Zosia's Reviews
780 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating 
| Recipe Title
The Very Best Of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com
By Martha Rose Shulman
Rodale Books - 2010
I think this recipe deserves a better name, unless, of course, the word “stewed” brings to mind melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness …..it doesn’t for me but that’s exactly what this dish is.
Sweet bell peppers are slowly simmered with onions, garlic and tomatoes until they’re almost silky in texture. The tomatoes dissolve and help create a sauce that has just enough acidity to balance the sweetness of the peppers.
I served it hot as a side dish but I agree with the author that it would make an excellent topping for pasta, bruschetta, polenta etc…
useful (0)
Baked Elements: The Importance of Being Baked in 10 Favorite Ingredients
By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori and Chang - 2012
Fantastic tart with a chocolate crumb crust, salty-sweet caramel-nut filling topped with a layer of glossy chocolate……a candy bar may have been its inspiration but this sophisticated tart bears no resemblance to any dime store treat (I’m showing my age here…perhaps I should say “dollar store treat”) I’ve ever had!
I noticed an erratum in the instructions for making the crust: you’re told to preheat the oven but not instructed to bake anything. I sent an email through the Baked site asking for clarification and received a reply from one of the authors shortly after – bonus points! You have the option of blind-baking the crust until set or simply refrigerating it. I chose to bake it.
The filling is an easy to make caramel combined with toasted walnuts and the topping of melted butter and chocolate is even easier. A little chilling is required between steps but apart from that, the tart is very quick to make.
I made this for the chocoholics at my Thanksgiving dinner but it was a hit with everyone.
useful (1)
The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
This was the first recipe I made from this book and it’s one that I keep going back to regardless of others I try. It’s an all butter crust that’s both tender and flaky and though I prefer to make it in the food processor, it’s just as easily made by hand.
Excellent for both sweet and savoury baking, I’ve used it to make several pies and tarts from this and other books; I used it most recently for this pear tart.
useful (1)
Website: Canadian Living
Moist, spicy and very quick and easy to make, this oil-based cake owes its flavour to a blend of spices headed by ginger and its texture and lovely hue to puréed pumpkin.
It’s a 2-bowl cake recipe (dry and wet ingredients) that’s mixed in just a few minutes by hand. I usually make 1 1/2x the recipe and bake it in a 9” x 13” pan to use up the rest of the jumbo can (796ml) of pumpkin that remains after I’ve made our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
Delicious plain or with a sprinkling of icing sugar and eaten out of hand or dressed up with some whipped cream as a dessert.
useful (0)
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
Delicious, ethereal, mousse-like filling with pumpkin flavour in the foreground, subtle spicing in the background. If it were up to my family, who prefer my standby recipe which has a creamy custard texture, lots of spices, and barely discernible pumpkin flavour, this pie would rate 4 stars (3 for the filling, 5 for the crust). Everyone did agree that the crispy, flaky pate brisee crust was excellent. The baking instructions ensure that a soggy crust is avoided. The recipe cooking and baking times were accurate.
useful (1)
An easy and delicious recipe. Joanne Chang adds her own twist to the shortbread base by using part cake flour and adding egg yolks and vanilla, resulting in a tender, flavourful crust that holds together when sliced.
I must admit that I didn't follow the instructions for forming the base: instead of chilling the dough and later rolling it into a 9"x13" rectangle, I pressed the dough into a 9"x13" pan and chilled before baking. This method worked well for me. I did, however, freeze the portion of dough reserved for the crumb topping as per the recipe and grated it, sprinkling the flakes on top of the filling. This allowed for a really even distribution of the topping and ensured that none of it fell off during slicing. I cut 48 -not 9(!)- bars from this recipe.
This is an excellent, basic recipe - one I will return to often.
useful (3)
They look like a regular chocolate chip cookie, but they sure don't taste like one......a delicious surprise especially for fans of nutella or ferrero rocher chocolates. The flavour of hazelnuts is present in 2 forms, ground and chopped. Preparing the nuts ie toasting, removing skins etc is a little labour intensive but worth it. Milk chocolate is the perfect complement to this nut.
