I really enjoyed this book—beautifully written stories about family and personal history, gorgeous photography, and food that looks super delicious. II really enjoyed this book—beautifully written stories about family and personal history, gorgeous photography, and food that looks super delicious. I would love to spend more time with it, but someone else requested it and I had to send it back to the library! I think I’ll likely put it back on hold a time or two while I work up the courage to actually try making something from it....more
Soooooo…I just didn’t really find anything in here terribly interesting; not my style, I guess? I think I’m suuuuper sick of seeing things like sloppySoooooo…I just didn’t really find anything in here terribly interesting; not my style, I guess? I think I’m suuuuper sick of seeing things like sloppy joes, macaroni and cheese and buffalo wings in vegan cookbooks. I have never liked sloppy joes or buffalo wings, and have never had a vegan macaroni and cheese that actually tasted like macaroni and cheese, so I’ve pretty much given up even trying them at this point.
And this is extremely petty of me, but I was just weirdly distracted by all Jessica Seinfeld’s high-waisted jeans. There is not a single photo of her in the entire book where she isn’t wearing high-waisted jeans, and it makes me feel so uncomfortable! I hate clothing that touches my belly button, so just looking at all those high-waisted jeans made me squirm! I know, I’m a weirdo.
Also…I do not like Jerry Seinfeld and find him extremely obnoxious, and I just kept picturing his annoying face and hearing his annoying voice in my head while reading this. Sorry, Jessica Seinfeld! Your husband and your high-waisted jeans freak me out!
Ahem. Anyway, this one is just not for me. But if you love high-waisted jeans, Jerry Seinfeld, and sloppy joes, maybe it’s for you?...more
So, I have never really been a baker, and bread has always kind of scared me because it seems so labor intensive. But I’m at home a lot now, and we keSo, I have never really been a baker, and bread has always kind of scared me because it seems so labor intensive. But I’m at home a lot now, and we keep buying giant bags of flour at Costco and I keep getting super annoyed at grocery store bread that tastes like glue, so I looked up what bread is the easiest to make and got this cookbook as the result.
I am still not really a baker. Or at least, not really a good one. But thanks to this book I feel like I’m kind of getting the hang of it? The only problem is that the loaves the main recipe makes are pretty small, and I have a toddler who keeps coming to the counter demanding, “Bread. Bread. Bread” the second it comes out of the oven, so it never lasts us for more than a few days. But it is super easy, and is getting easier with practice, so I feel like maybe at some point I’ll be able to find the time/energy/inclination to make it more than once every two or three weeks?
Anyway, I feel like I’m getting close to mastering at least the basic recipe and will probably try one of the many variations pretty soon. I’ve never really been big on bread, but trying this has been fun and has actually made me appreciate it more. And it never tastes like glue, yay!...more
I’m…struggling with this one, but I feel like there are a few good things in here I might want to try, if I can get over my sour grapes about her liviI’m…struggling with this one, but I feel like there are a few good things in here I might want to try, if I can get over my sour grapes about her living in Hawaii on the beach and just having that whole lifestyle. She’s very clear that you can eat like this anywhere, but then every picture is SO Hawaii it feels like a lie! It definitely won’t feel the same eating outside in our treeless back yard in Texas in 100 degree heat as I’m sure it does eating at a dining table that is literally IN THE OCEAN in the shade of a palm tree.
I’m going to try to give it more of a chance, though. ...more
I picked this one up mainly out of curiosity; I’m not really looking to go completely any of these things (plant-based, gluten-free, refined sugar-freI picked this one up mainly out of curiosity; I’m not really looking to go completely any of these things (plant-based, gluten-free, refined sugar-free), but I’m always looking for new easy recipes that are healthy. But maaaan. This is a whole lifestyle. Like, so many baked goods that call for about 4 different kinds of flour each. Who has room to store all of that?
