Notes about Recipes in this book

• Niçoise sando with smashed egg & black olive mayo

  • SheilaS on August 07, 2021

    This is a very elevated tuna sandwich that I highly recommend. I used a can of lovely tuna belly and agree with the header notes that it's worth splurging on the good stuff here as you can really appreciate both the flavor and texture. The instructions are a bit confusing where you are first instructed to smash the eggs down on to the bread and then to put the tomato slices on the bottom - would that be underneath the previously smashed eggs? Minor quibble. Delicious sandwich!

• Spiced, grilled & swaddled chicken thighs with the works

  • Emily Hope on June 09, 2021

    This was a well-liked version of grilled chicken in a pita, if not remarkably different from other similar recipes (e.g. Diana Henry has a few that remind me of this one) -- C did remark that perhaps the yogurt made things a little more moist. In addition to the yogurt sauce, made some 2-minute stick blender toum (Epicurious) because it's garlic season! Would def. do that again. Served with a greek-ish tomato and cucumber salad with feta.

  • averythingcooks on April 23, 2022

    She calls for 2 lbs (ie 6 small boneless skinless thighs) & my 6 thighs (as usual) only weighed 1 lb - where do all these giant chickens live?? I halved the marinade and cooked the thighs in the air fryer which worked great. I had herbs to use and so added parsley & dill to the yogurt sauce and also chopped some romaine to include in the pitas. With a vinegary coleslaw on the side, we had a great dinner. I would repeat this chicken for sure.

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    Made it 3 times. i make a good red pepper hot sauce which I think is required to complete the dish. The marinade and the pickled onions worked out as well.

• Milk-braised chicken with bacon, beans & kale

  • Astrid5555 on November 22, 2021

    Delicious family dinner, served with mashed potatoes. Excellent feedback from my teenage sons.

  • lhkelsey on September 28, 2021

    This was a tasty recipe!! Such incredible flavor but a little dry. Next time I’ll serve with some bread. I cooked some mushrooms in another pan and served them in the side of the bowl.

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    The bone in chicken, chicken fat, and milk braised for a good amount of time really transform the chicken and resulting broth into something special. A commenter said it was dry but thats not really possible in this preparation. Unless maybe the milk is too shallow? And the dutch oven in the oven is covered. Especially because of the milk, the chicken falls off the bone and its the most tender thing imaginable. Add the creamy texture of the beans - Delicious!

• Minty lamb meatballs with crispy cabbage & tahini sauce

  • Astrid5555 on December 12, 2021

    The best part of this recipe was the cabbage, but I just love oven-roast cabbage. The meatballs were nice too, but as mentioned before the mint does not come through. The overall combination of meatballs and cabbage with the sauce was quite tasty, would repeat.

  • KarinaFrancis on November 17, 2021

    Another just ok dish from this book. The meatballs are nice enough but the mint doesn’t come through, I wonder if dried mint would amp it up? The best bit was the roasted cabbage, I’ll do that again

  • rachelleg88 on May 31, 2021

    Made this after getting home pretty late one night and it was fairly fast and delish! The meatballs were so juicy! I added in some asparagus and had some ramps on hand, and threw them in with the cabbage. So good!

• Coconut shrimp with crushed chickpeas & basil

  • Astrid5555 on September 18, 2021

    Agree with pattyatbryce - does not need the shrimp, very delicious over rice. Sustituted rose harissa for sambal oelek, both kids loved the sauce!

  • pattyatbryce on September 17, 2021

    Enjoyed. Would be good without the shrimp. The chickpeas and rice made for a filling dish alone.

• Paccheri with pork & lentil ragù

  • Astrid5555 on November 23, 2021

    Great way to sneak some lentils into your kids’ (and husband’s) diet. The whole family happily finished everything, just perfect.

  • ShannonS on November 25, 2021

    Used a fraction of the rosemary called for and would probably skip it in the future. Would not hesitate to serve the sauce over rice as well as pasta.

  • Lepa on October 19, 2021

    This is a unique and satisfying dish. It's creamy and has a wonderful umami flavor from the pork, anchovies and tomato paste. The recipe was perfect and I wouldn't change anything about it!

• Black sesame shortbread

  • Astrid5555 on December 12, 2021

    Made these as part of this year‘s christmas cookiebox. My shortbread spread in the oven (my mistake) so I cut out round cookies after baking, which worked fine. Delicious though!

• Marinated lentils with spiced walnuts & lotsa basil

  • michalow on July 04, 2022

    This is a simple but delicious lentil salad with nicely balanced flavors and textures. Despite the prominence its given in the recipe's name, I skipped the basil. Instead, I tossed in some salad greens and tomato.

• K-bas & cabbage soup

  • jenmacgregor18 on March 08, 2022

    I really wanted to like this. We love kielbasa. My only change was to substitute parsley, as we can't abide dill. The kielbasa was overwhelming in the soup. It came across as too strong and smoky. I ate some of the Kielbasa by itself and it was fine. The sour cream definitely helped. But just not enough to make it work for us. It may absolutely require the dill to offset.

  • Lepa on September 10, 2021

    I wasn't sure about this soup until I added the dill and a dollop of sour cream at the end, which made it delicious. I should have checked the reviews here because @cheffreddie's idea of adding lemon seems like the perfect finish and I'll do that next time!

  • Lepa on September 10, 2021

    Update: I had leftovers for lunch and added a squeeze of lemon and it made the soup even better. Thank you to @cheffreddie for the brilliant idea that seriously elevated this already delicious soup.

  • ginger2212 on October 12, 2021

    I couldn't believe how flavorful this became! I can't tolerate beans so I swapped a zucchini. The vegetables were delicious paired with the sausage, dill, and sour cream. I agree lemon would be an excellent addition.

  • cheffreddie on July 15, 2021

    Surprisingly quick and easy, especially if you use a bag of pre-chopped cabbage like I did. I followed the recipe exactly and tasted it right before serving, and thought it tasted a little flat. I added the juice of half of a lemon, which added just the right amount of brightness and dimension it was missing. I'd like to try making a vegetarian version of this next time with mushrooms instead of sausage and mushroom stock!

• Pork sausages with mustardy lentils & celery

  • jbuchman on March 19, 2022

    Easy and delicious. Can substitute chicken sausage.

  • Lepa on June 13, 2022

    This is a really satisfying dinner. I don't love the celery salad, even if it is a nice contrast here, and might make a simple arugula salad instead next time.

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    It was a good flavor combination. This one is easy yet I think with a few tries getting the lentil texture and flavor balance right can make it even better. I am a sucker for french lentils.

• Skirt steak with red chimichurri

  • meggan on April 23, 2021

    Made the red chimichurri in the blender which was very fast. Used it as a shrimp marinade and sauce for the steak.

• Red chimichurri

  • meggan on April 23, 2021

    Made in the blender which was very fast. Nice smoky flavor.

• Charred Brussels with soy butter & fried garlic

  • hirsheys on December 24, 2021

    Quite tasty. A bit of a fuss to make, but definitely a nice recipe all in all. Make sure to stir up the sprouts at the end so that the sauce and honey get well incorporated.

  • KarinaFrancis on May 31, 2022

    Not a bad recipe, but not a likely to repeat either. The sprouts were indeed charred but the dressing wasn’t as wow as I expected from reading the ingredients. I just don’t seem to be having much luck with this book

• Pastrami roast chicken with schmaltzy onions & dill

  • Wende on May 23, 2021

    This is really a great chicken dish. It's roasted at a very high temp, so be sure to check it to make sure it doesn't dry out especially if your chicken is on the smaller end of the recipe chicken. The flavors are wonderful (the chicken did not taste like pastrami per se, but the same spices made for a yummy chicken) and it smells amazing. The onions are delicious on their own. There are no instructions about what to do with the garlic so I squeezed some of the cloves into the pan sauce and stirred it around. It was delicious.

  • Paulacastillo on June 22, 2021

    Delicious. I skipped the dill garnish but other than that followed to the letter with a small chicken and turned out absolutely delicious. The onions and the garlic are spectacular and the chicken turned out really tender. We made tacos with the leftovers with corn tortillas and cheese and they were delicioso!! Will make it a staple at our home.

  • foodgloriousfood on September 03, 2021

    After only 20 mins my 4lb chicken was starting to get too dark on the breast (convection roast, so no harsh heat from above) I had to put a patch of foil on that area. At 30 mins my onions were intensely searing in a dry pan as the juices hadn’t released from the chicken yet. I added about 1/2 cup of water so the vegetables wouldn’t burn. At 49 mins the water needed replenishing - another 1/2 cup. After all that the chicken was very juicy due to the steaming and vegetables were perfectly cooked at 60 mins as per the recipe and everything was delicious. But this recipe wouldn’t have worked for me without the water. I would have had a dry chicken sitting on black charred vegetables. My oven is accurate and I used a very heavy pan (Staub) so I am not sure why this recipe worked for others as written and not for me. When I eyeballed the recipe I was concerned - brown sugar and 450F heat for one hour I felt, did not bode well. I cut down the sugar by 1/4 too.

• Caramelized fennel with Parmy frico

  • Wende on May 23, 2021

    This recipe is absolutely delicious. It makes use of the whole fennel and the layers of flavors and textures make it crave-worthy. Everyone in my family loves it.

• Sweetie P's with peanut-chile salsa

  • KarinaFrancis on October 20, 2021

    I thought this was just ok, I felt like the dressing was lacking something. I’m not likely to repeat

  • Agaillard on September 23, 2021

    Just made it and nice! I loved it! Very pretty too, and the sauce is addictive...Stayed mostly true to recipe except replaced chile by a mix of cayenne and espelette pepper. Agree on the fact it feels like a side. I would add rice for a vegetarian meal and I myself supplemented with a small sandwich of duck rillettes :)

  • Kduncan on July 15, 2021

    This was a pretty quick dinner, made exactly to recipe, which we really enjoyed. Our only qualm is it felt more like a heavy side dish then a main. If we had a side dish probably would have felt more like a full meal.

  • pattyatbryce on October 14, 2021

    Just ok

  • foodgloriousfood on June 15, 2021

    It was ok but wouldn’t make again. I had to amp up the honey, red chile flakes and ancho powder for it to have enough flavor to complement the sweet potatoes and peanuts. Not a keeper for me.

• Hot 'n' crispy chicken cutlets with kimchi ranch

  • KarinaFrancis on November 16, 2021

    This is my third recipe from this book and so far I’m underwhelmed. The best part of the recipe is the kimchi ranch which was delicious. The kimchi/yogurt marinade doesn’t make any difference to the finished cutlets and the coating struggled to stick. Not a repeat for me.

  • MonicaMadeIt on May 09, 2022

    we LOVED this. had no trouble with the breading staying on the cutlets, and the kimchi ranch was good enough to eat with a spoon. served with some chopped cucumbers.

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    Kimchi and ranch was a nice combo that can be used in other recipes too. Tasted great with the crispy katsu!

• Peanutty pork noodles with crunchy celery

  • KarinaFrancis on October 21, 2021

    I thought this was just ok. The sauce was really good, lots of peanuty flavour and a nice kick from the sriracha. I don’t see the point in making patties then breaking them up so I just left the pork in big lumps which worked. Not sure if I’d make it again

  • coryelizabeth on September 27, 2021

    I made this with ground turkey and found it somewhat lacking, but....the recipe is a celebration of pork, after all. 3 TB of honey made the final dish quite sweet, at least to my palate; those who prefer things on the savory side might prefer to decrease the honey and increase the Sriracha. Nevertheless, this came together quickly and is certainly tasty.

