Cook as You Are: Recipes for Real Life, Hungry Cooks, and Messy Kitchens: A Cookbook
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-26 03:22:39
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ruby Tandoh
- ISBN：0593321545
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A no-nonsense collection of more than 100 accessible， affordable， achievable--and， most importantly， delicious--recipes （plus countless variations）， Cook As You Are is an essential resource for every taste， every kitchen， and every body
From last-minute inspiration for feeding an entire family to satisfying meals for just one person， easy one-pot dinners to no-chop recipes， in these pages Ruby Tandoh shares a feast of homey， globally inspired dishes， such as Carrot， Lemon and Tahini Soup; Smoky Chicken， Okra and Chorizo Casserole; Gnocchi with Harissa Butter and Broccoli; Lightning-Quick Asparagus and Chili Linguine; Tofu and Greens with Hot and Sour Chili Sauce; Rosemary Baby Buns; and Lemon Mochi Squares。
This is a cookbook for the real world: a beautifully illustrated， inclusive， and inspiring collection of delectable and doable recipes for home cooks of all kinds that shows you don't have to be an aspiring chef to make great food--or for cooking to be a delight。 Just cook as you are。
From last-minute inspiration for feeding an entire family to satisfying meals for just one person， easy one-pot dinners to no-chop recipes， in these pages Ruby Tandoh shares a feast of homey， globally inspired dishes， such as Carrot， Lemon and Tahini Soup; Smoky Chicken， Okra and Chorizo Casserole; Gnocchi with Harissa Butter and Broccoli; Lightning-Quick Asparagus and Chili Linguine; Tofu and Greens with Hot and Sour Chili Sauce; Rosemary Baby Buns; and Lemon Mochi Squares。
This is a cookbook for the real world: a beautifully illustrated， inclusive， and inspiring collection of delectable and doable recipes for home cooks of all kinds that shows you don't have to be an aspiring chef to make great food--or for cooking to be a delight。 Just cook as you are。
Reviews
Lyon。Brit。andthebookshelf
，
Thank you @aaknopf for this gifted copy •Cutie illustrations•6 chapters with introductions that are mouth watering… each one also provides a further reading list which I found fascinating。 •The chapters encourage you to look at what you have in a new light。 •I love the variations/substitution add ins to make the recipes work for youRecipes I’ve tried…•Charred Brussel Sprouts with Satay and Crushed Peanuts•Pantry BrowniesOnes I’m looking forward to…•Wildflower Honey Cheesecake•Galaxy Granola
Clara
，
I knew I would love this book when in the intro Tandoh says "If I specify egg size， that's because it's important for the taste and texture of a dish。 Where it's not specified， you can use any size and trust that the recipe will work well。" Reading this book is like cooking with a cool older cousin who is also a very good cook in the kitchen with you。 It's really nice to have a book that knows that you may be pinching pennies to get medium eggs and not XL， and is totally ok with this。 And in fac I knew I would love this book when in the intro Tandoh says "If I specify egg size， that's because it's important for the taste and texture of a dish。 Where it's not specified， you can use any size and trust that the recipe will work well。" Reading this book is like cooking with a cool older cousin who is also a very good cook in the kitchen with you。 It's really nice to have a book that knows that you may be pinching pennies to get medium eggs and not XL， and is totally ok with this。 And in fact the book goes out of its way to assure you， "You won't need to stress about this recipe will work out if you are a cheap medium egg person， because I've got you。 You buy the cheapest eggs most of the time and this book is for you。" I don't know if Tandoh was writing with the Great Inflationpocalypse in mind， but Cook as You Are is very much a book that is really needed today。Tandoh's recipes are simple and straightforward and have some very thoughtful details that many flashier cookbooks overlook。 For example， in addition to telling you how many tablespoon of lemon juice， she will also tell you roughly how many lemons that is likely to be。 For anyone who has tried to figure out what 1 Tbsp of fruit juice equals in real fruit terms， little touches like this make all the difference。Many cookbooks tell you that they want you to use what you have， but this is much more difficult to put into practice。 Tandoh provides many alternative ingredients。 I think most recipes in this book can be made in some variation from a very boring Safeway in North America。 The author offers a number of substitutions that I never would have taught of。 Don't have plantains？ Tandoh recommends not Cavendish bananas， but butternut squash。 Can't find pearl couscous？ Don't try normal couscous， but rather orzo。 Do you not have the budget or space for a second （or in my case fifth） kind of rice but want to make risotto， Tandoh recommends using a more versatile long grain like basmati to replace arborio and adjusting liquid levels。I haven't really encountered another cookbook that I want for myself， and also to gift to my disabled vegetarian parent， my friend with a toddler， and my workaholic friend who lives alone。 Cook as you are is a rare one indeed。I have tried the Slow-Simmered Herby Lima Beans， Goes-with-Everything Groundnut Soup， Silky， Smoky Eggplant Stew， and Bok Choy with Ginger and Clementine。 All of the recipes have worked and I don't find the measurements to be off or the directions to be confusing or inconsistent。 The Groundnut Soup is my favorite so far but it's also the one I had the most of the normal version ingredients for and I would make all of them again。 。。。more
