The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Everyday Luxury and Elevated Entertaining

by Meredith Hayden

Learn to cook, host, and eat like a private chef with 100 recipes from Meredith Hayden of Wishbone Kitchen.

Inspired by years working as a chef in New York City and the Hamptons, as well as her childhood summers on Nantucket, Meredith Hayden makes food that is both unfussy and elegant—often with a touch of whimsy. In The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook, Meredith teaches you to cook like a professional hostess (and have fun while doing it). This is the kind of food to celebrate every season of life; the kind of cooking you don’t start until you’ve made yourself a drink first. Recipes range from 20-minute meals to show-stopping centerpieces, all fit for your next dinner party.

Here you’ll find big salads (Blueberry BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad) and sharable sammies (the Ultimate Italian); there are your starters, your grazers, your chatting-with-friends snackers like Hot Crab Dip and Really Good Guac. Serve the Pink Lemon Pasta when friends come over after work or pack up the Farro Broccoli Salad for lunch the next day. Snack on an Heirloom Tomato Galette and veg out on Asparagus Fries with Feta. Your authority on all things seafood, Meredith shows you the easiest way to break down a lobster so that you can use it in a number of recipes like the Lobster Avocado Salad and Wok Lobster. Or how to shuck oysters so you can enjoy them grilled or with a yuzu kosho mignonette. Throw your own Nantucket Clam Bake, why not?

With sharp, witty commentary, themed menus, and gorgeous imagery, The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook will inspire you to rediscover the joy in cooking, romanticize your grocery hauls, and find any excuse to celebrate with friends and family.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[emma]

leaving this here so i remember to make sungold tomato pasta

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could not help thinking this is a Martha Stewart-wannabe cookbook and nothing here felt very original. Recipes are mostly very familiar ones and at times come across as a bit chi-chi (like with the 6 lobster recipes) but this should be expected given the title.

There is a vivaciousness to the headnotes and there are nicely styled colour photos of all the dishes. I was a little surprised by the looseness of the recipe instructions given the author did attend culinary school.

Like with the Bacon Bays, a take on bacon wrapped scallops, that calls for 2 dozen fresh sea scallops or Nantucket Bay scallops. Now the recipe title and headnote are all about bay scallops, which are much smaller than sea scallops. They aren't interchangeable 1:1 and you won't know this unless you read the hot tip off to the side. And that tip isn't very helpful as it says to just adjust the quantity of bay scallops as you see fit.

The author is a social media darling with all the followers so it seems that is the impetus behind the cookbook deal. Kudos to her for all her success but this is a book best suited for her online fans.

Rate 2.5 Stars rounded up

[Courtney H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too bougie for me. I’m not adding caviar potatoes to the dinner rotation anytime soon.

[Katie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

tomato galette is insanely good but a lottttt of seafood and missing some popular recipes of hers/other recipes she posted saying would be published in her cookbook and she wasn’t going to post them online bc she was saving them but then didn’t publish!

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a weird mix of very bougie & very basic (which to be fair, is probably perfect for a lot of people). There were very few recipes I actually thought I'd make, and a lot of them were really just versions of things I already make.
Would probably be a good option as a gift for someone who is up-skilling in the kitchen, or wants to expand their repertoire

[virginia]

Not “for me” (I’m not a hostess nor have a history with Nantucket) but grew on me. Respect for Hayden leaning into her clear love of seafood, sauces and beverages. The dinner party plans at the back of the book are useful. I’ve only cooked the green garlic and ginger chicken soup so far, but it will go on the winter rotation.

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counting this as read since I have actually used some recipes and they were delightful

[Isabella Basile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make Meredith’s Greek salad every single week and my life is better for it (and yes, I did actually read the whole thing)

[Jackie Finlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if this counts but I read every damn word. Genuinely can’t wait to make so many of these. 5 stars

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another blogger. Another cookbook. At least this one went to culinary school. The recipes are more on the upscale side - featuring lots of fresh seafood that isn’t available to everyone. Nothing is wrong with the recipes. None of them jumped off the page and appealed to me. It’s a cookbook that I’m passing on, but fans of the author might want to add it to their collections.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is primarily because it’s a gorgeous cookbook with yummy-sounding recipes and incredibly cute illustrations. It’s really not a cookbook for ME and I don't want to reduce my rating for that reason. This is for the dinner party hosts and fancy people. There’s just a few food recipes (plus many of the drink ones actually!) that I could see my myself making. Maybe it’ll inspire me to actually host a party lol.

[Jennifer Smyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Meredith!!!
I've been following her on Instagram forever and love her Hamptons house, her dog and her vibe.
She's basically summer in a bottle.
I couldn't wait for this book to be released and now it has a permanent spot on my kitchen counter. The recipes in the book look amazing and I can't wait to dive in and start cooking.
Thank you queen!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing cookbook I want to make almost every dish which never happens in a cookbook. I went shopping the day I read it to be able to cook a week of dinners from it!

[Laurel Getty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Diana for my bday gift! 10/10 recommend the pork tacos with roasted peach salsa!

[Talor Bly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Meredith - she’s got some great recipes in this book but will say some of the ingredients aren’t as accessible. I did try the Greek salad and it’s was great!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The swamp soup is life changing, I fear.

[Kinnari Trivedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I make these recipes on repeat and they are very easy, delicious and feel elevated —> souvlaki chicken & salad, tomato baked cod, swamp soup. Love Meredith’s insta content/brand partnerships and girls from New Jersey!

