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.

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!

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.

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!"

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!

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..

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.