sturlington's Reviews
11 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 11Sort by: Title | Date | Rating
How To Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food
By Mark Bittman, Alan Witschonke
Wiley - 2006
Broccoli Raab with Sausage and Grapes : page 545
We don't usually like fruit mixed with savory dishes so I followed the advice in the headnote and omitted the grapes. Instead of serving this on pasta, I served it with crusty bread. Mushed on top of the bread with a little mustard, it was a very good light supper. Without the grapes, this is an extremely simple recipe.
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Cold Cucumber and Dill Soup : page 79
I did not like this at all. The soup was way too thin for my tastes, despite using the 2 medium cucumbers as suggested, and I found it to be almost flavorless even though I used good homemade broth and home-grown cucumbers. I can definitely find a better use for my cucumbers than this soup.
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Crackers : page 239
These crackers are very quick and easy to make. You can start them just before your guests arrive and have them ready for hors d'oeuvres. I used my pizza pan to bake them, which made them very crispy. I like to sprinkle some coarse salt and herbs on top for added flavor. They do go stale quickly, so it's best to bake and eat one batch at a time. Good thing the batches are small.
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Easiest French Bread : page 224
I have to revise my review for this recipe after trying the recipe in The Best Recipes in the World, also by Bittman. He has made some changes and the revised recipe is much better. By contrast, this version didn't rise as well and was harder to handle. Perhaps the revised recipe shows up in the new edition of How to Cook Everything?
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Focaccia : page 264
I've been searching for a good focaccia recipe. This one is certainly easy as it uses the Pizza Dough that is already a staple in my house, and it makes a very tasty focaccia.
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Golden Layer Cake : page 724
Maybe I am terrible at making cakes, but I really didn't like this recipe. The almond extract overwhelmed but I don't think I mis-measured. I have found that Bittman's baked desserts don't always work for me, though.
useful (1)
Lemon Mousse : page 661
Super-easy to make. I served this at a dinner party to rave reviews.
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Marinated Mozzarella : page 31
Whenever I serve fresh mozzarella for canapes or on salads, I make it this way to add some oomph to the flavor. Also tasty with high-quality dried herbs if you don't have fresh.
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Minced Vegetable Dip : page 20
A basic dip recipe, one that is almost infinitely variable. I also like it with yogurt mixed with sour cream. I make this one a lot.
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Quick Blue Cheese Dressing : page 771
This is a good blue cheese dressing for an "emergency" -- if you only have blue cheese and sour cream but no buttermilk or mayonnaise on hand.
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Quick Pickled Vegetables : page 106
So the recipe as written calls for too much dill, not enough vinegar and the sugar can probably be omitted altogether. But it's still a really good technique for garden vegetables.
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