The Sassy Squid

 

In classic Kat fashion, I'm a few years behind the rest of the food-blogosphere in reviewing this cookbook that took the food world by storm when it was published in 2017. And for good reason. The struggle has been finding a way to incorporate the recipes into my everyday meal plan, as they can be a bit fussy and involve looking for ingredients that your mainstream grocery chains may not stock. Highly cookable they are not, unless you exclusively shop at Whole Foods and farmer's markets. 

Despite my grumblings about the book, it is a delight to read. Misguided comments towards POC aside, Roman happens to be a strong writer with a compelling voice. Every recipe seems to tell a story, and the story makes you want to cook it. I felt super inspired during my first read-through of this book and quickly bookmarked nearly every recipe. I've been cooking out of it for a year now (yes, it's taken that long to make 12 recipes from it--not a great sign), and here's my standard recipe breakdown with my thoughts on everything I tried.

Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower and Dates with Tahini and Pine Nuts: 4/5 stars. This is hard to rate because I changed quite a bit when I made it (I've become that kind of recipe reviewer apparently). Due to my Stop and Shop running out of mint and cilantro, I had to sub with basil (turns out basil and cumin do not mix), and I just couldn't justify buying pine nuts for one side dish. The finished dish was okay the day of, but pretty tasty straight out of the fridge a day later. I picked out the basil and happily polished it off. My husband however hated the tahini in this and didn't have more than a bite or two. I imagine with the mint and cilantro, this would be much better, so I gave it a 4 rather than a 3. For the amount of effort this involved, however, I wouldn't make it again. I've made a lot of roasted cauliflower dishes and have enjoyed easier recipes more. 

Raw and Roasted Carrots and Fennel with Feta and Pistachios: 5/5 stars. This was my first time working with fennel, and I was nervous because I typically dislike the flavor of anise. This was delicious though! A salad full of different flavors and textures--creamy, bright, and crunchy. Recipe here.

Split Pea Salad: 2/5 stars. I followed Alison's instructions as closely as I could, but despite draining my split peas a few minutes earlier than called for, they still turned out overcooked and quite mushy which ruined the dish for me. The roasted potatoes further contributed to the mushiness when tossed with the split peas. Even all that bacon couldn't save it. I found the amount of bacon grease overwhelming, and it actually muddled the flavors. I added a lot of vinegar to cut through the bacon grease, but even that didn't save this dish. 

Spelt with Crispy Sausage, Flowering Broccoli, and Green Garlic: 5/5 stars. Brilliant! Like an Italian fried rice, but somehow better because every grain becomes both crispy and chewy. I used her suggested substitution of farro for the spelt, and it worked beautifully. We've made this a couple of times now, and my husband always enjoys it. Recipe here.

Olive Oil-Fried Lentils with Cherry Tomatoes and a Chile-Fried Egg: 2/5 stars. I used brown lentils (which she suggested as a possibility), and unfortunately they got too mushy even at the low end of her suggested cooking time. Another dish ruined. The flavors were otherwise decent, though nothing amazing. My husband hated this.

Kinda-Sweet Granola with Coconut and Turmeric: 4/5 stars. A good, but not great granola recipe. I did enjoy that it was not very sweet, which made it perfect for sprinkling on yogurt. I didn't have millet, so I used her suggested substitution of sesame seeds, which unfortunately ended up being way too much. I would lower it to 1/4 cup next time. 

Clam Pasta with Chorizo and Walnuts: 3/5 stars. This was the rare recipe from this book that my husband liked more than I did. I thought it was just okay. The amount of chorizo overwhelmed the flavor of the clams. Would not make again. 

Roasted Tomato and Anchovy Bucatini: 5/5 stars. My favorite recipe in the book! This is the best spaghetti with tomato sauce I've ever had. The umami flavor is off the charts. After I made it the first time, I immediately made it 3 or 4 more times--it's that good. This went in my heirloom recipe notebook. Recipe here.

Slow Salmon with Citrus and Herb Salad: 3/5 stars. Just okay. The salmon was very tender and had a nice citrus aroma, but not as much flavor as I had hoped. I didn't feel that the oil confit did anything for the salmon, as I've made other slow-roasted salmon dishes without this that tasted comparable and didn't leave a pool of oil on my plate.