Ben
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC of this title。I've been a fan of Ruby Tandoh's writing on food for years， and I adore her approach of making cooking accessible for everyone， exactly where they are。 I've eagerly awaited this book popping up stateside after it was published in the UK last year， and it's exactly what I'd want from a collection titled Cook As You Are - it nails the different moods a potential cook may be in （I just want something _now_ vs。 I'm up for a project）， and it has Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC of this title。I've been a fan of Ruby Tandoh's writing on food for years， and I adore her approach of making cooking accessible for everyone， exactly where they are。 I've eagerly awaited this book popping up stateside after it was published in the UK last year， and it's exactly what I'd want from a collection titled Cook As You Are - it nails the different moods a potential cook may be in （I just want something _now_ vs。 I'm up for a project）， and it has a Nigella-ish tone extolling how food can give pleasure while also remaining down to earth about the types of ingredients that are in your budget。As much as I love reading cookbooks for the photography/visuals， I also love this book's notion to eschew these so that potential readers don't feel like what they're making needs to live up to a certain visual standard。 It's also a great opportunity for illustrations that really make this about equity and a kitchen for everyone。 Well done， Ruby！ 。。。more
Bozhena Levine
，
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this lovely book。 It is divided into several sections based on people’s ability levels。 The recipes provided use everyday， easily accessible ingredients and each recipe includes modifications for different diets （vegetarian， vegan）， as well as variations and substitutions for people with disabilities， chronic illnesses， or carrying a child on one hip such as having less things to cut。 It is a great addition for t Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this lovely book。 It is divided into several sections based on people’s ability levels。 The recipes provided use everyday， easily accessible ingredients and each recipe includes modifications for different diets （vegetarian， vegan）， as well as variations and substitutions for people with disabilities， chronic illnesses， or carrying a child on one hip such as having less things to cut。 It is a great addition for the everyday cook who wants to prepare simple food that tastes good。 。。。more
Bozhena Levine
，
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this lovely book。 It is divided into several sections based on people’s ability levels。 The recipes provided use everyday， easily accessible ingredients and each recipe includes modifications for different diets （vegetarian， vegan）， as well as variations and substitutions for people with disabilities， chronic illnesses， or carrying a child on one hip such as having less things to cut。 It is a great addition for t Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this lovely book。 It is divided into several sections based on people’s ability levels。 The recipes provided use everyday， easily accessible ingredients and each recipe includes modifications for different diets （vegetarian， vegan）， as well as variations and substitutions for people with disabilities， chronic illnesses， or carrying a child on one hip such as having less things to cut。 It is a great addition for the everyday cook who wants to prepare simple food that tastes good。 。。。more
Esta
，
excellent as expected。 I obvs rlly like eat up and that essay in in the kitchen too。 ultimately ruby tandoh rlly knows what she's doing and does it rlly well。 I bought this as a present to myself bcos I always deserve nice things and I read （skimmed-ish） it when I got home and found it had arrived！！ ive tried a recipe from it already when it was posted on instagram and it was great so im looking forward to trying more。 gonna get on the chilli crisp capers cheese butter gnocchi hype train that iv excellent as expected。 I obvs rlly like eat up and that essay in in the kitchen too。 ultimately ruby tandoh rlly knows what she's doing and does it rlly well。 I bought this as a present to myself bcos I always deserve nice things and I read （skimmed-ish） it when I got home and found it had arrived！！ ive tried a recipe from it already when it was posted on instagram and it was great so im looking forward to trying more。 gonna get on the chilli crisp capers cheese butter gnocchi hype train that ive seen on instagram I think but first I must buy some chilli oil and gnocchi。 also feel like the big oven cookie with rosemary is calling my name。 all the recipes are calling my name if im realistic。 I love all the substitution options， it makes everything much easier and more accessible and we all deserve easy and accessible while still being delicious。 I am a picture cookbook appreciator but I still rlly like that this has no pictures just drawings （like that green nigel slater one iirc（？？）） bcos the my food doesn't look like this picture disappointment is real and we can all avoid that with this book :）） 。。。more
