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Dinner: Changing the Game: A Cookbook Hardcover – March 7, 2017

by Melissa Clark (Author), Eric Wolfinger (Photographer)

4.7 907 ratings

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200+ inventive yet straightforward recipes that will make anyone a better and more confident cook, from a James Beard Award–winning chef

“Everything I want for my dinner—dishes which are familiar but fresh, approachable but exciting.”—Yotam Ottolenghi

Dinner has the range and authority—and Melissa Clark’s trademark warmth—of an instant classic. With more than 200 all-new recipes, Dinner is about options: inherently simple recipes that you can make any night of the week.

Each recipe in this book is meant to be dinner—one fantastic dish that is so satisfying and flavor-forward it can stand alone—maybe with a little salad or some bread on the side. This is what Melissa Clark means by changing the game. Organized by main ingredient—chicken, meat, fish and seafood, eggs, pasta and noodles, tofu, vegetable dinners, grains, pizza, soups, and salads that mean it—Dinner covers an astonishing breadth of ideas about just what dinner can be. There is something for every mood, season, and the amount of time you have: sheet pan chicken laced with spicy harissa, burgers amped with chorizo, curried lentils with poached eggs, to name just a few dishes in this indispensable collection. Here, too, are easy flourishes that make dinner exceptional: stir charred lemon into pasta, toss creamy Caesar-like dressing on a grain bowl.

Melissa Clark’s mission is to help anyone, whether a novice or an experienced home cook, figure out what to have for dinner without ever settling on fallbacks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The recipes in Melissa Clark’s Dinner are everything I want for my dinner. Dishes which are familiar but fresh, approachable but exciting. The tone of the book is also just the sort of company I’d want around my table: Melissa is experienced enough in the kitchen to know that being relaxed is the only way to approach the evening meal. It should be fun, it should be easy, it should be delicious.”—Yotam Ottolenghi

“Melissa Clark has an extrasensory ability to divine what we want to eat and a secret knowledge of how to take a familiar dish and make it just a little more interesting. In following her lead, dinner gets more delicious and we become better cooks.”—Peter Meehan

“Dinner is an expertly useful tool for the home cook. Melissa Clark has stripped away fussiness and pretension and replaced it with sensibility and flavor. This is food that you will absolutely crave!—Michael Solomonov

“Brilliant, vibrant, doable ideas that will change the way you think about dinner. You’ll cook out of this book for years. Empowering.”—Diana Henry

“Melissa Clark will take your tired dinner repertoire, shake it out, and give it a transfusion of enthusiasm, flavor, and whip-smart efficiency. In Dinner, she takes the timeless task of cooking pleasing yet inspiring dinners and waves away the challenge. Dinner won't get Melissa —or you—down. She had me dreaming of kofte and kimchi pork chops, coconut rice noodles and green aioli chicken salad.”—Amanda Hesser

“Melissa Clark, cooking columnist at The New York Times, [has] become the culinary equivalent of Walter Cronkite: the most trusted name in America. In our kitchen, the pages of her newest book, Dinner: Changing The Game, has already been splattered with several years’ worth of sauce and oil—and the book was just published in March. It is, stated baldly, a terrific and terrifically practical book, with dishes that span global influences, unabashed about its bold spicing, with a one-baking-sheet ethos that advocates for both convenience and melding of pan juices.”—Kevin Pang

“Clark’s book—shot by Eric Wolfinger, the LeBron James of food photography — seems to solve every dinner problem from the rote ‘It’s 6:00—what do I make for the kids?’ to the head-scratching ‘What do I make for my fancy friends?’ Here’s the crazy thing, though: Often the answer to both questions is the same recipe.”—The New York Times

“Over 200 why-didn’t-I-think-of-that recipes that could be on a table near you in under an hour.”—Bon Appétit

“[Clark] wants to empower home cooks to tinker with her recipes, not just follow them.”—Food & Wine

“The New York Times's superstar wants you to know that killer single-pot meals are dead simple.”—Esquire

“Unlike her contemporaries, Clark has a good pulse on the cooking techniques du jour.”—Eater

“With Clark as mentor, the dinner game has changed—and you're the winner.”—Bookpage

“A stellar collection of low-effort, high-impact meals.”—Library Journal

About the Author

Melissa Clark is a staff writer for the New York Times, where she writes the Food section’s popular column, “A Good Appetite” and stars in a weekly complementary video series. The recipient of both IACP and James Beard awards, Clark appears frequently on “Today” and on public radio. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction
One of the most thrilling moments of culinary discovery in my life was when, at age 16, a friend and I took ourselves out to dinner at a “fancy” restaurant with our babysitting money.

