• kbrooks on May 08, 2026

  I've made at least 30 recipes,so far, from this book. Only one is one I wouldn't make again. This is a favorite cookbook!

• Smokeydoke on February 07, 2017

  Not understanding the Reichl hype, as a cookbook alone, it is mediocre. As a memoir, it's a bit depressing and dramatic. When I first saw the cover with "Recipes that Saved My Life" I thought she had struggled through cancer. Uh no, she lost her job. Which is devastating, of course, but people usually recover. Sorry, I don't feel the emotional connection to this book that others have. Her recipe-writing is infuriating, but the recipes themselves seem to be tried-and-true favorites, nothing too ground-breaking. This one is going back.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Shirred eggs with potato puree

  • julia_un405k on March 31, 2026

    A sweet brekkie for a group! Make the mashed potatoes in advance.

• Cider-braised pork shoulder

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    This is super easy and delicious. Good with mashed potatoes and the spicy kale recipe

• Buttermilk potatoes with brown butter

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Will not make again. End result not worth the effort.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    I agree. I love every recipe I’ve made out of this book except this one.

• Spicy Tuscan kale

  • Rutabaga on March 04, 2016

    This is a lovely way to prepare lacinato kale. As Reichl suggests, I added extra olive oil at the end, a nice green Tuscan oil, which really pulls the dish together. Cooking the onions until they almost melt lends the dish a gentle sweetness that tempers the strong taste of the kale, as does briefly blanching the kale prior to sauteeing it. My husband enjoyed this also, and even had seconds. Since he's typically ambivalent when it comes to kale, this dish will definitely be one to revisit.

  • Rutabaga on January 25, 2017

    I made this again, but was out of anchovies, so used Bomba tomato paste and a little fish sauce. It turns out the fish sauce was a mistake - it imparted an unappealing fishy flavor that you don't get when you make this recipe as directed. That's one variation I will not repeat!

• Nectarine galette

  • Rutabaga on September 09, 2019

    This galette is good when you want an easy-to-make dessert featuring late summer fruit. It's nothing fancy, but still delicious. My nectarines were fairly ripe, so they produced a lot of extra juice when marinating in the sugar. This wasn't a problem, except the the juices leaked out onto the baking sheet where they caused quite a mess. Fortunately, that didn't adversely affect the galette, other than the fact that it was a little harder to pry it from the pan. Next time, I will bake it atop a silicone mat.

• Spicy Korean rice sticks with shrimp and vegetables

  • sosayi on October 25, 2017

    While I struggled with execution on this, the end result was well worth it. I substituted broccoli for the asparagus, which is a suggested change. Once I started cooking, though, I realized that the broccoli would not be cooked enough for my tastes just by stir frying for a 2-3 minutes, so I changed course and blanched it quickly first. Then, the sauce calls for you to add a "splash" of soy sauce and vinegar (either sherry, balsamic or rice... I used brown rice). I'd estimate I used a few tablespoons of each, however, and did need to add some water to make it a little more pourable, as well. I kept adding and tasting until it seemed balanced. My gochujang is also a concentrated version, so I skipped the cayenne. It was plenty spicy, even for my husband who regularly adds extra spice to most dishes. Next time, I'd use a different veg to make it more quick cooking, but I'll definitely make it again.

  • Rutabaga on November 09, 2018

    This is a great easy stir fry if you can get a hold of Korean rice sticks. They are wonderfully chewy with a toasty crust when pan fried. I adapted the recipe by using broccoli and leaving out the spicy ingredients to accommodate the children. Since I doubled the recipe, I split it between two pans, then sprinkled Korean chile pepper flakes over one dish and added more to taste at the table.

• Easy "Bolognese"

  • rhughes24 on December 30, 2021

    One of my all time favorites. This is so simple with so few ingredients but the end result is phenomenal - just exploding with flavor, sweet from the pork and tomatoes, spicy, just so good. I like to serve this with whole wheat spaghetti, the whole wheat goes well with the rustic sauce. I'm sure it would be great with the fresh linguine from the book as well. Serve with plenty of grated parmesan!

• Turkey stock

  • Rutabaga on November 26, 2015

    This is a good, basic stock. I hadn't purchased turkey parts in the past just for the purpose of making stock, but it made the process simple and has the advantage of being prepared in advance of Thanksgiving if you would like to incorporate stock into your gravy in addition to the pan drippings.

