Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Cafe's Most Loved Sweets & Savories by Joanne Chang

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    • Categories: Pies, tarts & pastries; Breakfast / brunch; Cooking ahead; French
    • Ingredients: tart apples; ground cinnamon; vanilla sugar; sanding sugar; all-purpose flour; butter
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    • Categories: Bread & buns, sweet; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch; French
    • Ingredients: crème fraîche; granulated sugar; ground cinnamon; all-purpose flour; bread flour; active dry yeast; eggs; butter; milk; cake flour
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    • Categories: Bread & buns, sweet; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch; French
    • Ingredients: vanilla sugar; almond extract; sliced almonds; all-purpose flour; bread flour; active dry yeast; eggs; butter; blanched almonds
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  • Vegan vanilla-mixed berry muffins
    • Categories: Cakes, small; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch; Vegan
    • Ingredients: all-purpose flour; granulated sugar; soy milk; distilled vinegar; vanilla extract; raspberries; blueberries
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    • Categories: Cakes, small; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch; Vegan
    • Ingredients: all-purpose flour; granulated sugar; soy milk; distilled vinegar; ground cinnamon; tart apples
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    • Categories: Cakes, small; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: rolled oats; crème fraîche; milk; butter; brown sugar; whole wheat flour; ground cinnamon; frozen cherries
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    • Categories: Cakes, small; Afternoon tea; Breakfast / brunch; Winter
    • Ingredients: rolled oats; crème fraîche; milk; butter; brown sugar; whole wheat flour; ground cinnamon; cranberries
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    • Categories: Quick / easy; Breakfast / brunch; Cooking ahead
    • Ingredients: eggs; vanilla sugar; half and half cream; sourdough bread
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    • Categories: Pancakes, waffles & crêpes; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: all-purpose flour; buttermilk; crème fraîche; soda water
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  • CJ's spiced banana pancakes
    • Categories: Pancakes, waffles & crêpes; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: all-purpose flour; ground allspice; milk; bananas
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    • Categories: Pancakes, waffles & crêpes; Breakfast / brunch; American
    • Ingredients: tart apples; ground cinnamon; store-cupboard ingredients
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    • Categories: Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: pears; pecans; milk; steel-cut oats; nutmeg; ground cinnamon
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    • Categories: Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: pecans; milk; steel-cut oats; nutmeg; ground cinnamon; blueberries
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    • Categories: Breakfast / brunch; Side dish; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: potatoes; thyme; rosemary; garlic
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    • Categories: Egg dishes; Sandwiches & burgers; Breakfast / brunch; Main course
    • Ingredients: cornmeal; eggs; half and half cream; thyme; sharp cheddar cheese; ham; mayonnaise; Dijon mustard; mesclun; tomatoes; active dry yeast; all-purpose flour; bread flour
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    • Categories: Dips, spreads & salsas; Sandwiches & burgers; Breakfast / brunch; Main course
    • Ingredients: cream cheese; lemons; chives; capers; active dry yeast; all-purpose flour; bread flour; baby arugula; red onions; smoked salmon; cornmeal
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    • Categories: Pizza & calzones; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: cornmeal; active dry yeast; all-purpose flour; bread flour; Black Forest ham; sharp cheddar cheese
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  • Breakfast pizzas
    • Categories: Pizza & calzones; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: crème fraîche; applewood smoked bacon; eggs; mozzarella cheese; all-purpose flour; bread flour; active dry yeast; butter; onions; thyme
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  • Ham, ricotta, and Parmesan breakfast pizzas
    • Categories: Pizza & calzones; Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: crème fraîche; eggs; all-purpose flour; bread flour; active dry yeast; butter; ham; ricotta cheese; Parmesan cheese
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  • Tomato and cheddar breakfast pizzas
    • Categories: Pizza & calzones; Breakfast / brunch; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: crème fraîche; eggs; all-purpose flour; bread flour; active dry yeast; butter; tomatoes; cheddar cheese
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    • Categories: Egg dishes; Breakfast / brunch; Spanish; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: potatoes; eggs; Parmesan cheese; scallions; parsley; yellow onions; red peppers; pimentón
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    • Categories: Egg dishes; Breakfast / brunch; Winter; American; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: bread; eggs; half and half cream; thyme; nutmeg; winter greens; shallots; mushrooms; Parmesan cheese
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    • Categories: Egg dishes; Breakfast / brunch; Canapés / hors d'oeuvre; American; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: bread; eggs; half and half cream; thyme; nutmeg; broccoli; sharp cheddar cheese
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    • Categories: Egg dishes; Breakfast / brunch; Main course; Spring; American; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: bread; eggs; half and half cream; thyme; nutmeg; asparagus; goat cheese; lemons
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  • Chilled Spanish white gazpacho
    • Categories: Soups; Cooking ahead; Summer; Spanish; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: seedless green grapes; blanched almonds; cilantro; sherry vinegar; limes; cucumbers
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Notes about this book

