shilton's Profile

From: Saint Paul, MN USA

Joined: October 30th, 2010

Website:
ballerinabreath.blogspot.com/


Latest review:

November 15th, 2010

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Risotto Soup from Best-Ever Soups

This recipe has a lot to offer. The squash is pleasantly sweet and tender, the gorgonzola is salty, the arborio rice is creamy, and a little sage pulls it all together with an earthy sort of undertone.... read more >


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shilton's Reviews


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33 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 33Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

Best-Ever Soups

By Anne Sheasby
Hermes House - 2006

30th October 2010

Carrot and Orange Soup

This soup is very easy to make, particularly with an immersion blender. It is delicious freshly made, and good as leftovers, too. The element of orange adds complexity to the carrot flavors.

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30th October 2010

Parsnip Soup

This is an acceptable soup, but it was the dish that taught me that I don't like parsnips. I suspect that if you do like them, this would be delicious.

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30th October 2010

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

This soup is flavorful and rich, and was a huge hit at a dinner party that I threw one winter. It's really quite straightforward, particularly if you have an immersion blender. Keep in mind, though, that it makes terrible leftovers. Eat enough for one sitting, and don't bother with the rest!

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This is one of my favorite soups, and I particularly like how this recipe pulls the flavors together. Made as written, this tastes very luxurious and the arugula provides a nice peppery kick to the creamy broth. However, I've used milk and spinach in place of the cream and arugula, and that worked fine, too.

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30th October 2010

Fresh Tomato Soup

Another quick and easy soup from this cookbook, and delicious as well. It's a spectacular way to use up tomatoes that are quickly ripening on the counter top, too! Peeled and quartered, the tomatoes hung out for a few days in the fridge before I made the soup itself. In place of the paste that it calls for, I pureed some sundried tomatoes in their oil, and that worked fine.

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30th October 2010

Corn and Potato Chowder

This soup is more milky than creamy, but has a nice flavor. It isn't thick like I want chowder to be, so I might look for a different recipe in the future. I used kidney beans instead of flageolet, and that was fine.

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30th October 2010

Grandfather's Soup

I'm not sure if this isn't a type of soup that I enjoy, or if I really bungled the recipe. I made a rather hopeful note in the margin: "Tried once, unsuccessfully... try again before giving up!"

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This soup couldn't be easier, assuming that you have the four ingredients on hand. This is a good winter soup, with complex flavors reminiscent of summer though no fresh ingredients are required.

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Using standard ingredients from the pantry, this soup is spicy and colorful (if you use red chili peppers). It's delicious with the freshness of lemon and can easily be doubled or tripled as needed for crowds!

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30th October 2010

Avgolemono with Pasta

This is my favorite soup, and it just screams comfort. With homemade stock, it's divine. The eggs lend a creaminess to the lemony chicken broth that is spectacular, and the orzo lends a nice texture that I prefer to rice. The recipe halves easily, but why do that when you could eat the whole thing?!

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15th November 2010 (edited: 15th November 2010)

Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese Risotto Soup

This recipe has a lot to offer. The squash is pleasantly sweet and tender, the gorgonzola is salty, the arborio rice is creamy, and a little sage pulls it all together with an earthy sort of undertone. I'm pretty sure they just called this recipe a soup so that it could be included in this cookbook!

I halved the recipe to two servings, which worked fine (though mine is less soup-like and more risotto-like than what the cookbook showed). This isn't a terribly complicated recipe, but it does take about an hour and a half to prepare it. That's largely because it takes both time (particularly to peel and chop the squash) and (more time) and patience, as you go through the whole risotto routine - add broth, wait... add broth, wait..

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Dinner in Minutes: Memorable Meals for Busy Cooks

By Linda Gassenheimer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 1999

30th October 2010

Italian Stuffed Shells

This recipe moves too quickly, and doesn't allow the ingredients to simmer long enough. The flavors stay separate - use a different recipe!

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For Goodness Taste

By The Junior League of Rochester Inc.
Ronald Mcdonald House of Providence - 1991

30th October 2010

Summer Sunset Pasta

This recipe is very simple, and best if you use good tomatoes. It's a perfect recipe for that moment in summertime when you have piles of fresh herbs and tomatoes on hand!

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30th October 2010

Incredulada Enchilada

This is fabulously delicious in a very cozy way that has very little to do with enchiladas. The name of the recipe accurately portrays the final product, though. The primary flavors are taco seasoning and salsa (called "taco sauce" here). Since it's primarily a big pile of ground beef, tortillas, butter and cheese - I splurge on the vegetable content, adding half an onion and half a green pepper (instead of the spoonfuls they suggest).

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This is essentially boiled broccoli with a creamy hollandaise sauce on top, but the addition of half-and-half eases the precision required when making a more traditional hollandaise.

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30th October 2010

Saucy Scalloped Potatoes

The sauce was a bit separated which made for a weird texture, but that may be because I halved the recipe. That aside, the flavor was good - cheesy with a touch of nutmeg!

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The Joy of Cooking Comb-Bound Edition: Revised and Expanded

By Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker
Plume - 1997

31st October 2010 (edited: 31st October 2010)

Quick Pumpkin Bread

Just as promised, this pumpkin bread comes together quickly - though it does bake for an hour or a bit longer. I follow the recipe precisely, and it's always been very moist and hearty. I love to eat slices for breakfast or with my evening tea.

