Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Each of the 125 recipes in this cookbook contains a secret ingredient, something that changes the taste, texture or presentation just enough to turn the dish from ordinary to extraordinary. All of the ingredients are easy to obtain, in fact, Senyei says that if it isn’t on Wal-Mart’s website, it isn’t in the cookbook. While Senyei trained as a professional chef, the recipes were tested by home cooks, so directions are clear and easy to understand, and I picked up a few interesting ways to bring new life to old recipes. Here are some of the things you’ll learn:

The secret for making fluffy gnocchi.
How to add flavor and texture to chili.
How to replace the eggs in your meatball recipe.
Take a chicken pot pie to the next level.
Make extra crispy chicken tenders.
Add some sweet heat to your pizza.
Add some gusto to your carnitas.
Add some zing to your Brussel sprouts.
Make the perfect chocolate chip cookie with chewy centers and crunchy edges.
Make cake-like black and white cookies.
How to intensify the chocolate taste in a raspberry chocolate sheet cake.

And did I mention the pictures are drool-worthy!

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These recipes are full of duh moments-tater tots in a quesadilla for instance- that make these recipes easier to make. I very much appreciated that. Senyei includes a good range of recipes-vegan, vegetarian, meat- for all the needs in your life. While some of the secret ingredients are a little obvious, I have found everything I cooked to be delicious from the Caprese Antipasto Salad to the California Breakfast Quesadilla.

I really like this cookbook. It has a lot of great recipes. I am especially looking forward to trying the mac and cheese with pumpkin! I appreciated the way this book addresses picky eating by making yummy dishes with hidden veggies and other nutrients that might be off putting.

I am a picky eater due to textural issues. My one problem with it is since it is an ARC I have to read it from my phone, which is difficult. However, I am giving it five stars because I will buy a glorious copy with pictures when the book comes out. Can't wait!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Kelly Senyei for the ARC of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook.

This cookbook is amazing! The photography is gorgeous. I loved the concept of taking family-friendly recipes and adding the twist of an unexpected ingredient that makes the dish special. I really enjoyed the short intro to each recipe on how the author was introduced to certain dishes and how she made the dishes her own.

The only thing I wish was different about this cookbook is I wish there was a picture for every recipe as I really enjoy seeing the final results of the recipes. I often am drawn to recipes I normally would not be very interested in after seeing the picture of the completed dish. Since I read the ARC copy I hope that there may be additional photos added when the book is published because I look forward to purchasing a copy of the book for my collection.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Those of us who are working from home are spending a bit more time in our kitchens these days, whether it be raiding our refrigerators, or whipping up meals from scratch, now that dining out is such a chore. <u>The Secret Ingredient Cookbook</u> by Kelly Senyei suggests all kinds of interesting twists to liven up your home cooked meals. (These recipes would be great to cook together with friends!)
Some of my favourites include the TexMex Turkey Burgers - can't wait to see how the secret ingredient of a can of creamed corn will liven up this standard fare in my own kitchen.
The secret ingredient of unsweetened cocoa powder for Slow Cooker Carnitas, broiled at the last minute for extra crunchiness, is on my To Cook list for sure! And have you ever heard of adding ginger ale to your pumpkin waffle mix?!
How about adding fresh chopped rosemary to your Caramel-Apple Cinnamon rolls? And I am intrigued by the potential taste-fest that two teaspoons of ground cardamom will create when added to the Berry Breakfast Pastries recipe in the beginning of this book.
The photographs are mouthwatering: clear, vivid and enticing. For Foodies and fellow cook book collectors, this collection of recipes is sure to please - both the eyes and the tummy!
I rate this one a yummy 5 out of 5!

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is a collection of family-friendly recipes which each contain an extra seasoning or ingredient written and developed by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Due out 4th May 2021 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 304 pages (ebook version) and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

Not long ago, I stopped by a small family bistro and indulged myself with a fresh salad for lunch with really *fresh* and uncomplicated ingredients, served very well and unpretentiously. As I was eating, I was struck by how much the taste was elevated by the simple unexpected addition of julienned fennel. Everything was very fresh, but that fennel really made the salad special and unusual. This cookbook is written around the same principles - here are recipes for Caesar pasta salad with avocado, succotash with edamame, barbecue meatballs with orange soda, and over 120 more recipes with unusual ingredient twists. The ones we tried from this collection were all delicious and worked very well.

