Cook As You Are

October 1, 2022
Tandoh wants to bring inclusivity to our kitchens and dinner tables. "No two people cook alike," she writes, scoffing at the limited, one-size-fits-all world of aspirational cooking and the ways it can render home cooks insecure. Great British Bake Off finalist Tandoh eschews a traditional index of dishes in favor of grouping recipes by mood, seen in chapters with names like ""Feed Me Now,"" ""More Food, Less Work,"" ""For the Love Of It,"" and ""Wild Appetites."" If devotees of traditional cookbooks at first feel lost, they'll likely gain by challenging themselves to turn the page: dishes like carrot, lemon and tahini soup; whatever-you've-got fried rice; and gnocchi with harissa butter and broccoli accommodate many diets, brim with flavor and the excitement of taking risks, and encourage playfulness in the kitchen. Sinae Park's playful illustrations depict people (across a spectrum of genders, body shapes, and skin tones) cooking and eating. While readers who like to see photographs of finished dishes may be frustrated, the bright, colorful images underscore Tandoh's message of trusting--and being--ourselves in the kitchen.

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October 17, 2022
What is good cooking? Sometimes it’s “just whatever fills you up,” according to this accessible, photo-free collection from Tandoh (Eat Up!: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want), a 2013 Great British Baking Show finalist. More than 100 recipes will help cooks who are short on time to get food on the table, including lightning-quick asparagus and chili linguine that is ready in less than 30 minutes. The chapter “Feed Me Now” focuses on self-contained dinners for those who don’t have the energy or kitchen space to whip up elaborate meals and includes nourishing offerings such as pearl couscous with anchovies, tomatoes, and olives. In “More Food, Less Work,” low-effort selections include bok choy with ginger and clementine, and pea green soup. Home cooks with a well-stocked pantry will appreciate dishes that rely on pantry staples, among them baked semolina with mushroom and mozzarella, and whatever-you’ve-got fried rice. On the sweet end, there are brownies, lemon mochi squares, and a decadent midnight chocolate tart with coconut and sea salt. For those seeking a no-fuss guide to feeding loved ones and themselves, this is a winner.

November 1, 2022

Readers met Tandoh (Crumb: A Baking Book) as a finalist on The Great British Bake Off but have since gotten to know her as a food writer and cookbook author. Her latest is designed for people who are looking to get in the kitchen but lack the skill, time, or purpose to do so. Recipes are mainly veggie and measure success based on taste and smell, rather than plating. Supporting that, illustrations are warm and inviting and stand in lieu of photography to relieve the pressure of what food should look like. Each chapter includes a reading list to let cooks further explore cookery techniques and gain inspiration. Tandoh concludes with recipe-by-recipe instructions for make-ahead meals and offers storage tips as well. There is also a handy recipe grouping that highlights various attributes from cheap to speedy dishes. Fans of Tandoh's responsive approach to food and cooking will rejoice, as will new, and burned out, home cooks. VERDICT Perfect for those looking to rekindle their relationship with cooking via simple, low-pressure, and taste-focused recipes.--Sarah Tansley

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