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Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files: A Cookbook Hardcover – November 15, 2022
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Deb Perelman is the author of two best-selling cookbooks; one of the internet's most successful food bloggers; the creator of a homegrown brand with more than a million Instagram followers; and the self-taught cook with the tiny kitchen who obsessively tests her recipes to make sure that no bowls are wasted and that the results are always worth the effort.
Here, in her third book, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: New Classics for Your Forever Files, Perelman gives us 100 recipes (including a few favorites from her site) that aim to make shopping easier, preparation more practical and enjoyable, and food more reliably delicious for the home cook.
What's a keeper?
- a full-crunch cucumber salad you'll want to make over and over again for lunch
- a tomato and corn cobbler that tastes like summer sunshine
- an epic deep-dish broccoli cheddar quiche that even quiche skeptics love
- a slow-roasted chicken on a bed of unapologetically schmaltzy croutons
- a butterscotched apple crisp that will ruin you for all others
- perfect spaghetti and meatballs, better than ever
- Deb's ultimate pound cake, one to redeem all the sleepy ones you've eaten over the years
These are the fail-safe, satisfying recipes you’ll rely on for years to come—from Perelman’s forever files to yours.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherKnopf
- Publication dateNovember 15, 2022
- Dimensions8.36 x 0.96 x 9.47 inches
- ISBN-100593318781
- ISBN-13978-0593318782
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From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
A BON APPETIT BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
"Deb Perelman has gained a devoted following with her blog, Smitten Kitchen, where she shares rigorously tested recipes written with warmth and wit. For her third book, Perelman collects 100 “keepers,” recipes that are guaranteed to be hits whether you’re making it the first or 50th time—recipes like slow-roasted chicken on schmaltzy croutons, perfect spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate peanut butter cup cookies." --Forbes' Vetted (The Best Cookbooks Publishing in 2022)
"In an industry that often hypes what's new, it’s refreshing to see equal attention paid to the familiar. If there’s one person to rely on for tried-and-tested recipes, it’s Deb Perelman, who has been running her blog, Smitten Kitchen, for 16 years. The essence of her latest cookbook is about repetition—recipes that she’s made time and time again, each time with a new improvement, so that they may make their way into your forever files. This collection features those almost-perfect dishes, peppered with Perelman’s inviting energy." --Jessica Sulima, Thrillist
"For her third cookbook, Perelman has taken the wisdom she has accumulated in the 16 years since she created Smitten Kitchen and funneled it into “keepers,” i.e., recipes deserving of a place in her “forever files” and yours. That means, for example, a towering broccoli cheddar quiche baked in a springform pan, deli pickle potato salad that makes smart use of both pickles and brine, and chocolate peanut butter cup cookies that I can personally attest merit the “keeper” designation. Perelman, as is her wont, employs her trademark warmth and humor as she shepherds you from breakfast to dessert and beyond, making this both a fun and practical read." --Rebecca Flint Marx, Eater
"Recipes become regulars when they're fast, reliable, and deliciously worth the effort. In her third book, Smitten Kitchen founder Deb Perelman offers 100 recipes for oft-requested favorites like a fuss-free lemon poppy seed cake and “an epic quiche” sure to become some of the last you'll ever need to learn." --Jacqueline Raposo, Epicurious
"Keeper recipes should bring chefs joy, writes Smitten Kitchen blogger Perelman (Smitten Kitchen Everyday) in this fuss-free collection that aims to make “food more reliably delicious.” Those on offer here cover a range of options, from weeknight fare to more elaborate offerings, and easily earn their place in home cooks’ “forever” files. Salad options pack some surprises, as in a deli pickle potato salad that can be kept in the fridge for up to four days. Filling, meat-centric dinners include cabbage and kielbasa with rye croutons, roasted lemon chicken wings, and turkey meatloaf, which is topped off with a glaze of ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Perelman excels at tricking out vegetables to create such appetizing dishes as charred salt and vinegar cabbage with butter and garlic, and a spiced winter squash soup with red onion crisp. The desserts are standouts, among them brownielike chocolate peanut butter cup cookies, thick molasses spice cookies, brown butter carrot cake, and crumb pie bars...Perelman’s mastery of culinary magic is evident on every page, and the recipes are clearly the work of someone who knows what she is doing in the kitchen. Practical and versatile, this is a boon to home cooks." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Every cookbook creator makes a dish again and again so that we don't have to, and Perelman ( Smitten Kitchen Every Day, 2017) just seems to have more fun doing so. With us strangers in mind...she shares recipes that withstand the most important test: folks will actually want to make and eat them over and over. For breakfast, a bodega-style fried-egg sandwich can be yours in three minutes, and a salad-topped frittata cooks entirely in the oven. Vegetables get their own chapters, organized by size...Meat dishes are balanced and homey, like a skillet-chicken parmesan that promises crispiness and sauciness and fail-safe, 10-ingredient pulled pork. Repeat-worthy cookies and unfussy cakes fill out the sweets chapter before Perelman invites readers to host more parties with a tight edit of crowd-pleasing drinks (alcoholic and non) and snacks. There's a reason readers are still smitten, and this ode to "Weeknight Greatness" confirms it." --Annie Bostrom, Booklist (starred review)
"In her third cookbook, Perelman returns with a gathering of the best versions of her key dishes—recipes that she has tested, trialed, and tweaked until they became what she wants her kids and readers to learn by heart and cook with delight...The book is a joy to read, with Perelman’s confiding, cheering voice showcased in short prefaces and recipe notes. She writes as if she were dashing off a recipe on a napkin for her best friend, while at the same time telling them what to do to really make it work. It is pure pleasure. The book covers breakfasts (which Perelman says are good at any time of day), salads, soups, vegetables, meats, sweets, and even a few drinks. Vegetarians and gluten-free eaters will find plenty of options and can adapt many of the other recipes...Essential for all collections. The cookbook, like the recipes it shares, is a keeper." --Neal Wyatt, Library Journal (starred review)
"Given Perelman’s dedication to recipe testing and her fuss-free mentality, it’s no surprise that many consider her latest book her best. Perelman has also solidified herself as the ultimate “keeper” with Smitten Kitchen Keepers." --Georgia Johnson, Good Times
Praise for Deb Perelman and Smitten Kitchen
“Smitten Kitchen is not just a food blog: it is the food blog.” --The New Yorker
“This is the kind of book you could easily cook out of for a month straight without tiring of it . . . And really, that’s the Smitten Kitchen magic: recipes that are ingeniously creative but so accessible that they leave you thinking, ‘Why the hell didn’t I think of that?’” --Eater
“No one delivers recipes inspired by equal parts curiosity and appetite quite like Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman.” --Epicurious
“A tremendously appealing collection of recipes whose headnotes strike chord after rousing chord.” --Food52
“A joy to read . . . Prepare to be seduced.” --Los Angeles Times
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
makes 9 biscuits plus 1 snack
2¼ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons (4 grams) kosher salt
A few grinds of black pepper
Heaped ¼ teaspoon onion powder
12 tablespoons (170 grams, or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, diced
4 ounces (115 grams) sharp cheddar, cut into ¼-inch cubes (heaped ¾ cup)
¾ cup (180 grams) sour cream
Flaky salt, to finish
This is the kind of biscuit you might make once on a whim, but should you make the “mistake,” as I did, of sharing it with family, friends, or perhaps an entire pre-kindergarten classroom, do know that it will not be the last time you make them—because puddles of crispy cheddar cheese you can pick off in salty, lacy chiplike flakes make an impression on people. Initially, I’d intended to add spinach (just a handful of fresh leaves, chopped harmlessly small) for more of a breakfast-in-one-heartycube effect, yet, strangely, nobody in the four-year-old set seemed pleased with this when I offered to do so next time. Having tested it both ways many times since, I’ve realized they’re not wrong.
If you, like me, love an accordion-like biscuit, with layers that spring tall, begging to be pulled apart in small, buttery squares, then the quarterthen-stack technique here (which I first learned from the wonderful Claire Saffitz) is so gloriously simple, you won’t want to make breakfast biscuits another way. With no fancy folds or turns, and not even a rolling pin required, this has not-really-a-morning-person, aka me, written all over it.
Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Add the butter to the bowl, and use your fingers or a pastry blender to squash the pieces into flatter bits, pinching and tossing until the mixture has tiny clumps throughout. Stir in the cheddar, then the sour cream. (The mixture will seem crumbly, but it will come together, I promise.)
Flour your counter, and dump the dough and any unmixed floury bits onto it, kneading it once or twice to bring it together. Pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick square. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into quarters; then stack the quarters. Repeat this process, patting the dough into a thick square a second time, re-flouring the counter if needed, and stuffing any loose scraps of dough between the layers.
Transfer the dough slab to the prepared baking sheet, and pat it into a ¾-inch-tall square. Place the tray in the freezer and keep it there for 7 to 10 minutes, until it’s cool and semi-firm to the touch. Remove from the freezer. Use a sharp knife to trim ¼ inch from each side, and squish these pieces into a bonus biscuit you do not need to tell anyone about. Cut the newly trimmed large square into nine approximately 2-inch-square biscuits, and space them out on the sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt. (If you’d like to bake them another day, freeze them at this point. Let them warm up at room temperature for 15 minutes—they will not fully defrost—before baking.)
Bake the biscuits for 16 to 19 minutes, until they are deep golden brown at the edges and some cheese is melted in crisp puddles around the edges. Eat right away.
chicken with rice, chorizo, and tomatoes
serves 4
2 to 2¼ pounds (about 1 kilogram) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 or 5)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons (40 grams) olive oil, divided
4 ounces (115 grams) cured Spanish chorizo, diced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (sweet or hot)
¼ cup (60 grams) white wine, or 2 tablespoons (30 grams) white-wine vinegar
One 14.5-ounce can (410 grams) diced or crushed tomatoes, or 1¾ cups diced fresh tomatoes
1½ cups (250 grams) uncooked white rice, any variety
2 cups (475 grams) chicken broth
This is one of my family’s favorite dinners, and it’s the absolutely coziest, while also feeling like a triumph, in that way that one-pan meals do. There’s tender, almost-falling-apart chicken thighs, chorizo, tomato, a little smoky heat, and broth-soaked crispy-bottomed rice, and I have never, not even once, suggested we have it for dinner and been turned down. It started as a distant cousin to an arroz con pollo, but it’s also a tiny bit paella, and tiny bit Basque chicken—but it’s absolutely none of these accurately in the end. Pared down in a pandemic kitchen, this dish turned out to be about what we reliably had around. It’s forgiving of swaps, but cured chorizo is my favorite here, because it infuses everything with an inky red oil, and it keeps longer than either bacon or pancetta in the fridge.
I come from a long line of home cooks who cannot make rice without burning it (rice nights meant a pot soaking in the sink until morning), but here we’re trying to turn shortcomings into an asset. The rice shouldn’t be burned, of course, but cranking up the heat at the end and moving the pan around the burner gives it an intentional crust. These chewy and crunchy caramelized bits at the bottom steal the show.
If there are leftovers, I use a fork to separate the chicken from the bones, nestle it in the rice, and heat it up the next day in the microwave for the least sad work-lunch ever.
Prep the chicken: Spread the chicken thighs on a plate, and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan (it should hold 3 to 4 quarts and have a lid) over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Brown the chicken on both sides—it takes about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, 3 to 4 minutes on the second. Transfer it to a plate.
Cook the chorizo and rice: If the pan looks dry, warm the last tablespoon olive oil in it. Otherwise, just add the chorizo, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s beginning to crisp. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and cook until it’s almost all reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes plus 2 teaspoons salt. If they’re fresh, cook for 5 minutes, until they begin to lose their shape and look a little saucy; this may happen 1 to 2 minutes sooner with canned tomatoes. Add the rice, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes in the tomatoes and spices. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, including any juices that collected on the plate. Pour in the broth, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer, and cover the pan. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
(If your rice is undercooked, add ¼ cup water and cook for another 5 minutes.)