Nicole Dan
，
Ruby Tandoh’s Cook As You Are acknowledges cooking as both an art and a means to feed yourself。 Recipes are organized in useful categories by level of effort and shopping required。 Tandoh begins the book by explaining ingredient substitutions and outlining how she incorporates sensory cues so that people are truly able to cook according to their own abilities。 I appreciated the range of cultures represented in these recipes， and how Tandoh refers to other cookbooks for similar recipes。 I have no Ruby Tandoh’s Cook As You Are acknowledges cooking as both an art and a means to feed yourself。 Recipes are organized in useful categories by level of effort and shopping required。 Tandoh begins the book by explaining ingredient substitutions and outlining how she incorporates sensory cues so that people are truly able to cook according to their own abilities。 I appreciated the range of cultures represented in these recipes， and how Tandoh refers to other cookbooks for similar recipes。 I have not tried any of these recipes yet， but I am looking forward to trying the Fish Sticks with Japanese Curry and Rice， Whatever You’ve Got Fried Rice， Wildflower Honey Cheesecake， and Stuffed FlatbreadsI understand the decision to not include pictures but I still think they would be helpful to understand what to expect for each recipe。 Without that I find recipes a bit hard to follow。Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Elaine
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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Cook As You Are。This was a disappointing read for a number of reasons。First， the Kindle version was wonky; on each page lines of text had been blacked out so the pages looked redacted as if it was a cclassified document。 Second， from what I could read， the recipes looked interesting， though I'm not sure I would make them。I didn't see any photos of the recipes， which on the one hand is an interesting format， but not one I'd approve。I eat with my eyes and I Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Cook As You Are。This was a disappointing read for a number of reasons。First， the Kindle version was wonky; on each page lines of text had been blacked out so the pages looked redacted as if it was a cclassified document。 Second， from what I could read， the recipes looked interesting， though I'm not sure I would make them。I didn't see any photos of the recipes， which on the one hand is an interesting format， but not one I'd approve。I eat with my eyes and I love photos of food！Who would purchase， much less read， a cookbook with no photos of the delicious meals inside？ 。。。more
Latitude
，
This book is incredible。 The beginning of the book notes for “bottled， canned， and frozen food swaps” and makes recommendations。 There’s a section for “Cooking with limited energy or mobility” as well as an entire chapter for this: More food， less work。 And I think that she follows up on this throughout the course of the book！ Not only are there excellent recipes， but the book is spotted with illustrations that make the entire book feel cozy。 Each chapter includes a list of books for further rea This book is incredible。 The beginning of the book notes for “bottled， canned， and frozen food swaps” and makes recommendations。 There’s a section for “Cooking with limited energy or mobility” as well as an entire chapter for this: More food， less work。 And I think that she follows up on this throughout the course of the book！ Not only are there excellent recipes， but the book is spotted with illustrations that make the entire book feel cozy。 Each chapter includes a list of books for further reading。 COOK AS YOU ARE is about cooking as self-care， as art， as making something that feels like a chore into a something healing。 COOK AS YOU ARE takes an experience that sometimes feels traumatizing and cracks it open into something else entirely， through essays and small illustrations and personal recommendations。 Five stars。 Full list of recipes available on my blog。 “If you’re blind， Deaf， or have any sensory impairment or difference （this can include some autistic people， or anyone who experiences sensory sensitivity or overload）， cooking can require a diverse range of approaches， and you might need to rely more heavily on other sense or cooking aids。 I’ve tried in this book to give you lots of different sensory cues rather than relying on just one sense。 These sensory cues are paired with details about temperature and timings so that you can cook however suits you。” 。。。more
San
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This book was colorful with interesting recipes and ingredient combinations。 As a parent of small children， this wouldn’t be the first recipe book I’d grab。 There are various recipes that would be unusual to my family， but might be enjoyable to others。I found the lay-out hard to follow， but that could be because it was all on my Kindle and think cookbooks are hard to format for kindle。 Would have liked photos for reference also。Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy。
Pooja Peravali
，
