jenncc's Reviews
1256 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating 
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The American Boulangerie: Authentic French Pastries and Breads for the Home Kitchen
By Pascal Rigo, Paul Moore
Bay Books (CA) - 2003
Ugh, what went wrong! Came out heavy, dry and did not look AT ALL like the beautiful picture. Not enough sweetness (which was shocking considering the amount of caramel and honey used) or spice (even though I was very generous)!
useful (1)
Homemade Living: Home Dairy with Ashley English: All You Need to Know to Make Cheese, Yogurt, Butter & More
By Ashley English
Lark Crafts - 2011
This was not a total disaster - I got cheese, it just was not the cheese I wanted. Everything was great until the second microwaving in Step 4. After I took it out (the second time) it was plastic-y. Eventually I got more of a string cheese than a mozzarella. It seemed "done" after the first microwave heating and I probably should have just gone ahead with the kneading and stretching at that point, or perhaps just a shorter heating the second time. I was a little suspicious of this recipe because of the 2 one minute zaps in the micro (online recipes called for only 1), also this recipe calls for calcium chloride and most others do not (in fact according to one recipe it states specifically to not use it). I really wanted to stick with the recipe since I was very excited about this book and was hoping this would be my "gateway cheese" to many of Ashley's other recipes. On the bright side - the ricotta I made with the whey was excellent!
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Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes
By Elana Amsterdam
Ten Speed Press - 2013
The problem with this recipe is the method of cooking the "crisp" part. If you follow the directions (which I did against my better judgement) your "crisp" is not at all crisp! Turned out more like almond mush and to make it worse it sunk down through all the fruit (so it wasn't just the topping which I could scrape off). The author has you cook the fruit first (good idea), then add the topping and cover (not such a good idea) and then uncover and cook additional 5-10 minutes (too late - already mushy). I should have baked the topping separately and added to the fruit "to order"/once the cooked fruit was in a bowl for serving. This topping will crisp - I tried it with some leftover- it just needs to be baked on it's own and added as needed.
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Milk Bar Life: Recipes & Stories
By Christina Tosi
Clarkson Potter - 2015
Two points/stars for the idea of a giant, thick, moist, dense, simple sugar cookie, but zero for the oily mess! These cookies looked great until you take one out a realize they are way too oily/greasy. I skipped the cinnamon-sugar topping in favor of sprinkles (I was looking to replicate the traditional bakery sugar cookie I grew up with). Flavor wise I think it accomplished that but the Greta was a grease bomb! I should have known when I saw it called for two sticks of butter AND a 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (which I did decrease). I will try this again with a lot less oil because I do love Tosi and have had success with most of her recipes.
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Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food: A Grocer's Guide to Shopping, Cooking & Creating Community Through Food
By Sam Mogannam, Dabney Gough
Ten Speed Press - 2011
I was disappointed in this one - the flavors are nice (cardamom and orange) but it is way too sweet (even tho I skimped on the sugar). This cooks on stove top first then gets transferred to the oven. Mine was a bit overcooked at the 40 minute mark (the recommended time). This recipe makes claims of being less fussy than traditional stove top versions but I disagree - cooking on the stove top, tempering the eggs, cooking in the oven with a water bath and you still need to stir as it cooks. Sorry Bi-Rite, I love you, but this is a miss.
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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
Do not let this review discourage you from making this wonderful treat, but do not make the same mistake I did! I was not happy with the consistency of my dough, ended up adding flour and ultimately over worked it :(
However, even with my poor texture the flavor was very good and I have had Rebecca's at Rather Sweet so I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about.
I'm going to give them another try and will update soon.
Bottom line - don't stress if your dough seems to wet, just soldier on, it will be worth it.
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The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
By Alice Waters
Clarkson Potter - 2007
This is a good, basic salsa verde. I added a bit of lemon juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Nice with grilled eggplant (as recommended on page 304).
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Dishes from the Wild Horse Desert: Norteño Cooking of South Texas
By Melissa Guerra
Wiley - 2006
Let me start by saying I am no wimp when it comes to spice. I know chipotles, like all peppers, vary in heat, but this sauce was H-O-T, hot! I love brown salsas/sauces and this one could have been great but I think either I got a hold of a wickedly hot batch of chilies or the recipe simply called for too many (2 ounces may not sound like a lot but those shriveled, tan little monsters are light!). I added some roasted tomatoes to even it out a bit, but that's a different salsa altogether isn't it? I think this will work as a seasoning to my pot of beans and even as a way to spice up my enchilada sauce, or a milder salsa, otherwise I will use it sparingly.
useful (1)
Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories
By Leslie Mackie, Carol Field, Andrew Cleary
Sasquatch Books - 2006
Pretty good for as a bran muffin alternative. I guess the bottom line is these did not satisfy my white sugar addiction:(
If your looking for a healthy-ish breakfast this may be just the muffin for you.
