Maxi's Kitchen: Easy Go-To Recipes to Make Again and Again: A Cookbook

by Maxine Sharf

Find your go-to dishes for every day of the week with 100 simple and delicious recipes from the creator of Maxi’s Kitchen

Culinary creator Maxine Sharf has amassed over 3 million fans who flock to her for recipes that strike the perfect balance between healthy and comforting. Whether you’re craving something light and fresh, or feeling a little indulgent, Maxi is serving up exactly what you want to eat. Her debut cookbook is all about finding your weekly go-to’ the easy, delicious recipes that you’ll make on repeat to nourish yourself and your family.

Maxi’s Kitchen is organized by day of the week, with intentions for each day that help you pick the perfect recipe to match your mood. Start the week with quick and simple dishes like Honey-Mustard Salmon with Pistachios and Dill, and easy, one-pot meals like Mom’s Japanese Curry Chicken. Get through the midweek slump with fun handhelds like Baked Crunchy Chicken Tacos, then treat yourself to an indulgent date night with Creamy Spicy Shrimp Spaghetti. For Maxine, weekends are for spending time with friends and family, so think small bites meant for sharing, like French Onion Crostini, or more ambitious, immersive projects, like Grandma’s Wontons. And Sunday is all about brunch, with classics like Chai-Spiced French Toast.

Maxi’s Kitchen reflects Maxi's multicultural heritage and covers a wide variety of flavors, ingredients, and cuisines to inspire your next meal with recipes you can turn to again and again. Maxine invites you into her kitchen with the hope that her cherished recipes will become part of your family’s traditions, too.

Genres: Cookbooks

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 3, 2026

Reviews

[S Vanorse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our local library asked me to bring this home and give my opinion, they know I can be honest and critical in all aspects of a cookbook, as I have hundreds of cookbooks. I had never heard of Maxine Sharf, after reading the book I took a look at a few of her videos, kudos to you Maxine, no easy feat having that many engaging with you on a daily basis. I’m betting that’s why Clarkson Potter (publisher) came knocking at your door, and easy to see you put your heart and hard work into the creation of this, nice photos, easy to read recipes, all ingredients easily attainable, nothing that couldn’t be created at any home. One suggestion to Maxine would be never use hot water from the tap when making bread which she suggests in her Easy Artisan Bread recipe, page 178. Never ever use hot tap water when cooking, it can put contaminants into your food, lead, copper, zinc, especially if you have older pipes, it does not cook out and you risk ingestion. Hot water heaters are a breading ground for bacteria, especially if set on the lower side of heat. All can affect the taste and quality of whatever you’re cooking. I feel and notice a big difference between the construction of the book compared to ones I have by another from the same publisher, this being much poorer quality but that’s nothing against Maxine it’s just one of the things I notice. I’m giving you a solid 4 stars, may your success continue.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun selecting and cooking recipes from Sharf’s cookbook. I found this cookbook easy to read and follow the directions for each recipe. Most of the ingredients you can find in your pantry which makes cooking so much easier. This cookbook includes a Table of Contents that is set up by the days of the week. Each day has a theme, for example, Wednesday, “Let’s have some fun!”. The last section of the cookbook are “Simple Sides”. Sharf had some great fun dividing up her recipes with these themes. The cookbook also includes an introduction to the book, pantry staples, kitchen tools, etc. What really stood out to me was a couple of things:
1. One page in the book includes an organizer all on seasoning to taste. Great tips on how to season your food.
2. Throughout the book Sharf includes “How to” pages, such as “Slicing and Chopping”, “Folding Rice Paper”, “How to fold Pot sticks”, etc.
Lastly are the recipes: These were just a few that I tried out and loved: Asian Marinated Skirt Steak, Dad’s Pork Chops with Soy Sauce and Onions, Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry, Grandpa’s Giant Baked Italian Sub and Mom’s Fluffy Pancakes. I highly recommend adding this cookbook to your shelf. Thank you to Clarkson Potter for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, with recipes that get progressively more involved as the week progresses (so Monday's dinners are 30 minutes or less; by Saturday, you're prepping and cooking for an hour or so). It's incredible that so many different flavors can come together so quickly.

There is a lot of prep time for the later recipes; my two faves - pork chops with scallions and pan seared cod with tomatoes and capers - are from the 1st chapter. Some of the recipes are for 2-4 people and I would have preferred that to be more firm. There isn't any nutritional information. However, this book is worth checking out because she really creates layers of flavor in a very short time, often by using ingredients like miso. Even if you only pick up a few weeknight recipes, these are kind of different and very good.

[Barbara Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook so much! The recipes are easy and delicious. I like how it's divided into days and the sections on panty staples, "season to taste", and kitchen tools are so helpful. The asian influences in many of the recipes are refreshing and different. Just a note, Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of the book, but the opinions are all my own.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I perused the entire book and found several recipes that I want to make. The pictures for each dish are great. The recipe directions appear to be straight forward. I like the way the recipes are divided....for example, Monday is quick, easy, flavorful dishes that could befor any day and so on.

[T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Neither either nor go to. Nothing but incredibly fussy recipes.

[Bailey]

✅

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed Maxine on IG and Substack since she started. This is her first cookbook and it's lovely. Heavy on Asian recipes.