This isn't quite what I was expecting. I liked the tips about creating a minimalist kitchen as far as the utensils and other items needed for a well stocked kitchen, but the recipes are a bit overwhelming.

Beautifully designed book. Bright, high contrast photos and text remind me of Bon Appetit's visual style. I'm not sure how "minimalist" a recipe is when it contains 22 ingredients and an an hour and 35 minutes of prep (chicken gyros, I'm looking at you!). I do understand the author's choice of that word, however. The majority of the ingredients used are pantry staples and ingredients that can be sourced at an ordinary grocery store without any specialty ingredients. The equipment required is also minimal and likely to be found in any basic kitchen. As a whole, the book is full of flavorful, simple, wholesome recipes in a pretty package.

This cookbook was a joy to flip through and save recipes from. One of my favorite things about the recipes were the lack of numbered steps, but broke it into phases, which I appreciated. The bold headline telling me what I'm supposed to do next gave me an immediate idea of what I had to do, and then continuing to read gave me more specific steps.

The minimalist aspect applies to more than just the recipes, but also the design of the cookbook, which was clean, legible and enjoyable to go through. Can't wait to try some of these recipes!

As described in chapter 1 of The Minimalist Kitchen, minimalizing is as much an art form as a practical cooking philosophy. This book covers not only paring down your Kitchen Gadgets but also helps you make over your pantry.

The author, Melissa Coleman, describes minimalism as living efficiently, with only the essentials. Most people have far more gadgets, utensils and food than they actually use on a regular basis. A Minimalist Kitchen will help you control the excess.

While some books have recipes with five ingredients or less, those five ingredients will be different throughout each of the individual recipes. This can cause you to have a multitude of items in your pantry which you will only use once or twice. The recipes in this book are designed to use the same ingredients as other recipes in the book but in different ways, providing a wide range of flavors.

Following the introduction to a Minimalist Kitchen, The Essential Tools provides an overview of the most important tools to keep on hand. Next comes How To Build A Minimalist Pantry, describing how to organize yourself and your pantry items.

How To Stock A Minimalist Pantry explains how to decide what goes into your pantry and how to keep it minimalist. With How To Build A Minimalist Spice Cabinet you will always have the spices you need on hand without unnecessary extras.

The Ingredients section provides a list of the ingredients recommended to keep on hand. This will of course change to your own preferences based on the recipes you choose as your 100 go-to recipes.

In The Recipes, you learn how to best use the recipes in the rest of the book. There is also a Simple Dinner Plan included.

Recipe chapters include:

Breakfast
Main Dishes
Burgers, Wraps & Sandwiches
Soups & Salads
Sides
Drinks
Desserts

Each of the recipes starts with a paragraph about how it came to be. They also include hands-on time, and total time, as well as yield. Icons included at the bottom of each recipe indicate which kitchen pot, pan or other kitchen equipment you will need.

Many of the recipes have labels like Weekday, which means it’s quick to prepare, Weekend which means it takes a little longer has more components etc. and Make Ahead which requires advanced prep and extra time.

Each of the recipes includes luscious full-page photographs of the finished dish. The abundance of photographs rather surprised me (in a good way) given the minimalist nature of the book.

After all of the recipes comes a Seasonal Produce Guide, which will help you choose the appropriate pantry inclusions for each season. Next, a Metric Equivalents set of tables is followed by the Recipe Index.

A Necessary Concept For Any Kitchen

Putting aside the number of people needing to downsize, retirees for example, and the prevalence of Tiny House and RV Living, I think any kitchen can benefit from this book.

Too many of us have entirely too many gadgets in our kitchens. Many of us also end up buying condiments or other ingredients for use only once leaving so much wasted and unused in our pantries.

The absolutely gorgeous, easy to follow recipes aside I would buy this book just for chapter 1. The information on how to pare down your kitchen to just the essentials is invaluable. This would also make an excellent gift for anyone setting up their first kitchen.

See the full review and the recipe for Garlicky Potato Wedges at The RecipesNow! Reviews And Recipes Magazine. This review is written in response to a complimentary copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

There were several reasons I had to read Melissa Coleman’s The Minimalist Kitchen. With my small apartment kitchen, minimalism is mandatory. Also, who cannot read someone who calls themselves The Faux Martha, a genius mix of fangirling, self-deprecation, and the perfect humblebrag since you have to be pretty good to be faux.

The Minimalist Kitchen begins with an incredibly useful kitchen organizing and pantry guide including a list of ingredients you should have on hand as they will be used often. She does not encourage having every spice that ever grew, noting they become stale while taking up space in your spice drawer. She is beautifully organized and I am jealous of her containers. She does not have a long list of utensils, though it is still slightly longer than mine. But she doesn’t have a food processor, so yeah, she’s minimalist.