The baking time is correct for the size of cookie the recipe instructs you to make (yield of 20), but I prefer a much smaller cookie. I used ~1tbsp of dough per cookie; baking time was 12 minutes and the recipe made 5 dozen.
useful (4)
The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
Indescribably delicious! Sweet with blueberries, tart with cranberries, the flavour of this pie is greater than the mere sum of its parts. I used the recommended basic flaky pie crust, and it also didn't disappoint; it was buttery, crispy and flaky. Though the components of the pie are not difficult or time consuming to make, there is some waiting time involved (dough must chill, cooked filling must cool etc) before the pie can be assembled, baked and, ultimately enjoyed. It's well worth the wait.
useful (4)
This is a delicious caramel sauce, not too cloyingly sweet, made with Lyle's Golden Syrup instead of the standard corn syrup (though the latter can be used as well). Lyle's adds a richness and depth to the flavour of this sauce that's absent from other recipes. I found that the visual cues (colour) for doneness were slightly distorted with the addition of this gold coloured syrup so I do highly recommend you use a thermometer.
useful (4)
Wow! This crustless "tart" lives up to all of the book's promises of moistness and fudginess (cream cheese is key to its texture). In addition to fantastic flavour, it also has ease of preparation on its side; the batter can be mixed by hand and baked in less than an hour.
Make sure to use a chocolate that you enjoy eating out of hand - that is what the brownie will taste like. I used one with a 70% cacao content as I was filling the indentations with sweet caramel. If I were making the ganache version, I would use a sweeter chocolate, ~55% cacao.
The recipe says it serves 8.....I served 12 smaller, but still satisfying, portions.
useful (4)
A perfect balance of tart and sweet, all of the ingredients, (except for the zest), are cooked together in a saucepan over direct heat. The curd passed the visual test for doneness, (hollandaise sauce-like appearance, thickly coating the back of a wooden spoon), before it reached the required temperature so I continued to cook it. The consistency didn't change noticeably, and the mixture did, eventually reach 196F.
I used this batch for the Lemon Pucker Pie, but I wish I had doubled it to have some on hand for my morning toast!
useful (3)
This is a variation of the Basic Flaky Pie Crust, replacing all of the water and vinegar with yogurt. I used 1% fat, plain, (not Greek-style), yogurt. The dough came together as quickly and easily as the basic version.
Unlike other crust recipes that use buttermilk or sour cream, the tang of the yogurt comes through in the baked crust - something to keep in mind when choosing a filling for it. I made a double batch: half was used in the Lemon Pucker Pie, for which it was the perfect compliment, the other half has been relegated to the freezer for future use.
useful (4)
I was feeling a little guilty that I was opting for the "easy" version of this pastry, but Rose immediately assures us in her comments that making this quick version isn't a copout. And it is fairly quick and easy to make. What starts out as a ragged-looking dough, ends up smooth and easy to roll.
I used this batch of pastry for the Two Miniature Golden Apple Galettes so I made the version with less salt that requires a total of 6 turns. This version requires a chilling period in the fridge after the 4th turn.
Although I can purchase a good quality, all-butter frozen puff pastry, I don't think I ever will again - I can practically make this dough in the time it takes me to go to the grocery store and the flavour of the store bought just doesn't compare.
useful (4)
The Cake Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1988
This is a delicious, intensely flavoured showstopper of a chocolate cake that presents the main ingredient 3 different ways: a light, moist cake (syrupped with Frangelico), a smooth, creamy whipped ganache, and a crispy, crunchy chocolate praline shell.
I hesitated to make this cake as I'd neither made a chocolate genoise nor tempered chocolate before. My first genoise failed as I made a fatal error in the first step by overcooking the chocolate mixture. Do pay more attention to the visual description for doneness than the cooking time mentioned....I imagine quite a few factors affect how quickly the mixture cooks. Tempering the chocolate and wrapping the sheets around the cake created no problems - just a few raised eyebrows when I was caught blow drying the cake!
I used chocolate with a ~55% cacao content for the cake and chocolate sheets, and ~50% (I added some milk chocolate) for the ganache in deference to my family's preference for a slightly sweeter, less bitter chocolate and it was extremely well received.
As with most of the more elaborate cakes in this book, there are a few components that need to be made before assembling the cake, but most can be made ahead; in fact the entire cake can be made ahead and frozen.
useful (2)
Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Wiley - 2009
I've wanted to make this cake since I purchased the book. Two things held me back: the inability to locate frozen passion fruit puree and the intimidation of a 5 page recipe. When I found the fruit puree at my local grocery store, (quite by accident next to the samosas!), I knew it was time to tackle the recipe. And I'm so glad I did.
