The No Recipe Cookbook

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Pub Date 18 Dec 2020 | Archive Date 27 Mar 2021

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Description

Change your cooking, change your life!

Learning to cook without a recipe can take the stress out of meal planning and cooking. 

If you’re someone who enjoys browsing the cooking section of your local bookshop, looking for new inspiration, glossy pictures and recipes… put this book down immediately! It’s not for you. 

But if you 

•can’t cook

•don’t enjoy cooking

•are too busy to cook

•have never prepared a meal

•would like to save money

•would like to lose weight by eating out less often, or

•just want to be more efficient in the kitchen

Then this book is the answer to all your mealtime prayers.

Change your cooking, change your life!

Learning to cook without a recipe can take the stress out of meal planning and cooking. 

If you’re someone who enjoys browsing the cooking section of your...


Advance Praise

Foreword by Dr James Muecke AM MBBS (Hons) FRANZCO

Australian of the Year 2020

Ophthalmologist

Chairman Sight For All

  A healthy diet is something that's very important to me. In my 30-year career as anophthalmologist, I've seen firsthand the damage wrought by type 2 diabetes. The disease is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adult Australians. Diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication that affects the eyes, has no symptoms in the early stages and, if it's not treated in time, can cause complete and irreversible blindness. 

Type 2 diabetes is almost entirely preventable and yet the disease now affects close to one in ten Australians. Obesity is a major risk factor for the disease and one of the main ways it can be prevented, and even reversed, is through diet. 

  As a nation, our consumption of sugar, refined carbs and junk food is way too high. We need to cut down on sweet ultra-processed foods and get back to buying fresh, unprocessed ingredients and cooking our own food. Any initiatives that encourage the eating of real food, such as this book, should be promoted and celebrated. 

  As Dr Samantha Pillay points out, cooking your own food means you know exactly what's gone into it - there are no hidden sugars or other nasty surprises. You have total control. 

In my medical career, I've seen so many people who simply lack the tools they need to lead a healthy lifestyle. This book will give you some of these tools.

  If you don't know how to cook or just want to limit the amount of unhealthy takeaway food you eat, The No Recipe Cookbook could be the help you need to change your life. Dr Pillay's simple, straightforward method is easy to follow and will have you eager to get into the kitchen and start experimenting. Most of her meal ideas really are faster than ordering a takeaway and they're definitely healthier. 

  If this book can help even a handful of people to start cooking for themselves, it will be a step in the right direction. Let's all get into the kitchen and start taking back control over what we eat. 

  Your health is in your hands. 

"As a restaurant owner and cookbook author, I understand the importance of cooking and eating well. Basic cooking skills and the perceptions of individuals around their own cooking ability are major barriers to most people living a healthy lifestyle. The No Recipe Cookbook is built on the same understanding. Unlike many cookbooks, it doesn't just tell you what to do, but it explains why and how. This is fundamental to a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating, sound nutrition knowledge, and a positive food culture are key to a healthy population and have the ability to significantly reduce the burden on our healthcare system. This book gives individuals and families the skills and knowledge they need to live a healthy life without strict rules and in a non-pretentious, relatable tone."

Themis Chryssidis, Managing Director, Sprout Food Group 

M Nutr & Diet, B Psych, Cert IV PT

Accredited Practicing Dietitian

Foreword by Dr James Muecke AM MBBS (Hons) FRANZCO

Australian of the Year 2020

Ophthalmologist

Chairman Sight For All

A healthy diet is something that's very important to me. In my 30-year...


Available Editions

ISBN 9780648974819
PRICE $4.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 65 members


Featured Reviews

I really enjoyed this guidebook cookbook. I enjoyed the simplicity and the ideas this contains, very fuss free and likely great for students!!

Don't expect: photos or measurements - this really isn't a cookbook cookbook.

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I think generally, as cookbooks go, this was pretty great.
I thought it was something similar to Carla Lalli Music's cookbook 'Where Cooking Begins' and it was kind of like that and i both like and dislike things about that. They both kind of do that thing where they give you more freedom in cooking than more traditional recipes that feel very daunting because they're so set in stone but with this book (and the other one) its more of a work with what you have kind of thing which makes cooking so much easier and it makes me so happy. But unlike where cooking begins, the no recipe cookbook literally has no recipe - where cooking begins has recipes written out in a traditional way but has options fo substitutions and making the recipe your own. there's pros and cons to that - cons: its not like a regular recipe book where i have the recipe saved for the rest of my life and i can kind of flip to it and follow and adjust as i choose to. instead its a lot more reading and i would have to take my own notes within the book or in a separate notebook in order to save the recipe in an accessible and quick way. but pros: its obviously a lot more customisable to your own tastes and whats available to you.
Ok for the rest im just gonna do a positives and negatives of the books -
What I liked:
- the variety of the recipes; im a really picky eater but there really is something for everyone
- the level of detail in some of these recipes were great like the author REALLY thought of everything. at one point she listed in what order you should cook this in a stir fry and WOW i didn't realize i needed that

what i didn't like:
i feel like a lot of these critiques are just about personal preference and may contradict what the author intended for the book but im gonna mention them anyway.
- the tips and tricks in the beginning were a little toooooo beginner for me. im no chef but im an avid baker. i picked this book up bcs im not so good at cooking/hate it and everytime i follow a recipe word for word it takes me forever and still tastes bad somehow. so overall i fount the tips boring cause i knew a lot of them BUT regardless some were new to me and i was taking screenshots. the tips were good regardless so i would possibly get this book to someone whos an absolute beginner - which im pretty sure is the target audience so not really an issue of the book rlly.

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Nice easy read, very practical guide if you're in need of some economical meal ideas. Listed in the format of a 2 week meal plan: the meals in this book are made from affordable everyday ingredients and show how you can stretch out the time between grocery shops with a little logic and planning.

I'm looking forward to trying the 'recipe' for the Chickpea Fritters, but would have really liked to have seen more vegetarian and vegan alternatives listed; it was a very meat heavy menu.

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I'm a keen home cook with a huge collection of cook books, so not really part of the target audience for this book. I was intrigued by the premise though and opened it up on my Kindle. I have picked up hints and tips for meal ideas and on food buying and storage.

It's not strictly a no recipe cook book. Rather it does not contain conventional recipes starting with a list of ingredients. Instead, guidance on ingredients is free form and there are quite lengthy method descriptions.

It's also a lifestyle book geared to promote a healthy and economical diet for a busy family/single parent. There is a lengthy preamble setting out the rationale for the book and the overall approach. This includes buying ahead for 2-3 weeks, Sunday cooking for the week and so on.

The author writes in the first person, essentially setting out what she does and importantly why.

As an ebook it's fair. In particular I would have liked to have linked lists of meal options at the start of each chapter. There are no photos, which some won't like.

I wouldn't recommend this book to an experienced cook. I would point an absolute beginner to books geared to them e.g. by Delia Smith or Sophie Grigson's The First Time Cook. I suggest that this book is worth a look however for someone struggling to put good nutritious meals on the table every day for a reasonable outlay - essentially a "How to Live Well for Less" audience. For them, Samantha Pillay shares her approach and cooking methods.

I rate it 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

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Even though I know how to cook I was still drawn to this. I like the idea of a nontraditional cookbook, that gives you ideas and you just run with what you are given. I still learned a lot and will be putting her strategies into my everyday cooking.

I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn't get enough of it. Everything was sp easy to read, and even though there were no measurements it was still easy to follow a long. I wasn't interested in all of the recipes, but if I ever need to make any of these I will go to this book.

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I will be honest, I normally really dislike cooking. I don't know what to do, whether to add anything different and I end up in a rut of cooking the same boring meals.

This book has changed that.
I really enjoyed reading through and making changes to my cooking habits as well as how I plan my meals and shopping. I am starting to explore different flavours and have realised I do not always need a recipe, I just need ingredients and I can start.

I would especially recommend this book to students going off to university. It is a great way to start your journey learning to cook away from home and would set you up with great skills that will help anyone become confident in the kitchen.

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A new take on a cookbook. This book shows how to minimise and optimise your cooking over a two-to-three week period. i really like the approach, taking a base ingredient and showing how you can adapt it to make several different dishes. Will definitely be learning from this approach and giving my kids a variety while providing a core menu!
There's a lot of meat and things we don't eat due to allergies so it will probably give me a two-week rotation rather than three, but still a great way to diversify the menu while focusing on some core basics.
I'm not great at planning meals and their variety is much less than during the first lockdown, so i'm pleased that i discovered this n0-recipe book.

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Pretty neat tricks and tips. Great for young adults. It was written in a way that wasn’t really a cookbook. It was more of a guidebook which I enjoyed.

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"The No Recipe Cookbook" is the kind of cookbook that immediately attracts me! As a cookbook writer myself, I was very interested to read the advise given by Samantha Pillay.

