Stop everything and go pre-order this book now. Cooking at Home is perfect for the home cook, like me, who really hates eating the same thing day after day or trying to find the exact ingredients for a recipe (things quite honestly you'll only use once and then forget about in the back of your cupboard). Priya and David walk you through how to forget most of what you've learned about cooking and actually enjoy the process.

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Clarkson Potter for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've long desired a cookbook exactly like this one and I never knew it. I absolutely adore stumbling upon such a magical tome - thank you, Netgalley for the ARC! First off, I recommend going into the book blindly like I did and allow it to surprise you just the same. But if you like to do your research first, which for any cookbook connoisseur I can't fault, then let me tell you that this cookbook is without recipes but not without substance. In fact, it's entirely comprised of education that will improve your cooking technique. Look, bakers rely on science for their craft. But cooking? Real cooking *can* be boiled down to science but ultimately it's an art form that relies heavily on experience and David Chang and Priya give you a front row seat to their brains. Understanding how proteins react to heat, how to season, the timing of how to know when things are done... this is a highly consumable resource guide. It's the book I would give to any novice. Give it as a gift to your kid going off to college for the first time. Give it to the aunt that always overcooks the turkey during the holidays. Give it to yourself and make some kimchi jjigae the next time you're feeling under the weather instead of reheating a can of Campbells. You won't regret it.

Cooking at Home is a well written guide by David Chang and Priya Krishna on making the most of readers' cooking skill in the home kitchen. Due out 26th Oct 2021 from Penguin Random House on their Clarkson Potter imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I can't even count the number of times I've stood in front of the refrigerator trying to find inspiration and figure out what to cook for dinner. This is a book by two food professionals which doesn't contain actual precisely measured recipes (really). Instead, they've taken the route of showing (and not telling) readers how to follow guidelines which they've provided and find their own dishes and seasoning profiles. This is much more theory than slavish recipe following. I found it intriguing.

Both Chang and Krishna have an active voice in the text and their interactions are labeled with their initials to keep them distinct. Honestly, their voices are so different from one another, it's not difficult to keep them straight when reading. The tone throughout is light and full of warmth and humor. I enjoyed listening to what they had to say and their different perspectives (Chang is quite brash sometimes, Krishna more thoughtful).

The book is graphically very bold and colorful. It's full of bright *popping* sidebars and simple illustrations. There are numerous photographs, of the authors cooking, process cooking photos, and some finished dishes. The book's emphasis is on ingredients and how to utilize them to make different dishes, as well as different appliances and cooking methods.

Famous chefs and professional foodies might be famous, but they still have to eat. This book helps the rest of us as well. I'm not sure how much I'll use this book, but it's an enlightening and engaging read.

Five stars. It would be a good selection for public library acquisition, and for cooks who enjoy deeper food theory and want to learn to develop their own techniques and recipes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have to say this isn't one of my favourite cookbooks. But I must also say it is filled with information and tips but to me it is a long-winded book for those who love the science of food rather than for those who just love to cook.

I didn't read it all as that would have taken too much time and dedication and a lot of trying to work out 'WHY'. It is a book for those who love to read about food rather than cook it and eat it.

This is a great book for the newer cook or a more experienced cook who’s looking for new recipes. This cookbook isn’t overflowing with recipes, it’s more about technique with basic recipes and variations. There’s a lot of helpful reference information as well. I was surprised to see that David Chang loves his microwave and uses it frequently!
The pictures and graphics were great, they make the charts interesting and easy to follow. I’ve tried the chicken and a few of the variations and they were delicious. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I LOVE this book. It's a budget-friendly, no-frills guide to trusting your instincts.and learning to cook the foods you like.

There are lists of pantry staples favoured by the authors, and recommended gadgets and utensils that would be idea for someone starting their cooking journey, sections on food safety and the science on why flavours work together. There are pages dedicated to how to eyeball the foods to know when it's right, and the microwave is acknowledged for being an essential part of a home kitchen. The authors encourage the use of the much maligned microwave, as well as frozen vegetables, because they're all about making great tasting food in a short amount of time.

