Review: How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea

Title: How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea Series: Standalone Author: Ari Kolender Publish Date: April 1, 2025 Publisher: Artisan Books Genre: Cookbook Age: 16+ Started Reading: March 11, 2025 Finished Reading: March 13, 2025 NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

James Beard award nominee and owner of LA's popular Found Oyster and Queen St. restaurants brilliantly demystifies the art of cooking fish and shellfish with 100 straightforward and delicious dishes for every seafood from cod to salmon, crab, oysters, scallops, and even tinned and frozen fish.

You don’t need to be an experienced chef to make delicious fish and shellfish. Cooking great seafood is all about simplicity and confidence, and this book gives readers the techniques to make sure their seafood always shines. Organized by cooking method, there are chapters on grilling, baking, broiling, frying, and more. Chef Ari Kolender worked at the country’s best seafood restaurants before opening his beloved spot Found Oyster in Los Angeles. Now, in his first book, Kolender teaches readers versatile, fool-proof techniques for serving up fish and shellfish every possible way. With an emphasis on sustainability, How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea offers 100 recipes for everything from Clam Chowder and Fried Cod Sandwiches to Two Bean Squid Salad and Low Country Fish Stew. Kolender takes the intimidation out of cooking fish and shellfish. He shows why crudos, ceviches, and aguachiles are some of the easiest seafood dishes to prepare at home, and he explains how to bake fish and veggies in paper packets for the gentlest way to cook seafood. Readers will learn the ultimate grilling method to make Grilled Mackerel and Miso Barbeque Shrimp, or they can recreate the magic of a seafood shack with chicken-fried and beer battered seafood. A larder chapter features a whole world of accompaniments for seafood, including Red Yuzu Mayo and Pickled Green Tomato Tartar Sauce, plus a Seafood Primer walks readers through how to select, store, and clean the seafood they bring home. Whether seafood newbie or fanatic, How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea will change the way readers think about seafood and guide them through techniques to unlock the dynamic flavors of fish and shellfish.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars

A fantastic resource for those looking to add more seafood to their diet. This book has an amazing variety of recipes to keep things from getting boring, while also giving you the information to get you well on your way to being a seafood pro. The book starts off with a lot of info on different ingredients that you get from the sea, including not only fish, shellfish, bivalves, but goes into seaweed and roe as well. There are instructions on what to look for when purchasing, and what ingredients are better fresh, canned, or frozen, and what the best way to store or prepare them are. The book is split up into type of preparation, and each section has a good variety of recipes using different types of seafood. Through the book are tips and instructions for difficult parts of preparation, like preparing a lobster or crab, many recipes also have substitution suggestions. This book isn't just for those who live near ports and can get fish fresh from the boat, it has a lot of information and recipes for using frozen, salt, canned, or smoked fish, allowing it to become a resource for anyone to enjoy seafood in their diet. I read this ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: An excellent book to inspire you to include more seafood in your diet.

Review: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World

Title: The Vegetarian Reset: 75 Low-Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Vasudha Viswanath
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 17, 2025
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All Ages
Started Reading: January 16, 2025
Finished Reading: January 17, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

The Vegetarian Reset celebrates a lifestyle where a foodie sensibility intersects with healthy eating. It solves the never-ending dilemma that all plant-based eaters Is life fun when you eat salad every day, or is it worth it to let your health take a backseat to enjoy a big bowl of rice or pasta without enough protein?

