Practical, inventive, reliable, and fun. What more do you want from a weeknight cookbook? We've been known to be somewhat contrary here. When the first Smitten Kitchen cookbook came out in 2012, its origin in an incredibly popular food blogs made us overlook the book for a few weeks. Until Matt cooked from it, choosing a couple of recipes that he was sure made no sense. On the basis of cole slaw alone he was converted to a true believer in Deb Perelman's approach. What's that approach? A love of good food that allows for borrowing ideas from one great food to improve another. For instance, breakfast biscuits topped like an everything bagel. A Cobb-style salad dressed with the ginger-carrot dressing that is ubiquitous in casual Japanese restaurants; Caramelized cabbage risotto inspired by one of Marcella Hazan's soups. And oh boy, can she bake! Take the plunge with the olive oil shortbread with rosemary and chocolate chunks (great for those occasions when you need a non-dairy dessert). Win a bake sale with gooey oat bars. Or slip an easy, elegant surprise on the table with a fluffy rice pudding topped with a spicy cherry sauce. Can you tell we like this? Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.
