• Christine on June 28, 2014

  I am a bit late to the game in discovering this wonderful cookbook, but am so glad I finally decided to pick up a copy! I have only tried two recipes so far, but both were excellent. While searching my EYB Bookshelf for recipes to make using our weekly CSA bounty, Deborah Madison is constantly showing up in my searches, for good reason. We're three weeks in and I've made one recipe of hers each week (the third was from her Vegetarian Suppers cookbook). There are plenty of other recipes in my collection calling for the vegetables we receive, but out of the 50,000+ on my shelf, hers tend to be the most appealing and often are the only (or almost only) options when I am searching for recipes to use up more than one item. Even when other cookbooks show up in these searches, I tend to not have the other ingredients needed on hand -- for whatever reason, my pantry seems particularly suited to this cookbook. Looking forward to trying many more recipes from this one!

• Laura on May 15, 2010

  I love this cookbook. Almost everything I have made from it has been fantastic..

• xatharine on January 19, 2010

  This is one of my cooking bibles, and transformed how I make soup. Now I ALWAYS make my own vegetable stock as the first step of soup-making.

• marthaware on January 14, 2010

  Have never had a flop from this book.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Grated kohlrabi and celery with mustard vinaigrette

  • veganamy on October 08, 2014

    I used fresh purple kohlrabi and loved it. To make the dressing vegan, I skipped the cream, and instead added a little almond milk and a couple teaspoons of Agave nectar.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Very good with turnips, but only fair with kohlrabi

• Golden gratin of carrots, rutabagas, and turnips

  • Laurendmck on February 03, 2013

    p. 280, bechamel recipe p. 277 Delicious! The bechamel wasn't "thin" like Madison said, and I couldn't strain out the aromatics for that reason, but it was delicious on the gratin unstrained.

• Chickpea and spinach stew

  • Laurendmck on February 23, 2010

    p. 310

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Filling and quick to put together is about the only thing I can say about this pasta. There is no sacue to speak of and the flavour was totally flat despite the fact that you used garlic bread crumbs and added some spinach.

• Feta dressing with marjoram and mint

  • Laurendmck on October 08, 2013

    p. 190

• Malaysian-inspired tofu curry

  • Laurendmck on March 22, 2010

    p. 602

  • Delys77 on November 20, 2011

    Pg 602 This makes a very nice if a little tame sauce, but as per usual the tofu itself remains bland as it doesn't absorb the sauce. Marinating the tofu then baking it to crisp a bit might help.

• Apple and celery salad with Gruyère

  • Cheri on November 13, 2010

    This was pretty good. Served with bbq ribs, nice compliment. R was so so on this one.

  • featherbooks on December 13, 2012

    Six guests (bookclub) and two asked for the recipe so I'd say it was a success. We had very good, heirloom apples from the yard plus a decent Gruyere.

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This has become a family favorite--never any left over.

• Braised escarole with onion

  • Cheri on January 22, 2010

    mixed with recipe from How to Cook Everything - Vegetables, by adding onion recommended here. Richard did not like the onion

• Red bean gumbo with greens

  • chefdiane on January 31, 2014

    I loved this! I only used mustard greens.

  • Laura on March 09, 2015

    Pg. 321. This exceeded my expectations -- it was really tasty. I used kale and broccoli rabe for the greens and I added some shrimp for protein. My only quibble with the recipe -- and it's a big one -- is the directions for making the roux. She says to use safflower oil and flour and to cook til it's a dark, reddish brown -- about 10-15 minutes!! No roux is going to get dark brown in 15 minutes! I made mine with butter rather than oil and I cooked it for an hour and it was still only a pale chestnut color. I opted to call it 'done' at that point and the results were a really delicious dish.

  • radishseed on November 09, 2011

    This recipe is a little bland as written, but it's very good with some sautéed sliced Tofurkey sausages added at the end, and a tablespoon each of soy sauce and red wine vinegar to round out the flavor.

  • britt on September 21, 2010

    The last time I made this, I undercooked the roux, and the soup had way less depth of flavor. So, be careful not to undercook your roux. Also, I think gumbo needs okra, but when I threw some in, the soup seemed overcrowded and stewy. I'm working on that.