She organizes her recipes sensibly which makes me happy. There’s Breakfast, Main Dishes, Burgers, Wraps & Sandwiches, Soups and Salads, Sides, Drinks, and Desserts. Much logic, such common sense. To make your life even easier, there is a recipe index and a subject index where you can look up such things as expiration dates and buying in bulk to get her advice on a range of things.

Sometimes she mistakes fast for easy, though. For example, her recipe for a Dutch Baby suggests mixing in a blender. You know that’s harder to wash than a bowl and seriously, a whisk can beat those eggs in a minute. She probably has a dishwasher. I tried it, though, to see if it made a better Dutch Baby, but no, it doesn’t. In fact, oddly, the Dutch Baby stuck to the skillet in a couple spots though I think that was happenstance and not her recipe’s fault. The blender was hella more difficult to clean than the simple metal bowl I usually use.

The recipes are well-chosen with a good mix of basics (scrambled eggs) and more complex dishes including flavorful comfort foods from around the world. Her emphasis is on flavor and fun, you can tell she considers her kids when cooking with lots of finger foods, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and fun desserts. The food is colorful, sure to please your eyes.

Everything is approachable, including the pictures which feature foods that are not too perfect, a bit of over-browning on one part of a galette, slightly uneven sandwiches. It’s all close to perfect, but not so close home cooks will be discouraged from trying. She’s a home cook and the rest of us home cooks can look at the pictures and think, yeah, I can do that. I think cookbook publishers have no idea how important that is. Impress me, yes! Intimidate me, nope.

She mentions hygge several times. It’s the Danish concept of feeling cozy in simple pleasures. I wish she had used the Swedish concept lagom, not too much–not too little, which actually fits the wabi-sabi aesthetic she enjoys better than hygge which seems to find its expression in America through consumption in the form of candles, lamps, quilts, and all sorts of other merchandise. I suppose if we count to a thousand, there will be a marketing campaign around lagom, too. What really surprises me is that she omits fika which is such an important part of that simple life, taking the time to sit down, chat with friends over coffee and cookies.

I received an e-galley of The Minimalist Kitchen from the publisher through NetGalley. It will be published on April 20th.

The Minimalist Kitchen is published by Time, Inc. but is not posted to their site. (at Powell’s Books)

Melissa Coleman web site – The Faux Martha


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In The Minimalist Kitchen, Melissa Coleman takes us back to our cooking roots. She takes cooking to an artistic level while keeping things simple.

The book starts with a note from the author defining what minimalism is and what it means to have a minimalistic kitchen. Ms. Coleman then tells more about her background and how she herself became a minimalist. She also includes helpful charts like a seasonal produce guide and metric equivalents, which is great for beginner cooks like myself.

Though the cover is quite simplistic, the inside of the book is chock full of incredibly gorgeous photos, with pictures of the author and her family sprinkled throughout, really giving it a homey feel. What really charmed me about this book is the little stories that the author has at the beginning of each of her recipes. It gives the instructions a more personable feel and you can tell that each recipe written was written with great thought and love.

There are a lot of wonderful tips through the book as well as many recipes that I myself have never tried or even heard of before, like the Roasted Chickepea Bánh Mì Salad, but most of the recipes are familiar recipes that all of us have either eaten or made, like Peach Cobbler, but the author puts her own unique spin each and every one, and shows you the minimalistic way to make them. The recipes are also very easy to follow and the author does give variations to many of her recipes so you can feel comfortable substituting if you wish.

One common thread throughout The Minimalist Kitchen is the author's use of "high-quality mayonnaise." You will see this ingredient used in a lot of her recipes. She does mention that this is one of her staples, and does give a good explanation why, I just thought it was worth mentioning.

My only compliant is that I wish the author would've taken more care with people who have nut allergies. I myself have a almond allergy and there are quite a few dessert recipes that I can't eat and am not sure if I can substitute the almonds for another nut or omit altogether. This most likely isn't the authors fault and more mine for not being a more seasoned chef and knowing these type of things.

I really enjoyed The Minimalist Kitchen cookbook and can see me putting quite a few of the recipes into my monthly meal rotation.

My husband is headed over to Eastern Washington tomorrow, to help his parents move for the fourth time in the last eleven months. It might not even be the final move, and the siblings have still to tackle the darned house, now standing empty except for decades of belongings, 98% of which none of them want.

This might explain why I'm picking up books like Melissa Coleman's The Minimalist Kitchen.

