Something from nothing

Roman (Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook) celebrates her signature style in this latest offering, a beautiful and thoughtfully arranged collection of mouth-watering recipes with something for truly everyone. She prides herself on creating big, unique flavors with simple ingredients and unfussy preparation techniques. One of the joys of reading a Roman cookbook is that it encourages readers and cooks to put their spin on its recipes. She constantly modifies, substitutes, and works with what is in her pantry. Readers need never feel that they are obligated to follow her recipes word for word--though in many cases, they might as well, because it's tough to improve upon her dishes. This cookbook features many brand-new recipes, as well as Roman's remastered classics. Her introduction summarizes the book best: it's "an extended love letter to simplicity…about finding joy and satisfaction in the tiny miracles of cooking." VERDICT Roman comes into her own with this book; it feels confident, intentional, and both personal and widely applicable for a range of home cooks. People of all cooking capabilities will be eager to get their hands on it and try out the recipes.--Elizabeth Walline