Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs

by Julia Turshen, Ina Garten (Foreword), Gentl + Hyers (Photographer)

"I can't wait to cook my way through this amazing new book," Ina Garten writes in the foreword to this cookbook of more than 400 recipes and variations from Julia Turshen, writer, go-to recipe developer, co-author for best-selling cookbooks such as Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good, Mario Batali's Spain...on the Road Again, and Dana Cowin's Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen. The process of truly great home cooking is demystified via more than a hundred lessons called out as "small victories" in the funny, encouraging headnotes; these are lessons learned by Julia through a lifetime of cooking thousands of meals. This beautifully curated, deeply personal collection of what Chef April Bloomfield calls "simple, achievable recipes" emphasizes bold-flavored, honest food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. More than 160 mouth-watering photographs from acclaimed photographers Gentl + Hyers provide beautiful instruction and inspiration elevate this entertaining and essential kitchen resource for both beginners and accomplished home cooks.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie, Own

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

Julia Turshen is the bestselling author of Now & Again, a Goodreads Choice Awards 2018 semi-finalist (vote for her here), as well as Feed the Resistance, named the Best Cookbook of 2017 by Eater, and Small Victories, named one of the Best Cookbooks of 2016 by the New York Times and NPR.

Epicurious has called her one of the 100 Greatest Home Cooks of All Time. She is the founder of Equity At The Table (EATT), an inclusive digital directory of women and non-binary individuals in food. Julia lives in the Hudson Valley with her wife and pets.

Reviews

[Trudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I have never reviewed a cookbook before even though I own a decent number of them. I decided if I was to review a new cookbook I needed to spend a decent chunk of time actually cooking from it. And so over the last three months I have gone through selecting out recipes from each section of this book and I have made several happy discoveries or rather "small victories" in the process. This is really just my sort of cookbook very down-to-earth and unfussy, with results that don't rely heavily on some complicated ingredients or skills. In addition Turshen's accompanying text is reassuring and gives you so many options to make the recipe into something of your own.

Some personal highlights for me from this cookbook were : Sour Cream Pancakes with Roasted Blueberries, Roasted Red Pepper and Pear soup, Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage, Turkey and Ricotta Meatballs, Chicken and Pea Skillet Pie and the Feel-Better-Soon Cookies.

However, I have earmarked several more recipes to try. So far I think this is the most well traversed cookbook in my collection.

( Also eggs ! the author is crazy about eggs but having tasted those deviled eggs I can understand why )

[Tessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Something about this cookbook really rubbed me the wrong way.

--Poorly done photographs. Many of the pictures of the food are actually just stylish ~*~aesthetic~*~ shots of the ingredients which tell you nothing about the final dish. That's okay if it is something like fried eggs which most people are familiar with, but she also does it with dishes which are uncommon where a photo definitely would have benefited.

--Overuse of the phrase small victories. Yes, I'm aware of the fact that this is the title of the book. How could I miss that, when it is used on every page, and frequently more than once? You get the idea that Turshen thinks she is very clever for coming up with that phrase and wants to force it in whenever possible.

--Actually, I got the feeling from this book that Turshen just thinks she is very clever in general. I am not exactly sure how a cookbook can be smug, but this is an example if I've ever seen one. Turshen has a really high opinion of herself and her cooking abilities (and she is no doubt a good cook!) and it was very off-putting for me.

--Off-putting enough that I decided not to cook anything from this book at all, despite some of the recipes looking really good. I just took it back to the library. (Though I will say that the idea of a grilled chocolate sandwich sounds really good and I may try that eventually.)

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot to like about this book, and for those who are newer to cooking I would recommend this book whole-heartedly. It's also great inspiration for effortless, casual entertaining. I think that Turshen's chops as a chef and recipe developer are really on display here--she is good at what she does, and the recipes are all exciting and relatively low-maintenance. I love how often she suggests turning what many people would consider throwaways into viable, tasty food items (I can't wait to make a batch of fromage fort with my cheese drawer scraps!). While somewhat basic, the recipes are well thought out and elegant in their simplicity.

However, there was something contrived and irritating about the way the "small victories" theme was carried throughout the book that made me roll my eyes at times. The recipes, indeed the whole cookbook, really speaks for itself; it doesn't need the gimmick.

