jenncc's Reviews
1256 recipes reviewed. Showing 1001 to 1050Sort by: Book Title 
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The Science of Good Cooking (Cook's Illustrated Cookbooks)
By The Editors of America's Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby Ph.D
Cook's Illustrated - 2012
Great cheesecake, simple, delicious, no cracks, and no water bath to mess with. The cake cooks in a high temperature oven for 10 minutes and continues baking at low temp (200 degrees) for around 1 1/2 hours. This extreme high/low baking is suppose to prevent cracking. Whatever the science behind it, this cheesecake turned out a perfect light golden color on top with a creamy, soft interior. Made the Fresh Strawberry Topping to go with it but it was very good even without.
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This recipe turned out crispy, juicy, delicious fried chicken. I brined overnight and added some cayenne and paprika to the flour mixture. I liked that this recipe suggests cooking in a covered pot for the first half of cooking which insures the interior of the meat will be done and better yet less splatter to clean up.
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This recipe is fussy but delicious. It was moist and full of banana flavor. You place the bananas in the microwave to soften the bananas and release their juices, which you reduce then add to the batter. I was short 1 banana so I did not top the bread with sliced bananas but we didn't miss it.
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Nice hearty goulash that cooks in oven rather than stove top. This recipe skips the sear of the beef (which I do usually) and achieves most of it's flavor from a paprika, roasted red pepper/tomato paste mixture. Beef turned out very tender and delicious.
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Scoop Adventures: The Best Ice Cream of the 50 States: Make the Real Recipes from the Greatest Ice Cream Parlors in the Country
By Lindsay Clendaniel
Page Street Publishing - 2014
Delicious! Made this for the second time today adding a swirl of peanut butter (recipe from Ample Hills Creamery Cookbook). This has great banana flavor (more than other recipes I have tried) with a touch of nutmeg, and the texture is smooth and creamy.
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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: Seasons and Suppers
Creamy and delicious! I only made half a recipe but otherwise followed instructions. My pudding was thick and rice was tender after about 28 minutes.
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Website: Serious Eats
Didn't bother with the sprouts, used caramelized onions and a smear of garlic sauce instead. I made the avocado mash with lime juice instead of lemon and it was delicious.
The burgers did indeed come out juicy and flavorful.
useful (1)
Website: Serious Eats
These were tasty. The gravy wasn't overly rich and I was able to cut the salt (probably since I used table salt) to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Served with small potatoes and salad. Next time I may use beef broth rather than chicken.
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Website: Serious Eats
Simple and delicious recipe - just the right amount of spice and heat. I did let my lamb marinate for a couple hours.
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Website: Serious Eats
These are like the best bowl of oatmeal you ever had, in a cookie! Mine looked nothing like the picture on the website but maybe that's because I was very generous with the apple (using about 3 extra tablespoons)and spices. I also subbed apple butter for the sauce (though my apple butter was very applesauce-y). One batch also got chunks of crystalized ginger which was terrific!
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Website: Serious Eats
This is the third year we have smoked our Thanksgiving bird and decided to do things a little different. Having never butterflied our turkey before I was a little nervous but I have to say the end result was fabulous! I had my butcher do the hard part (butterflying the bird), then used the removed back bone, giblets, extra wings (bought separately) and neck to make a stock for our gravy. The smokiness penetrated the skin and meat evenly all over and we had more crispy spicy skin than ever. The meat was moist, smoky and nicely spiced due to the dry brine.
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Website: Serious Eats
This is an excellent (but basic) recipe for pesto. The flavors are enhanced by the method, not the particular ingredients- the author uses the mortar and pestle to make a pesto with wonderful texture and taste.
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Website: Serious Eats
Made this with active sourdough discard. It is a three day process but not at all complicated or involved. The crust was crisp on the bottom and chewy within - easy and delicious.
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Website: Serious Eats
Great fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors. I marinated mine for about 6 hours. The meat came out tender and flavorful. Served with Middle Eastern sides.
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Website: Serious Eats
Not a "shortcut" polenta recipe, but includes some nice suggestions, like soaking the polenta ahead of time for quicker cooking, as well as how to create firm (baked or fried polenta) from the soft. This method works and is not that different from most other recipes, but I chose it because it did not call for milk or any cheese and of course the promise of "smooth and creamy" polenta was appealing.
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Website: Serious Eats
Delicious, spicy goodness! These were great with just the right amount of smoke and spice. There are a couple extra steps to this recipe and it calls for bone in, skin on chicken (I usually use skinless breast) but I think it's worth the extra effort.
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Website: Serious Eats
These are a wonderful version of the classic Tex-Mex beans I grew up eating. I did add a good pinch of cumin to the spices. Fire roasting the tomatoes is a delicious touch for a little extra smoky flavor. The beans were tender (but not at all mushy) after 50 minutes.
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Website: Serious Eats
Nice way to use up some sourdough discard. Crisp on the outside with a soft interior and a nice tang. I mashed a banana into part of the batter along with some cinnamon, a tiny bit more sugar and nutmeg and they were delicious - banana bread waffles!
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Website: Serious Eats
Bold smoky flavor with a nice hit of acid and sweetness from the simple vinaigrette. I really like Spanish chorizo and there is plenty of it in this recipe.
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Website: Serious Eats
This is hearty comfort food with a nice kick of spice and acid. A versatile dish that can be a side or main, breakfast or lunch, served as a stew or as a hummus like spread/dip. I made a half recipe with dried fava beans only about a 1/3 cup of olive oil. Delicious! My only change would be to peel the favas (canned or dried) since the skins are tough.
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Website: Serious Eats
The flavor of this pita is perfect, the dough was easy to work with, BUT I could not get mine to puff/form a pocket. Followed the directions exactly but after not much luck (1 puffed) I used reviewers suggestions of cooking in cast iron stove top (none puffed). So what can I glean from this one successful pita - it was smaller than the others, not thinner (in fact maybe a bit thicker) and the oven needs to be really hot. I will make these again with that in mind - smaller pitas with slightly more heft (closer to 1/4 inch thick).
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Website: Serious Eats
This was good but my chicken was a little dry and and I felt the tomatillo sauce was missing a little something. I think I would make this again omitting the cream for a brighter, cleaner sauce. To remedy the dry-ish chicken I shredded it and reheating it in the sauce, serving on corn tortillas - much better.
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Website: Serious Eats
I like my falafel crisp on the outside, moist and tender in the middle, and green with herby goodness - this is that falafel! I used mostly cilantro, parsley coming in a close second and a small handful of fresh mint. As with all falafel it is important that the chickpeas be as dry as possible and that you process until finely ground but not a paste. Served with NYC times pita, and fattoush salad.
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Website: Serious Eats
I used a smaller piece of meat and cut the cooking time accordingly. This is a simple recipe, but of course, like all smoked meats takes time. We lost the "bark" when we wrapped it in foil so I think next time we may start it in foil, then cook directly on the grates to achieve a nice crust. Since I had never smoked anything other than vegetables, chicken and briskets this was a really nice change. Very tasty!
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Website: Serious Eats
This is hits somewhere between Middle Eastern and Italian- the tomato/harissa sauce reminds me of a loubeh, then again, it's similar to pasta alla norma sauce. Either way this is a tasty vegetarian dish. We served it with some black olives and ricotta over pasta.
The spice comes from harissa, which can vary greatly brand to brand, so taste and add accordingly.
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Website: Serious Eats
This was really easy and tasty. I did marinate my chicken for about 2 hours since that was more convenient. Chicken was moist and flavorful and chimichurri was wonderful (especially after an hour in the fridge). Served with hummus, and grilled cauliflower.
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Website: Serious Eats
This was the closest I have gotten to the Chinese Eggplant dishes of our favorite restaurants. I had to improvise, using jalapeno instead of red chilis, and a different spicy Asian paste/condiment for the broad bean paste but it was still worth the effort.
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Website: Serious Eats
Love the hearty texture and flavor of this 100% whole wheat bread. The author (Stella Parks) uses an unconventional but speedy technique to build the gluten in this loaf letting a food processor do the work. Though I really enjoy kneading bread I know a whole wheat loaf can take some time. After reading the many comments/reviews posted and all the troubles people were having I did cut back on the water and oil just a bit (maybe 2 Tablespoons). My dough was still very wet but not impossible to work with. Stella did post an instructional video on her instagram for the whole wheat bread (minus the multigrains) which was very helpful. I made this using an old 12 cup kitchenaid and it definitely got hot which made me worry about not only the motor but the dough, so I had to do the processing a little at a time and may not have developed the gluten to its fullest. All in all I really enjoyed this technique and will certainly make this loaf again.
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Website: Serious Eats
This is wonderful - the pork was flavorful, moist and tender. Paired with some pickles and cilantro then wrapped in refreshing lettuce it was the perfect pairing for the spicy meat. I marinated mine for about 4-5 hours. The freezing of the meat (about 1 hour) really helped with making even slices.
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Website: Serious Eats
This is terrific, and a wonderful change of pace from our usual steak and pasta/salad/veg. I did sub some ingredients - chives for the scallions, red pepper flakes for the chilies, and used a large ribeye steak.
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Website: Serious Eats
Made these in a large cast iron pan. Came out great with caramelized edges (from the sugar in the marinade) and very tender after an overnight marinade. Ate these in a lettuce wrap with kimichi.
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Website: Serious Eats
I think this maybe a five (or at least four star recipe) however it was only a three for me. I followed all instructions but I guess 9 hours was not enough. The skin was crisp, hard in fact in certain parts, but the meat came out tough, not fall off the bone as expected. I do think I should have put it back in the oven for another hour or so and if the skin was inedible so be it. We did save the meat by slow cooking it on the stove top in with some bbq sauce for delicious pulled pork sandwiches. I may try this again but with a smaller piece of meat, and a lot more patience.
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Website: Serious Eats
These are easy, and though there is an overnight soak the time it takes for them to come together is minimal. They were very good hot off the griddle but held up pretty well after a short storage period. I took them of the griddle, wrapped them in a towel, then once all were done put them in a plastic sandwich bag. The steam makes keeps them pliable longer, making them perfect for tacos or enchiladas. I may have cooked mine a little longer than necessary since I had barely any bran to remove - it was mostly at the bottom of the pot. I added a few tablespoons of water and a teaspoon or so of salt while processing. It took about 7-8 minutes in my KitchenAid food processor for it to come together.
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Website: Serious Eats
Very tasty and crispy indeed! Worth the extra steps.
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Website: Serious Eats
Loved the creaminess of the broth along with the punch of spice and lemon. I grew up with (and often make) a similar bean salad using fava beans (ful) and chickpeas (hummus) but this is a wonderful change in both flavor and texture.
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Website: Serious Eats
I have made this several times but somehow always forget to review. It is a bit time consuming but with the help of the video it is not difficult, and the results are decadent! Rich, flaky, buttery paratha goes great with many stews, curries and sides. We had this with Meera Sodha’s Chicken Curry (NYT) and it was fantastic. I do not always fry the par cooked bread in ghee at the end, rather I simply brown it in a dry skillet- either way it is great. These freeze/reheat well.
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Website: Serious Eats
Followed directions carefully and though they were tasty they were nothing like the picture. These ended up more like a peanut brittle. They are addictive but I was hoping to use them in a peanut butter cookie recipe and I am not so sure this will work.
Update: stuck them back in a very low temp oven for 10-15 minutes and that helped with stickiness. They were still more brittle like, but in the end they worked well in Stella Parks Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe.
