THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995              TAG: 9509300083
SECTION: FLAVOR                   PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: MORSELS
SOURCE: RUTH FANTASIA
                                             LENGTH: Short :   34 lines

``DINNER IN MINUTES'' IS MORE THAN JUST TAKEOUT

YOU MEAN, you go home and cook every night?'' a colleague asked recently.

Well, not every night. There are evenings when I see the pizza delivery man longer than I do my family. Between Scouts, band practice, working overtime and PTA, there's little time for cooking.

But if you want to give your gang a good meal in a hurry, there's help.

Among the latest books for time-starved cooks is ``Dinner in Minutes: Memorable Meals for Busy Cooks'' by Linda Gassenheimer (Chapters Publishing, $14.95 paperback).

The book, which began as a collection of Gassenheimer's columns for the Miami Herald, includes a catalog of what should be in a well-stocked pantry, time-saving tips and 250 recipes.

The recipes are organized into 80 dinners instead of the usual meat, appetizer, salad and dessert categories. Calories per serving and the percent of calories from fat are given for each meal.

But perhaps the most notable thing about Gassenheimer's book is that she doesn't rely on convenience foods to save time. The recipes are fresh and exciting, yet easy.

``Dinner in Minutes'' won a 1994 James Beard Award for Best Convenience Cookbook. I can see why. by CNB