I’ve officially started my cookbook collection and I might be a little too excited about it. As an Ayesha Curry Stan (because sis has constantly been in her bag), I gleefully selected the Apple Pay option in the Target App to purchase her 2nd cookbook “The Full Plate”. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when it arrived because I only had one self-published cookbook prior to it arriving but I was pleasantly surprised with what was inside the book when I finally got it.

At First Glance,

The book is beautifully made. I love the cover which displays Ayesha holding a white enameled skillet with a wooden handle full of pasta (because apparently pasta is the food of choice for most cookbook covers- at least that’s been my observation) -while wearing a simple yet detailed white blouse and mom jeans. I love the simplicity of the cover as well as the homier feel it gives. “The Full Plate” is described as a cookbook that focuses on “Flavor-Filled EASY RECIPES for Families with No Time and a LOT TO DO”. After flipping through every single page of the cookbook (which is now my routine when I get a cookbook) I concluded that the recipes are packed with flavor but also relatively healthy. There are eight sections in the cookbook, giving readers recipes for:

BITES & BOOZE: Snacks & Cocktails

SPOONS & HANDS: Soups & Sandwiches

PASTAFARIANS: Noodles & More

UNDER THE SEA: Seafood

RUFFLE SOME FEATHERS: Chicken

NICE TO MEAT YOU: Beef, Lamb, & Pork

FOR GOOD MEASURE: Salads & Veggie Sides

SWEET ENDINGS: Desserts

I’m excited to try

There are a few recipes that immediately caught my eye while flipping through “The Full Plate” and having my husband listen to every single recipe.

UNDER THE SEA

The Curry Crab Bag & Crab & Shrimp Bag are at the top of my list because seafood is my favorite food (next to Mexican food) of all time. The difference I noticed from the Crab Bags and a standard Seafood Boil, is that there is not sauce to dip the seafood in while eating but, I’m sure that a sauce can made from the seasoning used in the recipe, so I think that may be an easy fix.

PASTAFARIANS

Wild Mushroom Orzo “Risotto” is also one that I’m excited to try, simply because it will give me a chance to pretend I’m on Hell’s Kitchen while cooking & because it actually looks really good. Usually when cooking I am always lacking good sides and am honestly over simple rice and veggies as a side to chicken. It’s boring, and I want to add some razzle dazzle.

I really like lamb, and we cook a lot of pasta in my house because it’s cheaper to clothe my husband (kinda) than to feed him so I am really excited to try the Rustic Lamb Pasta Bake. This recipe doesn’t require hard to get ingredients and looks to be packed with flavor. I think the only hard thing to find would be ground lamb but I’m sure I could find a suitable substitution for it if needed.

BITES & BOOZE

As a toddler mom, chicken tenders are a way of life and they make my life a little easier at times. I’ve been trying to figure out different ways to give Josiah what he wants but also make it healthy. Ayesha Curry’s “The Full Plate” offers tons of chicken recipes but I’m most excited about her Chicken Bites with Ooooh Mommy Sauce. Other than the fact that the name is cute, this recipe has easy to grab ingredients that are already in my pantry or fridge with the exception of herbes de Provence and maybe soy sauce. I also like that the recipe has a homemade sauce to go with it because Josiah loves sauces (the sweeter the better).

There are a ton of interesting recipes in “The Full Plate”, from Caribbean Lobster Rolls, to Black Pepper Steak that I think home cooks will enjoy.

“The Full Plate” is missing,

breakfast! I was surprised to see that there were no breakfast recipes in this book. I would love to expand my breakfast options from simple waffles/pancakes, eggs, and beef sausage to something a little zestier. I was also disappointed to find that the SWEET ENDINGS weren’t giving me the SWEET ENDINGS I was hoping for. While there is a recipe for Maple Glazed Bacon Donuts, I was hoping for more. But, seeing that the recipes in this book are a bit healthier the dessert options make since.

This book is for,

Anyone who wants to cook simple yet elevated meals. I wouldn’t classify “The Full Plate” as an “everyday” cookbook (which is what I was hoping for) simply because some recipes seem better suited for Sunday dinner or special occasions. Also, one might not always have the ingredients required for the various recipes on hand which could pose an issue if you’re short on time and can’t run to the grocery store.

I love,

That Ayesha Starts the book by sharing her essential pantry items. Prior to the pandemic I’d never given much thought to what I should always have in my pantry and am enjoying learning what a “standard pantry” should have. I also love that Ayesha Curry gives readers the recipe to make our own Vanilla Extract and Jamaican spice rub. I look forward to batching my own Vanilla Extract so I can stop buying it at inflated prices in the store.

Final Thoughts,

I would suggest Ayesha Curry’s cookbook. I think it’s beginner friendly, the instructions for the recipes are easy to read and follow. So far I’ve made the In ’N’ Out My Kitchen Burgers which called for mayo in the meat mixture (something I’ve never thought to do before), the mayo cooked into the patty kept the patty moist even after two days later. The burgers were delicious! I’ve also tried the Roasted Red Pepper Pasta which turned out really well (although I could’ve added more sauce).

I’m excited to try more of Ayesha Curry’s “The Full Plate” recipes. You can grab your copy of “The Full Plate” from my amazon store linked below!