The author begins with a well stocked pantry list of must-have ingredients. The list is traditional (dried pasta, honey, brown & white sugar, vanilla extract, etc) but also contains some extras with which I agree wholeheartedly, fresh citrus and herbs for example. There is an abbreviated tips and tricks list with some interesting entries for quickly ripening bananas and lots more.

The recipes themselves are arranged in chapters roughly thematically: breakfast, snacks, soups & salads, pastas, entrées, sides, desserts, and drinks. Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only), step by step instructions, as well a footers with tips and alternatives as well as tips on processing, presentation and more. Nutritional information is not included. The photographs are not plentiful but the ones which are included are high quality and clear - and serving suggestions are appealing and appropriate. The release version of the book will contain an index as well.

The recipe ingredients themselves are (mostly) easily sourced and will be available at well stocked grocery stores. There are a very few ingredients which might be a little more difficult to source, but definitely nothing that is 'way out there'.

Four stars. Well written and presented tasty recipes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

An interesting book with a novel starting point - recipes for many things you may have already tried but which have one ingredient you probably wouldn't have thought of including.

It's a good book for pushing you out of your comfort zone and encouraging cooks to try new things. Lots of interesting ideas for doing something different.

This book is beautiful.
It's one of those that you devour late at night and only realise how hungry you are when you hear your stomach rumbling.

FULL of exciting recipes, with interesting ways to make them different, easier, or just plain tastier.
They are simply written, easy to follow and come alongside full colour, high definition photographs. All these elements combine into making you run to the kitchen and get your pans out that little bit faster.

The only, and I truly mean only, downside is that I now have to move to the US.
This book is not UK or European friendly.
Where do I get tater tots and frozen ravioli in the UK?!

I will most definitely be recommending this to my American friend though, particularly those with children as I think the book lends itself better to families.

4 stars to this one. It would have been 5, if it weren't for the fact that I can't make most of the recipes.

This cookbook has a great twist—each recipe has a secret ingredient that will make it taste even better.

My favorite idea is probably the caramel corn cooked in bacon fat, but that was just one of many recipes I’d like to try.

There is a balsamic vinaigrette with coffee added, curried red lentil soup with pear as secret ingredient, antipasto salad with fried mozzarella cheese, and many more.

If you want to make your favorites taste even better, check this one out.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers and Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

This cookbook is beautifully laid out & has an intriguing premise- to see the "secret" ingredients for a wide variety of recipes. I think some recipes are a little more involved than I would prefer for weeknights, but I would turn to this for entertaining. I'd want to try any recipe in advance as in some cases the secret ingredients can cause pause. I hope to try several, however, and enjoyed reading through this cookbook!

Kuddos to the author for highlighting which ingredient you wouldn't expect to find in each recipe. I really enjoy this concept and havent seen many cookbooks use it as the main focus for a cookbook.

Usually when I want to buy a cookbook it is because it has those tried and true recipes that I love and keep coming back to over and over and over again. I will say, as someone who is a little more advanced in their culinary skills, this is not the book for me, but I think it will be very well received by moms and dads alike for its approachability for weekend or weeknight meals for the family. In all honesty, there were quite a few recipes that really caught my eye:

Caramelized Onion Dip
Rotisserie Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sweet & Sour Cucumber Salad
Chicken Cutlets with Apple Salad
Tea Mex Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Mayo
Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps Crispy Potato Croquettes
French Onion Steak Sandwiches
Shortcut Black and White Cookies

These would all be a hit with my family! I would most likely buy this book as a gift for a fellow mom. It has excellent ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley
#TheSecretIngredientcookbook

I loved this book. Most of the recipes seemed pretty simple and look delicious! I will definitely be trying out a lot of these recipes!!

I love this cookbook! The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is beautifully designed, and the photographs are simply mouthwatering. While some of the "secret" ingredients weren't a huge surprise to me, some were things I never would have considered. I consider myself a well-seasoned cook, and the recipes are sufficiently interesting to appeal to my sense of adventure, but not so challenging that a kitchen beginner would be turned off. Many of the ingredients used are things I already have in my kitchen, so that's a plus. I'm looking forward to trying out more of the recipes!