To get the rice crispy: With the lid on the pan, increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, moving the pan around every minute or so, allowing the bottom to color evenly, until the rice is dark and crispy underneath. You’ll hear it crackling in the pan. Remove it from the heat, and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. The steam that collects helps it to loosen.
Serve the chicken with the rice, scraping up stuck bits from the pan with a thin spatula.
thick molasses spice cookies
makes 22 to 24 cookies
2⅓ cups (305 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ cup (12 tablespoons, 6 ounces, or 170 grams) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
½ cup (150 grams) molasses (see note)
⅔ cup (145 grams) packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons (45 grams) finely chopped crystallized ginger
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated or turbinado sugar, for rolling
note You can use either unsulphured or blackstrap molasses here; I’ve tested it with both. If you can’t get molasses where you are, use treacle. As for the egg yolk, I tested this recipe several times with a whole egg and with just a yolk and vastly prefer the yolk-only version: it’s less crunchy and better holds the pillowy shape that I like in a molasses cookie.
These cookies are my winter obsession. I had been on the hunt for a thick, soft-but-not-too cakey, deeply spiced, and a little kicky dark-molasses cookie for as long as I could remember. I tried dozens over the years, but none were exactly right. Over the pandemic winter that left us devoid of parties and all the usual holiday cheer, I decided that I would at least get this one perfect. (I also ran my local store out of molasses and ground ginger, and begged my friends to swing by so I could fling samples off the balcony down to them—don’t worry, we’re not high up—because we were, at one point, blockaded by cookies.) Do you know what it’s like for your apartment to smell like a gingerbread house blew up in it every day for the whole month of December? It was, despite the larger circumstances, a very good time, and at the end, I had these: my forever molasses cookies, and soon, perhaps, yours, too.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until fully mixed. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, yolk, and candied ginger. Whisk these together in the center a couple times (until the egg yolk is dispersed); then switch to a spoon or rubber spatula to continue mixing. The dough will be very thick!
Scoop the dough into balls—I either use a medium cookie scoop (1½ tablespoons) or take just shy of 2 tablespoons of dough for each. Roll each in your hands briefly to shape it into a ball, then into the granulated or turbinado sugar for coating.
Space the cookies evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet (they barely spread), and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. You want what looks like a quite underbaked cookie. It will feel totally soft on top; you will be sure it’s raw. But if you lift a cookie, you’ll see that it’s one shade darker underneath. They’re done. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies set as they cool. If you cut into one in the first 15 minutes, you’ll yell, “Deb! These are raw in the middle! How could you?” But after that, you will have a more cookielike, perfect texture—crisp outside and tender inside.
do ahead You can chill the dough in the fridge for an hour or even several days before baking it, but let it warm up a bit at room temperature before scooping (trust me, I broke two cookie scoops learning this the hard way). Store the cookies in an airtight container to retain their softness. They keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, but their texture is best in the first week.
Product details
- Publisher : Knopf (November 15, 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593318781
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593318782
- Item Weight : 2.4 pounds
- Dimensions : 8.36 x 0.96 x 9.47 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #11,309 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Soul Food Cooking, Food & Wine
- #18 in Vegetable Cooking (Books)
- #43 in Cooking for One or Two
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Deb Perelman is a self-taught home cook, photographer, and the creator of smittenkitchen.com. She is the author of three New York Times bestselling cookbooks including The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which won the IACP Julia Child Award. Deb lives in New York City with her husband and two of the cutest kids she's ever met.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the recipes delicious and easy to follow with clear directions. They appreciate the delightful writing style and visual cues provided by the photos. Readers find the ingredients attainable and easy to find. The cookbook is considered a real bargain and worth buying. Customers are satisfied with the results, saying the food tastes great and turns out perfect.
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Customers enjoy the recipes in the book. They find them delicious, easy, and creative. The desserts are especially appreciated. Readers appreciate the full-color photos for each recipe.
"What I look for in a cookbook: Photos for every recipe, attainable ingredients, detailed instructions that make the recipe seem achievable...." Read more
"...The potatoes had just the right amount of ranch flavor. We couldn't stop eating them while waiting for the meatloaf to finish cooking...." Read more
"...So many cozy, delicious, easy recipes. And honorable mention for the best chicken and dumpling soup I have ever made...." Read more
"...fit a similar pattern for being easy-to-make yet having a high deliciousness factor - a pattern which perfectly fits into the low-effort-high-reward..." Read more
Customers find the recipes easy to follow with clear directions and reasonable results. The author provides helpful explanations for unfamiliar ingredients and steps, making the recipes manageable and enjoyable.
"...a cookbook: Photos for every recipe, attainable ingredients, detailed instructions that make the recipe seem achievable...." Read more
"...'s food cake with salted milk chocolate frosting, and it was very easy to make! The cake is light and moist as well...." Read more
"...then on, every recipe I've made has fit a similar pattern for being easy-to-make yet having a high deliciousness factor - a pattern which perfectly..." Read more
"This book is so good. It’s full of approachable, delicious recipes. The dessert section is unreal...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find the author engaging, funny, and an inventive cook. The book is described as thoughtful, with delightful presentations, photos, descriptions, and a savoring of every page. Readers appreciate the author's thoughtfulness and considerability, as well as the straightforward recipes and good results.
"...I love Deb's style and her writing is fun. I'd highly recommend this wonderful book full of great recipes." Read more
"...into this book - there are so many recipes and she is an excellent writer. Will be gifting to the other cooks in my life." Read more
"...She is wise and talented. Everything is approachable and sensible, very good results...." Read more
"...I love that she is obviously really thoughtful and considerate about how many dishes you're going to use, what your kitchen is going to look like..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's photos. They find the pictures amazing, with full-color photos for each step. The book provides visual cues and time cues for each step.
"...Deb provide visual cues and time cues for doneness of each step, and this is absolutely key...." Read more
"...I love that is has pictures to see the end result. Be patient and take your time. Enjoy cooking !!!" Read more
"...Love it. Great pictures throughout and excellent recipes." Read more
"...delightful presentations, photos, descriptions...all great!..." Read more
Customers find the recipes easy to follow with attainable ingredients and detailed instructions. The book includes photos and personal anecdotes, making it enjoyable to read. Readers appreciate the rich flavors and the variety of vegetables included in the recipes.
"What I look for in a cookbook: Photos for every recipe, attainable ingredients, detailed instructions that make the recipe seem achievable...." Read more
"...and each one has been a hit: relatively easy, simple steps, ingredients I have on hand, and delicious results...." Read more
"...this week and I have been savoring every page, every story, every ingredient, every step...." Read more
"...She doesn't use weird, hard to find ingredients and her anecdotes are a happy read. I will continue to buy all of her books." Read more
Customers find the cookbook offers good value for money. They say it's worth buying, a real bargain, and an excellent book.
"...I’m happy to report that Smitten Kitchen Keepers was absolutely worth the wait...." Read more
"...I don't think I'd make, but all the rest are definitely well worth the price of the book. I love Deb's style and her writing is fun...." Read more
"...She is wise and talented. Everything is approachable and sensible, very good results...." Read more
"...Each one turned out exactly as pictured. This cookbook is absolutely worth buying and you may never need to buy another one." Read more
Customers find the recipes easy to follow and producing satisfying results. The photographs are beautiful.
"...Everything is approachable and sensible, very good results. I really like this cookbook, and I have a ton so it's a good recommendation." Read more
"...: relatively easy, simple steps, ingredients I have on hand, and delicious results...." Read more
"...and through way that makes every recipe seem simple and the results are always a success...." Read more
"...Deb Perlman’s recipes are always trustworthy and yield wonderful, satisfying results. The photographs are gorgeous...." Read more
Customers appreciate the clear and simple hints in the book. They find the author's explanations helpful and assuring, anticipating their concerns and providing useful tips for reducing waste. The book is described as useful, thoughtful, and fun.
