JustLaura's Favorite Members
Updates from JustLaura's favorite members
Terrific technique which I'm looking forward to trying with chicken and pork. I even overcooked the steaks to try and get enough color on the crumb coating, but the pounding out (and the coating) saved
more » 5th October 2022 "Effortless" is right; simple to prepare and delicious. It feels like there's more butter in this recipe than I'm used to - and as the nursery rhyme says, "butter makes the batter better."
more » 5th October 2022 This is a remarkably simple technique for a delicious fiery pepper puree. You can make it with green hot peppers (poblanos and jalepenos are more available to me than fresnos); the color gets muted but
more » 2nd June 2022 Basically a soda bread griddle cake. I think my technique needs work (and maybe the recipe needs more specificity) - I made my first batch way too thick and ended up having to cut them in half to get the
more » 28th March 2022 Pretty interesting concept. I didn't feel like I got a "bread pudding"; the egg layer and bread-and-zucchini layer were totally distinct. (And the zucchini layer was not nice to look at.) I feel like that
more » 8th July 2021 I was excited for the "borscht on a bun" concept of this burger. And ultimately, the beet slaw was pretty good (if underseasoned) and it was a pleasant burger topping.
But the poor rating is because the...
more » 8th March 202111th January 2021 A very nice recipe for this Irish fruitcake. Personally, I'd like it to have a bit more depth - some whole wheat flour might be nice, or a touch of molasses or dark brown sugar. But on the whole, with
more » 21st December 202021st December 2020 Is this "the best egg sandwich" I've ever had? It is not. Is it better than 80% of the omelets I've had, and 90% of the omelets I've made? It is. It's a wonderful exercise in textural contrasts, with soft
more » 6th December 2020 Very little effort and it makes a dish as good as you'd get in a restaurant (and better than some). I think it needs just a little hit of black pepper in the marinade, just to wake up the beef a little.
more » 6th December 2020 This is a fabulous technique, producing ribs which are ready to fall off the bone nicely perfumed with the spice and cooking liquid.
I say "cooking liquid" because I completely deviated from the recipe....
more » 4th December 2020 These were fine, but nothing to write home about. I had trouble with the extra moisture from the pumpkin throwing the cook time off; my first batch was definitely underdone and even the more done ones...
more » 22nd November 2020 Pleasant little snack. The orange flavor comes through more than I'd expected. It did take 4 minutes longer in my oven than the recipe said.
more » 21st November 2020 If, like me, you always seem to end up with more winter squash than you actually want, this is a pretty neat approach. I took some liberties with the recipe, and can report it works pretty well as a technique.
more » 29th October 2020 Good burger. Hit with my kid, so we'll be doing this again. I thought it was a little indistinct - the sweet potatoes and candied bacon are certainly nice, but they didn't exactly come together. Next time,...
more » 13th August 2020 Most of my ratatouille recipes are built in a skillet or pot. In this one, the vegetables are roasted first and then covered with tomato sauce. The result is that the eggplants, peppers and zucchini hold...
more » 7th August 2020 This was a delightful and easy shortcake recipe. These shortcakes seemed sturdier than the crumbly ones I often make. (That may be because my dough was too wet, but they turned out fine anyway.)
more » 12th July 2020 Cole slaw as a burger topping was OK. I like mayo on my burgers anyway, so cole slaw isn't much of a jump. Could have used some acidity - something like capers or a pickled jalapenos or a diced pickle...
more » 26th May 2020 Certainly the most Instagram-worthy chicken I've ever made; this was a pretty dish. And darn easy to boot.
Instead of tenting the bird, I just put the lid on my cast iron; I think that was a bad choice
more » 25th May 2020 Didn't follow the recipe exactly, but come on, it's egg salad; make it the way you like. It added some pleasant creaminess and a hearty egg flavor to the burger, but on its own, I don't think I'd do it...
more » 13th April 2020 As a dessert, honestly, I found this disappointing. It's OK, but it tastes too much like someone tried to make it "healthy". The caramel isn't ooey-gooey enough, the custard isn't rich enough, the rum
more » 23rd February 202023rd February 2020 The role of a panade is played by bulgur wheat (or another cooked whole grain) in this recipe, bringing moisture and adding nuttiness and texture that bread crumbs wouldn't. It's a neat trick and we were
more » 20th January 2020 Good burger. Will make again. Cheese, sauteed greens, and caramelized onions combine to make a soft, succulent topping for a burger perfect for a winter's night.
Also a very forgiving concept - I used...
more » 19th January 202029th December 2019 I've been making an ersatz Asian-ish salmon for a long time, with a doctored Hoisin/vaguely teriyaki-ish glaze. This recipe doesn't have that level of sweetness in it, but my family reports that's a good
more » 2nd November 20192nd November 2019 It's a neat take on a Thanksgiving burger - turkey, cranberry sauce, and blue cheese for some creaminess and spice. The apple I used added some generic sweetness but got lost; I wish I'd had a firm green...
more » 1st November 2019 Turns out I do like quinoa, if you cook it in enough half-and-half and cheese. Alton's right; this is squarely in comfort food territory.
This serves up a lot like the old classic broccoli and rice casserole,
more » 28th October 2019 Pretty good pudding. Nice with a few slices of pear or apple. It's a good strong chocolate bomb; use the best you can. I wanted it to set up a little more firm than it did; that may be because I added
more » 22nd October 2019 Very nice take on applesauce. I made it to use up some overripe pears, and it worked just fine. It's also amazingly easy, and using the microwave means no worrying about whether the fruit's going to scorch.
more » 22nd September 2019 This was only OK. I felt like something was missing from the sauce - like the pungency of lime and garlic cooked down too much in the slow cooker. Still, it's low effort and worth more experiments.
more » 21st September 201921st September 2019 OK, I took some liberties. Kind of a lot of liberties. It's still a good cake. I'm really impressed with the way the graham crackers don't go soggy (even after 2 days) but do soften into a cake-like texture.
I
more » 19th September 2019 It is a delicious baked custard, but I found my cherries lacking in flavor. I wish I'd taken the step to soak them in a liqueur (like the next recipe in the book states). Or maybe just a little cinnamon...
more » 14th July 2019 Frankly, I still don't love rhubarb. But I do like the fact that the rhubarb puree mixes with the uncooked strawberries in a way that preserves the fresh taste and texture of both, and doesn't go gloppy...
more » 20th June 2019 Excellent shortcakes. Just the right amount of sweetness while still having a good bit of biscuit texture to them. I let the dough get too wet and it was hard to work with, but that's just something to...
more » 20th June 2019 There are lots of different recipes out there for tasso, but here's one you can make in a day. It's just a 4-6 hour cure and a 2-hour smoke. (I did an overnight cure, which turned into more like 14 hours
more » 28th May 201928th May 2019 The radish-cucumber sauce is a neat idea. I disagree with the recommendation to use a microplane grater; we wanted a slightly larger grate to give more texture. This would be a great condiment on a more...
more » 28th May 2019 The radish-cucumber sauce is a neat idea. I disagree with the recommendation to use a microplane grater; we wanted a slightly larger grate to give more texture. This would be a great condiment on a more...
more » 28th May 2019 I don't particularly like rhubarb or muffins. But it's Mother's Day and my wife and son like both those things, so I roused myself and made them. They were really quite good!