  • Eat Your Books

    A list of corrections on the author’s website. An EYB note has also been made on each affected recipe.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Warm quinoa salad with roasted autumn vegetables and ginger-scallion dressing

    • shirofly12 on June 07, 2020

      Really easy and tasty. Usually just use a combo of whatever veggies I have that can be roasted. Great for lunch during the week.

    • stockholm28 on January 16, 2022

      This was great and it is a very good way of using up an assortment of winter vegetables. I wanted more of the roasted brussels sprouts. This was best on the day made when the roasted vegetables were crispy, but it was fine as leftovers. Will definitely be repeated as it is a pretty healthy and filling vegetarian main.

    • joanhuguet on March 02, 2016

      This was a surprising dinner hit - healthy, relatively quick, and deeply savory. It's not nearly as heavy or stodgy as I expected root vegetables and quinoa to be!

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      Very good. The dressing really had a nice flavor. I think you could vary the vegetables quite easily. I thought there were too many green onions and would use less next time. Leftovers were good the next day.

  • Mama Chang's hot and sour soup

    • blumie on March 23, 2017

      I don't repeat too many recipes, but I come back to this one all the time. Quick, easy, and still plenty flavorful if you omit the mushrooms. Makes great leftovers, too.

    • Astrid5555 on January 07, 2019

      Once I had found the right soy sauce/rice vinegar/Sriracha sauce ratio for my taste this soup was delicious. Used oyster mushrooms instead of button mushrooms, otherwise followed the recipe exactely. Had hoped for leftovers, however everybody had 2+ bowls of soup, so nothing left. Will make again!

    • eselque on March 03, 2014

      Used fresh wood ear mushrooms, otherwise followed the recipe exactly.

    • chawkins on October 18, 2016

      Quick and tasty, but I think wood year mushrooms would give it a bit more texture and I missed the lily buds.

    • stockholm28 on January 09, 2022

      This was very satisfying and so quick to make. I added more sriracha. This will be repeated.

    • stef on February 28, 2016

      This was a quick recipe and so tasty. I didnt change a thing. Finally a recipe with easy to find ingredients

    • joanhuguet on March 24, 2015

      One of my favorite quick weeknight dinners! Have used oyster and shiitake mushrooms in addition to the buttons.

  • Christopher's oven-baked potato and red pepper tortilla

    • jzanger on October 10, 2019

      Super delicious vegetarian frittata/tortilla! I used extra paprika and added a fresh chimayo pepper to the bell pepper for extra heat. I upped the quantities to work with a 12.5" (nonstick) pan and it was super forgiving. I'll happily make and eat this again.

    • Zosia on February 23, 2018

      Very flavourful variation of a Spanish tortilla and an excellent vehicle for my leftover cooked potatoes.