  • Morgan.larue on February 11, 2015

    I love this recipe... only I skip the roux entirely and add a can of crushed tomatoes. The soup needs more acid and the tomatoes were perfect. I also usually add collard greens instead of the greens listed in the original recipe.

  • katiesue28 on June 02, 2021

    This recipe took a lot of time and effort, but, unfortunately, the flavor was not worth it for me. As others have mentioned, the roux takes about an hour to get to be chocolate-brown colored, and it still should be cooked for longer. Some additions that I think are necessary: tomato paste and red wine vinegar. These will help perk up the flavors a bit at the end. Also butter the rice that you serve with the gumbo. The butter adds some unctuousness that the gumbo is missing. Be generous with a hot sauce for finishing, as well.

• Brussels sprouts and walnuts with fennel and red pearl onions

  • robinorig on March 09, 2012

    Also online: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/veggie_fennelsprouts.html

• Buttermilk skillet corn bread

  • gastronom on February 27, 2015

    Easy and reliable. My go-to recipe for quick cornbread. Usually use honey & white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose.

  • westminstr on April 29, 2014

    This cornbread was easy and pretty tasty. The buttermilk adds tenderness. I liked it better than the last version I made, but I'd like to find a 100% cornmeal version that I like, so I will continue to experiment.

  • bching on January 19, 2021

    Really good texture and flavor. Like a previous commenter, I used spelt flour in place of white flour.

• Ravioli and tomato salad with masses of basil

  • westminstr on July 19, 2013

    This salad was my contribution to a Fourth of July backyard barbecue potluck. Preparation is simple. Ripe tomatoes are peeled, seeded and chopped (this is the hardest part) and combined with olives, capers, jarred marinated artichoke hearts, olive oil and an entire bunch of basil which has been torn into pieces. Cook your ravioli, drain well, and gently combine with the other ingredients. Season to taste with s&p and a bit of vinegar. In the headnotes, DM mentions that she often uses this salad as a picnic salad, and I found that it served the purpose well as it was very tasty and held up well at room temperature on a hot day. My only complaint was with the ravioli themselves -- I had to use what was available at the grocery store, and I think it would have made a difference to make the extra effort to get special, really good ones.

  • Ileana on May 06, 2021

    Used Castelvetrano olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and a pint of halved cherry tomatoes. This was very good and VERY easy.

• Spaghetti with tomatoes, olives, and capers

  • westminstr on March 31, 2014

    This is a great pantry pasta that cooks in the time it takes to make the pasta if you use canned tomatoes, which I did. I subbed dried oregano for the marjoram and omitted the parsley. Used 3/4 pound of pasta. Next time use a full pound or reduce the capers a bit. It would be better with the parsley but was still quite good without.

  • kari500 on November 30, 2019

    This is a family favorite, and incredibly easy with canned tomatoes. I also use dried oregano in place of marjoram, and add lots of chilies.

• Fingerlings with slivered garlic

  • westminstr on November 06, 2017

    I used to love this recipe years ago and trotted it out again last night. It was very yum! I used 2/1 butter/EVOO and 2tbsp water would have been enough. My potatoes needed more than 15 minutes to brown, and could have gone less time covered, but this is a very forgiving recipe time-wise. I want to try the similar Zuni recipe next bc white wine instead of water sounds good. The buttery garlic slivers were very good!

  • anya_sf on December 24, 2018

    Very easy and forgiving recipe. I forgot the water, but the potatoes steamed fine anyway. I used duck fat instead of butter or oil. Be generous with the salt and pepper. Loved the contrast between the crispy bits and meltingly tender bites.

• Basic lentils

  • westminstr on December 17, 2013

    I had an old basic recipe for lentils I always loved, and I thought it was this one. However when I made this recently I overcooked the lentils :( so am not sure whether it is this recipe I love so much or not.

  • TiaGoats on April 11, 2017

    Delicious, with the addition of a ground-up can of tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, and some thyme. No need to pour off the water -- if you cook it for long enough, it turns into a yummy, slightly soupy dish that is great over rice.

  • MsMonsoon on May 17, 2020

    Great basic recipe. De Puy lentils stayed together, and when made with regular brown lentils, it got mushier. I like that you can save the cooking water and use for a soup. I doubled or tripled the carrot and celery to increase the vegetables content, and increased onion and garlic, too.

  • ashallen on August 01, 2019

    This is a fine, basic recipe for lentils which can then be taken in many different directions. I'm fond of eating them with diced fresh tomato, crumbled feta cheese and/or steamed greens.

• Apple crisp

  • westminstr on November 30, 2015

    I thought this was delicious!

  • lorloff on October 23, 2020

    We pulled this together at the last minute for a dinner party from fruit we had in the house mostly apples and some blueberries. Increased the topping by 50 % and the dish was terrific. We used Japanese sugar which is much less sweet and it came out perfectly. Also used Vietnamese cinnamon and both walnuts and oats in the topping. Made a vegan version using ½ coconut oil and ½ roasted walnut oil instead of the butter. Our guests took the leftovers home so that their kids could enjoy the dish too!

  • lajaxon on September 14, 2015

    Hard to go wrong here.... I didn't use as much sugar as called for since I don't like adding sugar to fruit unless absolutely necessary. Topping is pretty minimal but adds a nice crunch.

• Crisp topping

  • westminstr on November 30, 2015

    I ended up adding an extra 2 tbsp butter to the crisp topping. it seemed too dry and crumbly without it. With that modification, it turned out very good.

  • Yildiz100 on December 31, 2012

    was not fond of this crisp topping. thought it could be butterier, and maybe had too much flour as well.

  • anya_sf on July 22, 2020

    Good, basic recipe. I was able to incorporate the butter most effectively by using my fingers and did not need to add more. I added the cinnamon - in general, I would include the nutmeg and/or cinnamon according to the fruit I was using.

• A little nut cookie

  • westminstr on December 17, 2013

    I just made these cookies for the first time and really enjoyed them. I used all brown sugar and a mix of walnuts, pistachios and almonds (mostly walnut and very little almond), as that is what I had on hand. The pistachios were roasted and salted and that turned out great! I thought the cookie dough was a bit undersalted, but the contrast between the sweet cookie and salty nuts was really fantastic. I made the cookies the old-fashioned way, in a single bowl with a wooden spoon, and they were quick and easy and very good.

• Saffron cannelloni with chard filling and chard stem garnish

  • debwfrank on December 08, 2010

    Allow 2 hours. Made with store-bought cannelloni. Bechamel takes 45 min, so make first. Tasty.

• Peperonata

  • jzanger on September 02, 2012

    Added a splash of Champagne vinegar at the end. Was great on crostini with fresh mozzarella and basil.

• Roasted eggplant with tahini (baba ghanoush)

  • jzanger on August 18, 2013

    Wonderful, no frills. If you have access to it, I suggest grilling the eggplant rather than oven roasting it, especially with the simplicity of this recipe. I halved the recipe and it came out great!

  • mel412 on September 06, 2010

    Perfection...simple ingredients make a delicious dip!

  • vickster on July 28, 2013

    Good, basic Baba ghanoush recipe. I cut the tahini in half because I didn't want it to overpower the eggplant, but may add more next time.

• Oat scones

  • jzanger on March 01, 2011

    These are great, and an added bonus is that they're simple. Accuracy of measurements is important, however. Try toasting the oats in a skillet beforehand for extra nuttiness! Also, Half-and-half produced a nicely tender product. I will make these again.

  • michalow on September 12, 2021

    Tender and not too sweet. A good vehicle for apricot jam.

  • ashallen on August 28, 2019

    These are nice scones. The recipe doesn't call for much sugar, so they're a bit more bread-like than cake-like. Very nice with dried currants - they provide some extra moisture, too. I used to make this recipe all the time but have since switched to an oat scone recipe from Cook's Illustrated which, as suggested by jzanger, calls for toasting the oats - it does add really nice flavor!

• Buckwheat flapjacks

  • jzanger on April 17, 2011

    Amazingly light texture, but the 1/4 cup molasses was too much for my taste, especially in the morning. I'd make these again but use only 1 tbsp of molasses. Be prepared to feed several people as it makes a lot!

