Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook

by Dorie Greenspan

2019 James Beard General Cookbook Award Finalist

To the hundreds of thousands who follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, Dorie Greenspan’s food is powerfully cookable—her recipes instant classics. In Everyday Dorie , she invites readers into her kitchen to savor the dishes that she makes all the time, from Miso-Glazed Salmon to Lemon Goop.

What makes a “Dorie recipe”?

Each one has a small surprise that makes it special. Mustard and walnuts in the cheese puffs. Cherry tomatoes stuffed into red bell peppers and oven-charred. Cannellini beans in cod en papillote. The dishes are practical, made with common ingredients from the supermarket, farmers’ market, or pantry, like Sweet Chili Chicken Thighs, which is both weeknight simple and fine enough for company, and Eton Mess, a beautifully casual dessert of crumbled meringue, fruit, and whipped cream. They are easygoing, providing swaps and substitutions. They invite mixing and matching. Many can be served as dinner, or as a side dish, or as an appetizer, or hot, cold, or room temperature. And every single one is like a best friend in the kitchen, full of Dorie’s infectious love of cooking and her trademark hand-holding directions.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Culinary, Reference, Adult

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Called a culinary guru by the New York Times, Dorie Greenspan is the author of the James Beard Awardwinning Baking: From My Home to Yours, which inspired the creation of the online baking community Tuesdays with Dorie. She has been passionately involved with French food for the last three decades. With Pierre Herm, she wrote Desserts by Pierre Herm, winner of an IACP Cookbook of the Year Award, and Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herm, winner of the Gourmand prize for best cookbook in the English language. Greenspan won both an IACP and a James Beard Award for her Baking with Julia. She is also the author of Paris Sweets and The Caf Boulud Cookbook (with Daniel Boulud). Inducted into the Whos Who of Food and Beverage in America, she is a contributing editor to Parade magazine, writes regularly for Bon Apptit, and is a frequent guest on NPRs All Things Considered and The Splendid Table. Greenspan lives in New York City, Westbrook, Connecticut, and Paris."

Reviews

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really learned a valuable lesson from Dorie Greenspan's newest cookbook, Everyday Dorie. As soon as the book arrived for me to review, I began the way I always do -- bookmarking all the delicious and interesting recipes I want to make for the review. Being that the book is called "everyday" I assumed that the recipes would be easy, weeknight-cooking-type recipes (they mostly are, but I'll get to that later). So, the first recipe I decided to try was her Potato Tourte. Potatoes are one of my favourite things to eat (probably ever!) so what better recipe to start with then a recipe full of potatoes, puff pastry, butter, herbs, garlic, and cream.

Looking at the instructions, which span over more than two pages, I knew the recipe was involved so I decided I would spend an afternoon working on it (not including prep time, the baking and resting time is about 2 hours). While I prepped, my four-year-old climbed up to the counter to help pat the potato slices dry and then she helped me to layer the herbs and potato slices so that we could get it in the oven. When it was finally baked, rested, and eaten I was happy with the result -- it turned out exactly like it should have and was enjoyed by my family. But it took so long to make!
This is where the learning comes in: learning patience, to appreciate the process and not the just the result, and above all, I learned that a cookbook is never just one recipe. I did try more recipes and realized that for the most part all her recipes are fairly quick to make (great for weeknight cooking) and that I really needed to make the Tourte because I hadn't been really challenged by a recipe in a very long time. It's also ok for recipes to take time to make sometimes -- how else can we enjoy the simple pleasures of home cooking?

One of the things about this book is that the ingredients are very easy to source -- many are readily available at the local farmer's market or grocery store. She also very helpfully provides a section at the end of the book -- A Pantry Alphabet -- that lists uncommon ingredients (such as ponzu and harissa) and some substitutions. Everyday Dorie is about using the freshest ingredients to make casual, relaxed meals. I couldn't have predicted how much my husband would love her food. From the Potato Soup, to the Ginger-Beet Salad Bowls he's asked, "When are you going to make this again?"

The majority of the recipes are very flexible and forgiving -- you can customize them to your own tastes and she often provides directions on how to make elements for recipes ahead of time (for a recipe like My Newest Gougeres she directs you how to make the choux ahead of time and freeze the unbaked gougeres until you need to bake them -- a timesaver when you have guests) or even giving options on how to bake things like cookies. For the Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, she gives options to either freeze the dough (for "chubbier" cookies) or to bake the dough immediately for a more spread-out cookie. Since I had dark chocolate chips from something else I had made I opted to use them in this recipe (she advocates for the use of chopped chocolate for the flavor and the look) and I found they tasted good (maybe not the same texture as when you use chopped chocolate -- chips will keep their shape whereas chocolate chopped from a bar will melt and work it's way through the cookie). As you can see from my picture, I'm impatient and I baked them as fast as I could get them on my cookie sheet! The resulting cookies were chewy and delicious!

