The Chopped Cookbook

The Chopped Cookbook, based on The Food Network's program Chopped, helps you put together dishes with what you currently have in your cabinet and encourages the chef in you to be a bit brave and try something unexpected or different in your cooking. The book gives you a brief education about what makes a great dish before diving into the recipes which include chicken dishes, pasta, eggs, seafood, salads and dressings, vegetables, dessert.....just about every aspect of your meal.

The Chopped Cookbook is colorful and nicely illustrated.  While I have never watched the show, using the cookbook makes me want to check it out. My "concerns"?  My copy has some wavy pages if you look at the top and bottom of the book. Perhaps that is an anomaly but I would check it out in the bookstore rather purchase on-line if using for a gift.   It is almost as if water damaged but it isn't because the top and bottom are the only places you can see the slight wave.  I would also like for it to have been bound in a way that makes it easier to use at the counter without a book easel.  Another concern is the fact that the book claims to use pantry staples and an occasional curveball ingredient to create the dishes.   I found that I had all the ingredients to very few recipes and, in most cases, lacked more than one ingredient. I have always felt I had a fairly well-stocked pantry but not according to these recipes.  It is those ingredients that you only use a small portion of that I hate to purchase for a new untried recipe.  Having to do so makes me a bit hesitant to try some of the recipes.  Most are fairly simple to create and require less than ten ingredients including seasonings. While it does provide some interesting dish ideas, it won't replace my favorite cookbooks.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.