One of the most innovative ways to express ourselves is through cooking. We may not all be chefs, but coming home after an 8-hour workday and letting our creativity run wild while cooking dinner can be very pleasurable. Mark Bittman recently published a unique cookbook that offers more than 700 customizable recipes. The Kitchen Matrix brings joy back into a part of our live’s that can sometimes become mundane through it’s endless possibilities.

The graphic designer in me needs to first comment on how beautifully simple the photographs and layout appear. You can tell how much time was put into this publication. The book is organized with fun charts that help you understand each recipe’s customizability. For many sections, there is one model recipe with several variations listed afterwards. I find the layout to be inspiring; every page is a little different which makes this cookbook so original.

My biggest takeaway from this book was learning what ingredients paired well together. From there you can let your imagination run wild and create a soup, sandwich, pancake, spring roll, etc. Bittman also concentrates on individual foods and the different recipes you can create based on several cooking methods. Do you enjoy asparagus? There are 12 recipes broken up by steaming, roasting, stir-frying, and grilling. This arrangement is brilliant.

I was very excited to see there is a section of 20+ recipes dedicated to Thanksgiving leftovers. With the holiday being less than 3 weeks away, I’m already dreaming of the food (especially the stuffing). My family always sends me home with leftovers, but I can only make a turkey sandwich so many times. Bittman has broken up Thanksgiving leftovers into four categories: Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce. I will absolutely be trying a couple of these recipes and sharing them with you later this month!

I can honestly say that I’ve never picked up a cookbook quite like The Kitchen Matrix which is why I’m giving it 5 out of 5 stars! I have read through this once already, but can easily see myself exploring the pages time and time again. For someone who is just beginning to cook, this book may be a bit overwhelming until they have the basic techniques down. However, for any other home-cook that is looking to spice up their everyday recipes, this cookbook is an absolute must-have. Become inspired by a few new ingredients and turn you dish into a masterpiece!

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Please note, I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.