The book is divided into 8 sections -- Nibbles, Starters & Small Meals, Soups & Salads, Chicken, Meat, Fish & Shellfish, Vegetable Go-Alongs & Go-Alones, Desserts, and Basics & Transformers. Since she and her family eat a varied diet (and the book focuses on how she cooks for her family) there is no special mention of other diet types -- vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc. Since I'm cooking for my very vegetarian family, I found many recipes that suited my purpose and there were even a few recipes that could satisfy vegan or gluten free diets (in some cases with slight substitutions). Her Bean and Tortilla Soup can be vegan if you omit or substitute for the cheese and yogurt used to garnish the soup (it's already gluten free). I really liked this recipe because during the cooler months a hearty soup like this is simple to prepare and feels so very comforting (it's also great because it allows each person to customize their soup with what they add to garnish -- cheese, yogurt, tortilla chips, fresh diced onion and bell pepper, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, a dash of hot sauce, avocado -- the possibilities are almost limitless).

Here's a tip I'll give you (something I learned awhile ago) -- some of the most delicious recipes in a cookbook are the ones without pictures. It's the truth. And, it's also true that recipes without photos are the least made. There are many recipes in Dorie's book that don't have a picture -- like her recipe for Miso-Maple-Jammed Sweet Potatoes. No picture but you'll totally miss out if you don't try these! Spicy, sweet, salty -- such a glorious combination and the most perfect comfort food. My daughter is a HUGE miso fan (and I've never met a kid who didn't love sweet potatoes) which makes this a very kid-friendly recipe (I made my daughter's version very light on the spiciness though). The last section of recipes, Basics & Transformers, full of dressings, syrups, spreads, and other pantry staples has no pictures but is full of some of the best, forever recipes you'll encounter. Worth a read so as not to miss any of those recipes.

Best lesson -- never judge a cookbook just on one recipe! I think Everyday Dorie is full of recipes that suit both weeknight and weekend cooking. It is a cookbook to explore and discover yourself in the recipes. The nice thing is that you don't need a lot of culinary skill for this book because the recipes have been well-tested and are geared for any type of home cook (whether you're a novice or a pro).

Please note that this is an excerpt of a review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Raincoast Books for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Jennifer Spiliakos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly the best and most practical cookbook I've read in a long time. I have at least 50 recipes marked as this to try. Mostly I read cookbooks for ideas and inspiration, this one hit that mark and reminded me that I really do love food, and love to cook.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great glossy photos and some pretty simple and very yummy looking recipes.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is incredible! I personally made several recipes, can’t say enough about the Banana Coconut Cake or the Potatoe Tourte...WOW! At my cooking club we made, tasted and critiqued over thirty of these recipes, there wasn’t a bad recipe in the book. This is a cookbook to add to your collection.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become so enamored of Dorie Greenspan’s cookbooks and editorial style that I treasure each one. This one is a step away from her baking into other meals and it is also incredibly useful. I reference it frequently. I’m a bit sorry I bought it in a kindle version, but, that’s what I did. This is a winner of a cookbook.

[Beka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about a Dorie Greenspan book, but she has a wonderful ability to make you want to both eat and cook her food. Love her!

[Barbette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you like it quick and easy, or slow and deep, you'l love this. EVERDAY DORIE is a real page turner and a cookbook for cooks of all levels. I've only made about ten of the recipes so far, but each dish was delicious and easy to prepare.

Dorie is the goddess of soups. If you were only allowed five cookbooks on your shelf, this could hold its own as one of them.

[Jane Dugger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book; well layed-out and easy to read. I delighted in reading about every recipe. Ms Greenspan creates an intimate atmosphere between herself and the reader.

