What more can be said about Andrew Rea? We all agree that he's just a treasure right? This book is a must have for any fan and will teach you some amazing basics that you can often pair along with episodes of the show(s)!

5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I loved the back story for each recipe and appreciated all the side comments as well. That made this cookbook fun to read as well as cook from. There are recipes that seem familiar and then Andrew changes an ingredient or two and it completely alters the dish to something new. This was a great book and I will reach for it often.

I work at a very small library. Normally if we get a book, we get one copy. After receiving this ARC, I bought both the physical and eBook for my library. I am, frankly, a huge fan of Andrew Rea's recipes. I know he has a YouTube channel and I've seen one or two videos, but I'm not a YouTube person. However, his written recipes are lovely, straight forward, well written, easy to follow, and always delicious. I have never made a bad meal by this man's instructions. This specific book is fun and diverse, definitely would appeal to the YouTube crowd or Gen Z to Millennials in my opinion. Recipes range in price to prepare. Overall, 15/10, would recommend to everyone.

I'm always looking for new recipes and I've been watching Binging with Babish on YouTube for years now. This was a great book to condense some elevated, 'basic' meals. Really enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who wants to level up their cooking.

Basics with Babish is an -interactive- cooking guide with recipes and info curated by Andrew Rea. Released 24th Oct 2023 by Simon & Schuster on their Simon Element imprint, it's 464 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a useful and warmly written guide with lots of recipes, but it's also a learning guide/cookery course which aims to help readers acquire useful skills and develop their cooking repertoire. There's a very "trouble-shooting" vibe to the recipes which will help readers understand where things might've gone differently from their goal and how to improve results next time.

There's a logical layout and chapters are grouped roughly thematically: bread, pizza, pasta, eggs, vegetables, seafood, poultry, pork, beef, and desserts. Each of the recipes include a title and introduction, ingredients in a bullet list, and step-by-step prep instructions. Ingredients will mostly be readily available from any moderately well stocked grocery store. Measurements are given in metric SI units (yay!); so a kitchen scale is a must.

Recipes are accompanied by many (many) process photos as well as styled finished shots of the dish. Serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. Nutritional info is not included. The author has included many alternate preparations/forms (loaves, muffins, individual servings, and pull apart loaves, for example) for most of the dishes.

The standout for this volume is the author's exploration of why individual recipes have gone wrong, a troubleshooting discussion, and techniques for improving results.

There's a lot of personal detail here, and for current fans of the author's work on youtube, etc, the background makes for entertaining reading.

Four and a half stars. This is a really useful and beautiful book. Highly recommended for public library acquisition, home use, and gifting.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Some great and easy recipes that I plan to try.

I was familiar with Babish from his YouTube channel, and it's cool to finally see the book that culminates from so much of his work. I found the book accessible and engaging, with lots of great photography. If you have a friend who wants to get into cooking, this is a great gift!

I love how real this cookbook is. The author gives you the way he screwed up a recipe, then common issues/questions, followed by the recipe with step by step instructions (with pictures).

Very cool idea and the pictures (& recipes) are awesome!

Great cookbook! I’ve never heard of Babish before but after reading his cookbook I looked him up on YouTube. The cookbook is great, easy to read to follow along and the photos are awesome! This book has recipes that I would actually make at home. There are recipes for Bread, Pizza, Pasta, Eggs, Vegetables/Side dishes, Seafood, Poultry, Pork, Beef and Desserts. I also like the Troubleshooting in the begging of each recipe. Great gift for foodies! I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I binged on Babish during the pandemic, so I enjoyed seeing this cookbook and trying some of the recipes. I would recommend it to people who like to cook.

This is a really good beginners cookbook. I'll be honest though, if you have a lot of cookbooks maybe check this out in the store first before buying it because you may already have books with similar recipes that you like. Of course if you're a fan of Babish (Andrew Rea) then by all means, get this no matter the state of your cookbook collection. This has some solid recipes and what's better is this is a great jumping off point to try harder and more complex things. It's a well done cookbook.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this cookbook. Unlike some other cookbooks, it does more than just give a recipe, but also gives instructions on how to improve your overall cooking.

Looking for a cookbook that will keep you busy? Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park , by chef, filmmaker and host to the popular YouTube channel, Babish Culinary Universe, was named Best Cookbook of Fall 2023 by Food & Wine, Delish, and Tasting Table. Those who own this cookbook will also vote it one of the best on their cookbook shelf. Not only does it include basic information, such as a glossary, notes on spices, and other things a good cook should know. Then come the recipes – lots of them. Most recipes not only include a beautiful, professional photograph of the finished product as well as step-by-step photos, but troubleshooting tips, and notes from the author that are helpful, often humorous, and interesting to read.

The recipes are mouthwatering and will appeal to everyone. There are basic bread recipes, pasta recipes, appetizer recipes, etc. They are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by easy-to-follow instructions.

All told, this is a fun cookbook to re-learn basics that are better than we knew how to do before. It is not surprising that this cookbook is the recipient of many awards. The author has a sense of humor, and knows his food. This one is highly recommended.

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

I like geeky things. I watch videoes about geeky things and that includes food. Andrew is not a profressionally trained chef, but he is like us. He learned how to cook and shows us his mistakes so we can all learn together. And seriously, each recipe has a blurb about he has messed up the execution of the recipe at some point.