The little chunks of rhubarb...
more » 12th May 201920th April 2019 The garlic puree/marinade has some good flavors; we actually let it sit overnight and that seems like a good choice. I was pleasantly surprised that the temperature and cook time did not dry out the pork
more » 5th April 2019 I love cacio e pepe, and I'm pretty sure this is the first recipe for it I ever tried. It's worth hunting down the video on this - the tempo at the end is a combination of do all the steps in quick order,
more » 25th March 2019 We're doing a winter CSA box, which is bringing a lot of winter veggies into the house which we don't actually buy by choice very often - turnips. rutabagas, and so much kale. We know we like colcannon
more » 10th March 201910th March 2019 Terrific recipe. Should go into my frequent rotation. I didn't let my roux go quite long enough, and I would have liked a little more of that deep dark flavor, but I bring this up because even with a roux...
more » 10th March 2019 Nice enough burger. (I used arugula instead of spinach, which was fine.) The instruction to reduce the lemon juice and red wine vinegar with the burgers is odd; it keeps the burgers from browning and the
more » 1st March 2019 Basically a blackened steak recipe, made in bite-size portions. This was a hit in my house, though we found using a commercial Cajun seasoning and slightly less meat than called for led to being significantly
more » 25th February 201925th February 2019 Pretty solid recipe. I might like a little more advice on good seasonings to add to the sausage. The technique of flouring the hard-boiled eggs to make the sausage stick to them better is genius and I...
more » 27th January 2019 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.
more » 10th December 2018 These were a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner. The chipotle powder and garlic help cut through the richness. If you're looking for a spicy savory alternative to a sugary sweet potato dish, this works well.
We
more » 25th November 2018 Yup, it's blanched cauliflower. Though I must admit salting the water is a good step.
more » 19th October 2018 Very successful in my house. A lighter treatment than a cheesy "au gratin" but the butter and tomatoes add some richness. It would be good with a piece of fish.
more » 19th October 2018 Nice approach; went over well with my family. Very similar to a paprikash, but I've not had pork served that way. I also like the more rustic sauce you get with the thinly sliced peppers, though I think...
more » 24th September 2018 I want to like the idea of this burger. But the directions for making chile rellenos were entirely too vague for me to follow successfully. They were greasy, the cheese leaked, it was a mess. Maybe if
more » 8th September 2018 A quick dish that's a good combination of flavors. The recipe could be more specific in places; when I make this again I'll be careful to keep the heat closer to medium, and to chop the kale a little smaller
more » 20th August 2018 Dead simple, but a pretty pleasant summer dessert. I might do a large chop instead of a slice next time; as the bananas cook they can become a little chewy (especially if they're not perfectly ripe yet).
more » 1st August 2018 It's "pigs in a blanket"; there's not much to it. But heck, it was fast and let me cook with my kid. (His review was that he'd rather figure out how to do corn dogs at home.)
more » 1st August 2018 These were fantastic burgers. The shredded gruyere and caramelized onions made a fantastic rich creamy topping. Flavoring burgers with onion soup mix is kind of a throwback... but honestly, it still works.
more » 21st July 2018 For some reason, I didn't love these kale chips. They were crispy but maybe a little too much so; seemed a little grainy as they broke up in my mouth. (Maybe early season kale is different than late season
more » 18th July 2018 Solid advice on how to make a good burger. I think my burgers have been too thick, not wide enough, and overworked, and following these steps may be helping.
more » 18th July 2018 Solid recipe for a basic bacon cheeseburger. I do like the burger technique in this book.
more » 18th July 201817th June 2018 It's a yogurt parfait; it's as good as your yogurt and berries are. But it's also a dish my kid can put together entirely on his own, and experiment a little with plating artistically. So points for that.
(Don't
more » 10th June 2018 Pretty darn good fritatta, really, especially for a "cooking with kids" book. I did make a half-recipe... except for the bacon, which I left at its normal proportion. (Which might mean this recipe should
more » 10th June 2018 Barely a recipe, more of a technique, but it went over gangbusters in my house. Bacon is topped with a layer of brown sugar and a crack of pepper before baking. I used substantially less brown sugar than
more » 8th April 2018 Pleasant; more of a technique than a recipe. Needs salt and possibly other seasonings. Generally a hit in my house; we had some debate over whether it needed a sauce or whether that would make the coating...
more » 4th March 201818th February 2018 A little lackluster. Using some corn grits to give crunch to baked wings was a neat idea, and I liked the little bit of corn taste, but my family didn't care for it. I also got a slight raw flour taste;...
