More Is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen—A Cookbook

by Molly Baz

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Learn to cook with confidence and unbridled joy in 100 big, bold, flavorful recipes from Molly Baz

It’s time to crank up the heat and lose the measuring spoons because the secret to cooking is hiding in one simple  MORE IS MORE. In her bestselling debut cookbook, Cook This Book , Molly Baz taught the cooking essentials and put her love for mortadella and dill on blast. In More Is More , she’s teaching cooks how to level up their cooking, loosen up in front of that ripping hot pan, and seek deliciousness at all costs. (And yes, there will be more mortadella.) More Is More is a philosophy that encourages more risk-taking, better intuition, fewer exact measurements, and a “don’t stop ‘til it tastes delicious” mentality. 

The recipes in More Is More are fit for any day of the week and for cooks of all skill levels. Each recipe will teach a technique or flavor combination that takes Molly’s maximalist, “leave no flavor on the cutting board” approach. So crank your ovens! Grab a fat pinch of salt! And if you’re going to use an ingredient, truly use it. Just one lonely clove of garlic? Not in this cookbook! 

Start your morning with a Crispy Rice Egg-in-a-Hole , throw together a Chicken Salad with Coconut Crunch for lunch, look forward to Drunken Cacio e Pepe for dinner, and save room for a fat slice of Ooey Gooey Carrot Cake for dessert. The Only Meatloaf that Matters will teach you the power of re-frying, while Miso-Braised Chicken and Leeks will ensure you never throw away the green tops of the leeks again. 

Throughout, you’ll encounter dozens of QR codes to step-by-step audio tutorials for a hands-free cook-along experience guided by Molly, plus recipe videos to help illuminate some of the trickier skills and recipes. 

With intoxicatingly delicious recipes, vivid photographs, and Molly's one-of-a-kind playful guidance and whimsy, More Is More will inspire cooks to embrace a fearless mindset to level up their cooking—for life.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Culinary, Food and Drink, Reference

304 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Gage Holloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no doubt that I will find recipes in More is More that I will love, but what I will never love is the more is more approach to graphic design that the book takes. It is laid out in such bold and chaotic ways that at times it’s difficult to read. When I’m busy cooking and trying to quickly check the recipe I don’t want to have to spend a few seconds every glance orienting myself again to the page and trying to decipher the outrageous heading font. Sure it’s fun for the cover and maybe a few other pages in between but let’s take down the energy of the recipe pages a bit.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read cookbooks like i read novels. cover to cover. not a word or a single page skipped. molly continues to inspire me not only in the kitchen, but stylistically. her approach at creating a fully rounded experience in her cookbooks with qr codes for videos and audio instructions is something many chefs should adapt.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I read it! I think that it's been so long since I've read (and made) recipes by someone who is clearly not afraid of food that this was just a joy to read, and the recipes I've made so far have been actually fun and interesting. The majority of cookbooks I've used for the past several years have been people who have an ulterior motive: making cooking convenient, a specific brand of "healthy" eating, promoting sustainable food, leveraging internet success/popularity, being a famous actor (I'm looking at you, Audrey Hepburn). The retro vibes come through strooong, in not just the brand, but in the sheer amount of nuts and dairy that are in every recipe. And I just cannot with the forced abbreviations. Some abbreviations make sense and aid in expedited communication; however, I found myself asking, "what is a sweet pot?" when she actually meant potato, which like...either write potate, or just don't do it at all. Also, Umami Lasagni sounds way better than Umam Lasagn, just saying. I hope that as she goes along she realizes that what sets her apart in the field is her attitude and approach to cooking, and that her vernacular doesn't need to try so hard. With that said, I feel like Molly actually loves food, isn't afraid to make a mistake, and more than that, isn't afraid for her reader to make a mistake, either. It's a very empowering approach to food, and one that I have really enjoyed reading and using.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Visuell ne 10/10 aber die Rezepte geben mir leider null Inspiation. Bleibe aber Molly Baz Ultra

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

More is too much. This cookbook is extra in all the wrong ways. Recipes that are way too fussy and just way too much. Pass

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is one single recipe that I’d make. I can’t stand the layout, graphics and photos used in this book and combined they make me nauseous. Not worth a $35 investment.

[Abby Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okkkk LISTEN. Yes, this is a cookbook. BUT. I read it cover to cover - so I feel like it should be able to count towards my reading goal. & I think I would like to see what cookbooks people like, so I’m starting to log mine.

