process of cooking. Permit yourself to make these recipes at whatever pace pleases you. Sometimes, I'll opt for a simple main dish even though I'm not in a rush, allowing me to devote time and energy to another part of the meal‹a special salad, several different kinds of vegetables for my family to sample, or a homemade dessert....

I hope that The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet will inspire anyone who believes they don't have the time to eat well to add more healthful meals to their repertoire. I also hope that this collection will give aspiring vegetarians an incentive to have meatless meals more frequently. Eating well, along with regular exercise, are the two most important lifestyle choices you can make in maintaining good health. An abundance of delicious food, simply prepared, enhances the quality of daily life like few other things can."

Nava goes on to walk us through a plan of action, including some guidelines for stocking pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. She gives us a template for weekly menu planning, as well, to help us keep ourselves organized.

The chapters include:

• Simplicity in a Soup Pot
• Streamlined Salads
• Pasta, Presently
• The Zen of Grains and Beans
• Essential Soy
• A Flash in the (Pizza) Pan
• Rudimentary Wraps
• Pared-Down Potatoes
• Veggies on the Side
• Simple Sauces, Dips, and Sandwich Spreads
• Fundamental Fruits

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet is also very nicely designed, with clear type and easy-to-follow layout. I strongly recommend this book! And I also strongly encourage you to visit Nava's terrific web site, http://www.vegkitchen.com and to order this book (as well as her other titles) directly from her.