Cut out the kitchen clutter to find joy

Yasmin Fahr’s latest cookbook,“Cook Simply, Live Fully: Flexible, Flavorful Recipes for Any Mood” (Harper, $45), arrived as I was in the midst of a major kitchen decluttering project.

The timing was perfect.

In the opening pages, Fahr tells how, while suffering through a period of work burnout, the three-time cookbook author and frequent New York Times Cooking contributor traveled solo to the small island of Minorca off the coast of Spain to recharge. It was there that she realized her frenetic New York lifestyle was making her miserable.

She knew what she had to do: “Slow down and try to remove the clutter and the noise and the excess so that the simple goodness of food can shine.”

I recently had a similar reckoning — not while strolling along a tranquil beach, sadly, but while rummaging through my overflowing cupboards and fridge and finding nothing for dinner. I’ve been on a tossing and reorganizing binge since.

I knew I could count on Fahr for guidance on a long-term maintenance plan. Her friendly, unfussy approach won me over in her first book,“Keeping It Simple” (Hardie Grant, 2020), and I’ve been drawn to her bright-flavored recipes since.

“Cook Simply, Live Fully” organizes recipes according to energy level and motivation: Lap Dinners (Hibachi-ish 5-Minute Shrimp, Skillet Eggs with Asparagus and Feta); Coffee Table Dinners (Charred Zucchini and Scallion Pasta with Caramelized Lemon; Sheet Pan Sumac and Yogurt Chicken Thighs

— both of which I tried and loved); and At the Dinner Table (Harissa-Poached Salmon with Tomatoes, Gingery Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Rice).

All oven recipes are set to 400 degrees so vegetables and proteins can be easily swapped or added. Charts provide quick references for prepping and cooking vegetables in basic ways, seasoning creatively, and pairing wine with various flavor combos. The required cooking tools are minimal and she pledges to keep us from filling our pantries with items we’ll use only once.

With each sticky note I place, marking a simpler recipe to try, I feel one step closer to Zen.

“Cook Simply, Live Fully: Flexible, Flavorful Recipes for Any Mood” by Yasmin Fahr (Harper, $45)