Notes about Recipes in this book

• Hot and sour soup

  • djoh437938 on July 11, 2011

    this recipe is so good, had to go to a japanese market to find it, it is worth it, totally.

• Stir-fried portobellos with ginger-oyster sauce

  • jumali on September 22, 2011

    Tastes good but not worth the mountain of prep work and cleanup.

• Oven-fried onion rings

  • jumali on September 22, 2011

    A bit time consuming, but tastes very good.

• Blueberry cobbler

  • jumali on July 26, 2010

    An excellent recipe! The blueberries were the perfect consistency--neither too runny nor too thick, and the cornmeal added a great texture to the biscuit. I'll definitely make this again.

• Potstickers with scallion dipping sauce

  • love2laf on February 10, 2010

    Excellent flavour and cooking method for the wontons. I still find my patience worn thin by making so many little nibblies. The dipping sauce was only average though.

• Thai pork lettuce wraps

  • love2laf on February 03, 2010

    One of the few recipes I can't think to make an improvement on. After one bite, I stopped caring about the messiness of serving this way, and just dug in.I did not use pork tender loin though, I used pork shoulder, and I used my grinder instead of the food processor.

  • SACarlson on June 15, 2019

    I did exactly the same thing. Put pork shoulder through my meat grinder. This recipe is so easy and so wonderful!

• Italian vegetable stew (Ciambotta)

  • ecasey830 on October 06, 2019

    Labor-intensive but worth it

• Stir-fried beef and broccoli with oyster sauce

  • Kouture007 on January 13, 2013

    Everyone's favorite.

• Turkey gravy

  • Kouture007 on January 13, 2013

    Can be made ahead.

• Thick-cut pork tenderloin medallions

  • Kouture007 on December 20, 2011

    Bacon-wrapped version is fabulous.

• Skillet chicken pot pie with biscuit topping

  • Kouture007 on December 20, 2011

    Kevin liked it

• Cream cheese brownies

  • chawkins on September 14, 2015

    Very good fudgy brownies. I baked them in my counter-top oven a lot longer than the recipe stated, but then I adjusted the temperature and time for convection baking, I probably did not have to do that. From their television shows, their ovens seem to be convection.

• Braised red potatoes with Dijon and tarragon

  • chawkins on June 22, 2019

    Very creamy potatoes, slightly piquant from the Dijon. Quick and easy recipe.

• Drunken beans

  • chawkins on August 07, 2016

    Very good, the beans were so creamy. I quick soaked the beans on the stove and cooked in the Instant Pot. I started the recipe with the sauté mode, after the beans were added, switched to high pressure for 10 minutes. Released 10 minutes after cooking, and continued with recipe by using the sauté mode.

• Best butterscotch pudding

  • Analyze on March 25, 2017

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I made it side by side with the older "Butterscotch Pudding" published by the same company in the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, and this one was SO much more flavorful. Because you end up cooking the caramel to a deeper color/flavor, it turns out a better pudding with WAY more intense flavors; it also has more rich ingredients (more butter and cream). The older ATK recipe (while good) is incredibly mild by comparison (kids might like it better). If you do make this amazing recipe, I'll add that we personally preferred it without the rum, though it's good with the rum too.

• Applesauce snack cake

  • Analyze on March 12, 2019

    This is SO good! The base cake has a wonderful apple flavor and a great texture. I tried both this recipe, and the Oat-Nut Streusel variation. My husband, who doesn't normally like oat streusel or sweet quick breads, loved the streusel variation. I actually preferred this original version with the cinnamon-sugar topping, as in my opinion it complements the apple flavor in the cake better, and actually makes the cake taste more apple-y. You can't go wrong with either version, or try half and half like I did :) I already have several apple cake recipes that I love, and didn't think I needed another, but I did! I'm excited to try the ginger-cardamom version next. Personally, we had it for breakfast, but this would be great with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream too.

• Grilled Thai beef salad for a charcoal grill

  • SACarlson on June 28, 2019

    The ingredient proportions in the dressing recipe are all off. There are better recipes for Thai beef salad out there, so I would skip this one.

