Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw

Recipe: Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw
Page: HTCE p. 207
Rating: ****

We really liked this! The first time I made it a year ago, I wasn't crazy about it. But this time, it was delicious. Not sure what the difference was. I definitely recommend making it at least an hour before and tossing it periodically during that time--the cabbage softens a touch which adds to the finished product. It is yellow as the picture indicates (that's not just my photography!). It's heavy on the mustard which makes it very different from the usual idea of "slaw," but it also helped my husband really like it and he usually hates slaw! So, if you're not a typical slaw fan, this is a good one to try. I think the servings are spot on; we halved it and got 4 generous servings. If you're taking it to a potluck, you'd probably get 10 or more servings out of it.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Potatoes

Recipe: Whole Wheat Farfalle with Roasted Potatoes
Page: HTCE p. 523
Rating: ****

This was a terrific, simple dish. We added some Parmesan and didn't use the red pepper flakes. I also sauteed the garlic in the olive oil before tossing it with the cooked pasta and potatoes. Yum yum yum! Inexpensive, simple, and tasty.

Real Beef Stroganoff (w/turkey)

Believe it or not I used this recipe with leftover turkey last year and it was great! Just substitute the beef tenderloin for four cups of cooked diced turkey.  Perfect for post-Thanksgiving leftover turkey burn out!

I did not use tomatoes (that sounded strange) and I served it to my family over egg noodles.

HTCE p.739

Pork Chops with Onions and Peppers

Recipe: Pork Chops with Onions and Peppers (variation of Skillet Pork chops, 8 Ways)
Page: HTCE p. 721
Rating: ***-****

The peppers and onions were terrific and a nice topping for the pork chops. Our particular pork chops weren't that great, but we decided it was more a feature of the chops themselves than the recipe. That being said, this recipe would be a **** or perhaps a ***** if the chops were really high quality. Ordinary, mixed pork chops from your average grocery store? ***

Easy and some nice unattended time in which to get other meal elements ready.

Skillet Pork Chops, 8 Ways

Recipe: Skillet Pork Chops, 8 Ways

Page: HTCE p. 720

Rating: ****

These were a touch dry, hence the 4* rating. I think cooking pork chops this way makes it very easy to overcook them. Nonetheless, they were tasty, and the pan sauce was delicious. Easy, too. I added some Italian seasoning to the pork chops with the salt and pepper since my mom used to cook them that way. Can't wait to try some of the variations.

Blueberry Muffins (Variation)

Recipe: Muffins, Infinite Ways--Blueberry Muffin variation

Page: HTCE p. 833

Rating: ****

I don't always use muffin cups anymore, but these muffins could have benefited! They're heavy on the blueberries, and trying to remove them from a warm pan was a challenge... one I failed (although the bits of muffin left in the pan were good to nibble on...).

I didn't use the cinnamon or the corn meal. I did use the lemon zest and used half white whole wheat flour. These were great! Perfect for everyday blueberry muffins. The lemon zest really adds a nice hint of flavor. These aren't Otis Spunkmeyer giant streusel topped blueberry muffins, but, frankly, I'd rather have the smaller, not-too-sweet muffins here. My kids didn't eat them up as much as the cranberry ones, but I really liked them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Page: HTCE p. 880

Rating: ****

We are big fans of chocolate chip cookies at my house, but we are also chocolate chip cookie recipe snobs. It takes a really great chocolate chip cookie to please us: a touch of salt in the dough, bittersweet chips, good texture--a cross between chewy and crispy....

These cookies make the grade: they are chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside. The crucial salt is present in the dough and Mark even recommends bittersweet chocolate. They're a touch sweet. I might use a bit less vanilla next time.

Our biggest problem was cookie spread: in the oven, the edges practically ran over the cookie sheet leaving a small clump of dough (and the chips) in the middle of each cookie. This made for pretty good texture overall, but I like my chips to be evenly dispersed. I tried them as little frozen dough balls, too, thinking the chilled butter would work better. It did help. Next time, I think I'll chill them in the fridge for a bit, then form them into balls and flatten them once they're on the cookie sheet (one might almost think I'd just seen the folks on America's Test Kitchen do this to one of their cookie recipes the other night...).

So, 4 stars as is. If they work better in the oven once I try my newest theory, I'll update this.

Oh--my batch yielded exactly 2 dozen, and my cookies are generous scoops of dough. It's hard to measure the final cookie size because I think they'd be smaller around and taller/puffier if I tried the flatten-before-baking trick mentioned above. I'm guessing they're about 5-inches in diameter! (but, Mom, I've only had two...)

Chocolate Cookies (Variation)

Recipe: Chocolate Cookies (variation of Butter Cookies)

Page: p. 892

Rating: ****

These are nice little cookies to know about. They're more cake-y than chewy or crisp. They aren't terribly sweet hot out of the oven, but in my experience, chocolate cookies taste a little sweeter as they cool. I'm not sure why. I added Andes Mint Candy chips to mine (about 1/2 cup); if I hadn't, I think I might have used a sweeter chocolate mixture. Mark recommends a mixture of unsweetened chocolate and sweetened chocolate; for my sweetened chocolate, I used bittersweet chocolate. Semisweet might a better choice if you're not going over the top and adding MORE chocolate like I did in the candy pieces. (This begs the question: CAN you have too much chocolate?)

The recipe made right at 3 dozen cookies; mine are 2-3 inches across. They don't spread too much in the oven, and I used a regular teaspoon like I might use for eating out of. (not a soup spoon/tablespoon)

Pasta Carbonara (Variation)

Recipe: Pasta Carbonara (variation of Pasta with Pancetta and Pecorino)

Page: HCTE p. 506

Rating: ****

I'm a big fan of Pasta Carbonara: it's quick, relatively healthy (the bacon and eggs provide your protein--they're not any more fattening than an entree that's meat based!), and inexpensive. It's also tasty. Mark's version is great; you do have to dirty up a few dishes in the process and have everything ready to go as soon as the pasta is done cooking. That being said, the process is easy to master. I heat a big pottery bowl with hot water (from the tap) and let it sit while I saute the bacon (I do not add all the drippings to the eggs/cheese later like he suggests). I also grate the cheese. Then I start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. I add the pasta to the boiling water when the bacon is nearly done. I have the eggs beaten and ready to go in another bowl. When the bacon is done and cooled slightly, the pasta is about 2 minutes away from being done, and the eggs and cheese are ready and waiting, the fun begins: dump out the hot water from the big bowl, add bacon, eggs, and cheese to the bowl. Drain the pasta and immediately toss it with the bacon and eggs. The eggs will cook enough to be safe, but should give you a creamy sauce. Mmmmmm

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This was the first time I've ever made mac'n'cheese not out of a box, and like many other thing I've made in this cookbook, I don't see going back again! The recipe labels this as "make ahead" but I did step 4 (making the sauce) while the noodles were boiling, cutting the time by 15 minutes or so. I used shells - although any pasta will do - and whole milk. I also put this in a deep corning ware dish because I don't have a 9X13 right now and everything baked just fine. After it came out I just mixed it up so that the breadcrumbs were coating all of the parts.

The only critique I have of this was that it was VERY hard to pour the milk into the butter/flour mixture while whisking and control the amount that pours out. I would recommend putting the milk into a dish to pour it in to or having a companion help you out with that step.

HTCEV p. 460
HTCE p.508
Full Recipe 

Quick Coffee Cake

Recipe: Quick Coffee Cake

Page: HTCE p. 844

Rating: ****

I might up this to *****, but the way the recipe was written left a bit of confusion for yours truly. It could have been the way I chose to mix the batter, but I don't think so. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Before I describe the recipe, I should point out for coffee cake amateurs that "quick" refers to a non-yeasted coffee cake, not a super speedy recipe that's ready in 10 minutes. That being said, this didn't take long to whip up. I did most of it the night before in my food processor: topping ingredients in the small food processor bowl and the flour/butter mixture in a larger bowl. I transferred the mixtures to two smaller bowls and stuck them in the fridge. In the morning, I added the egg and milk to the batter mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon, and there's where the problem entered.

Mark says to "pour" half of the batter into a 9-inch square pan. There was no pouring here, folks. I dumped the very thick batter into an 8-inch square pan and sort of patted it (with a spoon) into the four corners of the bowl. Then I spread half of the topping mixture on it and baked it like that. I had used half whole wheat flour, but in the past, that's not changed the texture hugely. But that may have contributed. I don't think I could have spread half of the batter, added streusel, and then spread the rest of the batter without it all becoming a jumbled mess. Maybe I could swirl the missing streusel half through the batter next time?

Regardless, we enjoyed it like it was--warm and delicious! I don't know if I could have taken another half of the streusel mixture in the middle of the cake--sugar overload! Too much for breakfast, but it might be good mixed in if you were planning to serve this cake with an afternoon coffee time.

