annieb123's Review of Saucy

by Ashley Boyd

Elevate everyday cooking with 50 easy-peasy recipes for delicious, drizzly, dunk-able sauces.

Saucy is an accessible collection of 50 sauce recipes organized by flavor profile (herby, sweet, spicy, savory, and more). This go-to kitchen companion, irresistibly designed with bold graphics and full-color photography, includes simple, super-tasty sauces that transform basics from ordinary to sensational:- Dress up a piece of grilled chicken with Orange Chimichurri - Drizzle Thai Peanut Sauce over steamed veggies to up the flavor factor - Add Coconut Chile Crisp to spice up morning eggs - Fancify a bowl of ice cream with Blackberry Basil Coulis How-to instructions for ten homemade dishes, like sauteed shrimp, juicy burgers, and fluffy pancakes, and a handy list of recommended sauce pairings for a range of proteins, vegetables, pasta, beans, grains, and greens, help you get your saucy party started.

Amateur cooks, busy parents, and healthy eaters will appreciate these painless ways to upgrade everyday meals. Paired with kitchen basics, first-apartment supplies, or registry items, Saucy also makes a fun and practical graduation, housewarming, or newlywed gift.

ACCESSIBLE SAUCE RECIPE BOOK: Home cooks will appreciate this super-practical cookbook filled with recipes that provide a lot of flavor with minimal effort. Anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to cook but still wants to eat well, and those who want to eat healthily but don't want to sacrifice flavor, will love these easy-to-make sauces that help simple meals shine.

SAUCE IS HOT: Whether you're addicted to The Hot Ones on YouTube or have taken advantage of the explosion of specialty crafted hot sauces, bbq sauces, and dipping sauces hitting supermarket shelves these days, it's a tasty fact that sauces are forever! Saucy, w ith a playful design and close-up shots of drippy sauces, is a fun, fresh, and distinctive cookbook. Its trove of simple recipes will make meal prep and mealtimes tastier, easier, and more enjoyable for years to come.

DELIGHTFUL, PRACTICAL COOKING GIFT: Bright, engaging, and easy-to-use, Saucy makes a fun and useful present for recent graduates, new homeowners, and newlyweds. Wrap it up with a serving spoon, a saucepan, dish towels, or a set of spices to help stock a first apartment kitchen or make a new house feel like home.

Perfect for:- Beginner and experienced home cooks - Busy people and parents who want easy ways to quickly dress up basic meals - Healthy eaters who want good-for-you dishes to taste great - Apartment renters and new homeowners - Shoppers looking for a graduation gift, wedding shower gift, or holiday gift for a beginner cook

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Saucy is a collection of 50 well curated recipes for sauces and accompaniments collected by Ashley Boyd. Released 5th March 2024 by Chronicle Books, it's 152 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout, highly recommended.

The writing is direct and inviting. Information and recipes are arranged logically and are easy to find (and understand). The chapters include sauces arranged thematically: creamy, herby, tomato-based, tangy, savory, umami, spicy, and dessert sauces. Each recipe includes an introduction and description, ingredients in a bullet list, and step-by-step directions. Recommended uses and pairings are included and the author also gives readers a lot of background info and tips on uses and storage. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units with metric standard in parentheses (yay!). Most ingredients will be easy to source at any moderately well stocked grocer in North America.

The photography, by Maren Caruso, is outstanding. It's very clear and in color throughout. Food is styled attractively and appropriately. Cooks who rely on photographs to see what dishes should look like will really appreciate the detailing in this collection. Some few of the photos were possibly a little too "Insta-perfect" and artsy, but really, the book has excellent descriptions and very clear usable photos.

Five stars. It's a niche cookbook, but very versatile and on a cooking niche subject that isn't widely covered. Most cookbooks have a few sauces, very few have many versatile sauces and accompaniments.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

9 March, 2024: Started reading

9 March, 2024: Finished reading

9 March, 2024: Reviewed