• Skillet-roasted chicken breasts with potatoes

  • Nancith on May 15, 2019

    Simple & quick to prepare, & hubby loved it! (relying on his assessment since I didn't partake).He loved the crispy skin, but also appreciated the juicy meat. The crispy potatoes were a nice accompaniment & the simple lemon-garlic sauce set if off nicely. I threw dried thyme in with the potatoes while they fried since there was no fresh to put in the sauce. Also threw in some baby carrots with the chicken to roast together.

• Flourless chocolate cake

  • Nancith on April 24, 2017

    This garnered rave reviews with our dinner group! Dense, fudgy, deeply chocolate & decadent. However, even with using 9" rather than the preferred 8" pan, the baking time had to be almost doubled before it got to the correct temperature for doneness. It was still quite jiggly even after cooling to room temp, but the time in the refrigerator firmed it up perfectly. Being in a bit of a hurry to serve it, we couldn't figure out why it was so hard to remove a piece, until I remembered the parchment paper! Don't forget to remove that!

• Sweet potato soup

  • Nancith on December 20, 2017

    Nice flavor, quite easy to prepare, a winner on a cold night. Not sure this is the best sweet potato soup recipe ever, as the recipe seems to imply, but for the simplicity, definitely a winner.

• Braised halibut with leeks and mustard

  • Rinshin on January 11, 2017

    Not bad, but I believe this can be better. Followed the recipe completely but for my taste, the halibut was bit on the dry side. I did like the reduced white wine based sauce along with cooked leeks but would have liked a more mustard taste. Next time I either reduce the amount of time fish poaches/braises or reduce the temp from 135 to maybe 120. Another method I might try is making the sauce ingredients separately along with leeks and using the aluminum enclosed packet of halibut and sauce ingredients for more tender fish and baking it.

• Quiche Lorraine

  • Rinshin on October 14, 2019

    Excellent proportion of eggs, egg yolks, milk and cream producing light filling unlike many with thick rubber-like surface. I added rough chopped mizuna green which was sautéed in bacon fat. A thin layer of dijon mustard was also brushed on baked crust before adding Gruyere cheese and filling. 35 min was almost perfect. Next time, 30 min for first check. I may like this version better than my other fav from Julia Child. Photo added.

• Creamy chipotle chile sauce

  • mamacrumbcake on April 14, 2018

    Really yummy and great with burgers and sandwiches. So tasty I could eat it by the spoonful!

  • Acarroll on January 27, 2024

    I was looking for a way to use leftover chipotles in adobo and this was perfect. I didn't have sour cream so I doubled the amount of (vegan) mayo. I also doubled the amount of chipotle, garlic, and cilantro. Was perfect served with crab cakes.

• Strawberry cream cake

  • mamacrumbcake on September 05, 2017

    The good: the cake is beautiful and impressive. The strawberry filling is delicious. (Don't omit the kirsch.) Just about everyone will enjoy it. The bad: Twice I've made this and twice the chiffon cake didn't rise as I had expected, though I followed the directions to the letter. I wonder if greasing the cake pan is the problem? Most other chiffon cake recipes say not to grease. Anyway, I'm not thrilled with the cake layer and in the future might substitute a different layer. Also, I didn't love the cream cheese whipped cream, but I was the exception.

  • Foodiewife on January 07, 2018

    This is one of my top fave ways to showcase fresh summer strawberries. The cake is easy to make and the frosting is billowy and so good-- without being cloyingly sweet. I wouldn't change a thing!

• Fluffy yellow layer cake with milk chocolate frosting

  • mamacrumbcake on March 21, 2019

    My days of disappointment with chocolate frosting are over! The milk chocolate version of this recipe was perfect with yellow cake—great chocolate flavor, smooth and creamy texture, not excessively sweet, and doesn’t crust over. And talk about easy—frosting from the food processor! Who would have thought? (This note is only about the frosting as I have not made this yellow cake recipe.)

• Cranberry-pecan muffins

  • mamacrumbcake on May 19, 2021

    These are nice, rustic muffins. They are not too sweet and they are deliciously nutty. I like the use of nut flour in this recipe and can see myself playing with different combinations of nuts and fruit. I used the food processor to mix instead of whisking. Turned out fine. I gently patted the streusel on top of the muffin batter; it adhered very well. These make an attractive, beautifully domed muffin.

