Notes about Recipes in this book

• Chicken with garlic confit and lemon

  • anya_sf on September 28, 2019

    I think my preserved lemon must have been extra salty. I rinsed it, but the lemon bits were still like little salt bombs. There was a lot less sauce than I'd expected, but being quite salty, it was best in very small amounts. I would have preferred more sauce (but less salty). The chicken only ends up nicely browned on one side - not sure why it isn't flipped over for roasting. My chicken legs were separated and they roasted for 25-30 minutes since I prefer them more tender and they don't dry out quickly. I think whole legs would need longer in the oven. Overall, this was okay (would be good if my preserved lemon weren't so salty), but did not wow me.

• Pork chops with celery and almond salad

  • bktravels on June 06, 2020

    Thick pork chops from our local organic butcher were fantastic prepared this way. We've had the celery salad multiple times and it is delicious. Most recently the celery was a bit old and the salad was somewhat bitter. Use fresh celery and be sure to include some leaves. Pistachio meats are a good substitute for almonds as a change.

• Breakfast salad with smoked trout and quinoa

  • anya_sf on June 05, 2020

    I adjusted the ingredient proportions to make 3 main course dinner salads using 1 head butter lettuce, 1 small head romaine, 1 cup quinoa, 8 oz smoked trout, 3 eggs, double the dressing, 3/4 cup yogurt. My family enjoyed it very much. There was a lunch serving left. Next time I'd only use 3/4 cup quinoa, but otherwise wouldn't change a thing.

• Apple cider and rum punch

  • sgpinson on November 05, 2023

    I used a bit of maple syrup (not quite a quarter cup) in place of the simple syrup. Delicious!

• Leeks in vinaigrette with walnuts and tarragon

  • hillsboroks on December 02, 2019

    I made this dish as a Thanksgiving side dish and it was lovely. The leeks are silky, the vinaigrette is an intense mustardy flavor with the walnuts and tarragon adding more flavor and just the right amount of crunch. Because you make the leeks and vinaigrette ahead and let the dish sit for several hours to meld the flavors before sprinkling on the walnuts and tarragon it is perfect for a Thanksgiving side dish.

• Very classic dry-brined roast turkey

  • chawkins on November 27, 2020

    Since it was only the two of us this year, I strayed from my tried and true Alton Brown’s Good Eats roast turkey for a simpler recipe. It turned out okay and only took about an hour and a quarter for a 12 lb turkey. Taste wise, I still prefer Alton Brown’s. This one was a bit salty for me even though brown sugar was included in the dry brine, but I am very sensitive to salt and I brined it for about 24 hours, probably should only went for 12 hours.

• Stock-braised turkey legs

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    Made these for Thanksgiving 2017--I halved the recipe and used only drumsticks rather than full legs. These smelled INCREDIBLE as they braised, and the result was very tasty and moist. I don't really think the pan sauce needed all that butter added--next time I'd just reduce it and serve as-is without adding the extra calories. I'd also squeeze in the sauteed orange juice to the sauce, which I think would add a nice extra jolt of acidity.

• If it ain't broke, don't fix it stuffing

  • sgpinson on November 22, 2021

    Loved this recipe. It was a bit too wet for my taste so I ended up cooking it longer than recommended. I reduced the eggs to 2 and the butter to a stick and a half. Next time I would also reduce the liquid to 3 cups, maybe even 2.

  • fultre on December 02, 2024

    Use this every year for TDay, omitting sausage and using chopped mushrooms instead. I also cut back the butter a bit; it is definitely rich and indulgent.

• Make-ahead gravy

  • fultre on December 02, 2024

    Tday gravy recipe, except we skip the fortified stock and use our frozen Ruhlman turkey carcass stock from the prior year. Increase flour by at least half.

• Ultra-creamy mashed potatoes

  • Dannausc on December 20, 2020

    I didn’t use a river or food mill as I like my potatoes lumpy. I liked the idea of steeping the garlic and rosemary in the milk. They were quite good.

• Buttery pull-apart dinner rolls

  • Lheslop on December 26, 2018

    These are excellent but best eaten right out of the oven.

  • Rradishes on October 12, 2022

    Everyone's favorite, cooked multiple times and comes out perfect every time. Can skip brushing butter on top

• Deep-dish apple pie

  • jzanger on January 23, 2020

    Part of “BA’s Best” series