kateq's Reviews
558 recipes reviewed. Showing 351 to 400Sort by: Book Title 
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Made in India: Cooked in Britain: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen
By Meera Sodha
Fig Tree - 2014
This is SO good. I made it as a component of Cilantro Chutney Chicken (reviewed separately) and immediately became addicted. I have since used it on shrimp, on vegetables, and as a dip. Because I'm a bit of a wimp, I was stingy with the chilis and because I had no un-roasted peanuts, went with honey roasted from the pantry, cutting back just a tad on the brown sugar.
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I thought this was very good--but I think sawdust covered with this Chutney would probably be delicious. I was sorry that I followed instructions and used chicken thighs--I really felt that their texture was just the wrong foil for the chutney and I would, in the future, use chicken breasts. It is advisable to reserve some of the chutney to add at the end in order to get the bright green color as pictured in the cookbook.
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Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen
By Meera Sodha
Flatiron Books - 2015
This is SO good. I made it as a component of Cilantro Chutney Chicken (reviewed separately) and immediately became addicted. I have since used it on shrimp, on vegetables, and as a dip. Because I'm a bit of a wimp, I was stingy with the chilis and because I had no un-roasted peanuts, went with honey roasted from the pantry, cutting back just a tad on the brown sugar.
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Maida Heatter's Cookies (Maida Heatter Classic Library)
By Maida Heatter
Andrews McMeel Publishing - 1997
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.
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Marcella Cucina
By Marcella Hazan
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1997
A very simple, quite elegant treatment of red snapper filets, and made in one pan! While it takes a little over an hour to make, most of the time is simmering the sauce and then reducing it. The sauce is very rich tasting and the fish is perfectly poached. While the recipe suggests serving over grilled sourdough bread, I have enjoyed this with polenta and with mashed potato. It would also be delicious with pasta.
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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.
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Another very simple yet special cake. I very much like the slight tang from the yogurt combined with the subtle licorice flavor of the Sambuca. I have also made this using Frangelico which also works nicely. To make the presentation a little nicer--sieve some confectioner's sugar over the top of the cooled cake or shake the sugar on a doily or stencil for a sweet design.
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Markets of Provence: A Culinary Tour of Southern France
By Ruthanne Long
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1996
This is a wonderful salad. I became addicted to it when I first got this cookbook years ago. Over the years, I have developed my own ways of making this--I no longer use 6 cups of chicken stock--the lentils can happily cook in a mixture of water and stock (either chicken or vegetable). I have come to prefer feta crumbled over the top in lieu of the goat cheese. And I love adding cherry or grape tomatoes. This is wonderful to serve along with grilled chicken or fish or meat. It's also a lovely luncheon dish -- serve it on lettuce leaves or baby spinach leaves.
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Website: Martha Stewart
Absolutely super chowder. I have two qualifications: first, the clams should really be placed in a big pot of cold water with cornmeal scattered over the surface of the water and soaked for a few minutes before being scrubbed. Much more of the grit will be removed this way. Second, all of us who ate it agreed that the full amount of hot pepper flakes was a bit much and I would use no more than 1/4 teaspoon (rather than the 1/2 teaspoon called for) of the pepper flakes.
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Website: Martha Stewart
This is for the filling only, as I used a classic butter crust. This filling is amazing and truly luscious. The texture is velvety and the flavor is rich yet not too thick, sweet or cloying. A warning though--I can't imagine making this without a stand mixer. It really does requires a very long mixing time.
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Website: Martha Stewart
This is a fine rendition of the classic. I would only add that it's best to purge the clams in cold water with cornmeal before adding them to the pan.
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Website: Martha Stewart
A really delicious cake made from really simple ingredients mostly found in pantry. I didn't really get the point of mixing the dry ingredients in the stand mixer and then adding the wet--the batter did not come together well in the mixer and I had to finish mixing by hand to scrape up the dry ingredients which had remained caked in the bottom of the bowl. This aside, once mixed, it's a lovely batter and it baked into beautiful baby cakes which looked fabulous once glazed. I used a mold for half spheres and filled each about 3/4's full. The cakes rose enough that I now know I should have just filled each 2/3's full. The baking time may be a little off--as I was making little cakes instead of the full-sized ones described in the recipe, I would have thought the baking time would be shortened but it was not.
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Website: Martha Stewart
This is the classic method and absolutely foolproof.
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Website: Martha Stewart
I had my doubts--I don't think of using chocolate chips for melting. But I went with it--melting chocolate and butter together in the microwave, then beating in the rest of the ingredients. The melted chocolate butter mixture was very thick but with the addition of the eggs it became a gooey luscious batter. Mine had to bake a bit longer than 35 minutes--and probably could have stayed in a bit more--but the results were delicious. It's important to let the pan cool completely before attempting to cut the brownies. They really are very fudgy.
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Mastering The Art of French Cooking, Volume One (1) (Vol 1)
By Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck, Sidonie Coryn
Alfred A. Knopf - 2001
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.
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Mexico One Plate At A Time
By Rick Bayless
Scribner - 2000
Even when the mojo de ago is rushed (as it was when I had remembered at the last possible moment the shrimp I had defrosted and when I wanted to use some dried minced garlic which came in a Penzey's gift box), this is so good and so simple to do that it's becoming a regular way to do shrimp. The garlic oil chile mixture can hang out in the fridge for a couple of weeks (so the recipe says--mine is always used in short order) and is delicious in all sorts of dishes.
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Website: Milk Street
Very delicious and really quite easy, though the instructions are fussier than need be. I did beat the egg whites in a stand mixer till fluffy but no where near stiff. This made mixing them into the dough much easier.
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Website: Mollie Katzen
These are very good muffins--nice and moist. I felt they needed just a bit of a punch and added some cinnamon and some espresso powder as well as a bit more sugar, going with half white and half brown.
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Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven: Over 200 Recipes for Uncommon Soups, Tasty Bites, Side Dishes, and Too Many Desserts
By Mollie Katzen
Hyperion - 1997
I confess--sorry, Mollie, but I cooked the rice in chicken broth and added shredded chicken to the filling. I also halved the recipe and still had more than enough for 4 servings.
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More Mexican Everyday: Simple, Seasonal, Celebratory
By Rick Bayless, Deann Groen Bayless, David Tamarkin
W. W. Norton & Company - 2015
I love these meatballs! And I love the sauce--though, coward that I am, I use a minimal amount of Chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. I generally use all very lean beef, though this last time I threw in some relatively mild uncooked chorizo which turned out to be an excellent addition. These are very easy--the meatballs, once mixed with rice and mint, get browned in a big cast iron skillet, While they brown, the sauce ingredients go into the blender. The pureed sauce is poured over the meatballs, the skillet is covered and the dish is finished over low heat. The result is really delicious. And it freezes beautifully.
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Morning Food: From Cafe Beaujolais
By Margaret S. Fox
Ten Speed Press - 1994
As the book says, this is nearly a cupcake, but it's very good. People love 'em. I increase the buttermilk instead of using liquid coffee; I add in very finely ground espresso powder with the cocoa. My eaters have declared that the chocolate chips are NOT optional
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Moroccan Collection: Traditional Flavors from Northern Africa
By Hilaire Walden
Soma Books - 1998
This is a very pretty dish and a very delicious one, but is mild and rather subtle. This is, I think, perfect when it is served as a side with some spicy, vibrant Moroccan Fish or meat dish. The texture is lovely, with the avocado adding an unexpected creaminess. If this is being served as a vegetarian main, typical Moroccan spices and herbs may be added. It's also lovely with the addition of some spiced shrimp.
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The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles's Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
By Nancy Silverton, Matt Molina, Carolynn Carreno, Mario Batali
Knopf - 2011
Deb at Smitten Kitchen wrote about this salad so glowingly that I had to try it. I made it exactly as written in the cookbook but for the radicchio (none to be found at the market). It really is like an Italian sub, but without the bread and without the piles of meat and cheese. I used a medium sharp provolone and Genoa salami. With the oregano vinaigrette (reviewed separately) it makes a great dinner, especially on a hot and muggy night.
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This dressing is quite delicious, and takes one straight to the Italian sandwich shop--garlic, oregano, good oil. I followed the direction to use an extreme amount of oregano and am glad I did. But I found the amount of olive to be too much. Also, I did not like the treatment of the garlic. Rather than the smashed clove, in the future I would chop it with the coarse salt to make it almost a paste. The lemon juice gives it a lovely brightness. It's perfect with "Nancy's Chopped Salad" reviewed separately.
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This is a bit of a riff on the classic--in that sauteing stove-top is followed by a stint in the oven. Onions, garlic, bell peppers are sauteed. Oregano and sherry vinegar are added, followed by tomato sauce. Than it goes in the oven for ten minutes; black olives are added and it's back in the oven again for 30 to 35 minutes. The result is delicious! We didn't have it with the suggested ricotta, but just scooped it up on whatever crackers were available. Definitely on the do again list.
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Muffins
By Elizabeth Alston
Clarkson Potter - 1984
I subbed some cocoa for some of the flour and added a touch of cinnamon so the flavor became almost like a Mexican Chocolate Orange muffin. I also went with buttermilk and used (easy way) chocolate chips. I had a yield of 9 "Texas-Sized" muffins and the response was unanimous thumbs up.
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Website: A Muse in My Kitchen
The pastry for this little gem is so delicious and tender and they look so elegant on a plate. I made one batch filled with raspberry puree. A second batch was filled with a mixture of goat cheese, tarragon, a touch of garlic and a little salt. I used a dab of egg wash on the corners which helped glue them together
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My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story (with Recipes)
By Luisa Weiss
Viking Adult - 2012
I took the comments about the long slow cooking to heart and started this on the stove and then transferred it to the slow cooker so it could get a good seven hours (or more) of simmering. I had beef and pork in the freezer--about three pounds total so I upped the other ingredients accordingly. I used a nice dry red beaujolais and American as opposed to San Marzano tomatoes (I know they are fabulous tasting in Italy--I find it hard to believe that being processed, canned, shipped overseas under who knows what conditions, warehoused and then distributed to supermarkets and shelved, they taste as good as in Italy or as good as good quality local products--plus, they're very expensive). Otherwise, I followed instructions and the results were fabulous. It's a great sauce which I used on some pasta to everyone's delight. I have two containers in the freezer, destined for lasagna.
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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!
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First, let me rave about this method of roasting peppers. No turning a skewered pepper over an open flame (mess on stove) or charring the peppers under the broiler (bitter burning smell throughout the house). Ms. Weiss simply roasts whole peppers in a moderate oven for about an hour, turning them periodically--the way, she says, it is done by her relatives in Italy. I did it her way and the results were spectacular. No bitter smell (a sweet smell actually), no mess, no paper bags, no bits of charred skin everywhere. The peppers peeled so easily and the resulting strips of roasted pepper were velvety and sweet and delicious.
As to the salad, I used all red peppers, skipped the breadcrumbs, added some fresh arugula and some pasta and some parmesan. It was Fabulous! and I believe that a big part of why the salad is so delicious is that the peppers are absolutely ethereal roasted this way.
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The New Moosewood Cookbook (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking)
By Mollie Katzen
TEN SPEED PRESS - 2000
What a delightful surprise! While I like celery soup, I thought this might be a bit dull and underwhelming. Boy, was I wrong! I made this as written, making only one change--in the midst of cooking, I discovered I had no celery seeds and so substituted fennel seeds. Where there was a choice, I went with sour cream over cream or half and half. Rather than transferring from pot to blender and then to pot, I used my Bamix. I also chose to puree the sauteed onions, making the soup entirely smooth. It was not bland. It was actually quite wonderful. I do think the amount of salt is a bit much and that my use of fennel was a happy accident. The soup smells great, looks very pretty--a pale yellow green frothy affair--and tastes terrific. I am tempted to try substituting fennel for some of the celery, but the soup is so good as is that I may have to resist my normal meddling. One more thing--this soup could be the stuff of fine dining with just one additional step--straining the soup so that the end result is quite velvety--and the addition of some interesting croutons. But it's awfully good just as is. Edited to add that on the second day, I learned that this soup is delicious cold.
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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.
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I almost gave this soup 4 stars because I tasted it before I grated on the nutmeg. The amount of garlic seemed a bit much (and this from a true garlic lover) but when I did add the grated nutmeg, between the fabulous scent and the subtle change in the flavor, I was sold on five stars. I made the lowfat version, skipping the butter and flour. As with other Katzen soups, I used the immersion blender which simplifies both prep and clean-up. I do think that the next time I make this, I might try adding roasted garlic instead of raw, or adding the garlic earlier so that it cooks a bit more. As far as this being the low-fat version, it is a rich and satisfying soup and the potato really does provide adequate body to the broth. The nutmeg (do use fresh grated nutmeg) really is magical.
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Another example of Ms. Katzen's 'less is more' style. This very simple, very straightforward treatment of the vegetable brings out the most of the broccoli. I followed the recipe with only one change--being out of basil, I used some Greek oregano. I used whole milk and full fat sour cream, fresh bay and thyme. As with other of her soups, I took the stick blender shortcut, making prep and clean-up simpler. I gave this a four-star rating because I feel there is a layer of flavor missing. I suspect that a touch of subtle sweetness (maybe celery or fennel) and a little more heat might do the trick. But as written, this is very good soup and quite pretty--a very frothy pale green. I served it with some chopped chives and an extra little dollop of sour cream.
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New Thanksgiving Table
By Diane Morgan
Chronicle Books - 2009
A lovely salad and,despite our changes, I think we kept to the spirit of the recipe. We used currants instead of dried cranberries and a really good red wine vinegar and honey and some lemon instead of balsamic vinegar and sugar. The combination of the spinach with the onion and slightly crisp pear slices and crunchy hazelnuts was delightful.
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We followed this recipe exactly and were very pleased with the result, tho when we do them again, we will definitely make some changes. One caution--the recipe states that it makes 12 popovers in a standard muffin pan. If, however, you use a popover pan, it makes 8 - 9 popovers. The use of the ground nuts brings a bit of body to the popover and is actually a very nice variation. However, hazelnuts are very expensive and the taste of the hazelnut is not really discernible. So next time, I will use ground almonds or walnuts or pecans. Moreover, I think the herb amount could be increased a bit.
Even tho the recipe cautions that one is not to open the oven, happily we disobeyed and opened it a minute or two before the designated time and thank goodness! The popovers were done, even tho we had used popover pans rather than muffin pans.
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This is a great cake. And even tho I know I will make changes when I make it again (and I will!), it does deserve 5 stars--even if only for the brilliant notion of putting a touch of pumpkin puree in the cream cheese icing which affects the flavor less than it does the aesthetics. The icing is a simply beautiful pale apricot color, setting off the layers of the cake perfectly. So what changes? Raisins instead of currants because the tiny currants rather disappear into the cake. And I'll use the bourbon-soaked raisins (a staple in my kitchen) for that extra bit of richness and flavor. I used unsweetened coconut this time and I think that was a good choice. I will also increase the spicing just a bit--a bit more clove and a touch of ginger.
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This David Lebovitz recipe is a winner! We made this exactly as written, using individual-serving bundts. Spicing is just right and the texture of the cake is lovely,super moist.
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Website: The New York Times
This is really delicious and such a great use of over-ripe or 'seconds' tomatoes. I had two issues with the recipe. First, it does not suggest peeling the tomatoes but I'm so glad that I went ahead and did so. The resulting jam has such a lovely texture without needing straining. Second, given that jalapenos can be sweet or fiery hot, one jalapeno may be too much. My jalapeno was of the fiery variety and I used barely half and was very happy with the result. I used super ripe farm tomatoes -- not plum tomatoes as specified in the recipe. As a result, I had to cook my jam longer. I used it to spread atop a wheel of brie which I then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. My, it was good! And disappeared so fast! The jam that's left won't last long either...I'll be making more of this.
