kateq's Reviews
558 recipes reviewed. Showing 301 to 350Sort by: Book Title 
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Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen
By Jacques Pépin
Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 2015
This is classic Pepin--very simple, minimal ingredients (though I use dried beans, not canned) and a great result. Delicious with crackers, crostini or slices of cucumber or other raw veg.
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Jacques Pépin's Table: The Complete "Today's Gourmet"
Another less is more recipe from the master. I used a 6 ounce andouille sausage from D'Artagnan. I peeled off the casing and broke up the sausage meat. The 6 ounce amount (the recipe calls for 8 ounces of sausage) was more than adequate as the sausage was quite strongly spiced. This very simple soup was absolutely delicious--richly flavored, very satisfying and, as M.Pepin promised, the leftovers were even better the next day.
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Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life
By Jamie Oliver
Hyperion - 2008
This is a standby holiday (or not) main course which we found on the web years ago. We have since made it many times and have loved it every time. It's remarkably simple to make. The loin gets a quick roll in the fennel seeds, is browned on top of the stove and finished in the oven with fennel and rosemary and garlic and wine. A little butter swirled in the pan juices makes a fabulous sauce. We serve the sliced meat over the fennel and garlic from the roasting pan. We fill a gratin with fruit and roast it alongside the pork. With mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes it's a perfect meal and foolproof. And, should there be leftovers, they warm up beautifully.
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Jamie Oliver's Great Britain: 130 of My Favorite British Recipes, from Comfort Food to New Classics
By Jamie Oliver
Hyperion - 2012
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...
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Website: Jennifer Murch
I love these bars! They re so simple and easy to make and the result is so delicious. Using self-rising flour (the formula for which is included in the post) and gauyaba (guava paste) which is found in the Spanish section of the supermarket or in any bodega, it's a mere creaming of sugar and butter, eggs and vanilla. Flour is added--half the dough patted down on the bottom of a 9" square pan. Slices of the fruit paste make uo the next layer. The balance of the dough is patted down to cover. It bakes for about 40 minutes (longer than what is called for in the recipe--could be my oven). Cut into nine squares and dusted with 10x--ready to eat. Yum!
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Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi
Ten Speed Press - 2012
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.
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The Jewish Holiday Baker: Recipes for Breads, Cakes, and Cookies for All the Holidays and Any Time of the Year
By Joan Nathan
Schocken - 1997
This is very good, but a bit too sweet. I made a second batch with lots more cranberry and a bit more walnut and some grated lemon rind and this filling was really delicious. The pastry is very good as well, tho I don't like doing pastry in the food processor--I made mine by hand and grated the cold butter and shortening (I use earth balance buttery sticks) into the flour and mixed with my hands. The recipe makes about twelve individual serving tarts with some filling leftover (even without my addition of cranberries and walnuts). They are very pretty and I will try to remember to take a photo next time.
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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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Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
By Julia Child, Jacques Pepin
Knopf - 1999
This is my favorite way to eat oysters. This sauce is, as stated in the recipe, very strong and I do dilute it with a bit of red wine, as suggested. I also sometimes use some raspberry vinegar or champagne vinegar.
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The hardest part of this is waiting the four days it takes for it to be ready--and finding space for the weighted container in the frig. The next hardest part is slicing it thin enough and still achieving decently sized and uniform slices. It is totally worth the effort. We like to serve this with creme fraiche, capers, chopped onion and brioche.
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This is a feast for the eyes -- it looks great on a platter, it slices beautifully, it never fails to impress. Even better, it tastes great. I've not used the saltpeter and have used ceps rather than truffle. I also generally use Nancy Silverton's brioche, the recipe for which can be found in "Baking with Julia."
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I love this salad--I often add string beans, chick peas, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and this salad is a meal. I particularly like that the potatoes are warm or room temp and that this is not a mayonnaise based salad.
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This bread makes an excellent hors d'oeuvre or luncheon dish, but the caveat is that it is very rich. The first time I made it, I followed the recipe, but for the squid, the texture of which I couldn't imagine in a stuffed bread such as this. While we enjoyed it, we could only eat a very small amount as the combination of the butter and the wine just made for a truly heavy dish. I made it again, leaving out the almonds, greatly reducing the amount of butter, increasing the herbs and adding some onions, scallions, celery. and again skipping the squid. We liked it much better.
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Salmon prepared this way is delicious, fun, has a great presentation, is really healthy and makes for very easy clean up. I personally find a 6 to 8 ounce portion too much for one person and often use olive oil instead of butter or in combination with butter and in a smaller total amount. If parchment paper isn't available, aluminum foil works just fine.
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Just as with the version by Jacques Pepin, this is a great meal. And as with that version, I use less fat and sometimes combine butter and oil. The herbs can be varied. I sometimes add bits of lemon flesh with the herbs and tomato. Red onion is also good in place of the shallots.
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I have made this with ground beef and in a vegetarian version using vegetable stock and mushrooms to replace the meat. It always delicious and it looks so wonderful when presented at the table. The only drawback is that you must plan ahead as it takes at least two days to prep the cabbage. For a same day alternative, follow the instructions for Jacques's Stuffed Cabbage Rolls on page 345.
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Website: Jul's Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Tuscany
So simple and so good!
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Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague
By Rick Rodgers
Clarkson Potter - 2002
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.
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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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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.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
A nice muffin but a bit dry. I subbed canola oil for the butter and added a bit of the cherry juice, but I think it still needs a bit more fat (oil or butter). I also think it's too sweet. The batter seemed so sweet to me that I decided not to add the sugar on top (I would have used sanding sugar instead of granulated). Next time I'll reduce the total amount of sugar and use a combination of brown and white.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
I wanted larger cookies so I had a yield of 6. I made two batches--one as written, one subbing some cocoa for almond flour. I topped each cookie with a whole almond and some sanding sugar. Taking Jenncc's review into account as well as the larger size of my cookies, I baked these about 16 minutes, rotating the pan midway. I let them cool almost completely before moving them off the cookie sheet (I used a silpat) and had no breakage. A very nice and quite pretty cookie.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Lovely bread--easy to put together the dough and while it has its first rise, easy to caramelize the onion for the filling. I doubled the recipe and got five pretty 400 gram loaves. I sprinkled the parmesan over the onions on each of the pieces of dough and then sprinkled a bit more on the shaped loaves before egg-washing and sprinkling with sesame seeds. Since I had smaller loaves, I baked mine on a silpat for about 28 minutes total, rotating the loaves midway through. A keeper--and easy to imagine variations on the filling.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
This review is for the filling, glaze and manner of baking--I had a hunk of left over croissant dough which I wanted to use. At first I was concerned that the filling was too thin but I went with it and it worked beautifully. I baked the braid for 18 minutes and then rotated the pan, at which point I also tucked in the sides a bit as the "leaves" of the braid had started to open. I gave it another 12 minutes, another "tuck" and another turn and another 6 minutes. It was perfect. It got raves from eaters with requests that I make it a regular feature.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Once again, I'm reviewing the filling, shaping and baking parts of the recipe, as I used my standard bread dough. I went with my own roasted tomatoes (large cherries, split and roasted with garlic, s + p, basil and olive oil), parmesan cheese and basil. The first time I used fresh (the very last from the garden); thereafter I used dried. The loaves look great, smell like heaven and are really delicious. The filling is a knockout.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Excellent bread! I baked mine in a 10" tube pan and had a lovely wreath-like loaf for the Easter table. The recipe which states it makes 2 loaves was absolutely a perfect fit for the tube pan. I went with the butter and herbs filling. Really delicious on the day, and leftovers warmed in the oven next day were similarly delicious. I skipped the optional potato flour--didn't need it--very moist.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Another winner. Very moist, just the right amount of sweetness. I used golden raisins, lots of orange rind vanilla, but no orange oil. My tasters liked it better than the Panettone at Christmas.
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Website: King Arthur Flour
Always looking for uses for sourdough starter discard and this is a good one. Great texture--soft and buttery inside, a bit crispy at the edges. Next time less baking powder.
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Lee Bailey's Country Weekends
By Lee Bailey
Gramercy - 1997
I made this as two cakes baked in loaf pans and two mini loaves instead of one in a tube pan. I also added two eggs and a little salt (recipe has none). I served this without the icing, though I will someday make it is a big beautiful cake with the delicious sounding frosting. Very nice, very moist, slices beautifully.