As a more advanced home cook, I only gleaned a few tips and techniques from this book that were new to me, and this isn't a book I feel I need to add to my shelves. However, there are plenty of younger cooks to whom I would happily gift this book, and I really think that Thursten is a bit of a rockstar when it comes to recipe development.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the title sounds like one for a romance novel, Julia Turshen’s book is actually an excellent cookbook, whether for novices or excellent cooks. (The great Ina Garten is a fan and wrote the foreword.) Turshen provides mostly simple recipes with accessible ingredients — and when she doesn’t, she suggests everyday substitutions.

And you get even more recipes than it seems because Turshen provides numerous variations for the recipes. This cookbook is a must-have.

And to parrot Turshen, another small victory is that Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs is available free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

[Chessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh I loved this and read it in one sitting! Although I borrowed the ebook from the library, I can tell that I’m going to need to purchase a physical copy of this one for my permanent collection - so many delicious sounding, approachable recipes! I love that most have pictures, I love love LOVE how most recipes have several versions (this is my absolute FAVORITE thing in any cookbook because it shows us how to be less rigid, encourages experimentation, and gives us permission to sub things in and out). Friendly, chatty headnotes make this a fun book to just sit with over a cup of coffee and sweet treat.

Also I made the everything biscuit recipe (actually I made 1/2 of them Everything and did the other 1/2 as one of the variations of maple cinnamon and they were both SO GOOOOOOD OMG I am like physically restraining myself from making them everyday. Seriously.)

[Nicole Gulotta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of recipes for new home cooks, but kitchen veterans find something to love, too. Many recipes are perfect for quick weeknight cooking (something I'm in need of right now), and Julia's stories and headnotes make the book feel personal and approachable. I've been cooking from it the past few weeks, and have added several recipes to my permanent rotation.

[Lani · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest pet peeve is a cookbook that makes me google the recipe to figure out what's going on. There are too many photos of raw ingredients and not enough of finished dishes, most photos are unappetizing. The recipe names are also dumb, like the wishy washy "Kinda, sorta patatas bravas" with a photo of a dish of salt, like she's using fancy words with dumb words to name her dishes instead of actually thinking of something original. I wont be buying another book by the author. Wasted so much space in this book where there should have been photos of finished dishes. This was such a lazy attempt.
It has some interesting ideas but nothing too out-of-the-box, just tweaks to original recipes anyone could think of. It doesn't seem to have a theme. There is even a recipe for dog treats. It's really just a random mess that seems to lean towards baking.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful cookbook, but nothing really earth-shattering... great for a new cook who is just learning how to improvise and make changes based on what's in his/her pantry.

[Christine (Tina) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with this cookbook! Turshen takes us through so many different flavor profiles with such ease & simplicity & with the encouragement of attainable culinary "small victories". Beautifully photographed/styled with mouth-wateringly delicious recipe suggestions, this one is a definite "for purchase" to be placed on the increasingly weight-sagging cookbook shelves in my kitchen!

[tiffany greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a “this is out of my league” cookbook...since I’m not a great cook, nor do I enjoy cooking. But my dinner menu needs a refresh and I picked up this on a recommendation from an “instagram friend”. Actually found quite a few dishes I can’t wait to try!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is wonderful; I want to make so many of her recipes! I plan to purchase this book.

[Blane Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy breezy recipes 😍

[Douglas Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

When reading a cookbook I don’t tend to make grand proclamations that this book is good and that book is bad. Cookbooks are all about what you take away from the book and one person’s favorite is another’s failure. For me, my like or dislike of a cookbook directly relates to how well it works for me. Does its message resonate? Are the recipes actually something I would consider making? Can I put my new found knowledge to immediate use? With those criteria in mind, Small Victories certainly worked for me on a variety of levels.

First, even though I am a bit of a fussy eater, I found many recipes I want to try out as soon as possible. Each recipe is well described and also includes several variations you might want to try.
Turshen includes old standards like her take on biscuits (Everything Biscuits), roast chicken (Roast Chicken with Fennel, Rosemary + Lemon) and desserts (Berry + Buttermilk Cobbler) while also exploring further afield with Roasted Salmon with Maple + Soy, Jennie’s Chicken Pelau, and Crisply Hominy + Cheddar Fritters.

