The Big Book of Dinner: Recipes and Rules (and How to Break Them)

Acclaimed New York Times food writer and James Beard Award–winning author Melissa Clark presents her ultimate guide to cooking just about anything, with 175 any-night recipes—plus 150 tested variations—and lessons to make cooking easy, intuitive, and a total joy.

Working with a chef’s creativity for flavor and a home cook’s sensibility for ease, Melissa Clark has been one of America’s favorite recipe creators for decades, helping millions make stunningly great food with flair and no fuss.

And now, with The Big Book of Dinner she gives you her ultimate treasure trove: all the recipes you need, the ways to riff off of them, and lessons you learn from them along the way to make you a great cook. She shares the building blocks that make these recipes work, so you’ll know exactly how to follow them to perfection, or how to go off-script if you want and to make it your own.

With Melissa’s friendly instructions guiding the way, you can take classic Italian-American Meatballs, and switch them up with aromatic spices reminiscent of Middle Eastern kibbe, or use them in an easy sheet-pan dinner with roasted vegetables. Super-quick Sweet and Spicy Chicken with Cumin and Honey can be transformed with ginger and marmalade for a fresh punch, or honey mustard and lemon for a different spin.

Throughout, there are signature Melissa favorites like Creamy Corn Pasta with Tomatoes and Chile Flakes, lessons on cooking the perfect steak or nailing a braise every time, plenty of vegetables and plant-based dishes, a baker’s dozen (and then some) of perfect desserts, and beautiful photographs for every recipe.

Whether you’re a novice in the kitchen or a longtime cook, a devotee of Melissa’s or just getting to know her, The Big Book of Dinner will be your cooking companion for a lifetime.