Perfect Steak with Buttered Radish Toast: 2/5 stars. I made this following the instructions exactly, and my steak ended up well-done and leathery. I even checked to make sure I had the right thickness and everything, but 6-8 minutes on each side is too much (we usually do 4 minutes on one side, 3 minutes on the other). The flavor was fine, but we could barely cut into our steaks. A waste of good beef. 

Vinegar-Braised Chicken with Farro and Watercress: 1/5 stars. I can't emphasize enough how much we hated this. The chicken was tender, but the vinegar flavor was really off-putting. The farro also got mushy when cooked according to her suggested cooking time, and the watercress felt out of place. We ended up throwing the (substantial) leftovers away. I'm still puzzled by this dish as everyone on the Food52 Cookbook Club seems to love it.

Paprika-Rubbed Sheet-Pan Chicken with Lemon: 4/5 stars. This was pretty tasty, but again, there were issues with the cooking time in the recipe. I tested the chicken 5 minutes before it was supposed to come out, and it was already overcooked. The flavor was solid though, and it ended up being really nice on top of pizza with kale. You can't go wrong with paprika and fennel seed. 

Anchovy-Butter Chicken with Chicken Fat Croutons: 5/5 stars. One of the best roast chickens I've ever made. Super moist and flavorful. I unfortunately didn't do the chicken fat croutons because I didn't have good bread around, but will have to do that next time.

Cocoa Banana Bread: 1/5 stars. This was such a failure for me. I'm not sure if it's because the amount of batter was more than my standard-size loaf pan could take or if the weight of the sliced bananas on top had something to do with it, but the middle never ended up rising or even baking all the way through even after I baked it a full 30 minutes longer than the recipe called for. The banana bread ended up an unsightly, gelatinous mess. The flavor was nice, but this was one of the biggest baking fails I've had in my kitchen. And I make banana bread all the time! 

Average Recipe Rating: 3.3/5 stars

This was a tough one. While there were some shining stars in this cookbook (that roasted tomato and anchovy pasta is just unfff so good), a lot of these were misses, and I didn't find the recipes as a whole all that reliable. The cooking times for a lot of the recipes were too long and ended up ruining what could have been good meals. She would have benefited from more recipe testing. 

Overall, I applaud Alison Roman for her creativity and her fresh, modern take on cooking, but I'll have to approach her recipes with a more judicious eye, especially regarding the cooking times. 

I'll update this as I continue to cook from it. 

Recipes I'm Excited to Make Next: 

• Blistered Green Beans with Creamy Tahini and Fresh Hot Sauce
• Crispy Kimchi and Cheddar Omelette
• Crispy Chickpeas and Lamb with Greens and Garlicky Yogurt
• Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Citrus and Garlic
• Chocolate Tahini Tart

Back in medical school, I had a lovely little herb garden on my patio, and one summer had a flourishing basil plant. I've never had that kind of luck with basil again, but that summer, we added basil to everything.

I found this intriguing recipe for a basil cake on one of my favorite Chinese food blogs, and I immediately made it for dessert. Andrew went nuts for it. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since lemon and basil are two of his favorite flavors, and this cake combines them in a light, bouncy, tangy package. We recently made this again and enjoyed it just as much.

Lemon Basil Cake
(Recipe from the Woks of Life)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 3/4 cup yogurt (we used whole-milk)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup finely chopped basil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp milk

It's been a while since I've done a cookbook review due to feeling a little cookbook fatigued, but my sudden urge to bake all the things during this pandemic made the ARC of this book impossible to resist. Not to mention, cookies are my favorite thing to bake. Easy to whip together, easy to share, and enjoyed by all. Sarah Kieffer must be a kindred spirit because cookies seem to be her favorite thing to bake too. She is most well known for her viral pan-banging cookies. I've never actually made them myself but I've heard from many friends that they are very good. She has turned this technique into a whole chapter of the book with various riffs, but this is (thankfully) only one part of this book.