[Josie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the Wishbone Kitchen recipes I have made from TikTok so I was very excited for the cookbook and this is so disappointing. There are basically no directions or explanations for anything so it hardly feels like I’m reading a recipe and more just someone describing what they’ve cooked. Also the recipes themselves are underwhelming. When I read the potato recipe, I thought I was missing pages because I have a version saved from her TikTok that is way more interesting and impressive than the one that made the book.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, not sure what happened here. This book is recommended by someone I trust, Ms. Hayden has loads of personality, and there are lots of delicious looking pictures…it just didn’t speak to me. Well, to be clear, there are quite a few things I would like to eat in those pictures, but not many of the recipes made me want to run to the kitchen?
Caesar Crudités is a very clever idea, and I would probably try a couple of the pastas.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

so far this has been pretty good!

not my favorite overall cookbook, but i've enjoyed the recipes i've tried

VERY seafood heavy and as someone who lives in a landlocked state, i'm not going to attempt many of these recipes

i might end up buying this? TBD

• tomato butter baked cod // light, flavorful, a great summer recipe. pretty bare bones for a meal so i had to supplement with brussels sprouts + sourdough



• fish tacos // delish, wow. dalton and i were both floored. pretty basic setup, but it works. the cod was so crispy, fluffy, and i immediately wish i had made more



• heirloom tomato galette // this was the perfect recipe to use my garden tomatoes for and felt like the most luxurious treat to have for brunch at home on a saturday. i like that it's supposed to be eaten at room temp so would be a good hosting app.

[Brianna Nitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

First we had hot girl summer, and now we have Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook summer!

Meredith is truly our generation’s hostess queen, and this cookbook solidifies that. Her recipes are the elegance of Martha with the ease of Ina. The cookbook is the perfect balance of simple weeknight meals (she literally has a riff of a Shake n Bake Chicken) and dinner party stunners, like crab cakes and oysters parm. The book is full of tips for trickier things, like how to carve a chicken or shuck oysters in the oven. Some “fancy” cookbooks use insane ingredients that are hard to find, but there aren’t many of those here, and if something is, Queen Mere has a substitution listed.

To top it all off, she has a good section for party planning tips. Tons of cocktail recipes, tips for building a menu, and some example menus of her own for your next pasta party or country club inspired dinner party.

Oh, and did I mention it’s pretty? Now brb, going to start cooking my way through the book rn!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well laid out, with a photo for every recipe, and clear instructions. I love the illustrations, too. But it's not a win for me. While I love the New England-focused tone, I found the recipes to be a little rarefied - there are lots of oyster, lobster and crab recipes. There is some useful info here (like the lobster breakdown tutorial, and learning the difference between ME and CT lobster rolls), but I don't see most of these making it into my everyday. The apps chapter (hot crab dip!), drinks and seafood were the standouts for me. These also aren't easy recipes - many go into two pages. However, for entertaining or on a weekend when you have more time to cook or may be looking to impress, these are solid.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as cookbooks go, this one is filled with simple recipes I’d cook again. The ceasar dip was a crowd pleaser at a party I attended in August. That being said, The one recipe that stands out in particular, that made me rate this cookbook as five stars is the tomato butter cod recipe. I made it with halibut instead, but really any white fish would do. The other alteration I made was to use an emersion blender to turn it into more of a thick sauce. The tomato butter sauce is amazing, even as tomato season dwindles I’ll be making this recipe again. I might even use that sauce as the base of a soup or chili recipe in late fall.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My most prized possession. I LOVE this cookbook because it’s somehow accessible but elevated and different. The photos are beautiful and the pictures are adorable and aesthetic. The introduction literally brought tears to my eyes and I adore that you can hear Meredith’s voice throughout the intros of the recipes. I’ve made 3 recipes from it so far and they’ve been hits (Piri piri chicken sandwich is to die for). I highly recommend this cookbook for any level of cook and anyone who wants to try different ingredients and level up their cooking.

[Karrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot of things that didn’t know and I’ve read over 100 cookbooks in the past few years. I love the illustrations. It has personality but is not off-putting. I’m easily annoyed by “unique” people. It shows how to cook lobster and oyster. A ton of veg and salads. I think the thing about this one is that she breaks it down into simple steps and subtly encourages you to do it. If you fail, you learn so it’s ok.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed following Meredith Hayden on Instagram and Tik Tok. Her private chef and personal cooking were fresh and looked like they would taste great. I enjoyed looking at her cookbook but was a bit disappointed by the amount of seafood recipes. I am missing many of her salad and vegetarian that she has done. That said, the book is perfect for newish cooks, lots of great tips on ingredients, utensils and cooking methods. The recipes are easy to follow and the photos are beautiful.

[Mary Ressner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new or innovative here. In fact: so many of these
dishes have been recycled in so many previous cookbooks that they should be landed as such.
The photography is harsh and renders the colors of something like lobster or tomato garishly.
It is a wonder that the food publishing industry keeps churning these no-brainers out as soon as they find another cookie cutter “ influencer “ to stand for a cover photo. Give it a pass.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meredith’s editor really let her Gen Z lingo take over these recipes, which means I don’t think it will age very well. It’s a little verbose. That being said, it’s a fun romp and I have never thought of combining broccoli and capers. So cheers to tasty surprises!

NOTE: I am also wholly against the idea of anything, but especially food, being ELEVATED. I don’t need quiet luxury cheese, please.

[Chloë · Rating 4 out of 5]

in for 2026 is counting cookbooks toward your reading goal… cause YEAH i read the whole thing. this girl likes fish a whole lot more than i do and definitely channels a waspy energy that i want to believe is partly for show, but i know it isn’t. that’s her tea tho and i get it and i am still lowkey really enchanted by it. i made swamp soup last night and it was fire! she knows what’s going on

[Molly King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So many great recipes I can’t wait to try. I love that it reads just as Meredith would be talking to her followers on social media. Aside from recipes, I enjoy that she talks about must have tools, ingredients and also creates menus. I would recommend to anyone!