Ruby Tandoh introduces recipes from across the world with an eye to accessibility and ease of making。Before we go into this review， a caveat: I am a picky eater。 A lot of foods don’t agree with me， whether due to taste or texture， and the only meat I eat is chicken。 As such， I could not try out a lot of the recipes in this book。 I am factoring this into my review。This book is divided into several sections depending on the amount of time they require， or the kinds of ingredients – commonplace or Ruby Tandoh introduces recipes from across the world with an eye to accessibility and ease of making。Before we go into this review， a caveat: I am a picky eater。 A lot of foods don’t agree with me， whether due to taste or texture， and the only meat I eat is chicken。 As such， I could not try out a lot of the recipes in this book。 I am factoring this into my review。This book is divided into several sections depending on the amount of time they require， or the kinds of ingredients – commonplace or more specialized – that are used。 I found this a handy tool when deciding what recipes to make。 I liked how the author specifically included sections for those people who might have trouble with expending lots of energy cooking， as well as for those who are unable to perform too many complex kitchen tasks such as chopping or grating。The flavors of the recipes are eclectic， combining disparate ingredients and cultural influences with aplomb。 This can be a bit of a double-edged sword， though – very fun for the adventurous eater， but not so much for more timid ones like me。 However， something that helped with this was the detailed explanations for modifying recipes， which opened up the repertoire of recipes accessible to me。 There’s a good mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes。I tried out five recipes – Gnocchi with Chili Crisp Sauce， Capers， and Parmesan; Smoky Chicken， Okra， and Chorizo Casserole （minus the chorizo， according to the given modifications）; Jollof Rice; Molten Chocolate， Olive Oil， and Rosemary Cookie Pie; and Wildflower Honey Cheesecake。 I found that the desserts were more successful than the savory dishes – the recipes for Jollof Rice and the Smoky Chicken， Okra， and Chorizo Casserole created huge quantities of food that， alas， could not be managed by my family。Though I liked the illustrations， I wished there had been pictures to reference， as I feel this would have made it easier to understand where I might be going wrong in my cooking。Ultimately， I thought this was a thoughtful cookbook， but not necessarily one for me。Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Christina
，
This cookbook was a breath of fresh air。 I love how empathetic and explicitly non-judgmental Ruby Tandoh is， and how these recipes are truly designed to meet people where they're at - understanding that people have different physical abilities， experiences with cooking， and， frankly， other priorities in life （radical！）。 I liked the organization of the recipes - because， yes， some days I do want to go all-out， and other days I just want something edible。 I found her writing engaging and informal， This cookbook was a breath of fresh air。 I love how empathetic and explicitly non-judgmental Ruby Tandoh is， and how these recipes are truly designed to meet people where they're at - understanding that people have different physical abilities， experiences with cooking， and， frankly， other priorities in life （radical！）。 I liked the organization of the recipes - because， yes， some days I do want to go all-out， and other days I just want something edible。 I found her writing engaging and informal， but still informative。 I also deeply valued how she credited other cooks and authors from cultures not her own when she'd learned something from them - I came away from this cookbook with lots of great suggestions for further reading。I understand and appreciate why she chose to avoid photos， and I LOVED the illustrations by Sinae Park。 However， my one qualm: I wish the art would have been used more frequently as a tool to make instructions more concrete。 For example， in one recipe， she talks about breaking out cauliflower into its leaves （then into green leafy parts versus "ribs"）， florets， and stalk。 I'm a visual thinker， and I would have loved to have seen that depicted in art form versus text alone。 The abstract drawings were lovely and conveyed a wonderful sense of coziness and warmth， but I wish there would have been a bit more integration with the recipes themselves - I think that would have made them even less intimidating / more accessible。 Thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for my ARC。 。。。more
Debbie Tanner
，
This terrific new cookbook is like having a good friend who is also an amazing cook tell you exactly how to make that great meal she made when she had you over。 She also has the forethought to tell you how to make substitutions for picky eaters， vegetarians， and people with food allergies。 I can't wait to get this one in my house！ This terrific new cookbook is like having a good friend who is also an amazing cook tell you exactly how to make that great meal she made when she had you over。 She also has the forethought to tell you how to make substitutions for picky eaters， vegetarians， and people with food allergies。 I can't wait to get this one in my house！ 。。。more
Jenn L
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I'm obsessed。。。what an amazing cookbook！ I'm obsessed。。。what an amazing cookbook！ 。。。more
Christy
，
4 stars for this super refreshing cookbook~I loved how all of the recipes offer substitutions and/or methods to utilize to make the dish easier to prepare。 The recipes are also organized in difficulty levels， but in a more fun and human way。The recipes are varied and feature multi-cultural options， plenty of variety in here。Overall a solid cookbook that also features the human aspect of our busy and tiring lives。 I really liked that there was some modular aspects within。
