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Let's Stay In: More than 120 Recipes to Nourish the People You Love
A Cozy Take on Meals Will Have You Stoking the Home Fires!
Author Ashley Rodriguez has focused her career on teaching people the importance of a good meal at home, first with Date Night In, a relationship cookbook that brought the romance back to home-cooked meals at home. For her next book, she's turning the focus outward. Let's Stay In is all about effortless hospitality, meaningful family meals, and an appreciation for the magic of meals shared with others. Families, neighbors, friends, and loved ones will find a different kind of love around the table together, connecting over memorable meals. The recipes walk you through every meal of the day with delicious breakfasts, easy lunches, inviting dinners, and Ashley's signature incredible desserts:
Breakfasts of Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew with Poached Eggs, Breakfast BLTs, and Spiced Raisin Scones
Midday meals of Zucchini, Gruyere & Basil Quesadillas, Ricotta, Speck and Plum Salsa Tartine, and Ivy's Split Pea Soup
Table-groaning dinners of Steak Tacos with Radish and Pickled Onions, Oven Baked Risotto with Squash and Rosemary Candied Walnuts, and Grilled Leg of Lamb with Green Sauce
Sweets and drinks like Blood Orange Poppy Seed Upside Down Cake, Guava Coconut Punch, The Easiest Pear Tart, and Cardamom Cream Soda
Ashley is a natural teacher, and the recipes flow off the page as effortlessly as the conversation at a great meal. She practices what she preaches, too, making time to bring her busy family and loved ones together for meals as often as possible. Staying in can become an easy habit to adapt, helping to center each person at an inviting table. It's the easiest kind of aspirational cooking and gathering, helping home cooks of any level to say "let's stay in!"
Author Ashley Rodriguez has focused her career on teaching people the importance of a good meal at home, first with Date Night In, a relationship cookbook that brought the romance back to home-cooked meals at home. For her next book, she's turning the focus outward. Let's Stay In is all about effortless hospitality, meaningful family meals, and an appreciation for the magic of meals shared with others. Families, neighbors, friends, and loved ones will find a different kind of love around the table together, connecting over memorable meals. The recipes walk you through every meal of the day with delicious breakfasts, easy lunches, inviting dinners, and Ashley's signature incredible desserts:
Breakfasts of Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew with Poached Eggs, Breakfast BLTs, and Spiced Raisin Scones
Midday meals of Zucchini, Gruyere & Basil Quesadillas, Ricotta, Speck and Plum Salsa Tartine, and Ivy's Split Pea Soup
Table-groaning dinners of Steak Tacos with Radish and Pickled Onions, Oven Baked Risotto with Squash and Rosemary Candied Walnuts, and Grilled Leg of Lamb with Green Sauce
Sweets and drinks like Blood Orange Poppy Seed Upside Down Cake, Guava Coconut Punch, The Easiest Pear Tart, and Cardamom Cream Soda
Ashley is a natural teacher, and the recipes flow off the page as effortlessly as the conversation at a great meal. She practices what she preaches, too, making time to bring her busy family and loved ones together for meals as often as possible. Staying in can become an easy habit to adapt, helping to center each person at an inviting table. It's the easiest kind of aspirational cooking and gathering, helping home cooks of any level to say "let's stay in!"
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 9, 2018
40 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 14, 2021
I think “let’s stay in” is the motto around our house. So this sweet cookbook suits us well! Full of creative, simply, pantry-led recipes that should please a lot of crowds. A lot of Rodriguez’s inspirations inspire me too, especially her Dutch heritage. (the pea soup was delicious!). Her head notes are fun to read—basically blog reflections—and the menu and prep ideas are creative and useful.
I can’t wait to try more of the recipes.
I can’t wait to try more of the recipes.
December 19, 2018
Let's Stay In is about the enjoyment of being able to cook nourishing food for your loved ones -- whether you're cooking on a weeknight, weekend, or planning the next big celebration what Rodriguez has done is write a cookbook that encapsulates all the food and feelings of gathering family and friends together. The simple joy that each recipe brings lends well to the crucial business of truly nourishing the people you love.
It seems appropriate that my family should be visiting while I prepared to review Let's Stay In -- I really needed recipes that were easy to make, delicious, but also used what I had in my pantry and fridge. Who wants to slave in the kitchen or grocery shop when there's visiting and conversations to be had? What I found was that her recipes for Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt, Spring Pea Falafel with Harissa Yogurt, and the Red Lentil and Chickpea Breakfast Stew are perfect recipes that met my immediate need for hearty vegetarian mains (as my husband, daughter, and I are vegetarians) and also were hearty enough to feed my non-vegetarian parents (who hail from the great beef-baring Western province of Alberta). Even better -- no one questioned the lack of meat, they just yummed their way through delicious food! Recipes that transcend category are worth everything!