I think Molly Baz is the coolest - her cookbooks get a lot of hate for “unreadable text” & writing that is too causal. But I really like it. Her cookbooks feel a bit like a scrapbook of all the things she cares about & as a sentimental person, I eat it up.
I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to feel more comfortable in the kitchen / and or role play as a bon appetit chef.

[Allison Tapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm including cookbooks in my list this year - I read them cover to cover so WHY NOT. After I got past the abrasive fonts and focused on what Molly was trying to accomplish with this book, I really ended up liking this one! I have always aligned with Mollys palate (salty, dilly, briny) and I like how this book amps it up even more. I know there are a ton of recipes I will revisit, this week I made the Turkey Sando with chimichurri mayo (so freakin good) and the Cuke and Halloumi salad and loved. love u molly

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

People are being such dicks in these reviews! I was feeling so-so about this book until scrolling through a few and now I feel the urge to defend it. You weirdos need to chill about your graphic design requirements. Cookbooks are one of the few arenas where people are still allowed to take big, expressive swings. Do the funky fonts and information overload make it a bit difficult to quickly scan? Yeah. Would I prefer a simple table format in grayscale using times new roman? No, loosen up! Yes there’s a happier balance they could’ve struck but I’ll take the more creative approach any day. I bet some of you are reaaal active in the comments on cooking blogs.

Anyway. The actual recipes are what I was feeling so-so on. Some are super tasty, some are…not bad, but confusing to my palate. But it’s not unusual for cookbooks to have less than a 100% hit rate. That’s not the point. I appreciate the approach and the combinations I wouldn’t usually think of. It’s good to get out of your cooking habits and I needed something to shake things up. This was that.

[Caitlin Crabill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Molly Baz. I love how she writes exactly how she speaks, and I love how fresh and inventive her recipes are. The QR codes for the Step-By-Step audio recordings of the recipes, as well as the videos of certain preparation techniques are INCREDIBLE. I still pull up her video from her first book about how to carve a cooked chicken, when I'm roasting a chicken. I decided not to put tabs in this book because I would have been tabbing essentially every recipe. I can't wait to start cooking out of this!!!!!!!!!

[Maria Cloos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read (probably) dozens, if not hundreds, of cookbooks in my life. This one is great in so many ways. For one thing, it has a specific goal, and it aims to achieve that goal with every recipe, and every hint and explanation. The recipe format is different from the norm, because she has the ingredient list in clusters, such as “produce” or “pantry” or “dairy.” This may seem counterintuitive, and it would be normally, BUT in the execution section of the recipe, she includes the measurements so you’re not hunting for them in the ingredients list. She also goes so far as to include suggested pairings of dishes for the same meal, including page numbers, for most dishes. Although I’m a bit too old to appreciate the acronyms and awkward abbreviations, none of this is enough to make the book a turn-off. I did, however, very much appreciate the juicy, colorful language she employed. More cookbooks should include fowl language (misspelling/pun intended). I would have a recommendation though. For someone so intent on flavor, she doesn’t seem to have ventured outside of the grocery store yet or considered making her own pickles, condiments, etc. - tasting grocery store chicken vs pasture-raised chicken or store-bought sauerkraut vs homemade. See what is available locally to you. It’s generally much more flavorful and more nutrient-dense. (For the latter, flash-frozen is probably ideal, but that’s semantics.) All said, every novice cook will get a ton of use out of this book, and old hacks will find new and innovative ideas.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going full send on a 5-star review without cooking a thing yet because I actually read a cookbook (?! Yes, even her cute calamari intro, and how lovely are her tips?!).
I feel like I want to jump into the kitchen now. A stunning and funny cookbook.

[Grace Lindsey]

Molly’s beans from her first book are a staple of my kitchen— this had some stuff that looked delicious but I found the constant abbreviations cloying

[Tyffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best cookbook I've ever read. If there's only room in your life for one, this is it. Recipes are fool proof, designed to put flavor in your life.
Favourites -
Sweet Cotija and Sesame pancakes
Purple Salad
Spicy Coconut Green Beans
Fennel on Fennel on Fennel tortilla
One Pot Chicken Mujadera
Sesame Biscuits with Black Pepper Miso Gravy

[Mara Katzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this book cover to cover

love love love

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun, I like the concept, there are definitely a few recipes I'll try from here (Drunked Cacio e Pepe?!)

