The secret ingredient cookbook 125 family-friendly recipes with surprisingly tasty twists

Looking to spruce up your everyday meals with a little extra something? Professional chef, entrepreneur, and TV and podcast host Senyei shares her secret ingredients for adding a little extra taste, texture, and presentation to her home cooking. Recipes are easy to navigate for inspiration, and many have a short ingredient list of items that are easy to find. Each recipe is introduced with the reason behind its secret ingredient. The secret ingredient to fluffy pancakes with strawberry syrup? Champagne! The secret ingredient to chicken tikka masala meatballs? Cinnamon applesauce! Some may have readers scratching their heads or wondering if the secret ingredients add enough to warrant the additional purchase. Senyai encourages readers to have an open mind and be willing to step outside their comfort zones.

Chef and Just a Taste blogger Senyei delivers a dynamic debut collection of family-friendly recipes, each of which features a "secret ingredient." From simple cocktails to quick pastas, Senyei employs often surprising substitutions--such as swapping out breadcrumbs for graham crackers or using cottage cheese as a smoothie protein--to elevate her 125 offerings. She's careful to note her modifications aren't chosen willy-nilly; each has been selected to enhance a recipe's flavors, rather than just adding novelty. After sharing her sometimes unorthodox cooking hacks ("the best place to proof dough: your dryer!"), Senyei dives into a delightful mix of recipes. Among the many standouts are her breakfast options, including egg sandwiches topped with strawberry jam, and pumpkin waffles with ginger ale stirred in for a "light, crispy texture." Among the snacks are queso with sweet potato for a "touch of sweetness," while the mains include a tempting dish of scallops with pineapple risotto. Senyei promises that none of her secret ingredients are hard to find--and she mostly delivers. This enjoyable shake-up of kitchen standards is full of what are bound to become new mealtime favorites. Agent: Stacy Glick, DG&B. (May)