    • D.Barker on December 13, 2021

      I wanted this to be so much better. Don't get me wrong, it was okay. It just didn't end up being crispy or even very flavorful at all. It could have been user error since others seem to enjoy this, but I needed a whole lot of ketchup to make this taste decent.

  • Classic split green pea soup with smoked ham

    • TrishaCP on April 25, 2017

      I agree that this is a very flavorful and satisfying soup. Really good depth of flavor and I liked the addition of mustard very much.

    • Melanie on September 05, 2015

      I loved this soup. Great flavour and great texture - thick with pieces of ham.

    • imaluckyducky on February 25, 2019

      Fantastic flavor! The mustard and lemon juice stirred in at the end adds a nice acidity and pop, and helps balance the salty smoky goodness from the smoked ham hocks. Had to add more water after I blended half soup, and the potatoes add substantial body and a delightful mouthfeel.

    • Rinshin on November 06, 2022

      For us the split pea soups have always been just ok soup. I’ve made at least 10-15 different versions in the past and never found one that I’ve looked forward to having next day. This one certainly shines. Excellent balance of flavors. The addition of two types of mustard and lemon juice at the end changed the profile from stodgy to light. Like many soups I did adjust the timing which means more time with soups. Did not need to add extra salt and amount of stock and water produced just the right consistency for us. I did not have to add any more water.

    • Zosia on May 15, 2017

      I used the bone from a baked ham so the flavour wasn't as intense as it should have been but the long cook time in stock ensured that this was still a really tasty soup. I particularly liked the addition of mustard and lemon juice at the end.

    • Frogcake on April 04, 2016

      A very good recipe. I've made this twice -once as written and a second time substituting white beans (pre-soaked) for the split peas. As someone else commented it is very nice with thick chunks of ham. I serve this as a main with freshly baked sour dough bread.

    • anya_sf on March 10, 2020

      I had a generous amount ham chunks, but no ham hock, so I skipped the initial 1.5 hr simmering time and added the peas and potato together with the stock (I used chicken) and ham, which simmered for 1.5 hrs total. I used 2 carrots because I like more; use as many as you like. I made the soup a day ahead and reheated it, adding a cup of extra water. Since I'd used canned broth, I didn't need all the salt at the end. Also, I didn't bother pureeing any of the soup. The soup was hearty and tasty - a classic.

  • Chipotle chicken and black bean soup

    • eliza on February 19, 2015

      Very good soup. I adapted slightly, used my own canned tomatoes, my own chicken stock for the water and bean liquid, but otherwise followed the recipe. It froze well too. Will definitely make again.

    • yassoma on August 20, 2016

      This soup is very good and healthy, BUT... made as it is written in the book, it's very bland and boring (Even though I omitted the rice which I also think will contribute to blandness! I suspect it'll taste better the next day). Cumin and chipotles are NOT enough to season this entire pot of soup full of veggies and beans and chicken! I added the following: 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon penzey's Galena Street seasoning, 1 teaspoon Mural of Flavor, 1 cube of low-salt chicken stock, a splash of each: red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. I also used to chipotle chiles instead of one (one left unseeded). The clinatro and lime at the end ARE ESSENTIAL. I will make this again, with my changes.

    • Zosia on November 09, 2014

      Really delicious soup that's made with mainly pantry staples. It's not quick cooking, relying on a slow simmer to develop flavor, but it's worth the wait. It makes a huge pot but it tasted even better next day.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      It was pretty good but not great. I agree that more seasoning is needed. I also would streamline the recipe to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and just let them simmer in the soup.

  • Old-fashioned chicken and orzo soup with vegetables

    • Melanie on April 03, 2015

      Perfect winter lunch - warming soup packed full of chicken, noodles and vegetables. We liked the flavour of the herbs and spices in this one. Keep an eye on this when reheating for a second day as I found that the ingredients overcooked and flavour wasn't as fresh (much nicer on day 1).

    • Rachaelsb on February 02, 2022

      Delicious!! Very comforting soup with full, rich flavor.