There are also chapters devoted to the classics, brownies and bars, fruity cookies, special cookies that take more work, cookies that are fun for kids and adults alike, and then cookie sandwich creations. While some of the cookie recipes definitely piqued my interest (toasted sesame caramel, anyone?), there are many others that are just variations of the same base but with different flavors. This is especially apparent in the brownie and bars section where there are cream cheese brownies, turtle brownies, swirl brownies, marshmallow peanut butter brownies, peanut butter crunch brownies, and chocolate basil brownies that all use the same base brownie recipe. Other baking books I have read and enjoyed like Bravetart and Dorie's Cookies have 4 or 5 variations of each recipe as well, but they are included at the end of each recipe as a footnote rather than counted as their own separate recipes. I would have appreciated if Kieffer had used the same strategy here. Not to mention, as someone who doesn't love brownies and rarely makes them (my family doesn't really like them either), it was a bummer that about 20% of the cookbook is just brownie recipes. If you like brownies though, rejoice because there are plenty of recipes for you.

In a similar vein, the pan-banging cookie chapter has many recipes, but they are all pan-banging versions of the classics that are already featured in the first chapter. Maybe this works better in a food blog than in a cookbook, but I was feeling major deja vu when I got to that chapter. The last chapter, which is cookie combinations, just throws together the cookie recipes from earlier in the book with some buttercream and no-churn ice cream recipes and counts them as new recipes as well. I do like some of the combos, but in a book that was already missing some variety for me, I thought they took away precious space from what could have been more cookie recipes.

Finally, I wish there were more photos in this book! I counted only two to three photos per chapter, and that's really not a lot for a modern cookbook. There were a lot of blank pages in the ARC I received, so I suspect there are some photos that did not yet make their way in, and I am hopeful when I eventually go to my nearest bookstore and see this book on the shelf that there will be more.

I do have my disappointments with this book, and maybe that's unfair because I had just finished reading Dorie's Cookies, which is so well-done that it's a tough act to follow. However, there are many positives about this book that I want to mention too. The photos that are included are done beautifully and make me want to get to baking immediately. The colors are bright and fun. The font and design are pleasing to the eye. The classics appear to be done well, and the blend of easy and challenging techniques makes this a nice book for both beginner and experienced bakers. While I don't think it would earn a space on my cookbook shelf, it has definitely won over others on Netgalley. It makes me want to check out her very well-reviewed first cookbook, as I think that may be more up my alley.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tartine is easily one of the most famous bakeries in the country, possibly the world. One of my biggest regrets on our last trip to San Francisco is not carving out some time to visit this pastry Mecca. I was therefore very excited to receive an ARC for their classic cookbook, now updated with new recipes as well as old ones that have been slightly modernized.

Every recipe is something that I want to drop everything and make. From Matcha-Glazed Croissants (!!!) to Chocolate Salted Buckwheat Cookies to Sweet Potato Cake with Meringue Topping, it's all here and it sounds delicious. There are also the traditionals--one of the first things they cover is step-by-step how to make the best croissants of your life. Their flavors range from the French (brioche and cannelles) to American (coffee cake and Dutch apple pie) to Mexican (conchas and Mexican wedding cookies) with a little bit of everything in between.

One thing that's new in this cookbook is the inclusion of gluten-free recipes and recipes that use other flours, such as buckwheat, rye, and even teff. While I'm not gluten-free, I have many friends that are and would certainly appreciate these additions. It's by no means a gluten-free cookbook, but rather friendly to modern diets.

The cookbook is filled with beautiful photos, and the recipes are well-written, clear, and designed for the home baker to follow. Some of the recipes are very complex and would benefit from a good deal of baking expertise. It's definitely not a cookbook for the beginner baker, but one for the baker who aspires to churn out tarts and French pastries from their home oven with ease.

Even though I was only supplied with the pdf version with a watermark, this is a book that will definitely be making it in my collection. Look out for the inevitable day when matcha croissants end up on this blog!

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Mediterranean food. While I'm not well-versed in cooking it, it's one of my favorite cuisines when I go out to eat, so I'm always eager to review a Mediterranean cookbook. That's how I ended up diving into this book blind without realizing that the author is a Michelin-star chef! It's a real beauty of a cookbook, from stunning pictures of Mallorca to close-ups of the main ingredients around which he builds his recipes. In the text, he makes a case for why Mallorca and Mediterranean food are so special, and it's brimming with imagery that makes me want to hop on a plane tomorrow and settle down in his island paradise.

