bhnyc's Reviews
218 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title 
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The Zuni Cafe Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant
By Judy Rodgers, Gerald Asher
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2002
This was nice on oysters. I liked that it is made with champagne vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. Maybe my oysters weren't so briny, but I felt like the sauce could have used a little salt.
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Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition
By Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins
Workman Publishing Company - 2007
This is one of my favorite recipes ever! It is so easy to make and just smells like summer. Even though I love garlic, I don't use as much as the recipe calls for since it is raw. The brie melts and makes a wonderful creamy sauce but I leave some pieces of cheese to add on later so it doesn't all melt at once. The pasta is delicious as is or with the addition of boiled or roasted shrimp.
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The Silver Palate Cookbook
By Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins, Michael McLaughlin
Workman Publishing Company - 1982
This is one of my favorite recipes ever! It is so easy to make and just smells like summer. Even though I love garlic, I don't use as much as the recipe calls for since it is raw. The brie melts and makes a wonderful creamy sauce but I leave some pieces of cheese to add on later so it doesn't all melt at once. The pasta is delicious as is or with the addition of boiled or roasted shrimp.
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It probably takes longer to clean the food processor after making this than it does to actually make the dressing. It is done in minutes. Since I halved the recipe (it made a lot anyway), I left out the egg. I think it was fine and actually prefer to not have a raw egg in dressing. Watch the consistency- it can get thick fast.
This dressing is perfect on a spinach salad.
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For this recipe alone, it is worth letting all the bananas in your house get mushy. This is a really, really good banana bread recipe and I love that it uses whole wheat flour. It smells so good, too!
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This is the recipe that my Silver Palate Cookbook falls open to! It is tried and true and never fails to disappoint. It's one of my all-time favorite recipes to cook for a crowd, party or any day.
I love that it marinates overnight and can be served hot or at room temperature. While the recipe calls for lots of chicken, it can easily be halved. However, when I halve it, I always make all of the marinade and sauce. Sometimes I use half prunes and half dried apricots.
This is really good over buttered egg noodles with parsley, salt and pepper and with a side of string beans.
Fabulous!
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This is easy and delicious and makes large loaves. I doubled the recipe and made one loaf with walnuts and one nut-free.
The bread is better the next day, so try to resist it when it comes out of the oven!
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Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor
By Peter Reinhart
Ten Speed Press - 2007
There are so many whole grains in here that you feel good eating it! It's relatively easy to make and makes a nice sandwich.
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I am so glad that I read people's comments about the rise time of this on TheFreshLoaf.com. I did, indeed, find that it took soooo much longer to rise than the recipe indicated. Plan accordingly!
I could not effectively knead in all of the raisins by hand so I switched to the Kitchen Aid- I recommend doing so from the start.
All in all, it tasted good (very good?). It's better toasted than plain. Everyone else who ate it, including a 15-month-old and a 3-year-old, loved it more than me. Apparently, it makes a really good peanut butter sandwich!
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Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day
By Peter Reinhart
Ten Speed Press - 2009
This recipe was so easy- especially since the dough can be made up to four days ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. Keep an eye on it while it is baking since mine was done in less time than indicated.
This is the best French bread I have ever made.
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Another easy and delicious recipe from this book. It made eight bagels. While they are smaller than bagel shop bagels they are still fairly big. Next time I might try to make ten instead so they are even smaller. I didn't use the egg wash before putting on the toppings, but wish I had since most came off. Next time! These were so good, I will never have store-bought bagels again.
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Another easy recipe from this book. I love that you can make the dough in advance and leave it in the refrigerator for up to four days. The 'stretch and fold' method is easy to do- right in the bowl so it makes clean up fast. The bread is better the next day if you like crispier crust.
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I found this to be one of the more confusing recipes in the book. The directions about dimpling the dough with the oven vs. on the counter top could have been clearer. Prior to baking, the dough had risen quite a bit but when it came out of the oven the bread was actually flatter than I expected it to be. The amount of oil used is a little alarming, so I cut back considerably on it. I topped the focaccia with some rosemary and sea salt. Yum!
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I thought this was OK- definitely not my favorite from this book. I made the rustic loaves (three small ones) instead of the pizza dough and followed the directions for the pain a l'ancienne, as indicated. I did not get the nice big holes that I get when I make the pain a l'ancienne with bread flour- but perhaps that is due to using whole wheat flour instead. This bread didn't smell so good while it was baking which I thought was a bad sign. It isn't great plain but tasted good with butter and with peanut butter- but what doesn't?!
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Like some of the other reviewers, this was my first attempt to make a bread with my own starter. I was pretty impressed with the leavening and with the flavor and look forward to trying this again after the starter is a little older.
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Bread doesn't get much better than this! I was excited to make this once I established a starter. I used cheddar cheese and made both a baguette and a batard. So beautiful and so delicious! This would be great in the fall with a bowl of soup.
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Like the other reviewers, I made this using the starter I created following Reinhart's directions. I made this sourdough bread twice.
The first time, I should have added more flour to the dough because in hindsight it was too wet and didn't keep its shape after I took it out of the mold. The second time I made it, I really made sure that the dough was not too sticky, which meant that I had to keep adding a little flour at a time as I mixed it by hand. It took quite a bit more flour to get to the right texture. This time the bread came out of the brotform and really kept its shape.
I made both the purist version and the version with the added yeast. Both tasted great but I preferred the rise on the one with yeast.
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This is a delicious challah recipe. It is easy to make and the dough can be made up to four days before you want to bake it. Beware though, I kept mine in the refrigerator in a four-liter proofing container and it literally blew the lid off because it rose so high. The recipe doesn't call for them but I added 1 cup of raisins to each loaf. A little bit more would have been good too. I also chose to make a round braided loaf from directions I got online and not in the book. It tastes as good as it looks!
Note- bake this less than instructed- I pull it out at around 185 degrees.
Also- if you wonder what to do with all the egg whites, make Ina Garten's Black and White Angel Food Cake!
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This is a great sandwich bread. It is pretty easy to make if you have all the grains on hand: oats, wheat bran, cooked brown rice. To this loaf I added some wheat germ as well. I made extra brown rice, portioned it and froze it in baggies so all I have to do next time is pull some out of the freezer. Having the cooked rice will save about an hour of prep time.
The dough was a little firmer than I had expected. It was a little thicker during the stretch and folds than some other types of bread. I don't know if I added more flour than is necessary but I don't think so. But I guess it doesn't matter because the end result is really good. The sesame and poppy seeds on top were a hit.
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These are REALLY good! The dough was easy to portion and made about 17 2-ounce pretzels. I found that I had to let the dough rest for quite a bit while rolling it out in order to get the 17 inch strands that the book suggests. I rolled out some, let them rest, started others and then went back to the first ones. I am glad I did. The strands that were longer and thinner made pretzels that had better-defined holes in them. Otherwise, they baked up into a mass with no holes. They still tasted good but didn't have the thinner pretzel look which I like.
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This is a super easy dough to make and it smells so good. I divided it up and at one time made twelve butterflake rolls and nine knotted rolls. The rest of the dough is still in the refrigerator while I decide what to do with it.
I liked the technique used to make the butterflake rolls- rolling out the dough, stacking the pieces, cutting them and placing them on their side in the cupcake tin. The rolls look really pretty and taste extra buttery. However, I found them a little dense.
Even though the dough is the same, I actually preferred the taste and texture of the knotted rolls. They came out much lighter and fluffier than the butterflake rolls. I thought these look great too. It was necessary to let the rolled out strands rest for quite a while before they could roll out to ten inches.
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It took me three times to make this before I felt like I got it almost right. It is really easy to over-bake so this time I baked it for the minimum time suggested- and then maybe a few minutes less would have been good. I baked it in a bundt pan and the bottom (when you invert it) got really dark so I had to put aluminum foil on it. If I hadn't noticed this 15 minutes in, the whole thing would have been ruined.
I haven't been able to get the streusel topping right. The first time I made this I used a loaf pan but the dough rose so much that there was little room for the topping. The second time I made this I used a bundt pan. However, that meant that the topping was placed on the dough after the rise and the topping ended up on the bottom of the cake. This time I put the streusel in the bundt pan first, added the dough and baked it. It tasted really good but you couldn't see the topping- it baked into a hard covering on the top of the cake.
This babka tasted really good and I finally got the swirl right. I am not sure why mine hadn't twisted properly the other times. I thought this one looked great and tasted good too! Finally.
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These are very good rolls. They don't have tons of flavor- I guess hoagie rolls don't- but they have a nice consistency and texture. Watch them carefully. As another reviewer mentioned, they are done before the time indicated. I took mine out early and they still were above 190 degrees and are probably darker than they should be.
My batch made ten 113 gram rolls. I made half as directed. The other half I used egg wash on and then added reconstituted dehydrated onions and a little sea salt. I intend to use those for sandwiches made with leftover brisket.
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This is delicious! Everyone loved it. My six-year-old niece said it was, "The best bread in the whole world." The house smells so good while it is cooking. I used chives and a combination of cheddar, asiago and a little parmesan. I made one batard and one Kranz style in a loaf pan.
Easy to make, everyone should try it!
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I was excited to make this given all of the reviews. I made it ahead and froze it in four portions (instead of five) based on the comments here. It was easy to make and when we wanted pizza, all we had to do was defrost some dough.
The dough was easy to stretch with rests in between. I couldn't quite master the back-handed stretch so I just used my thumbs and moved around the edges.
I thought the sauce was really good but the recipe calls for a little too much fresh garlic. I used four cloves and even that seemed like a little too much since it is pretty much raw.
I was impatient and sliced the pizza quickly. It should have rested for a while. Because I divided the dough into larger portions this was definitely not an individual pizza.
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Website: New York Times - Dining and Wine
www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html
This was a delicious version of linguine with clams. I usually make a white sauce. In this, the sauce is based on oven-roasted tomatoes and caramelized garlic. It really was delicious and easy. Using mint in place of the more traditional basil was a wonderful alternative.
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The New Basics Cookbook
By Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins
Workman Publishing Company - 1989
This is delicious. Make it ahead of time- it's better the next day. Don't forget to remove as much fat as possible or your sauce will be greasy.
I made hoagie rolls (Artisan Bread Every Day) so the leftovers could be served as sandwiches.
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Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Knopf - 2001
This was really, really good! It was pretty easy to make but takes time to make the sauce and salt and drain the eggplant slices, so plan ahead. It's a nice alternative to eggplant parmigiana and makes a lot- good for a crowd. Though adding torn basil leaves is optional, it was nice with them.
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This was very good and easy to make. It definitely is better with hot pepper flakes and plenty of salt.
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Les Petits Macarons: Colorful French Confections to Make at Home
By Kathryn Gordon, Anne E. McBride
Running Press - 2011
I took Kathryn Gordon's Macarons class at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). This was the meringue that we made that day. It's not too hard to do- you just really need to follow the directions carefully.
The photo of many different macarons was taken in the class. All are this plain macaron with food coloring.
These take practice. As you can see from my other photo, I didn't really get good "feet" on the ones I baked at home. I also over-baked the cocoa macarons (but they tasted good anyway).
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These are really good and smell delicious. I over-baked mine and am looking forward to making them again. I paired these with Vanilla Buttercream.
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These are delicious. The fresh zest really adds nice orange flavor. I paired these with the Earl Grey Ganache.
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This is an excellent ganache filling. I used it to fill the plain almond macarons.
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This is a really delicious ganache filling. I wished I had let the tea steep a little longer though. I paired this filling with the Orange Macarons.
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Oh wow! This is delicious. I used it as the filling for the Cocoa Macarons. Beware- you will want to eat it by the spoonful.
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This was good. I would have liked a stronger pear taste though.
They are the pale green Macarons in the photo.
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This sounds so odd, but it is sooooo surprisingly good! I think it was one of my favorite fillings from the class I took.
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Delicious! This would be a great macaron for Thanksgiving.
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The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
By King Arthur Flour
Countryman Press - 2003
I think I've become a bread snob now that most of what I bake is from Peter Reinhart's books, so this seemed a little simple to me. It uses all-purpose flour instead of bread flour and it can be made in one day as opposed to a long retardation. Because of these factors, the flavor is not as developed as a Reinhart bread is.
I actually bought the sourdough starter from King Arthur because mine died. It didn't have much of a sour taste but was good anyway- maybe it is too new. I divided the dough in half and made one boule as instructed. The other half I used to make the fougasse. Both were good.
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I thought these were good but not much better than regular Toll House cookies. I do recommend following the recipe suggestion to bake a test cookie and see if you like its 'spread'. I did not do this and was unhappy with the first batch of cookies- they were thick and didn't spread much at all. The other batches were better.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
This was good but the directions weren't so clear. They should really revise it for future use.
