Noon: Simple Recipes for Scrumptious Midday Meals and More

by Meike Peters

Lunchtime is just as exciting as dinner in this delightful new cookbook that combines Meike Peters's inventive and craveable recipes with gorgeous photography. These 115 recipes are guaranteed to perk up your day (or your dinner).

"Perfect for experienced cooks, who will relish Peters’s imaginative takes on classic dishes as well as her inspired original culinary creations, and those new to the kitchen, who will feel empowered by the clear, easy-to-follow format and welcoming tone of the recipes." ― Library Journal , starred review 

This bold new cookbook by James Beard Award–winning author and photographer Meike Peters invites us to indulge in simple, satisfying, and scrumptious meals to feed our midday cravings. With a few tricks and clever flavor combinations to keep your mind, body, and soul happy, Noon makes it easy to treat yourself throughout the day.
 
These 115 quick and creative recipes span vibrant salads and sandwiches, cozy pastas, and savory tarts, as well as warming soups, speedy schnitzels, and Mediterranean seafood treats. Whether you’re in the mood for the mouthwatering Autumn Salad with Jerusalem Artichokes, Walnuts, and Apples, a texturally intoxicating Carrot and Pear Salad with Tahini and Sesame Seeds, or the surprising zip of Sauerkraut and Hummus on Sourdough Bread, this book has your taste buds covered.
 
Attainable yet crave-worthy, the recipes in Noon can equally suit the start, middle, or end of your day. Our lives have changed, and these recipes flexibly fit any reality, from working from home or lunch at the office to leisurely weekend lunches with friends. Noon is about a pause, no matter when you need it. With year-round recipes and stunning photography, this book will keep you well fed and happy at any time of day.

DELICOUS Meike Peters is a truly talented recipe developer and food blogger who puts a unique twist on her dishes, such as Lime Mussels with Zucchini and Cilantro, Peach and Plum Caprese with Burrata, and Rösti (Swiss potato cake) with Pistachio-Feta Dip. With a similar vibe to Diana Henry, Nigella Lawson, and Heidi Swanson, she is a delight to learn from and be inspired by.

GREAT This book is packed with 115 recipes and 120 photos at an affordable price, making it an excellent self-purchase or thoughtful cooking gift. 

MODERN LUNCH Years into the pandemic, we are all sick of the same lunch from home options. This book is perfect for anyone needing to whip up a great lunch in fifteen minutes or less, or for the many returning to work and needing inspiration for super tasty lunches to take with us. 

FLEXIBLE & EASILY SCALABLE The focus is on celebrating a midday meal (a.k.a. lunch), but the recipes work just as well for dinner, weekdays, or weekends; each recipe can easily be scaled up or down.

Perfect

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautiful cookbook with some truly eye-catching food photography! Lots of fresh and interesting recipes across a wide variety of flavors. Most are meatless, though there was a seafood and meat section. The sandwich section was my favorite, but I bookmarked a ton of recipes throughout, and I really appreciated the fresh take on classic flavors, such as the Bacon and Egg with Seared Belgian Endive. Can't wait to dive in and make some of these beauties!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos and 115 recipes for delicious creative lunches make this a must have for anyone looking for noon meals that make you drool. Includes salads, veggies, soups, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, meat, and grains/bakes. Yum!

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love lunch as much as or even more than dinner, then this is a cookbook for you! With tasteful color pictures of ever dish, this cookbook is perfect for cooks with little to no experience. Recipes are extremely easy to follow and introduce wonderfully unique flavor combinations.

The majority of dishes are for 2 serving but can easily be scaled up. I loved that the salad section included instructions for how to pack them up if taking along to work or school because who wants a sad salad after taking the time to make it. No-one, right? My favorite chapter was sandwiches because I love me a good sammie and there were plenty on offer here!

[Noelle Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice recipes for midday for smaller portions. Lovely photos. My favorite recipes were the vegetables section & salads section.

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I don’t often put much thought into what I’m making for lunch – it’s usually leftovers from yesterday’s supper or something quick (think: noodles, peanut butter sandwiches, etc.). What I appreciate about Meike Peters’ latest book, Noon, is that she encourages home cooks to take a bit of time to enjoy lunch and, part of that enjoyment includes what we’re putting on the table. As she tells us in her introduction: “…what we all have in common at noon is that we are looking for a meal that is nourishing, comforting, and healthy, a meal that gives us energy for the rest of the day and that is good for our body and soul.” (9) The recipes she offers us are perfect for lunch but, as she suggests, can also fit into other parts of the day – enjoying the meals at breakfast or dinnertime.