[Monika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorie’s recipes are to die for! I’ve made several, including Charred Tomato Filled Peppers and Smokey Roasted Carrots. They were a hit with my family!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope cookbooks count as books I've read. I rarely review books, but Dorie Greenspan has become quietly important to me. Covid-19, with all that it presents as our "new normal", has turned me again and again to my kitchen. I have always loved to cook, and have many, many cookbooks. Recently I decided to cook my way through my favorites. My first attempt was EVERYDAY DORIE: THE WAY I COOK. Ms. Greenspan is like the next door neighbor I wish I had. She's practical, witty, delightfully reassuring and sophisticated in her approach to cooking. I've tried several recipes which include: Honey-Mustard Salmon Rillettes, Oven-Charred Tomato Stuffed Peppers, Giverny Tomatoes, Clam Chowder My Way, Gingered Turkey Meatball Soup, Chicken Milanese, Shrimp Tacos, Gingered Fried Rice, House Dressing, Lemon Goop, and Lower East Side Brunch Tart. Every single recipe is delicious. But our favorites, and ones we'll put on a "what's for dinner" rotation are the Clam Chowder, Turkey Meatball Soup, Chicken Milanese, Shrimp Tacos and Gingered Fried Rice. And did I mention the Shrimp Tacos? During the Holidays, I will definitely bake her Triple Layer Parsnip and Cranberry Cake. (I can't wait!!) And everyone should try Dorie's Lemon Goop. It's so good. In fact, I'll try it next on her scallop recipe...

Thank you Dorie Greenspan!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

want to try:
newest gougeres p. 8
honey mustard salmon rillettes p. 13
✔️black bean chipotle dip p. 19
double stuffed deviled eggs w/ crab p. 26
✔️chickpea tahini salad p. 93
✔️cauliflower tabbouleh p. 95
three pepper burgers p. 138
umami burgers p. 140
salmon burgers p. 174
salmon brandade p. 183
✔️twice flavored scallops p. 193
shrimp tacos p. 196
sweet & smoky roasted carrots p. 214
so good miso corn p.216
butter poached corn w/ egg noodles p.218
✔️miso maple jammed sweet potatoes p. 226
chocolate covered chai tea bars p. 248
cornmeal buttermilk loaf cake p. 264
tangerine topped cheesecake p. 270
dark chocolate pudding p. 294
salted chocolate hot fudge sundaes p. 297

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. I bow to Dorie.

This is my third cookbook by Dorie and when I heard she had a new one I put it on my Christmas list. Well, of course, my husband said go get it. While disappointed I could not find it at my B&N I was happily surprised to find it at the "top cookbook" table. Can I tell you how happy I was when I sat to review and learned it was SIGNED? !!!!!

On to the review...

While the book says everyday Dorie this is a bit of a misnomer. As the introduction says these are recipes she will use every day of the week. Weekends, for company, for casual dining and that means some take longer than others. This is not necessarily the 30 minute 5 ingredient world. All come with make ahead or even alternatives. I love those alternatives - why? Because it gives me confidence in the kitchen to change things up.

Dorie Greenspan's books are to be read. I tell everyone that. It makes you feel like you are not alone in the kitchen. Plus there are great stories to add to your dinner table. My favorite was from another - where she won the lottery (?) and her husband wanted to pay off the car. Ms. Greenspan said lets move to Paris. That was the moment I wanted to be in her kitchen.

Please don't be afraid of the ingredients (or the time). This is a journey to learn. It is designed for the basic cook.
It is broken up into sections but there are appetizers that can become a tapas party and vegetables that can easily be dinner.

Do not forget the end of the book. Who would think of pickling strawberries??? SO good and perfect with those imperfect fruits with mozzarella and balsamic. YUM.

Sheet pan Balsamic Chicken with baby Potatoes and Mushrooms. Don't be afraid of the volume of balsamic.

Chicken and Salad Milanese style. Perfect for an intimate dinner for two - or a dinner party.

Oh and while I have yet to try one of the desserts here, have faith. I have NEVER been a baker and every recipe has made me look like a pro. Check out Baking with Dorie.....seriously.

Thank you Dorie, for every moment.

[Jiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I liked the book.
This was a monthly pick for our cookbook group and many people mentioned that they not only enjoyed it but would use it in the future and wouldn't mind if we came back to it another month.

When choosing a recipe for the group (everyone has to cook one recipe when we meet), I often browse all the recipes and make a short list. This book made the longest list of potential choices and I used 2.

Never heard of Dorie Greenspan, I didn't know what to think of the book. With her mentioning working with Daniel Boulud gave her credibility (in my view) and having short reviews from both Yotam Ottolenghi and David Lebowitz (My Paris Kitchen and worked for Alice Waters) also had me looking at the content more seriously.
I like the connection to both New York and Paris as I enjoy the cuisines and innovation .

There were many recipes I was familiar with and enjoy so I picked a couple that I had not yet tried.

We had a great turnout at the club with 25 people and many made more than 1 dish so we got to really try a good selection of the book.
Some recipes were great where people wrote them down for future use and also innovative to an extent. Almost all the dishes were very good and few people made adjustments to the original.

1 recipe a couple people had trouble with were the toasted nuts - the temperature and time were a bit high and people burned the first batch. Having made toasted and glazed nuts in the past, I found the temperature recommendation a lot higher than what I have used.

All and all it was a good book, good recipes that worked and enjoyable snippets of information and stories. I would recommend it and will revisit it.

[Aaron Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dorie Greenspan has written a book about how she cooks, “Everyday Dorie.”

I purchased this on the strength of her previous cookbook, “Dorie’s Cookies” which is up there with some of the greatest cookie cookbooks of all time. “Everyday Dorie” feels much less meticulous and much less “cared for” than her last cookbook.

The first half of the book, is filled with clever dishes and new ways to virtuosically spin veg into new fave meals and a delicious way to prepare ricotta as to ensure the reader’s greater consumption, whipping it into a dream cloud and claiming it “Ricotta Spoonable”. This is gorgeous.
But as good as the first half was, the second half was in equal parts a “what was she thinking” insult to her readers.

By the time I got to the entrees, I noticed the pictures becoming scarce, and recipes ever more throwaway and unappetizing.

The dessert section of the book (Dorie ALWAYS knows how to finish a meal) became the biggest “what was she thinking moment.” Her “Caramel-Pear and Five-Spice Upside-Down Cake”, a jammed topped and caramelized gig with bits of fruit and crumbs carelessly (please) left behind after cut. What's not so hard to miss is the desert of a cake underneath. Dorie’s “Cornmeal-Buttermilk Loaf Cake, With or Without Berries” is a skillet cake (how can this be a LOAF cake?) suffering from no color, no browning and no visual appeal, a child’s half-baked sandbox with raspberries cemented, gasping for air.

The last section was entitled “Basics and Transformers", these are sidecars, condiments and add-ons to make your meals more Dorie-able. NOT ONE of these recipes has pictures. I would think the word transformers would warrant one picture, yes? By the end I was angry, let down and disappointed.

“Everyday Dorie” could have been better served with an editor whose eyes were more falconed, and a book producer owning a more passioned heart for subject matter. Although sloppy, unfocused and presuming, I understanding this to be Dorie’s bid to walk-along-side Martha, Ina, et al.

Not there yet.

[Hannah Moutran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. Nearly every dish I made was amazing, and every time I open this book, I find multiple recipes I’d like to make. This is another one, like David Tanis’ One Good Dish, that I would recommend to anyone with a kitchen who wants to cook. Seasoned cooks, beginner cooks, and everyone in between.

I made: Miso salmon rillettes (p. 15), Ricotta spoonable (p. 22), Mushroom bacon galette (p. 52), Moroccan spiced chickpea and noodle soup (p. 66), White beans and smoked fish (p. 102), Chicken and salad Milanese style (p. 109), Beef and beer stew (p. 146), Salmon burgers (p. 174), Potato tourte (p. 220), Chewy chocolate chip cookies (p. 246), Last-of -the-bunch banana bundt (p. 251).

Would make again: Mushroom bacon galette (p. 52), Moroccan spiced chickpea and noodle soup (p. 66), White beans and smoked fish (p. 102), Beef and beer stew (p. 146), Potato tourte (p. 220), Chewy chocolate chip cookies (p. 246), Last-of -the-bunch banana bundt (p. 251).

Standout Star Recipe: So difficult to choose! I’m going with a tie between the Mushroom bacon galette (p. 52) and the Moroccan spiced chickpea and noodle soup (p. 66).

Pics up on my blog: https://mykitchenscratch.com/2021/01/...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great cookbook. However, the way she cooks everyday is more how I cook on the weekend. The book is full of great ideas, easy recipes and very appealing food. She's creative, but also not too taxing. She includes a lot of side notes with options for substitutions, and the tone of the book is conversational. The best chapters for me were appetizers and chicken, though the desert chapter is pretty strong.

If you like food and cooking, this is a great resource. I couldn't give it 5-stars because it doesn't include any nutritional information. Also, while this is the way she cooks, some of the recipes were kind of time consuming, though she includes plan-ahead strategies. Finally, a chef of her caliber really deserves a photo for every recipe and in this case there were only photos for maybe 1/4 of the recipes - not nearly enough.