• Turkey gravy

  • Rutabaga on November 26, 2015

    This is a very traditional tasting Turkey gravy, pale and creamy, and essential for livening up oft-dry turkey meat. I only used about four cups of stock, but I think I had more liquid in my roasting pan than Reichl plans on, as I added water a couple of times while the Turkey roasted.

• Apple crisp

  • skvalentine on February 02, 2022

    Very simple, delicious and comforting. Put this together last-minute on a weeknight and it was a big hit.

• Perfect pound cake

  • mayastonecastle on February 07, 2017

    I didn't have success the first or second time on this recipe. In it she instructs to use "scant cup" measurements. I really dislike imprecise measurements, especially in baking. She lists butter in weight and grams, why not the flour and sugar. Also, I think the temperature was too hot and it bakes for too long. I have the UK version. I'd be curious what the US version shows.

  • Rinshin on February 07, 2017

    Normally pound cakes bake at 350 F. And depending on the ingredients used, I've seen the time listed from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours with toothpick test. The US version shows 2 C cake flour. I can try baking it this week and will report here using her American version.

  • Rinshin on February 09, 2017

    I made this pound cake exactly following the recipe in the US version. At about 47 min at 350F, the pound cake was lightly browned on top and I tested using the toothpick. It came out clean. I think I could have pulled the cake out at this point if I did not care for the fully browned top and it would be good this way too. I I baked it to 1 hr per instructions, and the top was golden brown of what I always envision what pound cakes should be. I tasted it the cake immediately after coming out of the oven, and the taste and texture is just to my taste. It has the sweetness but not cloyingly so. I know pound cakes develop in taste and texture once cooled off and I think this cake will prove to be one of the best. The US version is 2 C cake flour, 1 tsp baking powder, bit of salt, 2 sticks of unsalted butter, 4 eggs (both eggs and butter at room temp), 1 C sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. I used metal 9 x 5 pan. Posted the photo.

  • Vanice on January 21, 2019

    Kinda crispy crust, don't know if that's supposed to be, but I loved the cake.

• Anchovy bread

  • sosayi on October 09, 2018

    The flavor on this bread was really outstanding. I think, though, that I failed in the execution, as mine lacked the distinctive and separate swirled layers that showed in the picture in the book. Where I think I went wrong is the whole part about leaving the edges free of filling. I think I went too close to the edge, so that the dough didn't seal and the filling seeped out during the bake. My final loaf was quite orangeish and oily/crisp on the bottom (which is not a BAD thing, it sure tasted good) and there was barely a discernible spiral when you sliced into the coiled loaf. I also didn't have the spacing/gaps in between the spiraled layers.

• High-heat turkey

  • Rutabaga on November 26, 2015

    Probably my favorite part of the high heat method for roasting turkey is how easy it is. I cleaned the oven the night before, and had no issues with smoke. Our bird was about 15 pounds, and in retrospect I don't think it needed more than two hours in the oven. But since my meat thermometer was broken I kept it in an additional fifteen minutes to be sure it was truly done. This made much of the meat drier than it should be, but it was nothing that a good ladle of gravy couldn't fix. I also salted the turkey prior to roasting, even though Reichl doesn't mention adding any salt. I had a hard time imagining roasting a turkey with no seasoning, however; it seems a little should be added at least.

• Basic chili

  • Rutabaga on January 31, 2019

    This is a nice, basic chili, even though I used bottled chipotle chile powder rather than make my own from dried anchos. I also used ground dark turkey meat instead of bison. It was a little too spicy for the kids, even though I was cautious with the chipotle.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    This is delicious chili recipe, especially when you start playing around with the add-ins. I usually add the chocolate, fish sauce, and vinegar.

• Turkey hash with fried eggs

  • Rutabaga on November 28, 2017

    I baked the last of my Yukon Gold potatoes the night before as Reichl suggests for easy grating. Instead of onion, I used a mix of shallots and scallions, and I also added some shredded Savoy cabbage that was past its prime (although still great for hash). With the extra veg, I decided to go for it and use a full stick of butter. It made for a hearty, satisfying breakfast, although my six-year-old turned up his nose because of the cabbage. The potato became thoroughly mashed as I cooked and stirred it, scraping up the crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. It was very reminiscent of bubble and squeak, just with turkey added. For those who like it spicy, serve hot sauce on the side.