Throughout the 8 chapters – 1) Salads, 2) Vegetables, 3) Soups, 4) Sandwiches, 5) Pasta, 6) Seafood, 7) Meat, and 8) Grains and Bakes – Peters offers a variety of different options to enjoy. I found as I cooked through Noon, I gravitated towards recipes that relied on ingredients I already had in my pantry. I found that some of the ingredients used in the book are what I would consider “specialty” items: mozzarella di bufala, persimmon, juniper berries, burrata, etc. This could just be the difference between what’s available to me at my local grocery store here in Nova Scotia, Canada and what’s common for Peters to have in her kitchen (Peters is based in Berlin, Germany). However, I did find enough recipes to fit with what ingredients I had and, her recipes are adaptable enough to accommodate ingredient substitutions.

I like the way she thinks! For example, her recipe for Gnocchi w/ Sauerkraut and Juniper Butter, she draws inspiration from a favourite German meal combination: sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Since I always have gnocchi and sauerkraut on hand, I was excited to give this recipe a try (I don’t have juniper berries, so I used her substitution suggestion of using bay leaves). It was a quick dish to make and, it’s one my husband and I have enjoyed for lunch a few times since.

It's getting to be late autumn which prompts me to make all the coziest meals – soup always being at the top of the list. So, one Saturday afternoon I made Peters’ recipe for Red Lentils w/ Spinach and Spiced Feta. While not quite a soup, this brothy, stew-like dish felt warm and comforting. Chunks of feta are marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom – the spiced oil and feta is then used to garnish the dish.

If you’ve never enjoyed a carrozza sandwich (an Italian classic, which Peters characterizes as “a savory French toast…usually filled with mozzarella”), then I urge you to give Peters’ version a try. Her Apple and Taleggio in Carrozza Sandwich uses sautéed apples and taleggio cheese for the filling (since I didn’t have any Taleggio – or the other suggested subs: fontina or Robiola – I used some mozzarella that I already had on hand). Once the carrozza is fried golden-brown, there is something so satisfying when the cheese melts and pulls apart in long gooey strings (one of life’s simple pleasures right here!). The combination of the buttery, tender sautéed apples and cheese is such a good one – definitely one of our favourite recipes from the book!

Taking Peters’ suggestion to enjoy her Noon recipes during other daily meals, I made her Crepes w/ Lemon and Cinnamon (one of our favs from her last book, 365) as an afternoon snack for my daughter. Based on the first crepe au citron Peters enjoyed on a mother-daughter trip to northern France, my daughter really enjoys these. Another great afternoon snack is the recipe for Tahini Oats w/ Roasted Rhubarb. Since I had some frozen rhubarb I’d saved from last summer, I made excellent use of it making this recipe. The tahini is mixed into the oatmeal as it cooks and, I loved the creaminess it added to the texture as well as the warm, nuttiness to the flavour. Roasting brings out a bit of the natural sweetness in the rhubarb and, a nice, warm compote-esque topping always pairs so well with oatmeal.

As with Peters’ other cookbooks – Eat in My Kitchen and 365 (review here), she looks to share delicious recipes from her Berlin kitchen. Something Peters said in 365 continues with her latest book – she wants to take the pressure off home cooks because “…the kitchen isn’t a place where we have to perform.” She wants meals to be meaningful and something home cooks can look forward to both making and eating. While sharing her thoughts and connections on pausing for a delicious midday meal, she offers inspiration and recipes for preparing flavourful, simple dishes.

Please note: A version of this review is posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Raincoast Books and Chronicle Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my review.

