Queezle_Sister's Reviews
10 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 10Sort by: Title 
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Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California
By Giada De Laurentiis
Clarkson Potter - 2010
chocolate rice pudding : page 189
This produces a very rich chocolate rice pudding without using any eggs. It is prepared like a risotto, however milk is used as the liquid, and at the end you stir in a cup of chocolate chips. A wonderful orange flavor comes from including orange zest through the cooking, and then stirring in orange liquor at the end. I used nonfat milk, and cannot imagine that it would be any better had I used milk with fat.
The final product is very firm. Next time (and yes, there probably will be a next time) I will use less chocolate, and perhaps cook down the milk a bit less.
useful (3)
Cranberry Cornmeal Cake : page 183
This is a rich cake, with powerful orange zest flavor (in a good way) and wonderful zings from tiny pieces of crasins. I really liked the crunch that comes from including cornmeal. The flavor is so great that this cake could rate a 5, but the center fell after I took it out of the oven. I can never tell if cake problems arise from my altitude, though, or a problem with the recipe.
This is a very rich dessert, so I am likely to only make it again for a very special occasion.
useful (0)
gorgonzola and porcini mushroom risotto : page 97
This made a delicious risotto. It had just what a risotto needs - rich flavor, perfect texture, and a great depth to the spicing.
I did have to make a few substitutions. I used shitake instead of porcini, and because my chives are under a foot of snow, I instead used green onions.
I wish I could give this recipe a 4 1/2. Two of us felt it was a solid 5, the 12 yr old didn't like it at all, and the fourth person gave it a 4 1/2.
I am likely to make this one again!
useful (2)
mini Italian pub burgers : page 65
These juicy and delicious hamburgers are far from my typical food, but I have to admit it was really enjoyable.
First, there is no mistaking that these are not healthy. It starts with ground chuck, and you add Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, and tomato paste. The burgers are topped with Taleggio cheese, and served in a roll.
This is the sort of burger that drips juice to your elbows, and you don't care, even if it just ruined your best shirt. I ate only 1/2 a burger, didn't add the extra cheese. We served these on Parmesan rolls from our local Italian market.
useful (0)
This recipe made a tasty sandwich. We had to substitute marionberry jam for the raspberry, so that might have affected the outcome. We also cooked it in a waffle iron - and it kinda worked!
Although it was delicious, it seemed to be missing something. I think a bit of pancetta or crispy bacon would have rounded out the flavors a bit more.
update: we prepared this with dark bread (squaw), and 13-daughter picked the cheese out, but she still loved it. Having fresh rosemary made a huge difference.
useful (0)
pancetta and cinnamon waffles : page 228
This is a pumped up waffle - its easy because you use mix, and then add extras (pancetta, cinnamon, eggs, oil). The result is very good, but its also very heavy.
We skimped on the pancetta, using only 2 slices, and I think these would be better with the third slice.
If I make this again, I would add more liquid. I also would not stir in the pancetta pieces, but rather sprinkle them over the top just before closing the waffle iron. I think stirring waffles too much is detrimental to their eventual fluffiness.
I also think the recipe should instruct you to stir together the dry ingredients first, to beat the eggs first, and to mix all that into the dry and allowing for not a complete blending.
useful (0)
pea pesto crostini : page 25
I wasn't expecting much. This recipe starts with the usual pesto ingredients - garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper - but in place of the basil and nuts, you throw in a bag of frozen peas, and whirl it up in the food processer. Easy peasy!
Wow - the bright color and powerful taste was amazing. We served this on rounds of baguette with (commercial) sun-dried tomato tapenade.
useful (1)
Excellent tomato flavor, kissed with crunchy bread crumbs and cheese.
Of course I changed a few things. No gorgonzola, so I substituted goat cheese, and I also mixed in some basil.
Total time was about 1 hour, but much of that time is hands off. I'd definitely make this one again.
useful (0)
Shaved Melon Salad with Mint Sugar : page 219
Summy melon - delicious and sweet with crunchy sugar flavored with mint.
This recipe calls for watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, but who could never store all 3 in their refrigerator? My daughter has been wanting to make this, and we finally decided to give it a go with just cantaloupe.
Shaving the melon was a bit tricky - slices are cut with a vegetable peeler - parallel to where the seeds had been. We happened to have both a very ripe and a slightly green melon (thank you CSA farmer). We started with the ripe one, but it was very hard to get the think shaved slices (mostly a puddle of melon juice). The less ripe one worked much better. I think a newer/sharper peeler would also have helped.
The stunning addiiton of a granular sugar mixed with fresh mint really elevated this recipe. It not only gave a cool mint flavor, but the sugar gave an awesome crunch. I hope to borrow this mint sugar idea for other desserts.
UPDATE: This mint sugar, on slices of fresh (local) peaches, and a bit of yogurt was amazing!
useful (2)
Sweet Basil Smoothie : page 209
This was the first recipe that caught our eye when we got this cookbook. How odd, a green smoothie! We had a lucky windfall of fresh basil, and so threw together this recipe. Its sweet, lemony, a bit acidic with the lemon and yogurt, and with just the right amount of basil. I think I could drink this every day.
useful (0)