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This coffee cake comes together quickly and easily, and has a lovely texture. It isn't terribly sweet, which I appreciate. Topped with the streusel from page 731 (as suggested in the recipe), it's nearly perfect.

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Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day

By Moosewood Collective
Fireside - 1994

6th November 2010

Black Bean Soup

This soup is delicious - I've actually made a note on the page that it's better than the one in Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" - and I make it regularly. I sometimes use canned tomatoes with chili, and I sometimes make it with canned black beans that include jalapeno - either way, it's got some kick to it! I've never even added the sun-dried tomatoes, and it's good all the same. My vote is that you can't go wrong with this recipe!

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6th November 2010

Portuguese White Bean Soup

This is one of the recipes that my mom used to make out of this cookbook, and it's just as good as I remember it being! I use canned chicken stock and canned Great Northern beans, and it is delicious. The bell peppers and sherry perk up the beans and potatoes, and the ground fennel adds a nice extra dimension. This recipe comes together quickly and is even better the next day for lunch!

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6th November 2010

Red Lentil Soup

I like this soup, but it isn't my favorite - possibly because lentils just don't really captivate me. I have made a note in the margin to use lots of salt and lemon, so if you try out this recipe, I suggest you do the same!

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6th November 2010

Spanish Potato Onion Soup

I've made this soup twice. The first time, I noted that it was fantastic and that I had used red wine in place of sherry. The second time I made it, I penciled in an unthusiastic: "Halved it. Ok, not great." So, I'm not sure if red wine was the trick, or if halving it was a disastrous move. Maybe it's got to do with the quality of potato and onion. I'll probably make it again sometime, and I'm curious if it'll strike me as fantastic, okay, or somewhere in between!

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6th November 2010

Sweet Peppers Soup

I make the "Mexican Variation" of this soup which is listed as the alternate version. It's the one I more often have the ingredients for, and I've always been very pleased with it. I have yet to try the original version. The combination of spices and sour cream blend together in a very pleasing way - and it's terrifically quick to make, especially if you have an immersion blender.

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6th November 2010

Savory Scallion Biscuits

This is one of the recipes my mom used to make from this cookbook, and she always served it with the Portuguese Bean Soup on page 34. They are a lovely complement to soups, with just a touch of the scallion flavor shining through. I served them with a roasted vegetable soup at a dinner party once, which went over quite well!

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6th November 2010

Easy Refritos

As promised, this refried bean recipe is very easy. It's also delicious, and very easily adapted i any variety of ways once you get the hang of it. For quesadillas, dip, or any other use of refried beans, this is miles ahead of the canned version. I always have canned beans in my pantry, which means that I can always have homemade refried beans in about 15 minutes. With leftovers, I sometimes add broth and enjoy it as a soup!

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6th November 2010

Peperonata

Served with polenta, this is one of my favorite dishes of all time. It's easy to make, and full of flavor. This is one of the only vegetarian meals that my mom served, growing up, as it is so delicious and filling that you don't miss the meat at all!

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I made a note in the margin of this recipe that it's delicious, even with only the potatoes! That is to say that I left out the peppers and mushrooms entirely, and still very much enjoyed it. Don't overlook the hint that suggests using aluminum foil!

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6th November 2010

Creamy Garlic Dressing

This recipe is simple to make, uses ingredients that I generally have on hand, and tastes phenomenal. Who knew that drizzling some milk into the blender would create a thick and creamy dressing?! There are variations listed, and others would work fine as well. My immersion blender made this especially straightforward, but that mostly eases the clean up. If you are at all inclined towards creamy dressings, make this immediately!

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6th November 2010

Easy Artichoke Sauce

This sauce has caused me to keep canned artichoke hearts in my pantry as a staple, because every time I make it for guests, they ask for the recipe. I boil a pot of water when I start making the sauce, and toss in a 1 lb. box of chunky pasta. The sauce and pasta are generally ready at about the same time, and I mix the pasta into the sauce immediately after draining it. Serve immediately, with Parmesan available as a topping.

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6th November 2010

Polenta

This recipe is a straightforward and delicious solution to homemade polenta. I like to serve it fresh and creamy, but I pour the leftovers straight into a square pyrex (before I sit down to eat), which makes reheating it very easy - just cut it into the shape of your choice and pan fry, grill, broil or bake it. Any topping you'd put on pasta will work on polenta, or you can stir in any combination of cheese, ham or vegetables for the polenta itself to be the meal.

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I had an abundance of carrots on my hands when I decided to make this recipe. The feta, carrots and dill were a departure from the earthier tones (chicken, mushrooms, onions) that I'm accustomed to in risotto. I'm not sure that I'll make it again, but I suppose if you were looking for a fresh, light, summery risotto, this might be it.

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6th November 2010

Fish Otis

This dish is delicious. Preparation takes no time at all, and it bakes for 25 minutes. I have used tilapia here with great success.

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6th November 2010

Coffee Ricotta Mousse

Other recipes rarely use the entire ricotta container, and this recipe can be halved or quartered (as needed) to make excellent use of what's remaining. This recipe is so delicious that it's worth keeping instant coffee granules on hand just for quick production of it.

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