• Lime-glazed coconut snowballs

  • mamacrumbcake on December 21, 2017

    Some people really love these and for the rest of us, they’re just average. Use the #60 (2 tsp) scoop; Do not overbake—the cookies tend to dryness. Add a couple of drops of lime oil to the glaze to enhance the lime flavor. The raw dough is very crumbly, and needs to be compressed well in order to hold its shape.

• Foolproof New York cheesecake

  • mamacrumbcake on September 28, 2019

    This cheesecake turned out absolutely perfectly. It is NY style, so it is rich, dense, and velvety. I followed the unexpected directions exactly—no water bath and high heat browning at the end— and got a beautiful brown top crust and no cracking. This will be my go-to cheesecake from now on. FYI, there was too much batter for my springform pan. (This is the same recipe as the one in Perfect Cake.)

• Skillet chicken, broccoli, and ziti

  • Foodiewife on January 07, 2018

    I have made this several times and it's very comforting and flavorful. I didn't change a thing in the recipe and it's consistently good.

• Creamy cauliflower soup

  • Foodiewife on January 07, 2018

    I was highly skeptical of this recipe, but have made this a couple of times. I splurged and bought a Vitamix blender, which made this very smooth and creamy. The cauliflower "croutons" and sherry vinegar makes this soup a MUST MAKE.

• Chicago-style deep-dish pizza

  • Foodiewife on January 07, 2018

    Excellent pizza and the dough is fun to make and easy to work with.

  • Shewi128 on January 16, 2023

    This pizza is fairly easy and is delicious. However, when the recipe says to give the dough some time to relax--pay attention to that. I didn't, and the dough wouldn't stretch up the sides of the pan. Otherwise, the recipe is great.

• Classic French onion soup

  • Dannausc on February 12, 2023

    Quite good.

• Hearty ham and split pea soup with potatoes

  • Dannausc on February 12, 2023

    Good and tasty.

• Classic macaroni and cheese

  • Dannausc on June 30, 2020

    Good but could have used more salt. Quite filling/heavy. I divided it into six servings, but 8 servings would have been plenty.

• Ultimate banana bread

  • Dannausc on July 05, 2020

    I only had 5 bananas so I didn’t put one on top. Pretty good. Nice texture. I’d probably skip the granulated sugar on top next time.

• Banana bread

  • Dannausc on February 23, 2020

    I only used 2 bananas because that was all I had. I only had 3/4 c. Walnuts so I added 3/4 c. chopped hazelnuts. Quite easy and good. It was a little dry, but that was likely due to only using two bananas. Still came out good though. I would definitely make it again.

• Roasted butternut squash with browned butter and hazelnuts

  • Dannausc on January 24, 2022

    Good but not as good as I had hoped.

• Crisp roast butterflied chicken with rosemary and garlic

  • Dannausc on February 22, 2020

    Easy and good

• Garlicky shrimp pasta

  • caa on May 22, 2018

    Too salty for us. Not sure if the clam juice adds a salty flavor in addition to the salt in the shrimp marinade and in the pasta water.

• Fresh margaritas

  • Partyof7 on April 18, 2022

    The best, smoothest, elevated margarita of my life. I used 1800 reposado tequila and didn’t bother to blend granulated sugar. I steeped it for 48 hours as directed in CI Magazine. I used my preferred Cointreau but ATK says Triple Sec is preferred… I will keep a quart in my freezer at all times for an instant top notch margarita for my guests. The crushed ice in the glass and shaking with ice is essential IMO or it’s too strong.

  • Partyof7 on August 05, 2022

    I’ve now used triple sec to use up what I had and I must say it’s delicious too and 1/4 of the price of Cointreau!??

• Vietnamese beef pho

  • chulskim on December 03, 2018

    This recipe was delicious for a first time Pho maker! It was very quick (a little over an hour). However if you don’t have all the spices on hand it might be a little expensive but you can find these for pretty cheap if you go to a place where you can buy individual sticks of cinnamon and star anise pods.