• Pumpkin pancakes

  • Rutabaga on November 23, 2015

    These pancakes have a pleasant, lightly spiced pumpkin flavor, and are a nice change of pace from everyday pancakes. I probably enjoyed them more than my family. They still liked them, but generally prefer more traditional pancakes.

  • Yildiz100 on October 06, 2018

    Lightly spiced, very moist (almost too moist) texture. Required dirtying three mixing bowls as well as a small bowl to melt the butter, and I think there are better pancakes that require less cleaning.

  • mooo42 on October 31, 2024

    Whipping the egg whites is fiddly but worth it. It did make a lot of dirty dishes though.

• The cake that cures everything

  • jumali on April 05, 2016

    This cake was voted "best cake I've ever eaten" by 15 people ages 11 to 76. Based on comments on the NYT website, I doubled the frosting, and had enough to frost the cake generously, plus enough to frost an 8X8 pan of brownies. I used Ghiradelli cocoa powder and Callebaut unsweetened chocolate. I will be making this again (and again...and again)

  • anwade88 on January 07, 2018

    I am not the biggest cake fan, however this cake was really lovely. And the group I served it to raved about it. This makes a very large cake... as the recipe specifies. I created this cake for the 2017 eclipse. I will definitely make this again.

  • taste24 on June 22, 2020

    This is a fabulous chocolate cake. So many people raved about it and asked for the recipe. I also 1.5x the frosting per some NYT comments that I read online.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    Yes. This really is a great cake.

• Broccoli rabe bruschetta

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    Simple, easy, and very good.

• Venetian pork

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    We liked this. Nothing exciting, but homey,flavorful and couldn't be easier and mostly hands off.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    I really like this recipe. It’s very simple, but the glaze is delicious. I always make extra sauce for potatoes.

• Sriracha shrimp over coconut rice

  • danielis on March 06, 2018

    This is such a great combination. The spicy sriracha, sweet prawns and mellow coconut rice. This is a go to mid week meal. You can substitute the asparagus with other greens and it still works well.

  • pistachiopeas on October 07, 2018

    Mediocre, as one would expect from a dish with sriracha as the main seasoning.

  • nadiam1000 on October 24, 2018

    I thought the shrimp were good with simple ingredients and quick to make - I do like sriracha and lime and I added a good amount of salt and pepper - pretty straightforward flavors and not particularly exciting but tasty. I used haricots vert in place of asparagus which worked out very well. The rice on the other hand was delicious - creamy and flavorful with the coconut milk, it needed more than a pinch of salt but otherwise a recipe I will repeat.

• Potatoes au gratin

  • Rutabaga on June 18, 2017

    This is the best potato gratin I have had. All the cream and Gruyere cheese has something to do with it, I'm sure. I baked my dish for 35 minutes at 400 degrees, and it was perfectly cooked and nicely browned on top. Of course, it's so rich it's best as a special occasion dish, but it's well worth the occasional splurge.

  • chawkins on January 11, 2020

    Creamy and decadent, I made half a recipe, did not have enough cream, so made up with whole fat milk, it was still quite rich. The oven temperature is flexible. I cooked mine at 350 degrees F.

  • breakthroughc on January 04, 2026

    This is my go to recipe for scalloped potatoes. The method of bringing the sliced potatoes to a boil in the milk and cream mixture before baking works so well. It is truly a flexible time/temp recipe. I have done them low and slow and they were amazing and this Christmas I forgot to put them in and had to do them hot and fast and they were amazing.

  • DebCooks on May 09, 2026

    Good - not outstanding but good. I cut the cream a bit a and added a bit more milk.

• Sautéed spinach

  • kbrooks on December 01, 2024

    So simple and so tasty. I sometimes omit the garlic and saute sliced shallots instead. Above all, don't omit the anchovies! You don't really taste "anchovy " and it really adds a lovely umami flavor.

• Roast chicken with potatoes

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Great way to roast your chicken and potato side dish in one pan! I like the idea of removing all the fat and tucking it under the breast skin. Nice moist result.

• The diva of grilled cheese

  • Rutabaga on October 29, 2015

    This really is the diva of grilled cheese sandwiches. The simple addition of finely chopped garlic and onions (I used scallions and shallots), as well as pressing extra cheese on the exterior of the sandwich (I used Tillamook Vintage White, our go-to cheddar), do take grilled cheese to a new level of comfort. Using a non-stick or cast iron pan is probably the way to go, however, as I had a difficult time loosening mine from my stainless steel pan, and lost some of the delectable cheese crust in the process. We went to a Reichl book signing where they were offering samples of this sandwich, and after tasting it my four-year-old proclaimed, "Make this, mommy!", so it quickly earned the kid seal of approval.

  • sosayi on April 14, 2017

    This. So many times over, this. My go-to way to make grilled cheese now! I also use her crispy cheese technique on other grilled sandwiches (like tuna melts) and it's equally delicious. Try it!

  • pistachiopeas on October 07, 2018

    Excellent and will be made again and again.

  • hirsheys on October 20, 2018

    I liked but didn't love this grilled cheese. For me, the slightly uncooked taste of the alliums inside was what threw me off. That said, I definitely enjoyed it, and found it extremely filling. (I may also have overdone the cheese-y crust...)

  • Rinshin on February 04, 2023

    Made this using shallots, garlic and scallions for alliums along with extra sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese. Great taste but have to work on the cheesy crust part next time as mine was little sloppy. I liked the use of mustard on one slice as it added piquancy. Also added one crisped bacon and few slices of bread and butter pickles. For me, half the sandwich was enough as it was quite filling served with cream of tomato soup. Photo added with cream of tomato soup.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    OMG...what can I say that previous commenters haven't?! This is gooey yummy terrific. We vary our cheese choices depending on what we have; sometimes add crispy bacon. Works on any sturdy breed..especially my homemade Sourdough.

• Chicken fricassee

  • Vanice on January 21, 2019

    Wonderful sauce, if I were queen I would have someone take all the chicken off the bone for me.

  • kkmatti on February 15, 2024

    Very good. Very warm and mushroom-y sauce. Next time I would add twice the number of mushrooms and remove a few pieces of chicken to compensate. I didn't have white wine, so I used a red instead.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    I've made a number of different chicken fricassees over the years with various results. My final go to choice has been Julia Child's in Mastering the Art of French Cooking...until I made this recipe. This recipe is every bit as delicious and much less complicated and laborious. It's my husband's favorite. I could eat a bowl of the sauce all by itself ??!

• Applesauce

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Easy peasy. As said in the recipe, it practically makes itself. Definitely use it to make the Gingered Applesauce Cake recipe that follows in the book.

  • skvalentine on December 19, 2025

    Easy and pretty good. A little sweeter than I usually like, but no one complained :)

• Gingered applesauce cake glazed with caramel

  • jay.moe on September 12, 2024

    The cake was easy to make, using only two bowls and a whisk, which made for easy cleanup. Check for doneness 5 minutes early as it didn't take the recommended 45 minutes to bake. The cake was very moist and the crumb was tender. The ginger, cloves and cinnamon overpowered any apple flavor provided from the applesauce, but it was a very delicious spice cake. The caramel glaze complimented the warmth of the spices. Definitely worth making.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Delicious spicy cake. Good way to use applesauce.

  • Gnomesandmushrooms on March 02, 2026

    One of the best quick deserts. Everyone raves about it.

• Butter-toasted apricot oatmeal

  • Rutabaga on February 15, 2016

    The apricots add a bright sweet and tart note to warm bowls of steel cut oats. I cooked the oats in half water and half milk for an especially creamy dish. Since my husband and son prefer their oats without dried fruit, I was the only one in the family to add any apricots, but fortunately it's easy to serve them on the side for each person to add as they wish. I used unsulfered Turkish apricots, which are more sweet than tart.

  • AllisonML on March 01, 2026

    I became so obsessed with this recipe I ate it for a month straight for breakfast

• Lemon panna cotta

  • BasicStock on March 05, 2018

    This recipe didn't work for me. It never set up properly. It just says to use the juice and rind of 3 lemons, and my lemons were very plump and juicy. I think I had too much lemon juice going into the cream mixture. For a recipe like this, I think having the amount of lemon juice specified would help guarantee success.

• Tart lemon tart

  • Rutabaga on March 31, 2016

    The cashew crust has pleasant sandy texture, contrasting nicely with the smooth lemon curd. Because there were a few small bits in my curd, I pushed it through a strainer to remove them. The curd was nice and tart, just like the recipe title states, and I used Meyer lemons, as Reichl did. With regular lemons, you'll likely need more sugar.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    Good and simple lemon tart with very good crust.

• Spinach and ricotta gnocchi

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    This is really simple and good with brown butter sage sauce or light marinara sauce.

• Beef, wine, and onion stew

  • sosayi on October 19, 2018

    A good, basic stew recipe that turned out well for us, and we enjoyed it immensely, but it is more of a guide than an exact step-by-step recipe. Nothing about it was new/inspirational/something I couldn't have done without a recipe, so I doubt we'd repeat.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Nothing special. Lots of more memorable beef stew recipes out there. Our go to is California Beef Stew with Zinfandel and Roasted Vegetables in Aidell's The Complete Meat Cookbook.

• Banana bread

  • Kfaber on January 24, 2016

    Best banana bread recipe!

  • Rutabaga on March 09, 2016

    As you would expect with banana bread, this one is nicely moist and tender. I found the flavor to be rather one-dimentional, however. Since I was out of brown sugar, I substituted one half cup coconut palm sugar and one quarter cup turbinado sugar, so perhaps that affected it. It was much lighter in both color and density than other banana breads I've had, and the banana flavor was less pronounced, but I did cream the butter and sugar until very light and airy, which may not be the right method for banana bread. Still, it is wonderful topped with homemade chocolate hazelnut spread.

  • taste24 on June 12, 2020

    This was okay. Felt more like banana loaf cake than the familiar banana bread I'm used to. Agree with Rutabaga's notes: the color was very light and it wasn't very 'banana-y'. I would make other recipes before this one.

• New York corn muffins

  • Rutabaga on March 13, 2016

    These muffins are moist, tender, and lightly sweet, perfect for topping with butter and honey or jam. Anyone who likes "northern" style cornbread (in other words, sweet cornbread) will doubtlessly enjoy these.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    These are easy and delicious. We serve with the chili recipe.

• My version of Prune's bacon & marmalade sandwich

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Wonderful sandwich. Definitely don't use a wimpy marmalade...this calls for a slightly bitter, nicely chunky marmalade. I use Mackay's Orange Marmalade with Whiskey. Dundee would also be a good choice.The bacon should be slightly sweet and really crisp. Make sandwiches for a snack or lunch. Or cut up in small squares for an appetizer.

• Food cart curry chicken

  • rhughes24 on December 30, 2021

    This is so easy and delicious. It smells amazing while cooking too. I find it takes a bit longer for the chicken to cook through than she says. She also has a note about preferring hot sauce to white sauce, but why not have both? I always do - I make the white sauce using her measurements and use a nice pre-made harissa. I serve over basmati rice, and reheat the leftover chicken with leftover rice like I'm making fried rice, so all of the rice gets coated with the sauce. If you plan ahead enough to marinate the chicken this is a fast weeknight dinner.

• Big New York cheesecake

  • usingSpoons on December 20, 2015

    I replaced the chocolate wafers with digestive biscuits (I'm in the UK). If I did this again, I would reduce the butter in the crust by about half - some butter leaked out while the crust baked. Sublime smooth and creamy cheesecake though.

• Bulgogi at home

  • Kfaber on January 11, 2016

    This was delicious - had a ton of flavor- and fast. Perfect weeknight meal. Used some of my own additional toppings- peanuts, cilantro - that were nice complements.

  • PennyG on December 17, 2016

    Oh! This was a hit with us! Especially quick for me as I have a Korean market closeby where I can buy Korean "Bulgogi Meat" already thinly sliced. This will go into our regular rotation.

• Pork and tomatillo stew

  • Rinshin on March 31, 2016

    Somewhat tart tasting stew that needed some sugar to offset the taste. Unusual combo of orange juice, beer, tomatillo and black beans. I would add twice the amount of black beans next time. Added cubed avocado before serving. The taste was very good and somewhat similar to pozole.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Delicious stew! I doubled the black beans and used homemade Rancho Gordo beans. Only other change was to use Italian parsley as we are cilantro averse. The same recipe is in the cookbook Gourmet Today. If you're looking for a wonderful slow cooker version see Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce in The Gourmet Slow Cooker cookbook.

• Matzo brei

  • Rutabaga on April 05, 2016

    As Reichl suggests, I did find this dish comforting. Plus, it takes scarcely five minutes to make, perfect for a weekday morning. My four-year-old felt it wasn't eggy enough, however, so I'm going to try a two egg to one matzo ratio for him next time.

• Fannie Farmer's classic yeast-raised waffles

  • Rutabaga on June 21, 2016

    This is my new favorite waffle recipe, even better (I think) than the yeast waffles in How to Cook Everything. Plus, the amount of work it takes to mix the batter is minimal, you just have to remember to mix it ahead of time. They are light and airy on the inside, and crisp on the outside, although they will soften as they cool, so eat them hot off the iron.

• Moroccan purslane salad

  • Rutabaga on August 17, 2016

    This unusual salad is easy to prepare and adapt to taste. It would also be a great side dish at a picnic. I seasoned it with chopped preserved lemon and smoked paprika, and topped it with green olives. My five-year-old was not a fan, but surprisingly my seven-month-old really enjoyed it!

• Corn pudding

  • ksg518 on August 23, 2016

    Wonderful summer brunch dish. Reichl's idea of grating most of the corn gave this a great creamy texture with little pops of corn kernels. I added about 3/4 pound cooked bacon since this was going to be the main dish. I could also see adding sautéed peppers and perhaps roasted tomatoes (roasted to avoid adding more liquid). Four people devoured it and would probably have eaten more.

  • sck on January 01, 2018

    Amazing. We made this bunches of times last summer!

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    There are a gazillion corn pudding recipes. This is one of the best! For a variation add chopped chives or green onions.

• My pancakes

  • joyous on December 27, 2016

    Wow. These were delicious but I'm sure that is because of the entire stick of butter. Her advice about serving immediately while they are crisp is true.

  • Rutabaga on September 12, 2017

    Wow! These pancakes are really good. I used whole wheat pastry flour, and they were still incredibly light and tender. Maybe the whole stick of butter in the batter has something to do with this... I decided to try this because I wanted to make pancakes, but had no buttermilk or yogurt on hand. This is a great recipe to turn to at those times. For my family of four, I would also multiply the recipe by 1.5, or maybe double it if I wanted some leftovers. According to Reichl, the batter keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.

  • julesamomof2 on April 20, 2020

    Very good pancakes. I always appreciate pancakes that don't require buttermilk, since I rarely have it on hand. My only issue is they were far too salty, but that's easy, I will just reduce the salt next time. Will definitely make these again.

  • sosayi on December 31, 2022

    Lovely, buttery and crisp pancakes. Needed to add an extra splash of milk, as the batter was fairly thick. Would use WW pastry flour next time, or at least half WW regular flour, for a nuttier, more complex flavor.

  • kbrooks on May 01, 2026

    Absolutely the best! Sweet, salty, crispy. Perfect with just a little pure maple syrup.

• Crisp and easy potatoes

  • Rutabaga on June 06, 2017

    These potatoes turned out just the way I like them - perfectly crisp and well seasoned, and so hard to stop eating. While it's a simple recipe, it does take a little time (especially when peeling many small potatoes), so I made it more weeknight-friendly by cooking the potatoes before work and tossing them with the oil and seasonings before putting them in the fridge for the day. At home in the evening, I only had to spread them on a sheet pan while oven preheated - easy!

  • kbrooks on December 31, 2024

    Perfectly crisp exterior and tender interior. To save time I skip peeling the potatoes.

  • jessica_e8w974 on March 29, 2026

    These potatoes come out perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. To save time use larger potatoes. Makes peeling easier.

• James Beard's tomato pie

  • Rutabaga on August 13, 2018

    This is a lovely tomato pie, and the biscuit crust works so well. I would change a couple things next time I make it. First, I didn't have room to include a full two pounds of tomatoes, but still added all the mayonnaise/cheese mixture. This threw the tomato to topping ratio off, which I should have expected. Next time, I'll lessen the amount of topping. Also, I think I would prefer a one-to-one mayonnaise to cheese ration in the topping for a little more cheese and a little less mayonnaise. But all in all, this is delicious!

  • breakthroughc on November 02, 2022

    Oh my gosh, this is good. It is like a warm gooey tomato, mayo and cheese sandwich. I made with the last of my garden tomatoes and they were all small. I had to mound my tomatoes to get them all in. I was worried the pie would bubble over so I had it sitting on a foiled line cookie sheet and it didn’t bubble over. I was surprised the mayo cheese topping stayed put, but it did. I will this pie every year with garden tomatoes.

  • rhb on November 12, 2022

    This did not work for us. The biscuit dough was soggy and I agree that there was too much mayo. I used less mayo than called for and it was still too much. Flavors were decent. I wish that I would have baked the crust for a while before adding the tomatoes and topping. I won't try again, though. Just wasn't great.

• Fresh peach breakfast cobbler

  • Rutabaga on September 10, 2018

    This simple recipe works well for a morning meal. It isn't overly sweet, so you don't feel like you're just eating dessert for breakfast. The biscuit topping is unsweetened, and the natural sweetness of ripe peaches meant that a quarter cup of sugar was really all that was needed. My two-year-old especially enjoyed it.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Made this the first time for overnight guests and they loved it! Definitely use the lesser amount (1/4 cup) of sugar to avoid it being overly sweet. I have since made it with nectarines and that was also delicious. Added bonus- no need to peel the nectarines.

• Easy Vietnamese caramelized pork

  • Rutabaga on September 11, 2018

    I made this with chicken instead of pork; while not particularly crispy, it was still delicious and nicely caramelized. This is a good family dish, as people can customize their own portions. Extra plain cucumbers and sweet peppers are nice to have on the side to complete the meal.

  • pistachiopeas on October 07, 2018

    Very delicious. I'll make again. Good use of a small tenderloin.

  • Kduncan on June 19, 2019

    Not sure if I didn't cut the pork thin enough, but this didn't come out as crispy as I thought it would. The flavors would good, and I kind of want to try cooking this again to see if it works better a second time.

  • ksg518 on July 28, 2024

    Like a previous reviewer, I'm not sure I cut the pork thin enough so it never got very crispy. The flavors were good however so I might try it again.

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Husband loves this. We have it over rice or thin noodles. Sometimes use toasted cashews instead of peanuts. I may try using chicken instead of pork like Rutabaga did.

• Savory sweet pasta for Michael

  • pistachiopeas on October 07, 2018

    This was excellent, though I would use less pasta next time.

  • hirsheys on October 21, 2018

    I made a few small changes - 1) I cooked my cauliflower for much longer, but that's because I love really soft, roast-y cauliflower; 2) I used slightly less pasta than called for (what I had left in the box) - 9 oz; 3) I used anchovy paste, rather than anchovies. All in all, I found this yummy, and would make it again if I had a cauliflower sitting around. The one major change I'd make would be to increase the sauce/seasonings - I agree that the balance is off, even with my slightly lower amount of pasta.

  • pistachiopeas on June 03, 2022

    Made this again recently, as written, and really loved it.

• Eggplant and arugula sandwiches

  • sosayi on October 09, 2018

    We enjoyed these sandwiches; they seem like a good base to play around with. We subbed goat's cheese for the butter on the bread and drizzled extra balsamic and olive oil over the arugula. Maybe some roasted tomatoes next time?

• Tuscan bean soup

  • sosayi on October 09, 2018

    A great, very easy, bean soup that you can set and forget for hours. This was a lovely, comforting bowl on a cool, fall night. I used a smoked ham hock, which is all my butcher had, in place of the "meaty ham bone". RR suggests that you can add any meat from the bone back in, which I did, although I would have been just as happy without it. While I've tried many similar recipes, I loved the simplicity of this one and the lack of complications.

  • stockholm28 on January 23, 2024

    This was very easy but I also found it a bit boring. It definitely needed the drizzle of olive oil and parmesan at the end. I wish I had cooked it uncovered rather than partially covered. Not enough of the water had evaporated once the beans were done which made the soup a bit thin.

  • andy_zcd23f on March 29, 2026

    I followed the recipe pretty closely, except that I cut the onion, celery and carrots coarsely and then left them in the soup. Pureeing half of the beans created a fantastic, smooth texture. I will definitely be doing this again.

• Roasted tomato soup

  • sosayi on April 16, 2020

    Great hands-off method for making tomato soup. I didn't exactly measure, just followed the basic guidelines, and used canned, not fresh, tomatoes, but it still turned out well. Would repeat for an easy pantry dinner.

  • paulahomecook on February 02, 2022

    I make this all year. It's magic! Turns supermarket Roma tomatoes into fantastic, flavorful soup. In the summer, I sometimes have enough of my own tomatoes. No need to be super precise about measuring. This is sheet pan vegetable roasting at its best. It's delicious and my favorite tomato soup. Go grab some fresh Romas and give it a try!

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Couldn't be simpler. Roasting fresh tomatoes, heirloom or not, brings out amazing flavor. Instead of water, I use chicken stock to thin as necessary.

• Michael's grilled London broil with red onions

  • purrviciouz on August 28, 2020

    We enjoyed this and it was a simple dinner. I added braising greens to the onions when adding the marinade and thought it was a nice addition. I used half the meat but kept the marinate and onions proportion as written which i would do again.

• Gazpacho

  • breakthroughc on September 13, 2021

    This was a lovely Gazpacho. The watermelon was a nice addition, didn’t stand out as a flavor, just added the right sweet note. I used fresh basil, chives and parsley. Will definitely make again.

• Tomatoes and cream

  • rhb on November 12, 2022

    Delicious combo of ingredients!

• "Tandoori" chicken

  • rhb on November 12, 2022

    Very nice - we used chicken thighs.

• Crisp, lemony baby Yukons

  • Jviney on April 25, 2023

    A similar recipe to many out there, but these potatoes disappeared quickly at family dinner, and were relatively hands off. A low effort way to make potatoes more interesting.

• Great black beans

  • bhasenstab on July 23, 2023

    Without fail, this is my favorite black bean recipe. And yes, it is good enough that I now save bacon fat so I can use it in this bean recipe. Just watch those summertime habaneros! You can end up making your beans a bit too spicy if you don’t watch out. (My taste, of course.) Wonderful, and worth seeking out good fresh beans at the health food store for this recipe.

• James Beard's "onion rings"

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    You gotta love onions. And I do love this sandwich!

• Painless pasta for three

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Super easy. Wonderful with heirloom tomatoes. Adjust the amount of garlic to taste.

• Stuffed tomatoes

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    These are delicious served raw,unbaked or baked

• A slight variation on Marian Burros's famous plum torte

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Easy and tasty. I substituted yogurt for the buttermilk. The recipe doesn't specify, but be sure your butter is at room temperature. I've also made this with sliced, peeled peaches.

• Chicken stock

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Good basic stock. I use 8 pounds chicken parts (bone in,skin on) as finding a stewing hen these days is pretty impossible.

• Quick, easy do-ahead dinner for two people: a ten-minute meal

  • kbrooks on January 07, 2025

    Haven't actually made this recipe, as we don't eat lamb. However, reading the recipe the flavors sounded good, so I made the Brussels Sprouts ,trimmed and halved, with olive oil, smashed garlic, salt and pepper, Aleppo chili pepper white miso,maple syrup and tamari sauce. Yummy!

• Rhubarb sundaes

  • Melissa_427 on May 27, 2026

    Absolutely lovely! The addition of orange zest and simmering the rhubarb in orange juice was an absolute game changer in how I usually enjoy rhubarb. I didn't add ginger or vanilla (I just wanted to experience the rhubarb and the orange together) but I'm excited to try those variations as well!

• Jim Lahey's no-knead bread

  • DebCooks on May 15, 2026

    The instructions for this recipe are a bit loose and vague considering it’s bread —.and it’s lengthy process as homemade bread can be, but overall the bread tasted quite good. The crust was a bit tough but the bread itself is delicious.

• Bitten Word

  My Kitchen Year is a beautiful book. If you loved Gourmet, we think you'll find great comfort and memories in the book.

  Full review

• Eater

  Reichl walks through the hard year that followed the end of her ten-year run as editor in chief and brings her readers with her, and as she finds solace through cooking, we find comfort too.

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