Having made the Peperonata Rustica (208), this was a snap to make -- though I did not brine the chicken, which would have added 12 hours of prep time to an otherwise simple dish. I used a lovely locally raised organic chicken and followed the instructions until the end, deciding to finish the dish on top of the stove instead of heating the oven on a very hot day. The chicken was moist and tender and the flavors of the sausage and peperonata blended beautifully. We'll have this again.

I first made this in school, and have since made it several times at home--always with wonderful results. It's a lot of salt and it leaves a lot of egg yolks behind (hollandaise? shortbread?), but the fish is so tender and moist and really easy to remove from the crust. I have omitted the orange and varied the herbs -- it's always good.

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.

I almost followed the instructions---I roasted my peppers on the outdoor grill and had a green pepper or two in the mix. Otherwise, I was faithful to the text and with very happy results. These made a marvelous side at a dinner of grilled lamb and were used as a component of the delicious Pan-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Sausage and Peppers (p. 20).

I halved this recipe, but otherwise followed it to a tee. I used lovely huge divers scallops. I was careful to make sure the clarified butter was hot enough (shimmering). Mine were done at about three minutes for the first side, and less for the second. We had these with some spinach from the farm and a salsa of mango, pineapple and onion. I don't know that I would have ever thought of brining the scallops, but it's a brilliant touch. I would note, though, that like many of Keller's recipes, it assumes the home cook has a restaurant style larder. Not everyone has clarified butter on hand...

I made this in the blender once and with the Bamix once--both times it was super. I really am not sure that I can see(or taste) a difference in the two methods. It's really wonderful in the bleu cheese dressing. It's a decadent delight spread on a brioche roll for a hamburger.

Again, a wonderful result but using techniques usually found in restaurants. Having made the braised short ribs, I had only to prep the veg and then put the dish together. But this is a somewhat fussy prep for the home cook. The result, however, is quite wonderful, very bright and complex flavors which do not overwhelm the very good, winey ribs. I would also note that the excess sauce can easily be frozen in an ice cube tray and, once frozen, tucked into a ziplock bag and saved for future use.

This is a perfect recipe. The duck is delicious, juicy, tender. And it's actually an easy recipe. I let mine sit in the fridge about 8 hours. After resting, the breasts sliced beautifully. We went with 125 degrees for the "rosy medium-rare" and it was greatly enjoyed by all.

It got very cold quite suddenly yesterday. Cold weather comfort food was necessary. Knowing I had yellow split peas, a smoked ham hock, vegetable stock and carrots, I went out and got yukon gold potatoes and kosher knockwurst. I put the soup together according to the recipe, until I realized I had no celeriac (I threw in some fennel seeds) and no marjoram (I did have fresh oregano, flat leaf parsley and thyme and so used a combination of those herbs). My cooking was a bit longer then that in the recipe, but my peas might have been sitting in the cupboard for a while. The house filled up with a very comforting aroma. It smelled warm, if you know what I mean. And when I filled my bowl with soup, just the sight of it made me happy. And the taste of it made me happier still. This soup makes you remember coming in from the cold as a child, and sitting down to hot soup your mother or your grandmother made just for you. Good Stuff!

I loved this soup! I basically followed the recipe but did find a few shortcuts. Rather than pre-soaking the beans, I made them in a slow cooker in which I actually made the whole soup. Also, rather than using a blender to puree, I used my immersion blender--easier, quicker, less mess, same result. I used fresh squeezed orange juice (harvesting all the rind for another recipe). I skipped the bell pepper and the optional tomato. I added one step: after sauteing (sauteeing? always looks wrong) the vegetables, I deglazed the pan with a little hot water and added that to the soup--there was lovely fond left in the pan. I've always like black bean soup and generally always had the Cuban version. The orange in this adds this really interesting undercurrent of flavor and combined with the heat of the cayenne works very well. Definitely five star.

Couldn't be simpler to do and it's absolutely delicious! I put my chicken and marinade in the fridge--came home six hours later, heated the stovetop grill and cooked the chicken--served with cappellini in a lemony sauce and a salad, it made a lovely meal. I think it will also be good served as Ms. Garten suggests with the dipping sauce. I will also try this as a part of a salad.

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.

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.

This is outstanding pumpkin custard. I used it to fill two tarts which were eaten by quite a number of very happy people. The spicing is just right; the texture is absolutely lovely and it is really quite easy. Such a nice change from the evaporated milk/gelatin/tinned mix variations so often served at Thanksgiving. It should be noted that (in the US at least) cans of pumpkin puree are no longer 15 ounces. I use the large 28 ounce cans and always seem to have small bits left over in the freezer or the fridge.

