So, you are just beginning adulting. Cooking looks so easy on TikTok. However, you find it confusing and even frustrating to cook yourself (either in your small apartment or dorm room). Enter Tasty. Healthy. Cheap., the cookbook meant for you.
While I can totally see the benefit of eating food that is all of those adjectives, I’m not sure that this cookbook delivers on what its title promises. And it certainly is not for beginners. First of all, some recipes do not include measurements…because you are just supposed to know somehow, I guess. For example, the recipe for Pickled Red Onions states “combine the vinegar, water, and a generous sprinkle of salt”. Nowhere in the book does it state what the quantity or even the proportion of vinegar and water should be. Another issue is that most recipes have way more than ten ingredients, which may be tasty, but are probably not going to be cheap to buy. Finally, it is hard to tell whether the recipes are healthy as absolutely no nutritional information or allergy warnings are included.
On the positive side, the photographs are beautiful and make you hungry just looking at them. If you are a fan of the author’s TikTok and YouTube videos, Tasty. Healthy. Cheap. may be an efficient way to keep favorite recipes nearby. But for complete kitchen newbies, this is probably not the best book to use to learn to cook. 3 stars.
Thanks to Harvard Common Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.