    • Zosia on March 04, 2021

      Comforting soup with generous amounts of chicken and vegetables. Quite delicious with the fresh herbs added at the end.

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      I enjoyed this, but it wasn't necessarily worth the effort. If I make it again, I think I would omit the orzo, as the soup generally needed more flavor.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      A very nice soup with lots of vegetables, which I like. Don't skip the fresh herbs at the end, as they are essential for the best flavor.

    • hilarie on November 10, 2019

      I can understand why people find this recipe bland as it's cautious with the salt. If you salt to taste as you cook, it's delicious.

  • Spicy three-bean and corn chili

    • stockholm28 on January 08, 2022

      I enjoyed this but it won’t replace my favorite vegetable chili (the one from New Basics). This makes a lot. I got eight very generous servings. Most of the ingredients are pantry items or things I regularly have on hand in the winter. I didn’t find this chili terribly spicy. I think the cocoa mellowed it. I used dried beans and made the mistake of soaking the three types of beans in the same bowl and cooking them in the same pot. This resulted in the chick peas and cannellini beans turning an unappealing gray color. If I did this again, I’d separate the black beans out. It tasted fine and made a very filling and healthy meal.

    • anya_sf on February 25, 2023

      I didn't make this ahead, which I'm sure would have been even better, but the flavor was still really good after 30 min of simmering, even using canned beans. It wasn't very spicy (OK with us) but we really enjoyed the smoky seasoning. We topped ours with cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

  • Autumn vegetable soup with sausage and green lentils

    • stockholm28 on December 27, 2021

      Delicious soup that makes good use of CSA vegetables and is hearty enough for a complete meal.

    • pistachiopeas on February 26, 2018

      amazing soup that is now one of my favorites.

    • coryelizabeth on January 29, 2018

      This soup is solid, but it doesn't have the wow factor of other recipes from this book. But the recipe makes a ton! I definitely got more than the estimated 6 - 8 servings.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      Very flavorful soup that lends itself to many variations. It's easy to substitute the vegetables you have on hand. For some reason, I was expecting more of a lentil soup, but as the recipe name indicates, it is really a vegetable soup that has some lentils in it. Update: just made it again and was reminded how much we love this soup. The sausage makes it very hearty, like a stew. Keeps well.

  • Smoky tomato and potato soup

    • Rinshin on August 15, 2019

      Fabulous soup. Used garden fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Did not have smoked salt or smoked pepper but tasted fantastic without them. I love to make this again using those two missing ingredients. This soup uses no herbs or spices other than salt and pepper. Great soup to make and freeze when you have abundance of freshly picked home grown tomatoes.

    • stef on August 20, 2020

      Nice quick soup made in instant pot 25 minutes. I added cherry tomatoes, sprig of rosemary and rind of parmesan cheese. Served with cream and croutons. Repeat

    • joanhuguet on March 24, 2015

      I didn't realize that I needed a recipe for tomato soup until I tried this recipe! Wonderful depth of flavor and very simple to make. I often substitute smoked paprika for the smoked black pepper.

    • anya_sf on March 01, 2023

      Encouraged by other reviews, I tried this despite not having smoked salt and pepper. What I did have were fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika. Sadly, the soup was extremely bland (I did use water rather than veg stock). With a lot of extra seasoning plus creme fraiche, it was decent. I won't rate this, but would try again as written if I ever find smoked salt and pepper.

    • jimandtammyfaye on February 16, 2021

      Delicious soup. Made as written except a sub of chipotle chile powder for smoked pepper. Will purchase smoked pepper to try next time. Large enough batch to freeze several servings.

  • Fabulous French toast

    • Rachaelsb on December 01, 2019

      Yum. Takes care of too mushy on inside problem I always have with French Toast. I didn’t soak for overnight - just for a few minutes and was fine. Used brioche. Will definitely make again - would be easy for brunch crowd.

