Alison shows you how to make simple yet sublime sweets with her trademark casualness, like how to make jam in the oven, then turn that jam into a dessert—swirled into ice cream or folded into easy one-bowl cake batter. (Opening a jar of jam is more than fine, too.) She waxes poetic on the virtues of frozen fruit and teaches you the best way to throw your own Sundae Party. There are effortless cakes that take just minutes to get into a pan. And there are new, instant classics with a signature Alison twist, like Salted Lemon Pie, Raspberries and Sour Cream, Toasted Rice Pudding, or a Caramelized Maple Tart. Requiring little more than your own two hands and a few mixing bowls, the recipes are geared towards those without fancy equipment or specialty ingredients. Enemy of the mild, champion of the bold, Ms. Roman offers recipes in Nothing Fancythat are crunchy, cheesy, tangy, citrusy, fishy, smoky and spicy.”—Julia Moskin, The New York Times Michele Moses recommended the book to readers of The New Yorker, writing: "Part of the appeal is her grasp of her audience: the financially unsteady millennial generation, which has turned “nothing fancy” into an aesthetic choice." [8] Moses also discussed the accessible persona cultivated by Roman in the book, and highlighted tips accompanying certain recipes that expressed annoyance with some expectations held by guests. Moses refers to Roman as "libidinous and a little bit mean," contrasting her with the "prim and gracious" personas of Ina Garten and Martha Stewart.

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over: Roman Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over: Roman

a b Sodha, Meera (30 November 2019). "Best cookbooks and food writing of 2019". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 July 2020. a b Grechko, Irina (22 October 2019). "Alison Roman's New Book Sings The Praises Of "Unfussy" Food". Nylon . Retrieved 14 July 2020. Casual, effortless, chic: These are not words you’d use to describe most desserts. But before Alison Roman made recipes so perfect that they go by one name—The Cookie, The Pasta, The Lemon Cake—she was a restaurant pastry chef who spent most of her time learning to make things the hard way. She studied flavor, technique, and precision, then distilled her knowledge to pare it all down to create dessert recipes that feel special and approachable, impressive and doable. In Sweet Enough, Alison has writtenthebook for people who think they don’t have the time or skill to pull off dessert. Here, the desserts you want to make right away, youcanmake right away. The Guardian included Nothing Fancy on its list of the "Best cookbooks and food writing of 2019". [7] Meera Sodha, who compiled the list, wrote that the book presents "heart, soul and food frequently and unapologetically made using store-cupboard ingredients." [7]Nothing Fancy's recipes are on-trend but unpretentiously so. . . . Most relevant of all is Roman's attitude toward hosting: that all of us can do it, that we should embrace the imperfections of our plans, and that it's more fun to try than to stress. . . . Roman is leading the charge in revitalizing the art of gathering your community around the dinner table." -- Eater Cons: For all of the reasons mentioned just above, the vibe and the title of this book clash. A better title for this book would be: "Fancy." Feeding friends is totally relaxed with Roman, author of Dining In and New York Times columnist. This abundant collection of all-new recipes is for gatherings big and small, from the weeknight to the weekend.

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over: Roman

I would love to try the Buttered Salmon with Dill (also here: https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com...) and Scallops with Tomatillos, but alas, there is a hold on the book at the library . . .

Customer reviews

Moses, Michele. "Alison Roman's "Nothing Fancy" and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party". The New Yorker. Conde Nast . Retrieved 28 November 2019. Roman] could offer a master's program in Approachable Recipe. . . . [ Nothing Fancy is] a manual not just for dinner, but for life." -- The Washington Post Nothing Fancy” has served me as Roman intended. At a Sunday dinner that started two hours later than planned, I put out her labneh dip with sizzled scallions and chili, and everyone declared it “bomb.” On a weeknight, I made her “Casual Apple Tart with Caramelized Buttermilk” for my roommates (the people I’m always “having over”), and they called it the best apple pie they’d ever had. But my favorite discovery is her “Perfect Herby Salad”: half lettuce and half herbs (parsley, cilantro, tarragon, mint), drizzled with lemon, olive oil, and, of course, Maldon. Like many of her best ideas, it has a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that simplicity. Roman makes food more interesting. . . . [ Nothing Fancy]has a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that simplicity.” — The New Yorker Escarole with mustard and bread crumbs: A good, interesting salad--I never buy escarole, and it helped to have someone tell me what to do with it! I did not have guanciale (see, fancy!), so I just used bacon.

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over : Roman Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over : Roman

Roman has said the book contains advice and recipes for an "attainable" life rather than an "aspirational" one. [6] Reception and accolades [ edit ] That being said, these recipes - and Roman's signature style/unapologetic voice - aren't for everyone (word to the wise: anchovies, citrus, and vinegar are the lifeblood coursing through these cookbooks' veins). Even so, I felt inspired by the deft flavor pairings, elevated simplicity, and general idea that somewhere out there in another timeline there's a cooler version of me serving up a Salted Citrus Salad with Fennel, Radish, and Olive to my vintage-clad foodie friends in my quirky/small Brooklyn apartment with endless martinis on the side and Hibiscus-Roasted Peaches with Brown Sugar Bread Crumbs for dessert. Davis, Wynne (18 December 2019). "With 'Nothing Fancy,' Alison Roman Aims To Rebrand Having People Over For Dinner". NPR . Retrieved 14 July 2020. Recipes with photos: Nearly 100 percent of the 125 or so recipes in this book have corresponding photos. No fewer than 33 of those photos feature pristinely manicured red nails (on fingers spooning caviar from a tin, plopping an uncooked yolk on top of kimchi-braised pork, squeezing lime over blistered shishito peppers). Nothing fancy! IACP AWARD FINALIST - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review - The New Yorker - NPR - The Washington Post - San Francisco Chronicle - BuzzFeed - The Guardian - Food NetworkSpoiler alert: These recipes are a little too fancy! Am I buying hibiscus flowers to roast with peaches? Not a chance. But I do like Alison Roman's style, which is charming and funny (e.g, You can use Greek yogurt here, but don't blame me if you wish you had used sour cream). Most of the recipes I made were good but slightly off--usually too much or too little of a particular ingredient (salt, butter, lemon, etc.). In case it's useful for anyone: