Wednesday, July 29, 2015

cookbook critique: date night in

this post seems long overdue.
it's finally time that i actually admit that i'm obsessed with this cookbook 
(if you couldn't tell from my raving recipe reviews here, here, and here).

so i'd like to present to you my very first cookbook critique!

first up: date night in
by the crazy talented ashley rodriguez
who also write the blog not without salt


cookbooks are a dime a dozen. if you've browsed the shelves at your local bookstore you 
know there is a cookbook for everything. pasta, veggies, cocktails, low-carb, 30 minute meals, 
asian-inspired, the list goes on and on. and while most good cookbooks have a theme of 
some kind (in my opinion), not many do it as well as 'date night in'. 

the concept is this: entire meals planned for your next date night in... appetizer, cocktail, 
main dish, side dish and dessert made for two. the book is divided into seasons - fall, winter, 
spring and summer, and has full evenings planned. like 'somewhere in italy', 'by the fire', 
'dinner and a movie', and 'a winter BBQ'. each one of them with unique and inspired recipes, 
with tips for how to make things ahead of time.

i think i've made over 80% of the recipes in this book and haven't been disappointed once. 
that tells you everything right there. here are the pros and cons (in my opinion):

pros:
beautiful pictures
easy instructions
start to finish meal ideas (from cocktails through dessert)
95% of the recipes serve 2 people (which is great for young couples or empty nesters)
nothing lacks in depth or flavor
great everyday food (not too simple, not too sophisticated)
standard ingredients

cons:
definitely full fat, full flavor dishes (nothing healthy about this book!)
hard if you're looking for one specific thing (like a veggie dish) as everything is organized by full meal, not by course

my rating: 10 out of 10
(which is setting the bar pretty dang high!)

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