These recipes I just mentioned can also be made vegan / gluten free with some simple substitutes: use dairy-free in the yogurt sauces, omit the eggs in the stew, use chickpea flour in the falafels. The 120 recipes in Let's Stay In cover a cross-section of many different types of diets -- meaty, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free -- although none are labeled as such, I think it's easy to find recipes to suit your needs. Ingredients are easy to source and you most likely already stock them in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. If you've got grains, beans/legumes, and canned tomatoes you're ready to go. At the beginning of the book Rodriguez outlines her pantry and equipment essentials along with some basic recipes that are simple to make and great to have waiting in the wings because they can become the foundations of a meal. While weeknight cooking is what we all participate in, she helpfully provides 12 menus for the bigger celebrations (think: birthdays, BBQ, holidays) that include plans and shopping lists. The recipes can be easily scaled up or down depending on the size of crowd you're feeding (and if you're making the Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt take her advice and make double -- it's that good and tastes great as a leftover the next day).
The recipes are divided into 6 chapters -- Pantry, Breakfast, Midday/Light Meals, Snacks and Starts, Mains, Salads and Sides, and, Sweets and Drinks. Between us, I think my favourite section is Breakfast -- there's a lot to love here! So far, I've made the Thick Yogurt with Seedy Honey and Fresh Berries, Spiced Raisin Scones, Buckwheat Waffles with Strawberry Maple Syrup, Oat and Yogurt Pancakes, and the Red Lentil and Chickpea Breakfast Stew. A wide selection of sweet and savoury, hearty and light -- literally something for everyone. In an act of kindness to my future self I also made extra pancakes and waffles to freeze so that on busy mornings I'd have something ready.
When I made the recipe for Spring Pea Falafel with Harissa Yogurt, I decided to bake them instead of fry. Sometimes I find when I've got lots on being able to throw something into the oven is easier than standing at the stove. The falafels turned out great -- they had a nice crust without being dry on the inside. I appreciate how forgiving the recipes are -- even though I didn't fry the falafel as she instructs, the recipe wasn't fussy and could stand up to a change that suited my needs. With the Banana Cake with Ginger and Chocolate I halved the recipe and baked it in a mini Bundt pan -- they were perfection. What this points to is how well Rodriguez's recipes are written and developed. This is so important when you have just enough time for recipes that work on busy weeknights.
Looking beyond just trying recipes for this review, Let's Stay In has fallen seamlessly into my rotation of go-to cookbooks that will live on in my kitchen far beyond when I hit "post." The Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt is a recipe that I've made a couple times already, same goes for the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (if you're a fan of her famous salted chocolate chip cookie recipe then this will be another favourite for you). I've still got recipes bookmarked to try, such as the Roasted Potato and Cauliflower Burritos and the Grilled Pickled Red Onions. I'm curious to try these as Rodriguez always takes an everyday recipe to the next level -- here she's grilled the onions before pickling them. In her first cookbook, Date Night In, she roasted strawberries before making them into jam -- a good recipe is in the details. Food is at the centre of Rodriguez's family life and I really appreciate the sentiment in her dedication: "And remember, there is always room at the table."
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer recipe posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Running Press and Hachette Book Group Canada 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.
It seems appropriate that my family should be visiting while I prepared to review Let's Stay In -- I really needed recipes that were easy to make, delicious, but also used what I had in my pantry and fridge. Who wants to slave in the kitchen or grocery shop when there's visiting and conversations to be had? What I found was that her recipes for Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt, Spring Pea Falafel with Harissa Yogurt, and the Red Lentil and Chickpea Breakfast Stew are perfect recipes that met my immediate need for hearty vegetarian mains (as my husband, daughter, and I are vegetarians) and also were hearty enough to feed my non-vegetarian parents (who hail from the great beef-baring Western province of Alberta). Even better -- no one questioned the lack of meat, they just yummed their way through delicious food! Recipes that transcend category are worth everything!