As Mallorca is part of Spain, the recipes are mostly Spanish, which is not a cuisine I usually equate with the Mediterranean. Don't seek out this book if you're looking for a recipe for falafel, as you won't find it here. What you will find are thoughtful, creative, and sophisticated recipes for dishes such as Crispy Sobrasada Croquettes with Honey and Manchego, Roasted Rack of Lamb in a Feta, Olive, and Rosemary Crust, and Fresh Mussel Escabeche. The cookbook is divided into sections based on ingredients that are essential to Mallorcan cuisine, almost like a celebration of each ingredient. It differs in that way from cookbooks that are usually divided by course.

The recipes here are really chef-caliber, and Marc Fosh doesn't dumb it down for the home cook at all. I appreciate that, but at the same time, some of the recipes, particularly the desserts are quite involved. However, if you master them, you can turn out dishes that would fit right in at a Michelin-star establishment, and one day I hope to conquer them all. This is a cookbook best devoured by "foodies", or at least somewhat adventurous eaters.

While it's an excellently done cookbook and clearly a labor of love for Chef Fosh, I'm not convinced it would be a regular on my bookshelf, purely because the recipes often contain ingredients that are hard to find or prohibitively expensive in my neck of the woods and the recipes are more involved than I would like for a weeknight, but it is a great source of cooking inspiration nonetheless.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll admit, I'm intimidated by grilling. I never grew up anywhere near the grill when my dad was using it, and it's always been seen as the "dad's domain". So I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author of a book all about backyard fire cooking is a female. I realized in the process of writing this review that I've actually read a Linda Ly cookbook before. I gifted my brother-in-law and sister-in-law her book, the New Camp Cookbook, last Christmas and found myself unable to stop myself from flipping through it. All the recipes sounded delicious, and the photography was gorgeous. This book continues in the same style, right down to the cover, but with a different focus.

While "backyard fire" sounded vague to me at first, it becomes apparent that Ly aims to make the process of cooking over a fire, no matter what kind of vessel you use, both approachable and gourmet. The first section of the book really takes the time to demystify the process of setting up a grill in your backyard. As someone who doesn't yet have a backyard or a grill, I wasn't able to put her wealth of knowledge to the test, but it seemed like a very thorough introduction to setting up your own grilling paradise.

The recipes themselves are interesting, creative, modern, and things I could totally see myself making. There's dishes like Smoky Ember-Roasted Eggplant Dip, Grilled Brie with Sweet Cherry Sauce, Feta-Stuffed Flank Steak (um, this sounds utterly delicious), Shrimp in Coconut Sauce (made in a foil pack!), Korean Grilled Chicken, and Dutch Oven Jambalaya. There's a great diversity of techniques and cuisines here, and I really enjoyed flipping through and seeing what new ideas would pop up next.

As expected, the photography is top-notch and really makes you want to go into your pantry and start cooking as soon as possible. The rest of the cookbook is clean and well-designed. I would totally buy this for any grillers in my life. I'm already adding this to my list of Christmas gift ideas.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the era of the Instant Pot, it feels like the slow cooker has been long forgotten. In fact, my own slow cooker has been relegated to the back of the pantry while my Instant Pot has a spot on my kitchen island. Let's face it--there are definitely some drawbacks to slow cookers (very long cooking times, having to be home on time to turn it off, sometimes having to prep things in the morning before work in order to start the recipe), but there's nothing like the feeling of coming home and knowing that your entire dinner is already done, and you don't even have to lift a finger.

Nicki Sizemore is here to prove that a slow cooker can still be an integral part of your kitchen, and you can cook modern, fresh, delicious food in your slow cooker. It's set up like your traditional cookbook dedicated to the home cook, with sections basically split into your veggies, meat, seafood, and breakfast. I wish there was a dessert section, but I know there's plenty of other cookbooks that fill that niche.

I was expecting the recipes to be simple comfort food, but I was pleasantly surprised by how diverse and eclectic the recipes were. The recipes include Thai Vegetable and Peanut Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan, Sticky Ginger Spareribs with Napa Cabbage Slaw, Morroccan Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate and Mint, and Green Curry Shrimp Noodle Bowls. If American classics are more your speed, there is also a recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup, Beef Chili, and a recipe for a whole garlic roast chicken, among others. A particular standout was the seafood section, which was filled with delicious and interesting recipes. I bookmarked pretty much all of them.

