4 stars for this super refreshing cookbook~

I loved how all of the recipes offer substitutions and/or methods to utilize to make the dish easier to prepare. The recipes are also organized in difficulty levels, but in a more fun and human way.

The recipes are varied and feature multi-cultural options, plenty of variety in here.

Overall a solid cookbook that also features the human aspect of our busy and tiring lives. I really liked that there was some modular aspects within.

I love a cookbook that is simple, with fresh ingredients for people like me, home cooks. This is a cookbook that one can sit down and read cover to cover like a novel. It is exactly what I did. I listed several recipes I wanted to try, my favorite being the Peral Couscous with Anchovies, Tomatoes and Olives. It is usually my habit of tweaking recipes, but I did not with this book. It's a beautiful book as well. I'll be purchasing a copy.

I was thoroughly impressed by this latest cookbook by Ruby Tandoh! One of the most brilliant aspects of this cookbook is that it acknowledges the reader may not have the same level of physical ability as the author. In the last year or so I have noticed several cookbooks that take time to acknowledge that the home chef will experience stress, varied levels of mobility, and entry level skills. The inclusion of writing recipes for other people wherever they are as a person and not just on a cooking level. All recipes included in this book look absolutely scrumptious and incorporate some unique ingredients and if it is a hard to source ingredient there are loads of substitutions available. Tandoh has written a cookbook that should be in all libraries and personal collections!

This book is incredible. The beginning of the book notes for “bottled, canned, and frozen food swaps” and makes recommendations. There’s a section for “Cooking with limited energy or mobility” as well as an entire chapter for this: More food, less work. And I think that she follows up on this throughout the course of the book! Not only are there excellent recipes, but the book is spotted with illustrations that make the entire book feel cozy. Each chapter includes a list of books for further reading. COOK AS YOU ARE is about cooking as self-care, as art, as making something that feels like a chore into a something healing. COOK AS YOU ARE takes an experience that sometimes feels traumatizing and cracks it open into something else entirely, through essays and small illustrations and personal recommendations. Five stars. Full list of recipes available on my blog.

“If you’re blind, Deaf, or have any sensory impairment or difference (this can include some autistic people, or anyone who experiences sensory sensitivity or overload), cooking can require a diverse range of approaches, and you might need to rely more heavily on other sense or cooking aids. I’ve tried in this book to give you lots of different sensory cues rather than relying on just one sense. These sensory cues are paired with details about temperature and timings so that you can cook however suits you.”

*Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley for the ARC*

I was a huge fan of Ruby when she was on GBBO and I couldn’t wait to see what recipes she had in store for her latest book Cook As You Are. There are tons of recipes broken up not necessarily by entree but more along the lines of occasions such as “Feed Me Now” (dinner plain and simple), “Hidden in Plain Sight” (making great use of kitchen staples), or “For the Love of it” (recipes to linger over). She includes tidbits for when a recipe might be appropriate, as well as where and by whom she was inspired. What I loved most was the easy going nature of the recipes. Although they sound intimidating, Ruby breaks them down and gives lots of tips and variations, the most useful for me being what will absolutely NOT work! Sometimes we amateur cooks substitute things we might have on hand in hopes the dish will still turn out, which most times it will, but when there’s a particular science to it, such as soy milk not frothing properly, I do appreciate the heads up ahead of time. Second favorite but seriously so underrated part? Her entire “make-ahead/freeze/storage instructions” for EVERY SINGLE RECIPE at the back! And an honorable mention for the listed recipes in order of prep/cook time as well as pricing. Super convenient!

As stated by Ruby herself, she purposefully chose not to include pictures of the recipes because she didn’t want her readers to strive for the same level of perfection, only to enjoy the process and fruits of their labor, no comparison necessary. There are some recipes that have cute doodley instructions but otherwise, she breaks it all down for you. Her voice rings throughout her writing and it really made the tone of her book so approachable. Ruby includes personal anecdotes and relatable stories so it’s hard not to be charmed by her prose.

Ruby’s recipes include lots of interesting flavor combinations (which we know she was praised for during the baking competition) and I’ve been excited to pick up some more specialty ingredients to give them a try. There’s tons with lots of pantry staples as well, so I highly recommend this recipe for both beginner cooks who wish to elevate their dishes and learn some tricks along the way and for more experienced cooks who want some new ideas to try. I can’t wait to buy a hard copy when this publishes in November ‘22 as I prefer to have physical recipes while I make a mess in the kitchen.