The recipes are more like guides -or the sort of instructions you'd get if you were cooking alongside someone. You get a vague ingredient list and a rough method, but you're encouraged to make it your own, It's written in a very conversational tone, which adds to the feel of cooking alongside the authors, and there is some banter between the two within the pages, which is refreshing to see in a cookbook.

The recipes have a strong global influence, and any recipe based on a traditional one has a reference back to the culture where it originated.

It's a fabulous cookbook, refreshing to read, and I look forward to trying out some of these recipes!

~Many thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

I chose this book as a busy parent who works full-time and was interested in the theory of cooking that the author shares. I was pleasantly surprised that the author advocated for microwave cooking but was put off by the assumption that the readers don't normally use a microwave. Not all the readers are snobby about microwaves--I'm from the Midwest and ours isn't gathering dust.

All in all, there was a fair amount of re-education on how cooking is meant to be enjoyable, multi-cultural, and contain elements of spices, fats, citruses, and anything else that will improve and increase flavor. There are some specific recipes but much of the book was sharing with the home chef that he or she can create new dishes or explore beyond a stringent recipe.

The recipes that the author did share were carefully chosen, and made sense based on the lessons he had shared for creating meals that everyone can enjoy after a busy workday. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to switch up their mealtime cooking!

An interesting cookbook chalk full of information. My only complaint would be that it is a little text heavy and I find that some readers find that overwhelming in cookbooks.

Great and informative book about how to cook and what to cook. Loved the bright colours and pictures throughout the book as well.

I could see me recommending this to students as they move out of home and have to prep food for themselves for the first time.

The titles of the various chapters were funny and made me chuckle a few times. :)

I don't think I have ever read a cookbook this closely before. There is a lot, A LOT of good info here. I suspect I am going to be pretty influenced by David Chang and his style of cooking. For instance, he has convinced me to give MSG a try again! And not long after finishing the book, I actually went and gave my microwave a good clean! Cook veggies in the microwave? He has convinced me to try it.

I made a lot of notes, and even texted my daughter back and forth about some of the kitchen equipment he recommended, I appreciated that the book has more meat dishes than anything else. If I remember correctly, there's only one dessert recipe! I'm not sure I like the way the "recipes" are written. I like them easy to refer to. Even though he says he doesn't think people should use recipes, he does have recipes except that they are not formatted the conventional way and some of the ingredients (mostly seasonings) are not given exact measurements. Perhaps not for absolute beginners but for someone who has had a little bit of experience in the kitchen (if disasters are to be avoided.)

Some of the 90 odd recipes are interesting and I hope to try them out soon. I like that he goes for the fast and easy and simple but still aiming for delicious.

If this book had been a hard copy one, it would be dog-earred and covered with highlights and notes.

I wanted to like this book but didn't realize the setup of the book. Note to all, it is not your typical cookbook. Actually, it's not a cookbook at all. David and Priya walk you through steps of how to learn how to cook. I guess, in one respect, this book can help you get comfortable with cooking at home for newbies but if you're looking for recipes, you won't find them in this book.

The use case for this book is not quite obvious. It's a useful tome on food science and recipe development, and I appreciate its advocacy for free-form, intuitive cooking (don't get bogged down in measurements/recipes, if it tastes good, eat it. etc.), but it' s not really a quick reference guide for harried home cooks.

It takes some dedicated time to read through all of the theory presented here. It's good information and will help build a foundation of knowledge, but I'm not sure someone looking for easy cook-at-home solutions is going to have the time/inclination to parse this text. It might be a good introductory book for young adults to help them master basic principles of cooking as they're starting out.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Overall I did appreciate this book and its concept. I love the idea of presenting more of a 'roadmap' with concepts and themes, rather than specific directions and instructions. I learned a new appreciation for several methods I've never used, such as boiling meat, and refocusing on cuts of meat I often overlook, like chuck beef. I appreciate the tidbits from food scientists that that authors have added as well. I do recommend to most readers has it will add to your fundamental toolbox of cooking methods.