  • averythingcooks on April 05, 2022

    I scaled everything back to 1/2 except for the noodles - I used 4 oz (1/4 recipe) of a thinner noodle to "leave room" for more veg (stir fried red onions, red peppers & broccoli). The sauce (made with a little less honey) was really flavourful and easy to heat up/down as preferred. Starting with pork patties ensured well browned, crispy bits before breaking them up into smaller pieces. Frozen peas went in with all the other veg and each bowl was topped with green onions & chopped peanuts. This was a great noodle bowl (with a great hit of freshness & crunch from the celery) that came together quickly as a lot of prep was done early. I would make this again for sure.

  • rachelleg88 on July 29, 2021

    Pretty good! Has a nice spiceyness to it, and the celery with the peanut butter kind of reminded me of my favourite snack! :) Would recommend to try and eat this same day, it's okay as leftovers but the sauce really thickens.

  • cheffreddie on June 10, 2021

    Really nice with the fresh pasta. I love that the celery is tossed in raw at the end and just cooks slightly from the residual heat and retains a lot of crunch. The only thing I'd do differently is drain off at least half of the fat after cooking the ground pork - the recipe doesn't instruct to do this and I found the sauce to be just a little on the greasy side as a result. I think this would also be awesome as a vegetarian dish with either chopped shiitakes or some Impossible burger crumbles.

• Tomato toast with cheddar & smoky mayo

  • Rinshin on September 08, 2021

    I had the best tasting homemade sourdough bread perfumed generously with garden rosemary to make this open faced sandwich using end of season garden tomatoes and lemons from our yard. Very, very tasty with smoked paprika aioli like mayo sauce. Broiled 15 seconds after topping all ingredients to warm the tomatoes and melt cheese some. I can see using this sauce for topping latkes, grilled scallops and shrimp and fries. Photo added.

  • Lepa on August 25, 2021

    This sandwich is mind-blowingly delicious- maybe the best thing I have eaten all summer. I will be eating these like crazy until summer tomatoes are gone.

• Winter Greek salad

  • selena__rhea on July 22, 2021

    There is a lot going on in this salad- sweet, bitter, sour, salty, cool, creamy, and crunchy. It is July, so I subbed apricots for the persimmons. Did all the prep earlier in the day and simply added the fruit and cheese before serving with grilled chicken and Diane Kochilas' Ladenia. Probably would use Kalamatas instead of Castelvetranos next time around.

• Slow-roasted cod tostadas wth juicy cucumber salad

  • tarae1204 on June 14, 2021

    Easy. Flavorful. You can just use tortilla chips, not tostada shells. I found the recipe sound but did need to use my own judgment about peeling cucumber (wasn’t specified) and the amounts of salad components. Swapped an orange for the grapefruit and only used a handful of mint rather than 2 cups (yikes!). My husband added some grocery store lime crema. I think some shredded cabbage would’ve been a great addition, too.

• The minimalist wedge

  • tarae1204 on September 19, 2021

    Delicious, lemony, garlicky, creamy and crispy. Will make this again.

  • averythingcooks on June 01, 2022

    Tarae1204's comment hits all the key flavour points exactly! I used regular yogurt in place of Greek and so the dressing didn't need much thinning. The "pre-dressing" of the lettuce with lemon, salt & olive oil is a great idea that provides lots of sharpness to offset/compliment the lovely, creamy dressing. We also liked the crispy panko bits throughout each bite and I would make this again for sure!

• Chorizo & chickpea carbonara

  • Lepa on December 09, 2021

    This book keeps delivering creative and seriously delicious recipes! We liked this version of carbonara. I liked the texture and flavor that the chickpeas and chorizo added.

• Sneaky cottage cheese salad

  • Lepa on June 29, 2021

    This is a delicious flavor bomb of a salad! I made it with salted almonds, as I had some to use up, and added some shredded chicken. Wow, I'm so happy with this lunch.

• Golden get-well soup

  • Lepa on January 19, 2022

    This was decent. It's very gingery and the broth may have benefitted from some other vegetables to round out the flavor but considering how easy this soup was, I was pretty happy with it.

