kateq's Reviews
558 recipes reviewed. Showing 1 to 50Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title 
Daisy Cooks: Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World
By Daisy Martinez
Hyperion - 2005
Eons ago in college, Cuban friends introduced me to the joys of guava and queso blanco--in New York it was cream cheese combined with guava paste on crackers (gallegos) sold in every bodega on the Upper West Side. Combined with cafe con leche, it was breakfast from heaven. This cake is a simple genoise, filled with that magical combination rolled up into a pretty "Gypsy's Arm." I go with the guava pasta which comes in tins rather than a guava jelly.
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Biba's Taste of Italy: Recipes from the Homes, Trattorie and Restaurants of Emilia-Romagna
By Biba Caggiano
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2001
One of the best things about looking through an older cookbook is re-discovering a wonderful recipe which had been totally forgotten. Such is Aglione. This herb mixture is so good that when I first tried it, I was using it on everything. What it does to roasted potatoes is magical. And that's just the start. I'm so happy to have recovered this.
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Provence: the Beautiful Cookbook
By Richard Olney
Perennial - 1999
This is another recipe that makes me grateful to Richard Olney. He lays out techniques in just enough specificity so that one can make it without feeling overwhelmed by the instructions. It does require a good sized mortar and pestle--or a bowl that can sub for the mortar while you use the pestle from your normal sized mortar. But the effort --all that pounding--is well worth it. The resulting sauce is simply wonderful. I use it in Bourride, as a dip for vegetables, on the side of pot roasts/brisket/etc. It's also great with fish.
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
This is a good recipe which I think is much improved by the addition of a second egg and the substitution of buttermilk for regular milk. A bit on the sweet side.
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Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy's Favorite Cookie
By Domenica Marchetti, Antonis Achilleos
Chronicle Books - 2015
This is a classic biscotti but the method is common-sense modern. The result is a really great cookie and it's really easy. My only difference with this (and the other recipes in the book) is that rather than oiling a cookie sheet, I bake on a silpat, thus avoiding having to clean a greasy sheet pan.
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
These are very good but would be so much easier to make if the amount of almonds were by weight rather than volume. And one tablespoon of dough makes a quite tiny macaroon. I made two-tablespoon cookies and had a yield of 16 plus one tiny one (cook's treat). I weighed the almonds and had about 9 ounces, not counting the whole almonds to top the cookies.
I baked mine on a silpat, so no need for water poured beneath the liner to loosen the macaroons. So much simpler!
I'm thinking these will also be good with a drizzle of dark chocolate.
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Website: Serious Eats
Best stew ever! Worth all the work.
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Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi
Ten Speed Press - 2018
This is a simple dish--a sauce made from anchovies, olive oil, garlic, lemon, parsley and wine. Pasta and (no samphire here) skinny asparagus are then tossed in the sauce. In addition to using asparagus, I did make some other changes. My parsley was too sad to be used. I was out of lemons so used some diced preserved lemon. But in the end, I think this very pleasing dish was in the Ottolenghi spirit. I love anchovies and asparagus and it turns out that the combo is very good indeed.
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Website: David Lebovitz
I'm always looking for angel food cake recipes and have tried many. I may stop looking now as this is so good and so simple. Unlike many angel food cakes, this one is soft but not gummy when chewed. It slices very nicely and tastes very good just on its own. I like that the measurement for the egg white is a volume measure as well as the number of eggs. I frequently have containers full of egg whites and measuring out a cup and a half is so much nicer than guessing or weighing and approximating what 12 egg whites would be. I made this exactly as written and couldn't have more pleased with the results (lemon juice is another thing I always have lots of hanging about).
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Website: Saveur Website
This is perfect marinara sauce. I've made with fresh tomatoes in the summer, with a combination of cherry and full sized tomatoes, and with dicd tomatoes from the can. Always fresh herbs. It's just perfect. And it freezes beautifully.
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Rao's Cookbook: Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking
By Frank Pellegrino, Stephen Hellerstein, Nicholas Pileggi
Random House - 1998
These are such good meatballs. To make them a bit healthier, I skip the olive oil and I roast the balls on a rack on a sheet pan in the oven and then finish cooking them in sauce. I have also made them with all beef (super lean) and with various combinations of meats. They have always been a success--especially a version using a portion of uncooked sausage in place of some of the ground meat.
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Classic German Baking: The Very Best Recipes for Traditional Favorites, from Pfeffernüsse to Streuselkuchen
By Luisa Weiss
Ten Speed Press - 2016
This is a delicious version of a German classic. It's really quite easy to put together, especially if one has almond flour on hand. I used mine to make almond paste for the recipe and as it was fresh made it was easily combined (no grating required). I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Macintosh apples and baked the cake in two loaf pans. Baking time was about 50 minutes.
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Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs
By Julia Turshen, Gentl + Hyers, Ina Garten
Chronicle Books - 2016
These are such nice muffins. I subbed canola oil for butter and was generous with apple and raisins. Otherwise followed the recipe, and loved the results.
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Pies & Tarts (Maida Heatter Classic Library)
By Maida Heatter
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 1997
This is a review of the filling only; I used the Cream Cheese Pastry recipe from the Pie and Pastry Bible (which has become my absolute go-to pie/tart pastry). I went with the recipe with just two exceptions--I brushed cream (instead of milk) on the top crust and sprinkled it with sanding sugar instead of granulated. I also really love the smell of freshly grated nutmeg and so might have used just a bit more than directed. I used a combination of tart and sweet apples. I could not have been happier with the results. While I used a different recipe for the crust, I did follow this recipe's baking instructions and they were perfect.
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Website: food52
A really delicious cake! I followed the instructions almost to the letter (no cider in the house so made the applesauce with a bit of lemon juice and water) and was delighted with the results. And despite the caramelized sides and top (from the streusel), the cake came out of the tube pan easily and completely intact. I used mostly gala apples and one Granny Smith.
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Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague
By Rick Rodgers
Clarkson Potter - 2002
This is SO worth the effort. That apricot glaze that comes in a can and is used in many bakeries is gummy and chemical-tasting. This glaze is a bright and sweet without being cloying and is easy to use.
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Website: Simply Recipes
My, this is good. I had to restrain myself not to eat huge helpings straight from the pot while the shrimp curry to go with it cooked. I used ghee and happily had coconut water available. (Amazingly, some of the coconut water, called "pure," was full of additives, as was a lot of the coconut milk. I had to search to find really pure coconut water and coconut milk that was minimally 'impure.') I did use precisely the amounts of seasoning in the recipe and it was just right. I only had jasmine rice which I used despite it's being inauthentic. I know I will be making this again.
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Website: Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Addictive! Perfect proportions. Did it the lazy way in the food processor. Used walnuts and parm. Will make again and again. Have pecorino on my shopping list
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Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking: Classic Flavors for Today's Cook
By Damon Lee Fowler
Simon & Schuster - 2005
This is a knock-out cake--remarkably moist and rich and the topping really takes it over the top. Because of personal preference, I left the pecans out of the batter, but added extra nuts into the topping. I used unsweetened coconut and Granny Smith apples and was generous with the apples. I have now made this in a large tube pan and as two loaf cakes. The recipe works well either way. You can leave the topping and it's a great cake, but the topping is like having a crumbled praline on top of your apple cake--awfully good!
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Small Victories: Recipes, Advice + Hundreds of Ideas for Home Cooking Triumphs
By Julia Turshen, Gentl + Hyers, Ina Garten
Chronicle Books - 2016
This makes a delicious, rich and slightly sweet stock and a very good chicken vegetable soup. I parted company only when it came to the addition of a pound of chicken wings--she speaks admiringly of the fat that results--I'm not a fan. But I did like the idea of emphasizing the richness--so I added several cups of chicken broth in place of the wings. I also like the addition of a whole head of garlic.
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The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
By Peter Reinhart, Ron Manville
Ten Speed Press - 2001
Great bagels! As a former New Yorker who grew up eating freshly baked bagels, I was delighted with the results from this recipe. A bit of work but well worth it for bagel aficionados.
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Balaboosta
By Einat Admony
Artisan - 2013
As I was putting this together and realizing how much it made, I was really hoping I'd like it. Well, happily, I love it. I made it as an ingredient in Sinaya, a dish I was looking forward to trying. I am reviewing Sinaya separately, but suffice it to say that the spiced meat and onion filling was absolutely delicious. I made the spice mix exactly as written, but for the optional dried lemon rind. I ground the seeds and peppercorns, grated the nutmeg. Even without cooking anything my kitchen was quite fragrant. Interestingly, while there is some heat, this is not a searingly hot mix, so that you can enjoy the complexity without your lips burning or your mouth going numb. I think I'll use the whole jar well before the flavors start to fade.
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Ad Hoc at Home
By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2009
Keller's method is, as usual, superb, but also as is frequently the case, there is way too much added fat. I find a mere drizzle of oil and NO butter to be sufficient for excellent results. Like the other reviewers, I think the paper towel tip is brilliant.
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A Bird in the Hand: Chicken recipes for every day and every mood
By Diana Henry
Mitchell Beazley - 2015
Easy, quick and delicious! And simple to make for one or two. Great over rice or pasta or just with a salad.
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Biba's Northern Italian Cooking
By Biba Caggiano
HP Trade - 2002
If you're lucky enough to have leftover peperonata, this is a wonderful use for it. And it's so easy that it makes a great quick breakfast or lunch for one or more. I have used ramekins and gratin dishes--either works well. Hardly any clean-up and all you need is some good bread to go with the egg.
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Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Knopf - 2009
The best macaroni and cheese ever! Even though I made some changes (went with plain old white mushrooms; used garlic oil instead of butter to saute the mushrooms; added an onion to the saute; used provolone and parmesan), I think I was true to the spirit of the recipe and it is brilliant.
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Website: Washington Post
So easy and quite delicious. I was careful with the Sriracha--didn't want it o be too peppery. As I was baking it in convection, I lowered the temp a bit. Result is very juicy and tender chicken.
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The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread: Cakes, Cookies, Bars, Pastries and More from New York City's Favorite Bakery
By Amy Scherber, Toy Kim Dupree, Aimee Herring
Wiley - 2008
This recipe is worth the price of the book. It is now my go-to banana bread. It never fails. I do add a bit more sugar and am a bit more generous with the banana puree and the berries. I have also found that the bread takes longer than the 55 to 65 minutes in the recipe (which may of course be on account of the additional fruit). I have made it on occasion without the berries and with walnuts added and sometimes with other refinements and it is always delicious.
It keeps well for a day or so and can be frozen, though I don't think it's as good once thawed. Do let it cool before slicing.
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The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
This is excellent--comes together in seconds in the food processor, rolls out with no trouble, bakes beautifully and tastes great. It's wonderful all-purpose crust.
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Website: Cooking
Just what the title says---the basic pesto, which one can alter by adding salt or lemon or using a different cheese or nut or adding other greens. But this, as a basic starting place is perfect.
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Website: Cooking
My this was good! I was afraid the seasoning would be bland (I did add extra garlic and was generous with s&p) but it was just fine. I was also concerned that it would be greasy (olive oil, chicken and bacon drippings) but, happily I did not drain off any fat and just followed instructions. My only deviation was to use chicken breasts instead of assorted chicken parts. The chicken was moist and tender, the sauce was rich and flavorful without being oily, and all those peas were great!
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Website: Food & Wine
This is outstanding! No bargain--a whole bottle of decent red wine and lean beef--but so worth it. It totally resolves my main issues with beef stew---that the sauce is too thick; that there is the danger of biting into nasty clumps of fat or gristle; that the veg is overcooked and tastless; that the meaty is chewy and dry. Here the meat and the sauce are ambrosial. The vegetables, cooked separately and added at the end are delicious. And the meat and sauce alone make for extraordinary sandwiches.
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Website: Food.com
Couldn't be simpler and so good! Unlike Queazle Sister, we loved this bread. I used the self-rising flour, a local artisan wheat beer, a little less sugar than called for and the full amount of melted butter. And perhaps it is being generous with the butter that made the difference. I doubled the recipe and got one full and three cute mini loaves. The beer I chose (pure luck as I am not a beer drinker) really was a good one and I think using self-rising flour makes a difference too. The flavor was remarkably complex, the crust was wonderfully crunchy, and a lovely buttery taste lingered in one's mouth.
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Website: Bon Appetit
This soup is not only delicious, but it is quite extraordinarily beautiful. This was made without the kefir, but I did drizzle a bit of yogurt over the top at service. The color is a deep magenta; the scent is rich and woodsy; the flavor is terrific. It's good hot or cold. If served in clear glass with some fennel fronds to garnish, the effect is fabulous.
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The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking
By Susanna Hoffman
Workman Publishing Company - 2004
Like Zosia, I think this is fabulous. It is beautiful to look at and tastes wonderful. And the taste does improve--made yesterday, it's even better today.
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The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
By Ina Garten, Martha Stewart
Clarkson Potter - 1999
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.
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The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
By Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Boston Common Press - 2001
This is recipe alone is worth the price of the book. It's not a simple cake, nor is it inexpensive. But when you want an elegant dessert with a beautiful presentation and fabulous flavor, this is it. I think that it is imperative to read the entire recipe and do all the mise en place before you begin any actual mixing, etc. I also know that baking the cake on a silpat makes the whole process of baking and rolling the cake much, much easier. I did not use the micro wave or the food processor for the ganache, finding it simpler to warm the cream on the stove and pour it over the chocolate -- fewer things to clean and simpler all around. This cake is also wonderful with other fillings such as a thick puree of mango or apricot. I've also added mint (infusing the cream in the filling and the ganache with fresh mint leaves).
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Website: Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman
topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html
I made this just as written (though I did make my black beans in the slow cooker) and loved it. I was a little concerned that the chipotles in adobo might be a bit much in combination with the chile powder, but it was just right.
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Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers
By Daniel Leader, Lauren Chattman
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2007
The only drawback to this quite delicious bread is its color--the black olives give the dough a less than beautiful grayish hue. This recipe makes great rolls or a few loaves--when baking it in loaves, I use bannetons. I have found a slightly higher oven temperature works well for loaves. The name "cheeks" is apt-- while there's good chew, there's also a very pleasing softness to these rolls/loaves.