The design is colorful, accessible, and easy to read. The little blurbs before each recipe are well-written, helpful, and make me excited to cook the recipe. I can't wait to cook from this book and break out my slow cooker again.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can't resist an Asian cookbook, and the title of this one instantly had me hooked. I love curry. I love kimchi. I was excited about what this cookbook could teach me.

I had never heard of the authors' restaurant, Coco & the Cellar Bar, before even though it turns out I live only a couple of hours away. Their story is inspiring, and I love hearing how the various cultures that both authors come from have influenced their philosophy on cooking. Every recipe is thoughtful and designed to be a more sophisticated, elevated version of Asian food. It's a philosophy that is intriguing, even if I'm not completely sold on it. Coming from a Chinese family and having eaten extensively through China and various Chinatowns, I know that some of the best food comes from the most humble of places and is far from refined. Still, I'm always willing to try new recipes and am always looking for ways to elevate my own cooking.

The recipes are mainly Asian fusion cuisine with influences from China, Japan, and Korea. Recipes include dishes like Honey Miso Noodle Salad, Shoyu Ramen, Hoisin-Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Coriander Shrimp Chow Fun, and Miso-Glazed Cod Rice Bowl. There's a Mexican influence from Roger Taylor with a recipe for Carnitas Tacos, Chili Con Carne, and a salsa recipe. And there's also oddly enough, a recipe for macaroni and cheese. It reflects the multicultural background of the two chefs, and it really makes the cookbook feel personal and special.

I actually tried one of the recipes, that for Claypot Miso Chicken, which is a misnomer since it's made in an Instant Pot (or other slow cooker) rather than a claypot. I don't often jump up and make a recipe from cookbooks that I review, so that just goes to show how compelling the book was. I also realized that I had all the ingredients already in my fridge and pantry, so it was an easy weeknight dinner. My husband enjoyed it, but I felt like it was missing something. I have a lot of similar recipes in my collection that taste better, so unfortunately, I won't be in a hurry to make it again.

My other main gripe with the cookbook is something that plagues a lot of cookbooks written by restaurant chefs. There are a lot of basic components that appear in multiple recipes, so be prepared to make a batch of togarashi oil or spicy miso paste to keep in your fridge. The Korean Bolognese sounded great, but requires me to make Spicy Miso Paste (a recipe located on a different page) and Korean Hot Pepper Sauce (also located on a different page) first, which sounds needlessly complicated.

Despite that flaw, the rest of the cookbook is enjoyable. The design is clean and elegant, which adds to the restaurant style of the book. I wish there were more recipes, as it feels rather small compared to other cookbooks these days. Overall, a good first cookbook from these authors and a compelling reason for me to visit their restaurant next time I'm in western Mass.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I love meat, I appreciate a solid vegetarian cookbook. If someone has ideas to get me to eat a meatless meal without feeling like something is missing, I'm all about it! With this cookbook, Raquel Pelzel set out to create truly crave-worthy vegetarian meals, relying on her knowledge of umami, that mysterious fifth taste that adds savoriness and depth to normal foods, and how to incorporate it in everyday foods to make them addictive. She breaks the cookbook down into chapters based on key ingredients that are renowned for their umami content, such as cheese, soy, tomato, mushrooms, caramelized onions, miso, nutritional yeast, and smoked ingredients. Some of these recipes include multiple of these "umami bombs", and she helpfully depicts this with a umami bomb key next to each recipe.

The recipes are mostly spins on classics, so they aren't ground-breaking but are tasty comfort food recipes with a small twist to bring out their umami potential. Recipes that stood out as unique included Gouda-Apple-Thyme Galettes, Crispy Cheddar Cheese Waffles, No Reason Chocolate Cake (the frosting includes soy sauce!), Everything Bagel Caramelized Onion Focaccia, Miso Cacio e Pepe, and Molten Chocolate Truffle Bomb Cookies with Smoked Salt (try reading that description without drooling!). Then there are recipes like a tomato soup composed of blended roasted tomatoes and miso that are simpler but no less complex in their flavors.

