If You Do One Thing, Make This Egg-tastic Pizza from Seriously Delish

Cookbook: Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant
Overall Impression: This is the kind of cookbook that just makes you feel good. Not because it’s healthy or life changing, but because it’s good honest food that’s also fun. Yes, fun! These recipes are can’t help but make you smile.

If you are a fan of Jessica’s blog, How Sweet Eats, this book does not disappoint. It’s her blog in book form. Jessica’s voice comes through in every headnote with the same kind of narrative that’s made her food blog so popular. The recipes are also fun and flavor-filled with creative pairings like the Amaretto Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Toast Croutons (yep, cinnamon toast croutons).

• Mushroom Leek & Brussels Pizza with Fried Eggs, pg. 179
• Bacon Manhattan, pg. 229
• Pomegranate Pinot Sorbet, pg. 243
• Confetti Cupcakes, pg. 294

The chapters are centered around what Jessica has become known for: Breakfast dishes that can pull double duty as dinner. Small bites that will turn turn snack time into a meal time because you can’t just have a few bites. Sandwiches that are stacked with more layers and characters than a Tarantino film. And before you can even start to feel cheese-logged or carb-filled, the book moves to creative sweet and savory salads, comfort-swaddling soups, along with clean and simple dishes.

But don’t get too comfortable and settled because you’ll need to get up and mix yourself a drink — take your pick from fruit packed agua frescas to fun floats, or my favorite…the Bacon Manhattan. There are a few other chapters in between the ones mentioned here, but these were my favorites and where I had the most fun.

Now let’s talk about the recipes I’ve tried. The Mushroom, Leek, and Brussels Pizza has become a repeat favorite in my home. The toppings come together quickly and I love all the veggies against the nuttiness of the fontina. The pizza dough is pretty straight up. The only thing I’ve come to change is splitting the dough in half and making two pizzas since I like my crust on the thinner side.

Next up the Bacon Manhattan, all I have to say is: make a more bacon than the cocktail calls for. It’s truly addicting with or without the drink.

The Pomegranate Pinot Sorbet is one of those simple desserts that requires little effort but yields a huge payoff. If you don’t have have an ice cream maker, try using the granita method from here. While this alternative results in a coarser texture than the intended sorbet, the flavor will still be there.

Of course, I couldn’t review the book without making the some cupcakes. In fact, these were the first things I made. Not too dense, not too light — these cupcakes are textured just right with a tight crumb that holds up well against the frosting.

While all the recipes are are easy to make, there are a few that are lengthy in steps and require numerous ingredients. Notes for time-saving shortcuts and semi-made options would be helpful for those who might feel overwhelmed by those recipes.

I loved this book, but I expected to since I’m a fan of Jessica’s blog. I had as much fun reading the headnotes and peeking into her personal life through this cookbook as I do when I read her blog.

The recipes do not disappoint. They are what her devoted fans already love, and they are a playful and fun introduction to those new to her food. Most of all I love that the recipes are new and not a re-hash of what is already available on her blog.

Find the book at your local library, independent bookstore, or Amazon: Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant

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.