Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I’m 30 by age but 75 in my soul and this book appeals to both the 30 year old gay man and 75 year old woman named Muffy in me. I generally do not like young food writers and their “burn it all down!” mentality. I worship at the altar of 1980s ‘Gourmet’. I want fussy. I want fancy. But at the core I most love to cook because I love to gather people and feed them. This book does that. It is an exciting new wave, not a daunting and disrespectful one. The recipes are simple but they are revelatory. She champions the most underrated, cheap, readily available, and delicious things! We all should think to use anchovies more. They are such a perfect and neglected ingredient. Salads do not have to be an aggressive display of wealth—Iceberg lettuce and celery are cheap and have fabulous crunch! Effortless, delicious. The night I got the book I made the celery and blue cheese salad. I thought about making my own modifications but decided to follow the book by line. I was delighted. The flavors were big and bold but everything wove together and made sense. It’s the type of dish people will request you bring to another occasion. I think the world would be better if more people cooked and sat at a table (or on the floor if you really are that Bohemian) and this book should make anyone and everyone feel excited and able to do so. I love that the book is dedicated to Roman’s glamorous grandmother because that sets the perfect tone and expectation for the book. In ‘Nothing Fancy’, the old school has not been burned down, it has been thoughtfully remodeled. Use matching china and multiple glasses per place setting if you have them, but the most important thing is to invite people into your home and feed them. Anyone can do that.