As a food writer, I kitchen-test a lot of cookbooks. Not all make it into my permanent collection.

Mouth-watering photographs, unusual ways of cooking (an entire cookbook just for planking?) and celebrity authorship sometimes merit a closer look. But the food has to be practical if the cookbook is to prove a keeper.

As a working mom who tries to cook most school nights for three busy teens with increasingly sophisticated palates, I'm looking for recipes that are not only tasty and nutritious but also use easy-to-find ingredients, and -- this is crucial -- don't require a tremendous amount of culinary effort or know-how.

Fancy foodstuffs and techniques? That's for weekends and holidays.

That's why I've found "Martha Stewart's Dinner At Home" (Clarkson Potter, $35) so utterly, and surprisingly, delightful. Normally, I'm not a fan of the Domestic Diva. I find her just a little too precise and improbably composed and -- well, you know, just too darn perfect in the kitchen. Doesn't the woman ever make a mistake or fudge on ingredients?

Blame it on my own insecurity as a cook, but I find she intimidates more than she inspires.

But her forthcoming (Oct. 13) cookbook is inspired. Subtitled "52 Quick Meals to Cook For Family & Friends," it makes good on its promise. The 100-plus recipes are arranged by season so home cooks can take advantage of the freshest ingredients, and each of its menus (comprising a main dish, two sides and a dessert) takes less than an hour start to finish. What's more, each comes with a detailed preparation schedule -- roast this part of the entree first, whisk this together for the salad next, etc. -- that streamlines your time in front of stove and sink. A gorgeous photo details what everything should/could look like.

This being Martha, some of the dishes are a tad upscale; most of us won't serve on a Tuesday pan-roasted Quail with Figs and Pine Nuts. Many, though, require just a handful of ingredients you likely have on hand. A yummy Grated Potato Cake, for instance, uses just potatoes, olive oil and salt and pepper.

Sprinkled throughout are Ms. Stewart's useful shopping, cooking and presentation tips -- for instance, how to serve a cheese course, buy shrimp or whip cream.

So user-friendly is the book that over the course of the first 36 hours that I had it, I was inspired to make four dishes with items that have been showing up in my community-supported-agriculture basket as of late. Who knew teenaged girls would try, and like, gratineed acorn squash halves?

Me being me (i.e., not perfect), I didn't follow Martha's recipes to the letter, substituting what I had in my pantry to avoid another trip to the grocery store. But everything still came out great and we're looking forward to trying even more dishes as fall slowly gives way to winter. And that, my daughters inform me in their best Martha voices, is a very good thing.

Gratineed Baked Squash Halves

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Acorn squash is often sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon. This easy fall dish gets its flavor from garlic- and sage-infused cream and Gruyere cheese.

• 2 acorn squash, halved crosswise, seeds removed
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (about 2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash halves, cut sides up, in a 9-inch baking dish. (If the halves don't sit upright in the baking dish, slice off the tips and stems to make flat.) Season with salt and pepper. Pour about 1/2 cup water into baking dish around squash.

Combine cream with sage and garlic in a small saucepan, and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Pour into squash halves, dividing evenly.

Bake until squash are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese, dividing evenly. Continue baking until cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

-- "Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home" (Clarkson Potter, $35, Oct. 13, 2009)

Hoisin-Glazed Hens

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I couldn't find fresh Cornish hens so I substituted two small roasting chickens. For the best flavor, Martha suggests using a high-quality brand of hoisin sauce. (I used Lee Kum Kee, available in the Asian section of most supermarkets.) The finished dish looked so good, my daughter immediately posted a picture on Facebook. Better yet, there was enough meat left over that I was able to make stir-fry the next day.

• 4 Cornish hens (2 pounds each), rinsed and patted dry
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 2 fresh red chilis, ribs and seeds removed, minced
• 1 bunch cilantro, sprigs separated
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, plus more for basting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place hens in a large roasting pan. Mix garlic, ginger and chilis in a small bowl; rub mixture over hens and under skin, and stuff cavities with cilantro sprigs, dividing evenly. Tie legs of each hen together with kitchen twine. Cover pan; refrigerate 20 minutes.

Remove hens from refrigerator, and brush with the hoisin sauce, dividing evenly. Roast, basting occasionally with extra sauce, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh registers 170 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve hot.

Serves 4.

-- adapted from "Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home"

Apple-Cranberry Crumble

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Most farmers markets and grocery stores are overflowing with local apples this time of year. I used a combination of sweet Fujis and tart Granny Smiths, and doubled the recipe so there would be enough for breakfast the next morning. Martha suggests serving it with sour cream, but my family prefers vanilla ice cream. You could also top it with creme fraiche.

• 1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled and cored
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more, at room temperature, for baking dish
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Sour cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare filling: Quarter apples lengthwise, then thinly slice. Toss in a large bowl with remaining filling ingredients until evenly coated.

Prepare topping: Butter an 8-inch-square glass or ceramic baking dish. Mix pecans, flour, oats, brown sugar and salt in a bowl until combined. Work in butter with your fingertips until mixture is crumbly, with pea-sized chunks.

Spread filling in prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake until filling is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, dolloped with sour cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Serves 4.

-- Adapted from "Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home"

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