Yogurt or Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe: Yogurt or Buttermilk Biscuits
Page: HTCE p. 845 (HTCEV p694)
Rating: *****

I've made these so often, I don't even need the recipe. We LOVE these. They remind me of Cracker Barrel biscuits. I usually use 4 tablespoons butter, half whole wheat flour and add a bit more yogurt (I always use yogurt) than he recommends (I'm sure that's because the whole wheat flour soaks up more moisture). I love that he tells you to pat these out instead of rolling them out. Somehow, that little extra step saved helps. I often cut these into squares to save even getting out a circle cutter (read: drinking glass).

I've made the Baking Powder Biscuit variation as well as the Drop Biscuit variation--both are good substitutes, especially for savory biscuits to go with dinner. For instance, tonight I added 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, some garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon or so Italian seasoning; I combined the Baking Powder and Drop variations and had biscuits to go with dinner so easily! (And they were YUMMY.) In the main recipe, I've also left out the baking soda with no ill effects.

I've got the recipe on my recipe blog for those interested: "Cracker Barrel Biscuits"

Strawberry Banana Muffins (variation)

Recipe: Banana Muffins (variation of Muffins, Infinite Ways)
Page: HTCE page 832-833
Rating: *****

I love Mark's style. I feel like I'm channeling the minimalist plus talented substitutionist vibes and creating all kinds of wonderful things on the fly. The latest? the need to use up some very ripe bananas, some fresh strawberries, and some fresh strawberry puree. The recipe of choice to start with? The banana muffin variation under the regular Muffins recipe. I followed the banana-nut variation (including using whole wheat flour for half of the flour amount), left out the nuts, and added in about 1/4 cup strawberry puree plus about 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries. I used regular sugar instead of subbing in honey since the puree was already adding some extra liquid.

The verdict? I'm going to have to write this one down in the cookbook. My kids ate 3 regular sized muffins EACH for breakfast. That's terrific, especially when these muffins only have 1/4 cup of sugar or so per batch. I'm not sure the puree added that much. I might try these with fresh blueberries later in the summer when they're in season.

Fast French Bread or Rolls

Recipe: Fast French Bread or Rolls

Page: HTCE p. 856-7

Rating: *****

This is the perfect French bread recipe. I routinely add 1/2-1 c. whole wheat flour to it, use bread flour for the remaining flour, and follow Bittman's instructions to a "T." I don't do anything special, don't let it rise in cloth, don't spritz it with water when I remove it from the oven, etc. Just the basic recipe: you cannot go wrong. Especially if you have a food processor, you won't buy French bread again. People consistently ask me for my recipe. Well, folks, this is the one!

A note: this bread is best the first day and good for French toast the next. Because there's no oil or sugar or anything like that in it, it will go stale quickly. Your best bet for future use: slightly underbake it and freeze it. Then, thaw, warm up/finish baking just before dinner, and you're good to go.

Garlicky Lime-Cooked Fish

Recipe: Garlicky Lime-Cooked Fish

Page: HTCE p. 608

Rating: ***** (with some modifications)

I cooked this using mahi mahi that was about 3/4-1 inch thick. I had to flip the fish over about halfway through. But it was EXCELLENT with one caveat: the sauce was not as great. I think I'll just make the fish without the sauce and sprinkle the fish with a touch of garlic powder or garlic salt. That saves even more time. We served it with Mexican sides (refried beans, rice, etc.). It worked, but it would be fine with any other sides you might typically serve with fish.

Brownies

Recipe: Brownies

Page: p. 881

Rating: *****

I think I'm the one making the most desserts around here (or at least, making the most from Bittman and rating them). Anyway, I don't know why anyone would make brownies from a box when they could make the nearly-as-simple-and-far-more-decadent version a la Mark. Super easy!

I didn't pour the melted chocolate/butter mixture into a different bowl--I just added everything into that one pot. They baked in the amount of time given but are SUPER soft when you pull them out. Letting them cool in the pan is a necessity, but they are awfully good when still pretty warm and gooey...not that I would be that eager to try them of course.... and I added the last of my Andes chocolate candy pieces.... (about 3/4 cup) and will have another brownie when fully cooled just to confirm the ***** rating....

I've had slightly better homemade brownies, but they were more difficult to prepare. For ease of preparation, fudgy nature, top chocolate flavor--these get a ***** rating. This will be my go to brownie recipe when we suddenly get that brownie craving!

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)

Braised Potatoes with Kielbasa (Variation)

Recipe: Braised Potatoes with Kielbasa (Variation of Braised Potatoes, Ten Ways)

Page: HCTE p. 343

Rating: *****

I liked this recipe so much that it made it onto full tummies! The leftovers (the broth and any remaining potatoes/sausage) make a great base for a potato soup the next night--just cook a few extra potatoes in the broth the next night. I haven't tried this with beer, but I bet it would be good!

Serving Suggestions: Pair with a salad and some hearty bread

Wine-Braised Potatoes with Bacon (Variation)

Recipe: Wine-Braised Potatoes with Bacon (Variation on Braised Potatoes, Ten Ways)

Page: HCTE p. 343

Rating: *****

I loved his Braised Potatoes with Sausage variation so much I put that recipe on full tummies. This one might make it there, too! It makes a terrific "main dish" for a light meal and is a terrific way to use up that last 1/2-1 cup of wine that's not terribly drinkable, but not turned into vinegar. These potatoes are fully in our rotation (or at least one of the variations). I omit the onion and follow his directions to a "T." If I only have 1/2 cup wine, then I just add water to fill in.

One note: Mark says this makes 4 servings, but in my experience, it makes more--particularly if you're planning to use this as a side dish. It's also best with thick-cut bacon (I use about 2 slices). Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Pesto

Recipe: Spaghetti with Pesto

Page: HCTE p. 507

Rating: *****

How can you go wrong with freshly cooked pasta and homemade pesto? Enough said.

Spaghetti with Butter and Parmesan

Recipe: Spaghetti with Butter and Parmesan

Page: HCTE p. 506

Rating: *****

Move over, Macaroni and Cheese! This is one of our go to recipes--quick and tasty. It's less fattening than mac-n-cheese, too, since it's not loaded with cream sauce on top of the cheese. It does have a significant amount of butter in it, but otherwise it wouldn't taste good or keep you full for any length of time. We add peas to it (an addition he recommends), but it's good plain and simple. It benefits from a sprinkling of good salt at the table.

Here's the recipe link.

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

Calzones Revisited

A while back I wrote this review of HTCE calzones:
"This recipe is so great that I'm surprised that I haven't made it once a week. We did not use the ricotta cheese in the filling because it is not my favorite and I rarely if ever have it on hand. Never fear though, cooking with Bittman allows you to substitute and delete ingredients with no anxiety! Also, instead of the sausage I used rendered pepperoni. This is a trick I learned from America's Test Kitchen that stops pepperoni from greasing up your calzone. Now when my husband wants to order pizza I balk at the cost compared to the pennies I spend on this recipe."

I forgot to mention a few things and I was making calzones again last night, so I thought I would revisit this recipe.  I think the key to these calzones cooking up correctly is that you don't add sauce to the filling.  Instead make your fast tomato sauce and serve it on the side.  This way your calzones cook all the way through and you don't end up with a slimy inner dough. 

In the past I've cooked these on a stone, but last night I chose to put olive oil on a pan and cook them that way.  The result was so delicious.  The bottom crust of the calzone was nice and crisp.  It even tasted a tad bit fried (YUMM!).  I should note that I tend to roll out my dough a little thinner then Mark suggests and I also do not try to roll it out in a circle, but instead a long oval.  I didn't really express this well in the first post, but we do replace all of the ricotta with mozzarella and the calzones are still really good.

Every time I make these I can't get over how crisp and non-slimy the calzones are.  We even had a guest over on this night and she commented on the fact that the pepperoni was not greasy which is a result of the aforementioned pre-rendering in the microwave (30 seconds on two layers of paper towels does the trick).

Next I want to try the cooked spinach variation or I want to try and copy Mellow Mushroom's jerk chicken calzones.  Both sound really good.

HTCE p. 183
HTCEV p.729

Updated: What if I don't own a Bittman cook book....

but I want to try some of his recipes?

If that is a question you ask yourself as you read this blog please click the books found at the top right and you will see a whole list of sample recipes from each book. Some of them (like the Fried Chicken Made Easy) will even have some of the variations that the authors of this blog rave about.

