Kelly Senyei - The Secret Ingredient Cookbook

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook is about to become your not-so-secret weapon in the kitchen.

It began with chocolate chip cookies . When Kelly Senyei swapped out a portion of butter for cream cheese in her basic recipe, she created cookie magic: rich, chocolate-packed cookies that were perfectly soft and chewy in the center and tapered to a satisfying, crispy edge. They were the best-ever chocolate chip cookies, and theyve been baked and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of Kellys fans around the world.

As a chef and founder of the food site Just a Taste , Kelly has garnered millions of loyal readers with her delicious hookevery one of her recipes has a secret ingredient, something totally unexpected that elevates every dish from ordinary to extraordinary. In this debut recipe collection, she shares 125 innovative recipes that are sure to surprise and delight with their creativity and flavor. There are no gimmicks here: every secret ingredient serves a purpose. Some transform a dishs color or improve consistency, others provide health benefits or time-saving shortcuts; they all result in stand-out recipes that are bound to become new favorites.

This family-friendly cookbook covers every meal and every occasion, from crowd-pleasing snacks and 30-minute entres to make-ahead sides and holiday-worthy desserts. Some recipes are surprisingly simple, like Vanilla Bean Drop Doughnuts made with Greek yogurt, or Sweet and Tangy Baked Chicken Wings made with blackberry jam. Other recipes are nothing short of genius, such as Savory Caramel Corn made with bacon and thyme, Healthy White Chicken Chili made with hummus, and Salted Caramel Bread Pudding made with chocolate croissants.

Just because the secret ingredients are surprising doesnt mean theyre expensive or hard to find. Kelly is a busy mother of three, and shes made sure every ingredient can be found in any supermarket. With The Secret Ingredient Cookbook, youll impress everyone with these ingenious hacks that make for the most delicious dishes.

Copyright 2021 by Kelly Senyei

Photography copyright 2021 by Robert Bredvad

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

hmhbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Senyei, Kelly, author.

Title: The secret ingredient cookbook : 125 family-friendly recipes with surprisingly tasty twists / Kelly Senyei.

Description: Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020034231 (print) | LCCN 2020034232 (ebook) | ISBN 9780358353973 (hardback) | ISBN 9780358354260 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX714 .S464 2020 (print) | LCC TX714 (ebook) | DDC 641.5dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034231

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020034232

Book and cover design by Toni Tajima

Food styling by Kate Buckens

Prop styling by Maeve Sheridan

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To my Grandmom and my children. Thank you for inspiring me in the past, present, and future.

To Julio, my husband: Thank you for believing in me and this idea since Day 1. You are my best friend, the ultimate business mentor, the most rational sounding board, and the most thoughtful recipe critic. Heres to a million years (and late-night bowls of ice cream) together. I love you forever.

To Julian, Evan, and Dean, my children: I hope in the years to come you will enjoy cooking from this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you. You are my everything and my forever inspiration. I love you more.

To Noni and Drew, my parents: I am forever grateful for my two biggest cheerleaders and self-appointed marketing codirectors. You are the most selfless, nurturing, generous, and supportive parents who have given me the courage to grow my passion into a career. I love you both endlessly, but I will still have to charge you every time you use the phrase just a taste without my permission.

To Alison and Kevin, Grant and Becca, and The Siberios, my family: Thank you for all of your support over the years. I look forward to many more memorable meals together.

To Grandmom: Thank you for instilling in me the importance of cooking for those you love, and for teaching me that its always a good idea to have more than just a taste of doughnuts, pizza with pickles, and caramel-filled turtles. I love you.

To Libby Becker, my social media coordinator: Building a company with you by my side has been a true honor, not only as coworkers, but as friends. Thank you for always keeping me on track, giving me a gentle nudge to swing for the fences, and making this Dream Team come true.

To Peter Calley: It was a pleasure to have you by my side for the long hours of brainstorming, cooking, eating, tasting, and critiquing. Thank you for your thoughtful feedback.

To Stacey Glick, my literary agent: Thank you for believing in me and this book since our very first phone call. Your support has had a profound impact in shaping me as an author and businesswoman.

To Justin Schwartz, my editor: I am forever grateful for your confidence in me as a writer and chef. Thank you for guiding me so honestly and thoughtfully through this process.

To Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, my publisher: Thank you for bringing this dream to life and for the support of every individual who has been part of the journey.

To Libby, Joe, and Patti, my recipe testers: Thank you for cooking, tasting, and ranking your way through hundreds of recipes. I appreciate your thoughtful feedback and perfectionism.

To Robert Bredvad, Kate Buckens, Tiffany Schleigh, and Maeve Sheridan: Thank you for bringing my vision to life through your expertise in photography, food styling, and prop styling. I am incredibly thankful for your artistic contributions to this book.

To the Just a Taste community: Twelve years ago, we started a journey together that landed us here. I have loved watching our community grow and engaging with each and every one of you across so many platforms, from print to TV to the web. Thank you for your continued support in cooking and sharing the endless creations coming out of my kitchen. I hope this book provides more than just a taste of inspiration for your many meals and memories to come.

T he idea of recipes starring secret ingredients has been a cookbook concept Ive dreamt about for the past eight years. It all began while tinkering with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, swapping out a portion of butter for cream cheese. The resulting cookies had soft, chewy centers that tapered off into slightly crispy edges. They wereand still arethe , and theyve been baked and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of loyal fans around the world.