Preppy Kitchen Super Easy: 100 Simple and Versatile Recipes Hardcover – August 20, 2024

This cookbook is fantastic! The 100 recipes are easy to follow and don’t require complicated ingredients or techniques, making them perfect for beginners and busy home cooks. The instructions are clear, and the photos are beautiful and inspiring.I’ve tried several recipes already, and everything turned out delicious. The variety is excellent — from breakfast to desserts, there’s something for every occasion. It’s also great for meal prepping and experimenting with new flavors.Overall, a must-have cookbook if you want tasty, approachable, and versatile recipes without stress.

As a collector of cookbooks, this is one of the best purchases of recent publications. John Kanell provides well-tested recipes that are easy to follow and create high level results. Stunning! You will be inspired to gather family and friends for dinner, celebrations, and feasts. No more wondering what to prepare. This cookbook is a treasury of recipes to make daily and for special occasions. Brilliant layout and stunning photographs make the book an absolute joy to use. You will immediately delve into cooking!

John Kanell’s recipes got me started in the kitchen when my wife, who had been the meal making champ, got sick. I needed to step up, and I needed clear, understandable directions for making the good food that would help keep both of our spirits up. It started with soup, then marinara, then frittatas . . . and then I was baking, cooking, trying different things with a growing confidence I never expected to have in the kitchen. Kanell is a teacher in the full sense, not only giving the know how, but encouraging experimentation and helping others understand the caring that can go into making a meal for loved ones.I was excited to preorder this book, and when it arrived, my wife (who’s doing great now) and I sat and poured over the beautiful pictures, making a list of all the things we wanted to try. And we’ve been trying them with wonderful results. I’ve made the cheesy popovers, which are now a weekly treat to go along with our roasted red pepper tomato soup. We make the fresh salsa every couple of weeks for a weekend treat. The leak and Gouda frittata is amazing, and I keep taking pictures of it for no intelligent reason. The fresh tomato one pot pasta has become my go-to quick weekday dinner. And then we get into the baking.My friend invited us to a fundraiser and asked if I could bring some cookies for the bake sale. I had already made the Orange Cloud cookies a few times and the guys I work with sincerely doubted I was the one who made them. So I brought a couple dozen to the fundraiser along with some other cookies I learned on Kanell’s website. Now I’m stuck being the cookie guy every time anyone I know gets involved with a bake sale. Poor me.Whether it’s the strawberry lemonade bars, the Mexican brownies or the lemon layer cake, I’ve been able to not only make something I want to share, but also go back and experiment. Almost every recipe in this book has variations. Kanell is constantly encouraging readers to try new things and make recipes their own. And before I forget, the first couple of chapters are a very accessible covering of the basics. He goes over equipment, simple techniques, and answers most of those “there are no stupid questions” questions. As I said before, he’s a teacher, and this book is well designed to take anyone who’s willing from waffles all the way to chocolate mousse.Along with everything else, it’s a very sweet book about a guy who learned cooking from his mom and has turned around to use those lessons to express love to his family. There are a lot of pictures of his sons, and even more mentions of them peppered throughout the book. Everyone in the family, including his husband, gets a recipe with their name featured on it (and that chocolate cake is goooood). I’m pretty sure this is the element of John Kanell as a food instructor that resonates with me the most. He makes good food for the people he loves. That’s just what I want to do.I know I’ve been gushing, but the honest fact is that I’ve been making recipes from Super Easy at least twice a week since I got it. Kanell has been a big part of my going from a guy slicing frozen cookie dough logs to a guy making cheesecakes. The least I can do, if I can, is turn other people on to this book and this author. Give it a shot, and maybe find out there’s a satisfaction when you make something for someone and they say, “I want more of this.”

I’ve always admired beautifully presented dishes but often felt intimidated by the complexity of gourmet cooking. Enter Preppy Kitchen: Super Easy, and my entire perspective has changed!John Kannell has truly outdone himself with this cookbook. It’s not just about the over 100 recipes – it’s about how approachable and delightful he makes each one. The recipes are a perfect balance between creativity and simplicity. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen newbie, you’ll find yourself inspired to try out new dishes without feeling overwhelmed.The step-by-step instructions are incredibly clear, and the ingredients are easily accessible, which means you can whip up something that looks like it belongs on a restaurant menu in no time at all. The photography is stunning, too – each page is like a mini work of art, motivating you to get into the kitchen and start cooking.One of my favorite aspects is how Kannell emphasizes that you don’t need to be a culinary expert to create a dish that’s as delicious as it is visually appealing. This book makes gourmet cooking feel achievable, which is no small feat!If you’re looking for a cookbook that will not only expand your culinary horizons but also boost your confidence in the kitchen, Preppy Kitchen: Super Easy is the perfect addition to your collection. Highly recommend!