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Website: The New York Times
This biscotti is excellent--the fact that it is gluten free is almost a side-issue. The flavor is rich and satisfying; the texture is indistinguishable from that of a wheat based biscotti. I made the recipe as written, adding just a bit more sugar and some chunks of white chocolate. This will be a part of the regular biscotti rotation from now on.
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Website: The New York Times
Okay--I did make a bunch of changes--but these are delicious. I used all ap flour instead of the whole wheat/ap mix in the recipe. I used brown sugar instead of organic white. Otherwise, I followed instructions. These biscotti are crunchy without being rock hard and have a lovely coconutty-butterscotchy (this is helped by the use of brown sugar) flavor. They're also really easy.
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Website: The New York Times
This is a review of the soup only--and what good soup it is! As usual, Jacques Pepin is right-- water instead of stock or broth is perfect. I used a quite nice very dry red wine. Using a mandolin made this soup a snap to prepare. I used one skillet and considerably less olive oil, did the onions in two batches and had no excess oil to strain off. When I warmed the soup the next day, I forgot the cognac and didn't miss. This is a rich, full-bodied soup, really satisfying despite being practically fat and calorie free.
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Website: The New York Times
This is so easy and the results are fabulous. These are the best pita I've ever eaten. The instructions are clear and precise. I would only add that when the dough is placed in the bowl to rise, the bowl should be lightly oiled.
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Website: The New York Times
Great salad! Just as advertised, perfect for a weeknight. It's healthy, beautiful, delicious and super easy. I put white beans in the slow cooker earlier in the day and just before dinner, steamed the green beans, soaked the sliced red onion, whisked the dressing, picked the herbs and threw it all together. Loved it!
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Website: The New York Times
Simple, Straightforward and very tasty. The key is good tomatoes.
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Website: The New York Times
This biscotti is crunchy on the outside, but has a very slightly soft center, reminiscent of a brownie but not so fudgy and not overly sweet. It's a very simple recipe and quite easy to do.
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Website: New York Times - Dining and Wine
www.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.html
Ooh this is good--especially on a hot humid day. I didn't do the toast or the corn kernels or the drizzle of olive oil. I did add the avocado and the lemon juice to the soup. I used a combo of flat leaf parsley, cilantro and mint and sherry vinegar. And my buttermilk was the whole milk variety. How easy this is! I peeled and seeded the cucumber, picked the herbs, seeded the jalapeno--threw it all in the food processor with the rest of ingredients and Voila! Magical soup. Healthy. Low fat. Pretty. Delicious. What more could one ask of a summer soup?
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Website: New York Times - Recipes
topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/r/recipes/index.html
Outstanding biscotti! They are crunchy on the outside, almost a little gooey on the inside, tasting almost like a chocolate truffle. They're very easy to make, tho I have found the cooking times to be just a bit off--mine baked in a bit less time and cooled much more quickly than one and a half hours. I've made them with and without the egg wash--good both ways.
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The New York Times Cookbook
By Craig Claiborne
Harper & Row - 1961
A lovely soft dough which crisps up beautifully when baked. The filling is very good but I think is a little too heavy on butter and flour and a little too light on seasoning. The filling takes only a few minutes and can be made and let to cool to room temperature. The dough needs to chill till it firms up--but both can be made well ahead -- the dough needs to soften a bit after being chilled. The Filled turnovers can be chilled (or frozen) and baked from the fridge--just adjust the baking time.
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I made this for the first time in years, having been reminded of it by a very similar recipe posting on the NY Times cooking site. Parsing thru the comments, I saw that many seemed to think this recipe to be superior; I remembered really enjoying it. So I dug out the book and reviewed the recipe. I do think this versiot is preferable--tho I made a few minor changes. I used all chicken breasts, raisins instead of currants and diced tomatoes instead of stewed tomatoes. My memory was correct--this really is good. And happily, it freezes beautifully and doesn't noticeably suffer from being reheated in the microwave (a godsend on those very long work days)
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