Notes about Recipes in this book

• Walla Walla sweet onion dip

  • Rutabaga on January 21, 2018

    This is a great party dip. The caramelized onions really give it a great sweet, slightly smoky flavor. I didn't make the fried onion topping, which I'm sure would be great, but the dip stands well on its own.

• Home-wrecker sleeping dogs

  • Lsblackburn1 on February 08, 2021

    I’ve never spent so much time preparing a hotdog! But these were delicious, although very rich!

• Sawmill gravy

  • Rutabaga on January 22, 2017

    This gravy is perfect for biscuits and gravy, but beware - made as directed, it is quite spicy! I added only one tablespoon of hot sauce (rather than the three called for), and while my sauce wasn't one of the ones suggested in the recipe, this was enough to give the gravy a fair amount of heat. It was good for the adults, but unfortunately too spicy for my five-year-old. In future, I'd add only a few drops of hot sauce, tasting as I go.

• Sausage spice mix

  • Rutabaga on January 22, 2017

    What a good idea to have a jar of sausage spice mix on hand! I made it extra easy by measuring the ingredients in a Mason jar and shaking it to mix them. To ensure it wasn't too spicy for my five-year-old, I also left out the cayenne and red pepper flakes.

  • Rutabaga on February 01, 2017

    I mixed about three tablespoons of this mix into a little over a pound of ground chicken. Unfortunately, the result was far too salty. This was probably due to the fact that I added a little too much seasoning and because I left out the spicier ingredients, the mix was already slightly saltier than Earnhardt's version. Next time, I will use no more than a scant tablespoon for each half pound of meat.

• Simple roast chicken & pan gravy

  • Rutabaga on January 13, 2019

    I roasted the chicken to use in the chicken pot pie recipe in this same book. Having also tried a bite before adding it to the pie filling, I can say it resulted in a succulent, delicately flavored bird, although the skin wasn't as deep golden and crispy as I prefer. It was perfect for the pie filling, and would be wonderful for chicken salad or other uses. I still made the gravy to serve with other dishes. It's very rich and thick, and was delicious served atop porchetta-style roast turkey.

• Best buttermilk biscuits

  • Rutabaga on January 22, 2017

    Wow, are these biscuits good! They give my usual Tom Douglas recipe a run for their money. Amazingly, they were still soft and tender on day 2, when most biscuits will show a little staleness even after a trip to the toaster oven. To be fair, I also used a naturally cultured whole milk buttermilk from a local dairy for the first time, and I think that may have contributed to the superiority of these biscuits.

• Bacon, cheddar & scallion biscuits

  • Rutabaga on February 09, 2017

    Since Earnhardt's basic biscuit recipe turned out so well, I figured there was no way this version could be bad - and I was right. Using what I had on hand, I substituted sage for the scallions (although I'd probably prefer scallions had I had them), adding just a couple of tablespoons of chopped sage so as not to overpower the other flavors. The cheese flavor was surprisingly subtle considering I used two-year aged cheddar. If you want really cheesy biscuits, you could easily add more, but as is the cheese blended seamlessly into the biscuit dough and gave them a nice sophisticated edge. No surprise, these biscuits pair very well with fried eggs (and an additional slice of sharp cheddar!). And once again, the leftovers are great after a little toasting.

  • sam_q4d8yh on March 21, 2026

    The fluffiest biscuit I think I’ve ever made

• Sausage & sage biscuits

  • Rutabaga on April 29, 2018

    These are great, hearty biscuits. I didn't have the full amount of sage called for, and had only regular sharp cheddar instead of extra sharp, and while they were still quite flavorful, I'm sure they would be even better with stronger cheese and a good helping of sage. They would also be excellent topped with a fried egg and some greens.

  • Lsblackburn1 on July 26, 2018

    Halved the recipe and made them without the sausage. Also mixed everything by hand after using a pastry cutter for the butter. Amazing as a side for roast chicken!

• Mama Lil's peppers & Tillamook cheddar biscuits

  • Rutabaga on October 13, 2017

    The flavor of Mama Lil's peppers combined with Tillamook cheese (I use their Vintage White cheddar) is delicious. Unfortunately, something happened with my biscuits, and instead of rising in the oven, they spread out like pancakes. I've really no idea what happened - whether my baking powder was bad, or I measured the wrong amount of either baking powder or soda, or perhaps my dough was too wet (actually, I'm sure that was at least part of it). But since the base of this recipe is the same as the Best Biscuit recipe, which has previously turned out biscuits that truly are the best, I'm quite certain the fault lay with me. All in all, this is a great biscuit to use for savory breakfast or brunch sandwiches.