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Pure Vegetarian: Modern and Stylish Vegetarian Cooking
By Gayler
National Book Network - 2008
Eh, just all right. It took some tweaking to get it a "Good" rating. What could go wrong - I love all these ingredients? Two problems for me - it just came out bland considering all the wonderful things going into that pot and apparently his idea of medium dice is smaller than mine because my squash was not thoroughly cooked when my rice needed to come off the burner! Yikes! I ended up with a denser risotto than I'd hoped for and having to add a lot more seasoning.
useful (2)
Milk & Cookies: 89 Heirloom Recipes from New York's Milk & Cookies Bakery
By Tina-Marie Casaceli
Chronicle Books - 2011
These only get three stars because 1) the recommended technique of kneading the dough is tedious 2) I think the amounts called for are slightly off (or if the Amazon reviews are to be believed, the measurements are very off!) 3) in the end this wasn't a stellar or even a stand out cookie in flavor or texture:(
The dough is very wet and the author warns of "overworking" the dough, then asks you to turn it out on a floured surface and finish mixing by "using a gentle kneading motion". The one thing this does accomplish is getting more flour into the dough (and maybe she is accounting for that in her measurements) but it is messier than any "drop" cookie recipe should be.
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Ad Hoc at Home
By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2009
This is a basic carrot cake, and I liked that it didn't have pineapple, but it was lacking in spice and less moist than I've made in the past. If you need a carrot cake go with Sweet Melissa Murphy's recipe - it's amazing!
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A Year In My Kitchen
By Skye Gyngell
Ten Speed Press - 2011
These were a little too sweet for me, even with half the sugar called for. The will make a great pissaladiere or tart with the addition of some salty olives to offset the sweet. That said this recipe certainly has potential. Next time I will be more conservative with the sugar and I think they will nice along side a steak or in a warm salad.
useful (1)
Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
By Heidi Swanson
Ten Speed Press - 2011
I liked it, didn't love it. The texture was nice and it was very pretty, but I thought the flavor was lacking. It may be better with some vanilla or almond extract thrown in.
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Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion
By Alice Currah
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2012
Good basic pesto. I added some salt and pepper and a jalapeno. Don't need a recipe for this one but I wanted to make her Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad (139) and thought I would use her recipe for consistency.
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Cook's Country
(Jun/Jul, 2011)
Nice flavor and as other review stated it was a little paler pink than I had hoped. The frosting was very yummy, but wished the cake had been a little more moist. The cake was best the day it was baked (it dried out slightly in the fridge).
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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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Website: Epicurious
This recipe was good, however I expected a little more punch from the wonderful ingredients that went into it. Mine came out a little dry (perhaps slightly overcooked though I took it out early??). I was wishing I had some pesto or some "melty" cheese on top.
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Website: Epicurious
O.k. so there is room for improvement on this one, and although I kept saying it wasn't so great, I kept eating it! Strangely addictive. It is certainly more brittle than granola, so I hesitate to put it in the breakfast brunch category, but it is a nice topping for yogurt and fruit. Next time I will spice it up a bit more (though I already added ginger that was not in the recipe), and use more orange zest to brighten the flavor.
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Website: Epicurious
I have made a lot of pumpkin pies in my life and this one certainly has potential, but next time I will up the molasses and decrease a bit of the sugar. I missed that molasses flavor I love. I also doubled the spices which was needed.
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Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
It's granola. Nothing new and I prefer using egg whites (over oil) for my crunch. Also not many clusters (even with all that honey) and it browned very quickly -mine only needed 20 minutes in the oven. If I want to try this nut/seed/cranberry combo again I will incorporate it into my usual granola recipe.
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Website: Real Simple Food & Recipes
www.realsimple.com/food-recipes
This was good but I think there are better lemon pie / tart recipes out there (Dorie Greenspans for one). My crust was a little dark and the cream was not as tart as I would have liked. All in all, it was simple (REAL SIMPLE:) but if I make it again I will tweak it a bit - more lemon juice, less baking time (for crust).
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Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie
By Ken Haedrich
Harvard Common Press - 2004
Nice and tender but not as flaky as his Lard Pie Pastry recipe.
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Bubby's Brunch Cookbook: Recipes and Menus from New York's Favorite Comfort Food Restaurant
By Ron Silver, Rosemary Black
Ballantine Books - 2009
These are tender and just slightly sweet. I may have shorted myself on the sugar topping, but makes them perfect if serving with sweetened cream or jam.
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Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen
By Edward Lee
Artisan - 2013
Basic blue cheese dressing. I used this for my wedge salad. It did not call for mayo, was simple and did the job. Is it the best b.c.d. ever? No, but it was good and along some crumbled bacon "dressed" my wedge adequately.
This recipe is specifically for an Ambrosia Salad which may account for it's milder flavor.
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The Italian Farmer's Table: Authentic Recipes and Local Lore from Northern Italy
By Matthew Scialabba, Melissa Pellegrino
Three Forks - 2009
This never really came together. The pastry bag method of forming the gnocchi was a waste of time - the dough was far too wet! I had to add flour (making them a little denser than I wanted) and roll them out. The flavor was good, but this recipe did not produce the airy gnocchi I crave.
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Website: Smitten Kitchen
These are just as the title implies - biscuits with strawberries. Not sweet or scone-like, but more like a light tender biscuit with pops of flavor. My strawberries were not as ripe as Deb's so they did not exactly "melt" into the batter and they needed a little something - a swipe of butter and jam or honey, but were definitely tasty. I froze mine and they baked up perfectly. Straight from the freezer, these needed an extra 8-10 minutes.
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The New Persian Kitchen
By Louisa Shafia
Ten Speed Press - 2013
Hmm. Well I really liked the preparation (roasted in the oven on high heat) and the "mint oil" dressing, but somehow the filling didn't do it for me. I will make this again and tweak the filling.
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What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits and Pieces
By Katie Quinn Davies
Studio - 2012
I would probably have liked this better if I had never had Chicken with Angry Sauce (Food and Wine). This was too sweet (ketchup, honey, and sugar) too complicated (skinning chicken legs) and too time consuming (cooks at low temp for an hour and a half) when compared to other similar recipes. The results were good, not great.
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Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2009
These were a little cakey, and not as chewy as I had hoped they would be. Flavor was good and I think they will be great with coffee in the morning. Looking forward to playing around with different spices, dried fruits and seeds.
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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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Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar: 100 Dairy-Free Recipes for Everyone's Favorite Treats
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Terry Hope Romero
Da Capo Lifelong Books - 2009
These came out tasty, however they were extremely oily. I did add more flour after baking the first small sample batch. The cookies were indeed soft in the middle and crisp on the bottom and the flavor was good, I just couldn't believe how greasy they were. Next time I will definitely decrease the canola oil. I added salted peanuts and used half chocolate/half peanut butter chips.
useful (1)
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
Ten Speed Press - 2013
I thought this was good with potential to be great. My issue was simple - too much liquid for my chicken to have the crispy skin I crave. I think the next time I make this I will use 1/2 the broth and maybe 1/2 a lemon. Yes, the pan juices were wonderful, but what's the point in roasting chicken when the skin is going to hold most of the seasoning/flavor/marinade but turn out flabby and unappealing?
useful (2)
Clean Eats: Over 200 Delicious Recipes to Reset Your Body's Natural Balance and Discover What It Means to Be Truly Healthy
By Alejandro Junger
HarperOne - 2014
This was better than "good" really but somehow not quite "very good". I will make it again, preparing it with a little more spice - a jalapeño or some spicy salsa garnish.
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Website: The Food Network
These did not get as crisp as I would have liked but the flavor was good. Not too sweet.
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Truly Mexican: Essential Recipes and Techniques for Authentic Mexican Cooking
By Roberto Santibanez
Wiley - 2011
Good and hot! More of a taco sauce than a chip dipping salsa. I thought the addition of ginger was a great touch and would have liked it to be a little stronger. Also missed the garlic flavor. Next time I may use less arbol chiles so I can get more of those flavors.
useful (1)
Website: Food & Wine
The idea is terrific but the recipe itself is rather standard. The first batch (as the recipe is written) was just blah so I improved it by adding pecans and dried cranberries (much better). Next time I will make MY oatmeal cookie recipe and top with a sprinkle of salt.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
These were good, but I have definitely made a better baguette. The crumb was a little dense and the crust went from very hard to a little too soft. They worked fine for garlic toast and sandwiches.
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This was a nice alternative to guacamole but it didn't pack enough punch for me - maybe extra lime and some cayenne would help. This is not the avocado salsa you sometimes find in taco joints, this is a smooth and creamy dip.
