J.M. Hirsch
Matthew Mead / AP PhotoJ.M. Hirsch is probably one of the most influential people in the food world. I know what you're thinking: J.M. who? Hirsch is the food editor for the Associated Press, the largest news organization in the world, which means he oversees recipe- and food-related news stories that are read by literally millions of people around the world. He's also married with a six-year-old son and struggles like everyone else to serve up delicious and quick family meals. Working in the A.P. test kitchen led him to think about his cooking philosophy and what dishes are easy and speedy to prepare. The result is "High Flavor Low Labor," a terrific cookbook that "reinvents weeknight cooking."

First of all what a cool job! What does it entail?
JMH: I do have it pretty good. I oversee a lot of food news and trends and business stories. I had a hand in covering the food element of the Gulf spill and the egg recall. I also assign business and trend stories. The other half is cooking and recipes. We put out four to ten recipes a week for members to use. We develop at least 60% of them. The rest are excerpted. I have a team of cooks and we develop the recipes.

How did you come up with this book?
JMH: It was the result of looking at the recipes I've been developing and I looked to see if there were any common threads and I found I tended to gravitate to the high-flavor ingredients. Obviously it makes your cooking a little bit easier and a lot more flavorful. After a while I thought it was a good idea for a book because I'm not the only one living a crazy life.

I think people assume because I have a nifty job in the food world that I have it easy at dinnertime but the reality is I'm no different from anybody else. I've worked all day and when six o'clock comes along I need to get dinner on the table. There's no magic involved but I've found that using high flavor ingredients leaves me much more satisfied and my work at the end of the day is much easier.

Is your son a fussy eater?
JMH: Not really. He's gone through his phases but it's been very important for me from day one that my son understands about food, not just how it's prepared but how it's produced. I take him to the farmers market each week so he can meet the farmers who grow the food we eat. I involve him in the kitchen. I certainly deal with my share of fussy eating at times. He's not a fan of anything green except avocados but we don't really make separate meals. We all eat the same thing and if we don't, we don't.

Ever sent him to bed hungry because he wouldn't eat?
JMH: No, we haven't had that yet. We do have the one bite rule, he doesn't have to eat it but he does have to try it and we thank him even if he doesn't like it. On the other hand, I do try to bear in mind it is possible for him to have opinions and not like certain things. All I ask is that he tries everything. I work very hard to present him with a broad palette of food so we're always trying new things and it tends to work very well.

What's your advice for the working mom about home cooking versus take-out?
JMH: I don't think take out is cheaper in the long run, it's easier. When you look at the cost of fast food and then look at the cost of buying and roasting a chicken which then serves multiple meals, you definitely get more from your buck when you buy raw ingredients and cook them.

I prefer organic for my family but I know a lot of families can't afford that and it's unrealistic to at this point. I'm not a big fan of cooking on Sunday for the rest of the week. I can't be that organized and frankly it's a lot of work. I would rather spend half an hour to forty-five minutes on a weekday meal, making a great dinner for that night and maybe enough for lunch the next day.

The reality is it doesn't have to be a lot of work. You can do far worse that throwing some pasta, some beans and veggies in a pot and making a quick vegetable sauce for your pasta. You can throw some chicken or ground beef in there too. It doesn't have to be complicated.

Why do you think people are scared of cooking?
JMH: One of the things that intimidates people out of cooking is the idea it has to be perfect or great. People set the bar too high. Not to say I don't want great food as much as possible but there are plenty of nights I make dinner and it's good. Would I serve it to company? Not necessarily. You can do a quick and easy stir fry. Chicken is my go-to protein. In the summer, I'm a big believer in the grill.

Home cooking does require a commitment, it does require more time to shop and prepare food than get take-out but you have to weigh what you're getting out of it. It's probably going to be healthier and it also brings the family together. My son and I cook almost every night and that's part of being a family, coming together and eating at the table.

I agree, but it can sound precious.
JMH: When there are people having trouble putting food on the table, that argument can seem a little too high-ended but the reality is in terms of our culture. It still is important involving your family in dinner. It doesn't mean going out and hunting down artisinal balsamic vinegar. It can be a matter of scrambling eggs together or teaching a kid how to flip a pancake. Look, getting take-out is fun and we should all do it, but it shouldn't be our mainstays.

Favorite dish in the book?
JMH: I'm partial to Head Case Pesto Chicken which uses an entire head of garlic mashed up with basil and parmesan and used as a marinade on chicken breasts. It's so good and it doesn't have the pungency you'd expect from a whole head of garlic.

I think people will be surprised by the way key ingredients are used in the book. For example, balsamic vinegar in a chocolate cookie ice-cream. I like using cinnamon. In America, it's considered a sweet spice but it can be used in meat loaves and chilies. It adds a level of flavor that you don't normally get and anyone can go to their spice rack and add some to a dish.

What are three condiments that people should have in their kitchen to add flavor?
JMH: I love red curry paste, which you can find in the Asian aisle of almost any grocery store. Mix it with oil for a wet rub. I use it in my falafel. Mix it into meatloaf or meat balls. Add to a red pasta sauce. It adds a complex, acidic slightly spice cadence.

Proscuitto. A little bit goes a long way. A lot of people hesitate to use bacon because of the fat. Proscuitto gives you as much flavor but with less fat. You can cook it like bacon, wrap chicken or white fish and crumble it into salads. If you're cooking with it you can buy the cheaper domestic stuff, it doesn't have to be expensive.

Real parmesan cheese. You can use it everywhere. Mix it into chicken, you can even save the rind and throw it into a pot of soup. Again, all of this is effortless.

Buy the book.