    • anya_sf on December 15, 2019

      Fantastic! I substituted sugar + 1.5 tsp vanilla for the vanilla sugar. I used a sourdough batard and got 8 slices (there was enough egg mixture for a couple more, but they didn't fit in the dish). After soaking overnight, the hard crusts were plenty soft to eat. I was able to fry all the slices at once on my electric griddle. After 10 minutes in the oven, the French toast was cooked through and puffed in the centers, but did deflate upon resting (which only affected their appearance). We enjoyed this with maple syrup.

  • Best-ever beef stew with pearl onions, mushrooms, and red wine

    • Rachaelsb on October 21, 2019

      Delicious! I added red wine earlier so not as intense. Great beefy, full flavor.

    • Zosia on March 23, 2017

      Unfortunately, this was not the "best-ever" but the only objection was the strong flavour of the wine which was added towards the end of cooking and was off-putting to some. Had I added it earlier with the stock and given it a chance to meld with the other ingredients, I think it would have qualified to be among our favourites.

  • Roasted pork loin with chive spaetzle, slow-roasted balsamic onions, and oregano mojo

    • julesamomof2 on June 17, 2018

      Thumbs down. I'm pretty sure this recipe has not been tested. I should have trusted my instincts that the rub had way too much salt. The end result was extremely salty, and very brown. I trusted the recipe since her original Flour book is one of my go-to trusted sources when I bake, but this one was a disappointment.

  • Denise's Dutch baby

    • jalfood on February 22, 2015

      Even though "they" say not to bake with Red Delicious apples since they get mushy, that's all I had in the house and I wasn't in the mood to go to the store. Since this recipe cooks so quickly, I didn't find any issue with the consistency of the apple. Delicious and easy recipe. I even used GF flour!

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      While Chang warns of this in the recipe, I found this VERY difficult to get out of the pan (I used a cast-iron skillet). It ripped into pieces and parts were glued to the bottom. This didn't stop me from eating the jaggedy pieces with great enthusiasm! But if I make this again, I'd need to try a different method to make this more servable.

    • anya_sf on October 08, 2017

      I had no problems making this recipe. It baked in about 20 minutes and got nicely caramelized on the edges, to the point of almost being burnt - but not quite - and nicely chewy. I was worried about sticking, so I removed the pancake from the pan immediately after dusting with powdered sugar. Pieces actually stuck to my plate as I was finishing eating, so I can just imagine how they'd stick to the pan. My whole family loved this and 3 people easily ate the whole thing. Actually, there was one problem: we wanted seconds.

  • Steel-cut oats with blueberry compote

    • Zosia on January 21, 2015

      This is a good, basic recipe for cooking nicely flavoured steel-cut oats that works perfectly every time and becomes a special treat with the simple blueberry compote.

  • Decadent Sunday waffles

    • Zosia on March 14, 2019

      Excellent waffles! Quite light despite the rich ingredients and crisp. Leftovers reheated well in the toaster.

    • MmeFleiss on February 03, 2021

      This is my current favorite waffle recipe. You don't need maple syrup because it's already pretty sweet by itself.

    • anya_sf on February 06, 2020

      I used whole wheat pastry flour. Possibly because of that, the waffles softened immediately. However, we crisped them in the toaster oven, which worked great since we needed to warm them anyway. The texture was nice and light and the flavor was delicious.

  • Vegan vanilla-mixed berry muffins

    • Zosia on July 07, 2014

      More cake-like than muffin-like, these were quite tasty though a little too sweet and oily. They had a good ratio of fruit to cake and unlike most muffins, were still very moist the next day. I used coconut milk and am tempted to increase the amount and reduce the oil next time (and perhaps use part whole wheat pastry flour and reduce the sugar as well!)