What makes this cookbook suitable for people who don't have a lot of knowledge about food:
- the quality of the advice, especially for beginners, but also for more advanced cooks (e.g. the order in which to add ingredients in a stir-fry)
- the quick information about nutrition/obesity, etc. at the beginning.
- the adaptability of recipes

However, I found the cookbook lacking in some aspects:
- the lack of illustrations (which is also helpful, even if the recipe can be adapted - for there are recipes in this book, although not the traditional type)
- the lack of information about the environmental impact of the food. There was also not a lot of advice on how to adapt the dishes to vegetarians.
- the lack of healthy recipes. The author explains how home-made food is healthier than processed food - and it is! - but she doesn't provide many healthy recipes: I wish I could have seen more recipes with more vegetables, less meat, more vegan ingredients, more fruit-based desserts, etc.
- the strong voice of the author. While I normally love hearing the Chef's "little voice" and opinion in a cookbook, here, she voices her opinion as if it were the truth (e.g. "“I only eat lunch if I am hungry. This should be true for any meal.” -> this is false! I have some dietary issues and cannot skip a meal nor should I wait to eat until I'm hungry otherwise I'd be severely underweight! Although her advice might suit many people, she phrases it in a way that is not sensitive to people with digestive/health issues). As she is Australian, you also see that her culture comes across quite often (e.g. use of the barbecue, the fact that her family rarely "sit down to a cooked lunch") - as a French who lived in Australia, I do have relatively different eating habits and wish the book was a bit more open to different ways of cooking).

Overall, I like the concept of the book, I love the advice for beginners, but I wish the cookbook was more visual, provided healthier recipes, and were more sensitive to people with difference (cultural, health-wise, etc.). 3.5 stars.

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I opened the pages of this book expecting a different format from what I was seeing. I actually read the opening pages and felt I was reading the introductory pages of a cookbook. As I continued reading, something felt off. Then I realized I was not reading about the item. Rather, this was the recipe explaining how to prepare the item. All the recipes with their step-by-step instructions are written as if you’re reading a regular book. This is a great approach for those who are not use to regular cookbooks.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

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The No Recipe Cookbook by Samantha Pillay was a refreshing take on a typical cookbook.

I often take recipes and manipulate them quite a bit to make them my own. However, give me a bunch of raw ingredients and no guidance, and I am useless. That made this book particularly interesting to me. While I do not think this book has instantly made me able to just make something out a thin air, it has provided several ideas that I can play around with in the future. The ideas in this book are pretty simple and not super complicated, which I appreciated.

I also think the information about obesity and the money that can be saved is super important as well.

If you are someone who would like to get better at experimenting in the kitchen, The No Recipe Cookbook is a good place to start.

I received an eARC from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

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This cookbook is made on the premise that learning to cook without a recipe is possible, and doing so will save your time and money, and is healthier in the long run since you know exactly what you are putting inside your body. Her story at the beginning lays out how meal planning has helped her over the years. There are no pictures, and no real standardized recipes, but conversationally she takes the reader through each dish start to finish.

This book was reviewed on my cookbook blog.

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Recipes Written Like Open-Ended Procedures

This book’s title is a bit of a misnomer, as it is full of what I would call recipes. They simply aren't written in a traditional format with a fixed ingredient list and set of directions. Most are ideas with procedures and suggested ingredients; many are left very open to interpretation. The book starts with a long tip section. The author stated people who don't cook often (or at all) could use this book, but I think this section might be a bit much for the true rank beginners as much information in this section requires a level of greater cooking knowledge than a non-cook has. (In some places throughout the book, she actually has sections specifically meant for people who don't cook much.) The bulk of the book is main dishes, with smaller sections for lunches, desserts, and breakfast. You will get the author's “no recipe” recipe for things like muesli, soup, meaty main dishes, and simple desserts. These non-recipes are written in a lot of detail, as the author is more trying to teach you a process or procedure rather than give you a specific recipe with a set list of ingredients. The author is Australian, so some foods mentioned are stated in Australian terminology, and when she provides measurements (which isn’t often), they are in metric. I am a vegetarian, and I felt like the book needed a few more vegetarian and vegan friendly recipes; the book really is meat focused in the main dish and lunch sections. Despite its flaws and idiosyncrasies, this book got me thinking about ways I can better incorporate simple cooking procedures and dishes into my cooking routine to make my food both more healthful and easier to make.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

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Just when you think you have enough cookery books you come across a gem that is more than just a new collection of recipes. The "No Recipe " cookbook is exactly what it says it is, and more. It is a manual that makes a busy mum or dad's life just a little bit easier. Samantha Pillay smooths the weekly journey from "menu planning" to "tea on table" by providing comprehensive ideas that are flexible enough to cater for even the fussy members of the household.
The format is unusual in that recipes are grouped by "time since shopping" rather than by main ingredient which sounds odd but works brilliantly.
It hasn't changed my life but it has certainly made it easier!

