The Minimalist Kitchen is by the blogger Melissa Coleman. I like the book and her approach. I do think it’s a somewhat entitled woman’s approach to minimalism. I mean, whose kitchen looks like that? But I still like her honesty and have used several recipes from the book. For now it will stay.

Simplicity at Home is a book I bought this spring as the Japanese stuff caught my attention. The book is by the woman who started Fog Linen. I adore linen but all of the stuff on the website is beyond my reach. Still, I like the book probably for the ascetics. I’ll keep for now as it is a good book to look thru on rainy days.

I’ve used Date Night In for a couple of years and her pizza dough recipe is the one I use the most and always works. I’ve made a number of other recipes too. I liked her before fame. Now her last book I bought new and promptly gave away as it wasn’t at all interesting. I think something must happen to bloggers and Youtubers that get noticed and offered book deals etc. I’ve seen it over and over. There’s one You tuber Shannon Torres that I really enjoyed but now it’s all the same content and all the same lingo to get subscribers to get money.( clean with me, declutter with me, why I am minimal, I understand that but something is lost in translation.

The same thing happened with Scandish home. I liked her originality to start( actually a couple of years) but then it all changed when she was clearly out for the subscribers and money. She’s very wholesome but clearly now wears makeup, has her hair done and on and on. She was a minimalist but since they moved into a house twice as big almost every vlog is about what she has just bought on Amazon and of course there’s the link.( that’s where you get a small % if someone buys from your link.) I don’t even bother watching her anymore. Everyone does evolve but sometimes the almighty $ is behind it.

Magnolia Table is a useful book and I’ve made a number of recipes. Her Chocolate chip cookie recipe is good. I’ll keep for now. I have room on my shelf so no problem there.

These four books are all very nice and if you find them in a thrift store get them but I wouldn’t go buy them retail( as I did). Just my two cents.

update: I looked thru Date Night In more closely, and I don’t think there’s anything else I would make from it so it’s going. It’s a nice book but if I’m not going to make her ‘ salmon cakes with chile and fresh herbs ‘ then it’s probably best to pass it on. I’ll take a photo of the pizza dough recipe and call it good.