  • Boneless beef short ribs with Parmesan polenta

    • Zosia on January 19, 2020

      I made the short ribs only and they were delicious. I used Alice Waters's method of oven-browning the ribs before braising and finishing them in a hot oven at the end to give them a glossy finish. Mine were bone-in and cooked in an instant pot (40 minutes high pressure with natural release) with only 1 cup of stock. I pureed the braising liquid and vegetables after skimming off the fat to serve as a sauce. Family is already asking for a repeat.

  • Scallion pancakes

    • Zosia on October 27, 2014

      These turned out well (light and flaky and not greasy) and tasted good but they needed to be spectacular to warrant the time and effort that went into making them. Or maybe I'm just not a fan of fried dough.

    • Carpecookie on April 09, 2016

      These were light and flaky as the previous reviewer commented. It sounds more complicated and involved than it actually is. When it comes to hands-on prep time, it's not too demanding, but there are periods of rest and proofing for the dough, just like any yeast dough, that need to be planned for. I found the result was more than worth the effort to make this. These are the best scallion pancakes I've ever tried, and now any others I try pale in comparison.

  • Jeff's spicy turkey burgers with tomato-onion jam

    • Zosia on January 05, 2014

      This recipe produced juicy and delicious burgers; the flavours and cooking technique worked well with ground turkey but also with supermarket-bought extra-lean ground beef (which had to be cooked to well done). Don't skip the tomato-onion jam since it adds a ton of flavour and the extra can be frozen for another meal or two. The book's focaccia bun works well with it, but store-bought ciabatta buns did also.

    • janeh9 on July 01, 2022

      Just made these for the third time, so delicious! It does make a lot, so, out of curiosity, I weighed the turkey mixture - with all of the ingredients mixed in it was 28 oz…..easier to plan knowing that! The tomato jam is a great addition - this time I added a finely chopped celery stalk, then a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end. Will happily repeat.

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      These are quite good, though the recipe makes a ton -- definitely more than 4 burgers' worth! I agree with Zosia; the tomato jam is essential (and delicious). I swapped powdered chipotle for fresh, since that's what I had on hand.

  • Mulled apple cider

    • Zosia on October 10, 2017

      This was nicely spiced with citrusy tang from the orange. Thanksgiving 2017.

  • Caramelized onions

    • Zosia on August 02, 2017

      This is one of the few recipes in my arsenal of caramelized onion recipes (EYB showed me just how many I had!) that actually allowed enough cooking time for the onions to properly caramelize. The technique worked perfectly and the addition of thyme was a nice touch. I added a little sherry vinegar to a portion of them to serve with grilled sausages...really delicious.

  • Maple-apple upside-down buttermilk cake

    • stef on April 25, 2021

      A very moist cake. Not too sweet. Maple syrup reduction was ready in 20 minutes

    • anya_sf on November 30, 2021

      I made 1/2 recipe in an 8"x3" round pan, which worked fine except the apple slices were more crowded and not as pretty. Despite the warnings in the recipe, I managed to let the maple syrup boil over initially, so definitely watch it super closely. It never completely stopped foaming even on the lowest simmer, but did reduce (took the full 40 min) and got quite dark. The cake baked 60 min, which may have been a few minutes too long, but the cake was still moist. My family loved this cake.

  • Chilled Spanish white gazpacho

    • joanhuguet on March 24, 2015

      This was gross - the grapes were so sweet that the soup was unbalanced no matter how much extra salt and acid I added, and the partially blended, pulpy texture was unappealing.

  • Best Boston cream pie

    • joanhuguet on March 02, 2016

      Really too sweet - made about 12 servings for us, as opposed to the 4-6 suggested. I liked it better cold than at room temperature, and thought it was best out of the fridge on days 2 and 3.

  • House-made raspberry seltzer

    • joanhuguet on March 24, 2015

      While I liked having the raspberry syrup in my fridge, I would omit the vanilla next time. Its creaminess made the drink heavier and less refreshing.

    • Xyz123 on April 25, 2021

      I didn’t care for this.

  • CJ's spiced banana pancakes

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      I've made these many times, and they're amazing. The allspice and black pepper make them unusual (in a great way), and the bananas make them sweet and filling. Terrific!