• Roasted beets with anise vinaigrette

  • Breadcrumbs on July 07, 2012

    p. 150 It’s entirely my fault that we liked but didn’t love this salad. I forgot to grind the anise seeds so we had a textural issue with the finished dish as the seeds were too toothsome and annoyingly gritty. Loved the flavour combo of the anise w the beets though so I’ll definitely make this again, the right way! Lots of potential here. Next time I’ll finish w some fennel pollen as well.

  • Morgan.larue on February 12, 2015

    This recipe is fabulous. Get good sherry vinegar and definitely crush the anise seeds to almost a powder. I find the flavors soak in and get lost if I make this too much ahead of time; I mix the dressing with the beets just before serving.

• Butternut squash ravioli with toasted pecans and sage

  • Breadcrumbs on April 07, 2012

    p. 472 A lovely dish. In this case, I had ravioli on hand so it was just the sauce I was after. I recently had a similar dish at a restaurant and it was served w brown butter so I opted to brown the butter for this dish as well. Results were amazing. The nuttiness of the butter and pecans paired perfectly w the sweet squash and the subtle bite of the garlic. I finished this w a light dusting of parmesan. This would be good w asparagus or peas as well. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/842277#7261126

• Pesto

  • Laura on September 01, 2014

    Pg. 57. I made this in the food processor rather than mashing everything by hand and it turned out beautifully -- really delicious pesto. I served it over penne pasta and I'm looking forward to adding it to other dishes as there is still a lot left over.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2000) Nice recipe for pesto.

  • Yildiz100 on February 07, 2018

    I agree with the others. This is a delicious pesto. Note that I only had half of the required pine nuts so I used half sliced almonds and this worked perfectly. Also subbed in grano padano for the pecorino since I had it on hand.

• Wilted spinach salad

  • Laura on May 27, 2012

    Pg. 146. This salad is really good. It's easy to make the pickled onions and the garlic-rubbed croutons. I used feta cheese. Unfortunately, I forgot to add the croutons after making them. Anyway, we both really enjoyed the salad, even without the croutons.

• Cabbage slaw with spicy greens

  • Laura on May 04, 2010

    Pg. 152. All I can say is, "Wow, wow, wow, can't get enough of this!"

• Eggplant rounds with shallots and basil

  • Laura on August 14, 2010

    8/23/09: This dish has potential but something is missing. I served it as a side dish. My suggestions are to roast the eggplant until they're really done. Also, saute shallots in olive oil, or roast, rather than using them raw. Use lots of balsamic.

• Springtime asparagus soup

  • Laura on May 03, 2010

    Pg. 202. This soup is quite time-consuming if you also make the 'quick stock.' If you were to use commercial vegetable broth it would be considerably faster. We enjoyed it quite a bit, although it was not an eye-popping, revelatory experience. Don't forget the lemon juice -- really brightens the flavors. Recommend using Jasmati rice as it has such a nice flavor.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The rice and leeks give it a relatively creamy texture without any cream. Nice and low points.

  • cassiemcgannon on February 12, 2013

    Nice enough, though not anything special. Like a lot of recipes in this book, I found it a bit bland, and would use a stronger stock if I made it again.

• Creamy herb and shallot dressing

  • Laura on June 12, 2012

    Pg. 186. This has very good flavor. However, as written, it is way too thick to be a dressing. I doubled the olive oil and tarragon vinegar and that thinned it out enough to dress a salad. It was still on the thicker side. Served it over a mix of watercress, field greens, roasted baby beets, shredded baby turnips and carrots and green beans. Made a lovely and delicious dressed salad.

• Winter herb vinaigrette

  • Laura on September 14, 2010

    Pg. 186. This is excellent!