"...no moment of panic because Deb has anticipated it and is there to assuage your worries. She wants you to succeed!..." Read more
"...has a great voice, and a great palate, and she’s excellent at explaining things in a clear way...." Read more
"What I love most about Deb, the author, is that she anticipates my every thought or question...." Read more
"...This book is beautiful, useful, thoughtful and fun...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2023What I look for in a cookbook: Photos for every recipe, attainable ingredients, detailed instructions that make the recipe seem achievable. Deb nails all three.
I have already made several recipes out of this book, and all have been a success (turkey meatloaf for skeptics and ranch-y crushed potatoes [DIVINE, one of my favorite meals I’ve ever eaten]; chicken with chorizo, tomatoes, and rice; chicken parmesan; salted milk chocolate cake [this is THE BEST CAKE I HAVE EVER MADE and I bake a lot!]; green angel hair pasta; fettuccine with white ragu).
Not only were they successes, but there was no moment of panic where I thought perhaps something had gone horribly awry, and this is thanks to Deb’s clear and helpful instructions. I’ve made many, many of Deb’s recipes from her website and other cookbooks, and one place where Deb really shines is in her recipe testing.
Deb will often provide multiple options for each recipe: maybe you want to use a food processor instead of a blender. Maybe you want to make part of the recipes ahead of time. Deb somehow anticipates these questions and answers them thoroughly. You can tell each recipe has been tested dozens of times over.
Recipes will include assurances such as, “Don’t worry if it looks like X, that is normal.” These little details make all the difference and give confidence to see the recipe through. There is no moment of panic because Deb has anticipated it and is there to assuage your worries. She wants you to succeed! This differs from other recipes I have followed where there isn’t as much guidance as I would have liked. Deb provide visual cues and time cues for doneness of each step, and this is absolutely key. I always feel confident going into a new recipe from Deb, and I feel confident recommending her recipes to others too.
In summary, Deb is an absolute icon, is incredibly thorough with her recipes, and has never led me astray. I discovered Deb in my early 20s; quite frankly, she taught me how to cook. I am a self-proclaimed Debhead. I will come back to her recipes time and time again because they are foolproof and yet sensational. I never ever write reviews for books, but I feel I owe it to Deb for how much joy she has brought me over the years. Thank you, Deb! I will buy every cookbook you write.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022Super excited to get the 3rd Smitten Kitchen book to add to our cookbook collection! I love Smitten Kitchen recipes, and I really appreciate her streamlining her process and making things simpler, ie one bowl recipes.
My husband and I made the turkey meatloaf and smashed ranch-y potatoes. The meatloaf did take us longer then the prescribed 30-35 minutes. Not sure if it was how we shaped it, but ours took closer to 50 minutes. I don't think we're huge meatloaf people, so I can't say the recipe was bad. But it was tasty. The potatoes really stole the show though. My husband did add double the amount of garlic. The potatoes had just the right amount of ranch flavor. We couldn't stop eating them while waiting for the meatloaf to finish cooking.
I've also made the big crumb pie bar with mostly apples and 2 pears I had lying around. I did a cinnamon/ginger spice mixture. It has been my favorite baked good from the book so far. It was just fantastic. The apples had just the right texture, not mushy but not a hard snap to them. The base layer is quite thick, but that was a welcome surprise for us.
I enjoyed the devil's food cake with salted milk chocolate frosting, and it was very easy to make! The cake is light and moist as well. I made the carrot cake and liked it, but it didn't particularly stand out to me. (Note: definitely line your loaf pan with parchment paper when making this).
Like she writes, the oatmeal date shortbread cookies are so so addicting. I didn't realize how much I would love them, but they really are good. Buttery and tasty. I also made the blueberry pancakes cobbler. Such a fantastic idea and really easy to make on a Saturday morning. The blueberries get melty and become almost like a compote with a simple lemony flavor to them.
I made the walnut Brittle chocolate chip cookies today. I made 4 at first to test them and make sure the temp of my oven was okay. I did let them sit a minute longer then the 12 minutes the recipe states. Definitely pull them out at 10-12 minutes. Although they're still somewhat soft, they vecame too firm for my liking with the crunchy Brittle. I baked the rest at just under 12 minutes, and they were much better texture wise.