My main criticisms, though, are as follows:
-The organization confuses me. It seems to break into subsections based off protein, then cooking method, but still seems disorganized overall to me.
-There is a lot of cursing throughout. A bit here and there I can deal with, especially seeing as the whole goal of this book is to focus on ways to cook efficiently at home. However, from a professionalism stand point, I highly recommend re-wording multiple sections.
-The back and forth from the authors leaves me confused at times. Why don't the authors combine forces as just one unified narrative voice?
-Multiple pictures of cooked meals on display throughout are burnt, and the authors even comment as such. Now, from the cooking at home standpoint, I can see how having these throughout can show how home meals are often imperfect, yet still delicious. As a big reader and lover of cookbooks, I'm left wondering, why weren't these remade to look more attractive for print? I did read this on the NetGalley app, which seemed to have some issues with the exact words and layout - perhaps they will look better in print.

Because of the comments above, I have chosen 3 stars, as overall, I think the content is great.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy. The comments above are mine without influence.

This book is honestly incredible! It is so beautifully laid out and full of great information. The "recipes" are more of a guideline then what a lot of people would expect from a recipe book but learning to cook as outlined in the book is how you go from being a good to being a great cook!

This book is AMAZING in every single way. I actually think I will buy a physical copy of the book when it releases since the content and the formatting were both perfect in every single way. I feel like I want to cook every single recipe on these pages and the recipes were SO APPROACHABLE and delicious sounding. There is an entire section on microwave cooking, for goodness' sake. Have I said enough? This was also just FUN to read. I had a great time reading both of the authors comments and they just seemed to enjoy each other and respect each other. Just a great time. I will keep this title on my iPad so that I can cook from it for the foreseeable future.

This book is honestly fantastic - it pairs the hot takes and no nonsense attitude you expect from David Chang with Priya’s thoughtful interpretations and, at times, conflicting perspective. This book is incredibly real, starting with the photos and ending with the essays.

This book is more of an education and a guide rather than a book with recipes. I did still find it really useful, and I learned a lot! I especially enjoyed the essays from scientists who shared the intersection of science and food around topics like frozen food.

The general sections included in this book are as follows:
- cooking meat
-cooking in the microwave (this section really inspired me)
-fish (titled Who actually has a local fishmonger? Not me! A realistic approach to cooking fish)
-cooking vegetables (especially less than ideal produce)
-if I’m not eating rice I’m probably eating noodles
-a flatbread recipe
-condiments
-a few other recipes they love

After reading through I am excited to play around with tuna pasta salad, choose your own adventure beans, cooking iceberg lettuce (?!), and cooking corn in corn.

I think this is a must for anybody who loves to cook or wants to learn more. The guidance offered in this book is valuable to anyone with a kitchen.

This is an incredibly unique cookbook, I’ve never seen one that took this approach before. The goal of the writers is to help you be a better cook by learning som,e tricks and then trusting your instincts. The goal is for you to become a better cook, rather than to rely on this cookbook for recipes.
The tips and tricks were useful.
The title might be a bit misleading, I don’t want you to worry that this is a cookbook that focuses on microwave cooking. It’s definitely not, that’s a tiny portion of this book.
About the first 80 pages of the book is dedicated to learning cooking and building faith in the kitchen, the second half is all recipes. Nice pictures, recipes are broken into sections by meat type.
I may try the Shanghai style stew
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley, thanks!

I really wanted more recipes and this felt more like a textbook on how to learn to cook at home. There was so much on each page that I didn't really know where to start.

I loved the visuals of this book just as much as I loved the content. It's the kind of book that we should all have on our shelves as a reference book, but it is just as much fun to simply leaf through it for ideas and commentary. There's no doubt that the authors know their stuff and readers benefit from what they've learned through their own hours in the kitchen. I ended up feeling actual gratitude towards them for this wonderful attempt to have us all eating well without too much fuss.

This is a book both for the experienced cook and the novice. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to view and read this book pre-publication.