Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark's Kitchen: Family Meals, Festive Gatherings, and Everything In-between

by Melissa Clark

Beloved New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark selects more than 100 of her all-time favorite recipes and gathers them here in this collection of delicious, reliable, palate-pleasing dishes for every occasion. Illustrated with full-color photographs throughout.

Melissa Clark has been reaching millions of readers through her New York Times column "A Good Appetite" since 2007. She is also the face of the Times cooking videos, which are filmed in her now iconic Brooklyn-based home kitchen. Her delicious, seasonal recipes are simple to make and satisfying for the whole family. They are always executed with a touch of elegance and flair.

Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark's Kitchen curates more than 100 dishes, hand-selected by Clark herself, from her two previously published books, In the Kitchen With A Good Appetite and Cook This Now . The book is organized by meal including Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch, Dinner Mains, Dinner Sides, Desserts, Cocktails and Snacks. In addition, it features an "Occasion Chart" that cross-references recipes into situational categories including weekday staples, perfect for 2, family meals, and company's coming, making it easy for the reader to select the perfect recipe for any occasion.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Ebooks, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 3, 2018

About the author

Melissa Clark is an American food writer and cookbook author. Since 2007, she has been a food columnist for The New York Times. She has written more than 40 cookbooks and in 2018 won a James Beard Award.

Reviews

[Caitlin Hawksley]

I wish I were Melissa Clark's best friend. When I see her recipes in The New York Times, I trust that she will walk me skillfully through every step and I will come out on the other side of the kitchen timer with a meal or a snack or a dessert that will blow everyone away. She's self-assured, a little sassy, and creative. I borrowed this book from the library, like all the cookbooks I review, but I quickly bought a used version online because it contained recipes I knew I could not live without. It delights me to rate this cookbook with five stars.

Style: Confident eclectic; recipes for all occasions, diets, and courses

Sections: Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch and Other Light Meals, Dinners, Dinner Sides, Desserts, and Cocktails and Snacks

Recipes with photos: 38 of the cookbook's 110 total, or 34.5%

Pros: This cookbook delivers. If you buy the ingredients and follow the directions, you'll serve crowd favorites again and again.

Cons: The creamy parsnip and leek soup with bacon mentioned bacon in the title only and not in the ingredients list or instructions, which was my only complaint about the recipe and seemed to be an editing oversight. I was 100% heart-eyed about the silky soup and garlic pumpernickel toast otherwise.

No, thank you: Garlicky broccoli rabe (The garlic and broccoli rabe did not physically marry in the pan, leaving this dish bland and disjointed.); lemony olive oil banana bread with chocolate chips (Highly edible, but lemon + banana + chocolate did not = a 100% winning flavor combination.)

More, please: Coconut fudge brownies (These were the reason I bought the book. Dense, deeply chocolatey, fudge-pocket-filled, coconutty. I've started asking friends if they like coconut before showing up with a baking pan full of these, and if they say no, I have to think long and hard about our friendship.); celery salad with walnuts and Parmesan (Crunchy, earthy, tangy, and umami-y. So simple, and an instant dinner side favorite.); olive oil-poached halibut nuggets with garlic and mint (Decadent and refined.); salami and horseradish Cheddar bagel sandwich (With thin-sliced red onions — just as amazing as it sounds.); butternut squash risotto with pistachios and lemon (A constellation of flavors and textures that came across as nourishing and satisfying.)

[L.C.]

I love Melissa Clark—NY Times Food Editor. She’s amazing and so are these recipes.

[Hannah Jane]

This recipe book has changed how we eat breakfast at my house. Prior to reading this we didn't put pesto or ricotta in our scrambled eggs or make heaps of garlicky chard (or any bitter greens) to go with our fried eggs. But these two things are now a breakfast must-have depending on how we want our eggs. The recipes are simple, easy-to-execute, and include a concise story, which I really like in a cookbook. Occasionally recipe introduction paragraphs can get really wordy or do not exist at all, so I'm thrilled Clark has included just the perfect amount of story for each recipe. My family and I are really enjoying making these recipes together and we cannot wait to try them all.

[Lisa]

This to me was just OK. There needed to be more pictures for the recipes. Almost every recipe had an introduction that lasted almost the entire page if not half of it. To me there were just too many "words" for what this book was. The food seemed OK as well but nothing to shout out about. I may have found a handful of things that I may, may want to make. I wanted more from this book.