more » 15th February 2018 My technique needs work, but I did enjoy making these and they were pretty tasty. Not having a spaetzle press, I opted for a tip from the comments to try piping the dough into the boiling water. I learned
more » 14th January 201814th January 2018 Every year, at Christmas or Thanksgiving, my wife says "we could make glazed carrots" and I say "we don't have a glazed carrots recipe" (meaning "I don't really like cooked carrots.") And she says "yes
more » 26th November 2017 Fun treatment for chicken. We didn't serve it with the brown butter sauce, but instead heated up a little tomato sauce and made an ersatz chicken parmigiana.
more » 7th November 2017 Not a bad recipe. Not quite enough sauce for my taste, but that might be another case of needing to bake in a wider pan. Could use some additional herb and spice notes.
more » 2nd October 201717th September 2017 I love fried tomatoes (especially fried green tomatoes), but my results have been decidedly hit-or-miss. Three small things will make this my go-to recipe. First, the flour is mixed with an equal amount...
more » 11th September 2017 Dead simple, does what it says on the tin. The coconut oil really does create a chocolate crust which will melt in your mouth. Of course Jeni would point out that it's as good as the chocolate you use;...
more » 27th July 2017 I'd call this a 4 for the ice cream - nice banana flavor. If you've got some leftover fruit purees from other recipes, you can use them well here - strawberry banana is good.
It's a two for the chocolate
more » 27th July 2017 I've tried to make sorbets before, and consistently come out with a granita at best and a frozen block of flavored ice at worst. But the instruction earlier in the book is spot on - churn to the consistency
more » 16th July 2017Have you ever made it with more strawberry puree? I feel exactly the same way (that it needs a bit more) and have exactly the same fear (that it'll go icy on me).
more » 5th July 2017 A very good ice cream, rich and lush. The cream and buttermilk combo gives a very interesting flavor. I'll agree with the comment that a little more strawberry flavor would be welcome. This is an ice cream...
more » 4th July 20171st July 2017 Worked pretty well, and made me less afraid of the time and effort needed for paella. Mine needed salt, and benefited from a drizzle of olive oil at the end. I also messed up by adding too many frozen
more » 13th May 201713th May 2017 Chef John's blog and video point out that you really should use russets on this recipe, and sure enough, I think Yukon Golds were too waxy to get a good crust. That said, it's a really neat approach -
more » 23rd April 2017 Nice loaf of bread. Mixed up particularly wet, which was odd for our house and weather; ended up adding a lot of flour to make it workable and a longer bake time to get it fully cooked.
more » 19th March 2017 The recipe as written looks like a cool way to whip up just enough cranberry sauce to coat a couple of pork chops. However, my wife believes in making always making enough cranberry sauce to put some up,...
more » 6th March 2017 I wanted to like this more than I did. At the end of the day, it was a pretty fair Swiss steak or even something like a pot roast. There wasn't enough Cajun seasoning called for, in my opinion, to give
more » 22nd January 2017 I didn't actually make the migas as directed, but the grits cakes which stand in for the tortilla chips are a big winner. (In a nutshell, cooked grits are spread out, cooled, cut, and baked.) I've added
more » 22nd January 201722nd January 2017 Good spongecake recipe, lightly flavored with orange. The outer edge of our cake came out just a hair tough, which might be related to the fact that we used a 10-inch pan instead of the 9-inch called for.
more » 2nd January 2017 With cream, Marsala, tarragon, and Swiss cheese, these are much sweeter than the "mushrooms stuffed with herb cream cheese" that I remember from family holidays. They are refined and delicious, if a tad...
more » 1st January 201729th December 2016 Shortbread cookies are layered with a simple chocolate icing and some almonds. It is a simple family treat; I can imagine this as something I'd make to dress up ingredients I had on hand anyway.
more » 29th December 201619th December 2016 I associate brines with salt, but this one is mostly sugar. That makes the turkey skin come out with a pronounced sweetness, almost similar to a sugar-cured bacon. It also gives an interesting flavor to
more » 19th December 2016