[Sonjas · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Noon“ – einfache Mittagsgerichte für jeden Tag. Das hört sich doch schon mal total klasse an. Ich war wirklich neugierig auf dieses Buch von Meike Peters, die mir bis dato unbekannt war. Aber Meike Peters hat mir ihrem ersten Kochbuch „et in my kitchen“ den renommierten James Beard Award gewonnen. Genau wie ihr zweites Buch „365“, stand es auf der Best-Cookbooks-Liste der New York Times. Meike schreibt auch für internationale Magazine und auf ihrem Foodblog über Essen und Reisen lädt für ihren Postcast „Meet in My Kitchen“ Gäste in ihre Berliner Küche ein.
Dieses Buch hat in meiner Kochbuchsammlung noch gefehlt. Meike geht’s wie mir. Frühstück ist für mich nicht wichtig, dafür mache ich auch immer gegen 12.00 Mittagspause. Und da stellt sich oft die Frage, was gibt es jetzt zu essen? In ihrem Kochbuch zeigt sie uns, wie man mittags in den wunderbaren Mahlzeiten schwelgen kann – Mahlzeiten die Körper, Geist und Seele glücklich machen. Wie uns das am besten gelingt, das zeigt uns Meike. Man kann ja eigentlich schon viel vorbereiten, wie z.B. eine leckere Pesto für ein Nudelgericht. Gemüse kann man gleich in größeren Mengen im Backofen rösten, so hat man länger was davon. Ihre Tipps sind wirklich sehr hilfreich.

Die Aufmachung des Buches gefällt mir auch sehr gut. Nach der Einleitung folgen nun die verschiedensten Kapitel, wie Salate; Gemüse; Suppen; Sandwiches; Pasta; Fisch; Fleisch und zu guter Letzt Korn+Quiche.

Mir sticht sofort der Radicio mit Blutorange und Morzarella di Bufala ins Auge (die Mischung ist einfach perfekt). Dann gibt es da noch einen schnellen Salat mit Koriander, Pink Grapefruit und Stangensellerie (beim Anblick der traumhaften Bilder bekommt sofort richtig Lust alles nach zu kochen). Das Sandwich mit Apfel und Taleggio in carrozza ist übrigens super lecker. In den nächsten Tagen versuche ich mich mal an einer Quiche mit Lauch, Tomaten und Thymian.
Ich glaube, in diesem herausragenden Kochbuch, für mich ein absolutes Highlight, ist für jeden Geschmack etwas dabei. Selbstverständlich gibt es von mir 5 Sterne.

[Emmalita · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing I noticed as I skimmed through Meike Peters’ Noon, was the beautiful photography. The bright beet soup on the cover with the artful arrangement of cucumber and radish slices, jammy hard boiled egg and dill leaves is visually pleasing and intriguing. I don’t necessarily want to eat beet soup (I like beets, but not really soup), and that was a clue that the recipes inside were not so much for me.

I have at times cooked professionally, including a few years at two different gourmet shops where I made fancy sandwiches and salads to go. This informed my view of the salad and sandwich sections. The sandwiches bothered me the most. Peters is putting together some interesting flavors, but most of her sandwiches struck me as wet. Wet sandwiches are messy to eat. The first sandwich she introduced was a turmeric apricot and ricotta on ciabatta bread. Lightly searing apricots in turmeric flecked honey and serving over ricotta cheese sounds delicious. But as a sandwich filling all I can think about is how it will squish out the sides. A lot of her sandwiches would work better snack style with the components separate and put together bite by bite (for some reason I call this a monk’s lunch, but I don’t think that’s a common term). In the salads, I felt like she relied a lot on burrata.

I think her best sections were the vegetable and pasta chapters. The pan seared gnocchi with asparagus, ramps and mustard looked delicious. That’s the kind of recipe that would make me want to put more effort into lunch.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Chronicle Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

[Karen Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tired of boring tuna or grilled cheese sandwiches and plain boring salads for lunch? With the economy as it is, most of us can’t afford to eat out at lunchtime, and need to bring our own to work. Noon: Simple Recipes for Scrumptious Midday Meals and More, by Meike Peters will definitely solve the problem It is a beautiful cookbook with dozens of innovative and scrumptious ideas for lunches that aren’t boring or tasteless. Actually Peters has taken many of the modern trendy ingredients that are popular nowadays and incorporated them into fabulous salads, tarts, sandwiches, soups and more.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first followed by step-by-step instructions that are easily followed by both beginning and advanced cooks. There are also comments at the beginning of each recipe, which are very helpful. One of the best parts of this excellent cookbook is that there are beautiful, professional photographs of almost every dish, which make the recipes even more tempting. The book is heavy on salads and vegetables, so vegetarians will also like this cookbook.

