Dinner: Changing the Game

One cookbook that especially stands out this year is Dinner: Changing the Game by New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark. The recipes deliver exactly what many home cooks crave: less work, more flavor and extra time for joys like a glass of wine and getting your teen to spill about her day. It also does "change the game" by gleefully rebelling against the traditional one protein, two veg of our parents' menus. Clark has a way with sheet-pan dinners, especially Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes and Yogurt (which adorns the cover) and Spicy Roasted Shrimp with Eggplant and Mint. Both are sure to become new household favorites. She even livens up the typically boring grain bowl trend with an entire chapter of refreshing combinations, zingy sauces and often a surprise of something pickled or crunchy. It takes only a few months before this gem of a cookbook is splattered and dog-eared, a testament to its magic, freshness and just how well it works. --Jenn Risko, publisher & co-founder, Shelf Awareness

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