• Grill-roasted turkey

  • Shewi128 on November 25, 2022

    My husband did this for Thanksgiving, and it was great to free up the kitchen and the oven. It turned out very juicy and flavorful. It definitely tastes like it was smoked, so as long as you're expecting that, it's great. Also, it was cold outside, so the end cooking portion did take a while. We ended up finishing in the oven for the last 10 minutes.

• Slow-roasted pork shoulder with peach sauce

  • Shewi128 on October 17, 2022

    Good recipe, but not perfect. 1: Add more than 1 quart of water to the pan. Maybe my pan was wider than other roasting pans, but the water all evaporated and the jus burned on the bottom of the pan. The fat cap on the pork burned a bit. Also, the peach sauce did not reduce in 30 minutes. So, if you expect that, make sure the temp is above medium to achieve that. The pork tasted great with the peach sauce when it was finally done.

• Cincinnati chili

  • Shewi128 on March 12, 2021

    I made this again after trying it several years ago. The flavor is quite unique, and our whole family liked it. I did use ground turkey, which made the sauce more watery. So, if you plan on doing the same, you'll have to reduce the sauce a little longer if you want it thicker.

• Hearty lentil soup

  • Shewi128 on March 04, 2022

    This was simple and good, but not amazing. I liked it as a tasty and healthy soup.

• Pasta frittata with sausage and hot peppers

  • Shewi128 on October 06, 2023

    This was a really interesting recipe. It tasted like an egg dish, so it was like, is this breakfast or dinner? I have made frittata before, but never with pasta. I increased the sausage, but I would also increase the peppers as well. It got nice and crispy on the bottom. I would make this again if I have angel hair pasta lying around.

• Best chicken stew

  • Shewi128 on March 12, 2021

    If you want a hearty beef stew, but made with chicken, this is the recipe for you. It's hearty, thick, and meaty. The one annoying thing is that they tell you to throw away the chicken wings. When they cooled down, I took off the meat from the bone. This is delicious comfort food.

• Chicken pot pie with savory crumble topping

  • Shewi128 on November 07, 2023

    I cooked this as a make-ahead version where I made the filling the day before, then heated it up in the oven with foil on top the day of cooking. I also heated up the topping at the same time, then cooked as instructed. The flavor was more interesting and deep compared to normal chicken pot pie. The kids didn't love it due to the mushrooms, but they finished their servings.

• Chinese chicken lettuce wraps

  • Shewi128 on July 13, 2022

    These taste exactly like the ones at PF Changs, but even better as they feel more fresh. Of note, I used already ground chicken, and I had to take out oyster sauce d/t food allergies. For the 3 TB oyster sauce, I used 2 TB fish sauce and 1 TB Yoshida's gourmet sauce. Really worth all the chopping!

• Spicy pork tacos (al pastor)

  • Shewi128 on June 04, 2024

    5/5 stars. Undoubtedly some of the best homemade tacos I've ever made or eaten. The method of the chiles, the sauce, the braising, then the grilling.. is all a bit tedious. But man, these were good. Also, unless you don't like pineapple, increase the pineapple! I think what would've make this recipe A++ would have been a small amount of cabbage slaw for some crunch. We added chopped onion, but just a little slaw would have been nice. One person remarked that these were like taco truck tacos, and I definitely took that compliment to heart. Trust me, these are worth the work.

• Huevos rancheros

  • Shewi128 on July 31, 2023

    Cross-posted: This was my first time making huevos rancheros. I thought that the recipe was really easy to follow with good results. The tomatoes and vegetables were highly flavored from the large amount of chili powder. It easily fed 4 people with some leftovers. I'd definitely make it again.

• Quicker Indian flatbread

  • Shewi128 on February 06, 2023

    These turned out fairly well, but the dough was really resistant to rolling out and stretching. The flavor was good.

• Shrimp fra diavalo

  • Shewi128 on May 13, 2024

    Ok, so this was our first time flambeeing anything, so that part was less than perfect. But, this recipe was amazing. Very garlicky but also light. I used petite diced tomatoes which fit our texture preferences. I also used a technique that ATK posted online about tossing shrimp with baking soda prior to cooking to keep them from getting rubbery, and it worked great. We rarely eat shrimp, but I'd make this again.