**New: I've made a new label called "full recipes" where (when we can) we will link the recipe we review to the full recipe already posted online by Bittman. To see a full list of these posts just click on "Full Recipes" in the labels list over to the right.****

******New update:  I just found a preview of HTCEV on google books.  It doesn't have all the pages in the book (not even close), but it has helped me post some more "full recipes" for our friends out there who haven't yet bought this book. ******

Enjoy cooking!

Everyday Pancakes Revisited (Alton Brown's Variation)

So, as I mentioned before in my first review of this recipe my family didn't like this recipe at all, but we love Alton Brown's version.  Well this morning while I was making AB's tender, delicious pancakes I was struck by how similar the recipes were.  Here are the changes you can make to Mark's recipe to end up with Alton Brown's recipe:

• Increase baking powder to 1 tsp.
• Add 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Increase sugar to 3 tbl.
• Use 2 cups of yogurt or buttermilk instead of milk (I love to use yogurt here)
• Increase melted butter to 4 tbl.

This is the second recipe where I have just noted the changes in my HTCE book so that I don't have to have two cookbooks out. The instructions are really similar with one important change (which you will want to note).  Mix the batter exactly as Bittman instructs, but then let the batter sit for 5 minutes. You'll see why this is important after 5 minutes.  This rest time allows the leavening to make a ton of little bubbles in your batter.  With yogurt this batter is thicker than normal pancake batter but I just spread it out with the back of whatever I'm pouring the batter with and it works out. One of the great things about the recipe is that it can easily be halved if you are just cooking for two people (or one adult and one toddler).

It's important to note that in the pancake variation table (HTCE p.813, HTCEV p.202) that buttermilk is the first one that Mark mentions.  That variation would be similar but not exactly like the one posted above.  If the batter is too thick for your personal preference you of course could add milk to the batter as Bittman suggests here.

I would have taken picture of these pancakes, but frankly they are all gone!!

HTCE p.811-812
HTCEV p.200
Full Recipe

Corn Bread

I have long searched for the perfect corn bread recipe.  I have a very specific idea in my head of what cornbread should taste like.  To me it should be fluffy and moist and even though I would never dream of eating it without butter, it really shouldn't need it.

In this recipe Mark specifically says that you should use medium-grind cornmeal.  The cornmeal that I had in my pantry did not say what kind of grind it is, so I'm not sure if it was correct or not.  I do know it was white cornmeal that I used and that some recipes specify yellow, but Mark did not so I thought white would be fine.  The taste of this cornbread was okay, but this recipe isn't the "one" I have been searching for.  This one was a little more dense then I like and it was way too dry to become my go-to cornbread recipe.  It was good, don't get me wrong, just not the "one".  Philip complained that it did not have much flavor, but I attribute that to the type of cornmeal that I used, not necessarily the recipe.

The next time I make this recipe it will definitely be with "medium-grind" yellow cornmeal (and probably a cup of corn kernels for the "corny corn bread" variation).  On second thought maybe the "lighter, richer" variation is the version that will really give me the soft moist crumb that I have been searching for.  I'm sure I can still add corn and I'll just have "lighter, richer corny corn bread".

Even though this recipe is not the "one", I do have some additional comments on the method suggested here.  Mark asks you to use any 8-inch ovenproof skillet. I'm sure "any" skillet would be okay, but I used my 12" round cast iron skillet to make this recipe because frankly if you own a cast iron skillet, why would you make cornbread in any other vessel?  If you don't own a cast iron skillet, put it on your wish list now before you finish reading the rest of this post!  Since I am using a 12" and not an 8" my cooking time is a little bit faster and the bread was thinner then I like, but in the future I should just make a double batch if I want it to be thick (a 12" skillet has a little more than twice the volume of an 8" skillet).

In Step #2 Mark has you heat up your skillet on the stove top to melt your butter or warm your oil.  Are you kidding?  Your oven is already at 375° so please, don't follow his advice, and instead pre-heat your skillet in the oven.  If you are using just butter in this step you will have to watch the butter or else you can burn it.

Lastly, this recipe calls for buttermilk and if you are like me you don't keep buttermilk in your fridge.  Instead I use powdered buttermilk and according to Cook's Illustrated it works just fine in place of the real thing and lasts a whole lot longer.  Just add the powder in with the dry ingredients and add water instead of milk during the wet ingredients step.


