Notes about Recipes in this book

• Seafood chowder

  • sfcarole on April 17, 2021

    I decided to add some potatoes to this chowder recipe, rather than use the instant potatoes (which still works very well). For the full recipe use 8 oz. of either Yukons or fingerlings. Slice ¼" thick and add before the mushroom and zucchini. Simmer about 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms for 2 minutes and zucchini for another 1 minute. I also sautéed the leeks in a dollop of bacon fat (for the smokiness) and butter, rather than the olive oil called for. To boost the smokiness I added ¼ tsp. of smoked paprika after leeks cooked down. Whenever I've made this chowder I also add a few scallops quartered.

• Ragout of broccolini, beans, and sausage

  • zorra on May 29, 2014

    Tasty quick meal. For vegetarians, Field Roast Italian sausage works fine, browned, sliced & added last to preserve texture, along with a healthy dose of red pepper flakes. Used cooked dried cannellini rather than canned.

• Stew of peas and carrots

  • Delys77 on August 10, 2021

    Same for me on the timing. Carrots took a good 5 to 10 minutes longer so i would check their doneness before adding the peas next time. Used fresh thyme and this was very nice and simple, but very homey.

  • twoyolks on January 08, 2016

    My carrots took a bit longer to cook than the recipe specified so my peas got a bit overcooked. I do like the idea of cooking the vegetables in a roux as it gives them a nice glaze when they've finished cooking.

• Fluffy mashed potatoes

  • Delys77 on November 03, 2022

    The texture was fine for us but they were missing a bit of richness.

  • twoyolks on October 16, 2015

    These had good flavor but the amount of milk called for just made the mashed potatoes very runny.

• Roasted split chicken with mustard crust

  • Delys77 on November 03, 2022

    I used red as that is what we had on hand and it was still quite tasty. The chicken was perhaps a touch over at 30 minutes, so you could check a few minute earlier. Very flavourful little rub and a great technique for quick weeknight roast chicken.

  • twoyolks on October 16, 2015

    This was very easy and very quick. The chicken is moist and the mustard crust is flavorful and compliments the chicken well. I didn't end up with any significant pan juices so I just added some water to the skillet and it worked fairly well.

  • sherrib on June 22, 2015

    Our favorite midweek chicken recipe. The mustard crust makes for outstanding pan juices. If I want to be especially lazy, I place a whole chicken inside a lidded oven proof pot, eyeball the mustard crust ingredients into a small bowl, mix, then pour over the chicken, cover and cook. Nothing could be easier or tastier.

• Tibetan flatbread

  • jbuchman on May 08, 2017

    Really easy and good.

  • kshell on August 29, 2023

    Great back-pocket and fast recipe. It felt weird spreading the dough in a cold pan, but it worked.

• Skillet broccoli bits

  • jbuchman on May 08, 2017

    The best way to cook broccoli, and several other vegetables (asparagus and green beans come to mind). Fast and easy.

  • bob.mack on March 28, 2021

    The simplest technique that makes great broccoli in minutes.

• Fricassee of brussels sprouts and bacon

  • twoyolks on November 08, 2016

    I found this recipe to be alright. The flavor of the brussels sprouts reminded me of some that had spent a little too long on a buffet. I agree that they could use a little bit of vinegar at the end.

  • Globegal on June 07, 2016

    I like the taste of brussels sprouts and this simple recipe highlights that flavor. Bacon makes this just amazing. It takes time to clean the sprouts. Used 4mm blade.

  • Rinshin on June 02, 2015

    I really liked this recipe for the speed and taste. I believe Jacques Pepin assumes you will use this recipe as a basis for upping it. The taste was -almost- perfect as is, but after tasting it towards the end I decided it need a lift and added a splash of fig balsamico. It was great.

• Grilled striped bass with romesco sauce

  • twoyolks on October 25, 2016

    This is a really simple way to cook the striped bass (I used the broiler) so that it is cooked through without being overcooked. The romesco sauce is nice and compliments the fish well (as long as only a small amount is used).

