I LOVE cookbooks and read them like a novel. The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei is a refreshing assortment of family-friendly recipes that include a clever and often surprising secret ingredient. It’s beautifully photographed but unfortunately not all recipes are pictured.

I could almost smell Noni’s Soft Pretzel Knots with Everything Bagel Seasoning. The Caprese Antipasto Salad with fries mozzarella or the Kale Panzanella with Lemon Vinaigrette made with croissants are just a few of the 125 luscious recipes.

Thank you NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for this eARC copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is full of Bright Colorful photos and full of simple recipes...Yum...Yum!!

Thanks you NetGalley and Houghton Mufflin Harcourt for the ARC!

Lots of family friendly recipes. Rather than what they are for, the uniqueness in this book comes from the "secret" ingredient, which is highlighted at the top. They're easy to find if you don't already have them in your kitchen, but the author uses them in sometimes unexpected ways. Recipe chapters are breakfast, snacks, soups and salads, pastas, entrees, sides, desserts, and drinks. Many but not all of the recipes had full color photos. Good book for people who are looking for a twist on their usual recipes or are fans of this blog.

If you enjoy making white-person appropriated cultural foods, then you'll enjoy this book.

Dishes include:

"Soupy Thai Chicken Noodles" (tom kha gai & chicken noodle soup "joining forces" with the secret ingredient being red curry paste, gasp)

"Crispy Crab Rangoon", because she craves "Chinese takeout" regularly, and her goal for "re-creating these Americanized favorites at home is simplified, fresh, and fail-safe recipes that will have you ditching the delivery for good". But "the unusual addition of curry powder catapults this recipe across TWO countries, blending Chinese and Indian flavors for the ultimate takeout-fakeout snack".

Brussels sprouts, that take inspiration from her local "Japanese farmhouse-style restaurant in Texas" - spoiler alert: the secret ingredient is fish sauce.

Those are only three examples, and if you haven't seen your country yet, don't worry - it's in there.

Other dishes besides the multi-cultural ones are just simple American dishes like waffles, bacon-wrapped dates, wedge salad with blue cheese dressing, 30 minute mac and cheese with the addition of pumpkin puree, etc...so nothing difficult at all, and nothing you can't find in any other basic cookbook or online. This is just a bunch of very basic, non-innovative recipes with some simple ingredient like vanilla bean replacing vanilla extract for the "secret ingredient". Save your time and money.

I received the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have found a cookbook that will keep on giving. Perfect gift for budding chefs or for apartment dwelling college students. Senyei's secret ingredients are not earth shattering. They're subtle. I chose to make tomato soup with the secret ingredient being beans. Great recipe and nice flavor. If I were to make it over again I would cook the beans to make them softer. Next, I made the ravioli lasagna. Comes together easily and feeds a ton. The secret ingredient .... ravioli! I also love a cookbook with pictures. See, I'm a visual girl. I NEED pictures. And to have a picture for every recipe is a Godsend. I love, love the photos. I can't list the recipes that are in the cookbook because I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks NetGalley!

I love recipe books, this is how I gleaned how people live. But changing the ordinary, old-fashioned recipe is not my thing. I dreaded seeing unimaginable thing in my recipe and imagining something weird in my plate. You know, such as finding a strawberry in my soup.

So this is a challenge for myself to read this secret ingredients book, which I thought initially was a cookbook with some rarely told ingredients. And I was shocked reading that the author twist her recipes in the introduction.

After pages of recipes, I found her ideas interesting, though. A bit of spice in my bread, or olive oil as the bread's fat. Can't wait to try some of these recipes myself!

An interesting cookbook with a bunch of interesting takes on classic recipes.

Kelly Senyei has created a set of recipes that build off a staple pantry while using a "secret ingredient" in each recipe that pushes it into a new direction from what you might expect. All the recipes are fast and easy, and made using ingredients you can find at your local supermarket.

I'm definitely super intrigued by many of the recipes. Chai-spiced hot chocolate and soupy thai chicken noodles are definitely at the top of my list to try!

This is just what I needed. I was looking for new recipes to try, the author offers recipes we all know but with a fresh idea, in this case it is an ingredient. She incorporates fresh citrus juice, vanilla extract, for example. I cannot wait to try all of the recipes. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

I love cookbooks and this one does not disappoint. I loved it! If you love learning new things to help you planning and cooking delicious meals then you will love this book and learn a lot

This cookbook has a great selection of recipes with ingredients that are easy to find.

The author shares some essential ingredients you find in her pantry such as Kosher Salt, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Flour, Vanilla Extract, Spices, and so on.

Some of her fridge items include eggs, unsalted butter, sour cream, jam, fruits, and vegetables 🌶 🧈🍎🥚

The author lets the reader in on some of her not-so-secrets kitchen ingredients like securing your cutting board, how to quickly ripen bananas, and understanding Dry vs Wet measurement.

Breakfasts include Shake ‘n’ Bacon Bites🥓, Vanilla Bean Drop Doughnuts 🍩, Sweet and Savory Egg Sandwiches 🍳 🥪, and Fluffy Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup🍓🥞.

