Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are things I love about this book and things I do not, but the positives so outweigh the negatives that I had to give it 5 stars. First, the good things, then the "eh" part... ++ the good ++ What I love is how complete the book is. It includes things that aren't often found in cookbooks, like how the brain perceives flavors and how to balance those perceived flavors to the max. Nothing gets too science-y, but there is just enough to deepen an understanding about the importance of understanding how flavors work together and how to build on that knowledge for maximum flavor benefit. The recipes are fairly easy, very doable, and really, really good. There are a few that seem like - why? - such as the Minimalist Wedge as if a classic Wedge isn't minimalist enough. (Unlike the classic Wedge, this one has a ranch-y dressing instead of blue cheese and is showered with garlic-y toasted panko crumbs instead of bacon - neither of which would fly with any classic Wedge-lover I know.) Even though that particular recipe is a miss, imo, it sort of illustrates what this book is all about - everything is just a little more or different than it initially might seem to be, and mostly successfully so. Within the recipes are QR codes that access videos on the author's site. The videos are thankfully only as long as they need to be and show cooking techniques that are much better learned by watching than by reading about. This is a really great aspect of this book. The pictures look as though they have had Instagram's retro-faded-look Nashville filter applied. There are photos of every recipe and my finished dishes have mostly looked liked the photos - possibly because of that filter? - but that's always a very satisfying event, whatever the reason. I've loved all of the recipes I've chosen to make so far (of course, I didn't choose to make any that didn't naturally appeal to me). Among those are: — Cold & Crunchy Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette - great flavor/texture combo — Caramelized Fennel with Parmy [sic] Frico - if you love fennel as I do, this is amazing. I find myself craving this dish every time I think about it. I've made this twice already — Jammy Pepps [sic] with Feta and Basil - the sweet/salty of this is so yummy — Smoked Trout Dip with Potato C's [sic] & Salmon Roe - no one could get enough of this — Roasted Salmon with Marinated Olives & Potato Chips - this is my favorite way to prepare salmon (owing to Samin Nosrat, tbh) and the chips add an element that my family thought was both hilarious and tasty — Strip Steaks au Poivre - haven't made this in forever and making it made me really sorry about missing out for so long Based on those forays, I just might cook my way through this whole book - something that I have almost, but not quite ever done with any other cookbook. -- the less good -- -- Serving suggestions for side dishes would have been great. It's so helpful when chefs include them, so I wish she had. -- The design of the book did not strike me as being ebook-friendly. The many spreads that are nothing more than big graphic type made me opt for the print version over the kindle one. -- Additionally, there is a feeling that the author is trying too hard to be hip or edgy or something and those instances can be pretty cringe. There are lots of shortened food words (as seen in the above recipe titles) and many mostly gratuitous swear words (although not as many as Thug Kitchen's). It's a shame since 98% of what the author writes is really quite engaging. -- The author writes as if the user of the book is already clued into her, her cooking style and her personal preferences, but I think this book is so good that it should have appeal far beyond her immediate fan base. The bottom line is that minuses are all pretty much stylistic and not related to the results gotten from the recipes, which far outweigh everything else. I highly recommend this book for the recipes and for learning how to be a better cook... but with the caveats mentioned above that I know some people will find more annoying than others .