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      These are unusual in that there is more banana than pancake batter. I worried that they'd be difficult to cook, but they actually turned out quite well on my griddle. I used lowfat milk and white whole wheat flour. Three of us had no problem eating them all.

    • dbuhler on February 04, 2023

      I was not sure these would work out because my batter was neither "thick" nor "gloopy" as the recipe suggests. My batter was quite thin. I did a 50:50 blend of KA AP flour and KA white whole wheat flour (70g AP, 75g www). I let the batter sit for about 10 minutes to hydrate and that did help some. They cooked up beautifully and the texture was wonderful. You really need to be a banana lover to enjoy these pancakes though, and sadly, we are not, so we will not repeat these. My banana averse kids do better when the banana is mashed and mixed into the batter rather than having chunks of banana in baked goods. If you love bananas definitely give this recipe a try!

  • Brown sugar-oat cherry muffins

    • coryelizabeth on June 27, 2017

      These were pretty good (I made the basic recipe) but not that memorable. The cherry flavor didn't come through that strongly. I probably wouldn't make them again, since there are so many great muffin recipes out there.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I made the cranberry version, which was delicious. With sweet cherries, I think you could reduce the sugar a bit. The full recipe makes 12 huge muffins. I made 1/2 recipe for smaller muffins and reduced the baking time. I also substituted plain yogurt for the creme fraiche and lowfat milk for whole milk.

    • dbuhler on August 19, 2023

      I've made these a couple of times and I do like them, however, I don't love how much the tops spread when I make just 12 muffins, so next time I will try to just make more muffins to try and get a better domed top. We all love the flavor of these, and I like how the feel a bit more hearty than other muffins I've made in the past. I will definitely make these again

  • Flour's famous egg sandwich

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      I haven't attempted these at home, but having eaten these in the cafe many times, I can attest that they are some of the best egg sandwiches I've ever tasted (and I've tasted a lot....).

  • Steel-cut oats with pear compote and crunchy pecans

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      The oatmeal is absolutely delicious, as is the blueberry compote. The leftovers congeal when left in the fridge, but they reconstitute nicely in a saucepan or microwave with a little milk.

    • ChelseaP on July 08, 2022

      I just made the toppings and did my usual way of making porridge. Was so lovely and warming, a great combo.

  • Spicy peanut-squash soup with chickpeas

    • coryelizabeth on January 21, 2018

      Another excellent recipe from this excellent cookbook. I did not add cream and the result was still spectacularly rich and creamy. Wonderful!

  • New England-style baked beans with thick-cut bacon

    • coryelizabeth on January 29, 2018

      Overall, a solid baked bean dish, but a bit on the sweet side. I'd recommend going light on the brown sugar and heavy on the mustard and vinegar, if you want a tangy final product.

  • Farmers' market salad with buttermilk-chive dressing

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      It takes some prep work but is worth it. Having made this several times, I've omitted the shocking step, and the salad has still been really good. The dressing is so delicious I could drink it.

  • Summer three-bean and potato salad with fresh herbs

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      This is definitely more delicious if you can find all three beans, though I've made it with only green beans and black-eyed peas and had good results. I prefer this salad with a lot of lemon and little or no tarragon.

    • anya_sf on August 26, 2018

      I omitted the black-eyed peas, increased the string beans, and also added romano beans. My potato must have been very large since it took 35 minutes to cook. I only used 2 green onions (didn't want the onion to be too strong), omitted the radishes, and substituted extra dill for the tarragon. I didn't need the full amount of dressing. The salad was excellent, enjoyed by the whole family.

  • Grilled tofu sandwich with olive tapenade and roasted vegetables

    • coryelizabeth on June 29, 2017

      The olive tapenade tasted great, but the overall sandwich was meh. The tofu slices were too thick and bland, and the roasted vegetables didn't impart enough flavor to carry the sandwich.

