Notes about Recipes in this book

• Posole salad

  • louie734 on April 04, 2020

    https://leitesculinaria.com/235052/recipes-posole-salad.html

• Corn-and-cheddar chowder

  • TheSparkThatBled on August 04, 2020

    I cooked this with slightly reduced portions because of what I had on hand. It turned out great and the leftovers reheated well too.

• Offbeat vegetable chowder

  • lily_z5lwe7 on February 23, 2026

    Ended up liking this! Added a little baked potato to help thicken. Used carrot instead of jicama. Used oat milk. Once i got the salt an horseradish balance right, it was really good.

• Smoky three-bean soup with tomatillo salsa

  • TheSparkThatBled on August 04, 2020

    I cooked this when I first bought the book. As written I found the broth to be too thin and the spicing to be one note. I think it could be good with some tweaks.

• Santa Fe-style green chile stir-fry

  • wyndle on August 30, 2025

    This was decent for the level of effort. I added additional peppers because I had them on hand and increased the amount of garlic. Wondering if ground turkey or chick would be a good substitute just to skip cutting up the chicken.

• Red beans and rice with tangy zucchini

  • deboChicago on February 11, 2020

    This was very tasty. Would definitely make it again.

• Beef fried rice with frozen vegetables

  • Zerobot on February 19, 2026

    Cooking in batches is key. Subbing in shrimp for beef is easy and works just as well, just make sure to pour off or cook away any excess water that might be released.

• Seared beef with rice vermicelli

  • Dcampos on April 01, 2025

    I didn't even make it with the beef and it was so flavorful. I used 2 tsp fish sauce and added soy sauce to equal 1/3 cup. The directions say to use either fish sauce or soy sauce. I am not crazy about too much fish sauce. It also calls for 2 T minced garlic which I thought would be overwhelming but it was perfect. This tasted like eating out at a Thai restaurant.

• Yaki udon with chicken

  • aceedubs on November 27, 2024

    Could absolutely microwave the chicken thighs per David Chang's method.

• Pasta with use-what-you've-got Bolognese

  • julesamomof2 on August 02, 2023

    Very nice, flexible pantry recipe. I had some fresh ground turkey to use up and little else so I turned to this one, and it was delicious for a such a minimal approach to bolognese. Will no doubt be repeated.

• Whole wheat pasta with carrot-top pesto

  • mjperkins on December 08, 2019

    Made just the pesto which is very yummy.

• Roasted beet gnudi with pistachio pesto

  • chaffinski on November 29, 2023

    Very dense

• Macaroni and cheese in a pot

  • kbrooks on May 19, 2025

    Quick and easy. Very creamy with the cream cheese. Good side or main.

• All-about-the-cheese macaroni

  • aceedubs on February 17, 2024

    Can use extra sharp cheddar too.

• Cauliflower tinga tacos

  • deboChicago on April 07, 2025

    This is a good option for cauliflower. Similar to a curry, but Mexican flavor palate instead of Indian. Great in tacos or separately. I used canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of roasting canned tomatoes. Also, note that it takes much longer for raw cauliflower to become tender in the blended sauce than the recipe indicates. In the future I might roast the cauliflower separately and then add it to the blended sauce for quicker results.

• Chicken with celery and leeks

  • chaffinski on November 29, 2023

    Fine. Added cashews for variety.

• Skillet teriyaki

  • kbrooks on May 16, 2025

    Basic guide for making teriyaki beef, chicken or pork.

• Charred whole cauliflower with mustard seeds

  • mjes on August 31, 2021

    I enjoy roasted cauliflower and am always on the lookout for new seasoning ideas. This South Asian flavor combination works well while the mustard seeds are used in sufficient quantity to provide a textural contrast.

• Skillet chicken Parm with spicy breadcrumbs

  • abrownb1 on August 12, 2019

    Good flavor but the sauce is very watery even after reducing for a while and doesn't really coat the chicken.

• Mushroom-sweet potato moussaka

  • Kabinetka on January 27, 2024

    An unusual recipe, which I made as mostly out of curiosity, but ended up really enjoying. I replaced the cashews with pine nuts, which felt more thematically appropriate, and used a mix of Japanese and regular Garnet sweet potatoes. I was surprised that this vegan twist really hit the notes of moussaka and felt very satisfying. I would make this again and I’d also like to try it with the addition of an eggplant layer.

• Beef stew with baked potatoes

  • jaelsne on November 06, 2023

    Great taste from an easy recipe.

• Moroccan-spiced chicken with carrots and olives

  • Kategi on November 03, 2019

    I used kalamata olives because I like them better and I already had them. I took some of the spices and put it into the chicken broth for the couscous I made to go with it. It was fast and easy. Maybe a little bland. I definitely undersalted. I didn’t have the size pan they told me so I used my cast iron pan and I think it was too much liquid. I’d cut down the liquid next time by nearly half.

• Brown-butter salmon with tomatoes and capers

  • Cheri on September 22, 2019

    This is so easy and quick to prepare. It’s fabulous with fresh picked cherry tomatoes. Recommended

  • leslie_z9zhn7 on March 07, 2026

    This was really good and so easy. I will definitely make it again.

• Dry-brined turkey with oyster-cornbread stuffing and gravy

  • ellwell on November 26, 2022

    This turkey method was a hit—probably the best fresh bird I have ever done. There was a competition in our household: traditional roasted in the oven (me) vs. fried outside in the fryer (all the men). I used the Bittman 4 day dry brine but just before putting in the oven, I slathered it in duck fat (go me! ). It came out with a beautiful color, the meat was not dry and everyone was happy. But I lost the competition, cuz fried turkey is awesome and an oven just cant get the skin that crispy. Sooo…. If you don’t have a fryer, I would recommend this method over all the others I have tried up to my ripe old age of 60.