The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen

by Bee Wilson

A culinary companion to simplify cooking while making it more enjoyable, The Secret of Cooking is packed with solutions for how to make life in the kitchen work better for you, whether you’re cooking for yourself or for a crowd. Do you wish you could cook more, but don’t know where to start? Bee Wilson has spent years collecting cooking “secrets”: ways of speeding cooking up or slowing it down, strategies for days when you are stretched for time, and other ideas for when you can luxuriate in kitchen therapy. Bee holds out a hand to anyone who wants doable, delicious recipes, the kind of unfussy food that makes every day taste better: quick feasts from a can of beans; fast, medium, and slow ragus; and seven ways to cook a carrot. Alongside thoughts on how to cook when you’re alone, with children, or just plain tired, Bee offers 140 recipes including: With advice on seasoning, cleaning up, and choosing the best equipment, Wilson reimagines modern cooking and brings the spark back into everyday meals. As Bee says, “There’s still magic in the kitchen, if you know where to look.” Shall we cook? 75 full-color photographs

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Foodie, Food Writing, Food and Drink

432 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2023

About the author

Bee Wilson is the author of books about food, approaching the subject from a number of different angles.

As well as a cookbook (The Secret of Cooking), she has written books on food and history (Consider the Fork), food and psychology (First Bite), and the emotional life of kitchen objects (The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss and Kitchen Objects).


Wilson's book The Way We Eat Now was awarded the Fortnum & Mason Food Book of the year in 2020.

Wilson's cookbook The Secret of Cooking was listed as one of The New Yorker's Fifteen Essential Cookbooks as well as a New York Times, WBUR Here & Now, and National Post Best Cookbook of 2023 and one of the Guardian's Five Best Food Books of 2023

In 2025 she was awarded an M.B.E. for services to food writing and food education (the educstion part was for her work in co-founding and creating TastEd, a charity in the U.K. aimed at introducing children to the joys of vegetables and fruits using their senses.

Reviews

[Giordana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book, more essay than recipes - but the recipes are accessible, pragmatic and cosy. There is solace in Bee Wilson's words, that provide a way to make you fall back in love with quotidian cooking. Pure comfort.

[Leane · Rating 5 out of 5]

More a meditation on cooking than a recipe collection with advice, Wilson provides a glorious reading experience on the topic of cooking very reminiscent of M.F.K. Fisher, Laurie Colwin, and Ruth Reichl. She provides excellent complete instructions, ingredients, and preparation advice but they were secondary for me, but very worth the read itself. Her book contains the usual thorough Index, a list of Aphorisms (“All recipes are incomplete.”), a list of What to Eat When: menu suggestions for occasions, and, if you read only one thing from this book, please read the Intro. The chapter organization and headings are both on point and humorous: “Cut yourself some slack.” I now will look at the term “perfection” very differently. Known as the “ultimate food scholar,” Wilson has an engaging and inviting authoritative voice, selectively uses personal anecdotes well, and cheer leads more than criticizes. I especially enjoyed how she did deep dives on some things like the utensil: the spider. My only real criticism is I would have liked more food photos to illustrate the recipes but that is more my preference. The color photos used were great. I would buy this as a gift for a new cook or someone who just finds their bliss both using their kitchens or reading about culinary ideas.

[Giovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read lots of articles and essays by Bee Wilson, but never one of her books. I love food writing and I love her academic and easy style. This is a great book for any cook no matter what their level of experience be. I came across new ideas for recipes, but also absorbed a healthy, calm and fun outlook on cooking. No stress, no pressure to impress. It reminded me of when I was living in New York and I first ventured into experimenting with cooking, trying new recipes and building up a repertoire. But even more so I remember trying to perfect a hard boiled egg that I didn’t really succeed in until I moved to Ischia and asked Carla Tomasi via instagram how she made a perfect four-minute egg. (It all depends on the size of the pot, the smaller the better, which I figured out two eggs in the small sauce pan make the perfect soft centered four minute egg). I gave this four stars, but not really sure what’s the difference between four and five. Maybe because it was more of a recipe book with essays scattered within? But lots of simple recipes for things I want to cook, especially after not cooking for so long.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this. This the recipes are good and the discussion around food and being kind to yourself and shortcuts and how to do things in ways that make life easier for you. Bee Wilson’s knocked it out of the park. I borrowed this from a library digitally (via Libby!) and am absolutely buying a physical copy to return to. The recipes are good but the advice is non-patronising and something I want to keep!

[Vicky Thirlaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. It’s not a cookbook as much as a memoir/collection of essays..It inspired me to throw away nearly all the contents of my utensils drawer and confirmed my belief that lemon is the most essential seasoning. Learnt a lot about water in cooking and the carrot/tofu recipe is amazing. It’s the only recipe I’ve used so far but I’ve made it five times it’s so good

[Sue Willey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ostensibly a cookbook (and it does contain many recipes), what I really enjoyed about this book is the narrative. The author often quotes other food writers, offers advice on tools and cooking, and shares personal stories that add greatly to the overall value of the book. I learned a lot, and it also felt like chatting with her over a cup of coffee.