In her debut cookbook, Vasudha Viswanath takes readers on a little trip around the world, drawing inspiration from an array of traditional and global cuisines that are rich in whole foods like vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. Seasonal vibrant recipes are moderately low-carb and put vegetables front and center , while also being gluten-free ! Learn to bake healthy bread from scratch, make paella out of cauliflower rice, transform paneer into gnocchi, and sweeten brownies with dates! Whether you already follow a low-carb lifestyle or simply want to add more healthy dishes into your rotation, The Vegetarian Reset will delight and inspire vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike to eat well, fully nourish, and reset your body.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

While I am not Vegetarian (and likely never will be) I do want to increase the amount of veggies in my diet. I decided to check out The Vegetarian Reset to see if I could find some new options to add into my personal rotation. I don't know that I could get my kids and hubby onto some of these recipes, but they'd be perfect for me. I really enjoyed the variety of vegetables used, and the effort to move away from just salads and smoothies. Tying in various cultural dishes from around the world gave a fun chance to branch out from the norm. I loved that most of the dishes were gluten free, this made things much easier for me as someone with Celiac Disease as I didn't have to worry about converting. The fact there are options for vegan alterations as well allows easy accommodations for when my vegan relatives come over. My only, mild, issue was how often pasta and rice seemed to be villainized. The substitution of cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles was fine, and it was mentioned that you can just use rice or pasta, but it felt a bit heavy handed on not using grains and starches in any of the dishes. Definitely a book I'll be adding to my shelf, and meals I'll be adding to my menu. I read this digital ebook through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A wonderful variety of recipes from different cuisines to liven up your dinner table.

Review: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home

Title: Kawaii Café Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Y

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes include:

• Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry Soup
• Chicken Meatball Ramen
• Teriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus Ramen
• California Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and Cucumber
• Spicy Tofu Ramen
• Crispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts

With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A very cute and inspiring cookbook with a wonderful variety of recipes. 

Review: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes

Title: Easy Meal Prep: Save Time and Eat Healthy with over 75 Recipes
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Erin Romeo
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: December 13, 2024
Finished Reading: December 15, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes 

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Conquer your healthy eating plan while saving time and money!

In Easy Meal Prep, nutrition coach and meal prep expert Erin Romeo, the Food Prep Princess (@foodprepprincess on Instagram), guides you through the essentials of meal prep, a key component to any diet—whether you’re high-protein, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, or just trying to eat healthy. This highly accessible guide includes:

• How to prep a week’s worth of meals in a few hours
• Over 75 healthy and delicious recipes
• How to meal-prep in 5 easy steps
• 5 meal-prep plans to get you started
• Tips and tricks for food planning

So, skip the takeout and never be at a loss for a healthy meal again with this essential guide to easy meal prep.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 3 Stars (It was ok)

I will start off by saying that this book is not what I expected it to be. If you are looking for a book that is mostly recipes, with some diet plans, and a small intro to the method of meal prep, this book is for you. I, being a busy mom of 2, was looking for a more in depth book on meal prepping and easy to make meals without lists of 'approved foods' and diet plans. While the book does claim to reduce your prepping/cooking/cleaning time down to just 2 hours or so per week, it also means that the majority of your meals are eaten as reheated leftovers. While I appreciated the inclusion of a gluten free option, as someone who lives with Celiac Disease, it seemed much more geared to those who were eating that way by choice, rather than necessity. I did not try the recipes, or get much past the merely 4-5 pages of instructions in the introduction, as I personally found my current collection of family favourite recipes were sufficient for my needs. I read this digital book through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A healthy eating/diet book with a good selection of recipes if that’s what you’re looking for.

  

Review: Friday Night Cocktails

 

Title: Friday Night Cocktails: 52 Drinks to Welcome Your Weekend
Series: Stand Alone
Author: AJ Dean
Illustrator: N/A
Publish Date: Nov 7, 2023
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Genre: Cookbook
Age: 19+
Started Reading: December 2, 2024
Finished Reading: December 12, 2024
NetGalley?: Yes

  

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Friday Night Cocktails invites readers to welcome their weekend with open arms... and a Negroni Sbagliato.

