No. 005 : Cooking in Real Life
[NEW!] Ina but make it millennial.
5 things I’m enjoying about Cooking in Real Life
Ina Garten for Millennials*
If you love Ina Garten - and honestly, how can anyone not - you will love this cookbook. Lidey Heuck’s Cooking in Real Life feels very similar to many of the Ina cookbooks I have on my shelf. This is not a surprise as Lidey spent seven years working with and learning from Ina. (Can you even imagine?!) You can feel the influence in the approachable tone of the recipes. You also get a bit of deja vu just flipping through the pages. The flow of the book and the design - by designer Laura Palese - all put you in a comfortable hanging-with-Ina sort of headspace. But while being grounded in that space, Lidey has her own voice and style.
*Let me just make it extremely clear: this is a silly joke. Ina is a queen and she’s for everyone.
Familiar Recipes with a Twist
One of my favorite things about Lidey’s voice is the unexpected that she brings to her recipes. The recipes in this book feel familiar and yet each has an element that feels fresh or inspiring. What at first looks like a hummus plate is instead Golden Beet Dip with Yogurt + Tahini. Rather than long cooked pulled pork, the Spicy Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches can be made “in just under an hour”. When you flip to what looks like chocolate sheet cake, it’s actually Banana Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting + Sea Salt. Yum.
“Delicious + Doable” Recipes
All the recipes do indeed seem to meet Lidey’s goal of finding a “golden middle ground where joy and practicality meet.” The included range of recipes gives a nice balance of clear guidance as well as tips for getting ahead, using swaps, or repurposing leftovers. In addition to the main recipes, sections in the back of “Easy Add Ons”, as well as dressings and sauces give you a great foundation to quickly turn the recipes into staple meals.
Pleasing Photography
The photography in this book - by Dane Tashima - has an ease that flows naturally with the tone of the book. There are both delicious textured food images and glowy lifestyle photos. The imagery is brought to life with incredible food styling by
and prop styling by Pam Morris. The team did a wonderful job making the images look lived in and enticing. I want to eat all of it. The delightful lifestyle images peppered throughout the book - of outdoor dinner parties with friends, homey brunches, cocktail hour on the porch - give an additional peek into Lidey’s world, and make you wish you got the invite!
Welcoming Tone
This would be a great book for beginners and those intimidated by the kitchen. Lidey is warm and encouraging, and makes the cooking feel accessible and fun. There is a lighthearted tone throughout the book that I think makes the reader feel relaxed and comfortable, even when presented with something more challenging. Cooking in Real Life would make it a great gift for a newlywed or someone graduating college.
Bonus: Styling Sources
Im listing this as a bonus because I’m not sure anyone will care this much about it but me, but.. I am huge sucker for all things dish wear, and literally have what I call a “styling cabinet” in my office full of dishes just to photograph. In fact my partner teases me constantly about my “bowl problem” whenever I bring home 1 or 2 new dishes - that don’t match anything else we own - because “Babe! Think of the styling!” Annnyways, one of the last sections of this book that I personally loved was titled “Sources” and its a lovely endless feeling list of every plate, plater, bowl, napkin, candlestick, you-name-it photographed in the book, along with where its from. Looks like I’ll be adding to the cabinet…
Cooking in Real Life: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day is by Lidey Heuck
You can find more about Lidey Heuck on her website and her instagram.
CLUB CHAT
Do you have a favorite recipe from Cooking in Real Life?
What did you learn while reading or cooking from Cooking in Real Life?
Whats a dinner recipe you go back to regularly because it fits into your real life?