[Mr Christian Homersley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I had read this 35 years ago but full of tips and reassurance anyway. Enough recipes to be classed as a cookbook on it's own. Well written and laid out.

[Lata Narayanan]

Enjoyed reading the essays about cooking in this book. It also has recipes, some of which I might try.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute warm hug of a book

[Honor C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never have I read a cookbook cover to cover- until now. BEAUTIFUL

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure I’ll make any of Wilson’s recipes, but I really enjoyed her essays.

[Emily Duchon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently joined a cook book club, led by a chef, and I’ve been having so much fun with it. We make recipes from it, chat about the layout, sometimes even visit with the cookbook author themself. Something the cookbook club encourages us to do is read the actual book, rather than just gaze at the pretty pictures and make a few recipes. So, I’ve been doing that. Hunkering down at night in bed with a cookbook rather than a novel. It’s surprisingly very enjoyable and I’ve learned so many things. This book is not one of our book club books, but it should be. The writing is gorgeous and it gives so many insights to ponder. I’ll recommend it to the club, but in the meantime, if you enjoy cooking—you might want to pick this one up. Read it all though. Savor the words, not just the pictures. Bon Appetit!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t have nearly as many recipes as I thought a book of this size would have. The ones it does have are unique and interesting enough to spark a desire to try them out. The philosophies on cooking in this book are solid (having backup plans, embracing substitutions, using what you have, etc). I really appreciated the section on cooking for one, an often overlooked part of cooking especially because even if you do have a large family and thriving social life, there will still be nights you’re on your own and have no desire to go out too. The tips and tricks are definitely worth a gander

[Shari · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't what I expected when I bought it on a recommendation. I am not a fancy cook, so when the author suggests including a tiny element of communal cooking by "shelling peas or passing around a branch of lemon verbena and some scissors so that everyone can make their own tisane" I knew this was not my style. Some good advice in general, and some interesting substitution suggestions though.

[Karen Carlson]

Emily Wilson (Odyssey) retweeted her, sounds like an interesting approach to a cookbook. I may want to check out her other books as well.
https://twitter.com/KitchenBee/status...
https://twitter.com/KitchenBee/status...

[Katherine Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a weirdo who likes reading cookbooks cover to cover (like I am) this is a can’t miss. Really fantastic, cozy writing about food and feeding the people we love. Recipes are good too!

[Justus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such an eclectic and personal book it is hard to hate it. But it is also so kind of all over the place that it is also hard to love it. It almost feels like someone's stream of consciousness ramblings about All Things Cooking that they've had over the past year or so. Imagine sitting down for coffee with an extremely talkative friend you haven't seen for a year and she suddenly starts going on about this carrot cookbook she loved and also how she's trying to be less of a perfectionist in the kitchen and also she realised ginger doesn't really need to be peeled and also how isn't it weird that cookbooks never mention that you need trivets? And how she realised how you probably don't need to preheat the oven like everyone says and she made a roast chicken and a pound cake that way (recipes included). And how cooking is mostly about washing dishes.

The title is pretty misleading. This does include recipes. But this is more like a collection of essays about cooking interspersed with recipes to make the point. So you get "In praise of the box grater", which is 6 pages, followed by recipes for grated tomato and butter pasta sauce, grated courgette and herb fritters, and gyoza (grated carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger).

It is hard to categorize exactly what this is precisely because it is all over the place. There isn't exactly some common theme running through the book. It has a chapter encouraging you to cook for one. It has a chapter encouraging something like the slow food movement. It has a chapter on cooking for people with dietary requirements. It has a section on cooking for children.

It is hard to imagine that any single reader is going to find all of these myriad sections equally useful or compelling. And if you're looking for recipes first instead of "food writing" you'll probably be disappointed.

But if you're the kind of person who is not necessarily interested in, say, cooking for children but are interested in listening to someone passionate talk about it...this might be the kind of thing you leisurely read over a few weeks or months.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe even 4-1/2.

Why is it that so many British cooks can write about simple food in such a compelling way? Nigel Slater, Nigella Lawson, Diana Henry have all crafted wonderful books with stories that entice me into the kitchen, recipes that call to me, always illustrated with easily elegant, not glossy pictures. I always feel I want to own them after I’ve borrowed them— and truly believe I will cook straight through each one.
Though not a cook book per se, Ms. Wilson’s book falls into that same wonderful category.
Her mission is to remind us to love and make real food, but also to help us understand that cooking needn’t be either a drudgery or a reason for guilt. Cut yourself some slack, she encourages. Find easy routines that work for you. Rediscover your joy and satisfaction in feeding yourself and your family. And I believe her, lol.
Extra points that she references the above 3 cooks, as well.
There are some recipes in the book, ones that exactly suit the point she is making in each chapter. And they’re so simple yet creative in entirely ungimmicky ways, and sound both reassuring and delicious— but this book is about so much more. It’s about finding joie de vivre.

[Michael Shevlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part memoir, part cookery book (with actual recipes) and part mantra at how to approach cooking in general. There is a lovely vagueness about ingredients and quantities (unless it is pivotal) that helps demystify the process and even aside from that there are some truisms that I remember from my time working in kitchens: use sharp knives, keep your station clean, lemon can be as important as salt but don't forget to add salt. Because: salt.

