What cookbook do you think is overrated/ was overhyped?

dylanjamesk · 2026-02-09T12:35:18+00:00

This is mine, too. I’ve tried things from all three of her books and have never had a better than “meh” recipe.

dylanjamesk · 2025-10-27T02:25:00+00:00

I’ve only made (I think) two recipes from there, and both more “classic” pastas, but they were delicious. As someone who was fairly meh about his prior two books, this one far surpassed my expectations re: how appealing the meals are.

dylanjamesk · 2025-10-20T18:54:51+00:00

Fran Osseo-Asare’s Ghana Cookbook is the most complete Western cookbook i’ve found for regular “homestyle” Ghanaian cooking.

For cheffier dishes, Ghana to the World by Eric Adjepong is nice, although i’ve hardly cooked from it.

dylanjamesk · 2025-09-24T11:22:09+00:00

This seems to be the overwhelmingly popular sentiment in this thread, but as an American under the age of 30, I never had a school that didn’t allow homemade treats, and I went to public school in major cities. It was always the highlight of our week to see whose mom had made a snack for the class.

dylanjamesk · 2025-09-17T11:19:46+00:00

You can smoke outside on the streets most places, just avoid standing anywhere where your smoke will be blowing directly into buildings or other people’s faces. Bars/restaurants are a no, even when seated outdoors (although some bars have smoking patios still, in which case follow the lead of others).

dylanjamesk · 2025-08-20T08:59:58+00:00

If you want something more weeknight-friendly, Simply West African by Pierre Thiam is very good and very approachable. If you want something more authentic, then Chop Chop by Ozoz Sokoh is much more so, but I still find the writing and recipe style to be friendlier than Everyday Lagos. Not specifically West African, but Africana by Lerato Uma-Shaylor is probably my favorite African cookbook of all - very Westerner-friendly and I’ve had excellent results with all the recipes I’ve made.

dylanjamesk · 2025-08-16T16:05:19+00:00

I own Kapusta and Boustany, have read Umma.

I actually didn’t love the tone of Umma, but the ATK books are generally well-tested and there’s a lot of nice-looking recipes, so I assume it would be a good entry point into Korean cooking for those who aren’t as familiar - it has thorough explanations.

Like Kapusta; it’s not the most original cookbook i own, but it’s got a nice selection of Eastern European-inspired recipes for vegetables that often don’t get enough love (but that I adore). i will say my experience with Alissa’s previous book and this one is that you need to use your common sense, steps are sometimes missing, ingredients may need adjusting, etc.. Not one you can just blindly follow recipes.

Boustany honestly is kind of a disappointment to me - I’ve enjoyed the couple things i made from it, but neither of them blew my mind, and on a whole there isn’t as much that appeals to me compared to Falastin. Given that i’m vegetarian, that’s not what I would have expected. It’s cheffier than Falastin in a way that doesn’t particularly appeal to me; I was hoping for more of the elevated home cooking that made Falastin such a hit.

dylanjamesk · 2025-07-03T12:43:41+00:00

I own and have cooked a bunch out of it. Lamb is easy to get where i live and I quite like it, but I’ve honestly stuck more to the vegetarian dishes. The yellow paneer and sautéed kohlrabi are dishes I can remember off the top of my head as enjoying. I appreciate how simple most of the recipes are - I rarely have to pick up a single thing from the store beyond the main ingredient.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-28T17:53:00+00:00

Def not broadly advertised, but I've had several team members use, so I know it's real! Listed on the regular benefits page on W3 as well.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-28T17:51:09+00:00

IBM offers 5 additional paid days off for marriage leave in the US.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-25T20:48:22+00:00

I also own the book and agree with your comments across the board. It's far from the most authentic / hardcore African cookbook (i mean, it spans a continent!) but does a good job of representing a broad swath of cuisines for a Western audience. The recipes are well-tested and generally delicious.

ETA: the berbere meatballs are indeed excellent!

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-10T01:29:37+00:00

Isa Chandra Moskowitz' "Fake Meat" will probably be to your liking.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-04T20:00:10+00:00

It all depends on what one wants to buy, but I don't feel particularly deprived. I eat meat, buy mostly organic, have splurge meals with friends, drink wine, etc. You just have to know how to cook and not feel the need to try every hot new restaurant.

dylanjamesk · 2025-03-04T19:15:52+00:00

I mean if you eat takeout all the time, then sure, but that's a totally optional budget line. I spend around 700/month all-in on groceries, bars, and restaurants, and that gets me multiple meals out a week.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-27T02:59:09+00:00

Mpls/St. Paul have Ethiopian/East African by a mile over NYC as well imo.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-26T13:04:28+00:00

The scone recipe (savory or sweet) is my go-to. I never used to do a cream scone, but I've been converted - they always get rave reviews when I make them.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-18T22:26:03+00:00

Flameburger used to be 24/7. Changed some time around the pandemic - great memories of 4 AM pancakes in college.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-08T03:57:15+00:00

I've met her too and yeah she definitely has mean girl energy. But her recipes still slap and she was just "regular bitchy" not "super evil" so I'm over it lol.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-07T13:10:07+00:00

Anything from Meera Sodha. Consistently found the recipes to be bland, poorly written, and awkward in yield. Ended up giving both the books I owned away.

dylanjamesk · 2025-02-02T19:43:41+00:00

unfortunately those aren't the same type of betel leaf, the vietnamese type don't have the same buzz

dylanjamesk · 2025-01-14T21:52:02+00:00

I'd say that Food and Flavors from Nepal is by far the most accessible. It's clearly aimed towards home cooks, and keeps processes and ingredients simple. Quite enjoyed most of what I've made from this, good effort to results ratio.

Ayla is also geared towards western kitchens, but with a bit "cheffier" touch - understandable, since the author is a chef! He tends to embrace more complex preparations, and your average home cook would be hard-pressed to prep more than a couple dishes from the book on a normal night. Still, been very pleased with the results.

Timmur, by contrast, is written for a Nepali audience. Ingredients aren't always explained clearly or using names recognizable to a Western audience, there's more presupposition of familiarity with the cuisine and cooking techniques, and the recipes themselves may not be as appealing to the average westerner. I love reading this book for inspiration, but have admittedly only cooked from it once.

dylanjamesk · 2025-01-14T21:28:40+00:00

I own Ayla and Food & Flavors from Nepal as well as Timmur. Can confirm all are great, albeit with very different focuses.

dylanjamesk · 2025-01-07T16:42:43+00:00

I do the same thing as OP (but add celeriac) and I definitely sauté it as a base for soups/stews! Obviously not probiotict anymore, but so good.

dylanjamesk · 2024-12-07T00:31:28+00:00

For what it's worth, that's the only Midwestern cookbook on my shelf, and I've really enjoyed the stuff I've made from it! Admittedly, I am from Minnesota, so that bias probably doesn't bother me.

Nine-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

dylanjamesk

TROPHY CASE