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From: New York, NY

Joined: June 6th, 2010

Chicken Fricassee with Meatballs from Back to Square One: Old-World Food in a New-World Kitchen

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bhnyc's Reviews

51 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Title | Date | Rating

Ad Hoc at Home

By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2009

Simple and delicious- but I did not add the butter. Like the other reviewer, I also slice these and use them in salad. The light bulb tip is so helpful and makes cleaning the beets so easy.

useful (0)  

I thought this was very good but not great. Like many recipes in this cookbook, this takes a while to prepare. I didn't think it was really necessary to saute the mushrooms as specifically as called for. Once they are in the sauce, I don't think anyone would be able to tell the difference.

This made a lot of sauce so I didn't toss the pasta with all of it, and instead, served the extra at the table. This turned out to be a good decision because the pasta absorbed most of the sauce so it was nice to be able to add more.

This makes a lot more than four servings. Now the extra sauce will be good on the leftovers tomorrow.

useful (1)  

I made this to use on the Iceberg Lettuce Slices. So much effort goes into making this dressing that as I was making it I was convinced that I would never be making it again. You use the recipe for the Buttermilk Dressing but first you have to make garlic confit (which takes at least 40 minutes plus cooling time) to get the oil that then gets used in aioli. Then you have to make the aioli which gets added to the dressing. Ugh. My aioli never emulsified- I tried four times. Finally I just went out and bought it. The Point Reyes cheese is so good (and reminds me of my vacations to that area of California.) When all was said and done, this is really good but very rich (buttermilk, aioli, creme fraiche). If...if...I make it again, I would go straight to the purchased aioli and not even bother making it. That would cut down considerably on the time it takes to make the dressing and I bet the flavor isn't really affected.

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I made this for the Catalan Beef Stew. It was pretty easy to prep and could be made ahead. Like the other reviewer, I did not use cheesecloth and it worked out fine without it. It made extra braising liquid which I will freeze to use later.

useful (1)  

This was very good but not great. I wanted to make this on a work night but knew that I would never have the time to brine it and cook it after work so I made the brine ahead of time and froze it in a Ziploc bag. Then I defrosted it and brined the meat the night before.

Based on the other reviews, I was really careful about the brine time. I ended up leaving the pork in the brine for just under three hours and rinsed it off right away. Then I dried it off and left it in the refrigerator overnight. All I had to do after work was take the meat out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before I cooked it.

I was so worried that I would overcook the pork that I took the temperature after 15 minutes instead of 20. I am glad I did. It was 137 degrees in that time which was perfect.

I did make the Cured Lemons two weeks ahead of time. I wasn't sure I was going to like them because I didn't love their smell. On their own, they tasted a little too sweet and salty. However, they did taste really good with the pork so I am glad I made them.

Given all of the salt in the brine and in the lemons, I did not add any additional salt to the pork. I am glad about this because it was plenty salty but not too salty.

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Yum. Your home will smell so good while this is baking. It is delicious! However, the amount of butter in it is scary!

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These are very good. When you cut the crust off, save the slices to use for a sandwich. My croutons took much longer to cook than indicated. Just watch them carefully.

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These biscuits are really, really good. The recipe makes a lot. I cut them into 12 but they could have been much smaller. These are especially good with the peach puree (p.249). Yum!

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The Buttermilk Dressing is the base for the Blue Cheese Dressing that is used with the Iceberg Lettuce Slices. As I wrote in my review of the Blue Cheese Dressing, this takes a lot of time to make- you have to make garlic confit oil and aioli first. Save yourself time and purchase a good quality aioli to use. I might prefer this dressing to the Blue Cheese Dressing.

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This was OK- nothing special. It was an easy enough recipe to make. I liked that the fennel was blanched before it was sauteed. It was good but not a stand-out.

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Another simple recipe that is really delicious. I had never used a brine for seafood before but this was really easy. I did not add additional salt as directed because of this, and I am glad I didn't- they were plenty seasoned. I like my scallops barely cooked through but in the time it took to caramelize them, they were a little more cooked than I would have liked. I might not have had the heat high enough, though the clarified butter was starting to burn by the time I was done. I have extra tarragon sauce from the Ad Hoc tarragon chicken recipe I cooked the other day and I bet that would be delicious over the scallops.

useful (1)  

This takes some planning ahead to make because you have to make the recipe for the Braised Short Ribs. I had soffritto in the freezer from the last time I made it which was a huge time saver. Given that with most stews all the ingredients cook together for a while, I was surprised that in this recipe all of the components are cooked separately and then only cook together for about ten minutes. I have to say, maybe because of this, I didn't think the flavors blended all that well together. I had high hopes for this and they weren't really met, unfortunately.

Update: To give credit where credit is due- this was MUCH better the next day.

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This was the perfect accompaniment to the pan-roasted halibut. Delicious and flavorful. Just use less salt than called for!

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This brine is really easy to make and added a lot of flavor to the Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers. It can be made ahead which is nice. It took me a while to get used to the scent of it- the lemon, honey and herbs smelled like a throat lozenge! I was a little worried that the chicken would taste like one too, but it was actually a really nice flavor. Because of the amount of salt in the brine I did not add additional salt to the chicken and it was still perfectly seasoned.

Update- when I made this in the beginning of August, I froze half of the unused brine for future use. Tonight I used it and it was as good as it was in the beginning of the month.

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This was really good. The lime salt was a nice touch- as were the chives. I love the tip that the extra salt can be stored in the freezer.

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This was the soup we served at Thanksgiving and it was a nice alternative to the butternut squash soup that we usually have. It was delicious.

The beet chips took a lot longer to cook than the recipe stated. I also had to use considerably hotter oil. Make extras because they are good to snack on- like Terra chips.

I used Keller's Brioche Croutons instead of torn bread for this and added chives for a garnish. I also used half and half instead of cream.

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I made this after reading all of the positive reviews here. It did not disappoint. So, so good! The lime with the corn was fabulous- as was the touch of cayenne. I did not use as much butter or cream as was called for and this was still unbelievably delicious!

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This is really, really good. It is relatively easy to make. You can prep ahead of time and then cook it pretty quickly. It is also fairly economical and worthy of guests. My one complaint is that the recipe calls for three large heads of fennel to yield about three cups of it sliced. Three large heads were much too much so I only used the three cups and didn't put the rest in. It was a waste to have purchased so much. However, the braised fennel was one of the best parts of this dish and we wished there had been more of it. I would suggest adding at least four cups of it instead of three. I would also add a few more strips of lemon peel. Unlike the other reviewer, my chicken did not need to cook longer than twenty minutes. In fact, the timing was perfect. Mine did take longer to brown, though. The chicken rendered a lot of fat so I really had to skim before serving. Placing the thighs under the broiler is really important or else the skin is soggy. This dish was perfect with plain old, simple, steamed green beans. So good!

useful (2)  

Hmmm...the jury may still be out on these. I made them two weeks before I wanted to use them. As I checked on them, I have to say that I really didn't like how they smelled or tasted (I tasted a little of the solution)- salty, sweet and sour, but in a bit of an odd way. I really love lemons and anything lemony so it surprised me that I didn't think these were so great. I will say, though, that I made them specifically to use on the Brined Pork Tenderloin and that they were really good in that dish.

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This is a lovely summer salad. The Peach Puree (p. 249) in the dressing is a really nice touch. I didn't have red endive so I used radicchio instead. I also substituted toasted slivered almonds for the Marcona almonds. Delicious.

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The Fig and Balsamic Jam is a component of the Fig-Stuffed Pork Loin. When I first read the recipe I laughed that it is listed under the 'Lifesavers' section of the cookbook. It seemed so funny that a jam would be a lifesaver! However, after tasting it, I could see why you would always want this on hand! It is delicious.

I could not find fresh figs so I used dried which I soaked in a little brandy first. I used slightly less sugar than suggested too. The recipe makes a lot so what I didn't use for the pork I served with a cheese course. So good on crackers! There was still some leftover. Good thing it keeps for up to a month!

useful (2)  

This is very good. I brined it for 8 hours instead of 10 because I was nervous that it would be too salty. It tasted fine and probably didn't need to go longer. The steps for stuffing it were easy to follow though the steps for tying the roast left me a little confused. This had to cook quite a bit longer than instructed. I kept taking the temperature and it didn't cook evenly.

The Fig and Balsamic Jam is amazing! The roast was good with the suggested sides- Caramelized Fennel and the Glazed Sweet Potatoes.

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I chose this recipe because it looks so easy- and it is. It is like a deconstructed salad nicoise with fewer steps and preparations. So much of it can be made ahead and then everything just gets assembled. The vinaigrette (p. 179) was great too. It all looked beautiful on the platter.

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This is delicious! The garlic is slow cooked for about forty minutes and gets so soft it practically melts in your mouth. The recipe calls for you to place the saucepan over a diffuser in order to keep the oil at a really slow simmer. A blogger on the Internet suggested placing the saucepan on a skillet if you don't have a diffuser, which I don't. This trick worked well. I have made this both with canola oil (as instructed) and with olive oil (as requested!) both are delicious. I also haven't made a full recipe- only half each time (less garlic to peel and no worries about storing it too long). I made the oil specifically to use in the Aioli and also on the Smashed Roasted Marble Potatoes. However, it is especially good smeared on homemade ciabatta!

useful (1)  

I agree that these are good but not great. They went well with the Fig-Stuffed Pork Loin but were not a fabulous side. I didn't use as much butter or sugar, though- perhaps they would have been better if I had.

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These are easy to make and are very good. I substituted corn meal for the semolina and probably shouldn't have. They still tasted good but the dough consistency was off. Perhaps it isn't fair for me to rate the recipe. I will have to make them the right way and review again.

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This dressing is fabulous! It is called for with the Little Gem Lettuce Salad but I will use it on many salads from now on.

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This salad is a PRODUCTION. Really. If you want a project that takes days then this is for you. I love to cook and this tried my patience. By the time you roast the tomatoes (five hours), make the garlic confit oil (one hour), make the aioli (I tried four times and it never emulsified so I had to use store bought), bake the brioche (over 24 hours) then turn it into croutons, cook the lardons and finish the dressing you have a couple of days of preparation. Because I knew some of my guests don't like blue cheese, when I made the dressing, I kept half of it the regular Buttermilk Dressing and made the other half the Point Reyes Blue Cheese Dressing. The whole time I was prepping I kept thinking to myself this better be REALLY good to justify the amount of time spent on it. And it is really good. Do I ever need to make this again? Probably not. Though everyone loved it- especially those of us who haven't had iceberg lettuce since the 1970s!

useful (1)  

This salad is really good! I loved the citrus in it along with the pomegranate seeds and walnuts. I used butter lettuce because I couldn't get little gem. It worked well.

The instructions for supreming the citrus were the best I have read. It made slicing the citrus really easy.

The Honey Vinaigrette is fabulous.

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The marinade for this skirt steak was delicious! The cooking time given was perfect. This was nice served with the corn with lime salt.

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The aioli is needed for the Blue Cheese Dressing for the Iceberg Lettuce Slices. Planning ahead, I made the garlic confit and let that cool so I could use the oil for the aioli. Proceeded with the recipe as instructed and the aioli did not emulsify. All that garlic oil went to waste! Then I tried to make the aioli again- this time with just plain canola oil. It didn't work. I reread the recipe and tried AGAIN! It didn't emulsify. This morning, not wanting to give up, I tried for the fourth time. No luck. What a waste of all that oil and all those eggs. (Egg white omelets for breakfast, I guess) Now I am off to the market to buy aioli. I can't imagine what I did wrong, four times, even!

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I don't usually like cooked carrots but these are very good. I loved the madeira and curry powder in them but didn't really taste the fennel seeds or coriander. Since I didn't have carrot juice, I used chicken stock instead. I really liked the cutting technique, too. I had never sliced obliques before.

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This was easy to make- though I wish I had bought pitted olives. It's good on toasted baguette and even better a few days after you make it.

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I am changing my original review and stating that these actually are excellent. They are much better a few days after they are cooked. These take a long time to make- blanching, peeling, roasting for five hours-lots of effort involved.

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This is really delicious and not too hard to make. There are a few steps to do in advance- the peperonata rustica takes quite a bit of time since you have to make a soffritto first and then roast the peppers. You also need to brine the chicken for twelve hours. The brine is really simple to make and can be done ahead. I recommend using it as it added a really nice flavor to the chicken. I did not salt the dish again as indicated in the recipe and it was plenty salty, but not too salty. The peppers are so sweet. Even my guest who doesn't like peppers liked them in this dish. I recommend this over the fried polenta (p.218) and with steamed string beans. It was a great pairing.

useful (1)  

This is so, so good! I prepped the duck before leaving for work in the morning so it marinated for about 12 hours- the maximum suggested time. After work, it only had to cook and rest for about 30 minutes so this actually made a pretty quick weekday meal. We could really taste all of the individual flavors- orange, nutmeg, thyme...They came together so well. That's what is nice about this recipe- besides the duck, most of the ingredients are usually on hand. We served it over plain steamed spinach and with rice. Really delicious!