This is a beautiful book, I love the illustrations throughout as well as the cover. I was a little intimidated by the recipes themselves, that was until I read them carefully along with the ingredients and the most important thing for me - the ‘variations and substitutions’. These little boxes included with almost all of the recipes are invaluable and I wish more recipe books would feature them. Missing an ingredient or not able to get hold of a specific item? Refer to the ‘variations and substitution’ box.
There are many recipes I would like to try in Cook As You Are including ‘Charred Brussels sprouts with satay and crushed peanuts’, ‘Sausage and potato stew with rosemary dumplings’ and ‘Dill Pickled cherry tomatoes’.
There are so many delicious sounding recipes and the reference charts at the end of the book also look super helpful.

So many things to praise in this one! I appreciate Ms Tandoh’s recognition of the different cooking styles and mindsets of various every day cooks, and her heritage shining through in various recipes. As someone who operates by the “never trust a cookbook without pictures” mentality (despite growing up in the realm of 1980’s church cookbooks), the lack of photographs would otherwise be off-putting, but I loved the reasoning provided in the book’s introduction and with that viewpoint in mind, I was able to transport myself not only around my own shiny kitchen, my own scratched-up table, and all my “usual” but to envision the worldwide community built by food—this food.

Also appreciated and deserving of recognition:, the inclusion and direction of a chapter notably for those with limited energy and/or mobility—and the encouragement to utilize those shortcuts and rest periods rather than general internal shaming that can otherwise develop. All the applause!

No arrogance allowed in this kitchen—Ms Tandoh not only encourages readers/cooks to try other recipes of different cuisines, but also includes “read more” sections with specific titles by other authors. Who does that? So cool!

The recipes themselves sound delicious, doable, and are well-described to entice readers/cooks in a way that just works. Such a well done, interesting, thoughtful, and inclusive cookbook!

My thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title.

I have...mixed feelings. Which for me means a long, thorough review. Buckle in, I guess.

I had high hopes, and they went even higher when before we even got into the actual cooking/recipes part of the cookbook, Tandoh takes a couple pages to address some things that you don't normally see addressed in books dedicated to cooking and eating. It all comes in a reasonable flow as well.

She starts with the things you won't see super often, but it's not altogether uncommon either: dietary restrictions. Just about a page on how you can make most of these recipes vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-intolerant-friendly, and how she'll guide you throughout. Same with when she encourages people to use bottled juices, frozen or canned veggies, whatever frozen or pantry replacements you can use to make it easier for you, and when those swaps won't work.

But she gets further into it, discussing physical and emotional limitations and how temporary or chronic illness and/or disability can hinder. Then she gives solid advice for working with yourself rather than against. She advises for limited energy and mobility, and even sensory issues. And if you experience any sort of sensory processing issues that come with things like neurodivergence or sensory impairment, you KNOW how hard all sorts of food things can be from texture issues and sensory overload to having to accommodate not being able to see or hear as well in a kitchen.

Finally, she addresses how difficult eating can be, especially if you struggle with body image or have a difficult relationship with your body, suffer from disordered eating, struggle with moralizing food and understanding appetite and other cues, etc. I have never read that in a cookbook, but it's definitely something that's always in the back of my mind when I'm reading them and note the silly little, "carbs don't count on sundays!" things and the, "when you're feeling particularly naughty/bad/whatever" on a dessert recipe things.

I just really appreciated the extra effort and the empathy. But all that said, I think this cookbook—while extremely inclusive and considerate in those regards—isn't all that accessible for the casual home cook.

So, right off the bat, I wanted photos. The illustrations were nice but the whole thing felt like it was missing an element without photos of the food. I thought that might be an issue for me when I read it was illustrated but I thought it'd be okay on the assumption that the illustrations would be of whatever Tandoh was describing, but they weren't. While I liked the soft, slice-of-life illustrations of people in kitchens cooking over stoves or chopping boards and eating bowls of nondescript fluff, it still left me craving pictures of sauces, textures, the (likely) contrast of colorful berries on ice cream, the (I imagine) gorgeous red hue of a chili crisp sauce on pillowy gnocchi, and the (probably) eye-catching swirls in a marbled chocolate and almond cake.

Sounds good right? Would've loved to see it.

It feels like there isn't much of a feeling of connectedness throughout. Each section feels almost overly distinct. These are easy to make but require unusual ingredients, these ingredients are familiar but the preparation is more involved, etc. It goes like that for most of the book. I can't fault her for having a bunch of recipes and grouping them as best she can, but it does make for a disjointed organization.