Mara
，
*Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley for the ARC*I was a huge fan of Ruby when she was on GBBO and I couldn’t wait to see what recipes she had in store for her latest book Cook As You Are。 There are tons of recipes broken up not necessarily by entree but more along the lines of occasions such as “Feed Me Now” （dinner plain and simple）， “Hidden in Plain Sight” （making great use of kitchen staples）， or “For the Love of it” （recipes to linger over）。 She includes tidbits for *Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley for the ARC*I was a huge fan of Ruby when she was on GBBO and I couldn’t wait to see what recipes she had in store for her latest book Cook As You Are。 There are tons of recipes broken up not necessarily by entree but more along the lines of occasions such as “Feed Me Now” （dinner plain and simple）， “Hidden in Plain Sight” （making great use of kitchen staples）， or “For the Love of it” （recipes to linger over）。 She includes tidbits for when a recipe might be appropriate， as well as where and by whom she was inspired。 What I loved most was the easy going nature of the recipes。 Although they sound intimidating， Ruby breaks them down and gives lots of tips and variations， the most useful for me being what will absolutely NOT work！ Sometimes we amateur cooks substitute things we might have on hand in hopes the dish will still turn out， which most times it will， but when there’s a particular science to it， such as soy milk not frothing properly， I do appreciate the heads up ahead of time。 Second favorite but seriously so underrated part？ Her entire “make-ahead/freeze/storage instructions” for EVERY SINGLE RECIPE at the back！ And an honorable mention for the listed recipes in order of prep/cook time as well as pricing。 Super convenient！As stated by Ruby herself， she purposefully chose not to include pictures of the recipes because she didn’t want her readers to strive for the same level of perfection， only to enjoy the process and fruits of their labor， no comparison necessary。 There are some recipes that have cute doodley instructions but otherwise， she breaks it all down for you。 Her voice rings throughout her writing and it really made the tone of her book so approachable。 Ruby includes personal anecdotes and relatable stories so it’s hard not to be charmed by her prose。Ruby’s recipes include lots of interesting flavor combinations （which we know she was praised for during the baking competition） and I’ve been excited to pick up some more specialty ingredients to give them a try。 There’s tons with lots of pantry staples as well， so I highly recommend this recipe for both beginner cooks who wish to elevate their dishes and learn some tricks along the way and for more experienced cooks who want some new ideas to try。 I can’t wait to buy a hard copy when this publishes in November ‘22 as I prefer to have physical recipes while I make a mess in the kitchen。 。。。more
EJ
，
So many things to praise in this one！ I appreciate Ms Tandoh’s recognition of the different cooking styles and mindsets of various every day cooks， and her heritage shining through in various recipes。 As someone who operates by the “never trust a cookbook without pictures” mentality （despite growing up in the realm of 1980’s church cookbooks）， the lack of photographs would otherwise be off-putting， but I loved the reasoning provided in the book’s introduction and with that viewpoint in mind， I w So many things to praise in this one！ I appreciate Ms Tandoh’s recognition of the different cooking styles and mindsets of various every day cooks， and her heritage shining through in various recipes。 As someone who operates by the “never trust a cookbook without pictures” mentality （despite growing up in the realm of 1980’s church cookbooks）， the lack of photographs would otherwise be off-putting， but I loved the reasoning provided in the book’s introduction and with that viewpoint in mind， I was able to transport myself not only around my own shiny kitchen， my own scratched-up table， and all my “usual” but to envision the worldwide community built by food—this food。 Also appreciated and deserving of recognition， the inclusion and direction of a chapter notably for those with limited energy and/or mobility—and the encouragement to utilize those shortcuts rather than general internal shaming that can otherwise develop。 All the applause！No arrogance allowed in this kitchen—Ms Tandoh not only encourages readers/cooks to try other recipes of different cuisines， but also includes “read more” sections with specific titles by other authors。 Who does that？ So cool！The recipes themselves sound delicious， doable， and are well-described to entice readers/cooks in a way that just works。 Such a well done， interesting， thoughtful， and inclusive cookbook！My thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title。 。。。more
Pip
，
