NEW AND NOW

Let a chef be your guide

Me and My Chef, an educational cooking merchandise company, launched its You’re Now Cooking … With Chef Sal, here in Atlanta. The first item in the company’s line of instructional DVDs features chef Salomon Montezinos of Naples, Fla., walking home cooks through more than 45 recipes. The gift set includes a full-color companion cookbook and ingredient cards for easy shopping. It was offered to wholesale buyers attending the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishing Market show at AmericasMart Atlanta.

Whole-grain cooking

Stay on resolution track with a healthy diet rich in whole grains. “Whole Grains for Busy People: Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals and More for Everyone” by Lorna Sass (Clarkson Potter, $19.95) can help. It’s filled with 125 cook-friendly recipes that focus on quick-cooking grains such as hominy, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, oatmeal and popcorn, along with whole-grain products such as pastas, pizza crust, pita bread and tortillas. There are lots of simple creations that you can get on the table in a half-hour or less —- and many use only one pot.