I’m always drawn to cookbooks that promise to make everyday cooking easier.

After all, most of us want something good for dinner without turning the kitchen upside down or spending hours preparing it.

Danielle Alvarez’s Made Simple delivers plenty of that. The recipes are fairly straightforward, but they do have some twists. The recipes are sensibly family-sized, often serving four to six people, and she’s good at taking something familiar and giving it a bit of excitement. That’s often all it takes to turn an ordinary dinner into something everyone looks forward to.

What I particularly appreciate is that the recipes feel achievable. You don’t need to be a restaurant chef to make it, even though Alvarez has that background. There are recipes for nights when you just want to feed everyone, as well as dishes that would be perfect to put in front of friends.

But I do have a complaint about the book itself. Once again, we’re chopping and changing font sizes, and I didn’t think the line graphics added anything.

Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I think a cookbook should be easy to read. Give me a decent type size, clear instructions, and a layout where I can find the ingredients easily.

The good news is that the recipes more than make up for my frustration. There’s plenty of variety, and the simple ideas with a little extra flavour are exactly the sort of things I can see myself returning to.

I’d happily recommend Made Simple for its recipes. It’s a practical book, with enough interesting touches to refresh some everyday favourites.