Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I would love to recommend this cookbook, but I sadly cannot. I love cookbooks and cook 5 nights a week. This one caught my eye for its beautiful photographs and interesting-sounding recipes that were quick enough to make on weeknights. I’ve made: Sweet Garlic Chicken-the recipe calls for one lemon, quartered. The final step of the recipe instructs the cook to sprinkle juice from the “remaining” lemon wedges, but they are not mentioned anywhere else in the recipe. I decided to put half in with the chard stems and it turned out to be a tasty dish. Seared Duck Breasts with Plums and Garam Masala- no issues and absolutely delicious. Seared Sausage & Rhubarb with Swiss Chard-no issues and a very good recipe. Miso Glazed Salmon-the glaze was excessive and too sweet, but no recipe issues. Farro Pasta with Zucchini, Mint, and Ricotta Salata-neither the list of ingredients nor the recipe include mint, but it does call for thyme. I split the difference and used ½ each. My version was fine. Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms and Pork-the recipe has you grind toasted Sichuan peppercorns, but then never calls for them to be added to the dish. I’m making this tonight, which prompted this review! Red Curry & Coconut Tofu with Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans-neither the list of ingredients nor the recipes mention cherry tomatoes. I didn’t add any and the recipe was good. Shredded Tofu with Spicy Ground Chicken and Edamame-no issues and a delicious recipe. My husband suggested serving it in lettuce wraps. Roasted Carrots with Walnuts, Feta, and Dill-no recipe issues and delicious (I subbed the mint for the dill as suggested by the recipe). As you can see, most of the recipes, after you figure out what’s missing, are good. After searching fruitlessly for an errata page, I contacted the author via Facebook and have not received a reply. I think an error rate of 4 out of 9 recipes tried to date is unacceptably high for what would otherwise be a highly recommended book. If you are a less-experienced cook, be prepared for some frustration with this one. Also, as others have noted, most recipes do need a side dish, so plan accordingly.