I guess if you’re really needing to change to this kind of diet, maybe this would be a good fit for you, but I found very few of the recipes interesting or appealing, and the few I did scared me off with the number of ingredients I would have to buy to be able to make them. We have a pretty well-stocked pantry, but I felt like practically nothing we already have on hand would work here....more
I enjoyed this and found Onwuachi’s story really compelling. I do wish there was more, but I hate reading other reviews where people just complain thaI enjoyed this and found Onwuachi’s story really compelling. I do wish there was more, but I hate reading other reviews where people just complain that nobody should be allowed to write a memoir until they’re over 30, as if nobody younger than that could ever possibly have anything interesting to say. I think Onwuachi definitely does, and I hope to hear more from him at some point down the line. ...more
I really enjoyed this one—fun stories, several recipes, good food and friends and family and travel... I always like Lucy Knisley’s stuff, but this isI really enjoyed this one—fun stories, several recipes, good food and friends and family and travel... I always like Lucy Knisley’s stuff, but this is one of my faves so far for sure....more
Very sweet story about a Taiwanese girl finding her place in a new country while still keeping her connection to her family and home. And the art workVery sweet story about a Taiwanese girl finding her place in a new country while still keeping her connection to her family and home. And the art works perfectly! I enjoyed this one a lot. I liked all the cooking especially, and how Cici and Miranda get to be friends and start to see each other’s strengths. It’s very nicely done!...more
Sorry, guys, I spent the weekend finishing reading all the cookbooks I've started over the last month so I don't get in trouble at work for keeping thSorry, guys, I spent the weekend finishing reading all the cookbooks I've started over the last month so I don't get in trouble at work for keeping them all out when there's a line for them--eek!
Okay, so I really liked a couple of Joe Yonan's other books, so I was very much looking forward to this one. And partly I really like this one too, just...not really to actually cook from. Pretty much at all.
So, to start with, I just really enjoy how Yonan talks about beans--it's clear that he really loves them and finds their history interesting and cares about eating them at their most delicious. And all that's pretty cool.
But the recipes! Are so long! And complicated! I love the idea of cooking dried beans all the time, I do, but in reality, I never manage to plan enough ahead to soak them overnight and then cook them for several hours on top of that. I get that they probably taste better that way. I just can't seem to figure out the timing of it. Have I mentioned that I'm real lazy? There's that, too. But Yonan makes it sound like it's a CRIME AGAINST BEANS to ever eat them out of a can or like, cook them in the Instant Pot. I mean, a couple times he's like, you can take that shortcut. If you feel good about it. Which, I don't know about you, but in my family, that was basically saying, you can do that, but we all know you're wrong and we will be over here judging you. Forever.
I would love to eat most of the things in this book, but only if someone else would put in all the time and make them for me. Because I feel like I can't make anything out of this book without being judged for taking the shortcut.
Also, I was kind of excited because I have ended up with a bunch of anasazi beans (okay, I bought them because they're cool looking and that's all) that I was hoping Joe Yonan would tell me what to do with. And he did not. They are mentioned twice, but only to say how long to cook them for and not what to actually use them for after that. So boo.
I did really enjoy reading about all the beans though!...more
Sooo...I'm mainly chalking this one up to not the book for me. I do try to eat healthy, and mostly vegan, but only mostly, and I found a lot of the reSooo...I'm mainly chalking this one up to not the book for me. I do try to eat healthy, and mostly vegan, but only mostly, and I found a lot of the recipes just too fussy or requiring ingredients I don't normally use. But more than than, I think I just have a different food style than Mansfield, so very few things actually sounded good to me. I will fully admit that I am weird though, so if you are into sweet things and breads (like most people seem to be), you will probably see it differently.