It's a fun concept, and Pelzel leans into it with bright pop-style fonts and exciting pictures. I really like the whole design of the book. It really makes you excited to cook from it. While it's not the biggest cookbook, I have my eye on a number of recipes to try in the future, and will update when that happens. None of them made me want to get up and cook them immediately, but I'm intrigued by the idea of soy sauce in a chocolate frosting and miso in my butterscotch sauce.

It's not a cookbook that's essential for your cookbook shelf, but it's a fun read nonetheless and will give you some new cooking ideas if you like to try new things in the kitchen.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I usually avoid niche cookbooks like this that only focus on one ingredient, but I was intrigued by the idea of a peach truck. I've never heard of the Peach Truck before, but they must be doing something right, because in the introductory pages, the Roses tell you their story of how they started from just an idea to a now-booming business. The Peach Truck delivers the freshest, most perfect peaches straight from Georgia to cities all over the South and Midwest. If you've never had the pleasure of biting into a fresh Georgian peach (*raises hand*), their mission is to change your entire perspective on the fruit.

Given their access to such great peaches, it's no surprise that all 100 recipes in their book revolve around the almighty peach. I already knew that peaches are excellent in anything from pies to scones to salads. But they've thought of even more creative ways to use them, and I found myself bookmarking almost all the recipes. How about peach candied bacon or a peach-filled sticky bun for breakfast? Savory recipes include creative peach and sausage empanadas, peach gazpacho, and peach roasted chicken. There's even a section for drinks, because duh, all the best cocktails have peach inside. The peach milkshake sounds heavenly. By the time you get to their dessert section (fried peach pies, anyone?), you have a new appreciation for the humble fruit.

I absolutely loved that every recipe came with a gorgeous photo next to it. The design is simple and fresh, and the cookbook is well-organized. The cookbook itself is bursting with summer vibes and would make great coffee table reading in addition to earning a spot in your cookbook library, especially if you are savvy and freeze your fresh peaches for the rest of the year. I would definitely purchase this myself. Props to the Roses for turning their love of peaches into a thriving business and gracing us all with your personal recipes for peach nirvana.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Steak and cake--it's not only a fun rhyme, but it's also a legitimate menu plan. I can't think of anyone who would be upset coming over for dinner and finding out that the menu was steak and cake. Okay, maybe a vegetarian. Or someone watching their figure. But apparently when Elizabeth Karmel used to teach a cooking class called Steak and Cake, there was an overwhelming demand, and for good reason. Learning how to grill a steak and bake a cake are two essential skills in the kitchen. Not to mention, they're sure to make you popular with friends.

Where Elizabeth Karmel excels is taking this simple concept and spinning it into a number of different combinations with her culinary expertise and flair. She pairs a classic cowboy steak with whiskey butter with a whiskey buttermilk bundt cake. I can't think of a more perfect combination to celebrate the South. A very technique-driven prime New York strip steak roast cozies up to her chocolate layer cake (with cocoa-Frangelico frosting of course), because nothing in this book is your run-of-the-mill recipe. Her little twists on classic recipes really make this cookbook an interesting read and gives Elizabeth Karmel credibility as the patron saint of steaks and cakes.

As someone who bakes quite a bit, but is very much intimidated by steaks, this book served two purposes. 1) Acclimating me to the art of cooking big hunks of meat, whether that be on the grill, stove, or oven. And 2) introducing new and fun cake recipes for me to try! There's something for everyone here, both traditionalists and innovators, both bakers and big-meat fanatics. Not to mention, the photos are beautiful and make you inspired to cook.

While it's ultimately too niche of a concept for it to justify a spot on my cookbook shelf, I really enjoyed reading this, and it's sure to be a conversation starter no matter who you gift it to.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I think of Greek food, I think of the freshest ingredients prepared simply and humbly to create something greater than the sum of its parts. I think of my trip to Greece 6 years ago and the most amazing feta-stuffed cherry tomatoes, moussaka, and grilled octopus. I'm so glad I was granted an advance copy of Theo Michaels' book Orexi, because he truly captures the spirit of Greece in his new cookbook.

He is as authentically Greek as they come, as he suffuses that history and legacy into every page. From the very beginning, we learn about his childhood in Greece and the way his upbringing has influenced the way he views food and cooking. I have to add that his writing is some of the best I've read in a cookbook. I definitely appreciate when a cookbook author is as eloquent as he is inspirational in the kitchen, and the taste of writing I got in this book makes me want to read more of his cookbooks.

