Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Hardcover – September 14, 2021

I'm really not one for writing reviews, but I came here to write one for this cookbook. Yes I've watched Josh on YouTube, and I am an amateur cook. When I first received this cookbook I found that it held very true to the personality of both Josh himself, and his YouTube style. The recipes focus on simplicity, make from scratch styling, and delicious food with touches of humor. I've made quite a few dishes from this cookbook now (the tomato soup, the burgers, several bread doughs, the breakfast tacos, grilled cheese, etc) and each time I have a ton of fun with it. Not only are the recipes DELICIOUS (god that soup and grilled cheese was fan-freaking-tastic) but it's really fun to crack open a recipe book, find a stunning full color picture of some amazing dish and go "aight imma make that". So not only is it a fun activity, you end up with delicious food when you're done. I just made the English muffins yesterday. I've never made English muffins in my life. So this book is also encouraging me to step outside of my comfort zone. I was really surprised to read a couple of the two star reviews (long winded guy and celiac girl, looking at you) who ragged on him. This cookbook is obviously not for someone who wants to be a pro level chef, and considering the massive bread section you can't rate it on your inability to consume wheat. Or, shocking idea, take the recipe and use gluten free flour and xanthan gum like I did when I made tacos for my celiac mother. Josh has spent years creating amazing YouTube content that he shares for free, and this is a great way to support him. Additionally, it's his first cookbook. Did it occur to no one that he would use this to frame in some basics and then create subsequent cookbooks where he could expand and create more amazing recipes? I'm waiting for people to rag on his next one for not being "basic enough" after they rag on this for being too basic. It's a great book, and you will enjoy it.TLDR: this cookbook is a perfect choice for an amateur chef who likes to tackle the occasional challenge to take their time creating beautiful and equally delicious food while supporting Josh and appreciating his humor. If that sounds like you, it's a great buy. I look forward to his second book, which I will be purchasing as well.

The book is sturdy, easy to flip through, with pictures accompanying every dish. This is a beautiful and convenient cookbook, not a cheap product.I think it would have been easy for many people to just slap their name on a book/product. That is not the case here. Weissman’s personal voice speaks throughout this book, in both his humor and cooking philosophies. The heart of this book is about the importance of building layers—how to appreciate each ingredient, how to elevate a dish by its components. The book begins by going through the basics of cooking, making ingredients/components from scratch, and steadily teaches you how to bring together those basic components and how each piece imparts flavors to the dish.If you are an avid watcher of Weissman’s and you’re wondering how the book stands against his videos, rest assured, you will still get a lot out of this book. Aside from having a quick reference to all of his popular recipes, the book also includes cooking tips and new recipes (at least, I think they’re new—I’ll admit that I don’t have all of his videos memorized).One minor critique. I think the meat section could have been organized a little better. I wished poultry had its own section and there was a tuna melt recipe that I thought would fit better in the fish section, but maybe there was a thought process behind that. In any case, there’s an index in the back of the book for quick reference so it’s really not a big deal. You should still be able to quickly find what you want.Who I would recommend this to: I think this book is a great tool for anyone, but that said, if you’re at a moderate-advanced cooking level, relearning the basics might not be appealing for you. If you’re already a master cheese maker, bread maker, pickler, fermenter, etc., then the book’s teachings of using cooking as building blocks might be redundant for you. That said, if you’re a person who cooks solely as a hobby like me, you’ll still find some good cooking tips and unique recipes. And if you’re a fan of Weissman’s, you will absolutely love this.Overall thoughts: perfectly printed cookbook. Excellent for fans, students, hobby cooks, or anyone who wants to review the fundamentals. If this book is about building blocks, then this sets the foundation perfectly, and I can’t wait to see how Weissman’s future cookbooks continue to work their way up (because we are getting a Vol. 2, right?).