foodiewife's Reviews
99 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title 
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The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
By America's Test Kitchen, Daniel J. Van Ackere, Carl Tremblay, America's Test Kitchen
Boston Common Press - 2008
With the fall weather, comes crispier temperatures in the morning. That's when I love kick my baking into high gear. I love to bake muffins for my family to enjoy with a cup of fresh coffee. The preparation for this recipe took concentration, because a lot of the dry ingredients will be "divided". I did use my food processor, which helped to "cut" the cold unsalted butter into the dry mix. If doing this by hand, I would suggest grating the butter. It helps a lot! With that said, there's a little bit of fussiness to deal with. First, you making the cinnamon filling. I used a small scoop to add a tablespoon of dough into a well-greased muffin pan. Then, you add a generous 1 1/2 Tablespoon of the cinnamon filling, then add more of the dough on top. It didn't say to do this, but I realized I needed to spread the dough evenly to cover the cinnamon filling. These baked in about 20 minutes. As far as texture, they were very tender. Just be sure not to overmix! As far as taste... everybody loved them. I'd definitely make these again.
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The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook: A New, Healthier Way to Cook Everything from America's Most Trusted Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen, America's Test Kitchen, America's Test Kitchen, Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine, America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen - 2010
I completely forgot to review this recipe! Yes, making the bread crumbs took a bit of work/waiting time. I actually loved the coating of the fish, and I used fresh herbs. I use wild-caught Pacific Cod. I blogged this recipe two years ago. I'm providing the link, in case you'd like to see my step-by-step photos and how it turned out. I was happy with the "crunch" without deep frying. I need to make this again!
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I love mushrooms and husband loves barley (but mushrooms...not so much). In my effort to cook healthier fare, after the Christmas gluttony, I turned to my trusted recipe source-- America's Test Kitchen. This isn't inexpensive to make, when you consider that dried Porcini Mushrooms costs about $80.00 a pound. It cost aobut $5.00 for the porcinis, which were a bit of a challenge to find. Okay, it doesn't break the bank but once you buy creminis and shitaki's (I chose to forgo portobellos), you're spending roughly $15.00. I really liked the technique (new to me) of sweating the mushrooms, and then caramelizing them until they are dry. This brings out the mushroom flavor. Instead of adding the barley and liquid, at the end, and cooking it for 50 minutes (I was hungry) I used my pressure cooker and it took 20 minutes to be ready to eat. One last note: adding a squeeze of fresh lemon gave a perfect balance of acidity to this soup.
Flavor-wise, there is a lot of mushroom flavor which my son and I liked. My husband had a sad face, as he's just not as fond of fungi as we are. Next time, I might add a dash of sherry to give the soup a little acidity... maybe a few more calories, but just a dash. Overall, a good and comforting soup.
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I get lazy about making salads, because I won't buy or use bottled salad dressing. I'm going to make a conscious effort to make a variety of salad dressings, from scratch, that is good for you. This salad dressing was really good! I liked the idea of reducing fresh orange juice (I always buy Trader Joe's pure orange juice anyway) until it's a thick syrup. To that, fresh lime juice, honey and shallots are added and seasoned with simple salt and pepper. I served this with an Argula Salad with supremed orange slices and Feta cheese, and we loved it.
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We're on an arugula kick, lately. We love the peppery and crisp flavor of this green. I've made this salad three times, to use up the Orange-Lime Vinaigrette dressing (page 62) and it's become a favorite of ours. I've made this with supremed Texas Ruby Reds, and recently with Cara Cara oranges. I've used Bleu Cheese and I've used Feta. Our favorite combo is arugula, Feta, oranges, and sliced avocado with the Orange-Lime Vinaigrette. It's awesome!
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Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2006
I'm much prefer a yellow or white cake. However, for a chocolate cake, this one was very good. Coffee really does enhance the chocolate flavor, but you wouldn't know it's there. I also liked the frosting a lot.
You can see how I made this on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/beattys-cake-for-barefoot-bloggers.html
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Yum. Trust Ina. This is a great frosting recipe.
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Whether it's healthy or not, this is one of my favorite loaf cakes. It's a pound cake. It's very moist and one of my favorite recipes.
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I adapted this recipe just a little. I made a raspberry coulis sauce. After making the meringue, I filled it with the whipped cream, then layered the fresh berries on top and then drizzled it with the raspberry coulis sauce. It's a lovely presentation, and much easier to make than it looks.