Soups and Salads include Cheesy Corn Chowder, Soupy Thai Chicken Noodles🍜, Caesar Pasta Salad 🥗 🍝, Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad 🥒, Stone Fruit Salad.

Pasta dishes include 30-Minute Macaroni and Cheese 🫕, Stuffed Shells with No-Mato Sauce, Broccoli Pesto Pasta🥦, Gnocchi alla Vodka.

Entrées and Salads include Glazed Sesame Salmon with Coconut Rice 🍚 🍣, Shrimp and Three-Cheese Grits, Fried Eggs and Rice 🍛, Coconut and Sweet Potato Mash🍠 🥥, Crispy Potato Croquettes🥔, Garlicky Cheese Bread 🍞 and so on.

Desserts 🍨 such as *The* Chocolate Chip Cookie 🍪 🍫, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and Drinks such as The V.I.P., LaJolla, Sunset, Cucumber Mojito 🍹, Hot Chocolate, and Boozy Iced Coffee for coffee lovers.

For each recipe, the author shares a secret ingredient that elevates the recipes and they are accompanied by stunning photos. The instructions are easy to follow.

Thank you to Kelly Senyei, NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC of this book

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is a pretty basic cookbook. I just wasn't wowed. I simply don't think the book fit my cooking style. There are some interesting twists on common recipes that I was intrigued by. I thought the cookbook could use more pictures. However, the recipes were easy to follow.

I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fairly generic cookbook. I am sure it will have a following for some. I did not find anything that r3eally grabbed me or my style of cooking. Having said that, the recipes I tried were good and easy to follow.

I really like the simple layout with soft color schemes. I enjoyed the essential ingredients section and the not-so-secret kitchen tips (because I did not know a lot of these tips!). I found quite a few recipes that I will definitely be trying out!

This is a set of slightly healthier recipes for things my family already knows and loves. The recipes are clearly written and look simple enough for any home chef. And the photos are excellent! I found some of the recipes to be missed for me (nobody besides me would eat any of the soups or salads) but the other recipe sections for breakfast, mains and desserts (and even the small snacks) are filled with winning ideas. I can’t wait to try the tikka masala meatballs- how could that be bad! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for this unbiased review.

I liked this cookbook. Lots of great photos, and delicious dishes... without having to use crazy ingredients.

I lOVED this cookbook! It was bright and fun. The twist of providing a "secret ingredient" was pure fun. Many of the secret ingredients were also common kitchen ingredients that a home chef would have on hand. The simplicity of the recipes offered make them highly cookable, and there were many that I want to try out! For newly adventurous home cooks, this would be a perfect cookbook to try out simple recipes with some unique ingredients that they may not have cooked with before. Happy cooking!

First off - the food looks SO good and the photos are of a great quality. I'm officially hungry. ;-)

I love the layout of each recipe and the fact that it calls out what the secret ingredient is for each recipe. I could find myself making all of these recipes and would definitely buy it for myself!

There’s something intriguing about knowing a recipe has a “secret ingredient.” That’s what makes The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists by blogger, Kelly Senyei, so much fun. Every recipe in the book has a secret ingredient, making it unique. The secret ingredients vary – some are surprising, and some are just different – and it’s fun knowing there’s something secret in every recipe.

This fun cookbook has recipes from breakfast dishes, appetizers to soups, salads, main dishes, pasta dishes, breads, pastries, and desserts. Most are mouthwatering and will appeal to almost everyone. The recipes are well-written and easy to follow; they are suitable for beginning cooks as well as those with more experience. Most of the recipes are fairly easy, too, and have minimum ingredients making them quick to put together. While there are a few exceptions, the more involved recipes are definitely worth taking the extra time.

The cookbook also includes beautiful photographs – not of every recipe (which is unfortunate since there are dozens of delightful recipes that should be pictured ), but many of the recipes. The secret ingredients include things like orange soda, honey mustard, special spices, nut butters, bittersweet chocolate, yogurt, and tahini to name a few.

All told, this is a fun cookbook with excellent recipes, and secret ingredients that the lucky tasters won’t be able to guess. There is something for everyone here.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

#TheSecretIngredientCookbook #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book - I thought it was fairly standard, however seeing the secret ingredient highlighted made it much more interesting. I am excited to try many recipes (and it's been some time since I got excited). Caramel-Apple Cinnamon Rolls (with herby secret ingredient) is a good example. Some recipes have secret ingredients that aren't super exciting (or that I've tried before) but still interesting to try and a neat twist to cookbooks.

A fun, secret ingredient recipe book that just might make your dishes sing with a new flavor profile! While the secret ingredient is a surprise, the ingredients are readily available and can be found in any grocery store. The book is beautifully photographed and while not every recipe has a picture, there is plenty of them peppered throughout the book to make you visually happy with the book overall. I found this a pleasant switch from the normal and a fun way to get into the kitchen and change up the flavor profile on some of your favorite dishes!! Loved it!