My sister raves about this cookbook, but I find ...
591568
My sister raves about this cookbook, but I find the recipes just "okay." I probably wouldn't cook them if they were not so healthy.
520291
I collect cookbooks -- I can never have too many and often buy local cookbooks as vacation souvenirs. However, I only actually use a small percentage of the cookbooks I own because it's really hard to write practical, useful cookbooks with recipes that work and that people would use in real life.  This book is one of those that I'm happy to own but will rarely, maybe never, really use.  Wonderful, intriguing recipes but many impractical ones.  So, I'm not sorry I have it but it's not going in the to regular rotation of "cookbooks that get used".
4152655
I have been happy so far. I used it so much that many of the pages are spattered with various indian spices and mustard and olive oil.

Recipes have come out great especially the veggie dishes. Some of the recipes did not seem hot enough. I like my food dangerous so I usually triple the amount of cayenne. I have found that cooking is an art unto itself so it takes lots of pratice whether you follow a cookbook or not.
42985
Ella Woodward is a whiz at marketing. Her cookbooks look amazing and she writes in a super enthusiastic way that makes every recipe sound both easy and delicious. For that reason, it's a very inspirational recipe book but I have to say that there weren't a huge number of recipes that appealed to me in it. She does tend to use the same ingredients again and again: cashews, miso, maple syrup...they all feel a little repetitive.

I think her books are good if you are a single person or maybe a couple. They don't really deliver on the family recipe front. There are very few recipes here that my 12 and 15 year old sons would eat and the ones that they would eat tend to be variations on things we already make eg spaghetti carbonara, tomato pasta, veggie paella. But if you're looking for ideas for healthy breakfasts and lunches on the go, this is a terrific source. Her salads in particular have some terrific flavours.

Specifically, I have a couple of complaints. Firstly, she tends to under-explain recipes which as a less than confident cook I find annoying. For example, her Pasta Arrabbiata recipe says "put the dried oregano, thyme, chilli and garlic into a frying pan with the olive oil. Let these cook while you cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters". Call me old fashioned, but I prefer recipes that use words like "low heat" or "keep moving in the pan" or "soften slightly". I don't like cookbooks that assume that I know what I'm doing, because I often don't!

Secondly, her ingredients are not infrequently either hard to locate (vanilla powder? baobab powder?) or FREAKING EXPENSIVE when you do. For example, her recipe for Chocolate Caramel Slices looks pretty yummy but I will not be making it because to produce 16 pieces I need to use a whopping 950g (2 lb) of medjool dates! That's more than the cost of the recipe book and it's only for ONE of the ingredients!
2007748
Reading through other reviews, it makes me smile that people are dinging the cookbook for not including EVERY SINGLE RECIPE *gasp* from the TV show.  Geesk, some of the reviewers seem as uptight as the authors.  Luckily I hardly ever see the show and am able to enjoy the cookbook as a cookbook.

I love this cookbook.

It has some great recipes and I have enjoyed cooking from it.  The results have been consistently great.  My greatest complaint might be the over the top attention to perfection of its authors.  Easily remedied by skipping through the beginning monologues on the process in finding a "perfect" verstion of whichever recipe they are introducing.  Who cares?  The recipes in this book are yummy and almost without exception delicious.
4154582
...I find the recipes confusing because she includes side dish ingredients in the list of ingredients (so I have to check what actually goes in the main dish as opposed to the side dishes if I don't happen to be thrilled with a preset menu).  The dishes I have made have been good but the book loses points with me for ease of use.
1657228
The Instant Pot is incredible! My executive objection is they don't have a cookbook close in the same class as their rivals. I bought the contenders cookbook, however, it isn't so much that simple to change over being as the other maker has sittings, not on this one ought to have this cookbook long time back
3966142
Weve had this cookbook for about 3 years now, and its stature and use in our kitchen has only grown over time.  I felt disappointed with this cookbook when I first got it.  The subtitled reads 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes, so when I looked through it and found that a substantial number of those 200 were sauces, marinades, or other condiments, I felt like Id been a little cheated or something.

I was also initially bothered to see that most of the recipes are comprised of short ingredient lists and only 2-3 steps.  I thought this meant that the recipes would be boring or unimpressive.  On this account, though, my worries were misplaced.  Almost without exception, the recipes in this book are great.  The actual level of fire varies wildly, so if you're like me and really like the spice, you may have to turn up the heat on some.  But everything is tasty, and theres a great variety of recipes of all types here, organized by geographical region.  And that simplicity that bothered me at first?  Thats actually what has made this book such a staple in our kitchen, especially on busy weeknights when a complicated or time-consuming dinner is just not going to do it.  It also makes this a great cookbook for beginning vegetarians, who are still trying to feel their way around what they can do without meat.

My biggest complaints have to do with nutrition and serving size.  The book, like many others, provides no nutritional information on recipes, which is frustrating for those who are calorie-, carb-, or protein-conscious.  That said, the recipes actually tend to be pretty healthful.  More frustrating is the vagueness on serving size.  Sometimes a recipe only says "serves 4 to 6," which is unclear and hard to work with when cooking for company. Other times, it's specific and reads "serves 4" - but then you make it and its actually 8 huge, filling servings worth of food.  This is annoying, especially in our house where we are always either cooking only for 2 - and want to be able to adjust recipes accordingly - or else are cooking for large dinner parties, and want to be sure to have the right amount of food for everyone.