We were paying. We were without any grown-ups. And we could eat anything we wanted.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t have to order a “proper meal.” I didn’t even have to get an entrée. What I craved was two appetizers, the crab salad and the rustic pâté. Then my friend and I split three desserts. It felt both rebellious and liberating, and very adult.

I think these days a lot of us eat this way at restaurants, putting meals together from a variety of small plates and side dishes and splitting entrées and desserts. We aren’t afraid to mix it up to get what we really want.

But at home, dinner still often means a protein and two sides. A meat-and-two-veg. And this can make cooking dinner night after night a challenge because it ignores our evolution as a food culture. That’s not how most of us eat—or want to eat—on a daily basis. Today’s dinner can take a lot of different forms. But the conundrum for cooks is that we haven’t defined what those forms are. So it’s left many of us struggling in a void between what we think a proper meal should be, and what we actually want to cook and eat for dinner.

But the fact that our collective tastes have changed is a boon for the cook, an excuse to get creative. We’ve fallen love with all kinds of diverse ingredients: preserved lemons, kimchi, miso, quinoa, pork belly, panko. And now that these ingredients are becoming more available, they can become kitchen staples, expanding our horizons once we figure out how we like to use them.

And they’re a path out of the tyranny of a perfectly composed plate with three distinct elements in separate little piles. The chicken, the carrots, the rice. The meatloaf, the mashed potatoes, the peas. At least for me, even more pleasing is a giant salad filled with oozing, creamy Burrata cheese, ripe juicy tomatoes, and peaches (page 344). Serve it with a baguette you picked up on the way home or squirreled away in your freezer, and maybe some salami and that’s all you need for a meal. Likewise, a grain bowl made from brown rice or red quinoa and topped with corn, black beans, and avocado (page 278), or fried tofu and kimchi (page 328). Or how about curried lentils with runny eggs and cool spiced yogurt (page 243)? Or a simplified chicken pho with rice noodles and crispy chicken skin (page 324)?

These are one-pot (or bowl) meals that reach a very high bar, both in terms of taste and also preparation. Less is more here. More flavor, less work.

That’s what this book is about. It’s designed to help you figure out what to make for dinner without falling back on what you’ve eaten before. It’s about giving you options, lots of options. Are you a vegetarian or just a vegetable lover? I’ve got you covered. A die-hard meat lover? A fish enthusiast? A pasta aficionado? A culinary explorer ready to take on a challenge? Or the kind of cook who wants to revel in the comforting and familiar, but with a twist—a dash of Sriracha, a sprinkling of Turkish chile, a spoonful of minced preserved lemon or Indian lime pickle. Adding flavor in unexpected ways using condiments makes dinner better, but without any extra work once you’ve stocked your pantry (see pages 17-19). And the payoff is exponential.
In these pages, it’s all here for you.

Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes, and Yogurt
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR + 30 MINUTES MARINATING
SERVES 3

One of my all-time favorites, this sheet-pan supper has it all—spicy harissa-laced roasted chicken; sweet, browned leeks; crunchy potatoes; plus a cool garnish of salted yogurt and plenty of fresh bright herbs. It’s a little lighter than your average roasted chicken and potatoes dinner, and a lot more profoundly flavored.

The key here (and with all sheet-pan suppers) is to make sure the ingredients can all cook together on the same pan. This means cutting sturdy, denser things into smaller chunks that will cook at the same rate (chicken, potatoes), and adding the more delicate ingredients (here, the leeks) toward the end so they don’t burn. Another important note: don’t overpopulate the pan. You need to leave space between things so ingredients can brown and crisp rather than steam. If you want to double the recipe to feed six, you can, as long as you spread everything out in two pans rather than crowding them in one.