With this cookbook on the shelf, lunch will be the most anticipated meal of the day and boring will be a thing of the past.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

[Kay Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cookbook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Wow, can we first talk about the photos, they are jaw-droppingly stunning! The Noon cookbook is a 5-star dining made easy, so you can repeat it in your own home. I was a little worried that most of the ingredients would be difficult to get but 90% of you can find them easily. Example, the Autumn Panzanella with Roasted Squash, Shallots, and Plums, (ugh, so beautiful and looks sooo tasty, but I had zero clue what a Stilton or Roquefort, crumble, is and I did a quick food search at some of my local grocery deliveries didn't have it either. But thanks to Google, I found out it was blue cheese! So it was then made easy. lol

The top five unique recipes that I found were:
Autumn Panzanella with Roasted Squash, Shallots, and Plums
Raw Cauliflower Carpaccio with Tangerines. (Major Cauliflower fan here!)
Ada's Cold Beet Soup with Cucumber, Radishes, and Egg. (Cover photo, ❤️❤️❤️)
Ciabatta with Balsamic Blackberries, Coppa di Parma, and Mustard. (Never would have thought about putting blackberries in a "sandwich")
Gnocchetti Sardi with Butter Bean-Basil Pesto and Tomatoes (I lovvvvveee anything in Pesto!)



NetGalley provided Noon eBook; thank you, NetGalley and Chronicle Books, for the copy in return for an honest review.

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are recipes for every lunchtime palate. Included are chapters on salads, vegetables, soups, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, meat and, grains +bakes.

This title’s author/cook observes that she has learned how to make satisfying meals that don’t take hours. She does this (as noted in the introduction) by reducing the numboer of ingredients and focusing on bold, fresh flavors. She also has pantry staples available such as lentils. With these (and more) she makes meals that she describes as nourishing, comforting and healthy. Sounds great to me.

Enjoy the photos (they make my mouth water) and the recipes. Readers will definitely want to eat these.

I really like this book. It would make a great gift to give yourself. Lunch will be so much nicer.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Catlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I was expecting a rather ordinary cookbook with lots of salads and sandwiches. But this cookbook has so many unique and truly appetizing combinations of ingredients! Every recipe is accompanied by a full page photo of the dish. Recipes appear easy enough to make, in most cases. But the stand-out feature of this cookbook is that you likely won't find most of these recipes in other cookbooks. Here are just a few examples: Cucumber and Fennel Salad with Melon, Carrot and Pear Salad with Tahini and Sesame Seeds, Roasted Broccoli and Apples with Mustard-Lemon Dressing, Turmeric Apricot and Ricotta Sandwich, and Apricot Pancakes with Basil Sugar. I already have too many unused cookbooks, but I think I may just have to purchase a copy of this one. I want to try so many of these recipes!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a delightful cookbook! It is full of fresh, uncomplicated recipes and copious amounts of beautiful photos. I am never a fan of cookbooks without photos, and was quite pleased to see that there was one for almost every recipe!

The recipes are largely meatless, although there are some meat recipes and a section for meat and for seafood. I think there is something for everyone, and as someone who does not eat meat I appreciated the vast amount of recipes that I could make as is, or adjust easily for my needs.

I can see this being popular with my library patrons, as well as a lovely gift for someone.

[Jodi Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book full of inventive and flavorful recipes. It is broken into segments like salads, soup, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, and meat. More importantly is the amount of pictures. Almost every recipe has a picture to go with it. I love that about this book. Now the recipes are wonderful. Easy to make with everyday ingredients taken to a new level. Making lunch a special meal again.

Roasted broccoli and apples with lemon dijon dressing is a really great upgrade to the usual roasted vegetables. The dressing is zingy and the apples bring a sweetness.
Tomato soup with chickpeas and chevre, the fresh tomatoes and basil makes this so flavorful and the chevre adds a great creaminess. This is a great summer soup.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Noon is a cookbook full of gorgeous pictures of restaurant quality food but definitely not outside the abilities of the average person. Although the title is Noon, these recipes could be made anytime of the day. Many of the recipes have a German flair or back story which are explained well and are interesting. One such recipe includes hummus and Sauerkraut on a hearty bread which makes sense to a sauerkraut lover like me. I also found some of my other favorite ingredients across recipes: celery root, Gruyere cheese, and rhubarb. Several other recipes caught my eye so I cannot wait to try them out soon.

I want to thank #ChronicleBooks and #Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early release copy in exchange for a honest review.