My complaints are small, though, in comparison with the use this book gets in our household.  Great food, usually easy to make, and generally pretty healthy with minimal-to-no alteration.  VFS is now a favorite in our kitchen.
3533636
This cookbook is beautiful with lovely pictures; however, the recipes may be foolproof, but many are quite involved in preparation and/or in ingredients required. I bought it for my newly engaged granddaughter to help her with learning to cook. She probably needed a more basic cookbook.
405019
Firstly, Ellie Krieger just makes me want to hug her. I swear she comes off as one of the most genuine and sweet people, like you know she truly cares that you are eating good and delicious foods. Her recipes are straight forward and easy, with a good mix of different cuisines and preparations. Unfortunately, not many of them appealed to me enough to try and make them. Admittedly, I'm not one for "healthy" eating (I was gifted this book), but I didn't walk away from this cookbook with more than a handful of recipes to try, and only a few that I think I will attempt again.

I'm sure someone who is more focused on healthy eating would really get a lot of use out of this book, but it simply wasn't for me.
3348283
I enjoy the authors blog and I am always looking for dishes that work for families.  The system she has set up is logical and it does help if you plan a freezer cooking day.  However, if you plan on making a dish for dinner and freezing some, plan to double the recipe.  I also found most of the recipes contain lots of meat and cheese and not a lot of flavor.  Maybe it's my family, but I tend to take her spice suggestions as a base and add on from there or increase the amount given.  For example- I love the pumpkin flax seed bread, but tripled the amount of flaxseed in it and doubled the pumpkin so it would taste like pumpkin bread.  I also love the red lentil dal and tahini patties, but in both of those I double or triple the amounts given so I have enough to freeze for several meals.  I mean, why go through all that work if you just get one meal out of it?  Some recipes I thought were blech, but I think it is again, personal taste.  My family hated the broccoli gratin, but then again we barely put dressing on any veggies much less cheese so I think my kids weren't used to having a cheesy veg.  I could see other families liking it.  I agree with other reviews that I was disappointed in the number of recipes that were for marinades, sauces, etc...I was looking for more meals and the lack of photos does hurt the book.  However, I have seen others in the "Not Your Mothers..." Category and I think the lack of photos was more a publishers decision than anything else.

In summary, check out Jessica Fisher's blog for the occasional inspiration or reference, but I'm not sure I would buy the book if I did it over again.
1902685
I love this cookbook!!! Her recipes are just like my Grandmother used to make. Unfortunately all of our family recipes are not written down. So whenever I am unsure of how to make something I check with Elodia!
915966
I love Angela and her recipes!! I've been a reader of the Oh She Glows blog for years. I was just really disappointed that my cookbook had a printing error, and some pages were printed twice, and some pages were missing. I'm not really sure how I can get this problem fixed, but I really want those missing pages!!
3251724
Sometimes looking at a cookbook, I feel I have to be a culinary expert just to be able to understand and execute the simplest recipe. When I picked up Six Sisters' STUFF, I was delighted to find not only yummy recipes, but practical and easy instructions even a novice cook like me can follow.

The recipes aren't complicated and use canned and packaged ingredients. That way more time is spend with the family than in the kitchen cooking. However, if you want to go into more detail, many of the recipes also include instructions for ingredients made from scratch rather than a box or can. Though simple in preparation, the recipes are packed with great taste and easy to prepare for families on the go.

The cookbook is divided into three sections: Recipes, Crafts, And So Much More. In the Recipe section the categories are broken into Main Dishes, Slow Cooker, Sides, Salads, Breads and Desserts.

The Slow Cooker section has recipes for everything from Melt-in-Your-Mouth Slow Cooker Pot Roast to Slow Cooker Hot Fudge Brownies. Having only used the slow cooker for roast, beans and soup, I decided to try the Creamy Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops and Potatoes recipe. It was simple, easy and best of all - tender and delicious. Even the clean up wasn't bad. I'm looking forward to trying the brownies next.

Woven among the recipes are fun and inexpensive crafts ideas, as well as helpful hints and tips. The crafts include such things as an Easy Monster Sock Puppet to a neat Ultimate Kid Wash that will have grownups wanting to play. The hints and tips feature such items as a spring cleaning checklist, fun family activities and even 50 fun date ideas for the adults.

Six Sisters' STUFF would make an ideal gift for a bride, a nice housewarming gift or a fun surprise for anyone who enjoys cooking. The fact that it is compiled by six sisters (Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra) gives it an extra appeal to me. This debut cookbook evolved from the sisters' blog that began in February 2011. Living in different parts of the country, the sisters used the blog to stay in touch, share ideas and express their love to cook, craft and create.

This is a fun cookbook filled with almost 100 delicious recipes designed to give families more time together at the table. The recipes are easy and nutritious. The extra crafts and more are designed with creating family fun in mind.

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of the Six Sisters' Tour and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
2580712
Ina's books are so beautifully illustrated. The recipes are wonderful my family and friends enjoy everything that I have prepared.  The Chinese Chicken Salad was good but the dressing called for an 1/2 cup of peanut butter, and 4 teaspoons of kosher salt.  When making this dressing, do not include the extra salt because peanut butter is salty enough without adding more to it.  I just thought that the salt content was too much. Other than that, bon appetit!
732339
I think this would be a good cookbook if I was cooking for an entire family, not just two people (one being a preschooler). I haven't quite mastered the art of reducing these recipes mostly because I end up with way too much puree and nothing to use it on. It would also help if I had a larger (or second) freezer. I use the book as a guideline to find ways to add veggies to meals, but will probably gift this to another mom that may be able to use it better.
3235051
I love her book "The Modern Menu" because of its recipe organization and beautiful pictures. I cooked most of the recipes from her first book and all ended in delicious meals. However, "The New Kosher cookbook" was a little disappointing because of the organization of the recipes; I preferred how her other book was organized. Anyway, her recipes are yummy in this book as well. I am looking forward to another book like the first one the author published.