• Biscuit cinnamon rolls

  • Rutabaga on December 04, 2017

    I've often made the America's Test Kitchen cinnamon quick buns, which we really enjoy. This recipe produces a full half-sheet pan of larger buns with a more biscuity texture. They also aren't as gooey, as there is a lower filling to dough ratio. But then, I served them without the frosting, as I prefer not to overload on sugar at breakfast. With the icing, they'd be much more decadent. I also used about one third whole wheat pastry flour. My husband and I really enjoyed them, and I appreciated that they didn't feel as over-indulgent as cinnamon buns sometimes can. The kids also liked them, but weren't as crazy for them as they are for stickier buns (of course!). They are quick to make, and since you get a dozen large buns for your efforts, they would make an excellent breakfast option for a group.

• Zevely House shrimp & grits

  • Lsblackburn1 on February 16, 2020

    Was craving shrimp and grits and this totally fit the bill! Easy enough to make and very delicious. I did find her grits recipe pretty bland (and I hate bland grits!) so added milk and cheese to make them more decadent.

• Big love buttermilk fried chicken

  • Lsblackburn1 on July 09, 2020

    Amazing fried chicken! Just the right amounts of heat and salt. Used my 5 qt. Brasier for frying, which worked great. Now it’s time to clean up all that oil...

• Cornmeal dredge

  • Rinshin on October 19, 2019

    This makes crunchy crust. Surprisingly, the spice and salt taste was not prominent once fried. I only used this to fry okra so using this for oysters may show different flavor profile once fried. It is a good dredge.

• Smoked salmon pie

  • Lsblackburn1 on June 07, 2020

    This is delicious! Made with a biscuit crust - just patted the dough with my fingers to avoid the hassle of rolling it out. The ingredient list does not include lemon juice - just zest, but the directions say to add juice, so I used about 1/4 cup from the lemon I’d zested. The lemon really brightens this up and takes it up a level from your standard fish pie.

• Liquored pie dough

  • Rutabaga on September 11, 2019

    Ultimately, this produced the flakiest pie crust I've ever made. I was a little shocked when it called for one cup of vodka (or you can substitute ice water), but filled a measuring cup with ice, then added vodka to chill and dilute it. I poured about a half cup or more over the flour and butter mixture, then realized that made for a very wet dough. It's highly unlikely you would actually need a full cup of liquid, and I should have been more cautious. Fortunately, it turned out terrific - beautifully flaky, buttery, and easy to work with. I definitely recommend it for any pie.

• Red tomato cheddar pie

  • Rutabaga on September 11, 2019

    This is great tomato pie, although, as seems to always be the case for me, the filling doesn't hold its shape unless you serve it cold, despite the cornstarch. I like eating it warm, so am resigned to cheese oozing out as soon as I cut into it, even after 20 minutes of resting following baking. More importantly, the liquored pie pastry recipe featured in the book yields an amazingly flaky crust.

• Double-order fried okra

  • Rinshin on October 19, 2019

    Made this more as a curiosity and since I was making my usual Japanese style fried oysters and have the oil for frying prepped. Not sure why okra are cut into half inch sizes but it made for picking up with chopsticks handy. The crust was crunchy and most of it adhered to the okra during frying. Although the coating was liberally spiced, did not notice much taste of spice or salt once fried. Made the comeback sauce as given, but preferred the chili oil I had leftover from making the Brazilian soup. The sharper taste of chili oil went better than what I thought of rather bland taste of comeback sauce. I will make fried okra again, but will come up with better dipping sauce than theirs.

• Pimento "not your mama's" mac & cheese

  • Rutabaga on October 29, 2017

    Rich and decadently creamy, this is an excellent béchamel-based macaroni and cheese recipe. If you want straight traditional mac 'n cheese, just leave out the peppers and cayenne. I made one pan like this for the kids. For the pimento version, I used Mama Lil's peppers, and added a few tablespoons of the oil from the jar, too. Fantastic flavor - not too spicy, but just enough heat to make it interesting. Made as written, this is a very saucy dish, and it's a very rich sauce. I usually make my mac 'n cheese with a higher ratio of noodles to sauce. You could easily do that here and still have a great dish, but I will say that it's delicious as an occasional indulgence when made according to the directions.

• Granny's Salisbury red slaw

  • KevinSeattle on July 29, 2023

    This is a fast, simple, and fully delicious side dish. And on hot days, it is incredibly cooling. It keeps for days, and any leftover tomato juice is delicious, too. Did not run it through the food processor, enjoyed the “regular” sized slice of cabbage.