[Cindy Hollender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.0

This is the first time I am reviewing a cookbook. I am realizing that it isn't an easy thing to do because I haven't really read a whole lot of reviews of them. I plan on changing that.

I own lots of cookbooks and tend to choose them based on the photos. The pictures in Noon by Mike Peters are beautiful and would surely attract my attention in a bookstore. I like the idea of concentrating on healthy recipes to make for the middle of the day and the directions are easy to follow.

The loss of the star because I felt that the recipes are too "fruit forward". There could have been a little more diversity in the ingredients used in the recipes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful cook book!

There's lots of elevated meals including salads, soups, snacks, and more. I wouldn't consider a lot of these recipes to be practical - in terms of ingredients and effort these aren't typically the kinds of meals you can whip up from whatever you have on hand and will require some planning, but are also more fine-dining oriented than standard cooking. That being said these recipes are interesting! If you enjoy hosting or want to bring more unique flavors to your table this book has a nice variety of recipes to choose from.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction opens “Breakfast never really excites me, but at noon, I feast” — what. a. mood. As a notorious breakfast skipper and lunch lover, this cookbook is honestly made for me. I really appreciate how simple Meike Peters keeps the tools needed for the recipes and the mix of familiar and new-to-me ingredients used. I’m not the bravest in the kitchen, but the fairly simple recipes and drool-worthy photos had me editing my meal plan for the week.

This is a great addition to any cookbook shelf and will make a great gift for your favorite chef of just about any skill level.

I received this advanced reader copy from NetGalley and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Joni Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m going to start this out by saying this is only based on my tastes. Yours might be completely different than mine.

The cover grabbed me and lunch is the meal I struggle with the most so I gave this book a go. It’s just not for me. I’m a pretty adventurous eater but honestly there was only a few I wanted to try. A big issue for me is I don’t like fruits in my salads or sandwiches. A great many of the salads was that combination. Then some were just not my ideal combo. (Sauerkraut and hummus for one)

There were pictures with every recipe. And while they were artistically beautiful, they weren’t appetizing to me.

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook has really lovely photos (including the bright cover photo) that highlight the food. The author uses some interesting combinations of ingredients - a salad with red cabbage, beets, and persimmons jumped out at me, as well as a white bean pesto used in a few recipes. The cookbook is a good sources of recipes to vary your lunches and dinners with nothing too complex to make. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Lizzie (Dizzy Lizzie’s Book Emporium) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for access to the eARC of Noon: Simple Recipes for Scrumptious Midday Meals and More by Meike Peters in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely gorgeous book! The food photography was outstanding and served as inspiration for meals any time of day. I highly recommend. This would be a beautiful addition to any cookbook collection.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book with a lot of unique recipes. There were definitely some recipes that I am not sure about, but certainly look tasty! I am especially excited about the soup recipes and I cannot wait until it gets colder to try them out for myself. 3.5 Stars.

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Simple Recipes” my foot. If you are time crunched, on a budget, or live anywhere that lacks grocery store access, this cookbook is not for you. These recipes are fussy, expensive, full of difficult to source ingredients, and just flat out bougie af.

[Vjera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos, straightforward recipes, but fascinating combinations of ingredients. Like roasted eggplant and bacon sandwich with butter bean basil pesto. Or squash pesto sandwich with feta and date.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each recipe is accompanied by a photo. Not one recipe I’d make. You hungry for a radish & tzatziki sandwich? Not me. I don’t see many cooks utilizing this cookbook.

[Pia Bineau · Rating 5 out of 5]

These recipes have such a great variety of wonderfully fresh ingredients and look like they will all be amazing. I can’t wait to get cooking!

[Sarah LeDonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not eat this but someone might

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gorgeous cookbook with stunning photographs and so many great sounding recipes. There are a lot of vegetarian options, and so many of the dishes seemed like they would be wonderful anytime of day! Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

[brightredglow · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Noon" by Meike Peters offer a lot of variety for mid-day meals. The photography is nicely done and not too fussy. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I do wish that there was a nutrition breakdown for those of us who track nutrition stats for health reasons; however, the portions per dish are manageable in figuring out. Some dishes may have sourcing challenges given where I live but there are enough dishes in the book that can be done on the regular. I do like the sandwiches because I like sandwiches. The salads are more picky for me but there's a few that I've tried and liked. Overall, I think it is worth a read if price is reasonable.