EAT: Easy, Affordable, Tasty—100 Recipes with All of the Flavor and None of the Fuss

by Frankie Celenza

EAT is the antithesis to the never-ending competition for the most elaborate, expensive, complicated, and shocking dishes showcased both on tv and social media. While you might recognize Frankie from Struggle Meals, he started his career with the goal to help people who felt overwhelmed cooking at home. For a dish to be featured in this book, it must meet three simple

1) Each dish must be easy, which means nothing takes more than 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time.
2) Each dish must be affordable, meaning there aren’t any fancy specialty ingredients, and what is used, is used fully. 
3) Each dish must taste great; classic ingredient combinations play the nostalgia card that readers identify with.

Dishes like these have become part of Frankie's repertoire of family meals that can be made over and over again and never go out of style. Frankie has put his spin on classic American dishes, dove headfirst into practical trends, and provided the context of the culinary techniques that take these dishes to the next level.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Food

240 pages, Hardcover

Published July 29, 2025

Reviews

[Teresa Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took exception to the title of this book immediately; the A should have been for Approachable. That’s the magic of Frankie Celenza. He explains recipes in a way that makes the novice confident and keeps the more advanced still engaged. This book is full of recipes anyone can manage. Page after page are beautiful, glossy photos of inspiration and the step-by-step guide of how to achieve it. The introductions to the recipes read as if your best friend came over for a drink and started talking about food.

I tried the Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Butter. Disclaimer: I’m not a klutz in the kitchen. Normally, I would read the list of ingredients and do as I will. However, for the purposes of reviewing this book, I followed his instructions word for word with one exception: I only had salted butter. Since my husband always adds extra salt, I didn’t reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe. It was incredibly Easy, right down to the suggested timing. It was very Tasty, even though that word is nails on a chalkboard for me. I’m not so sure about Affordable, but what is these days? But Approachable? Definitely.

Whether you’re a novice with a knife or a seasoned chef, EAT is a great book to have on your kitchen counter.

[Favour Creative · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finally a cookbook that understands real life in the kitchen! EAT: Easy, Affordable, Tasty delivers exactly what it promises: recipes that are quick to make, budget-friendly, and packed with flavor.

Nothing here feels intimidating every dish is designed with minimal hands-on time, no hard-to-find ingredients, and plenty of smart tips to make the most of what you buy. From updated American classics to practical, trendy favorites, Frankie’s recipes are the kind you’ll actually want to make again and again.

This is more than just a collection of meals it’s a confidence boost for anyone who wants great food without the fuss.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book lives up to its promise - the recipes are easy, relatively quick (and least for prep) and made with ingredients that you probably have or are easy to get. I have go-to recipes for most of these, but this would be a great book for someone learning to cook. There are photos for each recipe, and just enough backstory. He also includes drinks and deserts, but no nutritional information.

The garlic turkey meatloaf, lentil salad and sheet pan pork with apples will probably become staples in my house. Worth checking out if daily dinner is on your to-do list.

[Krista]

I skimmed through this. It was a requested book at the library and I needed to return it. Over all a majority of the recipes didn’t stand out to me as something I really wanted to try.
I thought I liked to cook and bake a wide variety but some of these looked like a STRETCH! Why do chocolate brownies need to have cherries added? Etc etc
I also felt like I’d have to go out and get several items that I don’t have on hand for most of the recipes. Over all I’d say it’s not a book I plan to buy.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally…Frankie has a cookbook! 🙌 I’ve tried a couple of the recipes and so far they live up to everything we know about Frankie. Easy, affordable and definitely tasty! I love that he takes standard recipes and adds a little twist on flavors to make them different. So happy to see him taking his expertise to the cookbook market.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great recipes, most of which sound really easy. I think I am going to try to make the winter beets. A few ingredients can be pricy and I don't see myself buyin them, but the ideas are a start!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another influencer cookbook. This is full of easy recipes. Each recipe has a photo. The problem is that there is nothing new. An experienced cook will pass on this. However, this would be a good cookbook for a new cook.

[Sheilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, Frankie Celenza, for creating the Eat Affordable Tasty cookbook! The recipes are so easy to follow and use ingredients that are readily available. I can't wait to try flavorful and no-fuss recipes like Seared Caesar, Steamed Onion Stroganoff, Cuban Reuben, Giant Cheesy Tot, and Coconut Poke Cake, just to name a few! The photographs by Lauren Volo are gorgeous!

[Kgparkhurst Parkhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a winner. I am actually going to purchase a hard copy after having read the E-book version. So many recipes I want to make. Thank you so much Frankie.

[Cindee Ketches · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice recipe book with lovely pictures and easy to follow directions.
I just didn’t find much new in here. Only a couple of recipes that I have marked to try.

[Anna L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't tried to cook anything from this book yet, but I think the recipes are well-written and interesting, and fairly simple. Definitely inspiring.

[Teresa Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took exception to the title of this book immediately; the A should have been for Approachable. That’s the magic of Frankie Celenza. He explains recipes in a way that makes the novice confident and keeps the more advanced still engaged. This book is full of recipes anyone can manage. Page after page are beautiful, glossy photos of inspiration and the step-by-step guide of how to achieve it. The introductions to the recipes read as if your best friend came over for a drink and started talking about food.

I tried the Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Butter. Disclaimer: I’m not a klutz in the kitchen. Normally, I would read the list of ingredients and do as I will. However, for the purposes of reviewing this book, I followed his instructions word for word with one exception: I only had salted butter. Since my husband always adds extra salt, I didn’t reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe. It was incredibly Easy, right down to the suggested timing. It was very Tasty, even though that word is nails on a chalkboard for me. I’m not so sure about Affordable, but what is these days? But Approachable? Definitely.

Whether you’re a novice with a knife or a seasoned chef, EAT is a great book to have on your kitchen counter.

[Audrey Stars in Her Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've followed Frankie for a while now, and I was hyped about this cookbook.
There are gorgeous pictures of the foods, and the ingredient list is colored differently from the rest of the text, which draws attention when I go to do my mise en place. The only real thing I'm not a huge fan of is that the steps are too wordy and could have been broken down into smaller, more concise steps. And someone decided that the inside covers should be yellow with white writing: ouch!
But I have made several recipes successfully, and they are tasty and pretty easy, and affordable!

[Kristen Barenthaler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes look and sound delicious. I can't wait to try some of these easy meals.