I have been a big fan of Ruby Tandoh since her GBBO days， and I was so excited to read this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers。 There are lots of unique ideas in this recipe book - definitely lots of different ideas from your everyday cook book！ I especially appreciated a lot of options for making the recipes gluten free and vegan， and I loved how considerate Tandoh was towards accessibility within this book！ （Also she highlighted some concerns regard food waste， which is always a good remind I have been a big fan of Ruby Tandoh since her GBBO days， and I was so excited to read this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers。 There are lots of unique ideas in this recipe book - definitely lots of different ideas from your everyday cook book！ I especially appreciated a lot of options for making the recipes gluten free and vegan， and I loved how considerate Tandoh was towards accessibility within this book！ （Also she highlighted some concerns regard food waste， which is always a good reminder！） Can't wait to get started on some of these！ 。。。more
Pip
，
I have been a big fan of Ruby Tandoh since her GBBO days， and I was so excited to read this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers。 There are lots of unique ideas in this recipe book - definitely lots of different ideas from your everyday cook book！ I especially appreciated a lot of options for making the recipes gluten free and vegan， and I loved how considerate Tandoh was towards accessibility within this book！ （Also she highlighted some concerns regard food waste， which is always a good remind I have been a big fan of Ruby Tandoh since her GBBO days， and I was so excited to read this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers。 There are lots of unique ideas in this recipe book - definitely lots of different ideas from your everyday cook book！ I especially appreciated a lot of options for making the recipes gluten free and vegan， and I loved how considerate Tandoh was towards accessibility within this book！ （Also she highlighted some concerns regard food waste， which is always a good reminder！） Can't wait to get started on some of these！ 。。。more
Alexis
，
I was initially skeptical of the book since the author specifically did not include photos。 The one major lesson learned from running a cookbook club is that cooks love pictures with their recipes。 However， this book is so brilliantly and concisely written that you don't miss the pictures。 The occasional hand drawn illustration among recipes and comforting narrative are plenty to keep a cook engaged。 The recipes themselves are delicious and approachable。 The ingredients are obtainable through mo I was initially skeptical of the book since the author specifically did not include photos。 The one major lesson learned from running a cookbook club is that cooks love pictures with their recipes。 However， this book is so brilliantly and concisely written that you don't miss the pictures。 The occasional hand drawn illustration among recipes and comforting narrative are plenty to keep a cook engaged。 The recipes themselves are delicious and approachable。 The ingredients are obtainable through most grocery stores and the techniques/equipment are accessible to most and look amazing。 I made the Pretzel Sandwich Loaf as a test bake and it was easy， delicious and looks very impressive！ While this cookbook would be enjoyed by all skill levels， this would make a great “first cookbook” for those venturing into the world of cooking while juggling adult-life。 。。。more
lily stratton
，
yeah it’s a cookbook but i love it and read it like any other book
Ally
，
This cookbook was such a nice surprise！ I love buying myself a gorgeous cookbook stuffed with beautifully styled and photographed recipes that I will probably never make at home， and expected similar of this book。 Instead， Cook As You Are turned these expectations on their head right from the start。 There are no pictures because the author didn't want to prime our expectations of how the recipes "ought" to look with professionally styled， lit， and shot photographs。 Unexpected， but very refreshin This cookbook was such a nice surprise！ I love buying myself a gorgeous cookbook stuffed with beautifully styled and photographed recipes that I will probably never make at home， and expected similar of this book。 Instead， Cook As You Are turned these expectations on their head right from the start。 There are no pictures because the author didn't want to prime our expectations of how the recipes "ought" to look with professionally styled， lit， and shot photographs。 Unexpected， but very refreshing！ Second， she addressed the difficulties of cooking for those with chronic illness or limited food budgets at the beginning of the book， and throughout the book gave little reminders that it's always ok to use substitutions that are cheaper or use less physical energy if that's what is best for you。 I made two recipes from this book - the salted， malted ice cream and the mushroom semolina bake。 Both were easy to follow， quick to make， and came out delicious。Review copy provided by Netgalley 。。。more
Lori Holuta
，
