Tried and Tasted:
A week of cooking from Tonight's
Dinner 2
Round two, four nights, four more dishes: what happened when Liaw’s Tonight’s Dinner sequel hit a real home kitchen.
The four recipes tested from Tonight's Dinner 2 by Adam Liaw.
Cooking from a cookbook is one thing, cooking through it is another.
Each week in Tried and Tasted I cook from a single cookbook. Not just one recipe, but a handful, tested over a week in real-life conditions. No pressure, no ratings, just honest reflections on what I cooked, how it went, and whether I’d make it again.
This week, I turned to Tonight’s Dinner 2 by Adam Liaw, the sequel to his popular weeknight cookbook. The focus here is on approachable, flavour-packed dinners that you can pull together after a busy day, with clever tips and shortcuts designed for real kitchens.
I wanted to see if Liaw’s promise of easy, satisfying meals really held up, and whether these recipes would survive the weeknight grind without losing their punch.
Here’s what happened.
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Liaw's Mushrooms on Parmesan Crusted Toast - Tonight's Dinner 2 pg. 39
Mushrooms on Parmesan Toast
In the Kitchen
I was a little surprised to see this recipe in the “light dinners” section rather than breakfast. For me, mushrooms on toast has always been a brunch dish. But I love mushrooms, it looked delicious, and the promise of being done in under 20 minutes was enough to convince me.
The salad came first. The dressing was just three ingredients whisked together, then tossed through fresh rocket. Simple, sharp, and straight into the fridge to rest while I worked on the main event.
For the mushrooms, Liaw suggests a clever trick: microwaving them briefly after slicing. This collapses the air pockets so they don’t guzzle up all the oil in the pan. It worked brilliantly. They came out shrunken and juicy, with a small puddle of mushroom liquid at the bottom of the bowl. I couldn’t bring myself to throw that away, so I set it aside to use later.
Into the pan went butter, garlic, and thyme, followed by the mushrooms. As they turned golden, I added a splash of cognac (Liaw’s optional suggestion) and then stirred through sour cream along with the reserved mushroom juices. The result was rich, creamy, and intensely mushroomy.
Meanwhile, I prepped the toast. Sourdough slices were buttered, dusted with freshly grated parmesan, and fried parmesan-side down until crisp and golden. Finally, it was just a matter of assembly: the parmesan toast as the base, piled high with the mushroom mixture, finished with rocket salad on top. I paired it with a glass of red wine, just as Liaw suggested, and it was the perfect complement to the earthy, indulgent mushrooms.
The Verdict
If I was a skeptic before, I'm certainly not now. Mushrooms on toast for dinner is a brilliant idea, and paired with a glass of red wine, it feels like an elevated, romantic meal for two. The mushrooms are rich and creamy, while the salad adds a fresh, lively zing. Light yet satisfying, it hits the perfect balance without leaving you feeling heavy.
Would I Make It Again?
Absolutely. I can see myself making this recipe again and again. It is the perfect meal for nights when you want something genuinely low fuss, light, and delicious. Ready in under 20 minutes, it’s an easy win that delivers on flavour, and is refreshingly affordable.
Worth Knowing
The sourdough loaves from the supermarket are a bit smaller than the one Liaw uses, so I went with two slices per serving instead of one, keeping the same amount of cheese and butter.
This recipe is easily scalable, and leftovers keep well in the fridge. When reheating, I mixed through a splash of cream to counter evaporation, though a little water works just as well.
Since the mushrooms sit atop crusty, toasted sourdough, a steak knife is best, as an ordinary knife will struggle to cut through.
Liaw's Japanese-Style Dry Curry - Tonight's Dinner 2 pg. 68
Japanese-Style Dry Curry
In the Kitchen
The recipe begins with slicing and dicing a fair amount of vegetables, all of which go into a pot to gently fry in oil for about ten minutes. Liaw suggests using a large saucepan, but even my biggest one felt like it would be too cramped, so I reached for a casserole pot instead. It turned out to be the right choice, giving everything room to soften and release its aroma.
Once the vegetables were tender and fragrant, I added in the mince and cooked it through until just browned. Next came the puree and water, which I stirred in thoroughly before bringing everything to a simmer. From there, it was a hands-off half hour of slow cooking.
While the curry simmered, I had time to get the rice on, clear away some dishes, and prepare the eggs. The recipe calls for jammy soft-boiled eggs, which are simple enough: boil the eggs in their shells, shock them in ice water, then peel once cool.
I stirred the curry occasionally to make sure nothing stuck. In the last ten minutes or so the mixture thickened noticeably, so it was important to keep things moving at the bottom of the pot. Near the end, I added in the peas followed by the Japanese curry blocks. With a good stir, everything came together into a thick, dry mixture. Once it started puffing gently at the surface, I knew it was ready.
To serve, I spooned the curry over rice, topped each bowl with a halved soft-boiled egg, and scattered over some fresh parsley.
The Verdict
This is a hearty, honest dish that feels both comforting and practical. To me, it ate more like a mince stew flavored with Japanese curry blocks than a true curry, but that isn’t a criticism. In fact, I could see this working beautifully over creamy mashed potatoes as well as rice.
Would I Make It Again?
Yes. This has great potential as a meal-prep recipe. It is simple to bring together and freezes well, making it perfect for pulling out on busy weeknights.
Worth Knowing
This recipe makes a lot. The book says ten servings, but I portioned mine into twelve, most of which went straight into the freezer to be used over the next couple of weeks.
The recipe also stands out from others in the book because the ingredient list does not specify preparation instructions. For example, it lists “2 carrots” rather than “2 carrots, diced into 1 cm cubes,” with the cutting instructions hidden in the method instead. While some cookbooks follow this format, it isn’t the style used throughout the rest of Tonight’s Dinner 2, and it reads more like an editing oversight from pulling recipes together without a standardised template.
