I really love the concept of this beautifully designed cookbook!
Most of them take 30 minutes or less - which is great! The book is divided into sections and each recipe is easy to follow. The recipes are soo yummy and you just want to try them all in one sitting! I hope they will turn out like the pictures. What REALLY drew me to this cookbook was the secret ingredient idea for each dish and let me tell you.. it really does work magic! You need to try them!

I really love the concept of this cookbook! The Secret Ingredient Cookbook has a lot of familiar family friendly recipes but Kelly Senyei has added on special ingredient to make it taste a little extra special. Lots of great ways to try and add a little more flavour or just a twist on a classic. The champagne pancakes are definitely on my wish list next time we make brunch!

Beautifully designed and created with much love - the recipes are easy doable and also use completely every-day ingredients. The Secret Ingredient in each one isn't unusual as well, but brings a bright and clever twist to the most likely known recipes. Unfortunately for me, the majority of them were based on meat and eggs which makes them a lot easier and basic, but not suitable for several diets. Nevertheless, the pictures and comments by the author spark motivation and inspiration - making me think about some vegan alternatives to one or two of the given meals. And for every 0815 amateur chef who wants to make a delicious meal that everyone in his family will probably enjoy, this book is surely helpful and informative. Well done!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is a delicious cookbook for scrumptious meals that mostly take 30 minutes or less. The book is divided into sections and each recipe is easy to follow and understand. The photographs in this book of the dishes/meals look so yummy and will have your taste buds tingling.
There are so many recipes I want to try and can't wait to have a go at. I just hope they turn out as well as the photos!
The last section of the book is drinks and these are mainly alcohol related and look beautiful.

Thank you Kelly Senyei and NetGalley for allowing me to review The Secret Ingredient Cookbook. I’ve tried a few of the recipes and enjoyed them, but my husband is addicted to your vanilla bean doughnuts! This recipe is not only simple, but it allows us to have a delicious treat in under 30 minutes with minor clean up afterwards. The pumpkin waffles are also delicious and very fluffy. Most of the recipes use ingredients found in my pantry. I believe this cookbook will be a big seller and I can’t wait to get mine!

This is definitely a must read cookbook because of how easy the recipes are and how amazing the pictures are! This book covers a lot of food and all of it looks delicious. I didn’t get a chance to try out these recipes but I will definitely get to it soon.

Thank you Netgalley & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an arc of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook by Kelly Senyei in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first cookbook review, but not my first cookbook. I have a few shelves with my favorite cookbooks, so I was excited to check this one out. I knew nothing about Kelly Senyei or her blog going into this book. I love secret ingredients, but this was not what I was expecting.

When I think secret ingredient cooking, I think hiding vegetables or healthy ingredients in dishes. That is not what this is. What I learned is that Kelly is known for adding perhaps odd ingredients to bring out flavors in dishes. For example, her number one recipe is chocolate chip cookies which she adds cream cheese too, who knew.

I have not had a chance to try any of the recipes but I did make notes on a few things I’d like to try. A few things about the actual recipes.

-I’m a fan of pictures in cookbooks. Although there were some pics, it would be great to have one for every recipe. Sometimes pics get my attention more than the recipe.
-I like that she listed the prep time, total time, servings, & secret ingredient at the top of every recipe.
-The one thing I’d note is this feels like it’s more for beginners. I cook a lot. I love to play and try new things, however I have my go to recipes like; mac and cheese, butternut squash soup, and skillet lasagna. I’m happy excited to try some pumpkin in my mac and cheese, but I will probably stick with my family recipe. But that is a personal thing.

I’d recommend this to young cooks, or parents with young kids. Oh, and I hope in the final version they add an index with all the recipes. I’m sure they will but I was missing that at the end.

I love to cook (okay - I love to eat, too!) and was so excited to get this cookbook via Net Galley. I read it on my Net Galley shelf app (first time app user!) but I will probably buy a copy when it comes out because I want it in my collection.

I cook and bake every day for my family, and they can be picky. This cookbook had so many wonderful recipes that I could see us eating! No "tricky" ingredients. No complicated instructions. Just straightforward instructions, suggested time it would take to prepare, and absolutely exquisite pictures! I wasn't sure what the secret ingredient aspect would be (was hoping for vegetables in disguise since one of my kids is picky), but they were all things I'd have around the house (some intuitive, some will be new combinations).

Thanks so much for letting me preview this delicious selection!

Beth's Book-Nook Blog www.drbethnolan.com

I really enjoyed this cookbook! Some of the secret ingredients were "predictable " but many had me thinking "WOW! I would never think to add/change that".

