Cover Image: The Modern Proper

The Modern Proper

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Member Reviews

I'm always trying to eat more vegetables, and simple? Yes, please! These recipes are delicious, actually simple, and flavor-packed.

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I really enjoyed this cookbook and my only objection would be to include more images and visual steps for the recipes and more inclusive options for people with different dietary options.

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This is a gorgeous and well done cooking book. The style was beautiful and each recipe looked amazing. It made me excited to start cooking again and try some of these meals. I liked that they were simple and seemed very doable for the average cook.

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Love when a cookbook is well-organized, filled with photographs of the finished product, and loaded with tips and tricks to make even me, an amateur home, cook, feel prepared. I loved that the recipes pushed the envelope a bit for me. I felt inspired. Love the veg-forwardness of the recipes and I’m certain I will wear out the pages of this gorgeous cookbook. Thanks to S&S/Simon Element for this copy - what a gift.

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Long time follower of Modern Proper. They have created such easy accessible recipes. The dishes have depth of flavor and are quick to make. It’s all too easy to have these dishes enter your weekly rotation.

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The well-known Modern Proper duo, Holly Erickson and Natalie Mortimer, recently released an excellent cookbook, The Modern Proper: Simple Dinners for Every Day which showcases their fun menus and easy dinners that everyone will want to prepare for their families. This cookbook has dozens of great recipes that will entice almost everyone, especially since most of the recipes are easy-to-follow and put together.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner, and anyone can follow them – beginning cooks up to advanced cooks. There are no desserts, but plenty of the important chapters: Eggs, Meatless, Chicken, Pork and Beef, Seafood, Meatballs, Soup, and Things for Dipping, Spreading, and Dressing.

There are beautiful photographs of almost all of the recipes, making it difficult to decide which recipe to prepare next. The recipes utilize some of the trendy ingredients such as quinoa, chickpeas, etc., to make them fit with modern tastes and nutritional leanings.

All told, this is an excellent cookbook, and contains recipes that most families will enjoy. The recipes will appeal to both children and adults, and kids will probably go through the book and choose dishes they want to eat. This cookbook is a nice addition to any good cookbook collection.


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

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I enjoyed the sample chapters I received form NetGalley and Simon Element. The recipes are fresh renditions of simple classic recipes. I especially like the chapter of egg recipes. This would make a great gift for anyone who wants to refresh their cooking style.

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My proof did not include many essential portions of the book (Intro, eggs, chicken, meatballs — to name a few), but what it did include was great. The meatless section was promising - the ricotta stuffed peppers stood out to me. The Spicy Salmon Chowder in the soup section also is one I am going to try. Solid cookbook with solid, interesting recipes.

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I love the Modern Proper blog, and most days find myself heading there for dinner inspiration, so I was very excited to see this book release. The recipes are well laid out, easy to follow and complete, and the finish product is always tasty. The photography is thoughtful and impressive, complementing the recipes and layout well. I miss the breadth of resources on the blog, but there are only so many things you can fit into a book! I would recommend this book to others, most certainly, and will be cooking from this for years to come!

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This is a wonderful cookbook! The recipes are delicious and the pictures ma me want to lick the page!
Even the toast and grilled cheese are interesting and easy enough for a family dinner. Many of the recipes can be made on a sheet pan!
I’ve ordered my hard copy already, 5 stars!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

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So, I'm reviewing a DRC of this cookbook, and it's not a full version, so this is not a full review. The sections included were Meatless, Pork and Beef, and Soup; missing were the Introduction, The Essentials, All Day Eggs, Chicken, Seafood, Meatballs, and Things for Dipping, Spreading, and Dressing.
The sections I saw had some delicious-sounding recipes, and while some were a little more labor intensive and/or took longer to prepare, none were terribly tricky or daunting; some were just for more relaxed evenings in my mind. I saw very few unusual ingredients, and any I did see had substitutions given - the oddest to me was kabocha squash, and honestly, I've never noticed its availability one way or the other, so it might not be hard to find at all, so take that into consideration when I mention unusual ingredients. The meatless section had a handy roasted vegetable guide to cooking times for various veggies, making it easy to figure out what will pair well when mixing them. I also liked the "Toast for Dinner" ideas, which definitely could be used for quick, easy meals! The soup section earned my hard-won praise (soup is my favorite food) for some really scrumptious sounding recipes that were indeed quick and easy, as well as filling and satisfying the comfort food jones. From the parts of this cookbook I saw, I have no doubt the rest of the book is equally good, and I feel comfortable recommending it.

#NetGalley

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As many of you know I love to cook and read cookbooks. I love to use @netgalley for cookbooks to see if these are ones I would eventually want to purchase. However, I already loved @themodernproper from their blog, so I knew I wanted this one.