useful (3)  

This recipe was very easy to make. It was flavorful and light. This is an excellent way to prepare fish quickly and easily. I made this over the chanterelle mushrooms and pea shoots (page 206) and that was a great pairing.

useful (1)  

This is so, so good. I made it as a component of the Endive and Arugula Salad with Peaches and Marcona Almonds (p. 140). However, it was really delicious spread on the Buttermilk Biscuits (p. 277) and on a toasted gruyere sandwich. The puree is almost jam-like. It is easy to make and is a great way to use those summer peaches!

useful (0)  

This is really delicious. It takes a while to make- the soffritto takes about 5 hours so I made extra soffritto to freeze for future use. The Peperonata Rustica is used with the Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers. It is really good!

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Yum. The garlic in this is a great addition. I chose to make the fried version since it could be made in advance and could set in the refrigerator. I sliced it in squares and fried/sauteed it. It was really good- especially paired with the Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers. Beware- this recipe makes a lot of polenta! It was much more than the six-eight servings suggested. Next time I would cut the recipe in half. Also- I might bake it in the oven rather than saute it.

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I made this for the Brined Pork Tenderloin. It was easy to make and I froze it in a Ziploc bag until I needed to use it. I was careful to err on the side of caution and left the meat in the brine for three hours instead of four so that it wouldn't be too salty. This seemed to work well. Also- I brined the meat ahead of time, rinsed it off and left it in the refrigerator overnight so it was ready to cook the next day.

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Very nice. I would never have thought to add mint to beans but this was delicious. I used half romano beans and half wax beans and blanched them ahead of time. The cooking time for the romano beans was perfect. I used less butter than called for and it was still great and very creamy. This dish went really well with the caramelized sea scallops.

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I used this for the Catalan Stew. Since only potatoes were cooked in it, I didn't see the need to use cheesecloth. When I drained the potatoes I just discarded the herbs. The potatoes had only a very mild flavor from this. Given how highly seasoned the Catalan Stew is, I am not so sure that this step is really necessary for imparting additional flavor to that particular dish.

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This is delicious. Instead of broccoli rabe I used broccolette. It was quick and easy to make.

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Flavorful, simple and delicious. This was a really easy weekday meal. It took minutes to prep and to cook. It was especially good with the summer vegetable gratin- the tomatoes in the gratin were really delicious with the chicken. I could make and eat this every night.

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These are very good and super easy to make. I followed the advice of the other reviewers and didn't use the entire amount of salt called for. However, mine actually weren't salted enough.

We decided to have this as a main course so I made a stock out of the shrimp shells (and thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns) and used that to cook rice in. We had asparagus with it too. Easy weeknight meal!

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Delicious! These potatoes took no time at all. The longest part of the recipe was making the garlic confit but that was easy to do. These were fabulous with the pan-roasted halibut.

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The soffritto is used in the Peperonata Rustica. I must not have read the recipe carefully because I missed the fact that between prepping and cooking this takes more than five hours to make. I halved the recipe so I would have only enough for the Peperonata Rustica. After spending so long cooking this, I wish I had at least made the whole thing so there would be more for something else! This can be stored for up to a week. It tastes delicious on its own- almost like caponata. I am planning on making the PR in a few days and this better really add to the flavor of it given how long it takes to make! (As I mentioned in a different post, if you don't have a diffuser, place the saucepan on a skillet and you should be fine.) I loved the trick of grating the plum tomatoes on a box grater. All you are left with is the skin. Very clever!

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Delicious! This gratin exceeded my expectations. The one criticism I have is that I found the directions for assembling it to be really confusing. It wasn't until after I realized that there was a photo on the previous page that I was able to put it together properly. It is important to make sure that the vegetables are sliced to the same thickness- I like them on the thinner side. I made this the day before I planned to serve it so it was a nice do-ahead dish. SO good and better than a ratatouille for using all of those summer vegetables.

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This is another excellent recipe from this cookbook. I am not really sure what made this stand out for me since it uses many of the same ingredients as the other roast chicken recipes I use- like Ina Garten's, but this is just that much better. I loved that the chicken cooked over vegetables. I didn't find them to be too greasy and also thought they weren't fully cooked in the time specified so I had to remove the chicken and let them cook a little longer.

While this just might become my go-to roast chicken recipe from now on, I am not giving up on Ina just yet and will probably use the leftover roasted vegetables to make her Roasted Vegetable Soup.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-vegetable-soup-recipe2/index.html

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