Whiskeyed's Reviews
7 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 7Sort by: Book Title 
| Date | Rating | Recipe Title
Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
By Joanne Chang, Christie Matheson
Chronicle Books - 2010
I made these merely to use up some ingredients in my kitchen. While they were ok, I found the large combination of dried fruits a bit confusing to the palate as there were too many flavours in the scone. Also, they were more like a muffin top than a scone; however, since it was lower in fat, I didn't mind, but if you are hoping for a true flaky, buttery scone, this won't do it for you.
useful (4)
I held out making this recipe because I thought it would be labour intensive -- wrong! I was amazed at how easy it was to prepare the Pate Brisee I (there are 2 Pate Brisee recipes in the book). I would just recommend using a high quality jam. These are not overly sweet, although I drizzled the icing on the pop tarts rather than completely covering them. I suspect they would freeze well and they could be brought out for special breakfasts on an as needed basis.
They were flaky, delicious, and much better than the cardboard version that inspired them!
Since the Pate Brisee recipe was so simple, I ended up making a second batch and used it for pie dough. It did shrink more than my favourite crust (I did chill to reduce shrinking), but given it's simplicity, I will consider using it again.
useful (2)
Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Knopf - 2009
I absolutely adore this recipe. It has excellent flavour and Lidia's taste sensibilites come through. The sour tang of the cabbage melds wonderfully with the super tender beef. I have made it twice and have loved it both times. Unfortunately, I did not have access to Fontina cheese -- so I subsituted Provolone with ok results, though, I'm sure not as good. I would have rated it 5 stars but it seems the amount of potatoes is incorrect -- I've needed close to double (or else need to be 1/4" thick, which also seems incorrect). The second time I made it, I reduced the butter used as it was just family fare and was still good.
useful (2)
I love this recipe. It is hearty, full of flavour, and has great textural contrast. It keeps well for an extra day or two (not perfect, but good). It is well written and I have only modified the recipe to include more apples (I leave them peeled) than called for in the recipe as everyone in my house likes it that way. I have made several recipes from the Trentino-Alto Adige section of the book and they have all been exceptional (probably appeals to my German roots). This is a great recipe for a crowd as it makes a large servings.
useful (1)
The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
This is an excellent pumpkin pie from the crust to the filling. The gingersnap/pecan crumble is wonderful and adds a nice contrast to the silky filling. On a positive, Rose recommends the use of canned pumpkin due to its consistent puree -- so no cooking of pumpkin. Instead of using the food processor to puree the filling, I've used an immersion blender with good results and fewer dishes.
The checkerboard crust design is cute and a neat one to use on a pie such as this.
useful (4)
A show stopping, individually portioned, wonderful dessert that has four components -- so beware that it is labour intensive. However, it can be frozen so it needn't be prepared the same day it will be served (an added bonus if it will be the dessert for a dinner party!).
The description of the recipe is bang-on as it is not overly sweet but has the subtle nuances of mocha, pecans, caramel and chocolate -- and all of the wonderful textures from a cookie crust, mousse, caramel, nuts and ganache. Plan to make this over a couple of days, as some components require chilling prior to assembly. None of the components are particularly difficult to make, but a good thermometer is useful for the mousse.
I have made this recipe only once, several years ago, but I've still got vivid memories of it. It is not a dessert that will be made often, but it will be remembered for a long time. (My pics are still of the film era!)
useful (2)
Rose's Heavenly Cakes
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Wiley - 2009
This is one of my favourite chocolate cakes. It is soft, incredibly flavourful (must use a full fat, good quality cocoa), and stays moist. It has a texture similar to a box-cake, but tastes incredible. It bakes up perfectly flat. I've made it as cupcakes (Designer Baby Grands) and as a wedding cake.
The directions are clear and well written. The cake appears in several recipes in the cook book (German Chocolate Cake, Designer Baby Grands, and Ice Cream Sandwiches) -- a testament to it's versatility. It can be eaten frozen, chilled, or at room temperature. The milk chocolate syrup makes the cake slightly fudgier, and while delicious, the syrup is not a requirement. The batter will only fill the pan about 1/4 full...this is correct and it will amazingly rise to fill the pan.
So far, this cake is my favourite from this cookbook - the technique used is unique and produces excellent results.
useful (2)