Liaw's Red Curry Roast Cauliflower - Tonight's Dinner 2 pg. 100
Red Curry Roast Cauliflower
In the Kitchen
This was one of the most colourful and vibrant-looking dishes in the book, so I knew I had to give it a go.
There are two distinct parts to the process: roasting the cauliflower and making the curry. The cauliflower was quartered, drizzled with oil, and tucked into a hot oven, out of the way until the curry was ready.
The curry began with frying oil and coconut cream in a wok until it started to separate, then in went the curry paste. Between the smell of the cauliflower roasting and the sauce sizzling away, I knew early on this was going to be a good one. The sauce did spit quite a bit at this stage, so you may want to pull out a splatter screen if you would rather not keep wiping down the bench.
Once the paste had fried, I added the herbs, spices, sugar, and water, then left it to simmer for five minutes until everything was fragrant and well combined. Vegetables went in next: mushrooms first, then spinach, tomatoes, and corn.
The final touch was the remaining coconut cream, which turned the red sauce a vibrant orange and gave it a silky, creamy finish. After seasoning with salt and soy sauce, the curry was ready.
I served it in bowls with fresh rice, topped with two quarters of roasted cauliflower, and scattered with fresh green herbs.
The Verdict
My fiancé kept commenting on how delicious this meal was with almost every mouthful, so it is fair to say this is a winner. If you have ever worried that a vegetable curry might not be filling enough, this one will change your mind. It was so hearty I could not even finish my plate, but my fiancé happily cleared it for me.
Would I Make It Again?
Without question. Given how much our resident vegetarian loved it, this one will definitely be on repeat. His only request was that next time I chop the cauliflower into more manageable bite-sized pieces before serving, so a knife is not needed alongside the curry. A simple tweak that will make the meal even smoother to enjoy.
Worth Knowing
This dish keeps beautifully in the fridge. I stored the cauliflower separately so it would not go soggy, then combined everything in a bowl to reheat in the microwave before serving with fresh rice.
The curry also includes a number of inedible aromatics. They will not do you any harm, but they are not pleasant to bite into. Be sure to remove the star anise, lemongrass stems, and lime leaves before serving.
Liaw's Pork with Black Vinegar & Green Peppers - Tonight's Dinner 2 pg. 172
Pork with Black Vinegar & Green Peppers
In the Kitchen
This dish caught my eye straight away. Pork belly and black vinegar is such a bold, tempting combination that I knew it had to be good.
The pork belly begins with a quick marinade, mixed together by hand in a large bowl. The egg didn’t need whisking first, which surprised me, but it blended in easily and coated the meat well. After ten minutes of resting, the pork was dredged through cornflour, giving it the perfect base for a crisp, golden fry.
With the wok filled with oil and ready for deep frying, I started by cooking the green peppers and onion. The recipe said to blister them, but even with the oil at the listed temperature and a slightly longer cooking time, I could only achieve light browning. They still smelled wonderful, and once softened, I set them aside to move on to the pork.
The frying took three batches, which I found worked best. Watching the pork sizzle, bubble, and turn golden was extremely satisfying, and I knew the texture was going to be spot on. After each batch, I left the pork to rest in a sieve while the next batch cooked to keep the coating crisp.
Once all the pork was done, I carefully poured out the hot oil into a saucepan and put the ingredients for the sauce into the wok. It cooked down into a glossy, sticky glaze before the pork and vegetables went back in. A quick toss to coat everything, and the dish was ready to serve over rice.
The Verdict
This was absolutely delicious. The richness of the pork belly balanced perfectly with the warm, tangy black vinegar sauce. The pork was crisp and addictive, and the final dish was full of flavour and texture. I found myself sneaking bites while cooking because it was just that good.
Would I Make It Again?
Definitely. Pork belly is one of my favourites, and this recipe was a fantastic way to enjoy it. My brother-in-law is also a huge fan of pork belly and was very disappointed he missed out, so I think it will be on the menu the next time they come over.
Worth Knowing
The ingredients list has one teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a quarter cup of water, but this is not mentioned in the method. Since this would be for thickening the sauce, I stirred it in after adding the black vinegar ingredients and before returning the pork belly to the wok. It worked exactly as expected.
Leftovers do work with this dish, but you lose the crispy crunch of the pork belly as the sauce soaks in. Still tasty, just softer. I reheated mine in a wok with a splash of water, which helped keep a little more texture compared to the microwave.
The pork belly needs to have the skin removed. This can be fiddly if you haven’t done it before, so use a sharp knife and take your time. You will also end up with a slab of pork skin left over, which is far too good to waste. I froze mine for another day and plan to experiment with it in a future dish.
Tonight’s Dinner 2 offers a wonderful mix of flavours, textures, and techniques that make home cooking feel both exciting and approachable. From the rich, creamy mushrooms on parmesan toast to the bold tang of pork with black vinegar, each recipe brings something unique to the table. What stands out most is how achievable these dishes are, whether you are cooking for two, meal-prepping for the week, or simply craving something comforting and delicious.
What ties them all together is Liaw’s thoughtful approach, with clever little tips, practical shortcuts, and an emphasis on real, satisfying flavours. Each recipe has its own charm, but the common thread is ease without compromise, meals that feel special yet never fussy. For anyone looking to elevate weeknight dinners or add a little adventure to a simple meal, these recipes delivers on all fronts.
Want to Try It Yourself?
If Tonight's Dinner 2 sounds like your kind of cookbook, straightforward, flavourful, and perfect for everyday cooking, you can pick up a copy below. It’s the exact edition featured in this review.
I may earn a small commission if you buy via this link, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting City Slicker.
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