A lovely pastry/cookie which is simple to make, lovely to look at and really delicious. I substituted marsala for the vin santo and left out the nuts. I used exactly the dried fruit mixture suggested (raisins, apricots, cherries and prunes) and a granny smith apple. Once I had filled and rolled the pastry, I chilled it briefly which made it easier to slice. I baked my cookies on a silpat and painted the glaze on the cookies right on the silpat. The cookies are really pretty and really delicious. The only difficulty in the recipe is that you must plan ahead--the chopped fruit must macerate overnight. I look forward to experimenting with other combinations of fruit/nuts and other dessert wines or liqueurs.

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.

These are excellent rolls. This recipe is very flexible--I have made this with various seeds and soakers and always been extremely pleased with the results. I do use instant yeast, which eliminates the need to feed and and proof in the first step. You can also freeze these rolls and then warm them, wrapped in foil, after thawing.

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.

A delicious potato salad, helped greatly by the fact that all the herbs (parsley, basil and mint) were fresh-picked from my own plants. The mint gave the salad such a lovely brightness. I made two substitutions--a couple of chicken eggs instead of 15 quail eggs (not easily picked up at the neighborhood grocer) and walnuts instead of pine nuts.

This is purported to be Julia's favorite recipe--it's certainly one of mine. The dough that results from this is rich and supple and beautiful and a pleasure to work with and, if you follow the instructions, foolproof. I've doubled it with no problems (though my stand mixer does get very hot during the long beating period), made brioche loaves, tetes of all sizes, and the magnificent sticky buns (reviewed separately), all with great results. There are other brioche recipes which work well and taste delicious, but none compares to this. When calories and fat grams are not being counted, this is the recipe.

This is magical--it has 6 ingredients--one of which is water--and the result is this extraordinary, rich flavorful soup. And I leave off one ingredient when I'm making it just for me--I skip the cream or butter step and it doesn't seem to matter a bit. If I'm making this for a dinner party, I use the foodmill and then the soup is velvety. When it's just for me and I'm being lazy, I use the Bamix--the stick blender is so easy and quick. And the resulting soup is just a bit textured and still really delicious.

So easy to throw together and quite delicious. The poppy seeds add a lovely crunch; the honey adds a subtle richness to this very moist bread.

Such a good, healthy version of this bistro classic. I made it even lower in fat, using chicken breasts and less oil than in the recipe. Otherwise, I followed Ms. Shulman's instructions, using hot red pepper flakes. I had great sweet red peppers and onion from a local farm and a lovely free range chicken (I had an extra breast in the freezer which I combined with the breasts from the whole chicken, the balance of which went for rich stock). I happily thought of using my stick blender to puree the diced tomatoes right in the can which worked beautifully and saved some washing chores. The instructions are right on, very clear and result in a stew/sauce which is sweet without being cloying, just peppery enough. The chicken was juicy and mellow. All in all, a great dish which lends itself beautifully to freezing portions.

This is delicious--but I don't know whether to categorize it as a side or an entree or a breakfast/brunch dish. It's a cross between a souffle and a frittata, rich without being overbearing, delightful as a side or as a brunch dish or as a light main course accompanied by a green salad. I followed the recipe, using a butternut squash and herbs clipped from my deck garden (the waning days of it as the weather is getting colder). It's really very simple to put together. While the squash roasts, there's more than enough time to prep everything else. While the squash cools, the onions cook and then everything is thrown together to bake. I'm thinking it could be beautifully served by piling a micro green/arugula salad (light vinaigrette) in the middle of a plate, packing the warm grating into a ring and popping it atop the salad. A few cherry tomatoes and some crunchy croutons and Bob's your uncle.

I think of this as white hummus. I add salt but otherwise follow the recipe (if you use canned beans, you may not need the salt). It's a great blank slate -- the taste changes so much from one herb to another. And cilantro, rosemary, flat leaf parsley, sage and chives all work. I love it as one component of a plate which includes olives, anchovies, chunks of feta, roasted red peppers.

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).

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.

Such a good cake! An old fashioned 'poke cake' but of very high pedigree. I followed the instructions completely as to ingredients, except for adding a bit of kosher salt. I deviated from the instructions only in that I added the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar and mixed until the batter was fluffy and then added the dates and pecans so that the dates (rather sticky) would be well distributed. Then, I added the dry ingredients and then the buttermilk. I buttered and floured my non-stick tube pan. I made lots of holes with a bamboo skewer and added the orange mixture (having strained it as I didn't like the way the rind had swelled up in the syrup) and was a bit nervous as it seemed like way too much liquid. But fear not---it was all absorbed by the time I unmolded it --and it popped out like a charm. The finished cake is not overly sweet--really nice as a breakfast/brunch cake and also a lovely cake to serve at tea. I've already been asked by a friend who ate some today to make it again at Christmas with cranberries and almonds instead of dates and pecans. I also think dried apricots would work.
Interestingly, there is a recipe for an Orange Date Pound Cake in "Piece of Cake" -- a nearly identical recipe but for using candied orange peel instead of grated fresh orange rind and the addition of coconut to the batter. I'm thinking that may be gilding the lily--this version results in a very rich and satisfying cake without candy-ing the peel or adding the coconut.
Editing to add that this works beautifully as two loaf cakes.

A delightful cake, delightfully easy to make. The mace (which is the outer shell of a nutmeg) is an unusual spice, reminiscent of an allspice/nutmeg/cinnamon combination. The cake has a delicate crumb and a pleasing texture. It's good on its own and also good with whipped cream or whipped cream and fruit.

I have been on a rugulah/rugelach mission and have decided that this recipe for the dough is the best. It is so simple and straightforward and very easy to roll out. I have determined that a technique recommended by Carol Walter in her book, "Great Cookies," is invaluable in making great rugelach--that is to mix flour and confectioner's sugar and use that to roll out the dough. I also skip the melted butter in the filling. I find these pastries to be absolutely luscious and absolutely sufficiently rich without the added butter. I also find that substituting some seedless raspberry jam for the raisins makes for a filling equally as good as the raisin filling. This is also delicious as "schnecken" or snails---roll the dough out into a rectangle, spread with the filling, and roll like a log. Slice into one inch 'snails' and chill, then paint with the glaze, top with sanding sugar and bake. Terrific two-bite pastries perfect for parties and buffets.

I LOVE this cake. It has such a wonderful scent, it is sweet without being "cloying" and it has a truly unique flavor. The anise flavor of the ouzo is subtle -- even licorice haters love this cake. Marcella's tips about blood oranges are well taken. I Have yet to find an American blood orange that compares in flavor to the Italian variety; I use the nicest regular oranges I can find. Because I love the color, I have added a touch of cranberry juice (unsweetened pure juice) to the orange juice which makes the syrup a very pretty color and adds a touch of tartness which I think is welcome.

This is a review of the meat filling which is absolutely outstanding. The prep is time-consuming in that the celery, carrot and onion are not really to be diced but to be minced very finely. Otherwise, the filling will have inappropriately large bits of veg. For the breadcrumbs, I use the recipe but do not toast in the extra olive oil. I also use less oil than is listed and drain off a bit of the fat that is rendered from the veal and prosciutto before adding the wine. The resulting filling is wonderful in tortellini, ravioli or any other stuffed pasta.

This shouldn't work--but it does and it's absolutely delicious. It's a heap of raw vegetables (about 12 cups all told), 5 tablespoons of potent spices and a mere 3 tablespoons of oil--and after 3 hours in the slow cooker, there's this wonderful juicy lush aromatic stew. I ate just a bit the day I made it. It was a full meal the next day and even better having spent a night in the fridge. It's amazing how substantial a meal this makes, and the addition of the fresh cilantro at the last moment makes an extraordinary difference. I made exactly as written, but for omitting the Thai chiles (a little more heat than I wanted) and subbing some chopped green chiles. Results in 4 very generous servings. I used the garam masala from Madhur Jaffrey's "Taste of India."

Many good things about this recipe: the fruit (I used 4oz cherries, 5oz each of cranberries and raisins) soaked in the tea is delicious. I let mine soak at room temperature for a good 12 hours and it had absorbed a great deal of the tea. The batter is only a bit dry -- once I added the orange juice at the end the batter came together beautifully. The scent while it bakes is simply lovely, as is the aroma of the tea/lemon syrup as it reduces. Best of all, the final result is excellent. It has all the good points of an old-fashioned fruit cake without any of the bad--the fruit is sweet without being cloying, the cake is rich without being heavy. And, amazingly, there's no fat (other than the tiny bit in the egg yolk) -- no butter or oil, not even any butter to grease the loaf pan. The parchment lining works perfectly and the nice loaf pops right out. It should keep well, though my loaf is going fast...

