I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting cook book!

Each recipe lists the secret ingredient, which is often something you didn't expect to include in the recipe. I wish pictures of each recipe was included since some of the instructions are a bit general for people just starting out.

There's a good variety of recipes and some that don't seem too time intensive!

This book has some very interesting recipes. Most require only a handful of store cupboard staples and the methods are quick and easy to follow. The dessert section is my favourite but then it always is 🤣

The photography in this book is also very good although not every recipe is illustrated which is sometimes a let down. I'm sure i'm not the only one who flicks though recipe books looking at pictures to decide what i'd like to make for dinner.

The secret ingredients contained in the book are not that shocking really, maybe a little odd from time to time but I won't judge until I've tried some of the recipes. I have bookmarked quite a few I want to try.

Overall I recommend this book for its sheer simplicity and interesting little twists.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a fun idea for a cookbook! The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei is all about taking some delicious recipes and elevating them with one ingredient.

This book is packed with so many recipes. Some of them are pretty common recipes, so that secret ingredient really helps to make it special. There were other recipes, I have never tried or heard of. It is fun to know when I try them, they will be made superior by that secret ingredient.

Each recipe tells you what the secret ingredient is, so there is no guessing. With the secret ingredients, I would say about half of them are items I keep in my house. So, while I love playing with new ingredients I don’t normally use, that is a lot of extra ingredients to buy.

Overall, this is a really dense recipe book full of some classic favourites, along with some fun, new recipes. If you like a twist on recipes you already love, this recipe book is for you.

I received an electronic advanced reader copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

The recipes in this book look delicious. I would absolutely buy/recommend/gift this cookbook. The 'Breakfast' section in particular stood out to me, which offers several fun and interesting, yet fairly approachable recipes that I personally can't wait to try. I will say, based on the title of the book I expected the recipes to be perhaps a bit more... unique? I didn't find anything in this book that really differentiated it from other fun, approachable cookbooks in the same vain.

The Layout and design is nice: breezy and clean, allowing the focus to be on the recipes. The photos were beautiful and a clear indication of what the end result of each recipe should be. Overall it seems to be a great cookbook. I look forward to the release!

I read a LOT of cookbooks and I really liked this one. Some of the 'secret ingredients' are so interesting and surprising and the tips that are included are very helpful. This made me look at some old favorites in a new way and excited to put a spin on some classics.

Very nice cookbook with lots of visuals (my favorite thing for cookbooks to implement; my brain seems to function better in the kitchen when I have a photo to work from). Plentiful variety among the recipes, and easy to follow instructions.

This book has some great recipes. I like that each one has a little something that you think "what is it that is different?" There are quite a few recipes that I can't wait to try.
This was an ARC copy from netgalley.

I loved this cookbook with a difference! It’s packed full of classic recipes but the secret ingredient in each one has opened up a world of new flavours and textures.

The pictures are beautiful and the recipes are clear and easy to follow.

I made my family several recipes from this cookbook and they were all well received. I’ll definitely be using this book as inspiration for my further cooking adventures.

ARC received from Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the concept of this book, who doesn't love a little suspense in cooking. My husband had fun trying to guess the secret ingredient in the recipes we tried, though occasionally the secret was something that we already used in the recipe or was so minimal it was hardly noticeable and didn't seem to make much of a difference. The book is well organized and the pictures were great (always want more photos in cookbooks). The cooking tips were also helpful (never would have thought to proof dough in the dryer!)

My main issues with the book were the secrets that seemed pretty obvious or the ingredients that needed to be purchased that I wouldn't use for much else. Some recipes we tried were just average and others were really good---though a lot of that comes down to personal taste preferences and is not a fault of the author.

Overall this is a sold cookbook with a fun twist and I look forward to using her tips in the kitchen and spicing up my routine meals with twists.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this would be a cookbook similar to Jessica Seinfeld's with tips on how to include healthy ingredients into your family meals. This was different but I was pleasantly surprised. Kelly Senyei has taken familiar recipes and found a certain secret ingredient that takes the old to a new, higher level. Her cookbook is beautiful, easy to use, and full of recipes I actually want to make. I started flipping through it one night to see what the cookbook was about and ended up reading through the entire book, marking several recipes that I want to try soon. I loved the simple changes to kick dinner up a notch.

This book is great. Lovingly illustrated the recipes are appealing and the instructions are clear. I look forward to trying out the recipes.

This certainly had some tasty twists inside.
Not all of them had pictures, but a large chunk of them did which always makes life easier.
I tried a bunch of recipes and was pleasantly surprised to find my favourite one was...
The Cheesy Corn Chowder.
I normally am not a big fan of soup and only really make it to appease my husband.
That is what this book is; happy recipes you didn't know you wanted.
Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for my DRC.

I will definitely be buying the hard cover edition of this cookbook! The recipes sound so amazing and fairly easy to make!

The pictures are beautiful and the books are broken down into Breakfast, Snacks, Soups & Salads, Pastas, Entrees, Side, Desserts, and Drinks. There are also some quick tips included in the beginning of the book.

Some of the recipes that I will definitely be trying are Vanilla Bean Drop Doughnuts, Caramel-Apple Cinnamon Rolls , Berry Breakfast Pastries, Skillet Sweet Potato Hash, Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Whipped Cream, Noni's Soft Pretzel Knots, Crispy Crab Rangoon, Rotisserie-Chicken Tortilla Soup, Caesar Pasta Salad, 30-Minute Macaroni and Cheese, Simple Skillet Lasagna, French Onion Steak Sandwiches, Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

This cookbook is a unique one. The different secret ingredients for each recipe are insightful and things I will use when cooking next. The information about each secret ingredient is also insightful. I will definitely be buying this book when it comes out.

Good recommendation for anyone wanting to experiment from basic cooking.

The cookbook included beautiful photos of most of the recipes. I wish there had been more photos of the desserts. The thing I was put off about was the number of ingredients needed for each recipe. A number of recipes had well over 15 ingredients. I was a little confused as to the "secret ingredient" in some of the recipes because it was one that I normally use in mine. I feel like she took basic, classic recipes and made them too involved.

I was given an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I actually loved this cookbook. A lot of others start with somewhat useless information at the beginning. This book actually gave me a lot of information I had never heard before. The recipe photos were nice although nothing to write home about. But the actual recipes are great. They all seem doable and delicious. I would keep this in my home for years to come.

4.5 stars

I found this to be a fun and informative cookbook.
What I loved:
I loved the tips at the beginning of the book. What you should be aware of and what you should already have ready in your pantry.
I thought the photos were very pretty. It gave a good look at what the food should resemble.
I liked that most ingredient you can easily find.
Most of the recipes looked very appetizing.
I like the organization of the foods.
knowing the ingrediant to make the dish stand out and taste great.

What I thought could be better:
I felt could be a little healthier or more options for healthy (but there are all kinds of cookbooks in many categories and I would still make them or occasions)
I tend to get cookbooks that have photos for every recipe. I want to know what they look like and even sometimes photos of tricky parts of cooking it or what the pans look like.

Overall I really liked this cookbook and would have fun making some of the dishes to see how that ingrediant made it all the better.

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei (Just A Taste), is exactly that and much more. The book is written in simple format, easy to understand steps, has dishes with readily available ingredients and substitutes and has easy to follow science behind the food we eat.
Let’s talk about what I loved the most about this book: it’s “down-to-earth” approach. What I mean by that? Well seeing how Kelly is herself a mom, and has worked as a professional chef and cooks for her family at her home, she marries the two concepts so wonderfully, making sure that busy moms who are cooking at home, don’t have to go out of their way to prepare a scrumptious meal for the family: delivering things that are not only scrumptious but also don’t take a big chunk outta one’s time. The dishes let one challenge themself and make use of leftovers in creative, successful ways (left over mashed potatoes for croquettes anyone?). She goes in to such details, even mentioning the “inches” of oil one would need to fry something, that kinda detail shows how much effort she has put in to her recipes and this book and how much she wants to share her expertise with people at home.
Another thing that I loved about the book is that Kelly has come up with healthier versions of daily classics! Take banana bread for instance: using whole wheat and olive oil not just enhances the taste but also makes the bread a lot more healthier! Adding pumpkin to pasta to make it creamier, things that one would have never thought about, but make one go, “that’s just awesome”!
The book also boasts “improved” versions of some of her recipes already shared on her website and making use of readily available stuff to decorate cakes and cupcakes!
Going through one recipe, I was like, “hey this sounds like Masala Chai”, and what do you know, it was “Masala” hot cocoa. My point being, Kelly has taken our favorite recipes and added a twist to them that takes them up a notch. I’d know, I have recreated some of the recipes in the book, and they have turned out amazing: every single time!

The book has everything, from dips, to snacks to full blown out dinner ideas and desserts.
This book is a “must have” in one’s culinary arsenal!

I was given an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Very nice cookbook! The book is beautiful, the photos are very nice, it's very well organized and easy to read and I would make most of the recipes in this book. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I always request cookbooks. This one stands out the most for me! I love the recipes and the flow of content. It will be a reference book for my kitchen for years to come.