We live in an age of quick and easy. Eight-minute abs and 30-minute meals abound, and for many, cooking from scratch has become a daunting concept. With Home Made, Yvette Van Boven sets out to make it less so, proving that do-it-yourself is, in fact, doable. She starts with step-by-step guides to basic skills like the art of making jam, kneading bread, smoking fish and building an outdoor grill. After these building blocks come variations on each dish and technique. Standards such as smoked pork chops are juxtaposed with more adventurous recipes for ham pie and butternut squash gnocchi. Elegant photography by Oof Verschuren and clever page design make Home Made a delight to read, an invitation to explore and, ultimately, a guide to appreciating the process as much as the product. They say there is nothing that can compare to a home-cooked meal--and with these recipes, you've got the skills to prove it. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm