Famous award-winning British chef, restaurateur, and television star, Heston Blumenthal’s fun cookbook, Is This A Cookbook?: Adventures in the Kitchen has been named Cookbook of the Year by several entities, including Bon Appetit, and for good reason: this cookbook is hilarious and the includes recipes (or almost recipes) that real people will want to prepare and eat.

The recipes are written in the traditional straightforward manner with the ingredients listed first followed by succinct instructions. The recipes are easy-to-follow and whether the cook is beginning or advanced, the dishes will turn out picture-perfect. Most of the recipes have a decidedly British slant, so those who have spent time in Great Britain or love the English culture will love this book. There is an excellent chapter on preparing eggs any style, as well as some unique breakfast dishes, including a delicious version of Green Eggs and Ham. Anyone who loves salads will be impresses and want to make one of many innovative recipes. Main dishes are amazing, and include such things as Popcorn Popcorn Chicken actually made with popcorn, some very unconventional tacos, and curries including Chicken Tikka Kabob. There is also a good recipe for traditional fish and chips which, of course should be included in any British cookbook, as well as the components of good Sunday lunches. For those who are a bit more adventurous, there is an entire chapter on foods made with powdered crickets, as well as hemp.

Incidentally, the cookbook is filled with colorful, delightful, illustrations, as well as beautiful, professional photographs of most of the dishes, making it difficult to decide which yummy dish to make next.

Everyone will love the notes preceding each recipe which have hints, history, and information. Blumenthal has a sharp, British sense of humor and this cookbook is one that everyone will want to curl up with to just read cover to cover. However, there are so many fun recipes, no one will be able to resist cooking from it often.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Heston Blumenthal for this copy of Is This A Cookbook. Yes, it is a cookbook but not your usual one. It was kind of Heston to simplify his recipes so that I can actually make them.

It’s isn’t often you read a cookbook with a sense of humor. A chef known for not recognizing boundaries when it comes to recipes. He is brilliant, infectious, inventive. The dishes are pictured to guide and keep the glands salivating. You can get lost in this book. If you are a cook , you will not be left on your own. If you are a chef, it will be a welcome addition. It you are like me it will have a pride of place on your shelf.

So, is it a cookbook?

Doesn't matter. Its clever, irreverent, and utterly Heston.
It contains only 70 recipes, but with that comes a whole lot of other quirky kaboodle.
Recommend.

Is this a cookbook? Maybe. This book is so damn interesting, get it for that reason first and get it for the recipes that will really make you think as the second. Every chapter is well though out and full of surprises. Banana and Parsley smoothie anyone? Turns out, very tasty. It took me a minute to get used to the notes for the recipes not being on the same page in the e-book, but they are very interesting notes. If you don't know how to cook eggs yet, there is a great primer in here. I'm really looking forward to making the comforting braised beef soup when it finally gets cool here. The soda bread recipe as part of sunshine in a bowl really is one of the easiest breads to make. The photography of the recipes is beautiful and the cartoons of the author talking are fun. I should mention the recipes are in metric grams, but it's easy to convert if you are from part of the world that doesn't do the metric system. 4 stars for recipes, 5 stars for being such an interesting book

A Heston book illustrated by Dave McKean! Of course I love it. One small quip is why bother making tortillas but using tinned refried beans? Refried beans are so easy to make. I could have done without the whole cricket chapter, seems outdated right now but I get the whole edgy thing.

This is a quirky, fun cookbook with lots of great recipes, illustrations and interesting flavour combinations. I learned about Heston Blumenthal, The Fat Duck restaurant and molecular gastronomy several years ago and I have always enjoyed his clever and unique way with food and flavours. Unlike some of the complicated techniques in molecular gastronomy, this book is definitely achievable for the home cook and most recipes are easy to make.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.

This is a delight to read, you will love it even if you don't make a single recipe. I however had the pleasure of making some recipes. Some of them sound a little like weird pairings, but try them anyway, You will be delighted. The Jubilee Coronation Chicken Salad was outstanding, the pea and ham soup-in-a-sandwich was a revelation. There are some recipes that I will need more time to try, but this book was a complete enjoyment.

A perfect book for the food-obsessed! Celebrated chef Heston Blumenthsl gives fun looks at tried and true recipes-like soup IN a sandwich! These recipes awaken your inner child-as long as you have the science background to cook it all!