[Lisa Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

More usable and user-friendly recipes per section than most cookbooks. Greenspan has a friendly, winning style. The instruction are clear, the description and backstories, charming. Thankfully I found the recipes are not bogged down by hard to find ingredients, and usually when you run into a rather esoteric ingredient, Greenspan includes other choices. This is good for me because though our town has a plethora of grocery stories, their selections are a bit pedestrian. Also, she offers “variations on the theme” for several recipes.

Of course, a real test of a recipe is the food itself. So far, everything I have made is great.

[Clwseattle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook is a beautiful book with gorgeous pictures of many recipes, a book I'm glad I checked out of the library rather than jumped into with my overworked Visa. The way Dorrie cooks is clearly not the way I cook but I can appreciate her talent and innovation. There is a 4 page 'pantry alphabet' of ingredients, of which I knew only 10 of the 27 listed. To me this makes most of the recipes unaccessible. I am eager to make the 'Bourbon-roasted pork loin' and I love a good 'cowboy caviar salad'. I think I just found most of my New Years Day menu!

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Dorie Greenspan cookbook I've read, the first being Dorie's Cookies which I own and love, and this makes me realize that I wish I could cook and make substitutions as effortlessly as the author does, but I don't or can't, yet. So, aspirational reading. Great recipes that look easy to me, though I haven't tried any yet. Beautiful photography - most, not all, recipes have a photo. Breezy, friendly writing style. Only 3 stars because I don't think I'll buy it but did really enjoy it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my favorite. I have no idea who Dorie is, if she is a well know chef or well known in the food community, I have no idea. This book did not appeal to me. Everything just looked and sounded alright. I don't think that there was anything in the book that I myself would care to make or even try. For me this was not a good book, others may have a different opinion. To each his own.

[Tina Dahm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have close to 200 cookbooks and if i get one really good recipe that i make over and over again I’m usually happy. I had heard of Dorie for many years but always thought of her as a baker. She came to a local library to speak about this new book and what a pleasure to listen to her. Just loved her and of course I bought the book. I have cooked 10 of her recipes already and 7 I will make again (and again) the others worked and were good just not my choice to repeat.

A real keeper!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel about this book the way I feel about all of Dorie's books. I love reading them. I salivate over the pictures and the recipes and her notes about how and why. I mark a ton of recipes that I want to try. Then when I go back through, I decide I only want to make half of what I saw; lots of her recipes are just too fussy and I really don't want to go to all that trouble. I think I need Dorie to just come over and cook for me. Everyday.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know Dorie and her recipes are adored. And I’d love to dine at her table. That being said, a lot of these recipes don’t easily fit into most people’s everyday way of cooking (after work, trying to feed the family before activities & chores) or their budget or their palette. Out of the whole cookbook there were less than a dozen that I’d make.

[Beth Polebaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos are beautiful in this book. I made the chicken and squash tagine on p. 117, and it was delicious. I have my own shortcuts I used because her recipes might be “everyday” for her.... I also intend to make the triple layer parsnip and cranberry cake. It looks unusual, delicious, and stunning. It will take a few hours to make so, again, everyday??

[RUSA CODES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyday Dorie is stunning and accomplished but unpretentious enough for a Monday night. Delight in discovering how to take Dorie’s classics and make them your own. Give the Gingered Turkey Meatball Soup a try.

2019 CODES List Winners Announced

[Jonny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dorie brings her home-cooking to us in a beautifully illustrated and well-thought-through cookbook. Her techniques are clear and she is encouraging and generous in her writings too. It's a great resource to have on hand, and to cook through. I wrote down many recipes to try and ended up loving the few that I made initially. Very nicely done.

[Alena · Rating 2 out of 5]

My version of everyday cooking is definitely different. Less involved and for less people. Often not easy to just make half of it.

I did like that she gave substitutions, ideas for what to make ahead and how to store/use leftovers.

But since nothing really jumped out at me I doubt I‘ll get back to it.

[Laura Lewakowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I brought this home from the library during the pandemic. I thought I'd just flip through the pictures, but found myself reading each and every recipe. Dorie tells the story behind each recipe, why she chose the ingredients, and how to share with friends and family. I have a feeling I will need to add this to my personal collection, as I have tagged about 50 recipes to try!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have used Ms. Greenspan’s Baking cookbook many times. She’s very thorough with explaining steps and reasons for doing things which is very helpful. I enjoyed her explanations accompanying many of the included recipes.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book - checked it out from the library first then bought it. So many great ideas that are easy to put together. Fresh, healthy ingredients with a section on staples you’ll want to incorporate into your routine.