Customer Reviews

Minimalist Cooking - 27 Practical Recipes

5 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
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I read this book when Meg first released it.

To confess, I've never been much of a cook. I had no real clue about how to fix good food simply.

I read this ebook cover to cover and could not wait to try the recipes. They were simple to understand and used ingredients that I actually had in my cupboard. Oh my they were heavenly!

This has become my go-to cookbook. If I'm fixing a meal now it either comes from this book or was inspired by it.

If you don't know much about cooking or don't even know what you need to stock a kitchen, get this book. It is an essential. You will save money and eat better.

My kid actually LIKES my food now, so consider these recipes "kid-approved."

I like the author's thinking and what she says about moving away from gourmet cooking that requires elaborate equipment and exotic ingredients and exhausts the cook. My own cooking has evolved to more simple "peasant" food, love that we're all heading the same way. But there wasn't a single recipe in this book that I wanted to try. They're all way too 50's Betty Crocker for my taste (or health) with dated recipes like carrot salad and unhealthy ingredients like canned foods and sausages. Gave up scanning them when I saw the recipe for 2 bean salad, with canned beans and the author's suggestion that you could throw in a can of tuna at the end. Yuck.

This might be good for beginner cooks, since it has simple recipes and any food prepared at home is healthier and more economical than eating out.

Kindle formatting issue-there is a table of contents but you can't access it by clicking menu, then go to. You have to go back to the cover and scroll a few pages to find it. Cookbooks need an easily accessible table of contents.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has started to live a more minimalist lifestyle and shares how she has translated this into the kitchen. Cutting back on kitchen gadgets and just enjoying the process of cooking. Just what I needed to read.

Keep them coming!

Meg has a wonderful minimalist philosophy when it comes to cooking: it's not about fancy equipment and exotic ingredients, but rather the nourishment and sharing of simple, well-prepared meals. She goes back to the basics, breaking down the book into four categories--Bread, Vegetables/Sides, Main Courses, and Desserts--and detailing a number of recipes in each. She simplifies things even further by encouraging you to learn one recipe in each section well, and expand your culinary repertoire from there.

The 27 recipes provide a little something for everyone: vegetarians, meat eaters, fish eaters, and those with a sweet tooth. Furthermore, her encouraging tone, helpful tips, and mouth-watering photographs instill you with enthusiasm and confidence, no matter what your skill level in the kitchen. Some of my favorites: her no-knead baguettes, veggie lasagne, and baked cod with lemon (mmm!).

What I love most about the book (besides the gorgeous photos) is Meg's Zen-like approach to cooking. She advocates taking your time, and paying close attention to the process: savoring the textures and aromas, and being completely present in the moment. Her approach transforms cooking from a chore (having to get dinner on the table) to a celebration of the food that sustains us.

I didn't adequately appreciate this book when I first read it - it took reading through a few of the other cookbooks that I've downloaded to realize that this one really stands out.

The minimalist approach seems obvious on one level, but I hadn't articulated it to myself. I read this and found myself nodding in agreement with many of the points, and have begun implementing an approach more consistent with this mindset.

I have no problems with the recipes - they are basic and simple, and *none* of them call for "cream of X" or packaged dry seasoning mixes. I cook with "real" ingredients as much as possible but I don't have an objection to using canned beans at all and I'm not sure why a previous reviewer would call them "unhealthy." (Of course, I also like sausage, so perhaps I'm just an unhealthy person.) I cook my own beans when I can, but I keep canned on hand in my pantry.

I did try the bread and it turned out just fine - a bit heavier than I like, but I have found that to be true of "no-knead" versions. I haven't tried the flatbread yet, but I plan to.

The book is easy to read and I found the appearance to be fine. The text was largely free of errors, typographical or otherwise. I did spot a misspelling of broccoli in the title of the salad recipe.

I love Wolfe's blog and her other two books, so I had to get her cookbook even though, truth be told, I am not much of a cook and don't usually buy cookbooks. However, I am trying to eat more "real food" and eat at home more, so I thought this would be worth a try. This is great for someone like me because it has basic recipes and not so many that it's overwhelming. Plus, the emphasis on a minimalist kitchen is helpful.