The recipes themselves sound delicious. He makes it clear from the start that they are a mixture of dishes he grew up eating and dishes he has picked up over the years. As a result, they are nice blend of the traditional and the modern. Some of the dishes I flagged to make immediately were Orzo, Roasted Tomato, and Feta Salad; Red Wine Marinated Pork with Coriander Seeds; Slow-Cooked Squid; and Prawns Baked in Feta and Tomato Sauce. Some of the recipes were things I remember enjoying in Greece--dishes like Filled Crispy Filo Rolls, and Courgette and Feta Fritters are a couple of examples.

Michaels is less focused on the classics and more focused on dishes that are special or have special meaning to him. There's no recipe for moussaka here, but there are lots of creative things to do with vegetables and many preparations of seafood that will challenge your skills. He even puts his spin on classics like baklava, providing a recipe for Smoked Chocolate Baklava. Most of the recipes are meant to be grilled up and shared with loved ones on a sunny summer's day. I love the way summer seems to leap off the pages here, and the bright photos and overall light color scheme of the cookbook help give off this vibe as well.

This is an excellent cookbook in every way. Excellent writing, creative inspiring recipes, beautiful photos (of every dish!), and an author with a lot of credibility. This ticks off all the boxes. If I had to give it any criticism, I would want it to be a bit longer, but I also realize that when you include a photo of every recipe, you sacrifice space in the rest of the cookbook. I would love to purchase this cookbook and add it to my shelf, and now I'm eager to read the rest of his cookbooks as well.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Doughnuts are having a huge renaissance right now. Boston itself has a number of bakeries selling $4 doughnuts to doughnut-crazed customers. I mean, they're dessert masquerading as breakfast. They're deep-fried. They're portable. They're endlessly customizable. It's no wonder they're so popular now.

However, I've never made my own doughnuts at home. My mom used to deep fry her own eggrolls, so I know firsthand how annoying it can be to fry at home. Not to mention, it's daunting to heat up a pot of oil to a temp that can sear your skin off, and what do you do with all that oil afterwards? I suspect this is also why so many people love doughnuts and are willing to pay $$ for them.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a cook and a baker, but I've never grilled or smoked before (and I'm certainly not counting my little cast-iron grill pan). There's something about it that's always intimidated me. That said, this book made me want to grill, and it especially made me want to get my own smoker asap. I had never heard of 12 Bones Smokehouse prior to getting the ARC for this cookbook, but their food certainly looks heavenly. Their claim to fame is their ribs, which President Obama was apparently a huge fan of. Well, if they're good enough for Barack, they're good enough for me.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read the original Southern Living Party Cookbook, but I have to say that Elizabeth Heiskell has done a fantastic job with this new updated version. From the cover to every picture-perfect table setting, the book is visually stunning and the recipes quintessentially Southern--but now with a little update. If this book is a snapshot of the work she does with her own parties, I want to be invited to her next one! She inspires you to be a better cook and a better hostess, and she all makes it sound so easy.

The book is split into little digestible sections with each section representing a different excuse for a party. While some of them are kind of flimsy excuses to feed people, I do admire the sentiment. I too like to host and will find every reason to get people together. Rather than divide the book by course, as cookbooks often do, each section provides its own menu, from hors d'oeuvres to mains to side dishes and dessert. I don't have a preference for any particular way of organizing recipes so I enjoyed this.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm excited by all the Instant Pot cookbooks coming out these days! As the proud owner of a new Instant Pot, it's been a delight to see all the dishes I can cook up in less time, and as someone who also loves baking, this book was definitely on my to-read list. While I've seen plenty of recipes for rice pudding and cheesecakes made in the Instant Pot, I was curious to see what other kinds of desserts would work well in a pressure cooker. It turns out there's a lot!

From coconut flan to s'more bread pudding to white chocolate macademia lava cakes to pineapple upside-down breakfast cake, the diversity of recipes here is impressive. They're creative, accessible, and sound delightfully decadent. It's definitely the kind of cookbook that inspires you to hop in the kitchen immediately. The photography is gorgeous. I mean look at that perfect cheesecake on the cover!