If you are down to experiment in the kitchen and go beyond your normal culinary comfort zone you need to grab this cookbook! You will get to try some seriously unique and sometimes "crazy" combinations that result in shockingly delicious meals.

This cookbook also has stunning and mouth watering photographs which is always a plus!!

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I loved every single photo in this cookbook. What's better than the photos? The recipes that sneak ingredients in to add healthier aspects and elevate the recipes. Three-cheese queso with sweet potato, farro soup with Guinness, mac and cheese with pumpkin puree. YUM. So excited to make my way through these delicious recipes.

I also enjoyed the short intro, kitchen staples etc. And each little blurb on the recipe that gives us a little insight to it and the author without being too much. I'm seriously in love with this cookbook. Thank you Kelly!

This cookbook is very well set up and has wonderful pictures. I love having pictures of the meal though I think I would have preferred a picture with each one. The one thing that really drew me to this cookbook was the secret ingredient idea for each dish. I tried a few even ones that I wouldn't have normally added and was amazed at the change of taste. I am a person who likes to experiment and try new things so this was a great cookbook to have if that is your way of cooking as well.

* Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Until I try out some of these recipes it hard to properly rate a cookbook as a success or a one that I want to have in my kitchen. But I was really intrigued by the "secret" aspect of this book. It didn't disappoint. There are some twists on familiar dishes. I liked that the author included desserts and drinks too.

The editing of this book is exceptional.
Everything is very clear and easy to follow, with some mouthwatering pictures.

Perfect gift for a foodie.

Lovely pictures and a "secret ingredient" hook that is sometimes startling, sometimes strained.

Startling: I cannot wait to try using pineapple juice (2 cups!) instead of wine in risotto. The author promises that this is a five-star dish. Just from the heavily sweet and fruity ingredients in the recipe, it looks like it could use some more heat/spice. But I will see how it turns out.

Strained: Sometimes the ingredients are minor flavoring adaptations, like using almond extract in cakes. This seems like padding to lengthen the book.

U.S. measurements only, some U..S.-centered ingredients (e.g., Tater Tots).

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of delicious recipes in here! The Secret Ingredient premise is really interesting as well creating some cool food combinations. I can't wait to try our a few these!
THank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

A must have! 125 unique and mouth-watering recipes, each with a secret ingredient to bring it to the next level. At first glance I thought this cookbook was going to make suggestions for sneaking fruits and veggies in so your kids don't notice but I was pleasantly surprised. Gorgeous photos and several pages of previously unheard of cooking tips (like proofing your dough in the dryer!).

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this cookbook. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This is a great cookbook! Many of the recipes call for things you probably already have on hand and the unexpected ingredients create great flavor in the more traditional recipes.

This book is full of ideas for recipes with a twist. There are 125 recipes in eight sections: breakfast; snacks; soups and salads; pastas; entrees; sides; desserts and drinks. Each recipe has its secret ingredient highlighted at the top of the page. They are mostly ingredients you would have available but wouldn't have thought to add. Some of them are a surprise, such as corn in creme brûlée, but all interesting and I am tempted to try more than a few of them. Very clear instructions and accompanying photos, which is always a bonus. Thank you to Kelly Senyei, Net Galley and HMH publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This cookbook has everything that I wanted from it. It has tips about the ingredients and the kitchen. It also has beautiful photos of food alongside its recipe. The majority of the recipe has photos of the final product, so that's a plus. The secret ingredients are easy to incorporate and one that I did not think of adding to some of the recipes here.

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook was very nicely done. The recipes are amazing and I can't wait to try some of them. The pictures of the food make me want to drool as they look delicious!

Kelly Senyei’s book is a collection of recipes – some classics and some inventions – which all feature one “secret” ingredient.
The premise of the book is to make us experiment a bit, get out of our cooking comfort zone, so to speak: Add a little sweet to a savoury ingredient, or vice versa.
And in some recipes, it works: You look at the recipe the way you looked the first time you tried chocolate with salt or chillies inside. With others, I feel the “secret ingredient” is just a small variation to get the recipe into the book. (Using wild rice for fried eggs and rice isn’t particularly surprising or “out there”.)
In other cases, I was intrigued; as a risotto lover, I couldn’t wait to try adding pineapple juice (yes, you read that right!) to a Basil Risotto. Some recipes are interesting in themselves, even without a secret ingredient. I was keen to try the Gnocchi alla Vodka for example; the secret ingredient didn’t matter, but Vodka and Gnocchi sounded good on its own.
Overall, I liked the idea of making us readers (and amateur cooks) try new things and I liked a few recipes, but the secret ingredient didn’t add much to the book, except for hooking you in. The recipes can speak for themselves and few ingredients truly surprised me.