On the bookshelf

It's hard not to admire the sort of pluck involved in a 8-year-old boy publishing a cookbook. A vegetarian cookbook at that. And Max Nania, author of "Cooking with Max: 45 Fun and Kind of Messy Recipes Kids Can Make," demonstrates plenty of pluck.

Max's book (assembled with help from Mom, Sienna Nania) feels one part family scrapbook, one part kid-friendly cookbook. It's a formula children will relate to and enjoy -- and that's reason enough for parents to embrace it.

Max has the potential to be a great role model for children. He demonstrates not only that food and cooking can be fun, but also that boys as much as girls can and should get in on that fun.

The recipes are simple and most can be completed with just a bit of adult help.

An especially nice touch -- each recipe includes suggested reading, a children's book loosely tied to the theme of the recipe.

That said, here's hoping Max's mom steers him away from processed foods in his next book (to focus on snacks). Too many recipes rely on packaged items, which can be loaded with sodium and fat.

"Cooking with Max" (Little Five Star, 2007, $14.95)

New gear

Mario Batali wanted his new line of "Regional Recipes" frozen dinners (under the Progresso brand) to be as close as possible to real Italian food, which means assertive seasonings, fresh ingredients and al dente pasta.

He got it partly right. Testers who sampled the Orecchiette Pasta with Italian Sausage and Broccoli were pleasantly surprised by the heavily spiced sauce and tender-crisp broccoli, which lacked that all-too-common soggy, frozen-dinner taste and texture.

But while tender-crisp is a quality desirable for broccoli, the same cannot be said for pasta. Many pieces tasted unappetizingly undercooked. Otherwise, the meal did cook up as promised in about 20 minutes. It was nearly effortless.

Mario Batali's Regional Recipes by Progresso. $10.99, Gemelli Pasta with Meatballs variety available at Sam's Club.