jenncc's Reviews
1256 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title 
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 recipe makes for a moist, tender, juicy chicken. I did have a little trouble with the flipping of the chicken - it did stick even though it was thoroughly dry and my pan was hot when I put it in. No matter, it was tasty and I will be making it again. But for a "last minute" chicken you can't beat Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken (found on epicurious).
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Website: The New York Times
I'm not much of a zucchini fan but I though this was pretty tasty. Simple to prepare and hearty enough to be a dinner salad. The maple isn't as weird as it sounds.
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Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi
Ten Speed Press - 2014
This was a tasty take on a Middle Eastern classic. Especially loved the funky, savory yogurt-blue cheese sauce. My pine nuts seemed to absorb most of the butter during toasting so I didn't really have any of the "warm chili butter" to drizzle, but delicious none the less.
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Website: joy the baker
This comes together quickly (verses other pizza recipes I have made). Technique is very good - I achieved the crispy edges and bottom with additional 7-8 minutes in the oven (directly on rack). However the flavor of the dough is well, just bread. What makes it special is the crisp, cheesy edge and the fact that the sauce is on top (ladled on after pizza comes out of oven). Which brings me to the sauce - I found it much too sweet, even with half the sugar. Lesson learned - taste the tomatoes before adding sugar! Also, may let dough rest overnight in fridge to increase flavor.
I should add Joy's recipe is originally from Zingerman's Bakehouse.
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Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Cafe
By Ana Sortun, Maura Kilpatrick
Ten Speed Press - 2016
If you like za'atar you will appreciate these! Love the addition of sumac for that tang, and lemon zest for a bit of a floral note. I used both sliced and silvered almonds.
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Website: Tasty Mediterraneo
Hmmm... I have mixed feelings about this one. The flavor of the dough was really good, probably due to the amount of olive oil. However the texture was a bit too chewy and if it was left in the oven for over 7 minutes it was absolutely crunchy, not in a light/crisp way but more hard. Too hard in fact to wrap around my labneh, cucumbers, black olives etc. We ended up eating the crunchier ones with soups and brothy beans and the more pliable ones for sandwiches. I know some like a crispier flatbread and if so this is the one for you.
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Website: Epicurious
Made for Mother's Day brunch and they were DELICIOUS! I took off a star because I had to add a lot of flour (well over a cup!) to make a workable dough. Was very worried they would not be moist and tender but they were perfect - nice tender crumb, and not overly sweet! And the best of all, that extra flour in the dough produced about 4 extra rolls.
Made the dough the night before and shaped/baked the morning of.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
Really enjoyed this topped with walnuts, strawberries and a little honey. The texture was smooth and light. Repeated for breakfast with granola and berries.
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Website: Serious Eats
While the flavor is very good (slightly sweet), the loaf itself is a little lackluster - it didn't rise much and if your looking for a crusty loaf, keep looking. I don't mind the soft exterior and the tight crumb but I do wish there had been a little more oven spring. I will probably cut it crosswise (horizontally) to make average size sandwiches. If I make this again I will definitely put it into a loaf pan.
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The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out
By Angela Liddon
Avery Trade - 2014
This is actually two juice recipes. I have made both the Beet-Utiful Power Glow, and the Everyday Green Juice which to my surprise I liked much better.
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Website: The Kitchn
This is a very tasty cake, perfect for any fillings/topping. It has a very tender crumb and is plenty moist. I had to take it out of the oven at about 24 minutes and it was perfect.
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Website: All Recipes
I have made this with meat, without meat (using mushrooms/veggies), with sausage, without sausage, with spicy sausage instead of sweet, etc.. I have even left out the tomato sauce, just using crushed and paste tomatoes. It really is best as written, but also infinitely adaptable.
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Website: The New York Times
Made this to go with some Thanksgiving leftovers and though I thought it was satisfying I don't think this could have replaced the stuffing on a Thanksgiving table. That said this is a dish I will make again with chicken or even as a light and tasty main dish.
Update: I added some andouille sausage to this and it was even better.
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Website: Rancho Gordo
www.ranchogordo.com/pages/rancho-gordo-cooking
This was a simple dish with a powerful punch of flavor! I used Rancho Gordo's Pineapple Vinegar, but any fruity vinegar will do. It has sweet/tanginess from the Xoconostle, and deep earthy flavor from the wild rice. I toasted my pine nuts in a little butter to give the the salad an extra rich, toasty crunch. The xoconostle could be replaced with a date/ dried cranberry mixture.