My photo tutorial is on my food blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-berry-pavlova-with-raspberry.html
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This is one of my most viewed recipes on my food blog. I love coconut cake, and this one was quite good. However, it really isn't the best coconut cake of all time (Cook's Illustrated's is the best, as it has coconut creme added to the batter). This is really a yellow cake with coconut pressed in.
You can see how I made it at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/ina-gartens-coconut-cake-special.html
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Crumbles, crisp...I think it's the same thing. I love to make crisps, as they're so fast and easy to do. It's a great way for me to use seasonal fruit. I loved this recipe.
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These are very easy to make. I suggest making the filling the night before, and set your puff pastry to thaw as well. I buy my puff pastry at Whole Foods. It costs a whole lot more money, but it has real butter. Did you know that the "other" well known brand has no butter in it? Read the label, and you will see! With that said, these are fun to make and are one of my most viewed recipes on my blog. Ina sure is popular!
You can see how I made them at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/ina-gartens-easy-cheese-danish.html
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Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2008
I had fun making these. The only thing I changed was that I used Feta cheese instead of goat cheese. AS hard as I try, I cannot bond with the flavor of goat cheese. It's just too strong a flavor.
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I should make this recipe again, as it's been a while. I've made homemade blintzes, but Ina creates this classic brunch recipe as a "casserole". It's quite easy to make, and the blueberry sauce was a hit. I made this for a Brunch Potluck. Not too sweet, and lovely with a mimosa!
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I am a HUGE fan of scallops. My husband is "meh" about them. I made this dinner for my husband for our "At Home" Date Night. I made a couple of changes to this recipe, though. I didn't use the Prosciutto. For one, I didn't have any on hand, and it just didn't sound like a combo that I wanted. I didn't use the Pernod (c'mon Ina, like I keep a bottle of that on hand?). Instead, I used fresh French Tarragon from our herb garden. I was surprised how quickly this whole dish came together. My husband LOVED this dinner! I made them in individual oval shaped ramekins, and served it with roasted asparagus and chilled white wine.
I have, since, made the panko topping without using a mixer. It's just as easy to do by hand. I used it on fresh Red Snapper, and it was delicious. LOVE the topping. This is on my blog:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/scallops-gratin-ina-garten-style.html
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I haven't made this recipe in a while, but I definitely will. I love cooking with panko crumbs. This is an easy recipe to prepare, and worthy of entertaining. The topping would be great on any kind of seafood. Makes a stunning presentation.
It's on my blog:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/ina-gartens-baked-scampi-two-side.html
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My husband loves bacon, and I love potatoes. We have plenty of fresh chives in our garden, so this was the perfect french omelet (more of a fritatta, I think). This will be perfect for our Sunday brunch rotation.
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The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
By Ina Garten, Martha Stewart
Clarkson Potter - 1999
Gosh, it's been a very long time since I've made this recipe. I remember it, well, because I don't like fennel. A friend suggested that I make this recipe, and I did like it! How can you go wrong with heavy cream and gruyere? I'll have to make this again, so I can photograph it and blog it. It's perfect for a Fall/Winter Side Dish. Fattening, but a nice treat.
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Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2002
This is a really easy recipe to make, and it's impressive enough for company. I followed the recipe, but I made one small tweak. I used panko crumbs, instead of bread crumbs. I prepared the chicken ahead of time, refrigerated it and cooked it when it was time to get dinner ready for my guests. They were so impressed, and I didn't even break a sweat! I loved the crunchy texture of the chicken, and I'm glad that I used panko crumbs instead. It's a keeper!
A photo tutorial is on my food blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/parmesan-chicken-provencal-tomatoes.html
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I love tomatoes, especially baked/broiled. The only thing I didn't like about the way the recipe was written, is that you drizzle olive oil after it's been baked. I've made this, since, and I prefer to use panko crumbs. I drizzle the olive oil into the breadcrumbs to help them bind. For extra flavor, I dot the tops with a little butter.
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So far, this is my go to recipe for pie crusts. I've posted a tutorial on how to make this, and easy tips for rolling out pie dough and crimping it. It's on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/06/california-olallieberry-pie-barefoot.html
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I have to say that the first time I made these, they were rocks. I'm more biscuit savvy, now, and have learned that it's really important not to overmix the dough. It works the gluten too much, resulting in tough biscuits.