Overall, it was delicious and we'll make it again for sure!

Pasta with Red Peppers and Balsamic Vinegar (Variation)

Recipe: Pasta with Red Peppers and Balsamic Vinegar (variation of Pasta with Eggplant and Balsamic Vinegar)

Page: HTCE p. 519

Rating: **** (could be ***** keep reading!)

I must admit that I hate, loathe, despise, and abominate eggplant. However, with almost equal fervor, I thoroughly enjoy red peppers! So, I of course went for the variation with nary a second glance at the original.

It was terrific! We all (my mom, my hubby, my boys, and myself) had seconds; only my 4-year old daughter turned up her nose. I believe our buddy Mark has LARGE pasta servings in mind when he lists the number of servings; we served three kids and three adults amply with this recipe and only had a side salad with it.

I used frozen tri-colored peppers and frozen basil with farfalle. I also used Parmesan in place of feta (per Mark's suggestions). (Do we mind if I call him "Mark?" I'm feeling on a first name basis here these days.) Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly (I did omit the red pepper flakes for the tender, under-5 crowd's sake). I think this will be a definite repeat and an easy list of ingredients to keep on hand since peppers, basil, and cheese all freeze wonderfully.

I'm giving this **** but I think it could become a ***** recipe in the summer with truly fresh basil and bell peppers, especially if they're from my own garden and super fresh!

By the way, it's good at room temperature; it's one of those pasta dishes that can be finished, the rest of dinner gotten together, the table set, and then the pasta dish served. This makes it a perfect solution for those of us with toddlers who ALWAYS have to go to the bathroom or something equally urgent right when dinner's ready.

Classic Roast Turkey, with Gravy and Stuffing

Recipe: Classic Roast Turkey, with Gravy and Stuffing

Page: HTCE p. 697

Rating: ****

This is a perfect time of year to try out holiday recipes for next year: the weather is cold and dreary, and everyone wants comfort food. Also, recent holiday memories are still fresh in your mind. I thawed out my turkey (bought on sale at Thanksgiving) and decided to give Mark's version a test drive when there wasn't as much at stake as the big turkey-day itself.

I'm giving this 4 stars because it turned out a perfectly respectable roast bird and gravy. I didn't stuff the turkey, but otherwise followed his directions to the letter. My bird didn't take quite as long and the breast meat was a tad dry. But, the flavor was pretty good and this was a pretty easy method.

I have to say that the best turkey I've ever roasted was the America's Test Kitchen version (maybe showcased in Cook's Illustrated?) where they began the bird upside down so the legs would cook/brown, and then they flipped the bird halfway through. Tasty indeed, but my, oh my, what a pain to do. So, Mark gets kudos for turning out a decent roast turkey with classic flavors and minimal fuss.

A side note: the bottom veggies/giblets turn pretty dark brown which yields a dark brown gravy. If that's not your style, you might do like my grandmother and cook the turkey at a lower temp., covered, until the end and then let the bird brown some. I like the darker flavors, but it's not everyone's style.

Pound Cake

Recipe: Pound Cake

Page: HTCE p. 906

Rating: ***-**** (depends on purpose; plain pound cake rates *** but a plain cake as a base for more flavorful glazes or cake soaks would be a ****).

Before I tell you my impressions of this cake, it's worth knowing the background from which I'm rating it. When I got married, I was instructed that my dear hubby liked ONE particular cake for his birthday; I refer to it as "The Pound Cake." Why? It's his grandmother's recipe and calls for mixing the batter for a full 20 minutes. I won't tell you how many cheap mixers I've burned up over the years on this admittedly delicious pound cake.

This year, since it's not for his actual birthday, I thought I'd clandestinely substitute my buddy Mark's version. Why? I figured that, in the spirit of his book, Mark would have me do something benignly simple and would tell me if mixing it for 20 minutes was really necessary. I scanned the ingredient list: looked fairly similar but with less sugar. Worth a try. I did NOT read all the directions until I was ready to make the cake.

(sigh) Mark... have you let me down? WHY are you having me mix the egg yolks in one at a time with the mixer, mix in the flour by hand, and then, with "freshly cleaned" beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold those egg whites into the VERY thick cake batter thoroughly and gently? The pro in this: I'm not going to burn up my mixer on egg whites.

The con? The cake is fairly dry. Good flavor and crust, but dry. It would definitely make a terrific base for the glazes mentioned (we're trying the orange one tomorrow), but I will continue making "The Pound Cake" in years to come for the birthday boy. Mark's version was a bit too labor intensive to justify the loss in texture I've come to love from "The Pound Cake."