In Small Victories, you’ll find sections dedicated to Breakfast, Soups + Salads, Vegetables, (maybe even a few that I would eat) (LAUGH), Grains, Beans + Pasta, Meat + Poultry, Shellfish + Fish, Desserts, A Few Drinks + Some Things To Keep On Hand and Seven Lists — which gives some great ideas on small bites to serve with drinks, 7 Things To Do With Pizza Dough, Leftover Roast Chicken and more.

Another reason I found Small Victories so enjoyable are the excellent stories attached to each recipe. Even when I wasn’t particularly interested in a recipe, I still made a point of reading each of these descriptions almost like I would read a regular book. These descriptions also contain the “Small Victories” which are the namesake of the book. These are small tips and hints are a great addition to the cookbook and provide yet another level of value.

As Turshen writes, “Think of small victories as the corners of the puzzle, the pieces that help us become inspired, relax cooks who know how to fill in the rest.”
I found my copy of Small Victories at my local library and you might find it there, too. It’s always a great place to start when looking for new books in your life. However you get your hands on Small Victories, I highly recommend you do. I think you’ll find some interesting recipes, tips and maybe even the next step in your cooking adventures.

- See more at: http://welchwrite.com/blog/2017/03/13...

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sold....

Real Simple Small Victories is so lively, so encouraging, and so filled with easy solutions that it's the perfect book for someone who loves food but is nervous in the kitchen. I'll be giving it to every young cook I know.
Ruth Reichl

As practical as it is beautiful, this book is primarily meant for the kitchen novice. But the recipes are so intriguing and enticing that experienced cooks will be tempted. Each carefully thought-out and explained recipe is followed by delicious riffs.
Mimi Sheraton

Small Victories is a chatty primer for the hesitant or unconfident cook but gives as much pleasure to those with years of kitchen experience. Rich in ideas, and far from basic in its span of recipes, this is a book that earns a place on any shelf.
Nigella Lawson

Small Victories is precisely the kind of book that I can give to two kinds of people: to my non-cooking friends to let them know they can build their game, and to my professional chef friends to prove that there is always more to learn and that simple doesn't mean dumbed-down.
Mario Batali

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the variety of recipes in this cook book are good there aren't a lot of pictures.

While I wouldn't cook these things every day there are some good recipes that are broken down in a way that seems approachable.

[Tam G · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there are probably many dishes I wouldn't make from this, I enjoyed the Small Victories sections (tips and tricks) and the Further Ideas sections (twists on the original recipe). Both of those, along with the writer's style, make this a useful cookbook.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love cookbooks to read, Julia's comments are great!

[Alex Can Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally published on my blog https://alexcanread.wordpress.com/201...

It’s no secret in my family and social circles that I love food. My family nickname is “Food” even. I love to eat, I love to scope out new restaurants, love to cook (but hate the cleanup) and naturally, because I love books, I adore cookbooks.

It’s no secret in my family and social circles that I love food. My family nickname is “Food” even. I love to eat, I love to scope out new restaurants, love to cook (but hate the cleanup) and naturally, because I love books, I adore cookbooks.

Unfortunately, I have a small house and a small budget for books, so I’ve gotten into the habit of checking out cookbooks I’m interested in from the library before I decide whether or not to take the plunge and make the purchase and commit to making space for another cookbook in my little kitchen.

I also try to participate in Food52’s Cookbook Club Facebook group, where each month the group cooks from a pre-chosen book. A few months ago, just as I joined, the club was cooking from Julia Turshen’s Small Victories. I requested it from the library right away but discovered, much to my chagrin, the waiting list was very long.

Finally, finally, finally, it landed in my hands…just as some Life Stuff happened and it wasn’t until the day before it was due back to the library that I finally, finally, finally made some time to peruse the book.

As I paged through the Small Victories, it quickly became clear to me that this was a book I had to buy.

Why? What makes this book worth making space on my tiny shelf for?

Small Victories is magical. That’s why. Small Victories is accessible, beautiful, inspirational, and beginner friendly.

Turshen’s book is beautifully and simply laid out. Definitely easy on the eyes and the photos are so gorgeous and inspirational.

But as gorgeous as it is, that’s not the magic. The magic is in Turshen’s writing and her celebration of “small victories” – the little lessons sprinkled throughout the recipes. Her recipes and stories are not only easy to follow, but she doesn’t condescend. It’s almost as if she’s standing in your kitchen with you, not holding your hand, but sitting at the bar cheering you on as you work your way through one of the recipes.

Then, once you’ve mastered the recipe, she adds another layer of magic and suggests ways to riff off the recipe you just made to make it into something new. Avocado Toast with Kimchi becomes a fancy salad with just a couple of small tweaks and some champagne on the side. (This is just the first recipe in the book, folks! She does it for every recipe in the book throughout.)

My personal favorite, which I made immediately upon reading it, is waaaay at the back of the book in her Drinks section. She amps up a gin and tonic (my favorite at-home cocktail) by adding a sprinkle of fresh-cracked pepper and a thin slice of cucumber. I’ll never make a G&T without pepper or cucumber again! The cucumber adds a new fresh brightness and the pepper adds just another layer of depth, without tasting peppery or spicy. Heaven.

5 Stars, without a doubt. Turshen’s approach makes Small Victories into a cookbook that melds inspiration with the confidence-building of a cooking for beginners book and something any cook will enjoy.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this book, which I think was Julia Turshen’s first cookbook of her own. She has co-written scads of others with people like Hawa Hassan, Dana Cowin, and Gwyneth Paltrow. I first encountered her on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, and I vividly remember her and Ina making kimchi fried rice together. I was struck by Julia’s gorgeous halo of curls and was so captivated by her calm, loose cooking style.

Flash-forward almost a decade, and I love her podcast, her food writing, and now her cookbooks. This one is great for brand-new cooks as well as seasoned ones. She teaches a lot of techniques and introduces a lot of flavor combos and ideas in super approachable ways. Her recipes are simple, easy to follow, and include spin-offs. This is one of the most home-cook-friendly cookbooks I’ve read and cooked from. I will be buying it as gifts for people, that’s how useful I think it is.

In addition to recipes, she has seven lists at the end of the book that give you food and drink ideas: Seven Things to Do with a Can of Chickpeas, Seven Things to Do with Leftover Roast Chicken, Seven Things to Do with Pizza Dough, etc. She is also incredibly community-minded and includes a list of organizations that address the problem of hunger in this country so you can give back. How wonderful is that? (To paraphrase Queen Ina.) In fact, Julia’s volunteerism with a group that provides nutritious and delicious meals to homebound people with AIDS/HIV has inspired me to consider how I can use my passion for cooking to serve my community. I’m going to start looking for ways to help beyond food drives and monetary donations.

I’m so excited she has three more cookbooks of her own that I can cook through! And I’ll be returning to this one often.

[Tracy]

I've just made one recipe from this -- sour cream pancakes with roasted blueberries -- which I made with yogurt instead of sour cream 😉 I used frozen blueberries, which turned out tasting fine but very soupy. The pancakes themselves were too eggy for my taste (I suspected they would be with two eggs), and rather flat since the batter spread quite a bit.

Overall, I appreciate the variations provided along with each recipe. There were a good number of vegetarian or veg-adaptable recipes. I bookmarked about ten recipes on first read-through, but in the end there were only three or four I actually wanted to try. One feature I liked (and would have liked more of) was "seven things to do with INGREDIENT" (e.g. can of chickpeas) at the end.

The photos were a bit disappointing as many were decorative rather than the dish. I am deducting a mark for design because the pancake recipe had the ingredients on a separate page from the instructions so I had to keep flipping back and forth. The "small victories" in each recipe were a little overdone.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never reviewed a cookbook before, but it just occurred to me to do so! I love this book. I don’t think every recipe is perfect; she says I need a cup and a half of braising liquid, I might actually need more like 2 1/2 – – and as some have said, none of these recipes is challenging for a kitchen veteran. But even for decent cooks like me, there just seems to be something to love on every page – – like, does making meatballs have to be as complicated as we thought? Am I really ambitious enough to try making an entire clambake in a pot?! When I first dug into this book, I found a few of the recipes hit or miss. I surprised myself by not actually liking her famous chicken soup at all, for example, and neither did my family. But somehow since then I’ve been choosing the ones to try a little better, and there have just been many many hits. Besides, Julia Turshen is so charming, I could just read her all day long.

[jeanmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very non fussy for those who are 'smitten kitchen inclined' -- if that makes any sense. Julia offers recipes that are delicious, not overly complicated, and that turn out great! I've only made a few so far, but have done a variety (beet salad, tea cake, and one entree i'm blanking on) and they were all really good! I'm debating buying this one after checking it out, and renewing it twice!, from the library.

I like that she has helpful tips, like putting a little water and then the pan lid over your over-easy eggs to perfectly cook them without flipping them! These small victories are largely not gimmicky although sometimes they feel a little stretched. This would be a great gift for anyone who likes cooking as there's something to learn at all skill levels!

[Jenifer Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this book from the library after hearing the author interviewed on NPR and just loving the way she spoke about food and cooking. Now that I have read the book (and tried several recipes with great outcomes!!) I am ordering a copy to keep. Somehow, I have had a "fixed mindset" regarding cooking (along the lines of "I'm just not a gifted cook like my mom or sister") but this book managed to open my mind to the idea that inspired cooks got that way through practice (duh). And not being afraid to fail. The recipes and pictures are amazing, but more than that, the writing is clear and makes cooking seem fun and less intimidating than I'd made it up to be.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than the average cookbook because
1.) It's practical: beyond the pretty photos, it also includes tips for home cooks on how to stock up your chicken broth (pun intended; appreciate it), make time for lengthy baking processes, or generally adjust things to your schedule.
2.) Turshen actually takes the time to teach you cooking techniques and why you're doing what she asks you to do. Normally I go to blogs for this.
3.) Recipes are grounded in supplies/tools families will have at home, but occasionally there will be a fun twist thrown in, making it perfect for people who love to cook but also have real life to think about.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does it seem strange to count a cookbook as something you’ve read, instead of something you’ve simply referred to or used?

Small Victories is part cookbook, part self-help, part memoir, part life skills guide. It reads almost like a narrative. It’s even sized thoughtfully: not a huge volume to park on your shelf, but a book that’s big enough to contain lovely photographic spreads and small enough to rest on your lap as you read in an armchair.

I’ve made three of the recipes so far and thought they were amazing. I can’t wait to try more. Julia Turshen seems like a friend, and a good one, at that.

[Carla Bayha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving to a tiny house? This articulately voiced cookbook would satisfy as the only one you need for a decade. It's hard to break into the cookbook market without a television show or a hot restaurant, but this is the book that is worthy. Turshen has helped develop recipes for both Ina Garten and the PBS show "The Kimchi Chronicles".Still have most of your bottle of fish sauce, or an old can of chickpeas, or have you noticed that mussels at the supermarket are a lot cheaper than king crab legs? With all of her recipes, Turshen includes treasured tips ("small victories") and improvs ("spin-offs") that will make you feel you got your time, money, and tastebuds' worth with each recipe.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Turshen's knowledge, humor and warmth are on every page; you can feel her cheering you on as you cook the recipes. The recipes are delicious and accessible, and include many options for modification. I use the back of the book a TON and make the whiskey sours regularly :)

Wish list (but nothing worth deducting stars for!):
1. The photography is beautiful, but I would've liked more final or in progress pictures of the food versus artistry (close ups of onions aren't that helpful to me).
2. More lunch / dinner recipes versus a lot of the breakfast stuff like chilaquiles and eggs with yogurt which aren't my style.

[Patsy Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some GREAT Ideas

I don't cook, and, at 75, I'm not sure I've got time to learn. But this book sure inspires me to maybe give it a try. I bought it on a whim, to try to learn to fry eggs better than I currently do. But there are few recipes in here that I'm not inspired to try. That, in itself, is a large victory for me. Meanwhile, the book is chock-a-block full of small victories that could (even at this late date) change my life. What a great collection of ideas--with spin-offs for each one. Good job!

[Debbie Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want some basic, easy and fun ideas... this book is for you! I took and am trying about a dozen new recipes - because trying something new is really the spice of life.

If you are into "lists" - you will enjoy 10 things to do with ground beef, chick peas, eggs .... and will walk away with something that you can easily memorize and use over and over again. Isn't that the best?!

This book would be a lovely gift for someone starting out in a new kitchen as it has basics with a lot of flair. BON APPETIT!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the folksy tone and the anecdotes, and by the end, Turshen's obvious comfort in the kitchen started to rub off on me. More than once, she said something like "really get in there" when describing using your hands to manipulate ingredients; it made me laugh but now I find myself massaging vegetables with olive oil rather than just drizzling them with oil - she just makes you want to get your hands dirty :)

I tried 3 or 4 recipes although I haven't bought the book yet; note that her Buttermilk Cobbler is a keeper, simple and delicious.