Hands-Off Cooking

This spring a cute cookbook came out called Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision High-Flavor Meals for Busy People. The author, Ann Martin Rolke, is a California-based culinary consultant who created over 100 recipes that give the cook a little more freedom at dinner time. As she explains in her introduction "Hands-off recipes have a relatively short prep time followed by unattended cooking. That means no turning, adding ingredients, or stirring the food. You can walk away while it cooks--just don't forget and leave the house." Each recipe tells you how long the "Hands-Off" time is.

The recipes get their hands-off status not only from what comes naturally (slow simmering or marinating, for example), but also because Rolke has devised ways to increase the unattended cooking times: "In order to ensure real hands-off cooking, I developed ways of making recipes so that you don't have to saute, stir constantly, or otherwise watch over the food as it cooks." Throughout the book are tips called Hands-Off Techniques that explain her methodology.

The recipes are family-friendly and appealing: Carolina Pulled Pork, Thai Beef Curry, Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemonade Sauce (uses lemonade concentrate!), Roasted Root Vegetables, Egyptian Macaroni en Crema, Enchiladas Suizas. To read more about Rolke and to check out her recipes, go to www.handsoffcooking.com.