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Imagine if I ran for president. I'd never get elected because I'd tell everyone, "Never buy another single thing, if you can help it. And, if you can't avoid it, don't buy new, if at all possible. Reduce, reuse, recycle. The last thing any of us need is more stuff. And I'm going to press for a Constitutional amendment, making it a law that presents shall no longer be given on Christmas to anyone over the age of ten."

But I digress. Hey, if you actually use your kitchen for cooking; if people in your family can be coaxed into eating healthy, plant-heavy meals; and if you share my love for purging, check this book out. Coleman gives a very thorough run-down on what a working kitchen and well-stocked pantry actually require, and then she provides a hundred or so recipes. After a little reading, I ran right over to my kitchen and cleaned out three drawers and dumped some little gadgets I never use. Mischief managed.

In addition to the tips and structure, the book has beautiful photographs and handy breakdowns of time and equipment needed for the recipes. I gave this recipe a whirl this week, supplementing it with some minestrone, and everyone in the family thought it was delicious.

The length of the recipe can be daunting, but done in little stages, it was actually no big deal.

Open-Faced Sweet Potato Torta (minus the sweet potatoes because I forgot to put them on for the picture)
Open-Faced Sweet Potato Torta (minus the sweet potatoes because I forgot to put them on for the picture)

MINIMALIST KITCHEN'S OPEN-FACED SWEET POTATO TORTAS
(4+ servings, but I'd supplement with a salad or soup with meat, for bigger appetites)

QUICK-PICKLED RED ONIONS

3/4 c water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp peppercorns
3/4 c thinly-sliced red onion
Bring water to boil in small saucepan. Put the rest of the ingredients, except the onion, in a pint jar, add boiling water, and stir till the salt and sugar dissolve. Put the onions in, making sure they're submerged. Throw the jar in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. (The onions are good for 3 weeks. We ate leftover ones on hamburgers and in salad. I'd make these again just to have on hand!)

CHIPOTLE MAYO

1 tsp pureed chipotle in adobo sauce (freeze the rest of the can for other recipes)
1/4 c mayo
Mix together and refrigerate.

BLISTERED SWEET POTATO ROUNDS

1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut in 1/4" slices
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven to 450F. Combine cornstarch, salt, cumin, cayenne, and garlic in a bowl. Stir in olive oil until a paste forms. Toss the potato slices in the paste to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes each side. Sprinkle with cilantro.

To assemble the tortas, you will also need:

1 can refried black beans (she provides a recipe. I made my own.)
thick slices of artisan bread
1 c arugula
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 sliced avocado
1 sliced jalapeno (optional)
1 lime, cut in wedges
Sprinkle of cotijo cheese.
To assemble, toast the bread. Smear with 1/4 cup refried beans, 1 Tbsp chipotle mayo, sweet potato rounds to cover, 1/4 cup arugula, 1/2 Tbsp cilantro, 1/4 avocado, 1-2 Tbsp pickled onions, jalapeno slices, and a squeeze of lime. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

***

I had no arugula, no jalapenos, and no cotijo cheese on hand, and these were still yummy. And so healthy! Let's be real, though--if your home has normal little kids in it, they're not going to eat this. If you have an empty nest or teenagers, then go for it.

Enjoy. And now excuse me while I get back to throwing things in the Goodwill bag.

This is a gorgeous cookbook. The recipes are simple but elegant, and the photos are beautiful. I can't wait to make some of the salads and desserts especially!

I received this from Netgalley, but my opinions are my own.

I'm picky with cookbooks. If I'm flipping through them and only find a handful of recipes I'd actually use, they stay on the shelf.

This book, though, is more than just a cookbook, though the recipes are a significant part of it. It's got great info on streamlining your kitchen and pantry, making cooking simple and easy -- and, I suppose, minimalist in that way -- and taking the stress out of putting dinner on the table every. single. day.

I loved the recipes and have a good dozen or two that I want to try, too, which is another sign of a good cookbook for me. And there's even a comprehensive list of what produce is in season when, so you can make things even simpler by eating in season.

It's definitely going on my shelf of must-use cookbooks.

I prefer simplicity, and this book provides simple, tasty recipes that are even healthy. Coleman gives shopping and storing tips that are practical and realistic, making this cookbook very applicable to real life cooking. I can't want to buy a copy for the library!

I have mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand, it's beautiful. Great pictures, nice set up etc, but it's not what I expected, and I think thats more about me than this book. I have a different idea of minimalism than the author, and that's fine - that's life.

Most of these recipes are on the lighter side but I was able to find a few that I felt would fit into my menu.

I really liked the "Humble Chuck Roast" and "Beef Tacos with ChimiChurri sauce". Actually, take the chipotle beef from the tacos and put it over rice, yum!
The "Bright Potato Salad" was amazing too, and my son's favorite of the recipes I tried.

