Piecemeal

Pauline (A Dish for All Seasons) offers a clever alternative to weekend batch cooking and meal planning with simpler recipes organized around “30 super-flavorful components” that can be made ahead and repurposed into myriad quick meals throughout the week. Cornerstone ingredients include caramelized tomatoes (used in caramelized caprese, summer strata, and cornmeal pancakes), coconut shrimp (served as a curry, in tacos, or with sweet chili sauce), and lemongrass beef (which can be placed in a lettuce cup or on a skewer). A chapter on fruit explores the possibilities of pickled mango and mulled wine pears. Pauline also provides versatile sauce recipes, such as a Korean gochujang sauce, a sesame ginger sauce, and an “Actually Good” vinaigrette. Some of the five-plus-minute recipes are only slight extensions of the featured batch-cooked component; miso sweet potatoes, for example, become miso sweet potatoes with sesame and lime. A useful introduction invites experimentation and offers freezing tips, while time-saving store-bought substitutes (including frozen chicken fingers) and mix-and-match suggestions are woven throughout. This unique adaptable approach will inspire those looking to expand their repertoire while streamlining meal planning. Agent: Andrianna Yeatts, CAA. (Sept.)