• Caesar-ish potato salad with radishes & dill

  • Lepa on September 01, 2021

    This is tasty but I didn't have enough sauce for the potatoes. Next time I might make 1.5x the mayo (which is extremely delicious!)

  • ltierney01 on July 09, 2021

    This recipe is a total banger. I've made it for 2 bbqs and everyone loves it!

• Seedy sweet potato & ginger snacking cake

  • Lepa on August 13, 2021

    This is such a delicious cake. The sweet potato, ginger and cinnamon are lovely but the seeds really put it over the top. So good!

• Smooshed & crispy potatoes with salt 'n' vinegar sour cream

  • averythingcooks on April 04, 2022

    These were crispy & delicious prepped exactly as written with hits of vinegar coming from both the sour cream and the actual potatoes. Yes - there is a lot of salt in the water used to boil the potatoes but trust her - it worked. A definite repeat!

• Farro & charred corn salad with salted almonds & queso fresco

  • averythingcooks on June 02, 2022

    I made this pretty much as directed but did use 2 of the suggested substitutions (specifically feta & basil ). Quick pickling the onions in the vinaigrette & using the almonds (purchased a while ago by accident and so lingering in the freezer ) are both great ideas worth using in other recipes. I also added red pepper & spinach just to up the veg. One thing though - I cut it in 1/2 and it still made a mountain of salad to serve 2 of us - I will play with amounts / ratios to get down 1/4 next time. And yes, there will be a next time - we thought this was a delicious mix of flavours and textures.

• Poached fish with creamed leek & toasty hazelnuts

  • pattyatbryce on January 02, 2022

    Fantastic and easy. Worth the use of cream - especially if you serve a bit with the fish over pasta. I used almonds vs. hazelnuts and they were great. a definite make-again.

• Fancy French egg salad

  • Christinehomecook on October 03, 2021

    This was delicious, and I am not typically a fan of egg salad.

  • cheffreddie on June 10, 2021

    This was so damn good. I made a half batch since I was just cooking for 2, and used a different method to hard boil the eggs - otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. This was delicious over whole wheat toast with some spicy arugula sprouts sprinkled on top. I think you could just chop a regular dill pickle instead of using cornichons and it will still be delicious.

• Beef & celery stir-fry with wilted basil

  • hbakke on May 18, 2021

    Great quick marinade. I used thinly sliced strip steaks rather than the more difficult to find beef short ribs (at least at the grocery stores here) and a serrano chile instead of Fresno chile. This was a bit spicy, but I liked the crunchy celery and basil with the side of rice. I would make this again.

  • ctmccosh1 on December 14, 2021

    So freaking delicious. Used a ribeye when I couldn’t find listed cut. Worked great.

  • cheffreddie on June 24, 2021

    Loved this one. I couldn't find boneless beef short ribs, but a quick google search told me that they are a neatly butchered version of chuck. I purchased a "chuck roll steak" that required a lot of trimming but ended up being very delicious (make sure you slice thinly against the grain if you try to follow suit). I am really enjoying Molly's recipes that have you toss raw celery in at the end just to lightly cook in the residual heat - so crunchy! While it was very tasty as written, I did miss the flavor of soy sauce and I think I'll add just a tablespoon or so to the marinade next time I attempt this. Was very tasty with a spoonful of Lao Gan Ma chili oil on top too.

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    So simple and easy stir fry! I was surprised how much I enjoyed the celery! And the instructions to turn off the heat and then add the celery makes this an entry level stir fry hard to mess up! I think the marinade really came through on the overall flavor and was just right.

• The right way to make popcorn

  • stacymarkow on June 06, 2021

    There's a whole lot of fat in this recipe, but the texture and flavor delivered. Smelled like a movie theater while I was making it.

• Pasta salad with morty-d, mozz & pistachios

  • ginger2212 on July 06, 2021

    This was delicious!! My husband, who does not like pasta salad, also loved this! I was very nervous when I added the 2/3 cup olive oil (that is a lot of oil!) to the olive and lemon mixture but it worked out perfectly. I used burrata instead of mozzarella because well...when in Rome. Highly recommend.

