The Chef Next Door: A Pro Chef's Recipes for Fun, Fearless Home Cooking – A Food Network Cookbook for Mastering Restaurant Techniques and Building Kitchen Confidence

by Amanda Freitag

Improve your confidence and add joy to your home cooking with this beautiful, practical, full-color cookbook filled with information, techniques, and more than 100 recipes from the Food Network favorite and critically acclaimed chef of New York’s Empire Diner restaurant. Amanda Freitag is a master at knocking out fabulous meals in her restaurant kitchen and on the set of Food Network’s Chopped and Iron Chef America. But until recently, she was totally intimidated to cook at home in her tiny apartment kitchen, relating to the fears of many home cooks. She realized she wasn’t alone! She set out to help other home cooks and created a list of restaurant-quality recipes that shine in the home kitchen. The Chef Next Door teaches home cooks a wide range of confidence-instilling skills, tricks, and tips that Amanda has picked up working in professional kitchens and cooking competitively on television. In her bright, lively voice, she helps you master the basic techniques that are the foundation of good, flavorful cooking. She also teaches you how to think like a chef—to consider seasonality, balancing flavors, understanding the steps, and learning how to improvise—to create a menu and execute dishes with pro techniques, as if she were right there in the kitchen with you. You’ll find everything from the basics—sauces, marinades, stocks, and rubs—to first impressions, salads, and easy dinner recipes, and will even become skilled in making “The Scary Stuff”—recipes that may seem out of reach but are not. With The Chef Next Door , you’ll be able to dazzle friends and family with a diverse range of dishes, such as Spinach Feta Pies, Kale and Farro Salad with Aged Goat Cheese, Lusty Lemon Chicken, Pop’s Beer-Braised Bold Beef Stew, Mediterranean Potato Salad, Marinated Artichokes, Cocoa Carrot Cake, and more. Filled with beautiful color photographs that show how achievable good food really is, The Chef Next Door makes confident home cooking a breeze.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2015

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

She “preaches” the concept that recipes aren’t really to be followed, but are just suggestions. She teaches the basics, and expects the reader to be creative

[Melissa Cheslog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read cookbooks especially from celebrities but never do I find one that I’m positive that I will actually use. The recipes are written so any level of cook can follow. The recipes are inspiring but not overly complex. It’s a well rounded assortment of recipes. Cannot wait to start adapting these recipes into my own and using this book as guidance for cooking for my family and I.

[Ani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going through my many cookbooks and getting rid of those that aren't inspiring. The recipes in this book are very basic, so there is no need to keep this cookbook. I should note that I have not actually tried any of the recipes, so it is getting 3 stars because I wasn't inspired to try any of them.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a vegan cookbook, but I enjoyed reading through this book a lot, there are also plenty of vegan recipes. Plus she has a lot of tips and tricks that are just overall helpful and I like her general philosophy around cooking and recipes.

[Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef Amanda is as engaging in print as she is in person. Aimed at the improving home cook, this book offers great ways to improve your culinary repertoire with healthy choices that seem like restaurants innovations!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some beautiful pictures and solid looking recipes. Amanda Freitag has a fun personality that shines through.

[Diane Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lob this

Easy to read. Easy to follow cooking directions!! This is a must have book for your kitchen. I bought a copy for my engaged niece. Thanks, Amanda Freitag!

[Virginia Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful book and I love Amanda Freitag on tv but nothing about this book excited me.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some recipes I feel I could make myself if I had the ingredients. I thought I could handle Lentil and kale soup as well as the macaroons.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has lots of different recipes. I got a mustard sauce out of this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was OK. It started off great with tips and easy getting to cook recipes. Then all of the sudden the recipes were like "hey I am an awesome chef in a 5 star eatery. I couldn't wrap my head around it. Sure there were some things that I would love to eat, but nothing that I would attempt to make on my own.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been watching Amanda Freitag on Chopped and Next Iron Chef competitions for the last few years, so I was excited to check out her new cookbook. I really like the premise of the cookbook too. Instead of dividing it into appetizers, entrees, pasta, etc. She starts with basics, then sauces/marinades/etc. and then organizes the rest of the sections by easiest to harder. I think that is a MUCH better format for the home cook. She also puts together a few sample menus using the recipes in the book at the end. Overall, I liked it especially for a more beginner home cook. There are definitely a few recipes I'd like to try.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Freitag of Chopped fame has produced a basic, go-to cookbook complete with gorgeous pictures and nourishing cuisine. There are no gimmicks here; Freitag's offerings range from appetizers to desserts and consist primarily of classic, timeless recipes. Essential repertoire items such as guacamole, chili, Jersey meatballs, vegetarian soups, and simple desserts like angel food cake and rice pudding. With enough variety to please nearly any palette this makes for a great gift for home cooks of any level.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The food here looks amazing (and it's a beautiful book), but most of it's not really for beginners, and most recipes are too involved for a weeknight.

Her recipes are very creative, and I liked a lot of her suggestions within the recipes. The best chapter for me was appetizers, and her cucumber and fill salad is great.

While this was worth checking out for inspiration, I don't think it would be put into heavy rotation at my house.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freitag is my of favorite judge on Chopped. She has a caring disposition and always has kind words to offer the chefs. She opens up about her lack of cooking at home and discusses how she lost her inspiration. The recipes are easy to follow and with common ingredients. Excellent resource for the home cook that may have lost their way.

[Cynthia caprise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Amanda Freitag. I saw her on "The Kitchen" promoting this new book. She made Pork on Park on the show. An absolute fabulous read. Chef Freitag has a whole chapter devoted to Sauces and Marinades. I can't wait to make the Roasted Cauliflower recipe, as well as trying the Winter Duck Leg Braise.

[Daniela Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skvela kucharska kniha. Minimalne polovicu receptov pouzijem. Doporucujem.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Freitag is one of my favorite Food Network chefs and I have been wanting to get this cookbook for awhile! Loved it! :D

[Ed Kurtzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the chef.

I thought the book was well written and had some good recipes. I am going to try and make some of them.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good images, great detail, lots of obscure recipes