kcookie's Profile

From: Toronto,

Joined: April 23rd, 2010

About me: I love to eat. I'll eat pretty much anything as long as it taste good. Business school is occupying much of my time previously devoted to baking, but I still love to read cookbooks.


Latest review:

April 9th, 2013

Moroccan Spice-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Chops from All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

Lamb shoulder chops are very fatty and tasty. The meat was very flavourful and tender, but not much of it. I'd make this again but double the onions...they melted away to very little. Easy to put together... read more >


recipe reviews (24)
book reviews (1)
useful review votes (14)

kcookie's Reviews


Search Reviews:

24 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 24Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen

By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011

10th February 2013

Lemon-Zested Bulger Wheat

tasted like lemon poppy seed loaf - in porridge form
very thick-need to add a quite of bit of water.

useful (0)  


A New Way to Cook

By Sally Schneider, Maria Robledo
Artisan - 2001

Simple, delicious and hearty stew. It is fragrant and has really great depth of flavour. I like to serve it over rice and skip the caramelized onions half the time.

I like the stew quite thick so 40-50mins of simmering does the trick.

useful (1)  


17th October 2010

Lacquered Baby Back Ribs

Excellent moist and tender meat. Of course, the longer you marinate the ribs the better.

useful (0)  


The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen

By Nigel Slater
Fourth Estate Ltd - 2007

These zucchini cakes are delicious and easy to make. The only problem is that they are very delicate and fall apart easily.

useful (0)  


Jerusalem

By Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
Ebury Press - 2012

This dish took almost two hours to put together including cooking time. I had to breakdown chicken leg (4) and a whole breast so the dish should take 1.5 hours if you use chicken thighs.
I omitted the currants (my bf doesn't eat them) and the greek yogurt garnish. The fresh herb mix (parsley, dill and cilantro) is a must, it really makes the dish.

The rice and chicken were delicious, not too greasy, very flavourful and great for leftovers. I served this with a kale salad.

I would make this again, no changes.

useful (4)  


Simple to make. The combo of butternut squash, za'atar & tahini are really good together.

-I peeled the squash before roasting it
- I didn't use pine nuts, subbed in roasted almonds instead

useful (3)  


How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food

By Nigella Lawson
Wiley - 2002

2nd May 2010

Pea Risotto

Nigella's pea risotto recipe is a really flexible. It is quick and cheap to make, you can make it as is or add what you like. I add mint and garlic to it and use whatever homemade stock I have on hand. Stock from smoked ham hock is delicious wtih this recipe.

useful (0)  


Happy Days with the Naked Chef

By Jamie Oliver
Michael Joseph - 2001

This is an easy summery salad to make on the grill.

useful (0)  


7th March 2011

Chilli con Carne

I love this chilli recipe. It has a rich, deep flavour from sundried tomatoes and cinnamon.

useful (0)  


Fresh at Home

By Ruth Brown
Penguin Global - 2005

2nd May 2010

tahini sauce

Tahini sauce is easy to make. It is a great sauce for steam vegetables and brown rice. You feel healthy eating it.

useful (0)  


Forever Summer (Style Network's)

By Nigella Lawson
Hyperion - 2003

Very, very easy to make. Toast the peppercorns in a dry hot pan before grinding them, it adds warmth to the flavour.

useful (0)  


This a great dish to pack for lunch. Easy to pull together the night before.

useful (1)  


I found the salmon cooked very quickly, about a minute per side. It is also really sweet, candy-like.

useful (0)  


Fine Cooking
(March, 2004)

 

8th October 2012

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake was as hit among 9 adults. The cream cheese icing was light, fluffy and not too sweet. The cake was moist without being too oily and had a really nice balance for flavours. The roasted walnut oil is a must.

adaptations:
I don't have a food processor, so I grated the carrots and combined the wet ingredients in a standing mixer with a wire whip.
In the frosting I used half full fat cream cheese and half light cream cheese.

useful (0)  


Feast: Food to Celebrate Life

By Nigella Lawson
Hyperion - 2004

15th December 2011

Andy's Fairfield Granola

I love this recipe because it uses very little oil (2 tablespoons sunflower oil) compared to many other recipes for granola and there are lots of different flavours and textures. The apple sauce, honey, brown sugar and brown rice syrup helps the granola clump to together. It is sweet but not too sweet.

If you substitute the golden syrup for brown rice syrup I'd decrease the amount by 10 to 15 g.

Very easy to make especially if you have a kitchen scale.

useful (1)  


Everyday Harumi

By Harumi Kurihara
Conran - 2009

The toasted sesame seeds smelled amazing when I grinded them in the mortar. The sauce is quite sweet, I may use a tad less sugar next time. Very good with boiled green beans and chinese long beans.

useful (1)  


Chocolate and Vanilla

By Gale Gand, Lisa Weiss
Clarkson Potter - 2006

This was very good. The balance of light vanilla cake/chocolate glaze/ thick custard is really nice.

useful (0)  


Canal House Cooking Volume No. 4: Farm Markets & Gardens

By Melissa Hamilton, Christopher Hirsheimer
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 2011

The parsely and toasted walnut sauce is simple, delicious and versatile. I served it with pan-fried haddock for dinner and then the leftovers with pasta the next night.
I made the sauce in a mortar and pestle, for some textural contrast, and added a squeeze of lemon at the end.

useful (0)  


The Cake Bible

By Rose Levy Beranbaum
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1988

I agree with the commenters above. This is a great cake. Light crumb, great flavour and texture. And easy to make.

useful (0)  


The Bread Bible

By Rose Levy Beranbaum
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2003

7th March 2013

Sticky Caramel Buns

Delicious buns, the dough takes a few hours to rise and proof but well worth it. The caramel is fantastic on its own.

Will make again.

useful (1)  


The Best Soups And Stews

By Editors of Cooks Illustrated
Best Recipe Series - 2006

7th March 2011

New England Fish Stew

I made the fish stock (page 77) with this too, which made the process very time consuming. The resulting stew wasn't worth the trouble.

useful (1)  


Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2008

10th September 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cookies are pretty basic. They aren't as sweet as many chocolate chip cookie recipes. The recipe makes exactly 24 cookies with a 2tblsp scoop.
If you like a soft and chewy cookie this is for you. I prefer a crispier chocolate chip cookie.

useful (0)  


Anne Lindsay's New Light Cooking

By Anne Lindsay
Random House Canada - 2006

7th March 2011

Creamy crab dip

The flavours do not meld together. The dip is very runny. I think a baked or stovetop warm crab dip would be much better.

useful (1)  


All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

By Molly Stevens
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2004

Lamb shoulder chops are very fatty and tasty. The meat was very flavourful and tender, but not much of it. I'd make this again but double the onions...they melted away to very little.

Easy to put together before braising.

useful (0)