• Orecchiette with bacon, snap peas & ricotta

  • Apepin on May 16, 2022

    It came together quickly and the kids loved this.

• Spicy creamed greens with bacon & dill

  • Apepin on January 24, 2022

    I added a can of cannellini beans to this and was able to make it into a meal served with bread. Delicious, but clearly not healthy.

• Blistered broccolini with charred dates, lemons & sesame

  • ozfoodie on February 05, 2022

    Absolutely loved this. Beautifully balanced flavours and quick to prepare and cook. We made half the recipe with one bunch of broccolini, and served with roast chicken.

• Orzo al limone

  • Ileana on June 26, 2021

    So good! Made the recipe exactly as written and it had the perfect amount of lemon flavor. Served with breaded pork cutlets and a green salad, hoping there'd be leftover orzo for lunch. But oops, it was so delicious we ate it all.

• Crispy McCrisperson chicken thighs with herby peas & fennel

  • cheffreddie on July 29, 2021

    The cold pan method does indeed make for some beautifully crispy chicken skin! Don't be like me and keep a close eye on the peas in the final step - they go from a pretty bright green to a drab olive color quickly if you don't take them off the heat right on time.

• One-pot chicken & schmaltzy rice with lemony yog

  • cheffreddie on June 09, 2021

    This recipe was absolutely amazing! I was a little concerned that it might not come together as described, but it turned out perfectly. I followed it almost exactly (only used 1 lb of chicken thighs instead of 2, since I was just cooking for myself and my partner). Molly warns that 1 cup of chopped dill seems like a ton, but it melded into the rice nicely and tasted very balanced. Don't skip the pistachios. I will definitely be making this again!

• Garlicky panko

  • cheffreddie on July 26, 2021

    Followed this recipe exactly to add to a pasta dish from another cookbook. Came out great, but I would highly recommend that you start with much less salt than she suggests and adjust to your own tastes. I found the recipe as written incredibly salty, which shouldn't have been surprising considering the source.

• Blueberry cornflake crisp

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 03, 2022

    This was a solid crisp. The topping is lighter and a little crispier than an oat-based topping, but the corn flakes did not stand out in the finished product like I had hoped they would. Good but not great.

• The Cae sal

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 03, 2022

    So, I cheated and used mayonnaise instead of making my own. Added the anchovies, garlic, cheese, and lemon as directed. This was amazing and perfect for a night when all I wanted was a crisp salad.

• Perfect poached eggs with spiced chickpeas & smothered pita chips

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 03, 2022

    The egg sieving technique didn't help us in terms of making poached eggs with whites that don't splay out. May have been operator error. The finished dish was dry and a little blah but our eggs were a bit overdone so lacked that jammy yolk to mix in with the chickpeas.

• Saucy eggs all'Amatriciana

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 03, 2022

    LOVED this. easy, quick way to use up some stale bread and a small amount of bacon.

• B-fast tacos with charred scallion salsa & fried pepitas

  • MonicaMadeIt on July 03, 2022

    These came together very quickly and we enjoyed them. I thought the finished product needed a little more crunch though, like pickled red onions. The charred scallions were delicious as were the fried pepitas.

• Golden brown & delicious chicken breasts with crispy bread salad

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    This one surprised me, it was addictive. I think using a good sherry vinegar is important, and a good balance or salty umami from the anchovies/olives and vinegar with the texture of the bread and lettuce and right level of dressing are key. Executed well its a good restaurant level main course salad!

• Slow-roasted piri-piri(ish) chicken with crushed potatoes

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    Loved the potatoes they were amazing. The chicken was good but did not wow me. I may not come back to this one.

• Miso-marinated pork steaks & a big pile of spicy cukes

  • TTTLauren on April 21, 2022

    I did not enjoy this one. The spicy cukes were good. The overall pork combination didnt work out for me.