• Winter squash soup with lemongrass and coconut milk

  • Laura on October 03, 2012

    Pg. 216. A cautionary note: if you’re going to follow this recipe to the letter, it’s going to take about 2.5 hours to complete. The first instruction is to make the Stock for Curried Dishes (pg. 197), which involves the Basic Vegetable Stock (p. 196) plus additional herbs and spices and also some peelings from the ingredients in the soup itself, so you need to get a jump on that. The name of this recipe may lead one to expect a chunky soup, but it’s a pureed soup – I used my VitaMix and the puree was silky smooth and a really lovely light golden color with a subtle flavor. It was thinner than I would have liked, and not quite as flavorful and aromatic as I expected. The thinness may have had to do with the kind of coconut milk I used, so I’m not going to fault the recipe. As far as the flavor, I didn’t have galangal, I used a lot of baby ginger which is extremely aromatic and I pureed it into the soup rather than using it as a garnish.

  • ellabee on February 28, 2013

    p.216. Delicious. Many versions of this online, most acknowledging Madison as origin. Followed one in which the spices in the 'stock for curried dishes' are put in cheesecloth bundle and simmered along with the squash, veg stock, onion, garlic, jalapeno, lemongrass, and ginger -- definite time and energy savings. Separate prep might be even better, but doubt it would be worth the extra resources. Halved it for the two of us, and had enough for seconds, which we were eager for. Made again w full recipe; froze half. Lost some zing in storage, assertive garnish can compensate.

  • adrienneyoung on March 02, 2013

    I made it with almond milk rather than coconut milk. Not all that terrific.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Fabulous Asian flavors with great tang and richness

• Beet soup with three legumes

  • Laura on November 29, 2009

    Pg. 223. I decided to make this because I had all of the ingredients on hand, and it was surprisingly good! I was fearful that it would lack flavor but the garnish provided that -- don't skip it! I would suggest increasing the amount of lentils and greens. On the second day I made fresh garnish and stirred it into the pot of soup before heating and ate the soup without the yogurt. We both found this preparation to be even more flavorful so we'll serve it that way from now on.

• Red lentil soup with lime

  • Laura on November 29, 2009

    Pg. 226. We LOVED this soup! It was so flavorful, colorful, beautiful and healthy! The presentation is lovely. What's not to like? Made it as written, with the exception that we did not add the yogurt. Next time (and there will be a next time!), I would double the rice and spinach because both are gone and we still have half of the soup left for tomorrow :)

  • saveur on March 02, 2013

    I really enjoyed the combination of mustard and lime in this red lentil soup.

  • Delys77 on June 05, 2012

    Pg 226 This soup is akin to a thinned out dal in terms of its consistancy, but a tad more flavourful. Great colour, healthful and very filling. I really like this soup and will make it again. My only modification might be to cut back on the mustard seed a tad since I enjoy the flavour but can find it a tad overpowering.

  • clancotter on April 08, 2013

    Made a lot of soup and I agree with previous post, I added more spinach. I liked the tangy edge given by the lime. I would make again possibly half quantity.

  • ashallen on December 08, 2019

    Good soup!

• White bean soup with pasta and rosemary oil

  • Laura on November 28, 2011

    This is very good! There are many variations you can make with this soup. I decided to puree the entire quantity in my Vitamix and it produced a light orange, lovely, thick puree that was really tasty. I cooked some whole wheat Orzo instead of the shells that were called for. In its pureed form, I think the soup really didn't need the pasta. I wouldn't add it in the future if I puree the entire soup. The rosemary oil is really flavorful -- a must.

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    Found on page 229. This soup is hearty and absolutely delicious!

  • Zosia on March 01, 2014

    Hearty and flavourful soup that didn't require an overnight soak for the dried beans. Loved the rosemary oil.

  • Barb_N on October 13, 2014

    This soup was very....vegetal. Maybe I didn't cook the vegetables enough before pureeing them but I could not get a creamy result just little pieces of carrot and celery. That said, the flavor was great and the rosemary oil was a delicious addition.

  • Barb_N on October 14, 2014

    My BAD! Somehow I mistook carrot greens for parsley (I hope not an early sign of Alzheimer's). I think that explains the flavor undertone and probably my difficulty in pureeing it smooth. I do plan to make this again- with the proper herbs.