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Website: Martha Rose Shulman
www.martha-rose-shulman.com/index.htm
The earthy, tangy, nutty flavors of this salad are very satisfying. I played with this a bit - roasting the broccoli instead of steaming and using pistachios instead of walnuts. That said I am sure this would also be excellent with walnuts and when I have them on hand I will certainly make it as written. The yogurt dressing is delicious and gives the salad great zing!
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The Wooden Spoon Bread Book
By Marilyn M. Moore
Atlantic Monthly Press - 1987
This is the first less than excellent loaf I have made from this book. That said I am not sure if I possibly over proofed the dough? It is quite wet with the potato water plus the two cups and I had a hard time getting any gluten structure to develop. There is also a lot of yeast in this one (about 2 T.). I did like the flavor and it did come out of the oven with a nice crisp crust but it was a bit crumbly. I also feel like this recipe is a little more vague than others in the book. I may try it again with less water and less rise time.
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Website: The New York Times
I made this for a tomato tart (epicurious recipe). This dough comes together easily but you do need to consider time for a rise and short rest. The dough is very workable though I am not sure you could crimp or make any kind of intricate design with it. It must be rolled pretty thin and cooked till crisp. I took my tart out at the suggested time and the bottom was still soft but with another 10 minutes it was nice and crisp.
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Website: The Prairie Homestead
I have made these many times and I have found that though I use whole wheat flour to feed my starter, the tortillas themselves are softer/more pliable when made with at least 1 3/4 cups AP flour. The whole wheat version has great flavor but can become a little stiff after they cool. I do heat my milk and fats in the microwave until fats have nearly melted, give them a stir and add to the other ingredients.
Note: When I am using a very sleepy starter or if I use discard, I sometimes add 1 teaspoon baking soda.
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Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East
By Ori Menashe , Genevieve Gergis, Lesley Suter
Ten Speed Press - 2021
This is the plushest, most tasty pita I have made in a long time. This has just the right chew and extra flavorful from an extended ferment and the good dose of olive oil. I made a half recipe and each one puffed nicely. Never made pita with egg ( this calls for egg whites) and I was pleasantly surprised.
Make these all the time and have realized that the perfect "puff" is accomplished with a thin-ish pita (closer to 1/8 inch thick) and oven temp of 500 (550 was too hot in my oven). Also they can also be baked 3-4 at a time on a baking sheet.
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Website: The Food Network
Great whole wheat version of Molly's pita recipe. Really good flavor and wonderful fluffy texture. I was getting a lot of cracks on the underside of my pita (the side that was on the counter during rolling and face down on the pan during cooking) so I flipped my pitas face down on the pan to cook (counter side up/ rolling pin side down) and this helped a lot! The cracks of course don't effect the flavor but can tear more easily when trying to stuff or scoop. Every pita puffed/had a nice pocket. Love that these can be baked 4-5 at a time on baking sheet. I usually bake 3 minutes, flip and bake 1 minute more.
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Website: The Crumb Stories
This is a wonderful loaf of bread! I love milk bread but wanted something a little more wholesome. This came together easily, had perfect crumb and terrific flavor. The crust was so tasty and little chewy, while the interior was plush and soft. I brushed the loaf with milk/water without adding the sesame seeds, and got a beautiful brown crust. I cooked about 45 minutes, tenting the loaf at about the 30 minutes mark.
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The New Persian Kitchen
By Louisa Shafia
Ten Speed Press - 2013
Made with fresh fava beans, I used a bit less salt and charred them on the grill (about 8 minutes per side). Ate the pods and all - delicious!
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Website: Sugar Geek Show
This is a wonderful white cake - moist and fluffy with a tender crumb. The frosting is also great - comes together easily, not too sweet, and pipes well. I did have some air bubbles but those were smoothed over with a slightly warmed offset spatula.
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The Cake Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1988
This is falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Mine was slightly dry. Liked the flavor - could up the spices a bit. Good use of leftover egg whites.