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I enjoyed reading through this book, it was so simplistic & easy to follow without the need for recipes. I will definitely be buying a copy of this for my kitchen shelf. Easy to understand & informative

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Review Title: Are You Hungry? (review of The No Recipe Cookbook by Dr. Samantha Pillay)

Reviewer: Janice S. Garey

***** 5 Stars

If you have a good appetite for a variety of healthy foods, and you desire to learn to cook from scratch for yourself and others, this is the book for you. It entertained me and made me feel cared for which is logical since a wise Austrailian medical doctor wrote the book. It serves as a crash course in cooking which is an essential life skill. It has all one needs to learn to put good food on the table day after day and lose the unhealthy habit of junk food and fast food consumption.

Many people today seem compelled to satisfy their hunger with whatever appears most convenient. Dr. Samantha Pillay teaches that if you learn the basics of cooking you can prepare ahead and make your own quick to go food that won't bust the budget or your waistband. She gives so many excellent tips that would take years to learn by trial and error. This book fills the need of young people with no cooking experience as well as the need for those like myself who at an older age are trying to downsize the kitchen by getting rid of unnecessary equipment and tools that no longer fit a former lifestyle.

This lovely book, which contains no photos because there are no recipes, has great charm for those unfamiliar with some terms used in Austrailia. Biscuits are cookies; peanut paste is peanut butter; and it took me a bit of head scratching to understand that "slices" are like what we in the States know as bar cookies only they are in much greater choices including savory.

I believe most people would benefit from reading this book either for basic cooking knowledge or to streamline processes and get rid of kitchen clutter. Rather than in the format of recipes, these pages give the reader flexible instructions which list a variety of ingredients and ways to prepare them for meals. If one feels the need for more information, a quick search of the internet should provide additional helps to create the meal to your individual specifications.

I received an ebook copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for giving an honest review. I have read the book and find it to be worthy of a high recommendation to anyone who wishes to learn to cook or to enhance their enjoyment of time spent in the kitchen.

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I really enjoyed this unique guide to cooking.No recipes no measurements an easy to read to follow.Will be gifting this to a young cook who I think will really enjoy this guide.#netgalley#booksgosocial

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At first I was kind of surprised about the plainness of the book, meaning no beautiful food photography or other visual elements, but it turned out to be pretty helpful. This book takes cooking at a very basic level explaining the fundamental concepts and how to develop a two week meal plan. Some of the tipps are on a very beginner level and pretty obvious to someone, who at least occasionally has a pan or knive in their hand, but I liked the choice of recipes this books provides, since they are very adaptable to your personal preferences. I'm looking forward to trying some of them. However, in my opinion too many of them are based on meat or fish and I would have loved to have more vegetarian or vegan inspirations.

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Thanks for the chance to read through this cookbook in exchange for honest feedback. I think that the strength of this particular cookbook is in its potential audience... it serves best for beginners to home cooking as it teaches someone how to shop and put together meals. It helps show the processes for cooking meals, how to meet the necessary food group/meal ideas, and how to meet finances and health requirements effectively. This book is helpful for the promotion and education of very necessary life skills.

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This book is intended for beginners and even though I know the basics of cooking I liked the theory and the tips and I would recommend the cookbook to beginners. The concept of no recipes but of ideas and letting the person involved in cooking to experiment with the ingredients it was interesting so I enjoyed the format of the cookbook.

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An easy read with lots of great tips, especially if you are a beginner cook. While there's not a lot of actual recipes here, there is a lot of lots of hints for planning, shopping, budgeting and time management - this is more of a guide with ideas for what to do with what you have.

The meals presented are definitely aimed at an omnivore family with no real dietary restrictions, so a little more diversity in meal choices might have been nice, but the hints are still. Also there are no photographs... even though there's no real recipes here, it would be nice to see a version of the finished dish or some of the variations on it.

This would be a great gift for a novice cook finding their way in the kitchen, or someone who is not yet confident enough to experiment. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read The No Recipe Cookbook in return for my honest opinions.

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An amazing simple yet informative cookbook for both those who are experts and novices in the kitchen.

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Great idea for a cookbook! I love the idea of recipe books, but actually following them can be tedious, and I'm often missing one hard to find thing and end up either googling alternatives, substituting and inventing half the recipe, or giving up and making something else. Hopefully this book means my troubles are gone! Full of inspiration, no pressure to feel like Gordon Ramsay and just great encouragement without the patronising tone of some recipe books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

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This has been a life saver for me. When I cook, I don’t like to use recipes, but I do need guidance and this does just that!

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