This is the most delicious cake I have ever tasted: a moist vanilla sponge flavoured with passion fruit syrup, filled with sweet-tart passion fruit curd, and frosted with a delicate, white chocolate cream cheese frosting. Every bite is sheer bliss.
Each component is relatively simple to make and can be made in advance. The cake itself can be assembled ahead of time (the recipe recommends the day before serving). And those 5 pages?....the detailed information included in those pages ensures success. Be particularly mindful of ingredient temperatures where specified: eg don't overheat the white chocolate for the frosting as it's prone to break emulsion (speaks the voice of experience); make sure the eggs for the genoise are warm enough so they reach the required volume when whipped.
As with most frosted layer cakes, this one does require a little bit of planning but the experience of eating it will make it well worth your time and effort.
useful (3)
Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
I loved these, and if you're a fan of sticky buns, you will too!
Consisting of a biscuit dough made with cream that's smeared with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, rolled, sliced and placed on top of a pecan half, these cookies are done, (formed and baked), in less than 30 minutes. The dough is a little soft and sticky so make sure your work surface is always lightly dusted with flour. I recommend using dental floss or heavy thread to slice the roll.
If you have a penchant for a cinnamon or sticky bun, these will fit the bill (no yeast or heavy machinery required).
useful (2)
The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
The raspberry is the star of this pie in both the light and airy, yet creamy filling, and as a bright burst of flavour in the fresh topping. I used a flaky yogurt pie crust that I had in the freezer as I thought it would compliment the filling but I don't think it really mattered as the crust merely acted as a vehicle to hold all of the creamy fruity goodness in place. Perhaps the crusts recommended in the recipe add something to the flavour/experience of this pie, but I would be just as happy with the filling as a spoon dessert!
As with most of the pies in this book, there are a few components that need to be made and combined to create the filling: raspberry puree (from frozen raspberries), whipped cream, Italian meringue. They are all fairly easy to make but you should plan the pie a day ahead in order to defrost the fruit and allow 6 hours for the assembled pie to chill.
I used agar agar instead of gelatin but, unfortunately, not enough to set the filling properly - I'm still trying to figure this out. Soft filling aside, this was one of the best pies I've ever tasted. Family agreed and have requested a repeat of it soon, just as they have for every other pie or tart I've made from this book!
useful (3)
Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
Eaten freshly made and crispy, or later in the day when the cookies have become more tender and cake-like, this is a treat that will satisfy anybody's sweet tooth.
I first tasted alfajores years ago when a Chilean co-worker brought them to a staff Christmas party. The cookie was thin and crispy but didn't have a lot of flavour.....it was all about the homemade dulce de leche filling. Since then, I've tried to replicate the flavour and experience of that first cookie with different recipes, but none of them have come close until now; this cookie is delicious on its own but the homemade filling (we're not talking about cooked sweetened condensed milk) puts it over the top!
The filling (pg337) is easy to make but does need time to chill. The dough comes together quickly and is easy to shape (roll into balls and flatten). My cookies ended up slightly larger than 2" so made only 21 sandwiches. If adding these to a holiday cookie tray, I would recommend making the smaller size. Apparently, these keep for 1 week, but I wouldn't know........mine were gone in a few hours!
useful (1)
HomeBaking : The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World
By Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid
Random House of Canada, Limited - 2003
Its name doesn't do it justice - it deserves one that is as exotic as its flavour. A yeast bread made with ground almonds simmered in milk, imbued with the subtle flavour and golden colour of saffron, this slightly sweet bread reminds one of brioche but is not as rich or buttery. The ground almonds help to create a tender crumb that is part way between a chewy bread and a moist cake and contribute a mild nuttiness to the flavour.
The dough is easy to work with and can be shaped into rolls or loaves. The saffron is optional but really elevates this bread from a tasty, everyday loaf to one worthy of special occasions.
useful (2)
A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun
By Marcy Goldman
Oxmoor House - 2007
It's not exactly bread, but it's not a cake either....but, it is fabulous! This bubka is made from a yeast-raised egg and butter rich dough, spread with a sweet filling, rolled jelly roll-style and topped with a crunchy, buttery crumble.
The first time I tried it, I made the sweet almond filling included in the recipe and baked it in a tube pan. Though it was delicious, I thought there was too much dough for the pan; I felt I could have made a loaf in addition to the tube. This time, I decided to bake loaves, and keeping my last experience in mind, I divided the dough among 3 pans instead of the recommended 2 - they were the perfect size. I also tried a chocolate filling from another recipe in the book and it was fantastic!
