New star ascending

Dave Lieberman's new Food Network show just had its first airing last month, but this freshly minted Yale grad is way ahead of the game—he's already written the eponymous cookbook to go with it. Young & Hungry is the hard copy version of his passion for cooking and abiding belief that "good home-cooked food made with a little love is like magic." And his magic translates into truly foolproof recipes made with fresh ingredients that you can pick up in one trip to the supermarket and not "spend a week's paycheck while you're at it." Dave, cool, cute and oh-so-casual (think an Ivy League Jamie Oliver), groups the dishes included around his favorite reasons for getting into the kitchen—the "fun situations" made even more fun by good food. There are romantic dinners for two with impressive but uncomplicated fare, buffets for a crowd with marvelous make-aheads like Roasted Asparagus and Apricot-Glazed Chicken, four foolproof open-faced omelets and some snazzy sides for lazy morning lounging, stress-free happy hour munchies and lots more. Whether you're young, old or somewhere in between, Dave has the good tastes to spur on your good times.