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The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles's Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
By Nancy Silverton, Matt Molina, Carolynn Carreno, Mario Batali
Knopf - 2011
This is a creamy, slightly sweet vinaigrette. I think it could have been improved with a little oregano or spice.
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Website: Martha Stewart
Tasty treat and a decent way to use up those egg whites. I veered from the recipe a bit as I thought 1) 1/4 cup honey may be a little too much with all that sweet fruit 2) I also made these into bars in an 8x8 pyrex, baking them about 28 minutes at 325. They did not hold together perfectly but that could be because of my revisions.
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Website: Bojon Gourmet
Taste was excellent, unfortunately I could not get the texture right. I added a lot of extra flour and it was still very limp even after a very long mix/knead. Next time I will probably just keep adding until the dough has more structure. I came out with a sad, flat loaf of bread.
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Website: Epicurious
This was good and a cinch to throw together. My husband liked it more than I did, but with a dash of cayenne I did enjoyed it.
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Southern Biscuits
By Nathalie Dupree, Cynthia Graubart
Gibbs Smith - 2011
I know people have had success with this recipe (also listed on Leite's Culinaria website) but mine were kinda plain and did not raise to any great heights. That said I did have to make my own self rising flour so maybe my measurements were off?? I will try this again because it is SUCH a simple recipe (only 2 ingredients if you have the Lily White).
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Website: All Recipes
This was pretty good, if not a tad bit too sweet. I added some room temperature cream cheese to offset the cloying sweetness and it was much better.
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Website: Rose Water and Orange Blossoms
I liked working with this dough - slightly sticky but not a mess. I liked the filling recipe (mostly spinach and onion) as it seemed similar to my own family's recipe. I liked the easy to follow instructions. And I definitely liked the beautiful pictures of the fatayar on Maureen's website. However, the crust of my final product was too puffy - my "ridge" (formed when pinching the dough together) completely disappeared and lost all definition. No big deal as long as it tastes wonderful right? Well, they were good but not great. Flavors were off, especially in the filling, so I added another 1/2 lemon and some sumac, as well as a dose of olive oil. Much better. Also the flavor improves as it sits, so next time I will be sure to make ahead.
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Website: The Perfect Loaf
His "Best Sourdough" was my worst sourdough. HOWEVER, it was still tasty and there is lots of potential. My errors may be due to my inexperience. I have made several of the Tartine Breads with great success and in fact using this website as a guide. What went wrong: This is a high hydration dough (not new to me) and I attempted to rush it a bit and did not extend the bulk fermentation period (especially the folding)as I should have. My dough was very lazy and slack and would not hold it's shape. Ugly loaf, decent taste.
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Website: Epicurious
Simple and Tasty. The crust was easy to work with and the sweet topping was a nice complement to the tang of the Granny Smith's.
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Flavor Flours: A New Way to Bake with Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours
By Alice Medrich, Maya Klein, Leigh Beisch
Artisan - 2014
Made these with pecans and was quite satisfied - the NEXT day as the flavor and texture was much improved after a night in the cookie jar. I fiddled with this recipe a bit in that I pressed my dough into an 8 inch pyrex (simply for better/easier shaping), refrigerated 3-4 hours and then cut and baked the cookies as directed (1 inch apart on a baking sheet). Because the author suggests pressing the dough into a 9 inch square (freeform) I knew my thicker shortbread may take a bit longer to cook, but even after 35 minutes the squares did not seem firm enough, tho they were well browned on the bottom. I took the rest of the dough and rolled it out (GF, so no worries of tough cookies:) and cut with a 1.5 inch cutter - they were thinner, prettier- I liked the pecans incorporated into the dough, the shape held really well, and they took on a nicer golden color, and best of all they were crisp. That said, the next day not only did the flavor improved but the original thick square cut cookies texture firmed up a bit. I would make these again as a roll out cookie with more nuts a little spice. Lesson learned - for best results make these ahead of times as shaped roll out cookie!
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Website: New York Times - Recipes
topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/recipes/index.html
Mushy delicious mess! These were actually very good (4 stars) flavor wise, but they did not come out as the photo suggested. Mine were not set even after 30 minutes, the short bread crust, tho completely cool (I cooked it the night before) became soft and mushy with the filling and they were an impossible sticky mess! Yes, they are addictive and the lemon flavor was just right but I expected so much more after reading the reviews. Needless to say these did not make it onto the cookie tray. I will try this again because I do love a good lemon bar and the reviews seem very promising.
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