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We got an Instant Pot as a wedding gift, and since then, it's been fun to see what kinds of things we can cook up in it. While there are lots of internet recipes out there, the genre of Instant Pot cookbooks is still emerging. I've never visited This Old Gal's food blog, but I was excited to find a collection of recipes designed for the Instant Pot, and judging by her enthusiastic fan base online, this was sure to be a winner.

However, once I started flipping through the recipes, I was less impressed. The recipes are all comfort food, but after reading the book from start to finish, they all started sounding the same. For instance, she has multiple chili-like recipes and multiple meatball recipes, neither of which are things I cook often. There are a lot of recipes invoking classic American TV dinners, such as Salisbury steak, beef stroganoff, and pot roast. There are a lot of Asian-ish dinners, such as a thit nuong that isn't grilled, egg roll in a bowl, and orange pepper chicken.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I've never loved niche cookbooks, nor am I a person who loves cookie dough so much as to make it just to eat on its own. But this was a cookbook that I happily read cover to cover, and it actually made me excited to get into the kitchen to make my own edible cookie dough. If you can make homemade cookies, you can make your own edible cookie dough, which is basically just a blend of butter, flour, and sugar with various mix-ins. Olivia Hops teaches you how to make it the safe way, without butter and with heat-treated flour.

The recipes include classic flavors, such as chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, and birthday cake. Everything you'd expect a cookie dough bar to offer. But there are also intriguing and unusual flavors such as white chocolate chai, mango tajin, lemon cardamom, and strawberry coconut daiquiri. There's a flavor for even the pickiest person, but I honestly bookmarked all of them. After she goes through her cookie dough flavors, she even includes recipes that use her cookie dough, such as layer cakes with cookie dough filling, cookie dough truffles, and cookie dough stuffed between baked cookies.

Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who works full-time and comes home with the daunting task of having dinner ready with enough time to spend doing all the other things I want to do on a weeknight, I really felt like the author was speaking to me. She gets it. Life doesn't slow down just because you have people to feed. The premise of this book takes a little getting used to. Rather than teaching you how to cook many different meals, Elisabeth Bailey teaches you how to make many different sauces, which you can then apply to any "starter recipe" for a whole host of possible meals. For instance, her pineapple ginger sauce can be spooned over rice, chicken, shrimp, scallops, pork, or beef for any number of meal possibilities. Once that premise sinks in, you realize just how flexible and open it can be. Any meal can be whipped up with something as simple as a cooked chicken breast and a pre-made sauce that's been thawed out of the freezer.

Ms. Bailey begins by teaching you how to prepare some basics, such as a flour-dredged, pan-fried fish to simple roasted pork loin to pan-seared steak. Then come a parade of sauces, so many that my head was spinning with all the possibilities. There are classics, like sausage ragu, red wine sauce, and pesto. And then there are delightfully creative sauces, such as coconut lemon and green peppercorn and tomatillo avocado. There are recipes for each sauce accompanied by meal suggestions. A particularly smart idea incorporated in the book is "my family's favorite", which denotes the meal suggestion that best suits the sauce. For instance, there are 9 listed meal suggestions for spinach pesto, but the "my family's favorite" is to spread the unique pesto on pan-fried fish fillets and serve it alongside couscous and tomato salad. That sounds like a delicious meal to me, and I envy Elisabeth Bailey for how well her family must eat!

However, at times the meal suggestions seem to be not fully fleshed out. Spooning a sauce over rice and pairing it with something like squash doesn't sound like my idea of a complete meal. Neither does spooning sauces over baked potatoes, which is another meal suggestion that comes up quite frequently. Some of the meal suggestions are puzzling, such as pairing an Asian sauce with sides such as a green salad or sliced baguette.

The book itself is not lacking in recipes, and each sauce comes with a delightful little photograph of a wooden spoon cradling the sauce itself, which was a smart way to photograph something as unphotogenic as a sauce. There are also some photographs of complete meal suggestions, though these are much rarer. I found myself wishing for more of those photographs.

I have yet to try any of the recipes, though there are a number that I've bookmarked and will be trying out in time. This is definitely a book that inspires you to get into the kitchen and get cooking, even if you're short on time. I'm not sure if I would buy it myself, since I think I still prefer traditional recipes to this copy-and-paste approach to cooking, but it's a great idea, and I'm sure it will go over very well with many readers.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars