Notes about Recipes in this site

• Lemon almond cake with lemon glaze

  • Jane on March 23, 2020

    My 92 yo mother requested a lemon cake for Mother's Day. Based on the ingredients I had, this cake worked well though I subbed the glaze for the mascarpone and lemon curd topping from a Delicious Magazine recipe. It felt very extravagant using 6 eggs but the cake also got shared with neighbors under quarantine and my mother's carers. It's definitely a special occasion cake - very rich. I skipped the syrup soaking, not a fan of that.

• Mushroom-spinach soup with Middle Eastern spices

  • Laura on February 23, 2016

    I liked this better on the second day than the first. Still, it was disappointing. To my taste, there was too much butter used to saute the mushrooms and shallots and the butter flavor was too prominent. In addition, the spice combination was just a bit odd and did not blend well into the soup. If I were to make it again, I'd eliminate the allspice altogether and probably decrease the amounts of the others.

• Pasta with parsnips and bacon

  • Laura on December 03, 2018

    I almost never cook pasta, cream or bacon. However, our local Fresh Market had bacon on sale, so we felt obliged to buy some. Searching for bacon on EYB turned up this recipe. It was delicious! It was too much cholesterol for us, but we highly recommend it for anyone not concerned about that.

  • Astrid5555 on September 12, 2017

    I just love parsnips, so when I found a perfect bunch at the market I had to have them. Luckily my EYB search turned up this recipe, which was a winner! Apart from roasting the parsnips in the oven for 25 minutes, this pasta dish comes together quite quickly and is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Used lots of freshly ground Tellijerry pepper to cut through the richness of this pasta dish - perfect!

• Fragrant chicken soup with chickpeas and vegetables

  • Laura on March 01, 2019

    This was easy and simple to cook and had very nice flavors. Still, it didn't wow me, although my husband liked it a lot. I'd make it again because it's healthy and not too much effort.

  • e_ballad on May 01, 2017

    Perfect (nearly-) winter warmer. Very quick to prepare midweek as a handy standby.

• Peruvian roasted chicken with spicy cilantro sauce

  • vickster on March 15, 2018

    This is so good! The chicken marinade and sauce are both delicious. My house smelled like a Peruvian restaurant!

• Shakshuka with feta

  • mlbatt on May 19, 2017

    Our favorite shakshuka recipe... I use creamy Israeli sheeps' milk feta and only use 4 eggs, which makes 2 generous dinner servings (served with crusty homemade sourdough bread) with leftovers for lunch. I reheat the eggs very carefully, but would probably recommend just cooking the amount of eggs you need for that meal and cooking fresh eggs in the leftover shakshuka. I make this at least once a month, and lately have been adding harissa to the mix for extra spice.

  • wildalaska on December 05, 2020

    I make this every few weeks and each time I'm impressed by how something that doesn't take much effort can be so delicious and satisfying. I tried a few adjustments, some based on comments left on the NYT website, that I have kept: I don't use the feta (though I'm sure it's good that way, I just don't ever have it around and the dish doesn't seem to be lacking in any way without it), I add cooked lentils (about a cup or so) to make it an even more substantial meal, and I don't use the oven to cook the eggs (they cook just fine on the stovetop with a lid on the pan). I've also used smoked paprika instead of sweet a few times and that's delicious, as well.

• Middle Eastern herb and garlic chicken

  • Aggie92 on December 28, 2016

    I love this recipe, it was so delicious! Marinated 2 spatchcocked Cornish hens overnight. Roasted them in the oven for Christmas dinner. Skipped the yogurt sauce.

• Spice-rubbed spatchcocked chicken

  • Aggie92 on January 29, 2021

    Really tasty. I did use half the amount of dark brown sugar in the rub to give just a hint of molasses sweetness. Also substituted a mild New Mexico chile powder instead of ancho chile powder. This is a good all-purpose chicken rub that could be easily modified to suit your tastes or to use what you have in your spice cupboard...thyme for bay leaf, Mexican oregano for regular oregano, smoked paprika for sweet paprika, hot chile powder or ground chipotle chile powder for ancho chile powder. So much versatility.

• Fresh herb kuku

  • Christine on May 13, 2016

    I made a few changes, mostly because of what I had available... I used roughly a total of 3-1/2 cups of fresh herbs & lettuce as called for, but due to a comedy of errors, ended up using parsley, tarragon, & lettuce. A commenter on the NYT site said you can get away with almost any combination of fresh herbs, and I'm inclined to agree. I made the suggested substitution of cranberries for barberries, but due to distraction and being pressed for time, I stirred them into the egg mixture instead of preparing them separately with the grape molasses. With all that oil, the parchment paper was unnecessary, but the 1/4 cup for the dish was still a bit excessive. It didn't all get absorbed, so I soaked up the extra on the edges with a paper towel - I'd use a little less next time. I baked in a 11x7 dish since I don't have a 9x12 and thought bigger would have stretched the batter too thin. My version probably wasn't authentic, but it was so incredibly good. I would definitely make this again!

• Turkey and hominy chili with smoky chipotle

  • Emily Hope on May 03, 2021

    I've made this twice now and it's the rare dish that everyone in the family loves (well, except the kiddo who is only eating white foods...). Easy to put together, though it is supposed to simmer a while (I'm sure that I cut it short both times and it was fine). Good use for some leftover King City Pinks (and RG hominy), but I'd bet any bean would be good. I make it with one pound of ground turkey but probably keep the bean + hominy amounts close to what's called for in the full recipe, and the tomato puree somewhere in between. Most recent time served with spring onions, radishes and cilantro on top. Good with cornbread or muffins, and slaw.

• Chocolate babka

  • DKennedy on January 09, 2020

    I made my first babka today using a recipe in Sababa (it was our club selection) but I borrowed a lot of inspiration and touches from this recipe. Video available on NYT website is most instructive! Chocolate filling and streusel components are perfect.

• Salmon with anchovy-garlic butter

  • TrishaCP on May 21, 2017

    This is the same recipe as in Dinner, with the exception of a tablespoon of chives. With the garlic and anchovies, the chives were nice for freshness but could be omitted with no loss in flavor. A good solid salmon recipe.

• Red lentil soup with lemon

  • TrishaCP on January 19, 2019

    This recipe had been on my to do list forever, and it didn’t disappoint. I had it once with mint, and once with cilantro, and while both were good, I really loved the pop of mint with the lentils. I didn’t bother to purée my soup.

• Seared pork chops with kimchi

  • TrishaCP on April 05, 2020

    This was a nice use of kimchi and a nice quick evening dinner. I marinated the chops overnight and the flavor was good.

• Farro salad with leeks, chickpeas and currants

  • TrishaCP on May 22, 2017

    This is basically the same recipe as in Dinner. I think this version uses less oil, which I think is preferable because I thought the version in Dinner was too oily. Overall, the flavors of this salad are wonderful.

• Seared pork cutlets with green garlic salsa verde

  • TrishaCP on May 13, 2017

    I made the salsa verde to go with a pork tenderloin, and it is absolutely delicious and fresh tasting.

• Spaetzle with kielbasa and caramelized onions

  • TrishaCP on October 14, 2018

    I found this to be way too rich, even served with a sharply dressed side salad. I used pre-made spaetzle- I'm glad that I did because the reviews from the NYT website indicated people had problems with the dough in her version. I will say on the positive note that at least Melissa gave realistic timing for caramelizing onions!

• Spaghetti with garlicky bread crumbs and anchovies

  • mfto on July 03, 2016

    This is an easy, quick, and delicious pasta dish. I didn't have homemade breadcrumbs so used panko crumbs which are suggested as a substitution. I was cooking for Two and have no idea if my small can had 6 anchovies. I used the optional fish sauce (three crabs) which I hoped would make up for my cheap can of anchovies. I used a new hot sauce that I just bought, Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce, and it was good. I did use parsley but next time might try basil. My husband really liked this dish and so did I. Be sure to serve lemon wedges on the side. With a tossed salad, this was a good summer meal. If you have time, watch Melissa Clark's video.

• Roasted chicken thighs with peaches, basil and ginger

  • mfto on September 01, 2016

    This is a simple but delicious recipe. That is, it's delicious if you have delicious peaches. Ms. Clark says even if your peaches are not great, you will still be OK. I beg to differ. Although my peaches were from a farmers' market, they were way below great. I followed the suggestion of a commenter who suggested adding 1 teaspoon of maple syrup. Believe me, my peaches needed much more than 1 teaspoon, still I did as I was told. However a little maple syrup is a good idea even if your peaches are great. Also she said nothing about peeling the peaches but if I ever find great peaches that are not extremely ripe, I will peel. I assembled the dish 2 hours ahead and kept it in the fridge. I would do this again but my husband had the idea of soaking the cut peaches in a light sugar solution if they are not great peaches. Might try it. The basic dish is really good. In the fall, I might sub sweet potatoes, apples, or dried apricots or prunes for peaches..

• Hot honey shrimp

  • mfto on December 17, 2016

    At first I followed the recipe but quickly saw that there was not enough honey mixture to cover 1 lb of shrimp. So I followed readers' suggestions to double honey and ginger amounts but did not increase cayenne. I modified other suggestions and put about 1 1/2 tbs butter in no-stick skillet over medium heat just to melt butter and then turned off heat; added shrimp and honey mixture. When all was combined, poured onto parchment lined baking sheet. Put in 475 degree oven for 6 iminutes. I did not have scallions or chilies and forgot to add lime juice before serving but they would be a plus. I served with lime wedges and needed more. Needs lots of lime juice IMHO. I would add more ginger and more garlic next time but that is personal taste. With these changes, this is a very easy, fast recipe for two.

  • stockholm28 on March 07, 2019

    Very easy and fast recipe. I used half the amount of shrimp to make the recipe for one, but kept the same amount of honey mixture.

• Garlicky, smoky grilled London broil with chipotle chiles

  • nicolepellegrini on July 02, 2021

    This may be the best recipe for London Broil I've ever made, as simple as it was! The flavor was delicious, and the leftovers wonderful for making sandwiches the next day.

• The best roast beef for sandwiches

  • debkellie on June 13, 2020

    I can't access the hyperlinked recipe here in Aus without a subscription to NY times ...

  • debkellie on June 13, 2020

    Alternate source: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/a-roast-beef-sandwich-the-way-a-new-york-deli-makes-it/

  • averythingcooks on June 11, 2020

    I had a1.3 kg top sirloin roast hanging around in the freezer and this method & rub made awesome roast beef for sandwiches. The rub is a delicious mash that includes garlic & rosemary and the roast smelled awesome while in the oven. Roasting at 325, I pulled the roast at 129 F (maybe 85'ish minutes?) and it was a lovely moist pink that sliced beautifully. I actually found the recipe through a Google search and as soon as I saw Melissa Clark's name I came to EYB and found the blog here...now on my bookshelf.

  • luluf on June 13, 2020

    Hi Debkellie, I can’t either but I googled it and it also appeared in the Seattle Times so I saved it to my Copy Me That app which is where I keep online recipes

• Sheet-pan paprika chicken with tomatoes and Parmesan

  • blintz on November 25, 2019

    We didn't love this enough to make it again --even though it gets raves on the NYT site. The taste of Parmesan and paprika (fresh as directed in the recipe) mostly disappeared. The halved tomatoes made too much juice on the sheet pan so the thighs weren't crispy enough.

• Roasted hake with sweet peppers

  • blintz on June 03, 2016

    Delicious and easy. The sherry vinaigrette drizzled on at the end is a nice bright touch. Fast clean up too since everything is roasted on the same sheet pan. We had thicker hake fillets which held up well for leftovers the next night.

• Shortbread, 10 ways

  • abrownb1 on July 24, 2021

    The base recipe is very easy to make and tasty. A little too sweet for me so will reduce sugar slightly next time. It really doesn't come together as a dough in the food processor but bakes up well. Slice as soon as it comes out to avoid crumbling when cool.

• Crab pasta with snap peas and mint

  • apattin on June 26, 2020

    subbed asparagus. Very easy and good.

• Rye spaetzle gratin

  • Thredbende on May 06, 2016

    I used a teaspoon of thyme leaves for the branch, skim milk for the whole milk, ended up with more leeks than the 3 cups stipulated but cooked them all anyway, and cooked my spaetzle until they plumped up. This is a fine dish. And with a cheap spaetzle maker, easy.

• Sweet and spicy grilled chicken breasts

  • aeader on May 29, 2017

    Quick and easy summer dinner. I only left them in the marinade for 1 hour. Next time I would leave them in for 2 hours. Didn't have chives so just served with dijon mustard and that was perfect.

• Coriander-seed chicken with caramelized Brussels sprouts

  • chawkins on April 22, 2018

    Good dish with easy preparation. I marinated my drumsticks and thighs for about 6 hours. It is not a one-dish meal though, you do need a side to complete, she suggested polenta, but I served mine with smashed potatoes.

• Creamy corn pasta with basil

  • mrsmadam on September 09, 2020

    This is excellent. The only change I made was to make a quick corn stock with the cobs before using the water for cooking the pasta. Otherwise I made it exactly as written, with farfalle and basil. I had two day old supermarket corn. I can’t imagine how good it would be with farmers market corn. This makes four very generous servings. In the future half would be plenty for two of us, although I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch.

• Cornmeal waffles with bourbon syrup

  • emiliang on August 07, 2016

    Wonderfully nutty, caramel-y, syrup even without the bourbon. I'm giving this five stars for the syrup and three stars for the waffles themselves, which did not have a crisp, light consistency but were more like pancakes.

• One-pot braised chard with gnocchi, peas and leeks

  • colinpurrington on May 03, 2021

    I added grilled shrimp and pea shoots because I had them. Also upped the broth a bit because I was looking for a soupy version of recipe. Nobody complained.

• Korean scallion pancakes with vegetables (Vegetable Pajeon)

  • imaluckyducky on June 05, 2020

    Quick, easy to assemble, and has a good flavor and texture payoff. I stirred in some finely chopped kimchi and was happy with the addition.

• Buckwheat popovers

  • dinnermints on March 12, 2017

    These were very good. I've never seen butter in the actual batter of a popover recipe (or sugar, for that matter), so going by the Yorkshire Pudding by Serious Eats, I used a tablespoon of water in the batter instead of butter. I made the batter the night before, and let it sit on the countertop for an hour before baking. I used a mini-popover pan, baked them for 15min at 450, and then 10min at 350, not sure if they could've gone another 5 min. Poked 'em with a fork on one side to keep the shape.

• Lime nondairy ice cream

  • dinnermints on April 01, 2018

    This was pretty good, although I couldn't taste the lime so much - the coconut came through more. Next time I'd increase the lime and use brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup.

• Shrimp with creamed corn and feta

  • dinnermints on August 22, 2017

    My husband made this for dinner for himself a few nights ago while I was out having dinner with a friend. I ended up eating it for lunch (although there was no leftover shrimp), and it was fantastic.

• The ultimate veggie burger

  • Wlow on December 30, 2020

    Requires access to NYT

• Splayed roast chicken with ramps

  • stockholm28 on May 02, 2015

    Good technique for roasting chicken. I didn't find this recipe to be the best use of ramps. I liked the carmelized bulbs, but thought the greens could be better used some other way.

• Roasted carrot salad with arugula and pomegranate

  • stockholm28 on November 11, 2018

    This was absolutely delicious. The roasted carrots with the peppery arugula, fennel, and tart dressing was delicious. I used mint and walnuts.

  • Frogcake on June 18, 2017

    Simply delicious! I feel like like I've rediscovered carrots! The vinegrette is quite lovely, complementing the carrots very well. The salad ingredients play on the sweetness of the roasted carrots and the pomegranate molasses adds just enough tang and sweet to balance off the peppery arugula.

• Cumin-roasted pork chops and Brussels sprouts

  • stockholm28 on March 13, 2021

    Not the most exciting pork chop recipe, but this is a very easy and quick sheetpan supper. You can’t go wrong with roasted brussels sprouts. I thought the fresh sage might be too heavy, but once roasted it was crispy and subtle.

• Strawberry gingersnap icebox cake

  • stockholm28 on June 23, 2018

    Enjoyed this. Used Trader Joe’s gingersnaps.

• Crispy Parmesan roast chicken with lemon

  • sbessell on February 18, 2020

    YUM. The crispiest chicken skin.

• Red bean stew with fried onions and cilantro

  • bching on March 24, 2018

    We really liked this. It didn't reheat well, though--the pesto lost its zing. Next time, I'll divide the cooked beans in half and the pesto in half and add pesto when ready to eat.

• Roasted chicken thighs with winter squash

  • mharriman on February 07, 2020

    Excellent. Husband and I loved this dish. The spices worked well together for fragrant and tasty chicken. We especially liked the simmered then roasted lemons with it. I used acorn squash as Delicata wasn’t available. Acorn squash is one of our favorite vegetables, so it doesn’t take much for a recipe to be great if it’s included. Everything was fully cooked at 40 minutes (cooked five minutes longer than directed). Bonus - makes a pretty presentation. Will repeat.

• Avocado salad with herbs and capers

  • mharriman on June 13, 2020

    This was very good even though I messed up and scattered whole leaves and stems of parsley and cilantro on the bottom of the salad plates instead of just the leaves. That mistake made the leaves and stems more of a presentation than an edible part of the salad. The top part, the avocado and cilantro/parsley salsa dressing, was delicious. Will repeat following the directions more carefully next time. This salad went well with black bean and mushroom quesadillas (Cooking Light recipe).

  • babyfork on February 16, 2021

    This was really good and I'd make it again. I didn't add the parsley cause I'm not a parsley fan. Otherwise, I followed the recipe, but just cut the avocado into chunks and tossed with the dressing.

• Rum and chili roasted chicken thighs with pineapple

  • babyfork on October 02, 2020

    This is really good. I made it twice, but forgot to take notes at the time. I used boneless and skinless thighs. I think the first time I used green bell pepper in place of the habanero, and the second time a seeded jalapeno. Didn't want it too spicy since I was feeding kids too. This one's a keeper.

• Classic pasta salad with mozzarella, avocado and basil

  • babyfork on June 02, 2020

    I made this following the recipe exactly. I did add extra salt. As is, it's a bit bland but tasty enough. On the NYT site reviewers mention beefing up the dressing with other ingredients. I thought Sammy would like it but she wasn't a fan. I added marinated artichoke hearts and pepperoncini to mine to spice it up a bit. I didn't hate this and plan on eating the leftovers, but I'd try a different recipe next time or tinker with this one.

• Pressure cooker sticky tamarind baby back ribs

  • mzgourmand on July 06, 2021

    You definitely need to broil the ribs at the end to have them develop that caramelized surface. Recipe is good, but times bit off (as per comments on NYT website as well). I would reduce instant pot time to 25 minutes next time, at least with baby back ribs. Reducing the sauce made a gorgeous and delicious glaze but took longer than 15 minutes. I added a little more honey - may 1 TBS - but did not find the recipe sour-tasting as many others thought. Tamarind does come in different forms and concentrates, and I used a Thai tamarind concentrate that was tamarind but had been thinned to a sauce-like consistency already.

• Pressure cooker spicy pork shoulder (with sesame pickled cucumbers)

  • ddenker on January 18, 2018

    This was my first Instant Pot effort and quite a success! We thought the pork could have been cooked for 85 instead of 90 minutes to give it a little more bite. The spice was delicious and almost one year old and three year old approved (although we left the spicy sauce off of their pork). We broiled the meat in the oven for a few minutes which was perfect. We will definitely make this again!

• Brown-butter chocolate oatmeal

  • annmartina on April 29, 2018

    To make in the Instant Pot I reduced the water to 3 1/4 cups. I also increased the salt to about 1/2 tsp.

• Pasta with caramelized onion, Swiss chard and garlicky bread crumbs

  • Frogcake on December 13, 2017

    A lovely, simple weekday recipe. For the toasted breadcrumbs I omitted the anchovies. Otherwise everything else done according to the recipe.

• Herbed white bean and sausage stew

  • Frogcake on May 22, 2018

    An excellent stew made for my husband to eat while I was away. I doubled the sausage and added chicken broth in place of water. I didn’t presoak the beans. They were plenty soft and flavourful after two hours of simmering. Very nice served with my homemade bread!

  • rlgreen91 on May 17, 2020

    Next time I'll try adding more sausage and a Parmesan rind.

• Lamb tagine with apricots, olives and buttered almonds

  • Frogcake on September 18, 2019

    Yum. Important to brown the almonds in butter. I used a generous half cup of almonds. Served with Israeli couscous.

• Broiled fish with lemon curry butter

  • Frogcake on April 05, 2017

    A delicious combination of flavours and incredibly fast and easy. Will be making this one again.

• Roasted salmon with fennel and lime

  • Agaillard on May 20, 2020

    I made this yesterday - the recipe was good and deceptively simple. I liked it but didn't love it, just too simple and not special enough to take the trouble to come back to. Contrary to Melissa Clark, I would have gone a bit further cooking wise and let it char just a little! I avoided the paywall on the New York Times (I am a free subscriber and apparently they removed the 10 articles a month you can watch for free), and went to the Seattle Times, who also publishes some of the Melissa Clark recipes : https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/for-a-silky-velvety-soft-baked-salmon-insulate-with-a-fennel-bed-and-turn-down-the-heat/

• Rhubarb upside-down cake

  • metacritic on June 06, 2021

    Absolutely fantastic and quite easy. This is possibly the best upside down cake I've had.

  • chef.j on June 26, 2021

    Made with half rhubarb, half frozen (thawed) strawberries, and 2/3 cup sugar in the batter instead of 1c (which was absolutely sweet enough!). Made in a cast iron pan, instead of springform, based on comments on the NYT page. Baked at 325 for 1hr 5min. Tasted great! Our cast iron is too wide in diameter to flip out into a plate, so next time I'd use a smaller pan. And there has to be a way to simplify these instructions to use fewer bowls... :)

• Butter-braised asparagus and oyster mushrooms with peas and tarragon

  • Dcampos on April 24, 2021

    Sautéed some pre-boiled diced new potatoes along side the oyster mushrooms in a cast iron pan. Added lemon juice at the end and fried egg on top. This spring dish with fresh peas & asparagus will be a repeat.

• Roasted chicken with potatoes, arugula and garlic yogurt

  • StoicLoofah on August 05, 2017

    There may be a lot of juice that comes out of the potatoes and chicken after salting and resting. you don't need to add it back in

• Pasta with kale pesto and roasted butternut squash

  • skjohns on June 11, 2019

    6/11/19 - cooked for Patti & me: (1) Very good. Added grilled summer squash and grilled chicken. No butternut squash. (2) Cut squash in ~ 1/2" strips, shorter than the pasta. Do not cut chicken too small either. (3) a bit of lemon at the end, as the recipe suggests, is a good idea.

• Asparagus with walnuts, Parmesan and brown butter

  • Tiganna on June 05, 2017

    Very tasty and quick and easy to make. I saw warning comments on the NY Times website that suggested that the butter burns easily (butter is browned for four minutes before nuts are added for two minutes and then the garlic and thyme, pan is then removed from heat before the Parmesan is added). I didn't have any problems with either that or the Parmesan becoming gummy, but did keep the heat quite low to be on the safe side. We ate it with gnocchi which was nice, but probably not optimal. Sauce is a generous amount to the asparagus amount listed - would probably increase the asparagus content next time.

• Olive oil challah

  • hilarie on January 19, 2020

    This came out beautifully. Mixed in my Zojirushi bread maker. I didn't notice until it was too late that one of the eggs is reserved for the egg wash. Oops. The bread is still delicious. My oven is usually a little slow, but this was done right at 25 min.

• Spicy turkey stir-fry with crisp garlic and ginger

  • hilarie on January 17, 2020

    This was good. I doubled the garlic/ginger and the sauce per the comments on the NYT site. I'll grate the ginger next time rather than matchsticks. Left out the peppers for kid friendliness and served over rice noodles.

• Pomegranate-glazed lamb meatballs

  • ashallen on September 30, 2020

    This recipe has many fans on the NYT website, but it came out just OK for me. On the plus side, it was quick and easy. I thought the flavor of the pomegranate molasses dabbed on the meatballs was OK but not fabulous - I would have preferred more of a cooked, reduced glaze. Normally I would have stuck them back under the broiler to cook the glaze a bit, but I had already overcooked the meatballs. They're small and they cook fast! I was able to dab 1-1.5 tbsp pomegranate molasses on the meatballs before it started to slide off, so there was about 1.5-2 tbsp unused molasses. I would have also liked the meat to have been more strongly seasoned and/or flavored (e.g., more orange zest, herbs).

• Upside-down blood orange cake

  • ashallen on February 15, 2020

    This is a really great cake!! The sweet brightness of the oranges works really nicely with the cake which is rich and buttery. Texture's moist, tender, and firm without being dense. I used a fine stoneground cornmeal (House Autry) - worked well. My blood oranges didn't yield enough slices to cover pan bottom, so I added a few navel orange slices - very nice flavor after baking but chewier than the blood oranges. Batter looked a bit "curdled" while beating in eggs but baked up fine. Recipe doesn't mention pan depth to use - mine was a full 2" and cake rose to brim during baking. It needed 50 minutes in my oven, at which point edges were just starting to pull from pan sides and center was 195F. Top browned quite a bit but didn't turn bitter. Cake unmolded very nicely from pan (after giving bottom a good whack) and syrup soaked prettily into cake vs. spilling onto plate. I'll be trying this cake with other fruits, too (maybe cherries next!).

• Caramel rice flan

  • ashallen on November 27, 2019

    A delicious baked rice pudding with built-in caramel sauce. Rice pudding layer's great - tender rice topped with a thick custard layer. Very nice spicing. I ran out of cardamom pods and ended up using 2 pods vs. 2 tsp - probably just as well since my ground cardamom was very fresh - flavor in final pudding was good. Some notes/tweaks for next time... Pudding was more than done (180F in center) after only 75 minutes - check it early! I would have liked to have pulled it at 170-175F. My caramel sauce crystallized (perhaps because I used organic sugar) - next time I'd stir in 1-2 tsp corn syrup to help prevent that. I cooked caramel to 325F but would go higher for more flavor (335-370F). Recipe calls for arborio rice - I used originario/balilla which worked fine. Recipe calls for only 2 c water during initial cooking for rice - I ended up needing 3-4 c. It wasn't possible to cover the pot during either the rice water and milk cooking steps because it was eager to foam up.

• Spicy fried corn with bacon and chipotle

  • ashallen on September 27, 2021

    This is a delicious, quick, and easy dish for taking advantage of the last of this year's fresh corn. Prepping the ingredients took more time than cooking them. I was a bit short on bacon (had only 3.25 oz) but it was still great. Pretty rich for a vegetable side dish if you leave in all the bacon fat. Recipe suggests sour cream as an optional garnish - at first I thought it would be gilding the lily, but it was delicious. Author describes the dish as "fiery" but my scant teaspoon of deseeded chipotle yielded a pleasant low burn that we were happy with.

• Cornmeal plum scones

  • ashallen on August 04, 2019

    These are excellent scones - we make them all the time. On the cake-biscuit continuum that is the world of scones, they're closer to the biscuit end - they split in layers. The fruit/jam pocket keeps them from being dry and provides a pot of warm jam (and molten butter, if you like!) to dip into as you eat. I like using finely ground whole-grain cornmeal for these best (House Autry's good where I live) - a medium-grind cornmeal (e.g., Arrowhead Mills) made them grittier and denser. The plum compote in the original recipe is great - it plays very nicely with the corn flavor - but ready-made jams have worked just as well. Blueberry jam and homemade apricot lekvar have been great. Cherry jam and orange curd were tasty but swamped the corn flavor. The scones do great when they're frozen unbaked and then baked later directly from the freezer (after a few extra minutes in the oven). Also - using previously frozen cream for the dough works fine.

• Swedish meatballs

  • ashallen on October 28, 2019

    Super-tasty and easy to make. Recipe doesn't make a lot of sauce, but it's rich and complex. You can definitely taste the brandy so use one you like :). Subbing chicken stock for beef stock works great. Makes a deliciously decadent meal when eaten with scalloped potatoes. Freezes well.

• Braised chicken thighs with caramelized fennel

  • chef.j on June 26, 2021

    I used orange instead of lemon zest; dry vermouth instead of pernod, because of what we had on hand. SO GOOD.