[Sarah Guldenbrein · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a Baz-stan, but I picked this up from the library because I like to know what's up with the food trends. Wow does the maximalist design make it hard to read. I kinda got used to it once I figured out the system, but this is no Joy of Cooking. It's like it's designed to look good as part of your Tomato Girl aesthetic, not for actually cooking from. Which, I guess is fine, because I feel no interest in cooking anything but the one quickbread recipe. I'd eat anything if it were placed in front of me, but in general, too meaty, not that interested in the flavors.

Also, while I generally love people's weird personal vernacular in person, I am so annoyed by Baz's million shortened words and written-out goofy sayings. I'm sure it's supposed to feel friendly and approachable, but instead I feel like she's part of a rich cool girl gang that I'm not really interested in conforming to.

[Kira Voit DiStefano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE Cook This Book, and have probably made 70% of the recipes - many are recipes that I repeat over and over again. More is More will be the same. I know some readers struggle with the font/design of some of the pages, but the recipe pages and actual information are really easy to read and the recipes are incredible. I've made 4 recipes from this book since I got it about a week ago.

I love Molly's recipes because she rides the line - her recipes are relatively simple, but complex in flavor and process WHEN IT COUNTS. There is no overage of ingredients or fluff - every ingredient matters and contributes. Really unique and what cooking should be - fun :)

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

So... a couple things.

Yes... I said I'd be done with cook books but I lied. I have this and 2 more culinary books that I've picked up because I'm obsessed with food recently.

Secondly, I thought that Molly Baz's first cook book was amazing but I was an idiot. I mean, it was great and I thought nothing could top it, genuinely. Who would've known that Molly Baz would take a perfect cookbook and just bury it under her second piece of work.

I sat down and leafed through and wrote down all the recipes that I want to make. Turns out I wrote down (no exaggeration) 95% of the recipes that the book had. So instead of just gushing about this book any longer, I'll just copy and paste everything I wrote recipe wise (quick note, there's a ton of into so page 52 is where the recipes actually start):

MORE IS MORE:
Page 71: Purple Salad
Page 81: Halloumi Cuke & Walnut Salad
Page 82: Raw & Roasted Cauli Salad with Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ranch
Page 86: Chicken Salad with Coconut Crunch
Page 89: Penicillin
Page 90: Marinated Zucch & Mozz with Sunflower Seeds
Page 96: Drunken Cacio e Pepe
Page 99: Triple Threat Garlic Bread
Page 103: Pepperoni Fried Rice
Page 104: Shells, Peas & Buttermilk
Page 107: Broken Noodle Bolognese
Page 108: Rigatoni with Creamed Leeks & Chive-Y Bread Crumbs
Page 124: Rarebit Mac N Greens
Page 127: Crispy Rice Egg-In-A- Hole
Page 128: Ramen Noodles with Shrooms & Soy Butter
Page 131: Cozy Bowl
Page 132: Put The Lime in the Coconut Corn Bread with Salt Coconut Jam
Page 134: Stuffed Focaccia With Spicy Greens & Cheese
Page 142: Mollz Ballz
Page 145: Martini Thrice
Page 146: Crispy Salmon With Coconut Rice & Crackle Sauce
Page 149: Hot Sauce Braised Short Ribs with Winter Squash
Page 150: Crispy Cornmeal Calamari With Fried Basil & Other Yummy Stuff
Page 153: The Only Meatloaf That Matters
Page 154: Crispy Cutlets with Giardiniera Slaw
Page 157: Lamb Chops Scottadito With Minty Beans & Artichokes
Page 158: The Flakiest Fish With Shingled Potatoes & Walnut Gremolata
Page 161: Surf & Turf With Gochujang Black Pepper Butter
Page 162: Kielbasa & Cabbage Pitas With Curry Mustard
Page 165: Gingery Clams With Chili Crisp & Tofu
Page 166: Tableside Tartare
Page 168: A Last Meal For The Living
Page 174: Last Meal Scallops
Page 178: Miso-Braised Chicken & Leeks
Page 181: Chicken Piccata With Sweet Corn, Chiles & Buttermilk
Page 182: Chile-Basted Half Chicken With Caper Chimichurri
Page 185: Party Chix
Page 187: Yummy Juice
Page 188: Chicky Chicky Bread Bread
Page 191: Red Curry Hot Wings Rolled in Peanuts
Page 194: One-Pot Chicken Mujadara
Page 197: Green Chicken Soup With Chickpeas & Sizzled Coriander
Page 198: Benny’s Tender Tenders
Page 203: Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Potpie
Page 204: Spicy Green Fregola With Salty Yog
Page 207: Faux French Onion Soup
Page 208: Saucy, Glossy Spanish Eggs
Page 211: Blistered Pepps With Torn Halloumi & Warm Shallot Dressing
Page 217: Shoestring Onion Rings With Peperoncini & Yummy Dust
Page 218: Dilly Beans & Burrata With Frizzled Shallots
Page 221: Le Grand Green Grilled Aioli
Page 222: Olive Oil Drowned Potatoes With Lemony Onions & Herbs
Page 225: Spicy Coconut Smothered Green Beans
Page 226: Crispy Potato Skins With Fried Herb Aioli
Page 229: Salted Citrus Shandy
Page 230: Big-Ass Latke
Page 235: Cold Fried Chicken Sando With Chili Crisp Mayo
Page 236: Not So Basic B Turkey Sando
Page 241: The One & Only Hoagie
Page 242: Fried Morty-D Sando
Page 245: Spiced Lentil Burger With A Very Special Sauce
Page 247: Arty Reuben
Page 252: Sweet Cotija & Sesame Pancakes
Page 255: Earl Grey & Apricot Jame Scones
Page 256: Griddled Chorizo & Egg Stuffed Pitas
Page 259: Bloody Molly
Page 261: Sesame Biscuits With Black Pepper Miso Gravy
Page 264: Molten Omelet
Page 275: Salty Coffee & Peanut Slice Cream
Page 279: Black Sesame Rice Pudding Brulee
Page 280: Maple Ricotta Munchkins
Page 283: Pistachio, Brown Butter, & Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Page 284: Spiced Peanut Shortbread
Page 287: Ooey-Gooey Carrot Cake
Page 288: Baklava Ruffle Pie
Page 292: Orange Creamsicle Poppy Cake
Page 295: Pumpkin-Cannoli Cheesecake Cake