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Website: Leite's Culinaria
I make this bread every week. It couldn't be simpler or more delicious. Bread flour, water, olives, yeast in a simple mix, a long first rise (12 - 18 hours), shaping and a second rise, and then baking in a heavy covered pan in a hot oven. I do think that my experience baking breads from Ken Forkish's book helped--and the fact that I forgo the whole tea towel thing and shape my breads on a board, let them rise under parchment or a cloth, and then just scoop them up and 'dump' them into the red-hot pan. I do use King Arthur flour and really good Divina kalamata olives.
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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
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.
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This is one of those amazing recipes--a few simple ingredients magically transform into a dish with intricate, layered flavors. I confess that I was halfway through making the dish before I discovered no olives! (I always have olives!) and so I substituted capers. Otherwise, I made the recipe as written and I loved it. I served it with a bit of pasta--a lovely main dish.
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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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Lobster at Home
By Jasper White
Scribner - 1998
What a fine use for lobster shells (such a bonus--eat lobster and get the makings of lobster soup)!. This soup is a triumph. The smells while it cooks are a wonderful tease. The rich color is another. And the flavor and texture are extraordinary. It's a bit of work but worth it. I've had it with and without the sherry--good either way but the sherry does add a whole new flavor note.
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This is a very elegant and very delicious dish. Good lobster stock is essential (happily easy to make)
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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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I've made this three times now and every time the result has been perfect. The instructions are very clear and precise. I made mine in my stand mixer and did follow the directions for a relatively long kneading which makes me think that making this by hand would be really laborious. A touch more salt is a good add.
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I really love these rolls. As I wrote in my review for the Ciabatta Loaf, the instructions are precise and the result is terrific. These rolls are quite delicious and have a surprising shelf life--really stay moist for more than a day or two. A touch extra salt is a good add. Edited to add that the rolls do beautifully in the freezer -- just defrost on the counter briefly then warm them in the oven.
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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: 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: Los Angeles Times Food Section
Nice bread, but missing, I think, eggs--I added two and can't imagine how the bread would be without them. Makes enough for a nice fat loaf and two mini loaves. Next time, I'll be a bit more generous with fig and add some diced apple.
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
I made these as full-sized muffins and the results were lovely--tender, moist muffins, not overly sweet. If I didn't tell people they contained zucchini, I'm not sure they'd know. My only criticism is the unduly fussy directions. Rather than dirty-ing a mixer, I made them by hand, whisking the wet, and then folding in the dry with fine results.
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
Despite the name, I make this very nice recipe using plain yogurt and baking it in a loaf pan. I refer to it as Chocolate Pecan Streusel Loaf and I don't know if it's good the second day, because it's never survived its baking day. It's very easy to make and looks great and slices beautifully. The only other change I make is to substiitute canola oil for the butter in the batter. I do use butter in the topping/streusel.
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Website: Los Angeles Times Food Section
A very good quick bread, described as spiced with ginger--but no ginger in the ingredient list. An omission! I make this with cinnamon, ginger, and a touch of clove. The result is a moist and luscious bread. Depending on the sweetness of the pears, it may be necessary to adjust the sugar.
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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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Website: Love & Lemons
More a method than a recipe, but it works! Time and temperature result in perfect sweet potatoes for salads or for just plain eating.
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Website: Love & Lemons
Excellent and easy. No roasting, no oily pans to clean but a very pure tasting broth. I had no leeks or thyme, but I had everything else. I let it cook down a bit longer, so I have a concentrated stock which I will use with water added--storing extra stock in freezer takes up less room
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Website: Love & Lemons
Excellent proportions. I skip the herbs if the food it's going with is herby. Draing the cukes is critical. If using regular yogurt, let it sit in paper towel in a strainer to thicken it up.
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Lulu's Provencal Table: The Exuberant Food and Wine from the Domaine Tempier Vineyard
By Richard Olney, John Thorne
Ten Speed Press - 2002
This is really good chicken--actually a good chicken dinner. The pasta and the tomatoes with the juices from the chicken, the lovely note of flavor from the ginger--great meal! I think it's really important to use a really good free range organic bird and to trim away the obvious fat near the cavity. The turning may sound like a pain but it's really no big deal.
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Made in India: Cooked in Britain: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen
By Meera Sodha
Fig Tree - 2014
Delicious! I used chicken breasts and one jalapeno (what I had on hand), otherwise followed the recipe. I thought it was very easy and really really good.
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