Notes about Recipes in this book

• Panang beef curry

  • ashallen on July 11, 2020

    Good but not fabulous - I'd like it better with a few tweaks. Definitely very meaty with lots of beef relative to the quantity of sauce. Personally, I would have liked more sauce which was very tasty and flavorful (and rich!) even with using just the minimum recommended amount of red curry paste - I'd reduce the beef next time. I trimmed the short ribs pretty well of excess fat/membrane and assumed the remainder would "melt away" during the simmering step. Unfortunately it didn't (even with an extra 30-45 minutes simmering). Because of that, I didn't love the meat texture immediately after cooking but then found it improved significantly after chilling overnight (like so many other long-cooked beef dishes). Recipe mentions that the beef can be cooked up to 24 hours prior to assembling final dish - I'd definitely do that in the future for the improved texture. Recipe says to discard water used to simmer beef, but it's a nice base for beef stock once strained and degreased.

• Meatless "meat" sauce with chickpeas and mushrooms

  • Shewi128 on March 23, 2021

    I cooked this a second time after 4 years, and I have no idea why I waited so long to make it again. It's savory and somehow meaty. This goes high on my list for plant-based pasta sauces.

• Grilled spice-rubbed chicken drumsticks

  • chawkins on June 20, 2023

    I brined mine for an hour and skipped the cayenne in the spice rub. Quite tasty.

  • anya_sf on September 01, 2024

    Brined 30 minutes, the drumsticks were tender and juicy, although the skin stuck to the grill somewhat (probably I didn't oil it sufficiently). The barbecue spice rub was very flavorful with a nice kick from the chili powder (I used ancho) even without any cayenne.

• Stir-fried shrimp and asparagus in garlic sauce

  • bwhip on April 19, 2017

    This was easy, and had great flavor. However, we found it way too salty. Recipe calls for salt/sugar on shrimp, then another two tablespoons of soy sauce. I'd cut the soy sauce at least in half next time, or maybe even to a single teaspoon.

  • wodtke on June 14, 2017

    I made a half recipe of this, which with rice was generous for 2. It was ok, but nothing special. Won't make again.

• Olive oil cake

  • vickid59 on March 11, 2023

    This is a an easy cake that is delicious with a soft crumb. I used lime flavored olive oil and skipped the lemon zest. My first olive oil cake and I am now on Team Olive Oil Cakes!

  • verlaj54 on October 19, 2023

    It turns out great if you substitute oat milk for real milk, for those that must avoid dairy. Also, extra-wonderful flavored with almond extract!

  • Orleams on March 22, 2026

    Good. Reminds me of pound cake.