Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

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Creamy cauliflower and onion gratin: Delicious, but swimming in butter and cream to an insane degree--it was pooling and running, even after the gratin cooled. I'd make this again but use more cauliflower (one head was not enough) and use half the butter. This was the best recipe I tried. This follow-up to Dining In answers the perennial question of what to serve when people are coming over as only Alison can: with legit fun ideas--Pizza Night! Baked Potato Bar!--and unfussy recipes. (I've already bookmarked 'A Very Good Lasagna' and 'Casual Apple Tart.')" --Julia Kramer, deputy editor, Bon Appétit Michele Moses recommended the book to readers of The New Yorker, writing: "Part of the appeal is her grasp of her audience: the financially unsteady millennial generation, which has turned “nothing fancy” into an aesthetic choice." [8] Moses also discussed the accessible persona cultivated by Roman in the book, and highlighted tips accompanying certain recipes that expressed annoyance with some expectations held by guests. Moses refers to Roman as "libidinous and a little bit mean," contrasting her with the "prim and gracious" personas of Ina Garten and Martha Stewart. Enemy of the mild, champion of the bold, Ms. Roman offers recipes in Nothing Fancythat are crunchy, cheesy, tangy, citrusy, fishy, smoky and spicy.”—Julia Moskin, The New York Times

Nothing Fancy - By Alison Roman (hardcover) : Target Nothing Fancy - By Alison Roman (hardcover) : Target

Spoiler alert: These recipes are a little too fancy! Am I buying hibiscus flowers to roast with peaches? Not a chance. But I do like Alison Roman's style, which is charming and funny (e.g, You can use Greek yogurt here, but don't blame me if you wish you had used sour cream). Most of the recipes I made were good but slightly off--usually too much or too little of a particular ingredient (salt, butter, lemon, etc.). In case it's useful for anyone: Roman] could offer a master's program in Approachable Recipe. . . . [ Nothing Fancy is] a manual not just for dinner, but for life." -- The Washington Post The Guardian included Nothing Fancy on its list of the "Best cookbooks and food writing of 2019". [7] Meera Sodha, who compiled the list, wrote that the book presents "heart, soul and food frequently and unapologetically made using store-cupboard ingredients." [7]

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IACP AWARD FINALIST - NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review - The New Yorker - NPR - The Washington Post - San Francisco Chronicle - BuzzFeed - The Guardian - Food Network Whitney, Christine (8 November 2017). "Alison Roman on Milk Chocolate, Clogs, and the One Lip Stain That Never Comes Off". The Cut . Retrieved 14 July 2020.

Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman: 9780451497017

Chittal, Nisha (14 October 2019). "Millennials have dinner parties, they just don't call them that". Vox . Retrieved 14 July 2020. That being said, these recipes - and Roman's signature style/unapologetic voice - aren't for everyone (word to the wise: anchovies, citrus, and vinegar are the lifeblood coursing through these cookbooks' veins). Even so, I felt inspired by the deft flavor pairings, elevated simplicity, and general idea that somewhere out there in another timeline there's a cooler version of me serving up a Salted Citrus Salad with Fennel, Radish, and Olive to my vintage-clad foodie friends in my quirky/small Brooklyn apartment with endless martinis on the side and Hibiscus-Roasted Peaches with Brown Sugar Bread Crumbs for dessert. I would love to try the Buttered Salmon with Dill (also here: https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com...) and Scallops with Tomatillos, but alas, there is a hold on the book at the library . . . Nothing Fancy] exemplifies that classic Roman approach to cooking: well-known ingredients rearranged in interesting and compelling ways for young home cooks who want food that looks (and photographs) as good as it tastes." -- Grub Streeta b Sodha, Meera (30 November 2019). "Best cookbooks and food writing of 2019". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 July 2020. Feeding friends is totally relaxed with Roman, author of Dining In and New York Times columnist. This abundant collection of all-new recipes is for gatherings big and small, from the weeknight to the weekend.

Not Entertaining. It’s Having People Over. - The New It’s Not Entertaining. It’s Having People Over. - The New

Nothing Fancy” has served me as Roman intended. At a Sunday dinner that started two hours later than planned, I put out her labneh dip with sizzled scallions and chili, and everyone declared it “bomb.” On a weeknight, I made her “Casual Apple Tart with Caramelized Buttermilk” for my roommates (the people I’m always “having over”), and they called it the best apple pie they’d ever had. But my favorite discovery is her “Perfect Herby Salad”: half lettuce and half herbs (parsley, cilantro, tarragon, mint), drizzled with lemon, olive oil, and, of course, Maldon. Like many of her best ideas, it has a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that simplicity. Nothing Fancy is like an all-access pass to [Roman's] stunning-yet-relaxed recipes." -- HuffPost, "Best Cookbooks to Give as Gifts"Moses, Michele. "Alison Roman's "Nothing Fancy" and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party". The New Yorker. Conde Nast . Retrieved 28 November 2019.

Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over

Escarole with mustard and bread crumbs: A good, interesting salad--I never buy escarole, and it helped to have someone tell me what to do with it! I did not have guanciale (see, fancy!), so I just used bacon. Cons: For all of the reasons mentioned just above, the vibe and the title of this book clash. A better title for this book would be: "Fancy." Roman has said the book contains advice and recipes for an "attainable" life rather than an "aspirational" one. [6] Reception and accolades [ edit ] Roman's first cookbook, Dining In, was published in 2017. [1] Dining In focused on recipes that "had you thinking about eating inside just for yourself" where Nothing Fancy focuses on meals for larger groups and tips for successfully hosting multiple people. [2] The book stresses "unfussy" foods and recipes and the value of authenticity and connection when cooking for and hosting friends or guests in one's home, rather than traditional dinner parties, which tend to focus on presentation and etiquette. [3] Structure and contents [ edit ]

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This follow-up to Dining In answers the perennial question of what to serve when people are coming over as only Alison can: with legit fun ideas—Pizza Night! Baked Potato Bar!—and unfussy recipes. (I’ve already bookmarked ‘A Very Good Lasagna’ and ‘Casual Apple Tart.’)” —Julia Kramer, deputy editor, Bon Appétit Nothing Fancy is a 2019 cookbook by American cook and writer Alison Roman. The cookbook stresses casual recipes to prepare for friends. Enemy of the mild, champion of the bold, Ms. Roman offers recipes in Nothing Fancy that are crunchy, cheesy, tangy, citrusy, fishy, smoky and spicy."--Julia Moskin, The New York Times