I've loved everything I've made from this book! It's well curated and has the best comments on how to modify things from comments on the web site. ( )

I am loving this cookbook. Even though I use the epicurious web sight, this collection is very useful. The only drawback---the editors have arranged by seasons. This makes for a juggling act to find a recipe. The included recipes are great choices. If I only had time to try the all!!! ( )

I already own an Epicurious cooking magazine - a thick magazine where we've already tried - and approved - about fifteen recipes. They are dependable and very good, so buying this book was not a risk, in my eyes.

I spent way more hours than I should have reading this book (I LIKE to read cookbooks), and have picked out AT LEAST fifty that I know I'll try, and there are many more that might get a test run, depending on my mood and budget for the day. After all these years of cooking, it isn't hard to know that most of the bookmarked to-be-tasted-right-now recipes will be good. Will they be amazing? That does remain to be seen, and I will definitely update this review as they get tried. Will be trying the first one tonight.

My only complaint, well two complaints, is first: there are not enough photographs. Every recipe in a cookbook (except the Joy of Cooking, because it's the Joy of Cooking) should have a delicious photo. But well, such is life. Second, it is very handy to have a table of contents that is organized by main food group, such as Salads, Beef, Chicken, and especially Vegetarian. This book has only an index. Although the index is VERY well organized... now that I think about it, it probably won't be too difficult to get used to this method. But it should still have more photos. :-)

So, on to the horrible job of cooking and tasting! Yum. ( )

http://retorte.blogspot.ca/2012/12/cookbook-review-epicurious-cookbook.html ( )

The Good Stuff

Incredible variety of recipes
Lots of interesting & unusual combinations
Each recipe has comments from Epicurious users
Wife wants you to know the Index is fabulous
The banana bread recipe is the best we have ever used - Jen makes an excellent banana bread but this one is even better
I didn't have time to make any of the recipes so Jen actually did all the cooking and baking -- she's getting better too
The pictures make the recipes look appetizing -- however there are very few pictures for such a large cookbook
I wasn't sure about Jen making the zuccini fritters but damn they were tasty
Everyone at Jen's work loved the two cookie recipes she made & they ate them all - she barely saved any for me
Like the organization of the cookbook into seasons
most of the recipes use ingredients that are readily available at most grocery stores

The Not So Good Stuff

Needs a lot more pictures
Many of the recipes have way too many steps for my wife

Favorite Recipes

Amazing Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies Pg. 282
Sweet n' Smoky Meatloaf - Pg 352
Zucchini Patties With Feta - Pg 114
Beef Stew w/ Potatoes and Carrots - Pg 252
Dark Chocolate & Cherry Oatmeal Cookies - Pg 199 (Jen substituted almond extract for the vanilla & it really gave the cookies a spark)
Banana Bread w/ Chocolate Chips & Walnuts - Pg 208
Wild Mushroom Lasagne - Pg 236 (A lot of steps but wonderful flavor)

Who Should Use

There are quite a few easy to make recipes, but still wouldn't recommend it for the truly beginner cook
For the cook who wants to experiment

4/5 Dewey's

We received this from Random House in Exchange for an honest review ( )