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously, as a former food editor for BA, Baz probably knows a thing or two. From her intro, I had a couple of epiphanies before I even read the first recipe. First, she's a genius to make dive bar calamari edible at 10:30 in the morning after two Bloody Marys. Second, I totally adore someone who ends their introduction with "I promise it's going to be fucking delicious" (17).

Even though one of Baz' mantras tends to be let your freak flag fly in the kitchen and be bold and cook with abandon, there are still rules (pp 20-22). To sum up, she establishes the following:

"If you're gonna use it, use it." An ingredient needs to make itself known!
"Loosen up." Cook intuitively (or learn to do so bravely).
"You're probs not using enough." Always, always, always consider salt, fat, fresh herbs and acid.
"One Ingredient, many ways." Ever think about stirring pickle juice into a vinaigrette or chicken marinade. (You see where this "rule" is going.
"If it ain't yummy, fix it." Zhoozh away. (Again, be brave.)
"Turn ya burners up (let's burn some shit)." Build flavors by charring, crisping, blistering, etc.
"It's all in the sauce." Why not sauce it up? It will taste better.
"Though shall not waste herbs." Enough said.
"Condiments are your BFFL." I'm reminded again what she can do with mayo, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and lemon garnishes from Bloody Marys.
"When in doubt, refry." This goes for burritos, banana bread, leftover meatloaf...
"Enough is enough." You have to know when to call it...
"When less is more." See above.

As with most cookbooks, there's a must-have list of cooking sundry but in Baz fashion she also lists what gadgets and supplies one needs to "Stock ya bar!" (34). She also shares her kitchen layout to "Cook smarter, not harder" (38-39). To continue her inventive sharing, she creates "A Scoville Spectrum" for salty ingredients, kimchi to fish sauce (28-29), and a pie chart of pantry items (42-43). She stocks a lot of lemons and little pepperoni and chocolate. (What?!?!?!)

Recipe ingredients are listed by produce, dairy, protein, pantry and special equipment as applicable.

