This is a truly delicious beet salad. The dressing is just right--fruity and rich tasting without being heavy. We served it over greens and with walnuts and blue cheese on the side for those who wanted to add something more. I thought it lovely just as it was. My only quarrel with this recipe is the instruction to boil the beets (or, horrible thought--to use beets from a tin). I think the reason a lot of people who don't like beets is because they have eaten boiled beets. I roasted my beets (wrapped in foil, drizzled with a bit of olive oil), peeled them as soon as they were cool enough to handle, and then diced them for the salad. My salad sat in the fridge for a while and then was brought back to room temp--I think it benefited from some marination time.

I enjoyed this salad and was intrigued by the method of cooking the potatoes in boiling water (as opposed to starting the potatoes in cold water as I have always done in the past). I liked the touch of steaming them after draining and added the bit of wine and stock to re-moisten and add a bit of flavor. As with the other recipes I've made from this book, the amounts seem a bit off---I found the quantity of vinaigrette to be way more than needed for the amount of potatoes. The vinaigrette is a very good classic formula.

I think this is an excellent version of applesauce. I halved the recipe and followed it pretty closely, using a combination of Granny Smith, Gala and Macintosh apples. I loved the spices which I thought were relatively subtle and the citrus rind was great. I see this as a wonderful jumping off place for all sorts of recipes. This could be the base for a really good chutney, with the addition of more spice, cranberries, currants, etc. I also think it could be a great filling for pastry or addition to a muffin or quickbread batter. I had no problem with the butter, though I did add it sparingly; I thought it added a lot to mouthfeel. It's also so easy--peel, squeeze, measure everything into one pot and shove it in the oven. This is one Contessa recipe which I wish I had not halved.

I've made this twice now, once with homemade, salt free chicken stock and once with roasted vegetable stock Both versions were delicious. I love the oregano and the sweetness of the carrots. I also think the potatoes add a nice richness--though I did peel mine, as I find that potato peels in soup make for a muddy sort of effect. I liked cooking the peas in two stages--the texture was excellent. This freezes beautifully and just needs a touch of liquid (water with a spot of wine) to achieve a good thickness when reheating the soup.

What a pleasant surprise! I expected this to be a bit bland, but it is, instead, very full-flavored. I halved the recipe and made only one change--I used aleppo pepper (just got it and was dying to try it) instead of black pepper, but I don't think the aleppo pepper is what made the spread so good. It's just such a good balance of flavors. And like the other BC recipes, it is so easy to make. Terrific spread which I think will become a staple around here.

This is a very good, very basic sort of soup. I liked the method of sauteing the sliced onions and then later putting the whole mixture through the food mill--the soup is smooth without losing all texture and there is minimal effort involved. Similarly, the branch of rosemary--no fine chopping or mincing and all in one pot. My only criticism is that the soup is so basic--almost a blank canvas, awaiting some embellishment as in heat or spice or some sort of texture. Perhaps croutons or crostini or some sort of salsa or topping. It should be noted that this is a lot of soup--lots more than the six servings listed in the recipe.