This would make a delicious addition to a breakfast/brunch table.
useful (1)
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
Sugar cookie cutouts are not my favourite cookie, but in my family, the baking of them heralds the official start of the Christmas cookie baking marathon. I've tried several recipes over the years and am not particularly attached to any of them so I had no qualms about trying this one. Once again, placing my trust in a Joanne Chang recipe has paid off.
The recipe has the same basic ingredients as others I've tried but has a higher proportion of eggs than most. Exactly what that does to the final product, I couldn't tell you, but the resulting dough was a dream to work with, easy to roll out with little additional flour, even on the 3rd rolling. The cookies are crispy and delicious and keep their shape during baking - I think I've formed an attachment.
I rolled the dough thinner than required (1/8") so my baking time was only 9 min. My yield was over 5 dozen cookies of assorted shapes and sizes.
The baking session went quickly and easily...a great start to the marathon!
useful (1)
Unlike any other potato bread I've had and absolutely delicious! This rosemary-scented loaf is a hybrid of other types of breads: it tastes a little like focaccia as it's flavoured with olive oil and rosemary, and it looks like a chewy artisanal bread, but the texture is mainly airy and tender like a typical white sandwich loaf.
This is a 2-day bread that requires little hands-on effort but needs long fermenting/proofing times. It begins with a sponge (page 287) that rests at room temperature for 4-8 hours before being refrigerated overnight. Next day, the dough comes together quickly but requires 2-3 hours rising time with an additional 2-3 hours for proofing after the dough is shaped.
I made 10 large buns, ~170g each, (instead of 2 loaves), that baked in 18 min. A lot of spreading/rising takes place during baking - I didn't anticipate this and had my buns too close together. Next time, I'll bake them on 2 pans!
Tastes fabulous fresh out of the oven or toasted.
useful (2)
Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Wiley - 2009
Sweet, intensely vanilla in flavour with a tight, moist crumb and golden crust, this really is what all vanilla pound cakes aspire to be.
You can see by the photo that I didn't make financiers; I don't own a financier pan but I do own a new bundt pan that was calling out to be used and I wanted to make a cake that tasted as beautiful as I knew it would look. I also had a plethora of egg whites on hand that, unfortunately, had a smidge of egg yolk in them - I love the appendix that lists the recipes that use either egg yolks or whites alone and provides the quantity required....saves having to go through the entire book to find this information.
The batter mixes up quickly using Rose's 2-stage method (dry ingredients beaten with softened butter and some liquid/egg with the balance of liquid/egg beaten in later). I tripled the recipe for the bundt cake and it baked, perfectly level, in 40 min. on a rack placed in the lower third of my oven.
Don't let the specialized pan requirement discourage you from trying this recipe; apart from the bundt cake, I have baked this recipe successfully in a loaf pan and a mini muffin pan.
useful (3)
Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
By Alice Medrich
Artisan - 2010
I needed a crispy cinnamon cookie for a cheesecake I was making and was quite disappointed that what I was looking for - no frosting, no raisins, no trans fats - didn't exist in my grocery store.
Alice Medrich came to the rescue with this easy, versatile shortbread cookie made with melted butter that is pressed into a pan. There were nutmeg and cardamom variations listed so I thought I could adapt the recipe to my needs, adding 1tbsp of cinnamon to the basic recipe. The author explains that one key to the crisp yet tender texture is allowing the dough to rest before baking. I did this and the cookies were just that, crispy, but melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious!
My family was quite sorry to see them chopped up and used in a cheesecake!
useful (1)
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
Or in this case, warm rice noodles and edamame. This is a very refreshing, bright-tasting noodle salad that is very satisfying despite its lightness.
The noodles are tossed with a simple dressing of lime juice and oil flavoured with fresh ginger, tamari, tamarind paste and sugar. Sauteed garlic, cooked edamame, fresh chili pepper and herbs are added to the mix and the dish is done!
This would make a wonderful, fuss-free, hot weather dish. I found it to be a welcome reprieve from all of the rich foods of the holiday season!
useful (2)
A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun
By Marcy Goldman
Oxmoor House - 2007
I love cinnamon bread and buns so when I came across this recipe, which would use up my partial can of pumpkin puree, I couldn't resist and the bread didn't disappoint.
Only bread flour is used so the crumb is slightly stretchy and chewy, but made oh-so-tender and beautifully golden by the added pumpkin. The filling is a typical cinnamon-sugar/butter mix but with the added crunch of chopped pecans.
The method is standard: mix and knead the dough, allow 1 short rise for the dough and a second one for the shaped loaves. The dough is soft but not sticky and very easy to work with: I do need to practise my loaf rolling/shaping technique to prevent the gaps where the cinnamon-sugar layers are. I guess I'll just have to keep making this bread until I get it right!
useful (1)
This is the ultimate cookies 'n' cream cake that makes your kitchen smell as though you're baking Oreo cookies....which you actually are!
The cake is a moist vanilla cake made tender by the inclusion of buttermilk. The cake is topped with Oreo "streusel" (chopped cookies) that retain their crunch even after baking. And then there's the filling: a layer of chopped cookies is transformed into a fudgy ripple when the creamy cookie filling melts and melds with the chocolate wafer. The cake is finished with a vanilla icing drizzle.
Apart from the Oreo cookies, the ingredients are very basic and the cake takes no more effort to make than the average coffee cake but the results are spectacular and a real crowd pleaser!
useful (2)
Flatbreads & Flavors
By Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1995
This is my all-time favourite pita recipe. I've tried several others, and though I've picked up a few pointers from them on how to ensure formation of the pocket, I always return to this one.
It doesn't matter what combination of the recommended flours you use, these are always delicious and stay soft and pliable for days. My favourite combination is 2/3 whole wheat bread flour and 1/3 white bread flour. The recipe makes quite a bit but the dough can stay in the fridge and the pitas made as needed.
The instructions are detailed and clear and offer several methods of cooking (stove top/griddle) and baking them so no special equipment is required.
A word of warning though.......once you make these, you will never, ever eat store-bought again!
useful (1)
A Passion for Baking: Bake to celebrate, Bake to nourish, Bake for fun
By Marcy Goldman
Oxmoor House - 2007
I was thrilled when I realized this book included a baked version of my favourite doughnut shop indulgence.
It starts with a basic choux/cream puff pastry recipe to which vanilla and sugar have been added and some of the water has been replaced with milk.
Water, milk and butter are brought to a boil; vanilla and flour are added and cooked for a few minutes; eggs are then beaten into the mixture. Pipe, bake and give a quick dip in a vanilla glaze and the doughnuts are done!
Unlike cream puffs and eclairs, a moist interior is desirable for these so there is no need to pierce the puffs and return to the oven to dry. In fact, if you have a failed batch of choux...didn't rise, fell after baking (I'm speaking from first hand experience here).....just dip in a glaze and call them crullers:)
I normally make mine smaller than the recipe instructions so a half recipe yields 20 - 2 1/2" baked doughnuts.
useful (1)
Chez Panisse Café Cookbook
By Alice L. Waters
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1999
I don't often make beef short ribs as they're not my favourite cut of beef, (fat to meat ratio is high), but we were experiencing our first cold snap of the season and I was looking for something hearty to make - this recipe seemed to fit the bill.
The ingredients were basic - onions, leeks, carrots, celery, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock, fresh herbs - the instructions clear and everything turned out as it should in the time line mentioned in the recipe. The sauce was a little thin, but so flavourful, a little went a long way.
What drew me to this recipe initially was that the ribs were browned in the oven first, then again after braising.....these steps seemed to help render some of the excess fat (which did not end up in the braising liquid) and you were left with glossy, deeply browned ribs with a slightly crispy exterior and succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender interior.
A sprinkling of gremolata, (lemon rind, parsley, garlic), at the end added a nice bit of freshness to a very rich and hearty dish.
I will definitely be making this again.
useful (2)
Website: Epicurious
Oh my, these are good....brown and crispy on the outside, moist and delicious on the inside with a nice, spicy kick.
I hesitated before making the recipe as written as I wasn't certain what level of heat that quantity of hot sauce would produce, and adding melted butter to the meat seemed to defeat the purpose of buying extra lean ground chicken. I made no changes in the end and they were fantastic.
I didn't make the blue cheese dressing as not all family members are fans. We used low fat ranch dressing instead and made meatball subs.
Delicious!
useful (2)
How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition): 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food
By Mark Bittman
Wiley - 2008
With very little effort, and in only 1 hour, you can have a nicely flavoured chicken stock and poached chicken.
The vegetables - you can use whatever you have on hand - are cut up to increase their surface area and maximize their flavour; cutting up the chicken is optional.
Everything is combined in the pot at the start and brought to a simmer; I prefer to skim the foam with only the meat in the pot as the vegetables/herbs make the job a little more challenging, but apart from that, this is an excellent recipe that produces a delicious stock.
useful (0)
Website: Canadian Living
I'm somewhat of a purist when it comes to these treats - no dried fruits, nuts or chocolate are allowed in my butter tarts. And I like a gooey centre.
Since I'm the baker, they're made according to my preferences. This recipe is perfect (if you ignore the last few filling ingredients). The tart has a high crust to filling ratio out of necessity as the filling is quite sweet. The pastry, (I use all butter), bakes up crisp and flaky, and the filling develops a thin crust that helps to contain the delicious golden goo...sheer perfection!
useful (1)
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
As usual, the author takes a basic recipe, adds his own twist and transforms something mundane into something extraordinary.
For this dish, portobellos are stuffed with a medley of sauteed vegetables (onion, celery, garlic), fresh herbs and parmesan cheese; it's the sun dried tomatoes in the stuffing, with their bright and intense flavour, that elevate this recipe.
It goes without saying that I reduced the amount of oil used in the recipe :)
This was delicious and filling and made an excellent entree served with a salad.
useful (2)
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
The lowly Rice Krispie Treat taken to new heights. I actually questioned Joanne Chang's wisdom in including a recipe for this in her book....until I tasted it!
It's amazing what a few simple, but key changes can do to a recipe: replace regular butter with browned butter (and use a lot more of it!), use vanilla bean seeds instead of extract and add a pinch of kosher salt.
They take just a few minutes longer to make than the original recipe - basically the time it takes to brown the butter - so they are still a quick and easy snack that happens to taste fabulous.
useful (2)
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
This savoury tart consists of a fabulous combination of sweet, caramelized potatoes and onions that balance perfectly with intense roasted cherry tomatoes and zingy goat cheese, all nestled in a crisp, buttery, puff pastry shell.
A little time and effort is involved in preparing the components: the potatoes are boiled and sliced, the onion sauteed until golden and the tomatoes roasted (though store-bought sun dried can be used).
A caramel of butter and sugar is spread on the bottom of the prepared pan - you must work quickly as it hardens almost immediately on contact but an even layer isn't essential as it seems to melt and spread during baking. The tart is baked upside-down so the potatoes, onions and tomatoes go in next, followed by a layer of sliced goat cheese, topped with thinly rolled puff pastry. At this point, the tart can be baked or chilled up to 24 hours.
The suggestion is to serve it hot or warm but it's excellent at room temperature as well. This made for a delicious make-ahead and surprisingly light meal served with a salad.
useful (5)
Rose's Christmas Cookies
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1998
I love coconut but my family members are avowed coconut haters so I don't usually bake or cook with it. I had a craving and decided on this recipe when I saw that it makes only 24 cookies, has a short ingredient list and a simple mixing method.
However, it also calls for fresh coconut; Rose Levy Beranbaum warns, "Don't even think about substituting here!", and I didn't....at first....but I must admit that while I was drilling holes into the nut, and then draining, roasting, hammering, peeling and shredding it, I thought about it several times : )
The resulting snowy white strands of freshly shredded coconut were then mixed with sweetened condensed milk, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice, dropped by the spoonful and baked. The coconut watered out so the mixture was quite soupy towards the end. I squeezed the excess liquid out as I shaped the cookies and they were fine.
The result was the most luscious, moist, chewy, sweet - but not too sweet - coconut cookie I have ever tasted. And those avowed coconut haters?......they loved them too!
useful (1)
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
By Marcella Hazan
Knopf - 1992
I didn't know how to make a good tomato sauce until I bought this book....now I know how to make several. I think of this one as my Winter sauce as it starts with a heartier base of onions, celery and carrots sauteed in olive oil before canned or fresh tomatoes are added and the sauce simmered.
It has an intense, fresh tomato flavour with a richness supplied by the olive oil; the natural sweetness of the fruit and sauteed vegetables is brought out in cooking...no need to add sugar or any flavourings apart from salt and pepper to complete this fabulous sauce, a staple in my home.
useful (0)
This is a very slowly simmered meat sauce enhanced with tomatoes and sauteed vegetables that has become a favourite dish in my house.
Cooked Bolognese-style, the meat and vegetable mixture is first simmered in milk, then white wine, allowing most of the liquid to evaporate with each addition. Tomatoes are added and it's simmered some more.....for at least 4 hours!
Though milk is involved, it's not a creamy sauce but the meat becomes very soft and the sauce almost silky. The flavours of the simple ingredients meld during the extended cooking to create a rich, fantastic tasting, hearty sauce.
useful (2)
Website: The Food Network
This is one of the easiest and most delicious preparations for salmon I know. The fish is marinated in a sweet and salty mixture of maple syrup and soy sauce, crusted with black pepper and baked in an extremely hot oven. The resulting sticky glaze is a perfect match to the rich fish.
The fish can sit in the marinade for hours without deteriorating so it's easy to throw together in the morning and cook at night......great when you're pressed for time.
I first saw this recipe years ago on the tv show The Surreal Gourmet and have seen many variations since....I always come back to this version as it's the easiest and tastiest.
useful (1)
Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Jonathan Lovekin
Chronicle Books - 2011
On the surface, this seems to be a relatively basic quesadilla with black bean spread, sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa......or so you would think.
The black bean spread is nicely flavoured with a few spices, cilantro and lime, but do watch the salt level, especially if using canned beans. I don't mind a chunky texture so I merely mashed the beans instead of pureeing them in the food processor. The spread is layered with the other ingredients on a tortilla, topped with pickled jalapenos and grilled.
The star of this dish is the salsa....avocados and tomatoes combine to make a cool, fresh, creamy and fabulous tasting mouthful! Extra touches like soaking the sliced red onion in vinegar add a nice flavour and take some of the bite out of the raw onion at the same time.
The heat level of the beans and salsa is mild; most of the heat comes from the pickled jalapenos (my homemade are very hot!). This worked very well in my family as it made it easy to control the heat level of each quesadilla.
There was a bit of chopping involved in preparing this recipe, but once that's done, it makes for a very quick, fresh tasting, delicious meal.
useful (5)
Vibrant in both appearance and flavour, this recipe epitomizes for me what this book is all about....presenting vegetables in innovative, appealing and delicious ways.
The rice (I used Arborio) is simmered slowly with sauteed onions, peppers and fennel, saffron and smoked paprika in a vegetable stock. Marinated artichokes, fresh tomatoes and fava beans (I forgot to look for frozen so used edamame) are then added to the rice and steamed. The dish is finished with olives, parsley and lemon.
The rice was perfectly cooked except for the bottom crust....there wasn't one. I was a little disappointed since everything about the cooking technique (do not stir!) was pointing in that direction so I'll try a different pan next time.
Every bite offered a different blend of flavours....sweet, smoky, earthy, hot (not too hot), salty, tangy....definitely a party in your mouth. When even the committed carnivore in the family enjoys it, you know the recipe's a winner!
This serves 3-4 as a main course.
useful (4)
Rose's Christmas Cookies
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1998
Leave it to Rose Levy Beranbaum to include an easy and delicious (I'm taking my dog's word for this!) recipe for our canine friends and family members.
These dog biscuits are very easy to make (the dough comes together quickly and is easy to work with) and they are chock-full of healthy ingredients - whole grain flours, beef stock, kelp powder - a treat I don't mind giving to my pet and his friends.
useful (1)
Website: Canadian Living
After trying several, this has become my go-to crepe recipe.
The batter comes together quickly but must sit for 1 hour before cooking. I usually make the batter in a blender and refrigerate overnight.
The recipe uses far less butter than some, but enough that even the sweet crepes don't stick to the pan (I use a non-stick pan and find that no additional fat is required for cooking); they also don't stick to each other so the crepes can be stacked without plastic wrap or wax paper in between.
I make the plain and the herb and chocolate variations on a regular basis and all are delicious.
useful (0)
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
I was looking for a Valentine's Day dessert that would be loved equally by all members of my family - my husband wished me luck : ) - and I found one....milk chocolate and caramel, how can anyone resist that!
It starts with a pre-baked, crunchy, buttery, cookie crust (pate sucree page 210). The filling is a cloud-like mousse made of melted milk chocolate and whipping cream, whose sweetness is tempered with the addition of instant coffee (I used half the amount of instant espresso powder). The third component is a buttery caramel that's not too cloyingly sweet.
Each of these components is easy to make and can be prepared well in advance of tart assembly. Once assembled, (crust caramel, whipped chocolate mousse) the tart is finished with a caramel drizzle and milk chocolate curls.
When I made this the first time, I found that the filling needed several hours to set - overnight is best. I was pressed for time so added agar agar to stabilize the filling. I used a 9" tart pan (instead of 10") and it worked out well.
This is a fabulous tart that is far more delicious than the candy bar that served as its inspiration.
useful (1)
This really is the best banana bread recipe I've ever made or eaten....and there have been many over the years. It's moist, not too dense, and it actually tastes like banana!
Apart from whipping the eggs and sugar at the start, it follows the usual muffin/quick bread mixing method of folding wet and dry ingredients together. I've made this recipe successfully a number of times as written so it was time to tweak it to make it a little healthier. It already uses a lot of bananas, oil instead of butter and 2 eggs (which isn't too bad), so I decided to focus on the fibre content and replace half the flour with the same volume of whole wheat pastry flour.
I had excellent results with this substitution....the loaf was still moist and tender and not crumbly as whole wheat pastry flour will often make a cake, and with the predominant flavour being banana, the whole wheat flour flavour wasn't discernible at all.
My son requested that I make this batch with chocolate chips instead of walnuts - so much for making it healthier! I thought it was too sweet but I was clearly in the minority as family and friends devoured it.
useful (0)
Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook
By Audrey Alsterburg, Wanda Urbanowicz
Big Ideas Publishing - 2001
Apparently these are considered the "house hotcake" of Rebar restaurant in Victoria, BC. I'm not surprised. They are light and fluffy despite the whole wheat flour and wheat germ and are tasty enough to eat without embellishments.
The recipe is a basic buttermilk pancake with part of the flour replaced with a whole grain alternative. They have very little added fat, and though either melted butter or oil can be used, I prefer to use butter to keep the pancakes tender. The batter is very thick and the hotcakes rise a lot while cooking so it's important to use only 1/4 -1/3 cup batter maximum per pancake.
The cookbook offers several ideas for "jazzing them up", all of which sound delicious, but I prefer to stick to the basic recipe and serve them with warm wild blueberry maple syrup (frozen berries simmered in maple syrup). This is a favourite weekend treat.
useful (0)
Fresh tasting, intensely tomato-y and zesty with a kick from red chile flakes, this soup is nothing like the sweet milky variety that comes from a can.
This is probably one of the least involved recipes in the book. The method is very straightforward....saute aromatics, add canned tomatoes and stock, simmer, puree, add cream and fresh herbs and serve!
This is my and my vegetarian daughter's favourite cream of tomato soup; the rest of the family prefers the sweet, milky version from the can :)!
useful (0)
The Food Of Morocco
By Paula Wolfert
Ecco - 2011
This lamb tagine tasted fabulous and looked pretty special too. I chose this recipe because I had all of the ingredients on hand and it gave me an excuse to break open my preserved lemons which were finally ready to be used!
The recipe called for boneless lamb; I was a little overzealous with the trimming while I was boning my shoulder roast so I ended up with bite sized pieces, smaller than the recipe called for.
The lamb was combined with La Kama Spice Mixture (page37), saffron water (page48), garlic, onions, and fresh cilantro and steamed for 30 minutes in a tagine. Carrots and celery were arranged in a cone configuration, upright, and meeting in the centre of the tagine above the meat mixture. This was covered and simmered for 2 hours - larger pieces of lamb probably would have taken longer. The dish was finished with preserved lemons, olives and lemon juice.
The fragrance emanating from the kitchen while this cooked was phenomenal. The meat was tender and beautifully seasoned, the broth very flavourful and the vegetables soft but holding their shape. The richness of the dish was cut by the vibrant flavour of the preserved lemons. Although we didn't eat the tagine with our fingers and Marrakech bread, we did use the bread to absorb the lovely juices.
My family was very impressed with both the presentation (I brought the tagine to the table with the vegetable "cone" intact) and the flavour.
useful (2)
Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
By Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp
Stewart, Tabori & Chang - 2008
Tender, cheesy, delicious and the best cheese biscuit/scone I've ever made.
The ingredients are basic: all purpose flour, butter, sharp cheddar cheese (I used white), buttermilk......They get an added kick from black pepper and smoky chipotle chile pepper which you can adjust according to your taste.
The dough comes together easily in 1 bowl using the standard method: blend dry ingredients, rub in butter, add cheese, toss with wet ingredients. The dough is wet and sticky so just scoop and drop on the baking sheet - no kneading required.
I recently reviewed the cheddar-scallion scones from Flour and, though they were very good, I only gave them a 4-star rating - these biscuits are 5-star worthy!
useful (2)