1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 × 1/2-inch chunks
3 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons harissa
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 leeks, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise, rinsed, and thinly sliced into half-moons
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk (if using Greek, thin it down with a little milk to make it drizzle-able)
1 small garlic clove
1 cup mixed soft fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, mint, and/or cilantro leaves
Fresh lemon juice, as needed

1. Combine the chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Season them with 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the harissa, cumin, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Pour this mixture over the chicken and potatoes, and toss to combine. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the leeks, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.

3. Heat the oven to 425°F.

4. Arrange the chicken and potatoes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes. Then toss the potatoes lightly, and scatter the leeks over the baking sheet. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and everything is golden and slightly crisped, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

5. While the chicken cooks, place the yogurt in a small bowl. Grate the garlic clove over the yogurt, and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

6. Spoon the yogurt over the chicken and vegetables in the baking sheet (or you can transfer everything to a platter if you want to be fancy about it). Scatter the herbs over the yogurt, drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice over the top, and serve.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0553448234
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter; Illustrated edition (March 7, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780553448238
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553448238
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.54 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.29 x 1.33 x 10.28 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #16,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #84 in U.S. Regional Cooking, Food & Wine
- #135 in Quick & Easy Cooking (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 907 ratings

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Melissa Clark

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Food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark is staff reporter for the New York Times Food section, where she writes the popular column “A Good Appetite” and appears in a weekly cooking video series.

Melissa has written 42 cookbooks, including her latest, Dinner: Changing the Game, published by Clarkson Potter. Other books include collaborations with some of New York City’s most celebrated chefs, including Daniel Boulud (Braise), David Bouley (East of Paris), Andrew Feinberg (Franny’s), Claudia Fleming (The Last Course), Bruce and Eric Bromberg (Blue Ribbon Cookbook), and former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses (The Perfect Finish).

Her work has been honored with awards by the James Beard Foundation and IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals), and has been selected for the Best Food Writing series. Melissa is a regular guest on the Today show and Rachael Ray. She has also been a judge on Iron Chef America. She’s been a frequent guest host on the NPR radio show The Splendid Table and is a regular guest on The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Melissa lives there with her husband and daughter. She loves anchovies, radishes, chicken feet, and lox but not in that order.

Customer reviews

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Customers say

Customers find the recipes in the book well-spiced and full of flavor without having too many ingredients. They find the recipes easy to follow and manageable, with great photography. The cookbook provides interesting dinner ideas for busy weeknights. Readers appreciate the creative twists and original recipes. The pacing is unpretentious and hearty, with options for substitutions. Overall, customers find the recipes tasty and satisfying.

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Recipes Ease of use Photography Cooking ideas Creativity Pacing Variety Ingredients

177 customers mention "Recipes"172 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the recipes. They find the meals flavorful without being too complex, and the author knows how to mix and match flavors. Many recipes taste restaurant-quality and are easy to make. The cookbook is amazing and serves as a complete meal, making it fun for customers to cook in the kitchen.

"...The layout is intuitive, with recipes grouped by category, chicken, soups, and more, making it easy to navigate...." Read more

"...Cuban Flank Steak with Lime and Fresh Mango. The bright, citrus-y garlic marinade is a gorgeous green color that requires a mere 30-minutes to..." Read more

"...All were as delicious as I expected. Clark's recipes are well-spiced, which doesn't mean that they necessarily have lots of heat..." Read more

"...The anchovy chicken achieves maximum flavor from minimal effort and is a frequent weeknight dish, while the noodles are more of a tasty weekend..." Read more

89 customers mention "Ease of use"82 positive7 negative

Customers find the recipes in the book easy and quick to make. The instructions are clear, and the author provides substitution options. Many of the recipes can be thrown together quickly on weeknights. Overall, customers find the recipes approachable but not basic.

"...The layout is intuitive, with recipes grouped by category, chicken, soups, and more, making it easy to navigate...." Read more

"High on flavor, low on fuss. Every dish I've made has been made in 30 to an hour from start to finish, not counting any marinating time...." Read more

"...The writing is clear, the ingredients are readily available, and the results are as beautiful as the photography...." Read more

"...The anchovy chicken achieves maximum flavor from minimal effort and is a frequent weeknight dish, while the noodles are more of a tasty weekend..." Read more

39 customers mention "Photography"39 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's photography. They find the food visually appealing and easy to prepare for special occasions. The recipes are simple and well-written, with flavors from around the world used. Many appreciate the Asian dishes included in the book.

