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- Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisineby Rick Bayless
Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle SauceThis is a great, easy sauce. Very roasty and rich tasting. But where it really turned the corner for me is mixing it with equal parts honey and using it as more of a glaze. We made the Sweet and Smoky Pork Chops from the "Simple Ideas" section (I love Bayless's quick little cooking ideas scattered through the book). With the addition of a little honey the sauce became one of those ones that cause you to want to dunk anything that happens to be on your plate in it. Which we did - crusty bread, fresh green beans, zucchini spears. The sauce would be great glazed on any meat, but I can also see mixing it into grains, or maybe with a little goat cheese as a cracker spread. I'm glad there is a half pint left over to play with!
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I love this book. Every time I read through it, I feel like I am being pulled between between memories of my grandmother's farm kitchen in rural Minnesota and my favorite ultra-hip restaurant in the Minneapolis - Lucia's. And every time I cook from it, I land happily in some magical place in between the two.
I once remember thinking that if the house were on fire and I had to grab only one cookbook, this would be the one. That said, it's important to note that I live in the upper midwest, so just about every ingredient called for...
- In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite: 150 Recipes and Stories About the Food You Loveby Melissa Clark
Surprise TatinThe best thing about this tart is the wonderful flavor combinations. Sweet, tangy, rich, and earthy all blended together in a delicate shell. And the second best part is that even though it sounds fancy, and looks fancy, it really is quite simple to make. Don’t let the length of the recipe fool you. Fry some onions, boil some spuds, prep the tomatoes and you’re basically set. The only mildly fussy step is making the caramel glaze for the bottom of the tart and even that takes all of 2 minutes (and 2 minutes well worth it!) An effortless puff pastry sheet for the crown and in the oven it goes. I made sort of a hodgepodge salad to accompany the tart, but I think some simply dressed bitter greens like arugula or endive would be dynamite.
4 likes Can’t Like Unlike Like 4 likes- How to Cook Indian: More Than 500 Classic Recipes for the Modern Kitchenby Sanjeev Kapoor
I'm leaning toward Mexican too. Maybe it could have something to do with all of the little chile, tomato and tomatillo seedlings that are taking over my living room?! I think cooking up some spicy Mexican cuisine sounds like an excellent way to spend the summer.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes - Plenty: Good Food Made from the Plentiful, the Seasonal and the Leftover with Over 300 Recipes, None of Them Extravagantby Diana Henry
Ditto to goldencrinkles. Seems like a great summertime book to explore.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes - Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakeryby Rose Carrarini
Lemon CakeLoved it! Very quick, easy, and lemony. I did have to bake mine a good 20 minutes longer than the recommended 35 minutes. One potential variable is that I was using homemade butter, which might have had a slightly higher moisture content. But I'm not sure if it would have made that great of difference in the baking time. Curious to hear if anyone else had similar issues. Nevertheless, it tasted divine.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesHot Gingernut BiscuitsOoh, ooh, ooh! I think I might have a new favorite cookie. I sort of baked these of of spite. I have been eagerly awaiting the first day of spring and so I was a tad put off this morning to wake to a fresh blanket of snow. After a quick tour outside, I came in determined to bake something warm and fiery. These little biscuits seemed like just the ticket. Plus I didn't have any eggs on hand, so I was especially happy to find an eggless recipe. I substituted a mild honey for the corn syrup and loved the result. As for the rest of the cookie, it has a slightly crisp exterior with a chewy interior. I did mix in the optional pinch of cayenne and it adds a perfect heat that sort of hits you after you've swallowed. These cookies are zingy and not overly sweet - my favorite combination. I opted to top the hot cookies with a bit of raw sugar – it looks pretty nestled in the crackly top and adds an occasional little extra crunch of sweet. So I guess at least a little thankful that we got a spring snow. But no matter what, I'm really looking forward to afternoon tea this week.
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Red Lentil Soup & Olive Biscuit CookiesAdd this cookbookI agree with KateP. (I think we are talking about the same soup). It's fast, super satisfying, improves with age, and I always have everything on hand for it. I also love the toppings and never would have thought of the olives and feta. Perfect!
Also adore the Olive Biscuit Cookies. So unusual, but so tasty too. I love serving these at parties, but I always set a secret stash aside for my next day's tea time.
- The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Centuryby Amanda Hesser
garlicpig voted for:Steamed Clear Chicken Soup with GingerI would not consider myself much of a chicken soup fan at all. But there are times when everyone needs a good tonic, and this recipe will be my new standby. It’s flavor is very grown up – not like any other chicken soup I have tasted. The broth is beautifully clear and infused with ginger. The chicken itself comes out amazingly tender and packed with the rich flavor of the broth. I substituted sake for the Shaoxing rice wine and would do so again. Thanks Helen for getting me to tag this one!No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesSalted Butter CaramelsMy mom and I made one last holiday treat last week. I am not a huge sweet (or caramel) eater, but these were especially tasty. Which I guess I could have guessed - given the cream and butter. But what really made it for me is the salt - both mixed in with the carmel, and a light sprinkling on top. If I ever have a need to make caramels again, these will be the ones.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesOlive Oil and Apple Cider CakeThe flavors of the olive oil and apples are lovely together. I made this on our weekly "local meal" night, so I made a few substitutions to accommodate. I used whole wheat flour - which resulted in a more industrial cake, but it works with this style of cake. The whole wheat also added a little nuttiness to the flavor, which worked well with the other flavors. And instead of white sugar, I used honey. I'm not sure if my egg and honey mixture achieved the same results in the whipping process if I would have used sugar, but the end result didn't seem too affected. I left out a little of the apple cider to compensate for the honey. The cake was moist and filled with subtle flavors. And better yet, I found the leftovers to be delightful - sliced, and lightly toasted with a pat of butter for a breakfast treat.
