What can I say? i am hooked on Milk Street cookbooks. I have well over 100 cookbooks, but I keep reaching for the 5 MS cookbooks for everyday meals and meals for company. I have yet to be disappointed with the ideas provided. ( )

I was never a great believer in Milk Street but this cookbook has some easy, new trick, recipes to follow. ( )

The subtitle says it all: "Big Flavors. Simple Techniques." After I read the book's introduction - "It's not cooking. It's Cookish" - I was so excited because I'm all about big flavors. And this book promised recipes with no more than six ingredients, no more than one piece of cookware, with cooking techniques that are dead simple, and don't take long to "throw together."

The recipes are separated in the usual categories, but begin with vegetables, then beans and grains, pasta and seafood, before the traditional chapters on chicken, pork, and beef. There are desserts, too, which was the only category that didn't excite me. And part of that is I look for gluten- and dairy-free recipes due to my daughter's dietary needs. This book has plenty of dishes I can't wait to make!

For the most part, I found myself marking nearly all the recipes - they sounded great and I will be making a few starting this week. Each recipe has a color photo illustrating the final preparation as well as the start-to-finish time and the number of servings.

Another reason I like this cookbook is the writing style - simple and uncomplicated directions, flavorful ingredient options without pressure to follow the recipe exactly, and enthusiastic descriptions - plus those mouthwatering photos. ( )