Note: I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We got an Instant Pot as a wedding gift, and since then, it's been fun to see what kinds of things we can cook up in it. While there are lots of internet recipes out there, the genre of Instant Pot cookbooks is still emerging. I've never visited This Old Gal's food blog, but I was excited to find a collection of recipes designed for the Instant Pot, and judging by her enthusiastic fan base online, this was sure to be a winner.
However, once I started flipping through the recipes, I was less impressed. The recipes are all comfort food, but after reading the book from start to finish, they all started sounding the same. For instance, she has multiple chili-like recipes and multiple meatball recipes, neither of which are things I cook often. There are a lot of recipes invoking classic American TV dinners, such as Salisbury steak, beef stroganoff, and pot roast. There are a lot of Asian-ish dinners, such as a thit nuong that isn't grilled, egg roll in a bowl, and orange pepper chicken.
I can't put my finger on what it is, but I didn't find most of the recipes appealing. I only bookmarked about 15 recipes out of numerous. Out of the ones I bookmarked, none of them really inspire me to get in the kitchen and cook. That's unfortunate, because I really wanted to like this book.
Recipe variety and type aside, I admire her dedication to recreating authentic ethnic dishes, such as galbitang and matar paneer. She has a section dedicated to Jewish dishes, which is also totally unique. The layout is eye-catching, but I think the photography could use some work. There are less photos than I would like, and the ones that are included are not styled as professionally as in comparable cookbooks.
Overall, while I can see this appealing to many people, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars
No comments