• Crusty chicken thighs with mushroom sauce

  • mike245 on December 04, 2012

    I followed the instructions to the letter (cooking at medium heat for 18 minutes), but ended up with undercooked chicken with still-mushy skin. Next time, I'm going to make sure that the heat is strong enough to cook the chicken and crisp up the skin.

  • Globegal on February 18, 2017

    This came out well. I used a cast iron dutch oven & the chicken was cooked through in 17 minutes. I probably make a deeper than 1/2" cut, though. We really enjoyed the mushroom sauce & will probably make 1-1/2 recipe of it next time.

  • Rinshin on June 02, 2015

    So, I think Jacques Pepin is a classic super chef not capable of missing a beat and I really, really wanted to say this recipe worked. But, it did not. I followed the recipe by cutting two slits by the bone for faster cooking, but at 18 min skin side down, it's not cooked through at all - blood was still seeping through. And, I've had my share of rare to medium rare chicken esp in Japan where many people hate dry cooked chicken. But, this recipe bothered me. I suspect the timing was due to the nature of this book ie More Fast Food My Way. I had to cook this chicken for about 30 min stovetop and about 10 min at 325 while finishing up the onion and mushroom mixture. The taste was good but preferred more crunchy skin like Cook's Illustrated's Chicken Canzanese. I like to work on this recipe more because it is a simple recipe but it certainly needs some tweaking.

• Scallops grenobloise

  • JKDLady on June 12, 2014

    This was a very good recipe. Nice and simple after gathering the ingredients. I did cut down on the butter in the mushroom sauce and also the vinegar because of that. While I loved the large chunks of lemon, not everyone did. A warming is advisable. My husband cut his in half and was fine with that. Initially he thought they were pieces of onion. That would've been a surprise!

• Butter bean canapés

  • JKDLady on July 17, 2015

    The beans make a really nice antipasto addition. They also do well as a side dish. There is a lot of dressing leftover, if you don't put it on bread.

• Tapioca banana coconut pudding

  • JKDLady on July 08, 2016

    These flavors were an interesting combination. I did use pearl tapioca because we like the texture. I realize not everyone does though. The lime zest was lost on us. After tasting the pudding (and before serving) I thought it seemed bland. I added some cinnamon. Next time I would leave out the lime and cranberries, add the cinnamon, and top with fresh mint. Oh, the next day it was a purply gray color from the banana. The taste was good, but it wasn't appetizing looking.

• Vegetable couscous

  • Veronik on November 23, 2019

    Recipe calls for instant couscous, not Israeli.

• Apricot clafoutis

  • Globegal on March 09, 2017

    Liked with the apricot but prefer canned dark sweet cherries. The cherry syrup changes the color, but so delicious and easy to make. Had ok results using regular fry pan but was a little hard to get out. This recipe was worth getting a non-stick pan.

• Asparagus fans with mustard sauce

  • Globegal on July 08, 2016

    Very tasty. Makes a lot of sauce. Can probably make half the amount & do well.

• Gnocchi with eggs and scallions

  • Rinshin on February 04, 2016

    Simple and satisfying for lunch. It is best to remove the pan off the heat when adding eggs so it does not overcook. Mine was too cooked even at 45 seconds. I think the residual heat will cook the eggs just fine. Truffle oil adds nice taste to the dish. The serving size for lunch is a little off. Good for 2-3 servings instead of 4.

• Butternut squash sauté

  • Rinshin on April 14, 2021

    I like it for simplicity and feel like I am doing our bodies good when we have this as a side dish. I don’t worry too much about the sizes of butternut chunks as long as the pieces are easy to eat. Made this few times now and like the other times, added apple pieces. This time subbed peach balsamic for apple cider vinegar. Photo added.

• Chicken persillade

  • nancy13556 on August 09, 2014

    can use rotisserie chicken