• Quinoa chowder with spinach, feta, and scallions

  • Laura on September 06, 2012

    Pg. 230. You have to like how healthy this is. And easy to prepare. And, it was not bad, but it wasn't that great either. The flavors were just too subtle and the broth was a little too thin, even though I added more spinach than called for. I will say that I enjoyed it a lot more the next morning for breakfast. The quinoa had absorbed more of the broth and the flavors seemed stronger. It felt like a very wholesome and nourishing meal, if not terribly exciting.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    may need salt if feta is mild

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    Found on page 230. This is super easy to make and a favorite in my house.

  • cilantrolime on November 05, 2014

    Easy, healthy, tasty. My 17 month old loves it too (left out the jalapeno). I added some miso paste. May try with sweet potatoes next time.

• Spaghetti squash with oyster mushroom and pearl onion ragout

  • Laura on December 07, 2010

    My husband really enjoyed this, but I was less enthusiastic -- possibly because I was the one who put in the labor -- this is a fairly labor-intensive recipe. Despite the weird combination of ingredients (tomato paste and soy sauce), it did taste fine, just nothing special considering the length of prep involved. On the plus side, it is fairly healthy, if you ignore the small quantities of sugar and butter involved.

• Vegetable stir-fry with glass noodles

  • Laura on January 16, 2010

    This dish is colorful, healthy and easy to make. Surprisingly, it doesn't have a lot of flavor, despite the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Also, it says it makes 4 servings, but 2 of us polished off the entire dish! So far, this is the only recipe I've made from this book that hasn't been fantastic.

  • Christine on June 18, 2014

    I used stir-fry rice noodles and sugar snap peas; left out asparagus and mushrooms. I also used more sesame oil and noodles than called for -- neither amount seemed like enough for more than a pound of vegetables. The recipe calls for either the liquid left from reconstituting the mushrooms or a specific stir-fry broth recipe, but since I left out the mushrooms and didn't want to make a big batch of broth to use such a small amount, I simmered regular vegetable broth with some of the flavorings called for in the stir-fry broth recipe which worked well. My husband and I both felt like the dish was missing something when we first tasted it and decided to stir in some Sriracha sauce which worked perfectly -- it definitely needed a little spice for our taste. Healthy, tasty, and fairly easy to put together -- would probably make again.

• Butterflies with sauteed mushrooms

  • Laura on April 28, 2010

    Pg. 458. Chose this recipe because husband needed something bland and I happened to have farfalle in the pantry. Despite its blandness, it was actually quite tasty. I would definitely make it again.

• Quinoa timbales with currants and pine nuts

  • Laura on December 08, 2010

    I love all of the ingredients that went into this dish, but the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts. This was just ok, nothing special. I did not bother to press the quinoa into the timbales as I was short of time.

• Mexican green rice with roasted chiles

  • Laura on August 28, 2010

    8/27/10: I had some roasted Hatch chiles from New Mexico and this seemed like a perfect way to use them. I did not include the mint, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It was good, if not extraordinary. Was a nice accompaniment to grilled pork tenderloin with a Caribbean rub and a grilled peach salad.

• Beet risotto with greens

  • Laura on September 30, 2010

    Pg. 553. I can't praise this enough. The flavors and colors are so bright -- it's like Christmas on a plate.

  • Christine on June 28, 2014

    I can't say this is my favorite risotto, but especially considering I'm not a huge fan of beets, this was really quite delicious. Since we got beets in our CSA box, something had to be tried with them and I liked that this recipe used the greens as well. The dish is a beautiful jewel tone and the lemon added at the end really shines through. I had a bunch of 8 small-ish beets which was the perfect amount of greens, but only needed about 5 of the beets themselves. The recipe calls for making fresh vegetable stock and including the beet stems, but I started with packaged stock and simmered it with the stems instead. I can't say for sure it made a big difference, but figured it was worth a try for some extra flavor rather than throwing them out. I didn't have fresh basil, so used the suggested substitute of dried. Overall, a little more time consuming than other risottos I've made with all the beet prep-work, but worth it to finally enjoy beets!