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The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes from the Texas Hill Country's Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe
By Rebecca Rather, Alison Oresman
Ten Speed Press - 2004
Finding myself with leftover buttermilk and egg whites I went looking for a way to put them to a good use. I found this recipe in Rebecca Rather's book calling for all the requisite ingredients. I was a little hesitant since I have had mixed results with her recipes but went ahead (minus the Jack Daniels buttercream). This cake was a beautiful snow white with a tender crumb and extremely moist. I put a thin layer of strawberry jam between the layers and a cream cheese frosting on the top only. This was a decadent and delicious cake that will certainly be making again!
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100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More
By Sarah Kieffer
Chronicle Books - 2020
I love these cookies! I used Trader Joe's Dried Blenheim Apricots which are nice and tangy, skimped a little on the Ghirardelli white chocolate chips and used Penzey's dried rosemary (tho recipe calls for fresh) and they came out wonderfully balanced. Flavor was great, texture was nice and chewy with crispy edges and they are even better after a few hours rest.
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Website: food52
These didn't look like much - they were darker than the website's photo and the peppermint pieces weren't as visible as I had hoped but I loved the unexpected hit of peppermint. I did decrease the chocolate chips to 1/2 cup and that was plenty. The peppermint flavor was there and the texture of these cookies were great the day they were made (chewy with crisp edges), but afterward they became very hard. In my second batch I cooked them barely 10 minutes and took them out while still very gooey (as the recipe states) and they were much better.
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Website: My Cake School
This terrific, moist white cake with a delicate crumb and nice vanilla flavor. It uses the reverse creaming method (cream butter into dry ingredients) and incorporates butter, vegetable oil and buttermilk insuring a very moist cake.
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Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza
By Ken Forkish
Ten Speed Press - 2012
This came out great and in fact I would say its my favorite from this book, but I think the White Bread with 80% Biga (page 106) has a slight edge, as far as the non levain breads go. This is advertised as having a "thin crisp crust" which it does, but also chewier (in a good way) than other breads I have made from this book. The crumb was nice and open and the bread itself is delicious. I did not shape in the fendue shape but may try that next time.
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This is a great loaf! The bulk of your dough is pre-fermented which gives fantastic flavor. The biga is a bit stiff making this an easier dough to work with compared to some of the other high hydration doughs in the book. On bake day I divided my dough after the initial mixing and added olives to half during my first fold. My dough needed a bit longer in the proofing basket but had great oven spring, nice open crumb and a crisp, crackly dark golden crust. This may be my new favorite recipe from this book and I will be making it again. The olive loaf was delicious and I think this dough lends itself to many different add ins. Made this 6/13/21 with a scant cup of black and green olives. Did not reduce salt but if using more olives (which the loaf could def handle) I would cut the salt a tiny bit. The crust was super thin and crisp, with a creamy interior and open crumb.
1/21/24 I continue to make and love this recipe. It is also highly adaptable - today I added rye and some whole wheat flour with wonderful results.
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Della Fattoria Bread: 63 Foolproof Recipes for Yeasted, Enriched & Naturally Leavened Breads
By Kathleen Weber, Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2014
Terrific white bread! This uses the same dough as the White Sandwich Bread recipe (page 40) with a different shaping technique and vessel. I used a Staub Cocette. After 50 minutes baking in the dutch oven (on a baking stone) you remove the bread and place it directly on the stone to brown the bottom and sides more evenly - this is necessary since the pan is not preheated and the baking temp is only 375.
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Website: Rose Water and Orange Blossoms
The tomatoes really make this bowl of beans anything but ordinary! So good! I used dried cannellini beans cooked with fresh sage, rosemary, oregano, garlic and a good dose of olive oil.
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The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
By Alice Waters
Clarkson Potter - 2007
Excellent basic white beans. I used cannellini beans and they cooked in less than 2 hours (without presoaking). I have served this with meatballs and, as a side, with oven dried tomatoes.
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Website: Minimalist Baker
Hearty and delicious. Love the tahini dressing!
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The Homesick Texan Cookbook
By Lisa Fain
Hyperion - 2011
Really enjoyed this. Cooked slow and low, this Asado comes out flavorful and tender. Served with San Antonio Style Flour Tortillas and black beans.
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Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes
By Alison Roman
Clarkson Potter - 2017
Sweet, spicy, cool and refreshing! This is a terrific summer salad.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
This is a very nice side but as other reviews mentioned it is a bit heavy, and I certainly got more than 4 servings out of it. I think it could be great, just needs some tinkering.
