At first glance I fell for this cookbook. Sexy layout, an attached band to help me remember which recipe I’m working on, PLENTY of room to scribble my own notes, some terrific looking recipes. I couldn’t WAIT to get started!

This is definitely a book meant for medium to highly skilled kitchen people, NOT for beginners – not enough explanation for people just starting to learn. You can totally hear Mr. Florence talking through this book. His voice is evident in his stories, his scribbles/explanations on every page, and his flow.

This cookbook groups together recipes that flow from one to the next – take, for example, in the cheese section, how the recipe for the Cheddar-Black Pepper Crackers flows right into the Apricot-Thyme Preserves he suggests you serve together. Or how the recipe for Fresh Ricotta is just before an appetizer recipe using the said Ricotta, and then a dessert that utilizes the whey leftover from the ricotta making process.

Not a traditional layout, but definitely has a specific flow that makes sense.

So far I’ve made his Cheddar-Black Pepper Crackers (nothing special), the Fig-Hazelnut Fruit ‘Salami’ (pretty nice – but serve with a gooey cheese and a bland cracker to allow the salami flavors to stand out), and his No-Sweat Poached Eggs (GREAT idea, but I did it wrong. argh).

The recipes are easy to follow and I’m itching to try out his 5-in-1 Baking Mix (good for everything from pancakes to cakes!), his gnocchi, and his One-Pan Lasagna – which cooks the noodles IN THE SAUCE (you must use fresh pasta for this one).

I would recommend this for someone who’s a totally foodie and knows their way around a kitchen.

I’ll let you know how the lasagna goes ASAP!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A BIG FAT THANK YOU to Blogging for Books!