"...The photography is also well done.i e purchased 5 copies of the book and have passed them out to my children, friends and have used it as a hostess..." Read more

"...The bright, citrus-y garlic marinade is a gorgeous green color that requires a mere 30-minutes to suffuse the flank steak with great flavor...." Read more

"...the ingredients are readily available, and the results are as beautiful as the photography. I am obsessed with this book...." Read more

"...This one caught my eye for its beautiful photographs and interesting-sounding recipes that were quick enough to make on weeknights...." Read more

32 customers mention "Cooking ideas"32 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides interesting dinner ideas and easy recipes for busy weeknight meals. They say it's great for getting out of a dinner rut and enjoying cooking through it. The recipes are divided by protein and style, making them easy to adapt and delicious.

"...These tips are perfect for busy homes, and I haven't been led astray yet." Read more

"...chicken achieves maximum flavor from minimal effort and is a frequent weeknight dish, while the noodles are more of a tasty weekend project...." Read more

"...Instead, I feel excited and nourished. I have liked all but one recipe, and that one may have been due to a user-error...." Read more

"...These recipes are adventurous and creative, but still comforting and delicious...." Read more

11 customers mention "Creativity"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the creative vegetarian recipes in the book. They find the dishes unique and original, with clear instructions. Many of the recipes are interesting variations on old standards, adding new ingredients to give them a new twist.

"...These recipes are adventurous and creative, but still comforting and delicious...." Read more

"...The best part is that they don’t have a zillion ingredients, and nothing very exotic. The directions are very clear...." Read more

"...that Melissa Clark has shared many recipes that make it amazing and unique. The Sumac Chicken is THE BEST roast chicken I have ever consumed...." Read more

"...And not very difficult or time consuming. But with these inventive, addictive twists that just bring them to the next level!..." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the recipes hearty, earthy, and delicious. The ingredients are not overly esoteric or difficult to find. The instructions are simple and straightforward. Overall, customers describe the book as approachable and encouraging.

"...cook, and I find her recipes inventive, inspirational, and easy to follow...." Read more

"...It's fresh and unfussy." Read more

"...It was nice to cook elegant meals that were hearty, earthy, delicious, and satisfying." Read more

"...laid out, the photos make the recipes seem attainable and are encouraging. Made a couple of dishes and they were delicious, interesting and fun...." Read more

10 customers mention "Variety"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of recipes in the book. They find the flavors appealing, the prep simple, and the substitution options helpful. The recipes are versatile, easy to make, and simple for everyday meals.

"...34;Dinner" is well organized, there are lots of options for everyone, the pickiest of eaters, the most harried of cooks, the home cook in search..." Read more

"...The instructions are fool-proof, and Clark offers lots of options for substitutions if you can't get or can't eat some of the ingredients...." Read more

"It’s got good variety with not really complex recipes. I think, though, I will return as it is still more than I want in weeknight cooking." Read more

"...Full of flavor without having 50 ingredients. Love the variety - many international influences- not just one focus. Love it!" Read more

36 customers mention "Ingredients"19 positive17 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the ingredients in the book. Some find them readily available, simple, and tasty, while others say some recipes require exotic ingredients or lack specific instructions for strong ingredients. The writing is clear and easy to understand, but some recipes are not inspiring enough for them to make.

"...The writing is clear, the ingredients are readily available, and the results are as beautiful as the photography...." Read more

"...The ingredient lists can be long, but if you focus on one recipe a week, you’ll end up with a restaurant-quality meal at home...." Read more

"...any home kitchen; they're affordable and the ingredients are commonly available in supermarkets. &#..." Read more

"...There is no Dressing category, no Winter category, no Roasted...." Read more

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Biker Chick
My New Favorite Cookbook
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025
Verified Purchase

This is one of the best cookbooks I own, and I have many. The ingredient lists can be long, but if you focus on one recipe a week, you’ll end up with a restaurant-quality meal at home. The layout is intuitive, with recipes grouped by category, chicken, soups, and more, making it easy to navigate. Unlike some cookbooks that are organized around holidays or meal themes, this one is straightforward. The photography is also well done.i e purchased 5 copies of the book and have passed them out to my children, friends and have used it as a hostess gift.