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Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market
By Deborah Madison
Broadway - 2010
Did I really need a recipe for this? Yes, yes I did! This takes 4 of my favorite ingredients and elevates them from yum to scrumptious! Even if your apricots aren't quite ripe enough, the 5-6 minutes under the broiler will coax out their flavor. I used a local raw honey, toasted walnuts and non-fat Greek yogurt. I have also made this with cottage cheese and hazelnuts. Lovely dessert that is quick and simple.
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Website: food52
These are just that - Insanely Great! Light, crisp outside with a tender interior, all I ask for in a waffle.
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Website: The Food Network
Flavors were good and it definitely fulfilled my falafel cravings without the messy frying. The only trouble was getting the waffles to hold together. Finally figured out they needed A LOT more time in the waffle iron, after which they came out crispy out side with a tender inside.
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Website: food52
Great, simple dish. I marinated for a day and a half and the meat was moist and flavorful. Mine hit the 145 degree mark at about 20 minutes (my tenderloin was a little puny at one and a quarter pounds). Ended up removing from the oven and giving it a quick sear in the frying pan.
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Website: Food & Wine
Halved the recipe and used fresh peas - easy and delicious.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
This was a great sandwich loaf with a couple tweaks - I decreased the maple sugar and omitted the cinnamon. I am sure it's wonderful either way but for my purposes (ham sandwiches, p b and j) I thought a more subtle flavor would be best. My dough was sticky but manageable and had great rise. I halved this recipe for one large loaf.
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Website: New York Times - Recipes
topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/recipes/index.html
This was a very tasty take on Mapo Tofu. I strayed from the recipe in that I added ground pork (1/4 pound) and a mixture of ground Sichuan pepper corn and red pepper flakes. I also used dried mushrooms as well as the stems to make my broth, adding the rehydrated mushrooms back into the dish. Came out great!
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Classic Lebanese Cuisine: 170 Fresh and Healthy Mediterranean Favorites
By Kamal Al-Faqih
Three Forks - 2009
I used this mostly as a guide, but I am sure it would be delicious as written as well. I chose to leave out a couple ingredients that aren't typical in my own experience (friends and family recipes). I also only had regular basmati rice which does not need to be soaked overnight (or it will get mushy). These turned out well and the rolling instructions were helpful. Will be making these again soon!
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Website: Running on Real Food
This was delicious - loved by all, vegan and non-vegan alike. There were complaints in the reviews that this was too dense and took forever to bake thru so I made it in 3 small loaf pans and it was perfect - moist, lemony and not too sweet. I ran out of almond milk and used about 5-6 tablespoons coconut milk.
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Website: Chocolate Covered Katie
These are good. I topped with flaky salt to give it a little oomph, otherwise a pretty basic cookie with good texture.
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Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More
By Cory Schreiber, Julie Richardson
Ten Speed Press - 2009
This is not only tasty but quite beautiful as well. I doubled the vanilla using the entire bean and it was wonderful. The galette dough recipe is delicious though my butter went from small cubes to fine sand in just a couple pulses of the processor - skipping the small pea size altogether. Came together well and stood up to the juicy plums in spite of my "sandy" dough.
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Website: The Edible Perspective
This is a delicious coconut milk based ice cream.
I followed this recipe closely but used a different technique in the layering of the ice cream, chunks and chocolate. I froze the peanut butter mixture but did not flatten and cut into squares, instead I just chilled (in the freezer 15-20 minutes) and crumbled big chunks over the ice cream layers. Over that I drizzled my chocolate (in the container not in the ice cream machine). When serving I added a bit more chocolate over the ice cream and sprinkled a little flakey sea salt over. Next time I may add some salt to the chocolate or even the ice cream.
This loses one star for consistency - it was a bit icy and not as creamy as I would have liked.
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Website: The Baking Chocolatess
I chose this recipe because I had Greek yogurt nearing it expiration. I also only had 2 eggs and 2 egg whites (left over from another recipe), so I made do. After reading the reviews I decided to cut the sugar to one cup and it was plenty sweet. I also didn't have enough olive oil so I used butter -the author calls for evoo OR melted butter- so I just took it a step farther and browned the butter. This cake was simple, moist and had a tender crumb. I will make this again with the third whole egg and olive oil (although the brown butter was delicious). No glaze needed but a lemony drizzle might be nice.
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