Alison Roman

If you like capers and anchovies then you’ll like the recipes in this book. As I do like these ingredients, many of the recipes looked worth trying. And while I liked the concept of this book – cooking “something” with very little ingredients (just what you happen to have on hand in your pantry, fridge, and freezer) – the best part about this book is the writing. Author Alison Roman has a comfortable, confident, and honest style of expressing herself that made this book show more entertaining and very readable. She anticipated what readers might worry about and was encouraging as she explained why a particular recipe would work out despite how it might seem. And her enthusiastic descriptions of flavors, colors, and what to serve with the dishes also saved this book from being a total loss. Why do I say this? Read the next paragraph.

But what really lowered my rating were the photos. Yes, there were color photos on almost every page to illustrate the recipes, but the majority of the food shots were taken in direct sunlight without fill light which made the images one-dimensional, shadowy, and unappetizing. Plus I wondered about the credentials of the food stylist, because many of the food shots were just brown food that wasn’t very appealing looking. The cover photo is a perfect example of the harshness of sunlight, too much contrast with shadows and half the image is too dark. And this is the cover!!

You might enjoy reading this if you find it at the library (like I did), and you could be inspired by how Alison incorporates various ingredients to put a new twist on something you are already familiar with (like I did). You might also discover some new-to-you recipes incorporating anchovies and capers. show less

Read this book twice. Once pre quarentine and with a new eye post quarantine. Even those like me who think they have enough cookbooks will find value in this cookbook. I love the fresh takes on salads ( crunchy, nuts, pickles)and dinners ( chicken with dates was great). I have already used several recipes and have more lined up. She also has a great friendly writing style.

Some of the vegetable and vegetarian dishes look incredible, I'm planning on trying them.

put it on hold list again; especially want to try the 'Do ahead' recipes