That said, I do really like that she has a whole section on things to make if you're just cooking for yourself, which is not so helpful for me these days, but would have been very welcome a year + ago, before a tiny human moved in with us and we began eating more as a family. And I did also like the Sweet Potato Pizza with Pesto Sauce recipe, so there's that!...more
Yeah, once again, this just didn't really work for me for the most part. I mean, there is a vegetarian section, but it's fairly small, and there were Yeah, once again, this just didn't really work for me for the most part. I mean, there is a vegetarian section, but it's fairly small, and there were really only two recipes in it that I was at all interested in. But one of them is a spinach and artichoke mac & cheese bake, which sounds amazing, so if it's super good and super easy I might just change my mind! ...more
Man, people love this book, and I feel like I've read others by Richa Hingle before and enjoyed them, but this one...did not work for me.
I found thatMan, people love this book, and I feel like I've read others by Richa Hingle before and enjoyed them, but this one...did not work for me.
I found that most of the recipes take longer than I prefer, though I do appreciate the breakdown of time for each one (prep time, active time, inactive time). But the big issue for me is the layout. There is SO MUCH TEXT on every page, it makes the recipes feel really overwhelming before you even start cooking anything. Most of the ingredient lists are long and broken up into two columns, and there's very little border around the edge of the page. I just...don't like to look at it. Which is probably dumb, but I really struggle to keep my place in recipes and this...is just too much for me. ...more
I liked getting the two authors' stories and I love their relationship. But I found very few of the recipes really appealed to me, and I'm also alwaysI liked getting the two authors' stories and I love their relationship. But I found very few of the recipes really appealed to me, and I'm also always kinda suspicious about claims that this spice or that fruit or whatever makes your heart healthy or protects you from cancer. Sure, an accumulation of those things as part of your normal diet can effect your health, but sometimes it sounds like a magic spell here. Eat this and you will be cured of all ills! I think it's probably a bit more complicated than that.
That said, McQuirter and her mom both do definitely have flawless skin and look much younger than they actually are, so......more
I really liked this one--especially the beginning, where Singh goes through each region covered in this book--North India, South India and Pakistan. II really liked this one--especially the beginning, where Singh goes through each region covered in this book--North India, South India and Pakistan. I loved the way he describes typical ingredients, why and how they are used, and the history of the types of dishes that are popular there. I've never really seen it done like this, and it just brought so much more depth to the recipes knowing all that background!
I'm super interested in trying a number of the vegetarian recipes, even though most of them are not as quick and easy as I normally prefer. But they look so good!
Sadly, someone else also wants to read this cookbook, and since our library only has one lone copy, I had to give it up. For now. But I definitely put it back on hold, so there!...more
This one...pretty much everything in it looks delicious and the food photography--mmm! That said, I feel like a lot of the recipes would be a bit muchThis one...pretty much everything in it looks delicious and the food photography--mmm! That said, I feel like a lot of the recipes would be a bit much for me to handle, but there are definitely a few that I'm planning to try, and I miiiight have to check this one out again at some point because it may just be that I'm feeling particularly lazy these days. ...more
Yeah, this one was...just okay. Nothing particularly new or interesting. The photography is fine. Not a whole lot of personality in the recipe intros Yeah, this one was...just okay. Nothing particularly new or interesting. The photography is fine. Not a whole lot of personality in the recipe intros or anything. I guess most of the recipes look easy, but I found it impossible to get excited or even mildly intrigued by any of them. I feel like this is a good bet if you're mostly interested in simple things that are easy to clean up, which is definitely an area that normally very much appeals to me, but I also like a little surprise in my recipes, maybe, and I did not find any of that here. It's probably great for someone just starting out with cooking though, like, maybe someone just out of school or something?
I'm going to put this one down to not my style. Or something....more
I definitely liked this one more than I did the previous Love & Lemons book, buuuuut I still have issues with the layout.
First off, the things I likeI definitely liked this one more than I did the previous Love & Lemons book, buuuuut I still have issues with the layout.
First off, the things I like:
For one thing, the photos in this one are super appealing and make me want to eat almost everything! And I also love the variations--four or five versions of something on one page? More of this, please! Most of the recipes included seem pretty easy, too, and having made a few things from the blog, I know they probably taste great as well.