"With its elegant photographs and gleaming, gilt-letter packaging, Friday Night Cocktails is a crowd-pleasing guide for those who raise their glasses to the weekend." – Foreword Reviews

Friday Night Cocktails is for anyone interested in a well-made, non-fussy, homemade mixed drink. The 52 cocktails (plus numerous variations) are made with common ingredients that readers can easily keep on-hand. Including old stand-bys (e.g., Gin & Tonic) as well as new takes on the standards (e.g., Blood Orange Margarita), the book’s message is “Try something new, but be mindful of the tried-and-true.”

With 50+ stunning images, Friday Night Cocktails closes the door on the week and welcomes the weekend. And what better way to do that than with a chilled cocktail? 

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (We really enjoyed it)

This book is exactly what it says. Drink recipes for the whole year, split into seasons. The variety is wonderful, and the fact that every drink has a variation gives a 2 for 1 feel. The preface gives a nice history of the cocktail, as well as an equipment list and explanation. A number of specialty ingredients have recipes or tips found within the book.

The photography is lovely, and all of the drinks pictured look amazing.

My husband and I tried the Hot Toddy, Espresso Martini, Cranberry Mule (virgin and full blast), Hot Buttered Rum, Irish Coffee, Lemon Drop, Gin and Tonic (a classic), and Mojito. (Not all in one night, it was December, there were holiday parties). We found the recipes easy to follow and all turned out nicely.

The downside is that the ingredients list is extensive. To make all of the drinks in the book does require some investment. There are a number of fancier drinks that use very specific liqueurs or flavoured bitters that may be difficult to find. Some are given substitutes, but some are not.

Definitely a book to check out if you'd like to up your cocktail game, or just learn how to make some of the classics.

I read this book as a free digital offering through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: A fantastic set of recipes that may require some initial investment to your bar.

 

Review: Kawaii Cafe Ramen

Title: Kawaii Cafe Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Illustrator: Amy Kimoto-Kahn
Publish Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: Rock Point
Genre: Cookbook
Age: All
Started Reading: January 2, 2025
Finished Reading: January 6, 2025
NetGalley?: Yes

Book Summary from Goodreads:

Satisfy your ramen cravings at home (and affordably)!  Kawaii Café  Ramen includes over 60 easy-to-follow recipes, beautifully illustrated in a fun anime style.

Kawaii Café Ramen covers everything you need to know, including how to put together a bowl of piping hot ramen in a myriad of ways with a choice of four soup bases, ramen noodles (homemade or store-bought), and traditional and non-traditional ingredients. Enjoy bowls of pork, chicken, and beef ramen, or branch out with seafood, vegetarian, and spicy soups—and even cold ramen and a breakfast version topped with bacon and a poached egg. Make your soup base in advance and you have a quick, easy, and special midweek family meal.

Each accompanied by exciting anime-style illustrations, the recipes

Indonesian Pork Ramen with Coconut Curry SoupChicken Meatball RamenTeriyaki Beef–Wrapped Asparagus RamenCalifornia Ramen with Crabmeat, Avocado, and CucumberSpicy Tofu RamenCrispy Greens Ramen with Swiss Chard, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts
With yummy recipes, down-to-earth writing, and a delightful design, Kawaii Café Ramen is the ultimate guide to this global phenomenon.

My Two Cents:

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars (I really liked it)

I'm going to start this off by saying, I love ramen! I've been a huge fan of it since the early 2000's when I'd first moved out and had a little restaurant that made 'real' ramen just down the street. Then I got Celiac Disease and sadly went about with whatever I could make at home by myself with various rice noodles, but it was never the same. This book has upped my game! While I'm still stuck with the rice noodles, now I can bring the good soup bases and toppings home and have something much closer to the real deal! The recipes are clear and the language used around everything is optimistic and very encouraging. The shining star of this book, I think, is the section on side dishes. This is what elevates this book from being a one trick pony to a fantastic resource. The illustrations are very cute, but I would have liked to see a couple of pictures to show what to expect of the actual finished product. I will be using this book a lot in the future. I read this digital advanced copy through NetGalley.

To Sum Up: Lots of really great, easy to follow recipes, could use a real photo or two for the finished products.