📚 Book Review
Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook
By Joshua Weissman – #1 New York Times Bestseller
🧑🍳 Introduction
In a saturated world of polite, health-obsessed, compromise-heavy cookbooks, Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook crashes through the door with brash confidence, culinary passion, and a hard reset on what it means to truly cook. You won’t find shortcuts, calorie-counting, or culinary hand-holding here. Instead, Weissman invites readers into a bold, technique-driven, no-excuses journey into real cooking—from scratch, with intention, and unapologetically.
This cookbook is more than a collection of recipes. It is a culinary manifesto—a reflection of Weissman’s personality, humor, training, and obsession with flavor, precision, and authenticity.
📖 Structure and Organization
The book is organized into sections that reflect the natural evolution of a cook’s journey—from the simplest foundational recipes to more complex, layered meals. Rather than using typical categories like “breakfast” or “entrees,” Weissman structures the content around core building blocks, including:
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Breads and Baking
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Homemade Basics (condiments, sauces, stocks)
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Proteins (from pan-roasted chicken to perfectly seared steak)
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Full Meals
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Elevated Comfort Foods
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From-Scratch Alternatives to Store-Bought Staples
This progression reflects Weissman’s philosophy: to cook well, you must understand technique, not just follow steps. The book encourages a hands-on relationship with food, urging readers to make what they can at home—from mayo to pickles to sourdough bread.
🥩 Culinary Philosophy
Weissman is loud, opinionated, and unfiltered—and that’s precisely what makes this cookbook both refreshing and powerful. His message is clear:
“If you’re going to cook, do it properly. Stop cutting corners. Respect the ingredients. Learn the methods.”
There’s no room for canned sauces, pre-shredded cheese, or store-bought pasta. Instead, Weissman insists on building everything from scratch—not for elitism, but because that’s where the flavor lives.
He doesn’t just tell you what to do—he teaches you why it works. This emphasis on understanding transforms passive recipe-following into active learning.
🔪 Recipes and Techniques
The recipes are precise, layered, and flavorful. Each one reflects Weissman’s formal culinary training and his obsession with perfection. Some examples include:
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Homemade Brioche Burger Buns
Fluffy, buttery, and golden—miles ahead of any supermarket option. -
From-Scratch Fried Chicken Sandwich
A multi-step, flavor-packed process involving homemade pickles, fresh buns, and buttermilk-brined chicken. -
Perfect Seared Steak with Compound Butter
Technique-forward and deeply satisfying. -
Ramen from Scratch
Yes—noodles, broth, tare, and toppings—all made by hand. -
Deep-Fried Mac and Cheese Balls
Over-the-top, indulgent, and glorious.
Every recipe balances boldness with precision. Measurements are exact. Cooking times are tested. Temperatures matter. While that makes the book less beginner-friendly, it rewards those who dive in with exceptional results.
📸 Photography and Presentation
Visually, An Unapologetic Cookbook is as bold as its author. The photos are high-quality, full-page, and often hyper-saturated—presenting the food in a raw, unfiltered, and mouthwatering style. There’s minimal food styling. No fake steam or pristine countertops. Instead, readers get messy tables, overflowing sauces, and indulgent drips of cheese—just like real cooking.
The design embraces Joshua’s personality: expressive fonts, bold headings, punchy comments in the margins, and even the occasional meme-like humor. It reads like a conversation between friends—one who happens to be a chef and isn’t afraid to roast you for using jarred garlic.
🎙️ Authorial Voice
Joshua Weissman’s voice is as distinct in print as it is in his viral YouTube videos. Sarcastic, direct, and sometimes intentionally arrogant, he dares the reader to step up their game. But beneath the attitude lies a deep passion for food and teaching. He wants you to cook better, not because it’s trendy, but because food deserves it—and so do you.
Phrases like “store-bought? Don’t insult me.” or “don’t be lazy” appear often, but they come off as part of a larger persona rather than genuine derision. Readers who enjoy irreverent, energetic delivery will feel empowered and entertained.
🧑🏫 Educational Value
One of the strongest features of this cookbook is how much it teaches. Even if you don’t cook every recipe, you’ll learn:
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How to knead, ferment, and bake dough properly
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Why resting meat matters
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How emulsification works in sauces
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The role of temperature control in searing and frying
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Flavor layering principles
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Homemade pantry staples that outperform store-bought versions
This makes the book not just useful—it becomes a culinary reference guide. Weissman’s tone may be casual, but his instructional content is rigorous.
🎯 Who It’s For
This book is perfect for:
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Intermediate to advanced home cooks ready to level up
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Fans of Weissman’s YouTube content seeking deeper dives into his methods
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Food nerds who love mastering cooking science
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Ambitious beginners who are patient and willing to learn
It’s not ideal for:
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Readers looking for 15-minute meals
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Strict calorie-counters or diet-restricted cooks
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Beginners unwilling to make ingredients from scratch
🔄 Repeat Value
Many cookbooks lose their appeal after a few recipes. Not this one. Because of the layered techniques and complex builds, each recipe can be revisited, adapted, and mastered over time. The recipes are not made to be quick—they’re made to be worth it.
For instance, you may start with his burger buns. Then try them again with a variation. Then build the full burger with his scratch sauces. And then host a dinner using his fried chicken methods. The book becomes a long-term cooking project.
📚 Final Thoughts
Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic Cookbook is not a collection of shortcuts. It’s a culinary challenge wrapped in humor, attitude, and a deep respect for good food. Weissman delivers exactly what he promises: bold recipes, bold flavor, and a bold mindset.
This isn’t just a book—it’s a commitment to better cooking. You will learn. You will improve. You might even offend a few dinner guests with how good your food becomes.
Unapologetic? Absolutely. Worth it? Without a doubt