HTCE p.831
HTCEV p.687

Since writing the post above I found this version posted by Mark.  It is the same one that is in HTCE except that is has another egg and way more sugar (1/4-1/2 cup instead of 1 T.).  If you don't have HTCE, our version is called the "Old-Fashioned Cornbread" variation at the bottom of the recipe. In this recipe he also just uses plain milk instead of buttermilk which I have never seen before in a cornbread recipe.  The instructions have also changed a bit in that they follow my advice and is preheating the cast-iron skillet in the oven.  Now I don't know which variation to try next!

************Update (12/2011): I have found THE ONE. **********

Crunchy Granola

I just finished reading Mark's book Food Matters and in it, he talks about the importance of eating enough grains. From there I decided to make my own granola to have as a breakfast staple and an easy snack throughout the day.

THIS IS SO GOOD! I'm eating it right now as I type! I usually think granola is too sweet and I am not the biggest fan of raisins so making my own, I got to decide how sweet to make it (using honey instead of sugar) and avoided raisins!

Here's what I put in mine (many variations are listed in the book, but I just bought what looked good): oats, shaved coconut, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, honey, salt, craisins, and dried cherries.

I wish this picture came with smell:

HTCEV p. 573
HTCE p.821-22

Lentil Soup with Roasted Garlic (Variation of Lentil Soup)

This is the recipe I've been craving! I love the lentil soup at Athena's Restaurant in Lafayette and this really comes close. Easy and delicious. I used red lentils and followed the Roasted Garlic variation. Used 2 heads of garlic and also added 1/2 t. cumin.

HTCE p. 138-139
HTCEV p. 115-116 (Classic Lentil Soup)

Carmelized Onions

This recipe is a perfect example of how when I think I know how to cook something, really Mark does it a little bit better. When caramelizing onions I usually add the oil or butter at the beginning and then they take FOREVER to cook. Well, enter Bittman. He cooks his onions in a dry pan for 20 minutes before adding the oil just so that they don't stick to the bottom. I only did one onion tonight and I was ready to add the oil in just under 15 minutes. Result? They were delicious!! 15 minutes still might seem like a lot, but if you start them first by the time you get the rest of your dinner together (tonight it was hot dogs in the grill pan with frozen peas) they will be ready.

HTCE p.325
HTCEV p.329
Full Recipe 

Navigating Bittman

When I first saw this massive cookbook on Betsy's counter I thought, "How in the world can that be a quick and easy to use book? It is so massive!!"

Here are a few of the things that I have employed to make "Navigating Bittman" a slightly easier task:

• Post it notes on the chapters. These are "permanent" post-its that mark all of the chapters that I access regularly. I don't have one for each chapter, but I might rethink that really soon since I've widened my horizons to include beans!!

• Star post-its. These mark recipes I want to try or ones that I have "on deck" to be made in the coming week. I also recently added a new star color to distinguish recipes that I need to review here on this blog.

• Quick list. This is yet another post-it note that is kept on the back cover of my book that contains the page numbers for all of my most popular recipes. So far it includes: Popcorn, Vinaigrettes, Crepes, Tomato Sauce, Bread Crumbs, Pizza and Flour.

What have you done to your Bittman book to make it easier to use?

Danielle

• I'm 25 and live with two college students in a house with 11 people total - we're all friends and eat together frequently. I usually make an entire recipe and it's gone before we can have leftovers.
• I have been with my boyfriend for 4.5 years. He's a vegetarian and enjoys eating whatever I make. :)
• I stopped eating meat sometime in April after watching a disturbing documentary. Sometimes I'll have meat if there's no other option or if I'm really craving it, but for now I consider myself a less-meatarian (like Mark!) who eats fish and other seafood. I just like to eat more vegetables and grains to have a smaller impact on the planet.
• Eating vegetarian has made me love so many foods that I always hated before including: broccoli, artichokes, spinach, peppers, and asparagus.
• I occasionally bring lunch to work but I mostly snack throughout the workday (5-2pm) and cook for dinner.
• I mostly shop at Whole Foods and the local market.
• Bridgette got me this cook book for my birthday. Even though I didn't really cook meat before, it's made being vegetarian and cooking for myself so much easier!!