  • anya_sf on December 17, 2018

    I used 5 small golden beets, which gave the risotto a gorgeous saffron hue, plus the greens from 8 beets - probably twice as many greens as the recipe calls for, but we were happy with the larger amount. I used chicken broth rather than vegetable. The risotto was very good, but as a main course, I thought it could have used something extra. We tried adding some goat cheese on top, which was nice. Perhaps blue cheese? Walnuts? Bacon? I'd make this again trying one or more of those, or would serve this as a first course or side dish.

  • ashallen on October 05, 2019

    The color of this dish is beautiful when made with red beets! My reaction to the flavor was very similar to Christine's - I'm not a major beet fan, but I thought this was really good for a beet-focused dish. And like anya_sf, I consider this best as a non-main course dish. I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.

• Mixed greens with cumin and paprika

  • Laura on February 11, 2013

    Pg. 382. I felt that the amount of cumin and paprika was too much, their flavors overwhelmed the greens. In future, I'd either decrease both or eliminate altogether and add just the garlic/parsley/cilantro mixture.

  • HunyBadger on July 07, 2010

    Pg 382

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Delicious with a mix of chard and mustard. Recipe isn't enough for three people, at least at our house.

  • Wlow on March 03, 2015

    Left out cilantro and halved paprika & cumin but then garlic & salt too strong. Not assertive greens though, just kale and chard. Added greens to red lentil soup, which balanced the intense flavors, but greens were too strong on their own. Olives and tomato would've been nice with it, just had lemon.

• Broccoli with garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan

  • Laura on November 11, 2012

    Pg. 341. We liked this a lot and it was simple to prepare. I agree with the previous reviewer that you can easily decrease the amount of oil -- 3 TBS seemed excessive. Will definitely make this again.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This was quite quick and very tasty. Good simple, healthy side. You dialed the oil back by half and it was fine. Don't be afraid to use a good amount of chili pepper flakes.

  • Zosia on December 19, 2020

    Inspired by another recipe in this book, I included Swiss chard and spinach in the dish, blanching the chard stems with the broccoli and adding the leaves to the saute pan towards the end. It was quick to make and delicious.

• Broccoli rabe with garlic and red pepper flakes

  • Laura on July 03, 2011

    Pg 342. Broccoli Rabe is my new favorite green. This is a simple and healthy way to prepare it. We really enjoyed it.

• Braised chard with cilantro

  • Laura on August 14, 2010

    Pg. 358. Made this for the first time this evening and we really liked it. Didn't cook it for the full 45 mins, more like 30 mins, so it was still a bit crunchy, which we liked. The flavors were really nice...usually I just saute chard with olive oil, garlic and a little water...I prefer this method from now on.

  • aeader on January 01, 2012

    I made this with beet greens instead of chard and it was good. I cooked it a bit longer than the recipe indicated because the stems on my greens were thicker. I am not a big fan of cilantro, but went ahead and included it anyway and was glad I did. The braising made the flavor more mild and it blended nicely.

• Flageolet beans with tomatoes and green beans

  • Laura on May 04, 2010

    5/4/10: This dish was quite a disappointment. No good flavors at all. Second time cooking flageolet beans and I am underwhelmed -- won't use them again.

• Chickpeas and greens with Moroccan spices

  • Laura on December 04, 2010

    This is certainly healthy, but not terribly exciting. If I were to make it again, I would double the chard.

  • lauralouiselane on October 11, 2011

    pg 309. I also like it with kale instead of chard

• Butternut squash gratin with onions and sage

  • gcottraux on April 14, 2010

    Quite delicious. Allow time for the preparation and baking (not a quick dish). Will definitely make again. Nice and savory. I was looking for a butternut squash recipe that didn't use sweet flavors, and this is great.

• Dandelion greens with garlic croutons and hard-cooked egg

  • HunyBadger on June 15, 2010

    The dressing is an excellent addition to this easy salad. DH and I loved it even without the croutons!

• Empanadas with greens and olives

  • HunyBadger on May 11, 2010

    Disappointed in the empanada which was very bland....maybe needed lemon thyme in the dough? The spinach mixture on it's own was good and quick but as a whole, this was a lot more work than it was worth.