I think by now we all know that cookbooks filled with glorious food photography， recipes written in country-cute fonts， and scatterings of anecdotes from the author about how easy it is to whip up a Black Forest Cake for a dinner party for twelve while Zooming with the office gang and bouncing a toddler on one hip can make for amusing reading， but are those the cookbooks you pick up when you really need help getting a meal prepared？ Of course not。When you're low on emotional spoons， when your en I think by now we all know that cookbooks filled with glorious food photography， recipes written in country-cute fonts， and scatterings of anecdotes from the author about how easy it is to whip up a Black Forest Cake for a dinner party for twelve while Zooming with the office gang and bouncing a toddler on one hip can make for amusing reading， but are those the cookbooks you pick up when you really need help getting a meal prepared？ Of course not。When you're low on emotional spoons， when your energy is spent， when you haven't shopped but need to pull something together， you need a cookbook that meets you where you are。 This is that cookbook。 And the recipes aren't just mac and cheese （though there is an amazing cauliflower version）， this is gourmet stuff！ The recipes are international and wildly varied。 And you *can* make them， thanks to plentiful advice on how get a meal on the table without exhausting yourself。The recipes are written with a good balance between a friendly conversational tone and no-nonsense detailed instructions。 The friendly blue-edged boxes containing "Variations and Substitutions" advice is included with almost every recipe。 Not only are you told what you can substitute， you'll learn what you cannot - if a recipe won't turn out well with gluten-free flour， for example， you'll be told about that here。Novice cooks， cooks with fatigue issues， or mobility challenges， cooks who can't easily get to the store all the time， cooks with eating disorders， dietary restrictions or allergies - this cookbook will empower all of you。 And guess what？ No glossy， gorgeous food photography to make your personal efforts seem unworthy！ Instead， there's friendly cartoonish drawings of everyday folk making their food in regular， sometimes messy kitchens。 They could easily be any of us。My thanks to Ruby Tandoh， Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group， and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book。 This review is my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Serena
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This is a special book- in fact， this book may be the most unique book I have ever read。 If you are into social justice， you will love this book。 The author， Ruby Tandoh， spends a great deal of the introduction setting the stage for her book， including discussing mobility issues that could affect cooking， as well as allergies/intolerences， sensory impairments， and even eating disorders， which I have never seen in a cookbook EVER （and I read quite a lot）。 Ruby also talks about making adjustments This is a special book- in fact， this book may be the most unique book I have ever read。 If you are into social justice， you will love this book。 The author， Ruby Tandoh， spends a great deal of the introduction setting the stage for her book， including discussing mobility issues that could affect cooking， as well as allergies/intolerences， sensory impairments， and even eating disorders， which I have never seen in a cookbook EVER （and I read quite a lot）。 Ruby also talks about making adjustments to recipes based on your access to fresh ingredients/food banks。 Something special I enjoy are the book recommendations- like Nora Ephrons Heartburn （ a personal fave and something Ruby mentions more than once） or Maangchis Big Book of Korean Cooking。 This is someone who has really done her homework and listed some all-stars of cooking that many may not have heard of， such as Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art， that are considered hallmark。 This book feels very in line with classics like Mastering the Art of French Cooking or Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking in that there are no photographed pictures， only very cute childrens-book like illustrations of people spending time together and cooking。 I did feel like there was not many instructional illustrations， in favor of illustrations of ingredients or people enjoying meals。 Some recipes that really jumped out to me were the Wildflower Honey Cheesecake， which sounds divine as a honey-lover， or the Salted Honeyscotch Sauce- which are so special of recipes to make the book a must keep。 Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday for my ARC！ 。。。more
Benjamin
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I read - and reviewed - one of Ruby's early books and didn't like it a lot。 But this book is fresh， well written， and has real thought behind it。 I read - and reviewed - one of Ruby's early books and didn't like it a lot。 But this book is fresh， well written， and has real thought behind it。 。。。more
Mary
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This is a lovely cookbook: but note there are no photos， but the drawings are also lovely， engaging and inviting。 This cookbook aims at welcoming all cooks to the stove with time spent throughout to explain how different people may be accommodated （there's lots of reading material in the book--which， if you are interested in thinking about the ethics， politics of food but not in any kind of polemical way， you will find engaging）。 While this approach includes attempting to meet the demands of the This is a lovely cookbook: but note there are no photos， but the drawings are also lovely， engaging and inviting。 This cookbook aims at welcoming all cooks to the stove with time spent throughout to explain how different people may be accommodated （there's lots of reading material in the book--which， if you are interested in thinking about the ethics， politics of food but not in any kind of polemical way， you will find engaging）。 