I would like to point out, however, that my buddy Mark agrees with me in one key area: pound cake is great toasted with butter. To those that scoff in horror at eating cake for breakfast, let me merely point out that there is the same amount of sugar in this cake as there is in most "muffins" or "quick breads." There are more eggs and thus, more protein. What could be a better breakfast? Mark's version is nice and dry and will soak up lots of butter. Mmmmm.... I can hardly wait for breakfast!

Chicken Cutlets Roasted with Tomatoes

Since boneless/skinless chicken breasts are relatively good for you and they are on sale frequently, I am often looking for new and delicious things to do with them. This recipe fits that bill. I thought the flavors were great (tomato and cumin with EVOO) and my husband also agreed. We ate this over polenta and it was a really good backdrop to highlight all the flavors in the meat. Another plus is that since the oven temp is so high you can make it from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.

HTCE p.672

Polenta

I had never had polenta when I first made this recipe so I don't know what to compare it to, but I do know this: my 2 year old son LOVED it!! I remember being shocked because he has texture issues, but I also remember him having two whole bowls of it.

I found this recipe when I was looking for a side to go with Bittman's "Chicken Cutlets Roasted with Tomatoes" and together they were fantastic! This is a very easy side to make, so if you are looking for something last minute and you have cornmeal, reach for this recipe.

At the end of this recipe is one of my favorite Bittman features: the list. In this case there is a list of "14 Dishes to Serve on Top of Polenta" (p.486 or p.544). I don't know that I would like to eat polenta all by it self, but if makes an excellent base dish that other proteins or vegetables can be served on top of.

HTCE p. 485-6
HTCEV p.544 

Here is a full recipe with Parmesan and Sausage

Vanilla Pudding (Variation: Butterscotch Pudding)

This is a really good pudding. I tried to make this pudding before and since I was scared to let the pudding come to a boil (as instructed in step 2) the pudding was more of a chocolate soup. Tasty, but not pudding.

So here is my advice for this recipe. When making the cornstarch original recipe you have to let the pudding come to a boil. Bittman suggests that this will take 5 minutes, but for me it took closer to 8 or 10. For cornstarch to thicken correctly it must be heated past 203°, so really boiling in this recipe is necessary.

My other thought is that while I thought the butterscotch flavor was outstanding at the beginning of this recipe (I was tasting through out), I chose to use my very best vanilla at the end and the flavor frankly out weighed the delicate butterscotch flavor that I had created in the beginning. Lesson learned here? Use vanilla like the recipe calls for, but don't reach for the "good" vanilla, instead use the cheap stuff.

HTCE p.950
HTCEV p.884
Full Recipe, just substitute brown sugar for white sugar

Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice

One of the first things I made with this cookbook, these tomatoes are a great side dish to almost any meal!

For this I used half mozzarella and half monterey jack, a little extra garlic and I actually only had three tomatoes to spare. So I did the whole recipe, and then we ate the extra filling as a side dish the next day.

I would be eager to try any of the variations listed: Red Peppers, Zucchini and Acorn Squash stuffed with different grains and cheeses.

HTCEV p. 398
HTCE has a "Tomatoes Stuffed with Sausage and Rice" p. 369
Full Recipe (of the meat version)

Classic Pot Roast

This recipe is exactly what it claims to be: classic! Sure you could probably go in your kitchen and whip up a pot roast (if you've ever made one before), but if you want to get consistent results use this recipe. It is what we are having for dinner tonight!

I pretty much follow the exact recipe, except that I shorten the time that you soften the vegetables because I like my onions, etc. not to dissolve during the cooking. I usually just add water in the first liquid step (wine or water) and then beef bouillon in the second, although today I had chicken broth on hand.

I think the rosemary/tomato variation looks really good, but that is for another day!

HTCE p.742

Potato "Nik" Variation: Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

I love Latkes! They are so easy to make and a great way to eat potatoes! Not that there's anything wrong with all of the other ways to eat potatoes, this one is just a little different.

The recipe was good although I would suggest adding some carrots into the mix as a good way to add a vegetable to the meal. Chives or green onions would be another good addition. I served these the traditional way: with sour cream and applesauce (the top two garnishes Mark lists with the recipe).

HTCEV p. 349-350
HTCE p. 345 (This is not Potato "Nik", but Potato Rösti with a Latke variation)
Full Recipe