Thanks to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the advance copy.

What a great cookbook!

The book itself is clear in instruction and insightful in the use of "oddball" ingredients. I love the idea of having a "secret" ingredient to commonplace dishes--it adds a level of intrigue to an otherwise basic meal. It makes someone think, "Wow, what is that flavor?" and can certainly help to use up certain specialty condiments or normal pantry ingredients that are sitting around.

I did raise my eyebrow at a few things that were considered "secret" ingredients, however, such as the Greek salad with halloumi cheese rather than feta and no type of lettuce. I'm not really sure what difference that was supposed to make, especially since the traditional village salad is served without lettuce anyway. Halloumi cheese is tasty, however, so I can't complain too much about it (except for the price). I also did find it surprising that cocoa was a secret ingredient for the pork carnitas as that wouldn't be an ingredient that's totally out of line for that type of cuisine--but I suppose this cookbook is targeted towards people who cook "American-style" on a daily basis. Again, it probably tastes great, so not really a huge complaint.

The pictures are beautifully shot and mouthwatering. The front cover alone piqued my interest in requesting this book--who doesn't love a luscious looking mac n' cheese?

Overall, a great cookbook that would be suited for cooks wanting mostly family-friendlyish recipes with an edge of interest.

Gorgeous cookbook with wonderful, mouthwatering recipes! The recipes are largely comfort foods, but with a flair and a "secret" unexpected ingredient. The recipes are fairly simple in terms of number of ingredients and preparation. This cookbook uses whole ingredients for delicious home cooking style recipes that would be wonderful for serving everyday or for company. I especially loved the stunning photography accompanies most of the recipes. I strongly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this cookbook. Thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed reading through this collection of recipes with “secret ingredients” that top off the flavors and methods for a variety of meals. There are plenty of dishes to choose from in the typical breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack etc fashion. Each recipe contains a “secret ingredient” which the author uses to enhance the dish. Some are common and some are unique!

Some reasons why I liked this cookbook:

1. the recipes are reasonable. I can see myself making a majority of these and would, in fact, like to do so.

2. The photography is crisp, appetizing, and modern design. Food looks great.

3. Recipes include ingredients I am familiar with and can afford.

4. Tips are very useful. I learned quite a bit even from the very start.

Highly recommended. This is a cookbook I see myself owning and trying dishes from.

Author Kelly Senyei invites you into her kitchen and shares her love of cooking with family friendly recipes that have a little extra “secret ingredient” will elevate your dish to the next level of goodness!
This cookbook is great for beginners with the addition of “ Essentials for the pantry and refrigerator ingredients” that all cooks should have on hand and seasoned cooks who need some fresh ideas.
Breakfast,lunch, dinner or snacks recipes, The Secret Ingredient Cookbook has it all.

SusanWillams

Beautifully photographed and expertly written, "The Secret Ingredient Cookbook" is chock full of fun recipes you will actually make.

There are recipes from appetizers to drinks, desserts to entrees to pastas. I found so many that I already want to make. The Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with its secret ingredient (spoiler: it's cream cheese) is apparently the author's most-pinned recipe on Pinterest and the one that made her an internet sensation. However, it's her unique use of other ingredients in the main dishes that really sets her apart and made me want to dive in. In fact, might have to make her Simple Skillet Lasagna tonight!

As an expert home cook, I can verify that this is a sensational cookbook to be given as a gift to all levels of cooks, or to treat yourself to a lovely book to browse through and pick up something fun to make.

I received a e-copy ARC as a reviewer for NetGalley.

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

I've experimented in my kitchen for years, playing around with recipes and flavors to find what suits me best, so of course I was excited when I saw this book up for a chance to read and review.

The photography is great, but I would have liked a picture of every dish to be included.

Overall, the recipes were nice, but for me these recipes felt like more work went into them than they were worth. At times, I couldn't find a secret ingredient within the recipe, or the recipes were so overloaded with ingredients that it felt overwhelming.

I think this book would work best for those just starting to experiment with their cooking and who haven't really strayed from their recipes before.

A great cookbook with some beautiful and yet very easy recipes.

I love the use of the special ingredient, I feel it adds to the recipe to make it extra enjoyable. I will get much use out of this book!

The only con would be not having picture representation on all recipes.