• Classic French fries

  • Shewi128 on March 04, 2022

    Make sure you cook at the correct temperature and to the designated color in the recipe!

• Spaghetti with pecorino Romano and black pepper

  • Shewi128 on September 16, 2022

    We just didn't love this. It was ok, and not really much to it. I wouldn't make this again.

• Lemon pudding cakes

  • Shewi128 on July 13, 2022

    Very light ethereal dessert. However, they were so light that 1 cake didn't feel like enough. I made the individual pudding cakes and they all turned out great. I didn't make the fruit topping, but I'm sure it would have been nice.

• Summer berry pie

  • Shewi128 on September 06, 2022

    Cross-posted: The presentation of this pie is great. It's beautiful when you look at it, with the fresh berries at the top. The dairy-free berry pudding/puree thing also added some interest. However, it all fell apart (literally) when you cut open the pie. The pieces did not hold together, including the graham cracker crust. It would also greatly benefit from whipped cream. All in all, look was good, but the end result was not. I would not make this again. I'm disappointed because I've had this on my "to-bake" list forever.

• Vietnamese-style caramel chicken with broccoli

  • Shewi128 on April 03, 2023

    This took a bit longer than expected as they reported only taking 4-6 minutes to brown the caramel (more like 12-15 minutes). However, the result was worth it. The sauce was very salty, sweet, and savory from the fish sauce and caramel. It was very unique. Another note: I thought this was a one-pan dish, but it was not. I would definitely make this again.

• Triple citrus bars

  • Shewi128 on July 19, 2022

    I liked the addition of the cream cheese to the filling. The animal cracker crust got really soft. The toasted coconut adds a good textural element. I would make this again.

• Spice cake

  • Shewi128 on December 19, 2022

    Cross-posted: Good, solid spice cake recipe. It wasn't difficult to make, and I appreciated the additional step to bloom the spices in the butter. The batter was definitely thick, like they warned, so the cake is not light like a boxed cake mix. I did enjoy it a lot, and I would make it again.

• Scalloped potatoes

  • Shewi128 on December 28, 2022

    Super easy make-ahead dish if you have a mandoline. I liked the cheddar cheese on top instead of white cheese. I made these the day before baking, and the dish held up well until baking the next day according to the instructions.

• Fluffy omelet

  • Shewi128 on March 27, 2023

    I don't know what I expected, but it ended up exactly as described: very fluffy. It was like "cloud eggs" if you've ever had those. I did not enjoy this omelet texture at all.

• Easy sandwich bread

  • Shewi128 on May 08, 2023

    I was pleasantly surprised how good this bread was. It also sliced up nicely. I'd make this again, especially when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to shape bread or rolls.

• Brown sugar cookies

  • Shewi128 on July 13, 2022

    Absolute perfection. The best brown sugar cookie recipe out there. I haven't made these in years, but my husband made them last night, and they reminded me of how good this recipe is. Perfectly chewy and tender, with a crackly top. 10/10.

• Oatmeal muffins

  • Shewi128 on May 22, 2023

    Another good muffin recipe with perfect texture and oat flavor. Of note--you do have to let the batter rest for 20 minutes. I also had to cut out pecans due to food allergies, but I increased the oats in the streusel. I would make this again.

• Grilled pizza

  • Shewi128 on July 10, 2023

    The technique for this recipe takes a couple of tries to get it right. The effort it takes is worth it for the tender and chewy crust. However, I did a test of oven baked pan pizza versus thin crust grilled pizza, and almost everyone liked the pan pizza more, so... keep that in mind while you're juggling the oily crust from the pan to the grill.

• Pasta with chickpeas (Pasta e ceci)

  • Shewi128 on February 02, 2023

    I kept putting off making this dish because it just sounded "meh". But, the sum was greater than its parts, and it tasted really good. I used bacon instead of pancetta, and orzo instead of ditalini. It was very good, a little bit loose on the first night I prepared it (definitely thickened up as leftovers). I would make this again.

