I've been a fan of Perelman's Smitten Kitchen blog for ages, so I was prepared to enjoy this. However, this book had a higher-than-usual number of recipes that made me want to put the book down and get to making something delicious. I also appreciate the weights for ingredients!

Another hit for Deb Perelman, full of welcome interpretations of (or improvements to) favorite dishes. She's always welcome in my kitchen!

As a fan of Smitten Kitchen and someone who uses her cookbooks and website often, this book is a great edition to her growing collection. The intro to the book and each recipe is told with her typical friendly manner that makes the reader feel like we're in it together, but will still impress and taste wonderful. All the recipes are well within a home cook's skill range and with ingredients that would be easy to obtain at a local store. She also includes notes at the end of most recipes on adjustments or tips that I felt was a thoughtful touch and reminiscent of using a recipe on her website where there are endless comments about variation.

I have already bookmarked multiple new recipes to try (crispy chili garlic butter shrimp, weeknight lemon chicken wings, and strawberry summer stack cake are at the top of the list) and I can't wait to try them out for friends and family.

Those who already fans of the Smitten Kitchen website and Perelman’s last two cookbooks will immediately be pleased with "Smitten Kitchen Keepers". For home cooks who are brand new to Perelman and the Smitten Kitchen brand, they’ll have no less of an enjoyable time. This is a collection of select recipes that runs the gamut from breakfast through dessert, covering an array of taste preferences along the way. And each and every individual recipe seems to be an easily manageable affair in most home kitchens and with the most general cooking skills thanks to the easy-to-follow steps. Also, and to my personal delight, during my first round of browsing I couldn't find a single ingredient that would be a major fuss to obtain.

Overall, this is just a really well-rounded cookbook. It would definitely make an excellent addition to many kitchen libraries out there.

I’ve long been a faithful reader of the Smitten Kitchen weekly email but I confess that I’ve never made any of the recipes the author has offered. That changed when I received an arc of Deb Perelman’s third cookbook. The recipes I tried were easy to follow and turned out well. “Keepers” has a general focus, much lighter on traditional main courses than on breakfast, veggies, and desserts. Each recipe includes an introduction, a photograph, and clear instructions - assuming that the reader has paid attention to the introduction. Occasionally, there are instructions that could leave the cook with some confusion. For example, the recipe for dessert bars calls for using an 8x8 pan. At the end of the recipe is a note that the recipe can be made in a 9x12 pan, but with no information about adjusting the baking time (or that an adjustment is not necessary). But this is just a nitpick. Of more concern to this reader/user is the absence of nutritional information. Assembling that information may be time-consuming, but it is important for the many home cooks who may have dietary restrictions or who pay attention to nutritional information so they can provide healthy food to their families. Despite this shortcoming, “Keepers” will occupy a central spot in many kitchens.