summer

Fresh Happy Tasty by Jane Coxwell

Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
updated May 24, 2019
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Picture this: traveling around the world via yacht, shopping in local markets wherever you dock, and cooking delicious meals inspired by your travels back at sea. Some dream, right?! Try not to get too jealous when I tell you that Jane Coxwell has created just such a life for herself. She’s personal chef to Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg aboard their yacht Eos. Yeah. Wow. But we’re in luck! She has poured her culinary travels and cooking experience into this book: a collection of her favorite easy, low-key recipes with flavors from around the world.

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Quick Facts

Who wrote it: Jane Coxwell

Who published it: William Morrow

Number of recipes: 100

Recipes for right now: Super-Healthy Meusli; Chilled Cucumber, Tomato, and Sumac Soup; Asian Slaw with Wasabi; Mexican Bean and Citrus Salad; Rice Noodle, Avocado, and Beef Salad; Green Apple and Macadamia Quinoa Salad; Shrimp with Citrus Sweet Potato; Lamb and Quinoa Koftas

Other highlights: I found this book incredibly — and somewhat surprisingly, given my preconceptions about yacht-food — approachable. It’s a book that will remind you of your favorite vacations and inspire your next one, all while simultaneously making you hungry for dinner. The ingredients are pulled from various world cuisines, but there’s nothing here that you can’t pick up at almost any well-stocked grocery store (or these days, find online). 

The focus is really on cooking with what you find, whether you’re shopping at a big city farmers market or a tiny co-op. Lots of fresh herbs, bright vegetables, and citrus juice. Grains play a big role in her recipes, and Coxwell seems particularly fond of quinoa (aren’t we all?!). The majority of her recipes are vegetarian, and even in the chapters devoted to meat and seafood, the dishes are still filled with fresh produce.

I also like the ease of these recipes — I can easily see myself making a few dishes for a low-key dinner party, or throwing together one of the grain salads for a picnic potluck. Even though the recipes are inspired by different cuisines, they feel like they go together. It would be easy to grab a recipe from each chapter to pull together a menu.

I’m really excited to cook from this book this summer! The flavors and ingredients seem to be exactly what I’m craving right now, and imagine myself craving for the warm months to come. 

Who would enjoy this book? Vegetarians (although there are some meat recipes)

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Fresh Happy Tasty by Jane Coxwell

Visit the author’s website: Jane Coxwell

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.