kateq's Profile

From: annapolis, md usa

Joined: February 14th, 2010


Latest review:

March 21st, 2024

Baked Sriracha Chicken Breast from 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. read more >


recipe reviews (557)
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kateq's Reviews


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556 recipes reviewed. Showing 51 to 100Sort by: Book Title | Date | Rating | Recipe Title

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

By Ina Garten, Martha Stewart
Clarkson Potter - 1999

19th September 2011

Grilled Lemon Chicken

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.

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22nd September 2011

Rosemary White Bean Soup

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.

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23rd September 2011

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

I'm giving this five stars because, for what it is, it's perfect. It's a dinner party/caterer's dream---you can make a large quantity;it's all in one baking dish; it's very simple; it freezes and/or reheats beautifully. And it tastes quite delicious. I personally would want more spice--but that is easily added. It's also a pretty dish--the sauce is deep dark caramel, the chicken skin browns and crisps to an attractive mahogany. Like the other recipes I've tried, the yield is enormous--2 whole chickens to serve 4 - 6 people seems like an awful lot to me.

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23rd September 2011

Roasted eggplant spread

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.

useful (2)  


7th October 2011

French Potato Salad

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.

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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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15th October 2011

Homemade Applesauce

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.

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15th October 2011 (edited: 15th October 2011)

Roasted-Potato Fennel Soup

I find it hard to rate this recipe. The end result was wonderful, but the way there was exceedingly bumpy. First, this is again a recipe for the multitudes--3 quarts of stock, 4 pounds of potatoes, two pounds of fennel---a lot of soup! Second, I found the notion of adding a quantity of heavy cream to this very thick and rich soup inappropriate--and it just seems wrong to add it before the soup cools at all. Third, fennel is very fibrous and doesn't get all that soft and it doesn't pass happily through a food mill nor puree happily in a food processor. Fourth, the potato skins do not make for an attractive appearance or a pleasant texture--they are like bits of paper in the soup. I found that I had to puree the soup with my (luckily) powerful immersion blender and then strain it through a fine mesh in order to get rid of the potato skin fragments and the fennel strings and fibers. It was a tedious and messy process. All of this being said, the soup was delicious and having been strained, had a velvety and very pleasing texture, though I added milk, not cream, to the soup. In this final version, it was a very pale green, creamy and beautifully garnished with a scattering of the delicate tiny fennel fronds. I must say the roasted potatoes were fabulous--I could have stopped there and just eaten a platter of them. I think a stock could be made from roasted fennel and onion and then used as a base for the potato soup--the lovely flavor without all the work.

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Quite delicious and very easy, this roasted squash doesn't seem to me to use such an extravagant amount of sugar and butter and salt--once I had peeled and seeded my squash I had two pounds of flesh. I used 2 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter and less than a teaspoon of salt. Ironically, quite a bit of the sugar and butter remained in the pan, caramelized around the edges of the silpat (thank goodness I used it---this would have been a messy pan to clean otherwise) and so the squash was really pretty low in fat and sugar. This dish however needs something more -- I found it to be a bit bland--found myself thinking about grated orange rind, cinnamon or five spice powder or garam masala. I also suspect that the use of olive oil in combination with the butter would mean the dish could retain the butter flavor but lose a bit of the saturated fat. In all, a good base to start from, not unlike some of the other recipes in this book.

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25th October 2011

Parker's Split Pea Soup

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.

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9th November 2018

Raspberry Corn Muffins

These are very good and they make exactly 12 muffins---but only if you use "Texas-sized" muffin pans. I subbed canola oil for the butter and buttermilk for the milk and piped my homemade raspberry preserves in the top. So pretty!

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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

14th January 2018

Aglione

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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Biba's Northern Italian Cooking

By Biba Caggiano
HP Trade - 2002

15th January 2018

Peperonata

This dish is a classic -- the sweet and sour tones from sweet peppers, onion and tomatoes as well as the vinegar, the great mouth feel from the olive oil. It's great with grilled meat or fish; it works as part of a cold buffet; it can be eaten with pasta or as a crostini topping. And when there are no good fresh tomatoes (way too many months of the year), good canned tomatoes work perfectly. When there are fresh tomatoes, I recommend peeling and seeding them.

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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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Bill's Sydney Food

By Bill Granger
Murdoch Books - 2000

31st July 2018

Coconut Bread

Very good basic quick bread which I think is greatly improved by the addition of fruit. I have made it with a combination of mango and pineapple and liked it very much. It's also very good with the fruit and macadamia nuts--a nice tropical breakfast. The recipe as written makes a good toast.

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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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I'm reviewing only the dressing. It's really good and 'herby' without the tarragon overcoming other flavors in the salad. I made it in a Ball jar (everything in the jar and shake), and stored what was left in the fridge for a day or two and it kept beautifully.

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Website: Bon Appetit

www.bonappetit.com
 

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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Website: Bon Appetit

www.bonappetit.com
 

This is a very good biscotti which results in a particularly sticky dough. I have found that it is necessary to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in order for it to be manageable. In convection, it bakes at 325 F for about 25 minutes, cools briefly and then bakes at 300 F for about ten minutes.

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Website: Bon Appetit

www.bonappetit.com
 

3rd March 2015

Hamantaschen

It's Purim so it's time for Hamantaschen...and this recipe makes for really good ones. The dough is just right as long as one has the patience to chill the dough for at least two hours and then let it come to room temp for at least thirty minutes. I cut out 4 inch circles and had a yield of 20 cookies. Fpr my filling, I just snipped dried apricots into a pot with a little warm water and simmered till the fruit was very soft. Then I added minimal sugar and stirred and mashed till I had a preserve-like texture.
The cookie baked in about 18 minutes at 325 F convection. Absolutely yummy!

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Bouchon

By Thomas Keller
Artisan - 2004

20th February 2017 (edited: 20th February 2017)

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken (Mon Poulet Roti)

I made this again last night--the simplest and most delicious roast chicken there is. I was fortunate to have a lovely local farm-raised organic chicken. Roasting it at a high temp with just salt and pepper resulted in a fabulously juicy, tender and delicious bird. This recipe is found in the introduction to the book at page xii.

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30th March 2019 (edited: 30th March 2019)

Onion Confit

These onions are ethereal! A bit of work--about three pounds of onions sliced very thin--and a bit of time--they cook for a good two hours. getting a stir every twenty minutes or so. But they are worth it! With just a few bay leaves, some thyme and peppercorns, the result is onions that are soft and smooth but still somehow retain a bit of texture. And the flavor is wonderful--sweet onion to the nth degree. So far, I've used them as a garnish, in quiche and to top focaccia. Edited to add that I made them in a really heavy cast iron skillet which worked like a charm.

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Website: Bowl of Delicious

bowlofdelicious.com
 

Despite the name, I didn't use a bone. I used a generous amount of our New Year's Ham cubed and some homemade vegetable stock. It was my first use of the instant pot (a Christmas gift) and it was amazingly quick and easy.

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The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread

By Peter Reinhart, Ron Manville
Ten Speed Press - 2001

7th October 2014

Bagels

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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19th December 2014 (edited: 19th December 2014)

Challah

The dough is a pleasure to work with, so easy to shape. The result is a lovely loaf (or two smaller loaves) with a nice crumb and lovely golden crust. In a warm kitchen, the rise times are markedly shorter. In a rather short time, this recipe produces quite a delicious and beautiful loaf of bread.

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The Breakfast Book

By Marion Cunningham
Gramercy - 1997

4th March 2016

Date Nut Bread

Very easy to make and really delicious. I made it gluten free by using a combination of buckwheat and rice flour, and was a bit generous in ll my measuring as I was using a 9 x 5 loaf pan rather than the 4 1/2 x 8 as directed in the recipe. Slices beautifully and is very moist with a rich sweetness from the dates. A keeper.

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Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka

By Uri Scheft, Raquel Pelzel
Artisan - 2016

Full disclosure: I used my tried and true brioche dough (Baking with Julia) but otherwise followed the recipe, making the tapenade from this book as well. I used some Mahon instead of the gouda and dried thyme instead of fresh. These are really pretty and quite delicious. Mine took longer to bake but that could be the difference in the dough or the oven.

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Website: Brix

www.brix.com
 

17th February 2014 (edited: 17th February 2014)

Cabernet Sauvignon Braised Wild Boar Shoulder

My first time cooking boar and what a great success! This was a piece of meat we ordered from D"Artagnan when they had an e-mail special--a discount and free shipping . We got the Boar and a rabbit (the rabbit's in the freezer) and then had fun looking at boar recipes. Yesterday, another frozen day, was perfect for hanging out with friends in the kitchen, drinking wine and cooking. This is actually pretty simple, though a bit lengthy. The results are fabulous. We followed the recipe for the ragu pretty closely, but skipped the polenta, opting instead for some really great grits. One thing we did change was the amount of oil, which we decreased by about half. We had more meat than called for, and at one end there was a good layer of fat. We trimmed some of the fat but figured, correctly as it turned out, that the fat from the browning meat would obviate the necessity for adding much oil. The end result was a very rich tasting, yet there was hardly any fat or grease -- it actually felt like we were eating an elegant restaurant meal that was also healthy. Happily I have a container of leftover ragu in my fridge--looking forward to it...

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The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits

By Hugh Acheson, Rinne Allen
Clarkson Potter - 2015

Simply delicious! I used colatura instead of anchovies and skipped the breadcrumbs. Otherwise, as written. Amazingly flavorful and so easy. Good hot or room temp.

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The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook: Celebrating Wine, Food, and Friends in the Napa Valley

By Dolores Cakebread, Jack Cakebread
Ten Speed Press - 2011

I like the idea of these better than the actuality. I followed the recipe with certain misgivings and ended up with a very decent savory biscuit which, with a few changes, could be extraordinary. These are my changes: the walnuts should be ground, not chopped; the egg should be eliminated; half and half should be substituted for the milk. Finally, I would crumble the blue cheese into the flour with the butter and go with 4 ounces of cheese and 6 ounces of butter and 3 cups of flour.

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30th December 2016

Preserved Lemons

Simple and straightforward. I scaled the recipe to make a one quart jar-ful which ended up meaning three fat lemons and the juice of three or four more. (I harvested all the rind before juicing--grated rind for muffins, etc). I skipped the chile. The jar now lives in the fridge.

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The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook: Wine and Recipes to Celebrate Every Season's Harvest

By Dolores Cakebread, Brian Streater
Ten Speed Press - 2003

A delightful surprise! We thought these would be good and they were Fabulous. We used large shrimp, followed the recipe exactly and our only regret was that we didn't make more. So easy to make and fun to eat.

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Cakes (Maida Heatter's Classic Library)

By Maida Heatter
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 1997

23rd January 2017

East 62nd Street Lemon Cake

I first made this cake over forty years ago when it was featured in the Sunday Times. It's a total classic, as good today as it was then. When made in a tube pan, it makes a beautiful appearance on a stand -- tall and glistening with the lemon glaze. It is also terrific baked in a pair of loaf pans, and slices beautifully. Great crumb, great flavor.

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3rd January 2019 (edited: 3rd January 2019)

The Original Kentucky Whiskey Cake

For years, I made this cake every Christmas--in one big cake, in numerous mini bundt cakes. It made me addicted to bourbon raisins, a jar of which is always in my pantry. I had sort of forgotten it--but made it again this year. In the form of mediium sized bundts, it was a really successful present. In the form of cute little baby bundts, it was beloved. I really don't know why I stopped making it, but I did use up all my Maker's Mark and have it on my shopping list. It's not a one day deal--you need to have the raisins soaking in the bourbon for at least a while. And the cake really does improve if it can sit a bit wrapped up in a bourbon-dampened piece of cheesecloth. But even if you make it at the last minute, it's still a great cake. And the separating of the eggs and the folding in of the whites is really not daunting. A truly great cake.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

I made this for one, using a chicken breast and one sweet potato and fresh rosemary. I added some thinly sliced red onion. It was really quite delicious and rich tasting and satisfying--and it's quite healthy.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

What an excellent dish! I made it exactly as written (but for the peas which I omitted). There's a fair amount of chopping, but it's really quite a simple dish to put together. I kept chopping while the first round of vegetables was sauteing; I made the dough during simmer of the vegetables. I chilled the pastry dough while the vegetables cooled. The pastry rolled out easily; the veg fit right in to the pie shell. I baked mine in a convection oven so lowered the temp just a tad and baked it about 35 minutes. After it cooled for about ten minutes, it sliced like a dream. I personally thought it could it use a bit more spice and salt -- easily remedied at table; others thought the spicing just right.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

27th January 2014 (edited: 27th January 2014)

Meatball Stroganoff

A great pantry meal! I used super lean ground beef, panko, tamari instead of worchestershire, za'atar instead of thyme and chicken instead of beef stock (obviously a recipe which takes kindly to the weaknesses of one's pantry) and skipped the cornstarch. I only had full fat sour cream and that made for a rich and thick enough sauce for me. I used a package of sliced mushrooms which needed using, a hunk of ground beef which had been in the freezer a while, and served it on a bed of angel hair pasta which had been lurking in the back of a cupboard. While the meatballs baked, I sauteed the onions and mushrooms and the whole deal was ready in half an hour.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

15th February 2014

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

What's so nice about this is that everything goes right into the slow cooker--no sauteeing or browning on the stove. And it's really quite good. The modest amount of butter is just right; one gets the butter flavor without the dish seeming overly heavy and without that nasty oily film left on the lips. I substituted peanut for almond butter as that was what I had; it was very good. I also used skinless boneless breasts instead of thighs and so cooked them for a slightly shorter time. My only quarrel with this is that the spicing is too mild. It needs more cumin, maybe a hit of a nice rich garam masala. I added salt and sriracha to my bowl but would still like more spice. It makes a lot of sauce and I have a fair amount in my freezer. My intention is that when I defrost it, I'll add spices to the sauce and let it cook a bit before I add any meat. Actually, I bet it would be good with shrimp.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

23rd October 2014

Ultimate Banana Bread

Who needs another banana bread recipe? I discovered I did--this one is really quite delicious with a lovely moist texture. I went with the added chocolate chips and everyone loved the bread. The technique of mashing the bananas with the buttermilk and baking soda results in a lighter and very moist texture.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

I love the way this looks!! It's very easy, very delicious and so cool looking! One caveat: there really is too much batter for one loaf pan, but it's a good thing--there's just enough for one nice fat large loaf and one really cute little loaf. Great texture, really moist, decent shelf life (though mine was gone by the second morning). I envision making this at the holidays with one batch resulting in five adorable little loaves.

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Website: Canadian Living

www.canadianliving.com
 

23rd October 2014

Maple Pecan Biscotti

Very nice, very attractive biscotti. Instructions are very clear. The glaze works very well. I didn't bother with the separating of the pecans--added them all to the batter. Salt is definitely needed--I added a scant teaspoon of coarse salt which I think was an important component.

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Chesapeake Bay Cooking

By John Shields
Broadway - 1998

14th December 2012

Mrs. Morrison's Mace Cake

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.

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14th December 2012

Succotash

There are succotash recipes that allow the use of frozen veg; there are some that add cream or herbs or other 'stuff' -- this is the classic simple real deal--fresh corn, baby limas, barely cooked and then dressed with butter and lemon. Salt and fresh pepper--ready to go--so good!

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Chickpea Flour Does It All: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Recipes for Every Taste and Season

By Lindsey S. Love
The Experiment - 2016

23rd January 2017

Chocolate Banana Bread

The fact that this bread is gluten free is almost irrelevant. The combination of almond and chickpea flours makes for a bread with great texture and flavor--to be made entirely for its own sake. (I skip the oat flour--it's not always easy to find gluten free to flour--and just up the amounts of the other flours proportionally.). The result is a very moist and delicious banana bread with a super richness from the chocolate. It slices beautifully and has excellent shelf life.

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Website: Chocolate & Zucchini

chocolateandzucchini.com
 

2nd September 2013

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake

A very nice cake! I found it very easy to put together. I found the instruction to mix the zucchini with some of the flour before adding it to the final batter odd--but followed it and regretted it. It made for an extra, messy bowl to clean (the very moist zucchini created something like flour paste on the sides of the bowl) and was (as I anticipated) pointless. Otherwise, the recipe is clear and simple and the cake is great. I baked mine in a bundt pan and gave it a 10-x shower when it cooled. Very pretty and very much enjoyed by all.

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Website: Chocolate & Zucchini

chocolateandzucchini.com
 

I love these! They are so good that they cross over from the gluten-free world. They are beautifully moist. I make them in little brioche tins and they are absolutely adorable.

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Website: Chocolate & Zucchini

chocolateandzucchini.com
 

An absolutely delightful savory quick bread. I used fresh herbs clipped from plants on my balcony and added some scallions for good measure. I chose a nice French feta. The sesame seeds are a really a charming touch. The result is very moist and flavorful without overwhelming whatever else you're eating.

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Ciao Biscotti: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Celebrating Italy's Favorite Cookie

By Domenica Marchetti, Antonis Achilleos
Chronicle Books - 2015

9th March 2015

Honey-Almond Biscotti

Delicioso!! An interesting technique--whipping the egg whites and sugar into a sort of meringue, beating the yolks with honey and then into the meringue, then adding the flours etc. The result was a truly delicious crunchy but not hard cookie with great almond flour. I wanted a full sized biscotti so for me this recipe yielded about 15 generous biscotti.

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13th December 2015

Almond Biscotti

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: Ciao Italia with Maryann Esposito

www.ciaoitalia.com
 

26th May 2017

Garden Meatloaf

Total comfort food! I loved this--and it's really quite healthy. I made a few changes (I used all beef--extra lean---instead of a beef/pork combo) but mostly stuck to the recipe. I had no Worcestershire sauce so subbed a hit of soy, I skipped the 3 tablespoons of flour and was a bit parsimonious with the olive oil. But I did all the vegetable chopping and sautéing as instructed. On another day, I might up the spice and herbs a bit, but generally this is just right. A lovely dinner to enjoy while the rain is pouring down.

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