• Go to church Brunswick stew

  • deb_nvs4j9 on March 06, 2026

    Very good stew. I used rotisserie chicken and a package of carnitas meat. Huge portion.

• Any time of the year tomato soup

  • Rutabaga on November 10, 2017

    This is a nice homemade version of tomato soup that tastes like an upgraded version of Campbell's. It's perfect if you want that classic tomato soup taste and texture without serving soup from a can. It's not difficult, but does take a little time, although fortunately it's easy to make in advance. After pureeing it in my high speed blender, I didn't find it necessary to strain it. Ultimately, I like the Tom Douglas Dahlia Bakery tomato soup better, but this soup is very good for those who prefer a smooth tomato soup reminiscent of childhood.

  • Lsblackburn1 on December 08, 2019

    This has become my go-to tomato soup recipe. Just what you want on a cold wet night. Perfect with her biscuits alongside.

• Loaded chicken potpie

  • Rutabaga on January 13, 2019

    This is a good, classic chicken potpie. The biscuit topping is fabulous, of course, because it uses the "best biscuit" recipe from this same book. Since I roasted the chicken at home, as instructed, it was a time-consuming dish to make, but using a rotisserie chicken would make the process much faster. It makes a lot of filling, probably enough to fill a six-quart pot. I poured half of the filling into a large sauté pan, then topped with the full amount of biscuits. To my mind, that was actually the right ratio of biscuit to filling, and it still easily fed eight people. This also enabled me to freeze the remaining filling so I can easily make another pie later this winter.

  • SaraLena on March 16, 2026

    I added quartered mushrooms

• "Not just for Monday" red beans & rice

  • Lsblackburn1 on June 11, 2024

    Delicious, which is fortunate because the recipe makes a ton, so we’ll be eating them all week. Served with the coconut rice. Used Rancho Gordo Domingo Rojo beans.

• Comeback sauce

  • Rinshin on October 19, 2019

    Made as directed to be served with their fried okra. It was ok, but there are much better sauces out there than this one. Won’t be making this one again. For dipping fried okra, best to look for more assertive sauces.

• Browned butter banana bundt cake

  • hbakke on August 28, 2020

    Baked in 80 minutes. My arch nemesis, the Bundt pan, struck (or should I say stuck) again. After very thoroughly buttering the pan and waiting the instructed 20 minutes after baking, I unmolded half the cake, with the other half stuck like glue in the pan. My Bundt days are now officially over. Besides that disaster, the cake is delicious and I would make it again in a loaf or some other pan. It was moist and the browned butter addition tasted great.

• Brownstone front cake

  • Lsblackburn1 on October 04, 2020

    One of my favorite cakes to bring to friends! Absolutely delicious - moist and somehow not too sweet despite all the sugar in the cake. The frosting is super sweet - it’s basically pralines - and a beast to put on so it looks nice, but very yummy!

• Best chocolate chip cookies in Seattle

  • Rutabaga on October 13, 2018

    As you'd expect, these cookies are great. Fantastic, really. But they're not significantly different from other great chocolate cookie recipes I've made, such as the Smitten Kitchen's. Big, chewy, and studded with chocolate - that's them! Oddly, the forward to the recipe mentions topping them with fleur de sel, but that is not listed as an ingredient, nor is it noted in the instructions. I would recommend sprinkling it on anyway, although this time I didn't, simply because I didn't have any fleur de sel available.

• Aunt Chubby bars

  • Rutabaga on October 14, 2019

    It you like peanut butter and jam, you will love these bars. They have great peanut butter flavor! Once again, I was reminded that I need to purchase a metal baking pan, however, as I had to put these back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes of baking twice. In the Pyrex pan, they were still far too raw inside, even though they were nicely browned and set on top after the initial 45 minute bake time.

• Bittersweet chocolate bread pudding

  • Rutabaga on December 20, 2017

    Wow, is this ever decadent and delicious! It's the accompanying whiskey caramel sauce that really puts it over the top, but the bread pudding itself is just about perfect, as far as bread puddings go. The bread gets nicely toasted on top, while underneath it is soft and well saturated with the custard, but not so much that it loses the texture of the bread. My husband liked it so much that he agreed this should be our Christmas day dessert, too, which is perfect, as it's easy to make in advance and reheat.

• Salty whiskey caramel sauce

  • Rutabaga on December 20, 2017

    This is some of the best caramel sauce I've ever tasted, let alone made. I let the sugar get nice and dark before adding the cream and butter. That, combined with the whiskey, gave it a beautiful deep, complex rich flavor. It would make a lovely gift, and of course, it's a required topping for the accompanying bread pudding recipe in this book. Wonderful!