Today's Countdown to Dinner for Thai-Spiced Pork Loin Chops comes from "Gourmet Meals in Minutes" (Lebhar-Friedman, $40, hardcover).

A hefty tome almost 1 1/2 inches thick, the book features more than 200 recipes created by staff chefs at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.

Close to 125 mouth-watering color pictures accompany the recipes.

Today's entree is one of the quickest (10 minutes), fewest-ingredient (2 plus salt and pepper) recipes in the book.

The text under the recipe title says it all -- "This delicious recipe, inspired by the bold flavors of Thai cuisine, is about as simple as it gets."

Tangy, spicy but not too hot, the chops were juicy and Thai-tasting. One of our testers, a 22-month-old girl, found them delectable and not overpowering.

The book recommends serving them with herbed basmati rice.

We threw together a quick peppers-and-onion stir-fry, added a few shakes of soy sauce and fish sauce, a tablespoon of grated ginger and a teaspoon of jarred garlic and mixed in some cooked Thai Kitchen rice noodles.

Most of the recipes in "Gourmet Meals in Minutes" have a dozen or more ingredients. The average time given for prep and cooking is 45 minutes, which is remarkably short for genuine gourmet food.

Crab and Mushroom Chowder, for example, has 16 ingredients, and six of those must be diced, sliced or strained through a sieve. But imagine how exquisite that chowder would taste.

While not a cookbook for hurried-weeknight, get-the-food-on-the-table-fast cooks, it would be lovely for a leisurely Sunday afternoon cook fest.

THAI SPICED PORK LOIN CHOPS

• 4 (or as many as you need) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, 1/2-inch thick
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Thai red curry paste
  
• Cilantro sprigs for garnish
  
• Optional: 1/2 cup prepared hot- sweet mustard

Lightly oil a grill or oven broiler and preheat to high. Season chops with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 teaspoon of curry paste on each side of each chop.

Cook 3 to 3 1/2 minutes per side, turning once (the chops may not need that much cooking time). Garnish with cilantro. Serve with the hot-sweet mustard on the side (we tried this but thought the chops were fine as is).