They are quite pretty, and very good. This is another recipe I should make again. It would go great with one of Ina's delicious (and fool-proof) soup recipes.
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Why such a low rating? The cake was moist, but dense. I didn't care for the texture of the cake. I adapted this recipe by making a tall 3-layer cake, and filling one layer with raspberry jam, and another with a vanilla pudding (this was before I learned how to make pastry cream). I don't like dark chocolate, so I made my own lighter chocolate frosting. It was okay, but I have better recipes that I prefer. You can see how I made it on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/barefoot-bloggers-ina-gartens-birthday.html
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Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2012
I can't believe I'm giving Ina a two-star rating, but here's why. The soup was okay. I used one large onion, because two onions sounded like a LOT. Yes, I have saffron on hand. I used crushed tomatoes. So, I followed the recipe, including the orzo. The end result was that there was a LOT of onion. You couldn't really taste the onion, because it's cooked for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. I just got remarks from my family like "that's a lot of onion". The soup was a bit on the acidic side, so I remedied it with about a tablespoon of sugar, which worked. I made the Cheese Croutons...kinda. I didn't cut them small and serve them in the soup. I made grilled cheese sandwiches and cut them in half and let my family eat as they wished. One dunked them in the soup, the rest didn't. Not a bad soup, but I'd say it's not worth using the saffron. I still like my tomato basil soup, better. For now.
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Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2010
"Thank God It's Friday"! It's a nice cocktail, but it needed a little bit more of something. (The grapefruits weren't as sweet as I expected.) I added a couple Tablespoons of sugar (simple syrup would work well, too) extra ice and it was perfect. This makes 8 servings. I froze half of this. The next day, it was added to a blender with some ice and it was just as good!
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Foolproof way to prepare filet Mignon. I made this for "Date Night" at home.
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Next time, I'll pay extra and use boneless chicken breasts. De-boning and slicing the chicken was a bit of a hassle for me! Plus, the presentation is much prettier with boneless chicken breasts. I also realized that this recipe reminded of another Ina Garten recipe I've made before-- Baked Scampi! Overall, this is a delicious recipe and not a lot of work. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
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Regular Italian sausage is an ideal ingredient. Just be sure to drain the excess fat. Fresh thyme would be an excellent addition. I'm not sure if panko crumbs are vital. The moisture of the filling defeated the crunchiness of panko crumbs. I think regular bread crumbs would be fine. You can easily make the sausage a day ahead-- which is exactly what I've done.
Read more: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/ina-gartens-sausage-stuffed-mushrooms.html#ixzz1WwBvJdIY
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
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I have more basil than I know what to do with, so this recipe was a perfect twist on mashed potatoes to make. I've made this twice. The first time, I followed Ina's recipe as written. This might sound "odd" but my family thought it had notes of pumpkin pie. Hmmm. I felt that I'd love the dish, more, if I added garlic to it. So, my adaptation kind of went like this. I cooked unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes in a whole milk/heavy cream mixture (a Tyler Florence trick), until fork tender. I poured out the milk when the spuds were done and divided it. For one half of the reserved milk, I added the Parmesan and allowed it to thicken on low heat. In a blender, I added the blanched basil and then slowly added the reserved Parmesan milk mixture. I mashed the potatoes and slowly added this milk to the spuds until they were creamy enough. The reserved milk was added, until I had the desired texture consistency. I loved this version!
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I would call this a cross between a cobbler and a cheater pie, but the dough bakes into a tender cake consistency. It's not too sweet, and easier than pie! My husband thought the cranberries were a bit tart. Usually, I'm the one who is sensitive to sour/tart flavor. I actually thought the fruit had a perfect balance of sweet and tart. My son agreed with me (for a change). I plan to make this version with all apples. I also plan to make this with berries, and also when fresh peaches come into season.
Read more: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/03/ina-gartens-easy-cranberry-apple-cake.html#ixzz1WwEIrCZo
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
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As Ina says, this is otherwise known as "Midnight Spaghetti". Very easy to make. For more protein, I ended up sauteeing some fresh shrimp and added some freshly picked pear and cherry tomatoes, from our garden. It added extra color and was delicious-- and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
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The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2012: The Year's Best Recipes, Equipment Reviews, and Tastings (Best of America's Test Kitchen Cookbook: The Year's Best Recipes)
By Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Boston Common Press - 2011
These are ultra-tender pancakes. I made a Lingonberry butter. Loved these,and found them very addicting. They are very delicate to work with, though. It will improve crepe making skills, for sure. A picture tutorial is on my blog at: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/swedish-pancakes-with-lingonberry.html
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Three stars goes to the cake. The texture is more of a sponge cake, and I followed the recipe exactly. I tend to check my cake five minutes before the recommended baking time, so I don't overbake them. Sure enough, it was ready five minutes early. I felt that the cake felt a bit short of moistness, but the flavor was good. However, the cake still had a slight "grey" color cast to it, so I guess some Red Dye-40 might be necessary if you want a truly pink cake. The frosting was four stars...maybe even five. Very, very good. This is a bit fussy to make, but at least I didn't have to use boxed cake mix and jello. You can see a picture tutorial on my blog at: http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-dream-cake-from-scratch.html
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These are truly some of the best sugar cookies I've ever eaten. Chewy inside, crispy on the outside...perfection!
A step-by-step tutorial is on my blog at; http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/chewy-sugar-cookies.html
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Blue Jean Chef: Comfortable Under Pressure
By Meredith Laurence
Walah! LLC - 2013
I made a couple of tweaks to this recipe, and I think they worked. I added tomato paste to give the sauce a richer flavor. I cooked the flour with the vegetables, to thicken the sauce (as opposed to stirring some of the liquid with flour at the end). I also added cremini mushrooms, since I had them on hand. I reduced the paprika by 1/3 and am glad that I did. I also had a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, at the end that gave a "brightness" to the sauce. I served it over papardelle pasta, served it with a dollops of extra sour cream, and it was a good meal. It took about 15 minutes of prep, 5 minutes to come to high pressure and 6 minutes to cook. I'd definitely make this again, as this used ingredients that I always have on hand.
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Bon Appetit
(August, 2011)
We enjoyed these baked fries. What I liked about this recipe was tossing the baked fries in with a bit of oil and freshly minced garlic. I also didn't need to pre-cook the fries in the microwave. I think it would be fun to use some seasoning salt and even more garlic. Super easy. Excellent recipe.
NOTE: I actually got this recipe from the website, so I don't know the page number. It's on my food blog:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/san-francisco-garlic-fries-made-lite.html
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The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
By Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Cook's Illustrated - 2009
I have made this recipe, multiple times, and it always turns out great. I don't change a single ingredient nor stray for the directions. The addition of the lemon juice, at the end, really does add brightness to this recipe. I love skillet dinners, because it's perfect for a work night, and a whole lot less pots and pans to cook.
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I made this recipe for roast beef sandwiches. I bought a quality grass-fed eye of round at Whole Foods (it's a splurge, I know). The roast turned out perfectly, and was well-seasoned. This has become a "go to" way to prepare roast and has become one of my most popular recipe posts, on my blog. http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/slow-roasted-beef-cooks-illustrated.html
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Chicken Fried steak is comfort food, at it's finest-- and most fattening. Once in a while I want to make this for my husband, who is such a fan of this. I really liked the idea of using a cooling rack over a baking sheet, to prevent the steaks from becoming soggy. The seasoning was perfect and it's a good recipe. It's been a while since I've made it, and this winter might be another time to do it!
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I'll have to try making these again. Somehow these didn't turn out as crispy as I'd hoped. I even used a cast iron skillet. However, the flavor was good. It's definitely worth another shot at it.
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I haven't made this recipe in a while, and not since I started food blogging. I absolutely must make it again. The sauce is divine! In fact, I freeze leftover sauce in a zip-loc bag, and it's perfect for a quick Bistro style dinner. Excellent!
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The sponge cake is really easy to make. The cream cheese and whipped cream frosting is velvety and outstanding. Every summer, when our locally grown organic strawberries are in season, I make this cake. It's stunning to present to guests, too. I've photographed how I made this on my blog:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/beautiful-creamy-strawberry-cream-cake.html
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Browned butter really brings out the notes of toffee in this cookie. It's easy to make. I used Heath toffee bits and milk chocolate chips. The cookies have a crispy outer edge with a chewy middle. Yum!This will become a go-to cookie recipes.
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I like this recipe a lot. Melting the butter makes this cookie batter a breeze to make. You just stir with a wooden spoon. I used M&M's instead of semi-sweet chips. They're a family favorite, because they are chewy in the middle. Perfect!
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My rating goes into two parts.
The cake: It had the coconut flavor that I was looking for, buuuuuuuuuuut it turned out a bit on the dry side. I usually underbake my cakes for a few minutes, so I don't risk dry cakes. I must've missed something. It wasn't horribly dry, but didn't have that tender crumb I love so much, in a white cake. Maybe I should dry cake flour, next time?
The frosting: Wow! I had never made a Swiss Buttercream before, and it was a success. This is so different to a classic buttercream, because it's not as sweet. Excellent!
Loved the toasted coconut and the tip for placing the cake over a baking sheet so I can scoop up the coconut flakes and pressing them into the cake. It's a stunner!
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Blueberries aren't my #1 favorite desserts, but my husband loves it. Using apple did work, to prevent a runny pie. I made the vodka crust, which was also good.
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Rarely do I give less than four stars to ATK. Somehow, their Mexican food doesn't thrill me as much. Maybe it's because I grew up with authentic Mexican food, because I'm half Mexican? Tamale Pie is a classic dish that has the flavors of Mexico. The good thing about this recipe is that it's very quick to make. I felt that it was lacking in the flavor department-- so, I added 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste (I freeze tablespoon increments so that an opened can doesn't go to waste). I added 1 tsp of Cumin. I also added 2 cups of frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw). Instead of canned tomatoes, I used Rotel tomatoes, that has diced green chilis in it. Good call. It needed more heat, though. Next time, I'll kick up the diced green chilis and a little more chili powder and cumin. Good, but not outstanding.
The cornbread topping was good though. It was moist and tender, and so I shall keep that part of the recipe intact
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As I read this recipe, I thought to myself "this doesn't sound like it has much flavor". I don't want to make Skillet Lasagna with bottled spaghetti sauce, so I liked the idea of the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. I tweaked this recipe quite a bit, and I'm glad that I did. First, I used three Italian sausages, mixed with ground beef. I thought it gave a nice texture. The technique for cooking I switched around. First, I browned the sausage (out of the casing) and the beef, then drained it. In the same pan, I added a wee bit of olive oil and then cooked the onion; then added the garlic and red pepper flakes and then combined it with the sauce/meat mixture. I then added some Italian seasoning (I make my own with basil, oregano, garlic, rosemary & marjoram) for more seasoning.
I did use broken up lasagna noodles. I had to add about 1/3 cup more water, to cover the noodles. I let the noodles simmer for 20 minutes and they still didn't seem cooked, and a bit soupy. So, I left the lid off for about 8 more minutes. Still it seemed soupy, so I put the lid on and carefully drained most of the liquid.
On low heat, I added Ricotta cheese (using a small scoop), the Parmesan and then I gave a generous layer of 4-cheese (provolone, mozzarella, fontina and I forget...I buy it at Trader Joe's.)
After leaving the lid on for 5 minutes, the cheese hadn't melted, so I broiled the whole skillet for 3-4 minutes.
That did the trick! I cannot imagine lasagna with lots of melted cheese. My basil garden is finished, so I didn't have any to add, or I would have.
It's a good recipe, but I think it would have been bland had I not added Italian seasoning and cheese to it.
I have some waiting for lunch tomorrow, and I'll bet it will taste even better.
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Its been years since I've made a cake mix cake. I adore white cake, and have been on the hunt for the perfect white cake. I'm wanting a very tender crumb, moist (of course) with a silvery white color. ATK's concept is to start with dry ingredients, then to cut in the butter. In a separate bowl the wet ingredients of milk, egg whites, vanilla and a little almond extract are gradually added in and not overmixed. The theory is that gluten won't be built up. I used King Arthur Flour's cake flour, and I weighed my dry ingredients. I was hoping to make 3-8" cakes, but there wasn't enough batter, so I made 2-8" cakes. The cake turned out very moist, and had a nice crumb. It wasn't silvery white, but I'm thinking it could be that I won't use bleached flour...and I used pure vanilla that might have added color. I didn't make the almond filling with raspberry jam (really wanted to) but I think I would try that version. Overalll, it's a very good white cake. The hunt continues...
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We loved this recipe a lot. I found it flavorful, but it's important to use fresh quality cod. I also used fresh herbs.
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