I can't wait to keep making more from this book! The raspberry crostata is calling my name
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Cookbook to any collectionSuper excited to get the 3rd Smitten Kitchen book to add to our cookbook collection! I love Smitten Kitchen recipes, and I really appreciate her streamlining her process and making things simpler, ie one bowl recipes.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2022
My husband and I made the turkey meatloaf and smashed ranch-y potatoes. The meatloaf did take us longer then the prescribed 30-35 minutes. Not sure if it was how we shaped it, but ours took closer to 50 minutes. I don't think we're huge meatloaf people, so I can't say the recipe was bad. But it was tasty. The potatoes really stole the show though. My husband did add double the amount of garlic. The potatoes had just the right amount of ranch flavor. We couldn't stop eating them while waiting for the meatloaf to finish cooking.
I've also made the big crumb pie bar with mostly apples and 2 pears I had lying around. I did a cinnamon/ginger spice mixture. It has been my favorite baked good from the book so far. It was just fantastic. The apples had just the right texture, not mushy but not a hard snap to them. The base layer is quite thick, but that was a welcome surprise for us.
I enjoyed the devil's food cake with salted milk chocolate frosting, and it was very easy to make! The cake is light and moist as well. I made the carrot cake and liked it, but it didn't particularly stand out to me. (Note: definitely line your loaf pan with parchment paper when making this).
Like she writes, the oatmeal date shortbread cookies are so so addicting. I didn't realize how much I would love them, but they really are good. Buttery and tasty. I also made the blueberry pancakes cobbler. Such a fantastic idea and really easy to make on a Saturday morning. The blueberries get melty and become almost like a compote with a simple lemony flavor to them.
I made the walnut Brittle chocolate chip cookies today. I made 4 at first to test them and make sure the temp of my oven was okay. I did let them sit a minute longer then the 12 minutes the recipe states. Definitely pull them out at 10-12 minutes. Although they're still somewhat soft, they vecame too firm for my liking with the crunchy Brittle. I baked the rest at just under 12 minutes, and they were much better texture wise.
I can't wait to keep making more from this book! The raspberry crostata is calling my name
Images in this review - Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024I cook ~5 nights per week. This is my favorite cookbook for autumn and winter. So many cozy, delicious, easy recipes. And honorable mention for the best chicken and dumpling soup I have ever made. My family (including extended relatives) requested it make an appearance for Christmas dinner - it’s that good. I’ve made so many of these recipes on a monthly basis. They really are “keepers.”
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Germany on September 16, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great!!
Like everything from Deb Perelman, it is absolutely fantastic!
- TaxiDriverReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward and fabulous.
Like Deb's previous cookbooks, love it. Straightforward delicious recipes although not all quickies.
Impressed by the Green Pasta Sauce as I don't like cooked spinach. Much prefer it raw in salads, so this is a great sauce which doesn't taste "spinach-y", it's one of the quickies in the book, it's an enjoyable meat-free meal for a meat eater like me and a vitamin boost as well! It's going in my recipe "bible" along with the Spaghetti & Meatballs and Slumped Frittata. I've gone right off frittata so don't make it these days, but thought I'd give this a go. Quick, light and tasty - not sure I'd call it a frittata. It's in the breakfast chapter but I served it with fried potatoes for a light tea. Even my other half said it was delicious and he is not a frittata man.
- MalouReviewed in France on December 13, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite
SK cookbook so far. The Salt and Vinegar Cabbage is a game changer, I don't think that I will ever cook this vegetable another way ...
- LizReviewed in Australia on January 7, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Run don’t walk!
Deb does it again. Hilarious, approachable, and you can bet your bottom dollar every recipe is tested in her home kitchen to within an inch of its life. She’s holding your hand. She’s cheering you on. If you have kids, she’s got you.
- Denisa RatulovskaReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing !
Beautiful cookbook.Love Deb Perelman and Smitten kitchen for many years ! Can’t wait to start cooking from this book .