1 like Can’t Like Unlike Like 1 likeBademiya's Justly Famous Bombay Chile and Cilantro ChickenI made this for a diner party on Friday and it was fantastic. Our temperatures are in the single digits, so I wanted something that would heat people up and this did the trick. I liked the way the thick chile-cilantro marinade stuck to the meat on the grill. It formed a crunchy, spicy crust that was perfect. I served it with the cilantro sauce included in the recipe and with fresh limes, sliced onions, and a cooling plum chutney.
I also made the Stuck-Pot Rice with Yogurt and spices (a recommended serving suggestion), but I can't give it a vote. The flavors were very good, but I was disappointed that it didn't form more of a crust. Instead the extra oil used to coat the bottom of the pan just ended up making the rice a tad greasy. The idea of caramelized, crispy rice is appealing to me though - enough that I might even try this again and see if I can't perfect it.
1 like Can’t Like Unlike Like 1 likeStewed FennelI was in need of a fennel intensive recipe and this one fit the bill. I agree with Hesser that the title "stewed fennel" simply does not do the recipe justice. It's so much more than that! If you are a fennel fan, this is excellent. And even if you're not, you still might like it. The fennel sort of takes on a new life. I almost felt like I was eating warm, fennel marinated artichoke hearts. I served this alongside a baked penne with vodka sauce and we soon discovered the two were very good mixed together. I can also see using the fennel as a pizza topping with red sauce or even pesto and maybe a little ricotta.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesItalian SaladI enjoy salads with fennel so I gave this one a try. I was tight on time, so instead of chopping walnuts or anchovies, I opted for s squeeze of anchovy paste which worked out great. The salad was great - it could easily stand in for a Caesar. My only recommendation is to chill the romaine and stick the plates in the freezer while prepping. A salad like this deserves it. 1 like Can’t Like Unlike Like 1 likeSauteed Potatoes with ParsleyThees potatoes were a serving suggestion with the Broiled Lamb Chops I was preparing. Definitely not my usual cooking method, but oh, what a treat! My husband Mark put it best midway through the meal with an unsolicited "these potatoes rock my world" Crispy, buttery, potatoes – hard to go wrong. Instead of parsley I topped them with a mix of sprouted cress and radish seeds, which added a nice little zing. These will certainly grace our table again, most likely on some special occasion.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesBroiled Lamb ChopsThis was a surprising choice for me. Above all, I'm not a huge meat eater. If my memory serves correct, I've only eaten lamb once, and have definitely never prepared it. The method of cooking (broiling) was an equally surprising choice. I cook on one of those old school, gas, 20-inch apartment stoves that I got at a yard sale for $25 bucks. For the money, it has been an excellent piece of equipment. But frankly, the broiler scares the hell out of me. Nevertheless, I am participating in a local eating challenge that calls for preparing one completely local derived meal per week. So the timing seemed right to finally muster the courage to get at the local lamb chops that have been lingering in our deep freeze. And the ingredients fit the bill (olive oil is one of my non-local exceptions).
This is an incredibly quick and straightforward recipe. Both the prep and cooking are simple and straightforward. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole process. Raw meat generally give me the heebie-jeebies. But when I unwrapped these chops from the butcher paper, I was stunned at how impressive they looked. Small compact triangles of very lean, nicely colored meat. I actually liked looking at them. And the best part - lamb has flavor! Oh my. One of the reasons why I don't fancy meat is directly tied to the fact that I generally find it rather tasteless. But the chops had a very bold taste that I appreciated. I served the chops alongside the last of a tart cherry chutney I made for Thanksgiving and it was a marvelous combination.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likesand commented on:Lemon CakeI'm a lemon fanatic as well. I have this one marked to try. I also want to make the chocolate dump-it cake, which happens to be on the same page.No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes 
5 likes Can’t Like Unlike Like 5 likesJust ordered this based on other reviews and I have to concur with the overall sentiment. It's a gorgeous book – so much so that I am a little worried about brining it into the kitchen. I tend to be a little hard on cookbooks (I blame this on my teeny-tiny kitchen and lack of running water – things get out of control fast!)
The fun, cushy cover and the large matte photography make it a very tactile book. I love the quirky arrangement of the chapters and the classic line drawing sketches (similar to the cover art) that proceeds each...
7 likes Can’t Like Unlike Like 7 likesThe Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Centuryby Amanda HesserEven though I have put myself on cookbook probation (due mainly to space limitations) I went ahead and shamelessly ordered a copy. And I have no regrets. Turns out I might not actually need room for it on my cookbook shelf anyway, because so far it has moved from the coffee table, to my bedside table, to the kitchen table, etc. And I think it is a trend that will continue. Wow. Hesser has created a truly astonishing recap of 150 years of New York Times recipes and food history.
I'm loving the short stories that proceed many of the recipes,...
- The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Centuryby Amanda HesserFlat and Chewy Chocolate Chip CookiesI thought I was convinced to try the much talked about David Leite chocolate chip cookie first, but Amanda’s description of a flat, chewy, salty, and chocolaty cookie swayed me. And I’m so glad it did. Get in line David.
As with many of the recipes in the book, Hesser proceeds this one with a great story. The moral of which is to be sure you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is far less salty than other brands of iodized salt. I was so intrigued by the salt factor of these cookies that I gave my final two trays a sprinkling of coarse salt before putting them in the oven. My only regret was that I waited to try this until the end. I highly recommend it.
The cookies lived up to their description - flat, chewy, chocolaty, and salty. Sadly, I can also add the word "gone." Thumbs up!No likes Can’t Like Unlike Like No likes
