2.5 stars

I was very conflicted reading this cookbook, as I went into this looking for recipes that I could add to my weeknight dinner rotation. In fact, in the introduction, the author says "This book intents to lower the bar slightly, so that the unquestionable rewards of putting something nutritious and delicious on the table each and every night for one's family becomes a bit easier to remain focused upon."

However, the one word I kept coming back to is "disconnected."

While the goal for this book is to make family dinner seem more accessible, this is not for a family with two working parents or young children. In the "Weeknight Wonders" section, there is a strange mix of very simple and uninspired dishes (BBQ Chicken Sandwiches - do I really need a cookbook for that?), and dishes I would never ever have the energy to make after a long day of work and daycare pickup (Red Snapper With Tomatillo Sauce).

There were some recipes that sounded delightful and manageable: pork fried rice, Roasted Duck Breast With Cranberry Mostarda and Crispy Kale, Veal Schnitzel & Spatzle in a lemon & caper beurre blanc (although there was no picture for this recipe), while other dishes sounded absolutely horrid; Peanut Butter & Bacon Oats with Fried Eggs (NO THANK YOU) and Spiced Buttermilk Stew (why would I have 8 cups of buttermilk??).

In the Elevated Section, the meals are supposed to be "substantial enough to provide leftovers for the next night's meal," but the first recipe is for
"Everything spice tuna with scallion cream cheese." While the dish looks delicious in the attached picture, this would not be able to nourish my family of four, but would be a wonderful appetizer for a fancier dinner party.

I understand that this cookbook is trying to get people to think outside of the box, but ingredients such as lobster, capon, and RABBIT are not accessible to the average person that might be looking for more dinner inspiration.

So many recipies I want to try out!
I always find cookbooks hit and miss, but these recipes just hit the spot and the instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Cannot wait to get started!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. An impressive cookbook with lots of great recipes to try.

This is an enormous book — over 800 pages and over 300 recipes. It is not by an author but by the publisher, and seems to be a compilation of recipes from other books they have published. I noticed a very specific mashed potato pizza recipe from a book I just reviewed and realized it was the same recipe and photo and that they were just now publishing his cookbook as well. I could not find any attribution to the original authors or cookbooks.

The organization is somewhat haphazard. I couldn’t really figure out how it’s organized. There is a photo for every recipe but no nutritional information. The recipes are rather long and with the full page photos, it means one recipe can take up three pages easily. I personally really dislike using cookbooks where you have to keep flipping back and forth. I prefer simple instructions and a small photo right on the page so it’s easy to follow and feels quick and doable when I’m cooking for the family at the end of a long day.

The other thing is that these don’t really feel like family dinners. They are all kinds of meals but not what I’d consider family dinners — large, simple meals to feed a crowd. I also wouldn’t necessarily call them quick or easy. Some are, but they’re all over the place.

It’s definitely got some good recipes and is worth checking out, but I’m not sure who it would make the best fit for. If you are new to cooking this one cookbook could give you an enormous cache of recipes though.

I read a temporary digital loan of this book via netgalley.

If you need a recipe for Grilled Cheese or a corn dog and you think a Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallions Pizza sounds yummy this will be the cookbook for you. I liked the kitchen essentials and kitchen secrets chapter in the beginning. I thank Cider Mill Press for the opportunity to read and review this cookbook!

Who doesn't appreciate a home-cooked meal? With 300 quick and easy recipes, you are certain to find something the entire family will enjoy. I appreciated the wide variety of meals offered, ranging from Korean, Italian, Japanese Indian, many more. Most of the recipes are simple, with easy steps and pictures to guide you in making a delicious meal. Many of the dishes new to me, such as Potjiekos, Dafina, and Doenjang Jjigae, as well as many everyday staples like Beef stroganoff and grilled cheese. My family particularly enjoyed the Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle soup, Swedish meatballs, and Banana Walnut French toast. There is something for every meal, including instructions on how to make your own Tortillas, Pizza Dough, and even Pickled Red Onions.
I appreciated that it included so many pictures that accurately represented the meals. However, I wish they were organized to find what you are looking for by chicken, beef, or even by ethnicity. This wonderful cookbook would make the perfect gift!
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much, and look forward to making some new recipes! The recipes were easy to follow and seems like something even a beginner cook would be able to make. The book is very well written and well organized!

This is a huge tomb with an excellent range of dinners that should suit all, though my family would throw a hissy fit if they were served Avocado Toast for dinner as some 'meals' were more snacks than family dinners.
I did like the descriptions of the different vinegars and their uses at the beginning and also some of the sauces in the appendix though that did seem a bit jumbled as though all the afterthoughts are thrown into one section. The index at the back was the savour as it was well catalogued with more than just the names of the dishes being there, each was also indexed by ingredient.
Overall it is a good reference book. Some of the recipes were simplistic and some had ingredients that could only be sourced via specialist shops (certainly the case in the UK), therefore this was more a basic coverall book rather than an inspiring one.

Colossal. With this book, you cannot run out of ideas for what to have for dinner.
It is titled Family Dinners but the recipes are easy to adjust to two or three people in general.
A very good selection of meals/recipes.

This book is a tome! Coming in at over 800 pages, there is something for everyone here. Separated into sections specific to how much time you have available, the recipes are an amazing mix of diets and cultures to inspire any cook. I especially appreciate that there are dishes that those who work from home can start during their lunch break and have ready when they clock out. The elevated section takes your cooking up a notch for special occasions, and From the Garden gives ideas for adding vegetables to the table for even the pickiest of kids. The appendix is a treasure trove of recipes for sauces, staples, spice mixes, and many more items that could be purchased allowing a full homemade meal should time and inclination lead you to that. The pictures included give a great example for plating and how the food should look. This one recipe book is a resource for the whole year. I read this ebook through NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great cookbook. It features a lot of recipes and they're all easy to make and delicious. They also require ingredients that are easy to find!

Immediately excited with the book photography, this was a great read. The recipes are well structured and easy to follow, and the book is well written, with both education and interesting tidbits. The first recipe on our table was the chili, shrimp and basil salad. The flavors were glorious, and it was well received by everyone at the table. The garden sesame noodles are spectacular, as are the korean chicken thighs and the tagine. For lunch tomorrow, we have made the curried chicken salad. On tasting, while making, I think it will be a hit! The recipes are simple, and the ingredient lists are not complex or hard to find in the regular store. I highly recommend!
Thank you to Cider Mill Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Everything looks yummy! Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this cookbook for an honest review.

I have been on a major cookbook kick recently, and “Family Dinners: The Ultimate Cookbook (Quick and Easy Weeknight Meals for the Whole Family)” by Cider Mill Press caught my attention because cooking during the work week can be super stressful at times.

This cookbook offers 300 quick and easy recipes that promise to satisfy the whole family. I was pleasantly surprised by the array of different cuisines and ingredients used so I could find just the right recipes to try with my family. I found the recipes were easy to follow with not too many steps from start to finish. Some of the meals had ingredients that were a little exotic and not in a standard pantry, but there were so many recipes to choose from that I could just skip over ones that I knew my family wouldn’t care for.

My favorite sections of this cookbook were Around the World and From the Garden. Since my family eats mostly pescetarian meals, I was pleased to see many meatless and fish-forward meals. The Crispy Salmon Rice was a major hit in my house with the sweet and tangy pomegranate sauce. Plus, it was super easy to put together since I had all the ingredients on hand. I have the recipes for Broken Past Soup, Garlic & Basil Baked Cod, Baked Egg Casserole, Turkish Pides, and Rosti Egg in a Hole on my upcoming meal plans for March!

I did deduct one star because my digital version didn’t include pictures of all of the recipes. I’m a visual learner and rely on the photos to know what the end product is supposed to look like, so I’m always a little disappointed when cookbooks don’t show pictures of all of the recipes featured.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this cookbook and highly recommend it to any home cook wanting to make a delicious home cooked meal for their family during the busy work week.

Very nice cookbook. I found many recipes I plan to make. The photo sin the book were really nice representations of the meals. This book would make a nice gift.

The good: The ingredients for recipes featured in this book are accessible. Anyone, in basically any town in North America can find the ingredients to cook most of the recipes in this book. The recipes are simple, directions are clear and easy to follow.

The bad: The book is completely uninspired. Boring recipes, poor images and photographs of dishes. Dishes are almost too simple- American Chop Suey? Are you kidding me. This particular recipe features only 4 ingredients- and I'm sure it tastes as boring as it sounds.

If you're looking for inspiration to feed your family- I'd give this book a miss.

"There's nothing better than a home-cooked meal." Which is true! I love making meals for my little family and I'm always looking to find recipes that might be easy to make yet delicious. There are a lot of nice recipes in this book, but it is a little overwhelming with so many recipes inside. There are not nearly enough pictures in this book, however, I think it would be difficult to produce a book like that.

There are lots of recipes from around the world, with some familiar (like cottage pie, roast chicken, pizza etc.) and others that may not be familiar to a lot of home cooks (diri kole, mansaf, and duck curry)

This is a pretty nice collection of recipes, especially of you're looking for an encyclopedia-type book.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I always admire cooking book, because there is a lot of love and a lot of thought that goes into them.
This one packs an impressive amount of recipes and suggestions to save your dinner, and provides a lot of ideas from simple to more elaborate.

I did feel a bit of disconnect between what I expected based on the title and the book presentation.
If I think of a family dinner, I immediately think messy, crowded, colourful and cheerful. I think of whipping up something that is healthy, filling, quick and easy and that can nourish several people for maybe more than a meal.
However, looking at some of the recipes and at the photos showing them, I missed this element. Some of the plates looked beautiful, just not what I would realistically prepare in the context of a family dinner. Having said that, this may easily be just me.

I appreciated the neat presentation and the initial index with the spices and tools that should not miss in a kitchen.

This is a great cookbook with easy homemade meals that families will love. This has a variety of recipes so is a good "base" cookbook for someone just starting a collection.

I liked the book and the general idea of it but I feel like some of the recipes were a bit too simple - I know it's the point of the cookbook but I mean it more as "unimaginative". For example, some recipes like a rib-eye steak on a buttered pan were just something I don't think anybody needs a recipe book for. However some of the ideas I really did like so it's fine overall.