Read more

Biker Chick

My New Favorite Cookbook

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025
This is one of the best cookbooks I own, and I have many. The ingredient lists can be long, but if you focus on one recipe a week, you’ll end up with a restaurant-quality meal at home. The layout is intuitive, with recipes grouped by category, chicken, soups, and more, making it easy to navigate. Unlike some cookbooks that are organized around holidays or meal themes, this one is straightforward. The photography is also well done.i e purchased 5 copies of the book and have passed them out to my children, friends and have used it as a hostess gift.

Images in this review

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Curious Epicure
Changing the Game is right. Amazing flavors in under an hour. Updated.
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
High on flavor, low on fuss.
Every dish I've made has been made in 30 to an hour from start to finish, not counting any marinating time.
Recipes that turned out well and ones that didn't are listed below.
Uncommon ingredients include z'atar, sumac, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, garam masala, and nuoc mam (fish sauce) among others, but if you are timid about these ingredients or can't easily find them, Clark does offer up some substitutions in a number of recipes.

So far, my favorite recipes in this book are:
— Cuban Flank Steak with Lime and Fresh Mango. The bright, citrus-y garlic marinade is a gorgeous green color that requires a mere 30-minutes to suffuse the flank steak with great flavor. I make flank steak fairly often (it's one of the leaner cuts of beef) and have tried a lot of good recipes, but this has to be my favorite. The flavor profile is just perfect and so very delicious.
— Anchovy Chicken with Lemon and Capers. Chicken thighs never had it so good. So good!
— Shakshuka. This version is amazing. The goat cheese in it is awesome. I've made this several times. (photo)
— Fried Halloumi with Spiced Brussels Sprouts. Really good, easy and super quick. Bread cheese worked just as well as the halloumi for me and was not as salty. (photo)
— Pizza Chicken with Pancetta, Mozzarella and Spicy Tomatoes. I should have thought of this one myself, but if I had, I'd be Melissa Clark. And I'm not. But reading the ingredients in the title is only a little tease as to what emerges as the final dish here. This is as yummy as it sounds.
— Green Beans with Caper Vinaigrette. Not your grandmother's green beans. This vinaigrette is an easy way to put some zip into the same old, same old.

In addition to these, there are curries, Thai-flavored dishes, really interesting tofu dishes (I might actually get into tofu again!!), pastas, salads, grain bowls, dips (yay for dips), and veggies. No desserts.

One that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped:
— Sake-Steamed Chicken. Nope. This is not work for me. I followed the recipe, making no substitutions, but did not get the flavor described in the recipe's intro. I regularly make Sake-Steamed Salmon from a Chinese recipe and thought this would be as good as that, but it wasn't.
— Roast Turkey Breast with Rosemary and Anchovies had some good flavor in spots. In spots, because the paste that gets rubbed all over the breast before roasting was too clumpy to spread evenly over the breast. So there were clumps of flavor rather than flavor in every bite. I might try mashing it better (although I thought I had done a pretty good job of that) or spreading it underneath the breast skin where it might spread over the turkey more evenly while roasting. For some reason, the directions were not as clear as Clark's usual, very understandable style.

One thing that I DON'T like about the book;
The index. I went looking for a dressing that is used in one of the recipes I saw as part of the recipe for Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad with Kale and Thai Lime Dressing. There is no Dressing category, no Winter category, no Roasted. There is a Lime category and also a Vegetable category, but this recipe made it to neither of those. Someone did not do the best job on the index for sure, but I can't really ding a whole star for that when the recipes are so darn good.

I highly, highly recommend this book if you are looking to rev up your dinners to new levels. The worst part is trying to decide what to make. This is one of those books you want to cook the whole way through.

Read more

Curious Epicure

Changing the Game is right. Amazing flavors in under an hour. Updated.

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2017
High on flavor, low on fuss.
Every dish I've made has been made in 30 to an hour from start to finish, not counting any marinating time.
Recipes that turned out well and ones that didn't are listed below.
Uncommon ingredients include z'atar, sumac, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, garam masala, and nuoc mam (fish sauce) among others, but if you are timid about these ingredients or can't easily find them, Clark does offer up some substitutions in a number of recipes.