The other thing is that almost all the recipes totter around varying degrees of "too tough to tackle." A lot of them have a LOT of ingredients, and some of them have not so many ingredients but the ones that are there are difficult to get—think chayote, nigella seeds, amchur—though I concede the really tough ones to find were fewer and farther between in the book. Still, most of the recipes had lots of ingredients, and most of them not things I keep on hand, which makes cooking them something to plan ahead for. Not a bad thing, but something to be aware of.

It's also a lot of easy enough to make stuff. The ease varies pretty drastically from section to section. She had a decent selection of microwave recipes but she also has some more complex things. She also admits that a lot of eating can be about just feeding yourself whatever you can. Grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, whatever you need to make in order to nourish.

Unsurprising, I guess, for a GBBO finalist, the desserts were my favorite and sounded most consistently appetizing. I'll also applaud Tandoh for her adventurousness. Even the recipes where I knew they weren't something I'd try (I hate cauliflower lol), or where I had a hard time conceptualizing how the flavors would work together (there were many, but I was still interested in trying them anyway!), I could tell she's someone who knows her flavors and isn't afraid to try new combinations, and that's how she keeps landing on these things that don't sound like they should work (olive oil, black pepper, and orange cake was divine) but do. I appreciate adventurous eaters and cooks.

Picky eaters, this one might not be for you, but at the same time she's very encouraging of customizing to preference so make of that what you will.

I liked the "Further Reading" sections with her influences at the start of each new chapter, though they ran a little long. I went back and reread them at the end after I noticed The Hobbit got a nod. Such whimsy.

I don't know, it feels like for every good thing about it, there's also a tricky thing that gives me pause. If nothing else, I'll pick up her future books. This one still feels like a work in progress.

Major nods for inclusivity in the cooking community though, and the consistent emotional accommodation throughout. We need more of that and in that respect, Tandoh nailed it.

I have been a big fan of Ruby Tandoh since her GBBO days, and I was so excited to read this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers. There are lots of unique ideas in this recipe book - definitely lots of different ideas from your everyday cook book! I especially appreciated a lot of options for making the recipes gluten free and vegan, and I loved how considerate Tandoh was towards accessibility within this book! (Also she highlighted some concerns regard food waste, which is always a good reminder!) Can't wait to get started on some of these!

I was initially skeptical of the book since the author specifically did not include photos. The one major lesson learned from running a cookbook club is that cooks love pictures with their recipes. However, this book is so brilliantly and concisely written that you don't miss the pictures. The occasional hand drawn illustration among recipes and comforting narrative are plenty to keep a cook engaged. The recipes themselves are delicious and approachable. The ingredients are obtainable through most grocery stores and the techniques/equipment are accessible to most and look amazing. I made the Pretzel Sandwich Loaf as a test bake and it was easy, delicious and looks very impressive! While this cookbook would be enjoyed by all skill levels, this would make a great “first cookbook” for those venturing into the world of cooking while juggling adult-life.

Oh! What an exciting book! I felt like I was sitting down with an old friend over a cup of coffee and going through our recipe files. From quick dinners to recipes to linger over, from perfect vegetarian dinners to light and delicious desserts, this book had it ALL.

It was a joy to read and I hope it finds a place in your kitchen.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Cook As You Are.

Sadly, the Kindle version was wonky; on each page lines of text had been blacked out so the pages looked redacted as if it was a confidential federal document.

From what I could read, the recipes looked interesting, though I'm not sure I would make them.

I also didn't see any photos of the recipes, which on the one hand is an interesting format, but not one I'd approve.

I eat with my eyes and I love photos of food!

This cookbook was such a nice surprise! I love buying myself a gorgeous cookbook stuffed with beautifully styled and photographed recipes that I will probably never make at home, and expected similar of this book. Instead, Cook As You Are turned these expectations on their head right from the start. There are no pictures because the author didn't want to prime our expectations of how the recipes "ought" to look with professionally styled, lit, and shot photographs. Unexpected, but very refreshing! Second, she addressed the difficulties of cooking for those with chronic illness or limited food budgets at the beginning of the book, and throughout the book gave little reminders that it's always ok to use substitutions that are cheaper or use less physical energy if that's what is best for you.

I made two recipes from this book - the salted, malted ice cream and the mushroom semolina bake. Both were easy to follow, quick to make, and came out delicious.

Video review at https://www.tiktok.com/@allyzinnia/video/7096573001130511662?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Also reviewed on Goodreads and Storygraph

This is a beautiful, engaging book, great fun to flip through. Despite its accessible framing, I find the recipes a bit intimidating. They vary widely and some seem very simple, but many seem unfamiliar with ingredients that I might find difficult to source. Some draw from common pantry staples but many seem like they would require trips to multiple specialty stores, not exactly my idea of cooking as you are. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to the ARC.

I think by now we all know that cookbooks filled with glorious food photography, recipes written in country-cute fonts, and scatterings of anecdotes from the author about how easy it is to whip up a Black Forest Cake for a dinner party for twelve while Zooming with the office gang and bouncing a toddler on one hip can make for amusing reading, but are those the cookbooks you pick up when you really need help getting a meal prepared? Of course not.

When you're low on emotional spoons, when your energy is spent, when you haven't shopped but need to pull something together, you need a cookbook that meets you where you are. This is that cookbook. And the recipes aren't just mac and cheese (though there is an amazing cauliflower version), this is gourmet stuff! The recipes are international and wildly varied. And you *can* make them, thanks to plentiful advice on how get a meal on the table without exhausting yourself.

The recipes are written with a good balance between a friendly conversational tone and no-nonsense detailed instructions. The friendly blue-edged boxes containing "Variations and Substitutions" advice is included with almost every recipe. Not only are you told what you can substitute, you'll learn what you cannot - if a recipe won't turn out well with gluten-free flour, for example, you'll be told about that here.

Novice cooks, cooks with fatigue issues, or mobility challenges, cooks who can't easily get to the store all the time, cooks with eating disorders, dietary restrictions or allergies - this cookbook will empower all of you. And guess what? No glossy, gorgeous food photography to make your personal efforts seem unworthy! Instead, there's friendly cartoonish drawings of everyday folk making their food in regular, sometimes messy kitchens. They could easily be any of us.

My thanks to Ruby Tandoh, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This is a special book- in fact, this book may be the most unique book I have ever read. If you are into social justice, you will love this book. The author, Ruby Tandoh, spends a great deal of the introduction setting the stage for her book, including discussing mobility issues that could affect cooking, as well as allergies/intolerences, sensory impairments, and even eating disorders, which I have never seen in a cookbook EVER (and I read quite a lot). Ruby also talks about making adjustments to recipes based on your access to fresh ingredients/food banks.

Something special I enjoy are the book recommendations- like Nora Ephrons Heartburn ( a personal fave and something Ruby mentions more than once) or Maangchis Big Book of Korean Cooking. This is someone who has really done her homework and listed some all-stars of cooking that many may not have heard of, such as Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, that are considered hallmark. This book feels very in line with classics like Mastering the Art of French Cooking or Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking in that there are no photographed pictures, only very cute childrens-book like illustrations of people spending time together and cooking. I did feel like there was not many instructional illustrations, in favor of illustrations of ingredients or people enjoying meals. Some recipes that really jumped out to me were the Wildflower Honey Cheesecake, which sounds divine as a honey-lover, or the Salted Honeyscotch Sauce- which are so special of recipes to make the book a must keep.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday for my ARC!

This cookbook of simple recipes is a great choice for people looking for fast and healthy dinner ideas. However, it doesn't have wonderful pictures of the food which I always look for in cookbooks.

Cook As You Are features lots of interesting recipes inspired by many different cuisines like Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and German. However, I'd argue many of them aren't as simple as the book summary and even the title suggest. Most of these recipes require a bit of know-how in the kitchen but there are definitely ones in there that are easier than others. There were a few things I really appreciated about this cookbook that aren't necessarily overly common in cookbooks in general. One being its in-depth substitution suggestions - to make dishes vegetarian, to accommodate allergies, or even just options to swap out things someone may not like such as fresh cherry tomatoes for sundried ones. Another was how the book had a real focus on recipes suited for people with disabilities that may have reduced mobility and energy, something I was really appreciative of.

Cook As You Are is definitely not what I expected. It is a lot more advanced than I would have guessed by the description given and the choices of recipes probably won't appeal to everyone, especially those who don't consider themselves to have extensive palates. Not to mention the kindle version of this book that I received is largely unreadable and chopped up.

“Cook As You Are” is a beautifully written and lovingly created book. It is one of my favorite things to read about food when it’s written by someone with as much love for it as myself. My single caveat is that I think it would be a tiny bit overwhelming for your average person. This is exactly the kind of thing that someone who is accomplished in the kitchen or has a broad palette would love. I don’t think Cook As You Are is quite the right title for the collection of recipes here. Nevertheless, there are a handful of these creations that will absolutely be in regular rotation in my own kitchen. I loved the lack of food photography! It forces a cook to focus on their own tastes and skills, rather than trying to recreate something in a picture.