[Md Reza]

★★★★★

**A warm, inspiring collection for every occasion!**

*Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark's Kitchen* is a wonderful celebration of the food that brings people together. The collection has an inviting, personal quality that makes it easy to imagine these recipes becoming part of everyday family meals as well as memorable gatherings with friends.

What stands out most is the variety. There is something for different moods and occasions, from comforting dishes for a relaxed evening to recipes that feel special enough for a festive table. The collection encourages home cooks to enjoy the process rather than feel intimidated by it.

Melissa Clark's approachable style gives the book a welcoming character. The recipes feel practical while still offering plenty of inspiration, making this a cookbook that can be reached for repeatedly. It is the kind of book that sparks ideas when you're planning dinner or looking for something new to share.

More than just a recipe collection, this book captures the pleasure of cooking for yourself and for the people you care about. It feels generous, comforting, and genuinely useful.

Five stars for its variety, warmth, creativity, and ability to make everyday cooking feel special. A lovely addition to any home cookbook collection.

[Ivonne Rovira]

I adore Melissa Clark’s recipes. I loved Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot®, and I loved Comfort in an Instant: 75 Comfort Food Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and InstantPot® even more.

So I snapped up Favorite Recipes from Melissa Clark’s Kitchen: Family Meals, Festive Gatherings, and Everything In-between when I saw the Kindle edition on sale. Alas, unlike her previous cookbooks, too many of these recipes are time-consuming, complicated and loaded with hard-to-attain ingredients. There are some great recipes in here, but it’s not up to Clark’s usual level.

[EB]

The incomparable Melissa Clark! Her voice (audio) is so distinct - I can "hear" her speaking as I read the intro story to each recipe. Her metaphoric voice is distinct, as well - she has a specific and unique way of describing / interacting w/ food. I loved reading each recipe's vignette. They were longer than in some of her other cookbooks and much more personal. The recipes seemed good as well; some I skipped entirely but some I read. I like that she presents v specific/detailed instructions but then says "You totes don't have to do any of this! Do what makes sense to you (re: flavors and ingredient availability)!" Which sets you up for success either way. You can tell she just wants ppl to get in their kitchens and experiment with making food, no matter how that looks. It's wonderful.

[loafingcactus]

Melissa Clark's Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France: A Cookbook was one of my top cookbook finds of the last couple of years, I have made several recipes from it and hope to make many more. So I was eager to get another one of her books when it appeared on sale. This book is homier food, much of it stuff that you might actually make on a week night. So it doesn't have the star power that Dinner in French does, but I've marked pretty much everything I'm not allergic to as something I would like to cook.

[Shamim Reza]

This is a wonderful cookbook for anyone who enjoys cooking food that feels both comforting and special. The collection offers a lovely range of recipes suited to everyday family meals as well as festive gatherings and occasions worth celebrating. I especially appreciate the variety, which makes it easy to discover new favorites while still finding plenty of familiar, satisfying dishes. The recipes feel inviting and practical, with flavors that encourage you to spend more time enjoying meals around the table. I also love the balance between simple ideas for ordinary days and more memorable dishes for entertaining. It is the kind of cookbook that inspires you to cook, share, and create lasting food memories with the people you love. A beautiful and useful addition to any home kitchen.

[Stephanie]

The cookbook is okay. People like pictures of the finished product and half of these recipes don’t include photos. Some of the recipes look really good, but none was new to me or tempted me to make any of them.

[Dean Jones]

This collection of eclectic and tried and true recipes is fantastic. I got it on sale and for me it's a triumphant coup! I heartily reccomend this to any cookbook collector and serious cook. This is a win if you are cooking for a family!

[elizabeth]

I want to make many of these recipes, but I'm also just as happy to read MC's intro/descriptions. Charming and often funny.

[Tonya]

Makes me want to cook - a lot!!! Can't wait to try these amazing recipes!

[julie]

I think I'll cook my way through every recipe in this lovely cookbook. It came and I sat down and read it all in an afternoon. Can't wait to get cooking.

[Cassandra]

I love the way this book is organized. But I was really surprised, given how much I love Melissa Clark, how little I wanted to cook any of the recipes in this book.

[Laura]

some great favor combination and a range of very easy and more complex recipies. all great additions to or great meals.