This cookbook is great for those who are beginners or...NOT. This book is filled with his humor, amazing troubleshooting of each recipe and step by step reasoning. And by troubleshooting - he asks and answers the questions we would have - Why didn't this bread rise? (For example).
Most cookbooks I breeze through in like 20 min. Not this one. Take your time and read it! Ot's not about geeky food, it's about FOOD.
Fave recipes I am looking forward to making:

Rosemary Foccacia
Pan Pizza
Latke
Pastaroni Salad
Vegetable Fried Rice
Cheesecake

Thank you Simon Element and NetGalley for the ARC!

As a fan of Binging with Babish on YouTube, I jumped at the chance to read and review Andrew Rea’s cookbook. I have already bookmarked so many recipes that I can’t wait to dive into. I learned a lot of good tips as I was looking through the recipes, and I absolutely love the troubleshooting tips for each “basic”! I can’t wait to experiment with these recipes and develop my cooking skills even more!

Thank you again for the ARC!

A great book for every kitchen. It’s real, funny, honest, informative and educational. It’s both a how to and how not to all written with humor and kindness. From how to stock your pantry with basics, spices, pots and pans and accessories to basic recipes to whole meals, some simple and other more sophisticated, this book can get you through almost anything food and kitchen related. I made quite a few if the recipes and they were easy to follow and delicious.

With his signature YouTube humor, Andrew teaches home chefs both what to do and what not to screw up. I found these recipes to be very approachable and loved Andrew's solutions to more complex cooking--blender mac n cheese is brilliant. The only thing I probably won't be doing very often? Making homemade stuffed pasta, sorry Andrew!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this book tio revieew

"Basics with Babish" by Andrew Rea is a cookbook and culinary guide that aims to take cooking enthusiasts through the fundamental techniques and recipes needed to become more proficient in the kitchen.

One of the major downfalls is that the book uses the metric system for all measurements. For those in America who are thinking about buying this book, get ready to break out Alexa, so you can convert grams to ounces, etc. This is extremely annoying. When I cook, the last thing I want to do is math. The last thing I want to use is a conversion table. You will need both when using this book. I found the decision to use the metric system wrong and a major turnoff.

The book is loaded with errors. I found numerous recipes where the steps described were not in order, missing directions and recipes that simply did not make any sense. For example, I made brioche. The recipe said to set the oven at 350 degrees, and set aside the dough for 2 hours. Why would I set the oven at 350 degrees, only to leave it empty for two hours? Makes no sense. Errors like this are abundant throughout the book.

Whether you're a complete beginner or a more experienced cook looking to refine your skills, "Basics with Babish" does offer something for everyone. The book covers a wide range of topics, from knife skills and food safety to making stocks, sauces, and various cooking techniques.

The photography and design of the book are also noteworthy. The images are mouthwatering, and they provide visual cues that can be incredibly helpful when attempting the recipes. The layout is clean and well-organized, making it easy to navigate and find what you're looking for.

The recipes themselves are a mix of classic dishes and some unique twists, all of which are designed to help you build a solid culinary foundation. Some readers may find that the recipes lean towards the more indulgent side, with a focus on comfort food and sometimes heavy on the calories, which might not align with everyone's dietary preferences.

One potential drawback of "Basics with Babish" is that it may not offer as much depth as some readers would like. While it does a great job of introducing essential cooking techniques, those seeking advanced or specialized culinary knowledge may find themselves wanting more.

In conclusion, "Basics with Babish" by Andrew Rea is a good resource for those looking to improve their cooking skills and gain confidence in the kitchen. It's a visually appealing, approachable, and informative book that reflects Rea's passion for food and teaching. It serves its purpose well as a beginner-friendly guide to cooking basics. But beware of recipe errors and the need to convert all ingredients from metric.

My husband introduced our teens and me to Binging with Babish on youtube a few years ago and this cookbook definitely encompasses the author’s charm and humor.

I'm going to go so far as to write that these are basics, elevated. This isn't a negative, by any means. It's the difference between something that tastes good to something that tastes great. This is a great how-to / cookbook for anyone who wants to learn how to cook - my teens have been cooking and baking for a few years and they found this book very informative.

There’s a lot in here. The chapters are below, but this list doesn’t encompass the spices, pantry ingredients, cookware and accessories, etc. that the author has added.
Chapter 1 - Bread
Chapter 2 - Pizza
Chapter 3 - Pasta
Chapter 4 - Eggs
Chapter 5 - Vegetables / Side Dishes
Chapter 6 - Seafood
Chapter 7 - Poultry
Chapter 8 - Pork
Chapter 9 - Beef
Chapter 10 - Desserts

**Note - There's a lot of dairy and meat - from raw prep on. If you’ve watched the youtube channel, you know, but if not this one isn't going to work for most vegetarians, nevermind vegans.


Thank you to S&S/Simon Element and NetGalley for the DRC!

Awesome cookbook filled with great recipes! I enjoy how the author discusses his own mistakes, and gives tips to improve your own cooking! Beautiful photos and great explanations accompany the witty Babish anecdotes.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon Element, S&S/Simon Element for the ARC!