It took a lot longer to rise than indicated. I used less fruit because the recipe amount just seemed like way too much. I made some with a classic fruit blend- raisins, cranberries and pineapple- and some with King Arthur European citrus peel. The people who got the citrus peel raved about it.
Good toasted with coffee.
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How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition): 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food
By Mark Bittman
Wiley - 2008
I made the whole wheat version of this pita bread. It is a really easy dough to make and is also pretty quick. It rolls out nicely and is easy to handle. Almost all of my pitas puffed up- a few didn't puff all the way. Choosing to have smaller pitas, I divided the dough into eight portions. These still ended up being fairly large, so next time I might make ten instead. Based on other recipes I have used, I chose to bake these at a higher temperature than instructed. I also preheated my pizza stone longer.
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I am not sure how to rate this! It's good but I feel like, as is, it isn't done. I expected the color to be darker but I cooked it exactly as instructed. It does have flavor but looks so pale. Later I will be making the udon soup with it. Let's see how that is.
This is incredibly easy to make. Getting the ingredients was the hardest part for me. I went to Mitsuwa in Edgewater, New Jersey and they had the kelp and bonito flakes. They also have the most helpful employees who helped me find everything.
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I loved this soup! First you have to make the Dashi and then you add miso paste (I used white miso) to it. That's all it takes to make the broth. I couldn't believe how easy it is.
If you add in a lot of extras, this is a very hearty and healthy soup. I prepared shrimp and veggies ahead of time so everyone could pick and choose what they wanted to add to their soup: carrots, spinach, shiitakes, scallions. Everyone had udon noodles and a poached egg (this was my favorite part!).
So good and so healthy. While this was the first course of our meal, you could easily serve it just with edamame for lunch or a light dinner. I will definitely make this again!
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It's hard for me to rate this one because I had to make it twice in order for it to come out right. Of the five ways to make this, I chose the oatmeal honey wheat bread.
Following the recipe exactly didn't work! It calls for using a food processor and doesn't say to proof the yeast. Other bakers on line commented that it took a while to rise. I knew my yeast was fine because I had used it the day before and making this time allowance, it never rose. I decided to bake it anyway and got a brick. Very disappointing. I needed to figure out why this didn't work.
I tried it again but in a mixer instead of a processor and proofed the yeast first. These two things did the trick. I got a really nice loaf of well-risen bread that made a great sandwich.
So- the taste and consistency of this bread are fine if you follow my directions and not the ones in the book!
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This is an easy and delicious way to cook dandelion greens. I served this with Ina Garten's Creamy Cheddar Grits and with roasted shrimp.
I also like that these can be made ahead and served at room temperature.
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How to Bake: Complete Guide to Perfect Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Tarts, Breads, Pizzas, Muffins,
By Nick Malgieri
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1995
I chose to make this a day ahead and retard the dough in the refrigerator overnight. This is a very easy dough to work with and rises beautifully. I would recommend baking this to less than the recommended 210 degrees. I used a thermometer and removed the bread at 200 degrees and it was too overcooked- very dry and disappointing after putting all the effort into making it. Reinhart's challah recipe (which I baked the next day and is much better) calls for an internal temp of 190 degrees. This produced a perfectly baked loaf. I suggest that recipe over this one.
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Delicious! This was a great way to use up the summer blueberries that I had in the freezer. These muffins are easy to make and taste really good.
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This is a nice and easy focaccia to make when you decide you want it the same day. If you want one with more flavor, use Peter Reinhart's recipe in Artisan Bread Every Day.
I made half of it plain (with sea salt) and half with rosemary. Both were good. I suggest you use MUCH more olive oil than the recipe calls for. In fact, I took a baking class with Nick Malgieri years ago and we made this. He definitely used more than is indicated in this recipe (a shocking amount, actually) and it really does make a difference.
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This is a nice and easy focaccia to make when you decide you want it the same day. If you want one with more flavor, use Peter Reinhart's recipe in Artisan Bread Every Day.
I made half of it plain (with sea salt) and half with rosemary. Both were good. I suggest you use MUCH more olive oil than the recipe calls for. In fact, I took a baking class with Nick Malgieri years ago and we made this. He definitely used more than is indicated in this recipe (a shocking amount, actually) and it really does make a difference.
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