BUT. Once again, I find the print version really difficult to cook from. The font is very small, and very light, and it's got that wall of text thing going on in the instructions. Like, why would you put the little intro text in bold so you can read that really easily, and have the actual recipe printed so light you can barely see it unless it's like a foot away from your face? Maybe I'm just old and my eyes suck, but I don't think it's that. It just feels like too much effort went into the prettiness of the design and not enough into the practicality of it, you know?
So. While I do really like the several Love & Recipes I've found online and made, I think the books could use improvement. But maybe it's just me?...more
This one...I've spent quite a bit of time with it, because I do find the flavor combinations appealing, and the photos are nice, and most of the recipThis one...I've spent quite a bit of time with it, because I do find the flavor combinations appealing, and the photos are nice, and most of the recipes seem very simple. And I really like how Slater includes additional ideas or ways to change things up for each recipe. That makes it feel very flexible, and like there's a ton of inspiration to be had. But at the same time...
Okay, so, I think part of what I don't love about it is the format. It's a nice compact size, which makes it easy to carry around with you, but pretty impossible to lay flat on the counter while cooking something out if, and then also the instructions are in paragraph form so it all just looks like a wall of text. And there's just a lot of it! So all of that makes it a little too overwhelming for me to actually focus on any one thing and find it practical to cook from.
And then also, even though the photography is nice, it's...also kind of boring. Everything is pictured from above and looking down on it from about the same distance, so there's just not a lot of variety to it. Everything kind of starts to look the same after awhile.
Still, there's something about it that makes me want to keep trying! Sadly, my time is up. But maybe I'll give it another shot someday....more
I like the idea behind this one, but found the book itself...ugh.
I think partly the recipes were just not really to my taste, but also some things juI like the idea behind this one, but found the book itself...ugh.
I think partly the recipes were just not really to my taste, but also some things just felt weirdly...expensive? Like, go buy a half pound of pine nuts and make them into pine nut butter that will only last in the fridge for two weeks? No thanks.
Also, I feel like the author toots her own horn a bit too much. I found her kind of off-putting. Just, a lot of the descriptions come across to me like, “You guys, listen to this—aren’t I a genius? Applause, applause!”
So, in summary, good idea, but for me, too annoying and too impractical. I suggest Start Simple by Lukas Volger for a similar concept....more
Okay, this one kind of made me drool a little. The recipes are definitely a little intimidating to me, but all the pierogis (Ruskie, with Sauerkraut, Okay, this one kind of made me drool a little. The recipes are definitely a little intimidating to me, but all the pierogis (Ruskie, with Sauerkraut, Mushrooms and Candied Orange Zest, with Buckwheat, Bryndza and Mint, with Spinach, Goat Cheese and Salted Almonds, with Lentils and Dried Tomatoes, with Plums and Cinnamon-Honey Butter, Blueberry with Honeyed Sour Cream, with Prunes, Orange and Walnuts)! I could eat these pierogis for dayyyyyys. And how could I not be intrigued by all the really interesting soups (Tomato-Apple with "Poured" Noodles, Dill Pickle Soup with Buttered Potatoes, Creamy Sauerkraut, Almond Soup with Floating Clouds)???
Also, does anyone else think Michał Korkosz looks like Harry Potter?
I just like the way he talks about food and family and meals and celebrations and cheese. And I'm mad that someone else wants to check this book out because I don't feel quite done with it yet. So I'm just gonna have to put it on hold and get it back from them again! It'll be another battle like I had over Catch-22 that one time. Only way tastier. ___________ Welp, got it back again, and am about to lose it again, and I still haven't made anything out of it because...I'm lazy? But this book is very aspirational for me--I just keep coming back to it and wanting to make stuff out of it, if only I could get the timing and the grocery shopping down. I even want to make a bunch of the breads, and I'm...not really a big bread fan! Guess I'll just keep putting it on hold until everyone else gives up and I can keep it for long enough to actually do something with it!
I should also just go ahead and rate it 5 stars, cuz...I can't stop....more
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