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Craig Clairborn's Southern Cooking
By Craig Claiborne
Times Books - 1987
This is a New Year's staple for me for years and years. I even make it on other occasions, as it is quite delicious. I make my peas in the crock pot which avoids the soaking time and makes it much easier to get the whole dish together. This can be served on its own, or made into a more substantial dish by serving it on greens and adding cherry tomatoes, goat or feta cheese, diced red bell pepper, etc.
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Website: Joy of Baking
As long as you remember to take out butter and cream cheese well before you want to start the recipe(both need to be room temp), this is so simple and the results are a knockout. It seems as if the amounts of sugar and flour are a bit modest, but trust the recipe. The end result fills a 9 inch springform quite comfortably. The suggested baking time may be a bit off (my cake took longer than the suggested 50-70 minutes) but otherwise everything was just fine. I did the cream cheese part in my blender.
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The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Muffins (Williams-Sonoma Collection (New York, N.Y.).)
By Beth Hensperger
Free Press - 2003
These muffins, with a few modifications, are fabulous. I took my cues from "Culinary Chronicles" and left the nuts out of the topping and used a cup of sour cream and 1/2 a cup of milk in place of the buttermilk in the batter. I added a bit of brown sugar to both the streusel and the batter. I used butter in the streusel but substituted canola oil for the melted butter in the batter. The resulting muffins were moist, tender, not overly sweet and the recipe really allows the flavor of the blackberries to shine. I think this will also work wonderfully with other berries/fruits and with orange or lime rind.
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The Pie and Pastry Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum
Scribner - 1998
I used a combination of raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, frozen, and found that 4 cups really wasn't enough to fill a 9" pie crust. I agree that it wasn't quite sweet enough--I added about 1/4 cup more sugar. I baked this with the basic butter crust and used her streusel topping. It was an excellent pie.
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Website: San Francisco Chronicle Recipes
At first glance--a standard quick bread--but then there's the addition of just enough cornmeal and a generous hit of lemon rind which, with the yogurt, just sets off the blackberries perfectly. The method is standard--sift drys together, beat wet ingredients, combine the two and bake. The result is a nice slicing loaf, moist with just a touch of crunch from the cornmeal and a lovely lemony-ness.
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Website: Food Network
These are very quick and easy and result in a delicious and attractive cracker. Do not, however, add the amount of salt listed in the ingredients. I fortunately glanced thru the reviews and thought that other cooks made sense when they said the salt was too much. I used a mere sprinkling and it was plenty. Also, if you're in a hurry, wrap your rolled dough (I found it easier to do it in two batches) in plastic, twirl the edges to tighten and place the rolls in the freezer till they nice and firm. They are ready to go in a very short time and quite easy to slice if very cold. Also, I used a very good blue cheese because it's what I had on hand, but I think that a less expensive blue would do fine in this setting.
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Ad Hoc at Home
By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2009
This is a truly superior dressing. It is simple to make but requires time--time to make the garlic oil (p. 266) which you need, cooled, to make the garlic aioli (p. 333) which you need to make the dressing. But like other Keller recipes I've made, once you have all the parts, you assemble them to make a greater whole. The garlic mayo/buttermilk combo is excellent and the herb combo is just right. We used Maytag Blue and it was fine---a wonderful dressing for the Iceberg Lettuce Salad (p. 150) and for lots of other salads as well.
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Website: About.com food
This very simple and easy to put together quick bread is just lovely. It has a great crumb, is pretty to look at and tastes great. I skipped the cinnamon and sprinkled the top with sanding sugar which gives the loaf a pretty sparkly look; I use low fat plain yogurt and a hit of vanilla. Rather that greasing the pan, I line it with parchment. I found it unnecessary to coat the berries in flour; instead, I add them at the last straight from the freezer. In fact, I skip the sort-of fussy instructions and go to the tried-and-true method: mix the dry, mix the wet, mix the two together, fold in fruit and bake.
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From Biba's Italian Kitchen
By Biba Caggiano
Hearst Corporation - 1995
A very flavorful meatloaf. I really like the pancetta and lemon rind which add a subtle depth to the flavor. My only quarrel is that I found the amount of olive oil to be excessive. Even though I use very lean ground beef, it didn't need 1/4 cup of oil. I like the concept of browning the loaf on top of the stove and also the idea of coating the loaf in crumbs. I did find using 2 cups of milk to soak the bread a bit extreme--a lot of milk wasted (unless someone has an idea for using crumby milk that's been squeezed out of bread cubes).
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
Good muffins and healthier than most. Nice and moist. I was tempted to add raisins but was glad I didn't.
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Website: food52
I like this version of borscht very much. It's warming and nourishing while light. Julienning the roasted vegetables makes for a beautiful looking bowl of soup. And it freezes beautifully.
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