This is not about quick hacks, optimisation or finding outlandish ingredients. Nothing in here is impossible with access to a half decent supermarket; her equipment list is a knife, a box grater and a pan and there is a abundance of vegetarian and vegan recipes that make the meat dishes stand out for their rarity. She has obviously read many cookbooks and met many chefs and she is not shy in revealing her sources.

I will always cook carrots this way. I have made Foccacia and it was belting. Cook pasta with the sauce.

Great book and one I will dip in and out of.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful cookbook! But it is much more than a cookbook, it gives advice, tips, history lessons, ideas. I have read several cookbooks over the years and this one is unique. It is good for new cooks and more experienced cooks. For American cooks, please know the recipes include both ounces and grams. Thank you for including some gluten free recipes. Are you cooking for one, four or a crowd? There are tips for that dilemma also. If you are tired of cooking or feel bored in the kitchen this book will surely inspire you to find the magic in cooking. I haven’t tried any recipes yet but there are some I want to try. Like any great book, I can see myself re-reading this book many times. I thank the author, publisher, and Goodreads for the book. My opinions are my own. #goodreadsgiveaway

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen Bee Wilson talk in person, I was eager to read her latest book, and I was not disappointed. The combination of personal anecdotes, recipes, and general cooking and domestic tips gave a real sense of closeness between Bee and the reader, which I appreciated and enjoyed. There was a lot of interesting ideas for recipes and cooking in general that I plan to use, including box grater salads and the lentil ragu, though not all recipes work as well as intended (case in point, the baked veggie fritters failed for me). Despite the occasional recipe fail, The Secret of Cooking shall be displayed proudly on my shelf.

[Willie Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently decided to make an effort to have more fun in the kitchen. I’ve always been a regular “meal prep” kind of person as that is more productive for regular life and making sure I get meals in. But I found that it started to just feel like a chore or I was just checking a box for weekly meals. So, I stumbled upon this book, The Secret of Cooking, from researching author Bee Wilson’s other books.

I found the idea of a book about food with essays and recipes to be a fun read. I took my time with this book. I especially enjoyed the essays about cooking. It tackled just about every aspect of cooking you can think of as well as inspiration for cooking on the fly.

The Secret of Cooking was a great reminder of why I wanted to learn how to cook in the first place. It was a great time revisiting the topics that made me like to cook. I immediately got in the kitchen to try new things and I’m sure who read this will feel the same too.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cookbook isn’t for everybody and definitely not for a novice. Some recipes are written well and others are tossed into her essays. It doesn’t follow any kind of order and unless you’re an experienced cook this might be intimidating or a huge turnoff. I suspect most American cooks might wonder at the selection of recipes. There are a handful of recipes I want to try such as the chocolate hazelnut macaroons, heavenly overnight waffles, no knead focaccia and a few others. I can’t justify $40 for a half dozen recipes.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much more than a cookbook - this is a story of love, perseverance and triumph through the lens of food and cooking. Bee Wilson is a wonderful writer who clearly loves food and champions home-cooking, but who's also refreshingly aware and understanding of people's circumstances and how vastly different everyone's lives are and accommodates that.

The recipes too are creative and look delicious, with lots of variations and vegetarian and vegan ideas. The cooking tips and advice would benefit anyone who's learning to cook or wants to become more confident in the kitchen.

[Lyn Penfold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have hundreds of cookbooks, but this is one of the very few that I've read cover to cover. I'm not sure why it's so appealing - I don't need reassurance to substitute ingredients or adapt recipes. It's probably more about feeling like you're sitting around a table with an intelligent foody friend, talking about cooking, the joy, the challenge, getting great ideas for new recipes and remembering ones you haven't cooked for ages. I love this book.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

a cookbook read cover to cover its so full of beautifully written anecdotes, quotes from other foods writers, observations, tips and ideas - totally agree with the Nigella Lawson quote on the cover, see comment."a genuinely game changing cookbook... there's not a kitchen that should be without a copy" e.g there's a whole section on an often overlooked special ingredient - water

will re-read this

[Mrs Lorne Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This book is brilliant. I just loved the mix of writing and recipes. I learnt so much from this book. I’ve got the Kindle version but think I’ll get the hard copy as I know I’ll be referring to it a lot.

Thank you Bee for a really interesting and informative book. I’m already looking forward to your next book!

[Cathe Fein Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very unique book -- part cookbook and part cooking philosophy. I really appreciate the author's relaxed outlook on cooking. I got some great tips from the book, as well as many recipes that I've bookmarked to try. In fact, I'm off to the store now to get ingredients for Restorative White Bean Stew which will be just the thing for this cold, rainy winter day!

[Sharron · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasure it was to read this book. So much sensible advice about food - buying it, preparing it and sharing it with others - all presented in an inviting and personable manner. I just wish I had read it 40 years ago. It’s a book to own and re-read once a year.

[Grant Kedge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be a god sent if you can relate (and luckily within the first few pages you’ll know if the book is for you) but as someone who thoroughly enjoys cooking and exploring in the kitchen the book wasn’t for me.