While there are a couple of nice ideas in this cookbook, it's largely a disjointed collection of things to eat attempting to capitalize on the viral social media trend of "girl dinners." The recipes span from storebought freezer meals to spending two hours preparing a steak with sides. Yes, apparently two hours counts as a "snack plate or no cook meal."

The vast majority of the book is proportioned for solo diners, so this might be an okay gift for someone very new to cooking that largely just wants ideas for what to eat. Thing is, there's no shortage of low effort meal ideas out there. Do we really need to spend $20 to be instructed "make a box of Kraft mac and cheese"? The authors of this book seem to think so.

I think the concept of this book is very sweet and perfect for the newbie cook or someone who struggles to think of meals to put together.

Sadly as a Brit, some of the food included isn’t commonly available here but there are some good inspo ideas for meals.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for my ARC

The authors had a nice idea with this book however the recipes leaned towards more charcuterie board style recipes than anything I’d necessarily call easy enough to throw together for “Girl Dinner.”

This book is more for ideas and inspiration, there aren't any hard hitting detailed recipes. For example Boxed Mac and Cheese is one of the recipes. Although there were some good recipes I would make, like the California Love. The pictures of every recipe are well done and make this a good addition to your cookbook shelf.


Thanks to NetGalley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this book was a little silly because the whole purpose of "girl dinner" is to use random things you have left around your kitchen. This felt like ideas for charcuterie board-esque ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This cookbook is so fun to read and the accompanying photos with the recipes look incredible. I really love how they brought in current trends (as the title reveals) and puts them to palette. I LOVE the seasonal ones that use foods that you can easily find during that time of year.

I picked this one up specifically because it looked like it would give me some good school/work meals to prepare and take with me and it has given me some incredible ideas. I also love how many of them were variations of each other, like charcuterie boards or open-faced sandwiches. That opens up so many possibilities and creativity in cooking and meal prep.

Something else I really love was that I felt like it eased us into more cooking. For me, I love just throwing together things from my fridge into a charcuterie plate. I love that this eases us into being more comfortable with cooking and more prep work to create a comforting yet healthy meal.

So excited to start cooking!

The photography is excellent. Recipes are easy to follow. There were some interesting pairings I wouldn't have thought of. Everything inside is quick and easy. My only complaint is there is a lot of dependence on pre-made items. I realize this is what makes the menus girl dinners, but I expected more focus on fresh ingredients.

This is a book filled with tasty recipes that are quick and simple to male. The photos showcase the food beautifully. Looking forward to making all the recipes.

Girl dinner has become a popular conversation topic at many of my happy hour chats, so I had to see how this cookbook helped to drive this dinner trend. The ideas are incredibly simple and straightforward. With some fun combos, it would make a great gift for a girl friend who finds herself snacking through many dinners. The photos are beautiful and the names of the recipes were cute.

It fits the description of girl dinner, which means you really aren't spending a lot of time cooking anything or pulling out dozens of ingredients. There are a few recipes that were really fun to make and some that made me giggle a little because of just how simplistic they were.

I wish the book wouldn't have included so many store bought, pre-made items. That's an easy way around having to cook, but some of the items listed aren't super easy to find and definitely wouldn't be already in my fridge/freezer. My favorites were the combos of common ingredients that I had laying around. Tinned fish, frozen or canned veggies, and condiments mixed were highlights.

As someone who avoids cooking due to the amount of time and effort it takes, I couldn't wait to read a cookbook full of quick and easy recipes. Ranging from artfully placing ingredients on a plate to simple cooking recipes, this book is perfect for the low-maintenance girlies.

I received an ARC from Cider Mill Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girl dinner has such amazing appeal for us girls of any age! I love the concept and this cookbook is both inspirational and useful. The photos make it quite appealing and it gives you some very good ideas. I'd give this as a gift to any woman living alone!

Thank you for an advance copy of this book. It's delicious!

Thank you for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”
A good cooking book, while there are several recipes where you pair down so much to the point that you can’t really call it a recipe, there were others recipes that I made sure to save and will do in future as it gave good ideas and pairing on dinners for the future. It’s a book that I would recommend to friends that struggles with what to have for dinner and I might purchase to keep it my kitchen

Book Review: Girl Dinner: 85 Snack Plates and No-Cook Meals by Jamison Diaz-Imlah

Rating: 3 Stars

As I flipped through the pages of Girl Dinner, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and skepticism. The book promises to transform our snack cravings into something a bit more, well, culinary. Inspired by TikTok’s hottest trend, this book is geared towards busy individuals—whether you're a woman on the go, a student juggling classes, or just someone who enjoys the ease of casual cooking. It offers over 75 recipes for snack plates and bites that scream simplicity while looking Instagram-ready.

