If you're a jazz aficionado, who lives for improvisation and interpretation, then "Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express'' will be music to your culinary soul.

But if you're more a stickler for precision, someone who likes to practice the scales methodically until thoroughly mastered, then the newest cookbook by the prolific New York Times food writer might confound you to no end.

This is a most unusual cookbook. The "recipes,'' such as they are, amount to one paragraph each. Yes, that's for ingredients and directions combined. The measurements are not always precise. A lot of times, you have to take a stab at guessing just how much of an ingredient is required for the dish. And good luck figuring out how many servings the dish makes, because that's not listed, either.

If you're a regular reader of the New York Times Dining section, you've no doubt seen recent cover stories in which Bittman has employed this method of recipe writing. The story might have 100 "recipes'' for the dog days of summer, each of them composed of a one-paragraph description to roughly create a dish.

A story is one thing. A whole 233-page cookbook is another. And one without any photos, either.

The book is arranged by seasons. I decided to try one from the "Summer'' chapter. I'm a ginger fiend, so I couldn't resist the Ginger-Lemon "Ice Cream'' recipe. I don't have an ice cream maker, mostly because I fear having such temptation at my ready disposal. But here was a recipe that promised "mock ice cream'' without the need of such a machine.

All you need is a food processor. The recipe instructs you to add 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, half a cup of sugar, 2 cups of cream (but not specifying "heavy''), and the juice and zest of one lemon. You then add ice, and pulse the mixture. How much ice is not specified. And you would think that amount would have a great bearing on the texture of the resulting ice cream, wouldn't you? You're also told to add some chopped crystallized ginger. Though that amount isn't detailed, either, that's less crucial, in my mind.

So how much ice? I went with 2 cups - a complete guess. In hindsight, I think I would have stopped at 1 cup. Who knew? You're told that the mixture will get thick and icy. But I wasn't sure if it got thicker and icier with more ice or less ice, so I added more. In doing so, though, I think my mixture got a little thinner.

I tasted a spoonful, and really liked the combination of the ginger with the lemon. It was very refreshing. The recipe says you can serve it immediately or freeze it. Frankly, I'm not sure you'd want to eat this immediately, even as wonderful as the flavor was. The texture just isn't dense enough. It would be like eating a bowl of flavored whipped cream. Maybe if you used it as a topping for fresh fruit, it might work just fine like this. But I decided to freeze it in a plastic container instead.

After six hours, the ice cream had firmed up a lot. It still didn't have the heft of real ice cream. It was more like a richer version of ice milk. It melts fairly fast, too. I didn't find it as satisfying as real ice cream. And I doubt that I'd make it again.

I'm not sure I would have bought this book on my own. But since it was given to me to review, I probably will try out another recipe or two. There's one for "Microwaved Honey Eggplant'' that intrigues.

If you're a novice cook, this book may really frustrate you. If you're an experienced cook, you might find one or two flavor combinations or techniques worth exploring that are new to you. But beyond that, most of it will already be familiar to you. In that case, you might just want to save your pennies instead.

Read more about the Ginger-Lemon 'Ice Cream' Carolyn made on her blog FoodGal.

Ginger-Lemon "Ice Cream''

From Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman. Simon & Schuster, 2009

(Add more candied ginger if you like)

In a food processor, puree two tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped, with a half cup of sugar, two cups of cream, and the juice and zest of one lemon. Add ice, pulsing and pushing down as necessary, until thick and icy; add a couple of tablespoons of candied ginger at the end and process until just combined. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to several days.

About Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express

Presented here are 404 dishes -- 101 for each season -- that will get you in and out of the kitchen in 20 minutes or less. Mark Bittman's recipe sketches provide exactly the directions a home cook needs to prepare a repertoire of eggs, seafood, poultry, meats, vegetables, sandwiches, and even desserts. Add a salad here, a loaf of bread there, and these dishes become full meals that are better than takeout and far less expensive.

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Menu from Julia's 90th Birthday

Julia Child and Jacques Pepin's autographs

Read more from Carolyn as she remembers Julia on her blog FoodGal.

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Let's face it: Indian food can be intimidating to some. Not only in navigating your way through a long menu of unfamiliar dishes at restaurants, but also in attempting to cook recipes at home that call for ingredients not easily found at your neighborhood grocery store.

Yet that's precisely what makes the cuisine so attractive and addicting, too. It's the sense of discovery and adventure for the palate that can't help but leave you hungry for more.

Monica Bhide recognizes that all too well. The New Delhi native, who now lives in Washington D.C., is a former engineer turned food writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

As a wife and working mom of two young sons, she knows the challenge of putting good tasting and good-for-you meals on the table. Her third and newest cookbook, "Modern Spice'' (Simon & Schuster) is written for the home cook who is eager to try making Indian dishes, but who doesn't have all the time in the world to do so.

That's not to say that you won't have to seek out some specialty ingredients for some of these recipes. For instance, paneer (Indian cheese), sev (thin, salted gram flour "noodles,'' asafetida, and fresh curry leaves. But Bhide leads you by the hand, by telling you which brands of prepared sauces, pastes, rice, curry powders, and chaat masala she favors, and precisely how best to use them.

She also includes quite a few quick-cooking recipes such as Acorn Squash with Five Spices, Chile Squid, and Shrimp in Green-Mango Butter Sauce. Additionally, there are a number of make-ahead condiments to add pizzazz to any meal, including Pineapple Lentil Relish, and Kumquat and Mango Chutney with Onion Seeds.
With so much summer squash for sale at the farmers' markets now, I couldn't help but be attracted to her recipe for Pan-Fried Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Cumin.

Bhide writes in the book that it is one of her favorite Monday night recipes because it is so simple and quick. That it definitely is. Moreover, the dish calls for ingredients that you probably already have handy in your pantry and fridge.

Yellow squash, red bell peppers, and zucchini are diced to create a vibrantly colored medley. The vegetables are tossed into a hot pan, in which cumin seeds have been toasted. Chile flakes are added for heat, and turmeric for its distinctive, shocking yellow hue. Lemon juice ties all the flavors together. And a last-minute sprinkling of cilantro leaves gives the dish added brightness.

It makes for a nice light side dish that would be fabulous alongside fish, shrimp or scallops. The spices lend earthy, slightly bitter notes that really warm your body.

The dish comes together in all of 15 minutes.

With a dish this easy and satisfying, there's no excuse to be intimidated by Indian cooking any more.

See what Carolyn's version of the Pan-Fried Zucchini looks like on her blog Food Gal.

Pan-Fried Zucchini and Yellow Squash with Cumin

From Modern Spice by Monica Bhide. Simon & Schuster, 2009

This has got to be one of my favorite Monday night recipes, because it's so simple and quick. You can vary the taste by changing the spice from cumin to coriander or mustard seeds. I don't peel the zucchini but you can if you prefer.

Serves 4

Prep/Cook time: 15 minutes

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1 small yellow squash, diced
• 1/2 organic red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• Table salt
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the zucchini, squash, and bell pepper.

2. Fry the vegetables over high heat until they soften and begin to brown, 8 to 9 minutes.

3. Add the turmeric and chile flakes and cook for another minute, until the spices are well mixed with the vegetables. Stir in salt to taste.

4. Serve hot, sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with cilantro.

About Modern Spice

Born in New Delhi, raised in the Middle East, and living in Washington, D.C., acclaimed food writer Monica Bhide is the perfect representative of the new generation of Indian American cooks who have taken traditional dishes, painstakingly prepared by their Indian mothers and grandmothers, and updated them for modern American lifestyles and tastes. Respectful of the techniques and history of Indian cuisine but eager to experiment, Bhide has written simple but deeply flavorful recipes. Modern Spice takes the vibrant tastes of India into the twenty-first century with a cookbook that is young, fun, sassy, and bold.

Available at Amazon.com 

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Solomillo De Cerdo En Jarabe De Granada (Pork Tenderloin in Pomegranate Syrup)

From One Pot Spanish: More Than 80 Easy, Authentic Recipes by Penelope Casas, Sellers Publishing 2009

This recipe shows the influence of Andalucia's Moorish heritage in its sweet and savory combination. Any dish made with pomegranate is surely of Moorish descent (the symbol of the southern city of Granada is, in fact, the pomegranate; and the city's name derives from the fruit). Pork with fruit is, of course, a well-known match, and pork with pomegranate is one more example of that ideal pairing.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 ½ cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
• ½ medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T minced parsley
• 1 T minced fresh rosemary leaves or ½ t dried rosemary
• 1 T minced fresh thyme leaves or ½ t dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 pork tenderloins, about ¾ to 1 pound each
• Chicken broth or water as needed

Put the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and boil over high heat until juice has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

In a deep bowl large enough to hold the tenderloins, stir together the pomegranate juice, onion, wine, oil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Add the tenderloins, turning to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning tenderloins occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and put in a shallow roasting pan.  Scatter the onion from the marinade around them and add just enough of the marinade to moisten the pan, reserving the remainder. Roast the tenderloins, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 145F, adding more marinade occasionally to keep the pan juices from burning.  By the time the meat is done, you should have added all the marinade, if more liquid is needed, add a little chicken broth or water.

Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut the tenderloins at an angle into ½-inch slices and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with the juices from the roasting pan.

About One Pot Spanish: More Than 80 Easy, Authentic Recipes

Spain's history and geography together create one of the world's most varied and rewarding cuisines. Well-known author Penelope Casas, widely considered the foremost American authority on Spanish food, expertly shows why Spanish cooking has always been the perfect fare for the ages: the freshest ingredients prepared simply - a perfect opportunity for one-pot cooking.

Available from Amazon.com

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