These recipes I just mentioned can also be made vegan / gluten free with some simple substitutes: use dairy-free in the yogurt sauces, omit the eggs in the stew, use chickpea flour in the falafels. The 120 recipes in Let's Stay In cover a cross-section of many different types of diets -- meaty, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free -- although none are labeled as such, I think it's easy to find recipes to suit your needs. Ingredients are easy to source and you most likely already stock them in your fridge, pantry, or freezer. If you've got grains, beans/legumes, and canned tomatoes you're ready to go. At the beginning of the book Rodriguez outlines her pantry and equipment essentials along with some basic recipes that are simple to make and great to have waiting in the wings because they can become the foundations of a meal. While weeknight cooking is what we all participate in, she helpfully provides 12 menus for the bigger celebrations (think: birthdays, BBQ, holidays) that include plans and shopping lists. The recipes can be easily scaled up or down depending on the size of crowd you're feeding (and if you're making the Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt take her advice and make double -- it's that good and tastes great as a leftover the next day).
The recipes are divided into 6 chapters -- Pantry, Breakfast, Midday/Light Meals, Snacks and Starts, Mains, Salads and Sides, and, Sweets and Drinks. Between us, I think my favourite section is Breakfast -- there's a lot to love here! So far, I've made the Thick Yogurt with Seedy Honey and Fresh Berries, Spiced Raisin Scones, Buckwheat Waffles with Strawberry Maple Syrup, Oat and Yogurt Pancakes, and the Red Lentil and Chickpea Breakfast Stew. A wide selection of sweet and savoury, hearty and light -- literally something for everyone. In an act of kindness to my future self I also made extra pancakes and waffles to freeze so that on busy mornings I'd have something ready.
When I made the recipe for Spring Pea Falafel with Harissa Yogurt, I decided to bake them instead of fry. Sometimes I find when I've got lots on being able to throw something into the oven is easier than standing at the stove. The falafels turned out great -- they had a nice crust without being dry on the inside. I appreciate how forgiving the recipes are -- even though I didn't fry the falafel as she instructs, the recipe wasn't fussy and could stand up to a change that suited my needs. With the Banana Cake with Ginger and Chocolate I halved the recipe and baked it in a mini Bundt pan -- they were perfection. What this points to is how well Rodriguez's recipes are written and developed. This is so important when you have just enough time for recipes that work on busy weeknights.
Looking beyond just trying recipes for this review, Let's Stay In has fallen seamlessly into my rotation of go-to cookbooks that will live on in my kitchen far beyond when I hit "post." The Curried Tomato Coconut Lentils with Gingery Yogurt is a recipe that I've made a couple times already, same goes for the Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (if you're a fan of her famous salted chocolate chip cookie recipe then this will be another favourite for you). I've still got recipes bookmarked to try, such as the Roasted Potato and Cauliflower Burritos and the Grilled Pickled Red Onions. I'm curious to try these as Rodriguez always takes an everyday recipe to the next level -- here she's grilled the onions before pickling them. In her first cookbook, Date Night In, she roasted strawberries before making them into jam -- a good recipe is in the details. Food is at the centre of Rodriguez's family life and I really appreciate the sentiment in her dedication: "And remember, there is always room at the table."
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer recipe posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Running Press and Hachette Book Group Canada 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.
December 12, 2018
As a rule, I borrow cookbooks from the library, read the introduction and stories, try out a few recipes, and then return it to the library. And so it is with this one, second of AshRod’s books I’ve read. In the weeks since I returned it, I’ve been hankering for a few of the recipes. It’s on hold again, but I might crumble under the pressure of an extended wait and buy it.
December 23, 2020
Ashley Rodriguez has nailed the perfect pandemic cookbook. We bought it a week ago and so far have made the Butternut Squash Risotto, Turkey Meatballs in Arrabiata Sauce and Chanterelle Chowder. I'm going to try the Christmas Eve menu tomorrow, first time I've attempted Beef Wellington in 30 years.
November 3, 2018
As with her blog and her first cookbook, Ashley Rodriguez has made one of the most delicious, well-written cookbooks ever. I love her recipes, her ideas, and I hope she will continue to publish recipes and cookbooks for many years to come.
December 29, 2021
Ashley Rodriguez does not disappoint. Her recipes are always impeccably balanced, and well worth the effort (though most are not overly fussy). This was the perfect cookbook for 2021, when we found ourselves at home and around the table more often than we might have anticipated.
January 7, 2019
This book is visually pleasing, well laid out, and easy to read.
I probably won’t make most of the recipes, but I was glad to spend some time perusing it.
I probably won’t make most of the recipes, but I was glad to spend some time perusing it.
January 30, 2019
Ashley is my favorite cookbook author and I have made so much from the book already and love it!
January 5, 2023
3.5 stars
September 25, 2024
Some good ideas for hosting and planning ahead to spread out tasks.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews