• shapije1 on May 08, 2026

  Every dish I’ve made has been a winner, always offering something interesting or innovative. I love the spice-forward and vegetable-forward nature of the book. Many of the recipes have dauntingly long lists of ingredients, but the actual cooking feels straightforward after you’ve assembled your mis en place.

• Eater1547 on August 08, 2024

  The wedge salad with poppyseed dressing was outstanding. I subbed basil seeds for the poppy seeds for some extra fiber. I also used an egg yolk instead of the aquafaba. It was a brighter and lighter take to the restaurant wedge that my five year old and I devoured. Perfection.

• historianinthekitchen on May 15, 2024

  Excellent book so far. Really outstanding. Full thoughts here: https://historianinthekitchen.substack.com/p/ersatz-la-in-my-rural-corner?r=78in

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Spicy watermelon and feta salad

  • DKennedy on October 13, 2024

    Made this for Break fast 2024. Wilted the red onions over a comal before adding to the dressing and served the Fresnos and goat cheese on the side due to a dietary concern of one guest. This is an amazing salad and would def make again noting the adjustments above. If deconstructed, leftovers will last for days.

• Can't-take-it-off-the-menu cucumber salad

  • EmilyR on July 15, 2025

    I used the parsley seeds and mint. It’s a beautiful salad and the labneh goes well with potatoes, too. This felt too familiar to me and I remembered having something similar in the past... EYB tells me it's a recipe from the same authors in Eat Cook LA. This go round was prettier.

• Butter lettuce with avocado & sweet corn

  • DKennedy on October 13, 2024

    Made this for break fast 2024. Added kernels one corn cob but did not grill. Added cucumbers, radishes and grape tomatoes. Dressing is fabulous and this is an outstanding salad.

• Marinated feta with dates & rose water onions

  • anothersarah on December 09, 2025

    This was delicious. Easy to pull together but felt decadent and would great for a fancy appetizer.

• Broccoli with pumpkin-seed jazz

  • KevinSeattle on March 27, 2025

    This is a great winter-ish salad. The “pumpkin seed jazz" is what really makes this salad perform, and would work in other applications, especially with other cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower. Don’t skip the Aleppo pepper flakes, and do not skip the mint. These really balance the broccoli. But I did make some modifications: 1. Using a small amount of fresh orange juice would leave a lot of orange behind: supreme the orange and add to the salad (and squeezing the remainder of the orange gave plenty of juice, just supreme the whole dang thing). 2. Pomegranates were not available (but a small container of the seeds for $8 was Yikes!), I substituted dried cranberries; I think it worked well. For next time: The blanching and then pan-frying the broccoli seemed excessive and fussy so I think next time, just roast the broccoli. The little bit of char on the cut sides was nice, so getting some of that is a go-to move.

  • anothersarah on December 09, 2025

    To be fair, I think I overcooked the broccoli but the jazz ended up tasting mealy and overpowering the veg. YMMV but broccoli doesn’t need all this to taste good, I wish I had stopped after blanching.

• An unlikely shrimp salad

  • stacymarkow on July 06, 2024

    Bright and refreshing. Perfect dinner on a hot summer day.

  • shapije1 on May 13, 2026

    Usually I’m not a fan of fruit-based salads, but I love the saltiness of the dressing and tartness of the apples. Very straightforward to assemble for a quick, light lunch. The black lime made my salad look grayish (rather than the pop bright colors found in the book)—not super appetizing from a visual perspective, unfortunately.

• Tomato-lovers' chicken salad

  • shapije1 on May 08, 2026

    Fairly unfussy salad that embodies my preferred style of eating! Tastes both healthy and substantial. The warm spices in the dressing really distinguish this salad and wonderfully compliments the chicken and tomatoes. No adjustments needed, came out perfectly following the recipe as written.

• Chile crisp

  • DKennedy on October 13, 2024

    Made for break fast 2024. Used a milder Chile but the rest as described. I love this sauce over chicken but would be great on so many things.

  • Lepa on June 30, 2025

    When I first tried this sauce I thought it was a bit bitter and not salty enough. After letting it sit for a day it is incredible. I'd recommend making this a day before you want to eat it. It's incredible on the roasted chicken and potatoes from this book.

• Garlic sauce

  • Lepa on June 30, 2025

    I didn't like this as much as toum. It is a bit less garlicky but the texture wasn't as smooth and luscious as toum. It was lovely with the roasted chicken.

• Green tahini sauce

  • DKennedy on October 13, 2024

    Made this for break fast 2024 - good. I think I prefer my tahini un-enhanced.

• "Fried" cauliflower with caper yogurt

  • shapije1 on May 19, 2026

    Made this for dinner while looking for diet-friendly dishes. Be careful when seasoning the yogurt sauce. Mix in the salt last after tasting the other ingredients together—I found that the capers lended enough saltiness without having to add more salt as specified in the recipe.

• Moroccan-spiced carrots

  • michalow on March 09, 2025

    This recipe hits the trifecta: easy, inexpensive, and delicious. I will be making it a lot. Served with some flatbread and tzatziki, it was a simple and satisfying meal.

• Caraway cabbage gratin

  • lala_5bqe7s on August 26, 2025

    This is one of my favorite recipes in Kismet. I’m not generally a huge fan of cabbage, but smothering it in cheese and cream does the trick! The flavor in this dish is really great. I’ve had to substitute feta when I have made it before and it’s ok, Gorgonzola really shines though. Either will work. Use what you’ve got! I also just love the way the cabbage is silky and crunchy all in one. Hope you enjoy this one too!

• Gingery glazed onions

  • anothersarah on December 09, 2025

    Yummy and different for an onion dish. The instructions left me with a scorched pan and not enough liquid but it did not deter from the taste. When the yogurt mixes with the spices and raisins, it makes for a delicious sauce! Do not use more than half a clove to avoid overpowering the yogurt.

• Perfect smashed potatoes

  • Lepa on July 10, 2025

    We liked these potatoes. The spices and labneh were a great flavor combo. I might increase the labneh next time as everyone wanted more.

• The only way to bake a salmon

  • IvyManning on March 16, 2026

    So many flavors, overwhelmed fish.

• Broiled bass with chorizo & kale

  • shapije1 on May 19, 2026

    I’m a little unsure about the fish, but I’d definitely make the kale + chorizo as a side dish on its own. I especially love the bitter, funky combination of the kale with tamarind sauce.

• Breakfast-lunch-dinner soup

  • shapije1 on March 08, 2026

    Put this together on a weekend morning for my sick partner—it was very easy but also so delicious and comforting. Given the simplicity of the ingredients, it’s worth using homemade chicken stock, if you have it on hand.

• Roast chicken with schmaltzy potatoes

  • DKennedy on August 11, 2024

    Ordered it from the rotisserie and wow. Just wow. The chili crisp sauce really is the secret ingredient. Served it with their pita, hummus and tiziki sauce.

  • DKennedy on October 13, 2024

    Made for break fast 2024. Cooked 2 chickens and 1 lb potatoes. The rub was enough for at least 3 chickens if not more. I modified the amount of chile used and substituted some mild New Mexican Chile for the spicier called for in the recipe. Perfect results.

  • Lepa on June 30, 2025

    This was the best roasted chicken and potatoes I have ever made. Truly delicious. I did the whole thing and made the garlic sauce and chili crisp, too. It was outstanding with both- well worth the effort.

• Tahini chocolate chip cookies

  • jhendrick on March 06, 2026

    These cookies are scrumptious. Like a better version of the best peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie. Easy and everyone who has them raves.

• Sesame buckwheat blondies

  • anothersarah on May 30, 2026

    Shockingly good!

• Roasted peaches & almond cream

  • stacymarkow on June 12, 2024

    Bake time on the almonds is way off. After 35 minutes they were charcoal