Most every recipe in her appetizer section, "Snick-Snack," are inventive but "Quick as heck!" I truly wanted to live her salad mantra: "Be the salad you wish to see in the world" (67). Most of these are "quick as heck," too. There really are no words for the Carbs section. It's all about the pasta (and Pepperoni Fried Rice and Triple Threat Garlic Bread). For proteins, she includes "Surf (Where There's Surf There is Turf," "Chicken," and rounds out More is More with "Veg," "Sandos," "Breakfast," and "Sweets."

There is no beverage section, but there are "Drink Break" inserts. And she breaks up the book about midway with "A Last Meal for the Living" (168-174), an all-encompassing supreme gluttonous epicurean feast which includes "Towers of Cultured Butter with Flaky Sea Salt on the side."

Here are my recipes to try from More is More...

Crick-Crackers (58)
Sizzled Speedy Tomato Salad (75)
Druken Cacio E Pepe (96). This recipe is truly inebriated, using one full bottle of red wine.
Olive Oil-Drowned Potatoes with Lemony Onions & Herbs (222)
Not So Basic B Turkey Sandwich (236), with chimichurri mayo
Early Grey & Apricot Jam Scones (255)
Griddled Chorizo & Egg Stuffed Pitas (256)

My hat is off and my head is still bowed. I'm still in awe of her "Chicky Chicky Bread Bread" (198).

I like to nestle some stale bread beneath the chicken as it roasts; it soaks up the fat without getting soggy, and you end up with custardy schmaltz-soaked bread with crispy! fried! edges! (198)

More.Is.More.

This is a solid, fun, informative cookbook. Total five stars!

[Arianna Hinton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this habit of picking up cookbooks and never cooking them. I got this book in December and challenged myself to try a few recipes from the book per week. As a beginner home cook, I think the book does a really great job at encouraging readers to use bolder flavors and not be shy about seasonings (hence the name). For some reason, a lot of the recipes I tried didn't speak to me. I found that sometimes certain elements felt overwhelming in a dish. Here's my ranking of dishes in order of favorite to least favorite -


1. Crispy Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage & Collard Ragu - This was my favorite by far. Really great flavors. Crisping the pasta made for a really great flavor profile. Easy weekday dinner with tons of leftovers.
2. Crispy Salmon with Coconut Rice + Crackle Sauce - I love salmon, so I'll always love a salmon dish. Really light and refreshing.
3. Chicken Salad with Coconut Crunch - If you love crunchy salads, this is perfect for you.I have a lot of leftover Coconut Crunch, so I'm using it in a yogurt parfait.
4. Miso Braised Chicken and Leeks - I overall enjoyed it, but I'd use less Miso than the recipe asked for because it felt overwhelming.
5. Chicky Chicky Bread Bread - This was fine! It's a pretty simple dish, which makes it great for weeknights.
6. Smashpatty Breakfast Sando - Everyone loved this recipe online. If you're not a breakfast person like me, this probably will not convert you into a breakfast person.
7. Sweet Cotija + Sesame Pancakes - I was disappointed by this, but am still tempted to make it again. The batter was a little gritty which wasn't the best when cooked. The ingredients sound like everything I love, so maybe I need to mess with the recipe.

Extra: Hot Sauce Braised Short Ribs With Winter Squash - So I didn't actually cook this recipe, but I did buy all the ingredients. I ended up seeing if anyone had made this recipe and saw a lot of people were overwhelmed by how sour it was. Typically, I would have just tried the recipe, but short ribs are expensive. Instead, I made Alison Roman's "Tangy Braised Short Ribs" which was 10/10.

Overall, I think it's a fine book, but I wouldn't go out of your way to pick it up. I really want to try Cook This Book, because I feel like it's probably more beginner friendly.

[Tracy]

This book is a face punch of visual intensity: hyper saturated, hyper sharp, deep shadowed food photos; that chonkerrific wonky display font, stretched and distorted, (that's going to date this book specifically to this moment in time); an almost brutalist body typography, yet somehow playful; everything slangified, words nipped off into cutesy abbreviations (as committed to the bit as the problematic Thug Kitchen was); walls of bright primary colors. The food photos are more real than real. I admire the vision and the execution, even though it's not to my taste. More is more indeed.

