Deb Perelman

I like to putter in the kitchen. I also like to putter on the computer. And thus, I found the Smitten Kitchen blog. It has been a favorite place to visit since the early days of the blog. Deb's perspective on life, small NYC kitchens, motherhood, and above all good food prepared with good ingredients is wonderful. Even though I've read the blog for years, and cooked many a meal either based on or inspired by one of her posts, and had many of her recipes in my overflowing file and cooking show more repertoire, and even though we're giving away, selling, donating possessions by the gazillion, when this book came out, I HAD to buy it. The recipes are great, the photographs gorgeous. It is a good book for the inexperienced cook to learn to branch out, and a good book from the experienced cook to cull new ideas and inspirations. Thank you, Deb. Here's to many more years of eating, reading, cooking, and delight. show less

Deb Perelman has written the kind of cookbook not written by a foodie or a professional chef, but the kind of cookbook that you buy from the local United Methodist Women organization. That’s no criticism; my favorite cookbook of all time is the 1990 edition. These are recipes created by real cooks for real families, usually without hard-to-get ingredients or fancy kitchen tools. I use these recipes frequently and remember my friends who submitted the recipes — some, sadly, deceased — show more and relive our friendship with each recipe.

Whether oven-baked Cinnamon Toast French Toast, Broccoli Slaw, Slow-Cooker Black Bean Ragout, Maya’s Sweet and Sour Holiday Brisket and Roasted Fingerling and Carrot Coins, or Chocolate Silk Pie, these are all recipes that you’ll be comfortable making and find delicious. Years from now, I’ll remember Deb with fondness. (Don’t worry. She’s much younger and likely to outlive us all.) Recommended. show less

Anyone who follows the Smitten Kitchen website knows that Deb Perelman is a lovely character, an engaging cook, a great photographer, and a bit obsessive, all of which comes across in this, her first cookbook. One of the things about her that is really endearing is that she is so very open about her mistakes and errors and that she is so honest about what can go wrong - makes at least me feel not quite so foolish when my bakes go awry. I also feel very comforted when I see the size of her show more kitchen - if she can cook in her mini New York kitchen, I can cook in my tiny space as well. I love that most of her recipes have come about because she ate something at a restaurant that didn't taste the way she had hoped - it takes some imagination to create in reality what exists inside your head. Unfortunately (for me), Ms. Perelman's palate and mine are not very similar when it comes to savory foods, but her bakes contain some of my all-time favorites. show less

I wouldn't ordinarily review a cookbook on goodreads, since generally they're collections of ingredients and instructions, and what really matters is how well the recipes work. But this cookbook is so beautifully put together that I had to acknowledge it. Because yes, the recipes are fabulous--full of vegetables, not fussy but fancy enough for a dinner party, with recipes that will satisfy omnivores to vegans. And every single recipe I've tried has turned out fabulously. All this would be show more enough to recommend it, but each recipe also has gorgeous color photos and a few paragraphs from Perelman, describing how she came up with the dish and why she likes it so much. It combines to be so enticing that every time I open this book, I end up actually cooking something. Coming from someone like me, whose usual dinner is Trader Joes chili and cookies, that's a real sign of success! show less