The Good Stuff

Right off the bat, the photography was beautiful. Each plate looked like a little work of art, and I could practically taste the deliciousness through the images. The layout is user-friendly, with recipes accompanied by short introductions, ingredient lists, and easy-to-follow directions. It's a book that celebrates the joy of eating without requiring you to channel your inner chef.

If you're someone who enjoys whipping up quick meals without breaking a sweat, Girl Dinner does have its charm. It’s perfect for those evenings when you want something tasty but don't have the time or energy to cook a full meal. Plus, there’s something delightful about putting together a balanced charcuterie board that feels both indulgent and satisfying.

The Not-So-Great Stuff

However, I found myself thinking, "This is okay." Sure, it’s great for finding quick and delicious snack ideas, but many recipes rely heavily on pre-bought items. I mean, the whole 'girl dinner' trend isn’t exactly revolutionary; it feels like just a clever (or not) rebranding of what many of us have been doing for years. For instance, serving a box of mac and cheese in a cocktail glass hardly qualifies as groundbreaking.

While I appreciate the effort to make food accessible and enjoyable, some of the recipes felt more like assembly rather than actual cooking. It left me wondering if I could find similar ideas floating around on social media without needing a book dedicated to them.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Girl Dinner is a mixed bag for me. It’s perfect for anyone looking for quick snack solutions and provides plenty of ideas that are visually appealing. Just don’t expect to discover anything too groundbreaking or unique. While it’s fun and definitely serves a purpose, it feels more like a collection of snack hacks than a true culinary revolution. If you’re looking for something easy and fuss-free, this book might be worth adding to your shelf—but manage your expectations!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I actually liked the book even though it could read as simply as a Trader Joe’s or lazy cookbook. recognized many of the meals I cook or curate for myself
as a human that cooks for one and likes to do it having relied for what seems like a long time on the blogs of Love and Lemons and Cookie ie and Kate which rightfully change and become less exciting over time…I recently started to think that at some point I have cooked almost all the seasonal recipes of a lifetime and regional and foreign cuisines are the way forward. it’s so much fun to come up with my two or three favorite and most inspiring cookbooks of the year and then compare to what the media touts.

I wanted to express my gratitude to Cider Mill Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of a cookbook authored by Jamison Diaz-Imlah & Alejandra Diaz-Imlah in exchange for my honest review.

This cookbook is ideal for individuals seeking quick, tasty snacks, meals, or appetizer board ideas with minimal effort. It features a range of ideas, from no-prep to medium-prep, all beautifully photographed and professionally styled for appealing plate presentations. Each recipe includes a list of ingredients and assembly instructions, making it perfect for amateur cooks.

I believe this cookbook would be an excellent gift for new college graduates and young individuals living on their own for the first time!

I am a devotee of girl dinner but while so many times girl dinner is just arranging things you already have in your house on a plate, I expected a little more from a book. Some of the recipes seemed cute and fun but many of them were just… put this stuff on a plate or make boxed Mac and cheese and serve it in a wine glass. Like…? Just a little disappointed, I love the concept but some of the included “recipes” did not need to be included.

I enjoyed this recipe book; it was well-written and easy to follow. I love that it went over how "Girl Dinner" started. This is a great cookbook when you have many random ingredients at home and don't know what to cook. The photos were beautiful and complemented every written recipe.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I loved the idea behind this, but unfortunately many of the recipes (such as they are) require pre-packaged foods that aren’t available in the UK.

And some of the others were just too simple and I did a lot of eye rolling. I did, at least, save a couple of combos I hadn’t previously considered so it wasn’t a dead loss.

I'm not on TikTok so I didn't know about this trend but I'm always up for quick and easy meal ideas. The concept is making simple foods a little more fun and exciting. Two standouts for me were a PB&J with banana on brioche bread and combining a can of chili with a box of mac & cheese. This book wasn't really my demographic overall but still fun to flip through the pages. Thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - pub day is 8/13/24!

Obviously, I had to read this one as soon as I saw the title. I love the credit to where "Girl Dinner" was born. The photography is mouthwatering. I found that a good portion of the recipes missed the mark on the true 'girl dinner' meaning... but I get what they were trying to do.