While this approach includes attempting to meet the demands of the differently abled， it also aims at including those who are on a limited income， have little time or energy。 But beyond that audience recognition and invitation， there are some great recipes here。 They tend to emphasize a less-meat heavy approach but they are not vegetarian （however， part of the welcoming approach of the book means that many recipes include vegetarian， gluten free， vegan options）。 The book uses metric measurements so Americans like myself will have to use conversions， but many of the dishes have enough flexibility that a "close guess" is good enough。The book is divided by type of approach you may want to take to cooking a meal: categories include "More food， less work" or "For the Love of it"。 The short recipes appeal to me more while the longer recipes just don't seem as interesting （for example， a short recipe is Watermelon with peanuts， sumac and lime， a longer recipe is Fried apple pie bites; from my perspective I appreciate the recipe that pushes beyond the common which is the short recipe）。 Lots of ethnic diversity in the recipes with Kimchi or miso or garam masala but， again， the everyone cooks approach provides options most of the time for those who don't have access or don't want to eat these ingredients。 The only people who might not be able to find something they like in this book are those who are looking for super basic ingredient lists。 。。。more
gem
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This is a wonderful cookbook。 It is inventive in the way it provides variations and substitutions for each recipe & the index at the back where it gives you options for meals which are based around “cheap ingredients” or “low energy” etc are brilliant。 It really caters for a whole variety of people， and I think once I’ve re-read through it all it will become invaluable as I have chronic fatigue syndrome and often if I have no energy I just binge on snacks which are devoid of nutrients but this w This is a wonderful cookbook。 It is inventive in the way it provides variations and substitutions for each recipe & the index at the back where it gives you options for meals which are based around “cheap ingredients” or “low energy” etc are brilliant。 It really caters for a whole variety of people， and I think once I’ve re-read through it all it will become invaluable as I have chronic fatigue syndrome and often if I have no energy I just binge on snacks which are devoid of nutrients but this will help me make better decisions。 。。。more
Gemma
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My favourite cookbook of the year。
Charlott
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I first "met" Ruby Tandoh in 2013 when she graced our screens in season four of the Great British Bake Off。 Since then Tandoh has forged her way as a food writer in the most admirable way: incredibly inclusive， willing to learn， tender。 Some recipes of her cookbook Flavour are firm favourites of mine and her book Eat Up: Food， Appetite and Eating What You Want is one I recommend often。Now， Cook As You Are: Recipes for Real Life， Hungry Cooks and Messy Kitchens was published and it feels like Rub I first "met" Ruby Tandoh in 2013 when she graced our screens in season four of the Great British Bake Off。 Since then Tandoh has forged her way as a food writer in the most admirable way: incredibly inclusive， willing to learn， tender。 Some recipes of her cookbook Flavour are firm favourites of mine and her book Eat Up: Food， Appetite and Eating What You Want is one I recommend often。Now， Cook As You Are: Recipes for Real Life， Hungry Cooks and Messy Kitchens was published and it feels like Ruby Tandoh's self as a cookbook writer and as a critically engaged food writer fully tied together to create a little masterpiece。 Cook As You Are wants to meet us exactly where we are: no matter how small or messy the kitchen， not depending on specific lifestyles， with whatever budget we bring to the table and considering a variety of physical ability levels。 There no photos in the book， so that we as readers/ homecooks judge our food by the simple fact if we think it's tasty and if it looks good to us （and also to cut down on other aspirational stuff photos will always transport like fancy kitchens and certain body types）。 The texts are always kind and understanding of a variety of circumstances trying to offer solutions which work for many （while being conscious there will never be solutions working for everyone）。 Just reading this cookbook feels like a warm hug。 For every recipe， Tandoh offers variations and substitutions （for example on how to make a recipe in a way that you have less things to cut which can be a real difficulty for many people with disabilities， chronical illness， or - as Tandoh also notes - people who prepare a meal while carrying a child on their hip）。 Cook As You Are is a cookbook for everyday。 There are fast 20 minutes recipes but also bigger projects if that's what you feel like。 I enjoy Tandoh's unpretentiousness when introducing recipes and the constant quoting of people and other books which inspired her （there are even lists in the beginning of each chapter naming some other cookbooks）。 This just adds to the feeling of openess and generosity - and isn't that how one would like to feel in the kitchen？ 。。。more
What's for Dinner？ Zine
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