hipcook's Reviews
8 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 8Sort by: Title 
| Date | Rating
Moosewood Cookbook
By Mollie Katzen
Ten Speed Press - 1992
Cheese Beans : page 154
A recipe with good bones. I'm sure I'll be returning to it, with some tweaks perhaps to my ingredients and the recipe. Specifically, I cut the chili powder in half, to make sure my son would eat it. Not only will I use the whole amount next time, I might add something like a cubanelle pepper for a little more kick (and texture).
The mix of beans, cheese, tomato, and apple is like an interesting take on chili. Unfortunately, the Granny Smith apples I used were light on flavor. (Maybe that's what I get for buying apples in March in Ohio.) Next time, I might use a sweeter apple (although trying to keep the acidity and the way Granny Smith holds its shape).
Next time, I will also probably switch to a white bean, maybe Great Northern beans. This is not an appetizing recipe to look at. The red beans and light brown cooked apples just don't work for me.
This all sounds really critical, but it was hearty and rich, good for a main course (maybe served with rice) or a side dish (I enjoyed it with a pork loin roast). And it smells like a miracle coming out of the oven. I like it enough to make again, in fact, enough to put my own stamp on in future.
useful (2)
Curried Squash and Mushroom Soup : page 12
We made this without the mushrooms, which were missed, but it made a nice somewhat spicy soup. I tend to find butternut squash soup too sweet, but the heat and lack of dairy in this one seemed to help.
useful (0)
Pasta al Cavolfiore : page 163
Possibly the recipe which taught me that not all pasta is served in red sauce, and definitely the recipe which taught me that vegetarian entrees can make a whole meal. Spaghetti served with cauliflower, cheese, tomatoes, and spice - a delicious, hearty, satisfying dish.
useful (1)
Russian Cabbage Borscht : page 27
It was only recently that I tasted borscht for the first time, and I knew I had to learn how to make it. It's fantastic comfort food; satisfying and rich, with balanced sweetness from the beets.
This recipe has the added benefit of being dead easy to make, especially if you let the food processor do the chopping like I did. (Like Queezle_Sister, I found some of the beet and carrot pieces too big at the end of cooking, so I hit it with the immersion blender to break them down a bit.)
I'll add a serving suggestion: horseradish. It adds a pleasant note of heat and a touch of acid to the soup. And don't forget a loaf of black bread.
useful (1)
Satyamma's Famous Cauliflower Curry : page 173
I didn't care for this at all. The curry struck me as sandy, which I blame on the ground coconut. It was also somewhat bitter and unbalanced toward the pungent side of cloves, cumin, and cayenne. My wife thought it showed promise for further experiments (like substituting coconut milk for coconut flakes). I'd start with a new recipe... so we'll average those opinions and call it a 2.
I feel like this is a recipe which shows its age badly. One of the things that struck me is that, in 1977, you probably couldn't get decent curry paste or powder in most supermarkets. In 2011, I'm quite sure I could make curried cauliflower that's just as good or better with off-the-shelf ingredients, and I live in the sticks.
useful (1)
Solyanka : page 139
I'm a fan of potatoes and cabbage, so this dish caught my eye. With cider vinegar and 3 forms of tart dairy (cottage cheese, yogurt, and sour cream), it's a very rich dish but with a refreshing zing.
I certainly enjoyed it, but my family thought it was only OK. They prefer colcannon, which has the benefit of being a little less work. But I think I'll be tinkering with my colcannon recipe to see if I can get a little acidity into it, thanks to this recipe.
This is the second recipe in Moosewood which I think could be simplified by making it in a large (very large!) oven-safe skillet, or doing the sauteeing in a dutch oven. No sense dirtying 3 pots when 2 would do!
useful (3)
Spinach-Rice Casserole : page 121
As a main course, this was disappointing. Hearty to be sure, but bland. It's certainly in the "comfort food" genre, but didn't quite make it for me... it got boring before it got homey. I might make it again as a side dish for a potluck, but not as an entree.
A warning - use your biggest pot. 2 pounds of raw spinach is a lot, as is 4 cups of cooked rice.
useful (3)
Stuffed Squash (with Apple Filling) : page 128
I'm giving this a slightly higher rating than I think it deserves, because I suspect I made an important (and negative) change to the recipe by using ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. Truth is, I don't like stuffed squash very much, and this only seemed average to me. I am glad I used the optional handfuls of raisins and chopped pecans; they added good texture and flavor. (The recipe says walnuts, but as far as I'm concerned, every recipe which calls for walnuts is better with pecans.) All in all, not a bad way to make stuffed squash, just not exceptional.
useful (0)