What a great cookbook for the newlyweds in your life! Excellent wedding present. Each recipe even divides up the steps so that couples can work together in the smallest of kitchens.

This cookbook had some really great recipes and would be absolutely wonderful for a new cook. The recipes were easy to understand and not too complicated for the average cook. I enjoyed the illustrations.

What a great bridal shower gift! A sweet, romantic cookbook for two. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have been married for 14 years, and even though this is for "Newlyweds", this cookbook is so sweet and romantic in a weird cooking way lol. I like that these recipes brought my husband in to the kitchen with me and cook together. Without bickering btw. I hate to cook and being with my husband makes it all the more fun. This would be a great wedding gift too.


I was given an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "The New Newlywed Cookbook" by Kenzie Swanhart; Julien Levesque. As a newlywed myself, this was just the cookbook I needed to start my culinary journey in the kitchen! I love how the recipes are broken into steps for both people to make the recipes together. Nice selection of recipes and very relatable content.

Newlywed cookbooks from the past generally focus on easy recipes for the wife to cook. But times have changed; many couples like to cook together, and it makes sense – most couples work outside of the home, and preparing meals together takes the burden off of both. Besides that, it’s fun to cook together and keeps couples close. The New Newlywed Cookbook: 100 Recipes for Every Couple to Cook Together by Kenzie Swanhart and Julien Levesque – a newlywed couple, is an excellent modern cookbook, focusing on dishes that are not only healthy, but easy and delicious. Although not a newlywed, I have found that this cookbook is good for couples – any couples, whether newlywed or not. Not only are the recipes scaled for two persons so there aren’t a lot of leftovers, but they are actually for foods that couples will want to prepare and eat.

One of the things that is good about this cookbook is that each recipe has two parts – one for the main cook and one for the sous chef. Laying out individual responsibilities for the couple is brilliant, and it has worked well in my preparation of the recipes. The instructions are easy-to-follow. The Shrimp Pad Thai is amazing, and so are several of the vegetable recipes, such as the Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Garlic Green Beans. Included in the book are salads, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. There is something here for everyone.

This cookbook is not perfect, however. The prose can be a little confusing – sometimes the notes at the beginning of the recipes mention Kenzie… and Julien… (speaking as if they weren’t there), and other times the notes refer to the authors as “us” and “we.” It makes sense when one of the authors is talking about the other, but is confusing when both are mentioned in the same paragraph. We readers know who the authors are, so why don’t they write the entire book in first person or at least choose one way and stick to it? Also, there are over 100 recipes and very few (maybe 5 or less) photographs, which is truly a travesty. The recipes sound mouthwatering, and those tried so far have turned out that way, but it would have been nice to see what they were supposed to look like before making the dish.

Although there are some drawbacks and flaws in this cookbook, the recipes are good for couples working together in the kitchen. It is a fun concept and the book is worth adding to the cookbook shelf.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Easy to follow recipes that actually turn out as good as they look. I found myself utilizing this book more than once when planning menus for the week.

3 out of 5

**OMG! I cannot believe that these reviews haven't been done! I am so sorry they are so late!!!**

The New Newlywed Cookbook by Kenzie Swanhart and Julien Levesque get plus points for its in depth writing about how to set up a kitchen when you are just starting out. I loved how the authors pared down what's truly needed in the kitchen and what's nice to have. For example both authors recommend buying a 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet as they write the skillet is perfect for everything. They are right as a cast iron skillet, with good care, can last many years and be used both on the stove-top or in the oven.

The one thing I didn't like about the cookbook is it seemed somewhat pretentious and possibly a bit complicated for the novice cook. Most of the recipes seemed pretty good and doable for cooks who have had a bit of cooking experience.

Some of the recipes you'll find in their cookbook include:

Baked Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Garlic and Herb Filet Mignon
Loaf Pan Eggplant Lasagna
Shrimp Pad Thai
Simple Asian Salad with Ginger Dressing
Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
Homemade Granola and Yogurt Parfait
Breakfast Sandwiches on Toasted Brioche
Strawberry Basil Sorbet
Strawberry Shortcake
Mug Brownies ala Mode

I did like their recipes for practical parties that included suggested menus. For example the No Fuss Cocktail Party includes recipes such as:

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Olives
Beef Wellington Bites
Paloma Cocktails
Bourbon and Peach Tea Punch
Prosecco Ice Pops

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

First of all I would like to say that I will be making the French Toast with Peaches and Honey on my next day off!

I thought this is a great book for those in the living together stage of the relationship. I will definitely git this to any of my friends moving in together as a house warming gift. This would be a perfect edition to any gift basket.
My favorite sections were actually not the recipes. I loved the parts about what you kitchen needs. I love kitchen gadgets and tend to have to much for the size of my kitchen. This really brakes it down nicely. The part about leftovers also made me laugh.
I will be recommending this to all of my friends!

Thank you Netgalley for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

*** I received this arc in exchange for an honest review ***

I found this cookbook to be fun! It’s meant for newlyweds, but also looks to be good for couples who want to get in the kitchen together. There are a variety of recipes included in this cookbook, ranging from breakfast to desserts and drinks. Each recipe includes additional info (e.g. gluten free although you can reasonable sub ingredients), and instructions for the sous chef in the kitchen to do while the main chef is doing other steps.

I found that there were a bunch of recipes that were straight forward and not intimidating. There weren’t a lot of pictures to follow along, but this doesn’t detract from the cookbook. Would recommend for newer or beginner cooks.

I really enjoyed this cookbook. There are flavorful recipes for everyday and for special occasions and all the recipes seem easy to do with step by step instructions and helpful tips. I look forward to getting started by baking from this book over the weekend. Highly recommend!