There are so many delicious sounding recipes, such as Migas Breakfast Tacos, Basil Chicken and Broccoli Stirfry, Chicken Shawarma Salad, Roasted Honey Mustard Salmon with Citrus Salad, and Paprika Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. I love the variety of protein recipes they have, but they also have a huge selection of vegetarian recipes. This is perfect for the delicious summer produce season. And our neighborhood is getting a new weekend farmer’s market starting next week!

The first recipe we made was Garlic Butter Steak Stirfry with Snap Peas. This was so delicious! It was garlicky and buttery, but sti had delicious crunch from the snap peas. I’ve also already purchased the ingredients to make Shrimp en Papillote with Couscous salad for later this week!

Thank you so much to @simonandschuster, @_simonelement and Holly and Natalie for all the incredible recipes. This is a much have cookbook for the chef in your life!

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I have a couple of go-to blogs that I know just create GOOD FOOD and make me feel confident in the kitchen! After finding, trying, and wowing my whole family with an African Peanut Soup from the Modern Proper, their recipes been a staple in our house. I was beyond excited to find their new cookbook on NetGalley!

To rate this book, I chose two recipes to try out:

• Everything Bagel Sausage Fried Rice: with minimal ingredients and my favorite seasoning, this was an easy choice to try. I couldn’t believe what a quick and flavorful dinner this was. The ingredients work, are a unique combo that I usually don’t have in our weekly lineup, and is the perfect solution to needing a fast and easy weeknight dinner.

•Vodka Sauce Baked Gnocchi with Baby Broccoli: Gnocchi is a comfort food in our home, but I was running out of ways to prepare it. Enter this easy, cheesy bake with an easy homemade vodka sauce. The tender broccoli was a flavor and texture I would have never put with gnocchi, and it was perfect! My husband got thirds- enough said!

If you love unique meals but don’t have the time to always whip up elaborate meals, this cookbook is exactly what you’re looking for!

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I love the variety of recipes in The Modern Proper. There is a nice variety of dishes for anyone to make, including meatless options for those that prefer that. The recipes are easy to follow and include simple instructions, prep and cook times. I liked that the indicated when recipes are kid friendly, and peppered the recipes with various tips to make cooking easier. I also love the various pictures throughout the cookbook! The food looks so tasty!

Good for new cooks or those who are more established!

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Great recipes, easy to use, looking forward to making some of the dishes. Can't tell if the full version has better pictures, which would be the only thing I could improve.

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TITLE: Maybe one needs to be a fan of Modern Proper?

I guess if you have jumped on The Modern Proper bandwagon you will be able to get "giddy" upon reading this cookbook. If you don't feel the need to be a follower of the website or Instagram account, and have been cooking for many years and have a lot of experience under your belt, you might wonder what the excitement is about.

A lot of these recipes seem old hat to me, and I found nothing in this book to get giddy about. Hey, not to offend anyone, but just to give a warning that this is not a very serious cookbook and will leave some experienced cooks looking for more. But then, if you need a recipe for fried rice with sausage and everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, or a recipe for a flank steak sandwich with horseradish mayo, arugula and red onion, well, go for it!

I see and wonder about all the five-star reviews here......I'm thinking that these are reviews of the fans of the Instagram account. So, before you blindly buy this book, you may want to get acquainted with Modern Proper on Instagram, and see if it fits your level of cooking experience and enthusiasm.

And, hey, if you enjoy asparagus, you will have a head start on cozying up to these recipes....it seems to be a favorite ingredient.

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This book is beautifully written and the recipes are great. Charred summer squash with whipped feta is a must try. The everything bagel sausage fried rice is such a different recipe but still so good. There is a good variety of recipes and the pictures are beautiful. So many different recipes to try.

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Delightful. I loved this book. It is a chefs dream. It’s full of insight, and charm . You are charmed by the natural desire to please the eating public. It’s recipes are a bit of a challenge, but it is the depth of the final product that will keep you moving along through the book. It’s a book that will be spotted with spills from recipes you’ve tried and corners bent to spot favorite recipes. Happy reading!

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I love a good cookbook with beautiful pictures and detailed recipes! The Modern Proper just does that! I think the recipes are easy to follow and appealing to beginners and advanced cookers alike. It was a pleasure to read and I can't wait to make more recipes from it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

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A bit painful to read on the kindle, as the book is only an excerpt and Kindle doesn't allow you to navigate to specific recipes (from what I could tell).

That being said, I read through it and liked what I saw. Super approachable recipes that can be made on a week night or that will likely please a fussy kid. No exotic ingredients that you can't find at your local whole foods.

Definitely a keeper of a cook book if you're trying to kick up your average week day meal up a notch.

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