One issue I had with these recipes is they turn out REALLY salty, I'd recommend halving any salt called for, you can always add more if you disagree with me.

On the whole, I'm giving 4/5 stars, because it is a nice cookbook, with good recipes, just not many that fit on the ranch LOL

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I loved this cookbook for how accessible all the recipes and great the recipes were. What started as a casual flip through over my morning coffee slowly evolved into me checking I had all the necessary ingredients to make a recipe for dinner and prep breakfast for the next morning. It's a cookbook I'll definitely be referring back to in the future.

This is a varied, inspiring book designed to pare things down and keep it all a bit simpler whilst cooking, and particularly how to 'slim down' your pantry so you don't have an unnecessary amount of utensils, ingredients and spices hanging around and getting in the way. There are also tips and tricks for ensuring you're as efficient as possible in the kitchen. I found this interesting but ultimately was more excited about the recipes!

Now, these don't claim to be super healthy recipes, but they sure are tempting! The breakfast recipes feature a lot of baked goods and some really tasty oatmeal recipes. For me, breakfast is great but I really want inspiration for exciting lunch and dinner options. Enter: the 'main dishes' section!

Here you'll find a range of flavours, styles and complexities to suit various abilities and tastes, from Chickpea Tikka Masala (which I've tried and loved!) to Soba Bowls with Peanut Sauce (I've tried the sauce part which was delicious), and Butternut Pasta which is high on my list to try when I feel like a carb-heavy meal! 

Because my partner is pescetarian I tend to cook just veggie or fish-based meals for both of us, and there's a good number of those in here. However most of the main-course recipes include some form of meat, and look very enticing! The maple-soaked salmon looks absolutely delicious and temptingly simple (I love a fairly short list of ingredients, it's far less intimidating!) and there are also some really lovely looking desserts which I've added to my 'to cook' list!

The photography is lovely and really adds to the book's elegant and - you guessed it - stylishly minimalistic aesthetic, and it would make a lovely gift for someone too!

So if you follow me here and on Instagram, you know that I practice minimalism (unless it comes to books) and I have an obsession with cookbooks.

When I saw this one on Netgalley I knew I had to request it. The cover is extremely eye catching as well 😍 and I've got MAJOR kitchen and house envy of the author.

This cookbook ranges from drinks to desserts and everything in between. As well as tips to achieve a minimal kitchen. There are so many amazing recipes in here that I cannot wait to try out!

Beautiful cookbook with gorgeous pictures. Were I ever to write a cookbook of my own, I'd want it to be exactly like this!

I thought The Minimalist Kitchen was a great read. I enjoyed not only the recipes, but the tips for meal planning and keeping my pantry in order.

I received a copy of The Minimalist Kitchen by Melissa Coleman from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although I am new to the the minimalist approach in the kitchen - and would have a LOT of purging to do to pare things down to just the essentials equipment-wise - I think it is a desirable end goal.

I enjoyed reading he Minimalist Kitchen by Melissa Coleman because everything was simple, straightforward and genuine-seeming (not at all preachy or judgmental). Then for the recipes...oh my gosh - so many things that I'd actually enjoy making and eating. I've only tried a few recipes thus far, but am looking forward to attempting more soon!!

Oh so beautiful. The style of this book got me, so simple and modern, the images are stunning. I want to up and move into this book. The author writes in a nice style, a lovely ease that feels warm and welcoming. A great section on Minimalism and how to achieve it at the start of the book, including equipment and ingredients. the recipes are broken down into weekend, weekday and make ahead to make planning easier. There is also a large section on how to plan out your meals so not to waste food. A great book!

This book was kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Trying to do some Spring Cleaning? Need to declutter your kitchen? Tired of having no counter space? Then read this book. I like how Coleman gives you a breakdown of the kitchen items you need, while also explaining what they do. The book was enjoyable and gave me multiple ideas on what to do with my Kitchen and Pantry. Definitely will be working on cooking some of those recipes.

I received a free ebook copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. It was perfect timing in regards to my sitting down to take a look at this book. I made a commitment to pare down my kitchen gadgets and this book was a great motivator! Even though I have the space for the gadgets in my kitchen I realized that I didn't need so many. I went through my drawers and quickly filled a bag to donate to my local thrift shop. It felt great to clear these items out and I doubt I will miss them. I realized, with the help of this book, that having just those essential tools does make preparing and cooking a meal easier, no more digging through stuff to find the tool you're looking for! The recipes are well written, accompanied by beautiful photos. I am looking forward to cooking from this book!