This is as much cookbook as aspirational life exhibit. It starts with the front cover, where she sits on her kitchen counter holding a full plate of onion rings as her crop top reveals her tanned, toned stomach, her hair casually done yet perfect, her sweatsuit style outfit somehow chic. Vibes to the max. You too can eat whatever you want, dress comfortably and still look fab, and are chill enough after frying onion rings to hang out like a teenager on the island in your remodeled kitchen. This, the photo says, is a woman who's never heard of anxiety, who effortlessly whips up impressive snacks, who is always put together. Carefree. Dream girl. Dream life. Who wouldn't want to be her, in this moment?

It presents a vacation-paced life of indulgence, cocktails interspersed throughout the recipes, rich foods where fried potato skins and a dipping sauce made from greens count as vegetable dishes. Dozens of friends join her at dinners, parties, and drinks, looking relaxed and playful -- unlike everyone else, the book shows, she has time for fancy cooking, close friends, and hosting. Everything screams California living. She rocks a crop top and her hair down -- the work of cooking will not harsh her vibe.

I think the book is very successful in its concept. Is it too voicey? Probably, but that's part of the vision. Most of the recipes didn't appeal to me, and as a pescetarian a fair number of dishes were out. I won't be adding it to my collection but it was a trip to read, and I suspect is perfect for its target audience.

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Innovative recipes take center stage in Baz’s follow-up to Cook This Book (See my review.) which had a more instructional component for newbies to cooking and is definitely for those who prefer salty to sugar, and more savory than sweet. She includes ample recipes for sweet and savory but she documents her adoration of salt and includes an illustrate “Scoville Spectrum for Salt” in her Intro. She gives the reader chapters called Play By the Rules (hers and in an amusing voice), how To set Up Shop, Cook Smarter, Not Harder, and Raid my Pantry (with a clever pie chart), and how to Use this Book with illustration and key. Recipes are noted when applicable by Video or Audio Cook-Alongs and she uses QR codes like she did in her first book to make them more accessible for the modern cook. She covers Snacks, Salad, Carbs, Surf, Turf, Chicken, Veg, Sandwiches, Breakfast, and Sweets using lots of excellent photography both illustrative and personal, and busy, bright, colorful graphics, although at times I found the crowded fonts jarring. She does use some vulgar language if that bothers you but it comes across as slang to me. The recipes are accessible and the light Tone makes it more fun than work. Most of them come with suggested sides or main, good listing of ingredients, numbered steps, and a little personal reasoning. If you enjoy capers, chiles, pickles, herbs, salt, and sauces---she emphasizes them. She also includes some delightful and yummy drink suggestions. Readalikes may be Alison Roman for the variety, Natalia Rudin which is mostly plant-based but savory, and Nadiya Hussain for the spice.

[Luke Hillier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally love Molly's flavors and have made a number of recipes from Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes To Repeat with success but wasn't as sold on this premise. When I found a copy being sold at too low a price to pass up, I figured why not. If absolutely nothing else, this features "Crispy Salmon with Coconut Rice & Crackle Sauce" which is probably the most delicious thing I've ever made and numerous dinnertime guests agree. (It's a carry-over from her Recipe Club which I'd subscribed to for a while, so not necessarily new to me from the book but much more convenient to find in print here!).

Unfortunately, I wasn't won over to the titular culinary philosophy after reading through. There are certainly a number of recipes here I'd like to try (somewhere between a fifth and a quarter) but as a whole I just wasn't feeling the celebration of richness and excess happening here. I don't fault her for evolving beyond 101 recipes, but I also felt like these were overall less approachable than what I'd expected from Baz too. I don't see myself reaching for this too frequently and definitely won't be cooking my way through it, but I also won't mind having it on my shelf for the hits that it includes.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again a really successful cookbook from Molly Baz. The majority of these recipes are things that can easily become staples in the “what are you in the mood for” rotation. I appreciate her notes about reminders when an ingredient feels like you are going overboard, but to trust in her recipe and flavor pairing.

Recipes we’ve made:
Grandma Pie pg 100: really solid. The pesto/tapenade for the top is great and I’ve been making batches for snacking with crackers.

Shells peas buttermilk pg 104: tasty and simple. Lets the peas sing with tasty little pops of pea flavor.

Crispy rice egg in a hole 127: solid base for new breakfast ideas. Nice and tangy with the lime. Lots of ways to change it up for future rounds.

Cozy bowl: yum. Simple. Same kind of vibe that gives us lots of simple ways to vary it up down the road to keep it fresh and seasonal.