Fabulous!!! And easier than one would think looking at the instructions. The dough comes together beautifully and forming the "fat cigar" is quite simple. I suggest chilling the first one while you fill and roll the second. The chilled roll is much easier to cut and plait. Also, having cut through the roll, I found easiest to use a pizza cutter to run through and ensure that the roll is cleanly split. I had large rather than extra large eggs--I added one extra egg to the dough and it came together perfectly.
I made half the chocolate filling and half the cinnamon/walnut filling and made one of each cake. The result was a terrific looking pair of loaves which easily absorbed the syrup. Even better, they taste wonderful.
Make sure that you tuck the trimmed ends of the two rolls into a little pan and bake them as well--a great cook's treat.
My camera is broken--thank goodness there are great photos in the book of both the process and the finished product.

I loved these! And I made them with dried oregano. I look forward to the summer when I'll have Greek oregano growing on the deck and can pick fresh leaves for cooking. I used a half sheet pan and a silpat and stirred the potatoes with a spatula as directed. I had no sticking problems, though I agree that the very crispy bits at the edges were delicious.

Great cookies! As usual, I was in a hurry and so rolled my dough out on floured marble and kept the dough in the fridge and refrigerated one tray while I rolled out and filled the second. I baked nine cookies to a half-sheet. The bottoms took about twelve minutes in convection; the bottoms took about ten minutes. It's tricky and delicate dough but manageable as long as it's kept cool. I wanted larger cookies and ended up with 18 three inch rounds with heart cut-outs. To eke out all eighteen tops, I did have to use some of the heart centers so had a yield of eight small hearts. I found I needed about two teaspoons of filling for each cookie. I used raspberry, apricot and cherry preserves. Such pretty and delicious cookies!

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.

This is a terrific salad. The flavors come together beautifully. The textures are crispy and smooth and soft; the flavors are sharp and mellow. My only criticism is the same one I have with most of the recipes in this book --too much dressing!

I ate this dish many years ago and remembered it as a heavy and not very tasty but very fattening meal. It was full of very thick cream sauce and meat that seemed to leave a layer of fat on one's lips. I looked at this recipe and thought, with some misgivings, I would give it a try. I'm so glad I did. The meat sauce is delicious on its own, but combined with the parmesan and the rather light version of bechamel it's really a very pleasing meal. All it needs is a salad, a glass of wine, and opa!

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.

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.

While I did describe this to everyone as a "dried plum" cake, (there's a lot of prune-aversion out there), I added more prunes than called for in the recipe. I also made it in two loaf pans rather than the suggested springform pan. Otherwise, I did as told--and I'm very glad I did. Really a delicious and very rich tasting cake, but not so rich or sweet that it isn't lovely with morning coffee. I did my usual lining the pans with parchment for easy release and clean-up. I am thinking maybe walnuts would be a good addition.

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.

Thomas Keller does it again! This very simple preparation of cod results in the best tasting cod dish I've had. I did exactly as told, but for using some garlic-infusted oil I had on hand. The final result: perfectly done fish with a lovely crust and a delicate flavor. And, unlike most Keller dishes: one pan, two little custard cups for the coating, a pastry brush--simple prep, simple clean up. Super dish!!

We love this cake. It's very easy and seemingly foolproof. At first glance, the ingredients seem wrong--too much sugar, no milk or buttermilk--but it works beautifully. The batter is very thick and a bit unwieldy. It almost seems as if there is too much apple for the amount of batter. But the end result is fabulous. From a very simple group of pantry staples, comes a complex, rich tasting cake. A keeper for sure.

This is the classic and if you follow the directions, it is foolproof. However, once the chocolate starts to simmer, it looks so grainy that it seems as though it will never become a smooth and shiny glaze. Keep going and stirring and happily, all at once it is transformed into a beautiful pourable chocolate glaze.

The instructions are impeccable; a little patience and this classic torte is achieved. It requires preparation of the apricot and chocolate glazes (also in the book). I baked the cake in a convection oven and it was finished about eight minutes sooner than the recipe calls for.

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.

This is my new favorite zucchini bread too! I thought it was lovely and everyone who tried it agreed. I loved the scent of the orange and the rosemary as well as the taste. I did use canola oil instead of olive, but otherwise followed the recipe. And how nice to use pretty little zucchinis from a local farm and rosemary snipped from the pot on my deck!
I have since used this recipe for muffins and they are delightful! Even though it is now later in the season and the tender little zucchinis have been replaced by giant ones the flavor is still terrific and the texture of the muffins is wonderful. I had a yield of one nice loaf and six very handsome muffins. I baked the muffins alongside the loaf but removed them from the oven after about 28 minutes.