foodiewife's Reviews
99 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating 
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Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2010
Foolproof way to prepare filet Mignon. I made this for "Date Night" at home.
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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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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2009
This is such an easy recipe to make. It really isn't a Ree Drummond original, since it's a classic Texas Sheet Cake. It's perfect to make for a potluck.
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Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2008
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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Cook's Country
(Jun/Jul, 2011)
This recipes is a little bit fussy to make. I made a mistake, that worked out to my benefit. I forgot to peel the peaches before roasting them. It turned out that the peels came off much easier. I had some challenges with my pie crust, in that it shrank a lot (I was trying a new recipe, because I never use store-bought). I had made a Creme Anglaise and a Raspberry Coulis sauce, that I drizzled over each slice-- kind of made this a Peach Melba fancier dessert. The surprise was that I had some leftover peaches and cream filling, and I filled some ramekins with it. Whoa! That was so good! I'd definitely make this again.
You can see a step-by-step tutorial on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/peaches-cream-pie-would-you-like-crust.html
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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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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2009
These are one of my favorite cookies. What's interesting is that I've been baking this exact recipe a few years before P-Dub published her cookbook. I found the recipe in a special edition of Taste of Home Cookies. Not sure why Ree doesn't credit the source, but oh well. I happened to have a bag of butterscotch chips that I added into one particular batch, and it was a nice addition.
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This is Ree's Signature Dish. I love cinnamon rolls, unfortunately. I'm not the biggest fan of maple flavor (though I love maple syrup on my pancakes), so I used vanilla extract for the icing. Make these, and your family or guests will love you forever. Fat attack, but worth an occasional indulgence.
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I fused Ree's recipe with some tips from America's Test Kitchen to make my husband's favorite comfort food meal. I added baking powder and baking soda (per CI) to the flour, which supposed would make the batter crispier and...well, better. Another step Ree doesn't add is once the steaks are dipped and battered, to set them on a wire rack, over a baking sheet.
Ree doesn't use this tip--once you begin frying the steaks, set them over a wire rack and baking sheet at 200F (Warm), while you make the gravy.
Doing so, prevents the crispy battered steaks from becoming soggy.
My husband LOVED this recipe, and the adaptions were a great improvement. You can see how I made this on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/for-my-husband-chicken-fried-steak-with.html
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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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Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share (Martha Stewart Living Magazine)
By Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Clarkson Potter - 2008
A little crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle-- the sparkling sugar adds an extra crunch. The cookies aren't super sweet, with a very subtle taste of lemon-- but the lemon isn't overpowering at all. I think it would be a fun twist to make this recipe with almond extract (another personal favorite of mine) and even some ground almonds. I used coarse sparkling sugar, which gives a nice presentation as well as adding a nice crunch to each bite. I'd make these again, for sure.
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The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accessories
By David Lebovitz
Ten Speed Press,U.S. - 2007
I love strawberries, and this is an excellent way to enjoy them. Kirsch is used in this recipe, and the alcohol also helps to reduce ice crystals. This is very simple to prepare. I make it every summer, when locally grown sweet and organic strawberries are in season.
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The Pasta Bible: The Definitive Sourcebook, with over 1,000 Illustrations
By Christian Teubner, Silvio Rizzi, Tan Lee Leng
Chartwell Books, Inc. - 2009
Like so many pasta recipes, this one came together super fast. This isn't low-fat, by any means, but once in a while a cream sauce is such a tasty indulgence. I followed the recipe with only two adaptions. One, I doubled the garlic. Second, I didn't have Gorgonzola on hand so I used a quality Parmesan cheese...that I actually added in the last minute of cooking the sauce.
Instead of cooking my broccoli separately, and rinsing it with cold water, I simply added it to the cooked pasta for the last 2 minutes. The broccoli stayed a beautiful green, and was perfectly cooked as the way we eat our pasta-- al dente. The men in my family scarfed two helpings, each. I loved the additional garlic.
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The Pasta Bible
By Jeni Wright
Anness - 1999
Pasta is my kind of fast food. I doubled the amount of garlic, and I cooked the broccoli with the pasta, during the last two minutes. I love gorgonzola, but didn't have any on hand. Instead, I added freshly grated Parmesan to the sauce towards the last minute. Oh, I added a pinch of red pepper flakes and a small fresh squeeze of lemon juice, at the very end. The broccoli stayed bright green, and was just like my pasta-- al dente. Great and easy recipe.
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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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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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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier
By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2012
I watched PW make this on her television show, and I was sold. I love fig jam, so I made her pizza crust and this recipe--exactly as she did. It was a fantastic summer meal, outside on a summer day. It's different, and memorable.
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How do I love this recipe? Let me count the ways. First, I make my own bread rolls, instead of frozen bread dough. I'm a bread baker, and have the easiest peasiest recipe on my blog (http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/pioneer-womans-buttered-rosemary-rolls.html) But, if you cheat and use frozen bread dough, I can personally attest that adding sea salt and fresh rosemary, and baking these babies in a cast iron skillet rocks! I've made this many times, and it's always a hit-- and looks so impressive.
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This recipe went viral, a few years ago, when it was first posted on Ree's blog. They are delicious. Sometimes, I added a little Parmesan cheese and drizzled heavy cream on top which makes a decadent and rich variation of this potato. It's a family favorite.
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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 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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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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Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes
By Joy Wilson
Hyperion - 2012
I'm kinda meh about chocolate frosting. But this one hits it right out of the ballpark! I frosted my fudgy brownies with this, and they were the first thing that was gone at a potluck! So good!
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NOTE: My page number is in the iPad version of this book.
I've been making Rachael Ray's Oatmeal Cookie pancakes for years. These are better. It's the buttermilk and maple syrup, in the batter, I am sure of it. They turned out slightly crispy on the edges, fluffy in the middle with a nice texture from the oatmeal. I served these with real maple syrup, as I haven't bought fake pancake syrup in years. My men gobbled them up and my husband gave these five stars. Keeper!
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NOTE: The page number is from my iPad version of this book.
I will never buy commercial made kettle corn again. This recipe is fool-proof and perfect. This is our Date Night at home snack, while watching a streamed movie. Love this!
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I forgot to rate this! Yes, this is super easy to make. I have made it a few times, and didn't have any problems with burned sugar or sticking. I have a non-stick heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, so that helps. The trick is to lift and shake the pot up and down and sideways, every 15 seconds or so. Set it back on the flame and repeat.
I upped the sugar by one extra tablespoon and it's perfect!
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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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The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
By Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Cook's Illustrated - 2009
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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Pressure Cooker Perfection
By Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Boston Common Press - 2013
This is the first recipe I've made from this cookbook. Oh, how I loved this recipe! I'm such a big fan of braised meats. I appreciate turning less expensive cuts of meats into tender bite-size meals. This took 15 minutes for me to prep. That included deboning the country-style pork ribs (Whole Foods didn't have boneless). I have an electric pressure cooker, that I adore. It took about 10 minutes for the ragu to come to pressure, and then 20 minutes to cook. The sauce was a beautiful reddish brown color, had just the right amount of thickness. The background flavor of the red wine, with just a hint of red pepper flakes-- the garlic, the pasta, the tender meat... so delicious! This recipe is a keeper, for sure.
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Hands down, this is one of my favorite recipes that I've made from this book. It's a meatless dinner, but totally vegetarian because of the chicken broth.
The blend of shiitake, cremini and portobello mushrooms doesn't make me miss meat at all.
This was pretty fast to put together-- 20 minutes, tops, in choppping (I have pretty good knife skills). 25 minutes of PC cooking time, and this sauce was ready to go.
It reheated well, as leftovers.
Definitely a memorably good meal, that I will make again.
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The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook
By Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Boston Common Press - 2014
This is one of my all-time favorite ATK grilling recipes. I had never heard of "flap meat" before, but found it at Costco. It's quite tender, and reasonably priced. The marinade has a slight Asian twist, and the brown sugar makes the steak caramelize...and happens pretty fast. Highly recommend this recipe. You can see it posted on my blog: http://www.afeastfortheeyes.net/2014/06/grilled-steakhouse-steak-tips.html
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A fried egg recipe? Really? Yes, really. There are some clever tips that yields diner style crispy edges with thick and creamy yolks. I've been making fried eggs all wrong, until I made this recipe. You can see it on my blog: http://www.afeastfortheeyes.net/2015/06/perfect-fried-eggs-plus-were-off-on-our.html
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What I love about America's Test Kitchen is that they use science, and ingredients in ways to yield better results. This recipe is not only scaled down to make waffles for two (since we're empty nesters) but is formulated to be fluffy on the interior and crispy on the exterior. I don't always keep seltzer water on hand, but I do keep buttermilk powder in the fridge (otherwise it hardens in one lump). It took me 15 minutes to prep (taking photos added 5 minutes more). Oh, I used soda water instead of seltzer only because that's all we keep on hand. They turned out great! This will become a Sunday morning go-to recipe.
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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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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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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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The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
By Ree Drummond
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2009
I think the idea of using prunes in a cake turns people off. I decided to jump in and try this recipe, and I was not sorry! It's a very moist cake. The icing is really good. I need to bake this, again. It's a perfect fall flavor kind of treat.
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This is one of the first recipes that I've made from P-Dub...and one of the first that I've ever blogged (my photos are embarrassing...before I learned not to shoot food photos with flash photography). Anyway... these are really good. I like these better than thick-cut onion rings. I don't eat fried foods often, but these are great treat to enjoy.
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Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips
By Ina Garten
Clarkson Potter - 2010
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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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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Cook's Country
(Jun/Jul, 2011)
I really liked this slaw! I cut the amount of red pepper flakes in half, because I have to be careful not to eat really spicy food. The flavor had a mixture of sweet and sour, with a subtle hint of heat. Best of all, I appreciated how easy this slaw is to make. This salad is a lot less calorie-ridden than a more traditional cole slaw with a mayonnaise dressing. This is a good thing. How did my husband like this? He did, though I suspect he still prefers the my Creamy Cole Slaw. Our dinner guests LOVED this slaw, and they both asked for the recipe. The next time I make this, I will shred a cabbage head and I won't chop it quite so fine.
You can see how I made this on my blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/carolina-red-slaw-cooks-countryand-off.html
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This cake involves a few steps. I used my own, locally grown organic strawberries, that I had packed and frozen. There are a few steps involved, so it's a bit time consuming. I was a bit disappointed that the cake wasn't as pink as I thought it would be. If you're not afraid of some Red Dye-40, and you want a true pink, you might add a drop or two of red food coloring.The cake was a bit denser than I prefer; I also felt that it wasn't as moist as I had hoped. I'm a true fan of very tender white cake. The frosting was the star of this cake. I served a slice of this to our guests, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They loved it! Sure, there are several steps involved. The end result is worth it, and it's a very pretty cake!
You can see a step-by-step tutorial and printable recipe on my food blog at:
http://foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-dream-cake-from-scratch.html
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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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