S&S/Simon Element Make It Fancy: Cooking at Home With Sad Papi (A Cookbook)

This cookbook has exceeded my expectations. This is a must have book for every foodie!!! First of all, the "Pantry" section of the cookbook is amazing. This section has a few items you can make (and keep on hand) to elevate your regular everyday recipes you have on rotation into something amazing. The pickle/preserve section is well laid out and the recipes are easy for a beginner to follow. The preserved lemons are amazing! There is a short section for dressings and I have tested all of them. They are all simple, tasty, and now on my regular weekly rotation. I am still working through the "Starters" and "Mains" recipes but so far all the ones I have tried have been excellent and a few of them are already on my "repeat" menu!! Some of the "Mains" recipes have multiple steps and may be best for weekend meals, but there are many that have worked out great for me as weeknight meals. If you want to elevate your cooking and make some really good food, I highly recommend this book.

Honestly it is a really well structured Book that actually gives beautiful photos, techniques and decent substitutions for dishes and sauces. The latter of which is 🤌 This book is actually is a complement to Sad Papi’s videos. Wish more artists and chefs did it this way. 5 stars.

Brandon does a good job of explaining exactly how to do a complex task to someone who maybe doesn't have a decade of kitchen skills... or even any kitchen skills at all. To a seasoned chef, it may be a bit verbose, but true to his style Brandon makes fancy cooking approachable to even a novice, home cook. The book is set up like a menu for a restaurant - you can pick and choose each course that suits you and aren't burdened by dozens and dozens of options like other popular cookbooks are.Some very mild critiques: the design choice to put the title font at the edge of the cover makes it come across like it was cut off. At first I thought I had received a misprint, but upon closer inspection of the product listing this was simply a design choice and was, in fact, intentional.Some of the photos have harsh lighting or odd saturation, which makes the colors a bit dull in an otherwise beautiful photo. Perhaps this was the aesthetic chosen on purpose for our favorite tatted chef, but for me it makes the dishes sometimes difficult to get excited about.Suffice it to say, I love the content of this book and I'm thrilled Brandon chose to take time to organize his brilliance into text for all of us to keep at home.

Honestly, this cookbook is fun, informative, and easy to follow! I was worried that the recipes would be long but they really aren't!

Yes, the recipes can look daunting. But all the ingredients are at the store, and if not, it's an easy search for substitutions. If you follow his Socials, most of the techniques are explained. It's a book of elevated tastes not your grandma's home cookin.' It's a beautiful way to expand both your technique and palate. Would recommend.