Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food

Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food: More Than 100 Delicious, Super-Fast, and Easy Recipes By Gordon Ramsay, Sterling Epicure, reprint edition, 2012. Paperback. $25; 256 pages

Ramsay's best side—instructive and encouraging—is on display here. Most of the recipes use a handful of ingredients, deployed to dazzling effect. The food is simple but not simplistic. Dishes like Beef Rib-eye with Baby Turnips in Port make easy weeknight meals feel special. And Ramsay delivers for every occasion, from company-worthy Salmon Ceviche and crowd-pleaser apps like Bruschetta with Tomato and Prosciutto to kid-friendly meals like Pan-Fried Crumbed Fish and Chunky Fries.

GIVE THIS TO: Hurried home cooks looking to serve memorable meals that don't feel rushed. —Tim Cebula