So far, my favorite recipes in this book are:
— Cuban Flank Steak with Lime and Fresh Mango. The bright, citrus-y garlic marinade is a gorgeous green color that requires a mere 30-minutes to suffuse the flank steak with great flavor. I make flank steak fairly often (it's one of the leaner cuts of beef) and have tried a lot of good recipes, but this has to be my favorite. The flavor profile is just perfect and so very delicious.
— Anchovy Chicken with Lemon and Capers. Chicken thighs never had it so good. So good!
— Shakshuka. This version is amazing. The goat cheese in it is awesome. I've made this several times. (photo)
— Fried Halloumi with Spiced Brussels Sprouts. Really good, easy and super quick. Bread cheese worked just as well as the halloumi for me and was not as salty. (photo)
— Pizza Chicken with Pancetta, Mozzarella and Spicy Tomatoes. I should have thought of this one myself, but if I had, I'd be Melissa Clark. And I'm not. But reading the ingredients in the title is only a little tease as to what emerges as the final dish here. This is as yummy as it sounds.
— Green Beans with Caper Vinaigrette. Not your grandmother's green beans. This vinaigrette is an easy way to put some zip into the same old, same old.

In addition to these, there are curries, Thai-flavored dishes, really interesting tofu dishes (I might actually get into tofu again!!), pastas, salads, grain bowls, dips (yay for dips), and veggies. No desserts.

One that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped:
— Sake-Steamed Chicken. Nope. This is not work for me. I followed the recipe, making no substitutions, but did not get the flavor described in the recipe's intro. I regularly make Sake-Steamed Salmon from a Chinese recipe and thought this would be as good as that, but it wasn't.
— Roast Turkey Breast with Rosemary and Anchovies had some good flavor in spots. In spots, because the paste that gets rubbed all over the breast before roasting was too clumpy to spread evenly over the breast. So there were clumps of flavor rather than flavor in every bite. I might try mashing it better (although I thought I had done a pretty good job of that) or spreading it underneath the breast skin where it might spread over the turkey more evenly while roasting. For some reason, the directions were not as clear as Clark's usual, very understandable style.

One thing that I DON'T like about the book;
The index. I went looking for a dressing that is used in one of the recipes I saw as part of the recipe for Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad with Kale and Thai Lime Dressing. There is no Dressing category, no Winter category, no Roasted. There is a Lime category and also a Vegetable category, but this recipe made it to neither of those. Someone did not do the best job on the index for sure, but I can't really ding a whole star for that when the recipes are so darn good.

I highly, highly recommend this book if you are looking to rev up your dinners to new levels. The worst part is trying to decide what to make. This is one of those books you want to cook the whole way through.

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Helen M Anderson-Clark
A new favorite, go to cookbook
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017
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I love cookbooks, and Melissa Clark's latest really is revolutionizing dinner. I consider myself an experienced (though by no means professional) cook, and I find her recipes inventive, inspirational, and easy to follow. The writing is clear, the ingredients are readily available, and the results are as beautiful as the photography. I am obsessed with this book.

That said, this is not a cookbook for beginning cooks or the timid. One of the things I love about this book is that Clark pushes the envelope in unexpected and delicious ways. You need just a bit of an adventurous palate to enjoy this, but if you're willing to push the boundaries just a bit, you will be well-rewarded. The food within these pages is delicious.

I've made the faux-tandoori chicken, the cumin spiced meatballs, and the sausage with rhubarb (though I subbed apples due to seasonality) and swiss chard. All were as delicious as I expected. Clark's recipes are well-spiced, which doesn't mean that they necessarily have lots of heat (i.e. chilies or cayenne pepper). Rather, she likes playing with warm spices (garam masala, cumin, cloves, all spice, ginger, garlic) as a way of bringing out unexpected flavors from even everyday ingredients.

One more benefit of this book is her ability to let the cook know in advance when recipes can be paused, which stages can be done ahead, or how well something freezes. These tips are perfect for busy homes, and I haven't been led astray yet.

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Liz R.
Reliably Delicious!
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2017
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As a working mother of a five-month-old daughter, I need tasty recipes that I can get on the table in a reasonable amount of time.

Melissa Clark has yet to let me down.

Confession: I'm a long-time fan of Clark's. My husband and I own two of her other cookbooks and frequently make her recipes from The New York Times' Cooking website. Some of those recipes (or similar versions) appear in this book, such as the anchovy chicken and the spicy pork noodles with ginger and bok choy. The anchovy chicken achieves maximum flavor from minimal effort and is a frequent weeknight dish, while the noodles are more of a tasty weekend project.

Most of the recipes, however, are new to me. The spicy Mexican Tortilla soup was the answer to my long search for an authentic-tasting version on a weeknight time frame, made easier by purchasing pre-made tortilla strips. (Passed muster with Mexican husband!)

The jalapeño-honey skirt steak was another winner that came together quickly and gave sweet heat to an old favorite.

Since we've only had this book for three days, I look forward to cooking my way through the rest of it, although her time frames for certain recipes are perhaps a little optimistic for all but very experienced chefs. Clark's introduction is fairly candid about the fact that time estimates are aspirational until you've cooked something a few times and suggests wine as a way to zen out and embrace the process. (Yes, please.)

As for ingredients? Some of them (sumac,
Pomegranate molasses) probably aren't in your pantry. However, Clark usually mentions substitutions, and an ingredient will frequently be used in more than one recipe. Push yourself! It's worth it!

After all, the title is "Changing the Game," not "Same old stuff."

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Top reviews from other countries

Deff Münz
A fantastic cookbook
Reviewed in Germany on May 4, 2021
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Never had a cookbook like this. Every single recipe is worth cooking. Even the descriptions or anecdotes are great.

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ICS
Totally new flavours and a chance to experiment
Reviewed in Spain on April 9, 2021
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I've been following Melissa Clark's recipes for the NYT for a while now, and it's gotten me into experimenting a bit more with cooking. Her recipes are off the beaten track, but written with very plain, simple instructions, and she always gives you tips to substitute ingredients or do variants to the original recipe. Also, from prior experience I can tell you that her sauces and her suggestions for spices are absolutely inspired.

This book has none of the recipes I already knew, but it's even more interesting for me, because it gives me a lot of ideas for ingredients I never really knew how to use. There's a bit of everything here except desserts - eggs, meat, fish, purely vegetarian recipes. I've only had the book for a few days, but I tried making the maple roasted tofu with squash the other day and the results were amazing. I have another dozen recipes shortlisted to try the next time I get my grocery shopping done.

I have gotten my sister another copy of this book for her birthday. She's the real cook in the family and I know she's going to enjoy it.

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Amazon Customer
Buy this book if you are a family that cooks!
Reviewed in Canada on March 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
I borrowed this cookbook from the library, and by the time I got to the recipe for turkey legs with cranberry às a sheet pan dinner I had to have my own copy. I read cookbooks as a hobby and I have about 1000 at home and now 1001. Melissa Clark is a well known and in my view, excellent writer for the NYT. The recipes are in the easy to medium range, achievable by any family that cooks. They are healthy tasty and well described. You won't be disappointed. And the photos are superb!

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Catherine D
Not brand new
Reviewed in India on June 3, 2020
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The book is great but the seller is not!!! BEWARE: This book is not a brand new book. I don’t appreciate getting a book that’s been sitting in your stock collecting dust, then I shouldn’t have to pay the brand new price for it. It’s def second hand.

The book itself is awesome.

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Wend
Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
I highly recommend this book. I have a great number of cookery books but this is the one I turn to when I want a fairly quick nutritional dinner. The results are delicious - e.g. The fish chowder and the harissa chicken. You will need to get used to some of the Americanisms but that's not too hard and the ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets.. A very useful cookery book which you will use again and again.

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5.0 out of 5 stars My New Favorite Cookbook

My New Favorite Cookbook

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5.0 out of 5 stars Changing the Game is right. Amazing flavors in under an hour. Updated.

Changing the Game is right. Amazing flavors in under an hour. Updated.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A new favorite, go to cookbook

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliably Delicious!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic cookbook

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally new flavours and a chance to experiment

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book if you are a family that cooks!

2.0 out of 5 stars Not brand new

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended

My New Favorite Cookbook

Changing the Game is right. Amazing flavors in under an hour. Updated.

A new favorite, go to cookbook

Reliably Delicious!

A fantastic cookbook

Totally new flavours and a chance to experiment

Buy this book if you are a family that cooks!

Not brand new

Highly recommended