Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix Review
I always find it rather difficult and odd to write a cookbook review since I don't usually read it cover to cover. But I am such a fan of Mark Bittman's previous books that I had to get this one. Can a cookbook be fun and lighthearted? Because Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix surely hits all the right marks.
Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix is the holy grail of visual cookbooks. This book is huge and packed with 700 recipes. I am a visual learner and I really like seeing what I'm cooking or what I can cook so this book is perfect for someone like me. Most of the recipes fit in a 2-4 inches box which is great and the instructions are so simple and straight forward. I have two other Mark Bittman's books in my collection- The Best Recipes in the World and A Bone to Pick which I've also reviewed. I don't usually get or collect cookbooks (especially ones that are too fussy or complicated) because I really just enjoy cooking good and hearty food. If you've watched any of Mark Bittman's cooking video he is the definition of a non-fussy, simple & straightforward cook. I've really enjoyed Bittman's pragmatic approach to food and cooking especially after reading A Bone to Pick which talks a lot about the diet & food fad industries.
The book is divided by themes: Appetizers & Entertaining; Soups, Stewas & Sandwiches; Vegetables; Pasta, Grains and Beans; Fish & Seafood; Poultry & Eggs; Meat; Condiments & Seasonings; Fruit; Desserts & Baking.
Within each theme the recipes are set up two basic ways:
1. You get a universal instruction for a food item/dish. So for example under appetizers there's Chicken Wings- You get 1 instruction on how to cook them and 12 different sauces.
or 2. You get the food item or dish... let's say a burger and then you get 9 very different style of burgers from pork to lamb to fish and even scallop.
My favorite section is probably the Poultry & Egg chapter. There's a lot of great recipes and my favorite is hands down the recipes for Paillards (chicken cutlets). This is probably also a good time to mention that Bittman included a lot of notes in this book which I appreciate and since I've watched way too many of his videos when he worked for the New York Times I can hear it in his voice and mannerism. The notes varies depending on the topic or dish. Some are cooking instructions or what's called "master classes" for dishes like cassoulet, while others are notes from his travel or experiences with a particular dish.
There are a lot of vegetable based recipes in this book more so than any that I've found in recent cookbooks I've reviewed other than The Broad Fork which is not surprising since Bittman now advises a vegan meal-kit company called The Purple Carrot. With that said, this book has some really awesome meat-centric recipes that I am looking forward to try this Fall.
This book focuses more on how to cook a food item or a dish well enough with basic ingredients. Once you unlock that, you can play around with flavor combination and the possibilities are endless.
As always, thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was received. Most products on my blog have been purchased by me (unless stated like this one) and I will be honest about my reviews and will only work with brands who truly have great products. Please check out my full disclaimer page if you have any questions. Following guidelines provided under FTC 16 CFR, Part 225.
Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix is the holy grail of visual cookbooks. This book is huge and packed with 700 recipes. I am a visual learner and I really like seeing what I'm cooking or what I can cook so this book is perfect for someone like me. Most of the recipes fit in a 2-4 inches box which is great and the instructions are so simple and straight forward. I have two other Mark Bittman's books in my collection- The Best Recipes in the World and A Bone to Pick which I've also reviewed. I don't usually get or collect cookbooks (especially ones that are too fussy or complicated) because I really just enjoy cooking good and hearty food. If you've watched any of Mark Bittman's cooking video he is the definition of a non-fussy, simple & straightforward cook. I've really enjoyed Bittman's pragmatic approach to food and cooking especially after reading A Bone to Pick which talks a lot about the diet & food fad industries.
The book is divided by themes: Appetizers & Entertaining; Soups, Stewas & Sandwiches; Vegetables; Pasta, Grains and Beans; Fish & Seafood; Poultry & Eggs; Meat; Condiments & Seasonings; Fruit; Desserts & Baking.
Within each theme the recipes are set up two basic ways:
1. You get a universal instruction for a food item/dish. So for example under appetizers there's Chicken Wings- You get 1 instruction on how to cook them and 12 different sauces.
or 2. You get the food item or dish... let's say a burger and then you get 9 very different style of burgers from pork to lamb to fish and even scallop.
My favorite section is probably the Poultry & Egg chapter. There's a lot of great recipes and my favorite is hands down the recipes for Paillards (chicken cutlets). This is probably also a good time to mention that Bittman included a lot of notes in this book which I appreciate and since I've watched way too many of his videos when he worked for the New York Times I can hear it in his voice and mannerism. The notes varies depending on the topic or dish. Some are cooking instructions or what's called "master classes" for dishes like cassoulet, while others are notes from his travel or experiences with a particular dish.
There are a lot of vegetable based recipes in this book more so than any that I've found in recent cookbooks I've reviewed other than The Broad Fork which is not surprising since Bittman now advises a vegan meal-kit company called The Purple Carrot. With that said, this book has some really awesome meat-centric recipes that I am looking forward to try this Fall.
This book focuses more on how to cook a food item or a dish well enough with basic ingredients. Once you unlock that, you can play around with flavor combination and the possibilities are endless.
As always, thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was received. Most products on my blog have been purchased by me (unless stated like this one) and I will be honest about my reviews and will only work with brands who truly have great products. Please check out my full disclaimer page if you have any questions. Following guidelines provided under FTC 16 CFR, Part 225.