Crispy cutlets with slaw: yum! The slaw was even better with bites of meat. did chicken instead of pork so that we can do cold fried chicken sandwich from 235 later this week.

Green chicken soup. Trust on the lemon. Solid.

Sesame cotija pancakes: kind of like a Salvadoran pupusa in flavor profile.

Griddled chorizo and egg stuffed pitas: a great idea that needs a little personality. These are a perfect idea for an on the go meal, but are a little low in flavor.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to try a few recipes out before I review a cookbook, and thankfully participating in a cookbook club means I don't have to do as much cooking!

I tried out the stuffed spicy greens focaccia recipe and was surprised at how achievable it was, especially for my first time making focaccia. I don't think I've mastered it in any form, but the results were still yummy.

Others in my group made the shroom ramen noodles, the oiled potatoes (an absolute winner I'm adding to my recipe box), the feta and walnut salad, the feta and pickles salad, the challah garlic bread, the mint and peas pasta, the date smoo, the rosette baclava (another one I'm adding to my box), and the ooey goey carrot cake.

It worked well for party food, but I don't think I'd cook like this for everyday. The inclusion of QR codes to view cooking videos was a great feature, as well as the graphics used to denote quick meals. The typset used for the book was a big drawback for me, like the book itself was trying to do "more is more" visually, and it detracted its readability.

Overall, good recipes with lots of flavor, and crowd pleasers inside, but a little limited for my personal kitchen habits.

[Kim Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those groundbreaking cookbooks that come along once in a blue moon. Unlike others, I love the loud vibrant colors and crazy font. It distinguishes this cookbook from others, shows Molly’s personality, and is indicative of the big flavors and textures in Molly’s recipes. Years ago, Ottolenghi took the cooking world by storm with his innovative style of combining flavors and textures and this book reminds me of that. I love all the tips and tricks for guiding readers to accentuate salt, fat, acid and herbs. I also loved the Scoville Spectrum for Salt, which was a great visual guide on how to season up your dishes. However, one of the things I love most about this book are the QR codes for audio and video. The audio clips feature Molly reading and guiding you through the recipe, which is much more convenient than looking at a cookbook while making a dish. Plus there is music that plays while you complete a task, like chopping garlic. There are also QR codes for videos of Molly making this dishes. I made the Smashpatty Breakfast Sando and it was a big hit!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book. It's vibrant and attention getting, mirroring the author's personality. It's also super accessible. In addition to having very clear recipes, and a very clean, specific layout within the book, there are QR codes throughout where you can listen to audio and watch videos of the author - cooking along with her. So, if you absorb information differently, or want to watch the steps instead of reading them, this is for you. The book is oversize, and pretty much has a photo for every recipe.

This food is heavily seasoned and strong in flavor. She explains where she got the title and concept in the forward. For me, the best chapter was salads. Those were mild, pretty easy and fresh.

While I enjoyed checking out this book, and love Baz's style, most of the recipes were not something I see myself making on a regular basis, which is why I rated the book the way I did.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for being fun!

This cookbook was used for our October 2025 Cookbook Club.

All the recipes certainly added MORE! Do I think more is always better? No. However, the recipes are unique and fun to cook. Adding ingredients that I would not have paired together.

I've cooked from several cookbooks and its rare to find an author who seems to have made all the recipes in their book. A lot of cookbooks can be cut and paste from other recipe books with a slight twist. This is not the case here, you can tell the author truly cooked these.

We made the Cucumber, Walnut and Halloumi Salad (which has many more ingredients than just the title haha) and the Pumpkin Canoli Cheesecake Cake (which was like making two cakes and layering them, not really sure how the canoli came into it).

Overall, I would try to cook other recipes from the book but not likely to make any a staple dish in our household.

[Samantha Mockford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some things I love about this book:
- Molly Baz is hilarious, unpretentious, and has language saltier than her food.
- When ingredients are in the recipe instructions, they’re in bold, and it includes the amounts, so your eyes don’t have to dart back to the ingredients list!
- Prep is included in the steps (eg: don’t chop all the herbs in the beginning; you can do that while waiting for the water to boil.)
- The retro, MCM style is so refreshingly DIFFERENT from most other cookbooks.
- QR codes to cook along with her either by audio or video
- Abbreviations. Want to make a breakfast smoo that’s super spesh? Just throw all these ingreedz into a blender.
- HIGH flavor and color