• Shredded chicken tacos (Tinga de pollo)

  • Shewi128 on August 08, 2022

    Cross-posted: the flavor and technique helped the chicken not be too dry. The flavor was good with everything in the taco. However, it wasn't super memorable for me. Also, the sauce didn't thicken properly. I don't know if I would make this again.

• Mexican-style pickled vegetables (Escabeche)

  • Shewi128 on August 08, 2022

    The flavor and texture were both good, but I would recommend thinly slicing or dicing carrots. Large chunks of carrots in a taco is not exactly something I love. However, I would make this again, just with tiny pieces of carrots.

• Chicken and sausage gumbo

  • Shewi128 on October 30, 2023

    This was my first homemade gumbo, so I have nothing to compare it to. It was fairly straight-forward to follow. The only problem I had was browning the flour in the oven. When I stirred it, it spilled on the bottom of the oven. It definitely made the roux and gumbo very brown. With hot sauce, it was a great warming dish!

• Walkaway ratatouille

  • Shewi128 on August 21, 2023

    Cross-posted This was my first time making ratatouille, so I didn't quite know what to expect. This method was fairly easy, and I did like the various textures in the vegetables. It didn't end up pretty--the sauce was a little brown--but the flavor was good. The recipe was easy to follow. My husband doesn't like eggplant, so I don't know if I'd make it again, but I thought it was nice.

• Skillet-roasted chicken in lemon sauce

  • Shewi128 on July 22, 2022

    Cross-posted: I used full bone-in chicken breasts, which kept the meat super tender. The sauce wasn't overly lemony. However, the amount of sauce was high compared to the amount of meat.

• Simple Israeli couscous

  • Shewi128 on September 12, 2022

    Make sure you stir while it's cooking covered. The couscous ended up slightly too tender, so watch the cooking time.

• Pasta with cauliflower, bacon, and bread crumbs

  • Shewi128 on May 20, 2022

    This turned out well, but the leftovers did not. My family said the leftovers tasted like garbage.

• Sausage meatballs and spaghetti

  • Shewi128 on August 14, 2023

    Surprisingly tender and good. They are definitely more fennel-heavy, so you have to like fennel for this recipe (you could decrease if you want). I used Italian-flavored ground turkey instead of Italian sausage, and I forgot to put in the shredded parmesan into the meatballs. However, the meatballs held together really well and were very tender. The sauce was light enough to not clash with the Italian flavored meatballs. I'd highly recommend!

• Tagliatelle with prosciutto and peas

  • Shewi128 on December 21, 2022

    We made this easy dish with homemade pasta, so that might be why this was a 5-star dish. Anyways, it was easy, flavorful, and everyone finished their portions (no leftovers even!). Another note about prosciutto: always separate the pieces after cutting. My laziness really does cause more work for me in the end.

• Thick-crust Sicilian-style pizza

  • Shewi128 on January 16, 2023

    I like this easy and large pizza. It's not my favorite, though. However, don't overdo the anchovies in the sauce--otherwise the flavor may be too prominent.

• Lemon posset with berries

  • Shewi128 on July 13, 2022

    Surprisingly light with all the cream involved. I'm a lemon lover, and this dessert hit all the right citrus notes.

• Chicken piccata

  • MOlson on August 15, 2020

    Chicken piccata (title misspelled)

• Pasta with creamy tomato sauce

  • Acarroll on December 24, 2023

    Omitted the cream because we served this with a rich mushroom/cheese/truffle ravioli. The flavors in the sauce itself were divine.

• Fresh corn cornbread

  • Acarroll on January 02, 2024

    Solid basic cornbread. Veganized it by using vegan butter and a combination of soy milk/lemon juice/cider vinegar for buttermilk. Picky kids loved it!

• Roasted butternut squash with goat cheese, pecans, and maple

  • snoozermoose on December 03, 2022

    One of my favorite butternut squash recipes!

• Israeli couscous with lemon, mint, peas, feta, and pickled shallots

  • snoozermoose on September 03, 2022

    This was fine. We thought it needed more acid. Bites that had the pickled shallots were better, but overall this needed more shallot.