  • Seared flank steak salad with crumbled blue cheese, glazed onions, and Worcestershire vinaigrette

    • bwhip on May 22, 2019

      Excellent salad, with a really nice combination of flavors. The dressing was delicious, and the roasted onions and potatoes were a particularly nice addition. The only thing I did differently than the recipe was to cook the steak sous vide, finishing it with a nice quick sear on the barbecue grill. I’ll make this one again.

  • Cinnamon-cream brioche

    • bwhip on January 01, 2018

      Pure heaven. Not all that difficult to make. Even if they leak a little during baking (and they do), it doesn't matter. A real treat.

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I made 1/2 recipe with 1/4 batch of brioche dough. They were a bit tricky to assemble - you need to stretch the dough quite a bit to make enough room for the generous amount of filling. I was worried about leakage, they turned out fine. Boy, were they delicious. I think this is my favorite brioche pastry of all the Flour recipes.

  • Brown sugar-oat cranberry muffins

    • anya_sf on March 03, 2020

      I made the cranberry version, which was delicious. With sweet cherries, I think you could reduce the sugar a bit. The full recipe makes 12 huge muffins. I made 1/2 recipe for smaller muffins and reduced the baking time. I also substituted plain yogurt for the creme fraiche and lowfat milk for whole milk.

  • Summer vegetable soup with sausage and green lentils

    • anya_sf on September 11, 2023

      Although not my favorite, something about this soup keeps me coming back - probably because it's hearty, relatively healthy, super savory, and a great way to clean out the crisper/pantry. In addition to the basics, this time I had 1 smoked chicken sausage which I supplemented with bacon, 2 large zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, 1 ear corn, a potato, 14 oz can tomatoes, 6 cups chicken broth (and I added a glug of white wine), red lentils instead of green, and frozen spinach. It hit the spot.

  • Braised chickpeas and vegetables with couscous, harissa yogurt, and soft eggs

    • anya_sf on June 24, 2017

      I made 1/2 recipe and 2 of us ate it for dinner with no leftovers. It was quite good. Don't skip the fresh herbs or the harissa yogurt; the dish will be bland without them.

  • Heirloom tomato salad with feta, pistachios, watermelon, and nigella seeds

    • anya_sf on July 06, 2021

      I made a large, shareable version with less tomato, more watermelon, arugula instead of watercress, and pine nuts instead of pistachios, layering the arugula under the melon. Half the dressing was enough. Everyone loved this refreshing salad.

  • Sweet potato soup with Thai curry and coconut

    • fultre on January 18, 2022

      Delicious, great depth of flavor for minimal effort. Plan ahead for roasting, then cooling the sweet potatoes. Used extra celery, carrots and onion in lieu of fennel. Will make again.

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Reviews about this book

  • Oprah.com

    The author's inventive but totally approachable fare is just the thing for when you want something a little different, yet still easy and summery.

    Full review
  • Food52 by Tejal Rao

    The 2014 Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks vs. Smoke & Pickles by Edward Lee

    Full review
  • Serious Eats

    ...elaborate and detailed, each measurement checked and re-checked by Chang's meticulous hand. ...the recipes may not be the simplest to pull off, but they are certainly not confusing or difficult.

    Full review

Reviews about Recipes in this Book

  • ISBN 10 1452106142
  • ISBN 13 9781452106144
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Jun 04 2013
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 304
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Chronicle Books
  • Imprint Chronicle Books

Publishers Text

Following the breakout success of Flour, Joanne Chang brings us a book featuring more baking in equal part with savory foods from her four Flour cafes. She guides the reader through a whole day's menu at Flour in 120 recipes, from breakfast treats to fresh lunches of soups and sandwiches to creative dinners of roasted meats, stews and pasta, plus special party snacks and dessert. More than 60 colour photographs by Michael Harlan Turkell take us inside the Flour cafes and demonstrate the beauty of this delicious food.

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