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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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Website: Serious Eats
I used this technique with great success. That said I did use different amounts because I needed more frosting than this makes (but not double). Used this to frost a coconut cake and it was perfect - fluffy, delicious, and perfect for piping. As written this recipe is enough to frost (but not fill) a three layer, 6 inch cake.
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Website: Serious Eats
Followed instructions to a tee except for using a couple tablespoons extra wild blueberries (thawed from frozen).
Cooked 1 hour 15 minutes (as directed) and pie had just hit 213 F. Used Stella's All Butter pie dough recipe for a lattice crust. Last time I used this crust recipe it was a disaster but this time it came out much better though it did lose a little bit of the crimped edges (they puffed and lost some shape) but overall looked pretty good. It was buttery and super flaky. Made both filling and crust day before - rolling out the crust and leaving it in the pie plate overnight.
Had to grind my own tapioca flour from pearls (Bob's Red Mill) and it worked well - not soupy at all.
Pie sunk/caved some in the middle after removing it from the oven. - next time I think I would heap more berries towards the middle (not level out as she instructs).
I think the addition of the wild blueberries was great - they really add a lot of flavor. I did not detect the coriander at all. It was a touch sweet, but it is pie after all. Some whipped cream would have balanced it perfectly. Delicious pie!
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Website: Serious Eats
The flavor of this cake is very good, the texture however is a bit dense. I only had unbleached cake flour and Stella insists that the cake flour be bleached for this cake to work... and I do believe her. While the texture of this cake wasn't ideal I can certainly see it's potential and I won't hesitate to make it again using the proper cake flour. I'm not sure that I prefer it (in strawberry flavor) to Sally's Baking Addiction but I think it could be a contender. One of the main differences is that Sally cooks her berries down for a more concentrated flavor. Also Stellas cake is bigger 3 proper 8 inch layers while Sallys is meant to be 2 (tho I usually divide it into 3 thinner layers). I made her fruity whipped cream as a frosting which is very nice but a little light in flavor (I will increase the freeze dried berries next time).
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Website: Serious Eats
This was somewhat of a revelation - tasty, pipe-able frosting ready in 5 minutes and only 3 ingredients! I made this for Stella's Double Strawberry Cake and I will say that I could have used more freeze dried strawberries to give it a little more punch. This frosting is very light (don't over process) but I can't image it would hold up too well out of the fridge for an extended period.
This is a very versatile recipe that can be used on/for all kinds of things.
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Shroom: Mind-bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms
By Becky Selengut
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 2014
Very flavorful dish! The aromatic rice is warm and comforting combined with mushrooms and chickpeas, make for a delicious main dish or a tasty side.
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Love this method of cooking king trumpet mushrooms - roasted then sautéed along with leeks. They come out with a nice sear and a creamy center. The vinaigrette is tasty too.
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Website: Simply Recipes
This recipe makes a delicious, comforting, creamy pudding. I shorted the sugar by about 2-3 tablespoons and thought it was plenty sweet. Love it warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
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Website: Simply Recipes
These are always delicious but this recipe is simple and uses less butter and eggs than others I have tried. Came out great and it rose high. Topped with fresh blueberries and sugared lemon zest.
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Website: Simply Recipes
These are good and simple enough to throw together. They're not incredibly chocolatey, which was fine with me but the chocolate lovers were a bit disappointed. Flavor is kinda ho-humm. Frosting helped a lot- I used an ermine frosting on half and ganache on half.
Update... I had to adjust my rating as these improved with a little time! The chocolate flavor deepened and they stayed really moist. Our favorites were the ones with ermine frosting.
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Website: Simply Recipes
This is simple and delicious. I add 3 smashed garlic cloves into the sauce.
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Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2012
I did alter this slightly - used pecans instead of walnuts for the topping and ginger instead of cinnamon in the filling - however I am sure this would work nicely with various nuts/spices and she does include several variations that sound delicious. The topping was crisp and the fruit was bubbly and sweet (I opted for the lesser amount of sugar) - exactly as a crisp should be. It was great at room temp and held up nicely into the next day.
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