• candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

  Great book. I especially like the side dishes section.

• sirprize on October 29, 2009

  love this book. it's my go-to cookbook for almost everything. i consult in here before i look in my other cookbooks for recipes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Red pepper-tomato soup

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Delicious! I have also made a creamy version by adding 1/3 pint cream and minced garlic cloves.

• Corn chowder

  • sayeater on November 04, 2021

    A good no-frills corn chowder recipe for when you just want an old favorite. I used corn cob broth that I had made previously and fresh corn. Pretty much what I've always made without a recipe, but nice to have one to go-by or pass along to others.

• Crunchy broccoli-cheddar soup

  • sayeater on January 20, 2022

    A solid starting point but needed some extra oomph. I doubled the seasonings, added some Burlap And Barrel fermented white pepper and it was much tastier but still not a wow.

• Collard and black-eyed pea soup

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Used kale instead of collard greens. Good soup.

• Mushroom-barley soup

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Good soup. I'll make this again using a better dried mushroom.

• Vegetables with Kamut and beans

  • Nancith on January 11, 2019

    For being such a simple, "plain" meal, it packs a lot of flavor, thanks to cooking the veggies in broth with lid off while the broth reduces. If you begin with a flavorful broth, you will end with an intense sauce. I used a veggie bouillon cube & water, & seasoned well w/ salt & pepper. Since I was in a little time crunch, my kamut was a bit undercooked for my liking, although hubby liked the chewiness.

• Chili

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Delicious! We use Hot Hungarian Paprika in this chili.

• Risotto with escarole

  • Nancith on February 09, 2018

    A tasty risotto, with the slight bitterness of escarole balanced against the smooth & mild rice. Easier than the typical risotto--minimal ingredients so make sure broth is good. I used the optional Parmesan which for me added a necessary flavor boost.

• Spasta

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    A great alternative "spaghetti".

• Quinoa-stuffed eggplant

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Just OK. If I make it again 1) omit sage and celery 2) add mushrooms.

• Szechuan broccoli

  • hbakke on January 18, 2021

    Page 179. This was an easy vegetarian dinner served with rice. I added red bell pepper as the recipe variation suggested and thought it was a fine addition.

• Pasta with olive oil and garlic

  • Christine on March 18, 2016

    This is pretty much as simple as it gets. I probably didn't even need a recipe and I definitely winged it when it came to amounts, using more garlic and oil that strictly called for. Cooking the garlic in the oil worked perfectly to mellow it out and it went well with the cheese (I used Romano.)

• Broccoli with oyster mushrooms

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Average.

• Sautéed broccoli with garlic

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    One of our favorite broccoli recipes. Very quick and easy. The broccoli ends up having a slight smokey flavor.Warning: don't stop stirring.

• Broccoli with orange and almonds

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Very good. I haven't changed a thing in this recipe.

• Winter vegetables for a crowd

  • Nancith on October 18, 2014

    This is a nice dish for a buffet table with a large group. I used a Cheddar blend rather than the Gouda. Could have used more seasoning.

• Parslied carrots

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Quick and easy-good flavor after adding some salt.

• Sesame carrots

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Good recipe. I liked the combination of sesame seeds, honey, and cardamom.

• Sautéed cucumbers with tarragon

  • rachaelwalker on September 14, 2011

    Good flavors. Be careful not to overcook

• Fennel au gratin

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Delicious! This is an easy recipe to double. I've used Swiss instead of Asiago cheese.

• Garlic green beans

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Just OK.

• Barbecue beans

  • Aggie92 on November 14, 2014

    Delicious, easy side dish. Only substitution was to use a 14.5 ounce can of whole tomatoes instead of fresh, and used the juice instead of water. Cooked for longer too, about an hour to really develop the flavors. The sauce was tangy and slightly sweet and slightly spicy (added 2 dashes of hot sauce in instead of 4 measly drops). Would also be good with white beans or pinto beans.

• Mashed rutabaga

  • Aggie92 on November 12, 2014

    Rutabagas and nutmeg...a sublime combination. Had to add a splash of milk to facilitate the mashing and cut the brown sugar in half. Just that tiny touch of sweetness along with the nutmeg made this a dish worth repeating.

• Roasted red bell peppers

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Easy. I rarely buy prepared roasted bell peppers anymore.

• Pesto vegetables

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    This was made to go with the Spasta on page 164.

• Marinated chickpea salad

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Very good fresh taste. I have also made this adding a diced garden-ripe tomato.

• Greek cucumber salad

  • candrika.jo on June 28, 2011

    Too much lemon for my taste. I now make it using half of the lemon called for. Refreshing salad.

• Mandarin quinoa salad

  • Nancith on July 30, 2014

    A nice summer side dish, easy to prepare, but a little bland. Perhaps using fresh grated ginger in the dressing rather than ground ginger as called for would give it some zing.

• Basil-mint cucumber and pea salad

  • Nancith on August 18, 2014

    The combination of mint & basil is very nice in this cooling salad. I had to use cherry tomatoes in place of cucumbers (forgot to buy them!) but it still made a quick & easy & tasty little side dish.

• Basic waffles

  • Nancith on August 26, 2014

    Not bad, although not as light & crispy as I like. I did substitute some yogurt for a small part of the milk, but that shouldn't have created a denser texture. For having to go to the trouble of whipping egg whites, I would have expected a lighter end product.

• Barley with mushrooms

  • Nancith on February 06, 2018

    A decent barley side dish, although some herbs, maybe thyme or rosemary, would definitely kick this up a notch. For me eating as a main dish, it was a bit uninteresting, but hubby liked it alongside a beef roast.

• Pasta salad

  • Nancith on July 05, 2018

    A very basic pasta salad, nonetheless enthusiastically eaten by all. I did add orange peppers & used Kalamata olives, plus threw in the marinade from the artichokes, some fresh basil, and more olive oil than called for. Easy recipe to double.

• Plum and strawberry jam

  • hbakke on September 22, 2020

    The intro to this recipe describes the jam as tart. No. It is not. It is very (sickly) sweet. Half a pound of plums and two cups of halved strawberries plus 1.5 cups of sugar was far too sweet for me. I added the juice of a lemon at the end of cooking to try to add some acidity and make it more palatable. It did set up well considering it didn't have any added pectin, but I don't think I would make this again.

• Raspberry jam

  • jay.moe on November 09, 2022

    I made the blackberry jam variation using frozen berries that I thawed in the pan over medium-low heat before adding the sugar. The jam required longer to cook down to a thick consistency than the recipe stated. It had a nice berry flavor and wasn't overly sweet. Next time I would add a little lemon zest or juice just for more complexity.

• Kasha varniskas

  • sayeater on January 29, 2022

    This recipe tasted just like my mom's (maybe even a little better). I subbed butter for oil because that's what I remember. This dish isn't meant to be a knock your socks off dish, just old-world goodness to warm your heart and stomach.