• Light rye bread

  • radishseed on October 21, 2013

    I've made this bread as written in the recipe before, and it was good. This time I made it using the extra amount of whole wheat flour and blackstrap molasses instead of regular, and added the optional fennel seeds. The resulting bread has very strong flavors, and when I tried to make it into a sandwich, it was quite odd. Thus, a standalone bread. It might be good with certain soups or salads that harmonize with its bitter, fennelly flavor.

• Jam bars or tart

  • radishseed on January 28, 2014

    I like how quickly this comes together and how versatile it is, but the way mine turned out, it was definitely a bar cookie, not a tart. It was too thick and tough to eat with a fork, but perfect for eating with your hands. If I wanted something more tartlike, I would bake it in a larger pan than recommended, for a thinner crust, with a correspondingly thin layer of jam.

  • anya_sf on August 12, 2021

    Good baking project with my son, whose attention span tends to be short. I used a 9"x9" pan lined with foil for easy removal. Used oats in the topping and a sweet-tart blueberry-rhubarb jam, a good choice so the bars didn't end up too sweet overall. Even using the larger amount of jam, I wouldn't have minded a thicker jam layer.

• Poppyseed cake

  • radishseed on May 28, 2013

    Not in possession of a springform pan, I baked this cake in an angel food tube pan, with good results. Then I added a vanilla glaze after it cooled, which makes it look pretty. It is moist and full of poppyseeds. I think it could be turned into an understated lemon-poppyseed cake with some lemon zest in the batter and a lemon glaze on top.

  • ashallen on September 19, 2020

    Very nice cake. Texture is substantial and moist without being overly dense or gummy. There's a bit of a crunch from the plentiful poppy seeds. Not super-sweet. I used 1 teaspoon vanilla + 2 teaspoons almond extract since I like the combination of almond and poppy seed flavors. Used 3/4 cup sour cream mixed with 1/4 cup buttermilk. Baked in a 10-inch angel food cake pan with a removable bottom since my springform pan tends to ooze butter. Removed from oven once center reached 195-200F which took 35 minutes. Recipe available online at https://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2012/05/deborah-madisons-poppyseed-cake.html

• Cooked amaranth

  • radishseed on February 02, 2012

    I wasn't crazy about the version with the amaranth, teff, and quinoa cooked together. The texture is grainy and the flavor is a little bitter. It needs lots of good toppings to taste good.

• Migas

  • radishseed on February 27, 2020

    Easy, adaptable, and always delicious.

• Golden fried bean curd with tomatoes

  • radishseed on November 16, 2012

    I love this dish. Sometimes I make it with the vegetarian nuoc mam, and sometimes I use real fish sauce (only 2 teaspoons instead of 2 tablespoons of the vegetarian sauce). The leftovers are good with a fried egg on top.

• Tempeh strips in a smoky molasses marinade

  • radishseed on October 21, 2013

    I love to make this flavorful tempeh for sandwiches.

• Dried apricot and ginger muffins

  • radishseed on October 06, 2012

    I used fresh pears instead of dried apricots to make pear-ginger muffins, and added the optional streusel topping. I also used whey instead of buttermilk. Very good!

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The crystallized ginger provides some sweet heat and the apricot gives a nice sweet tang, overall a very nice flavour. The brown sugar is also nice but the overall flavour of the muffins wasn't super sweet, you could go a tiny bit heavier on the sugar.

  • MsMonsoon on February 22, 2017

    These were well-received by friends and family. One thought that the ginger was too strong, but I just love it. And another person said that I could have added walnuts, which I think would have worked well. I did do the optional streusel topping -- it gives the muffins a great look and adds a bit more sweetness.

  • ashallen on August 22, 2019

    I thought these muffins were good/decent. I made them without the streusel topping and, since they're not very sweet, probably would have liked the extra sweetness. Texture was a bit drier/mealier than I like, but that might have been due to the flour I used (Hodgson Mill all purpose). The ginger chunks were very nice and the dried apricot and ginger flavors worked well together.

• Scrambled eggs with harissa

  • radishseed on May 30, 2021

    Also good with Sriracha and cilantro!

• Penne with tomatoes, olives, lemon, and basil

  • radishseed on September 17, 2012

    This is a fast, fresh-tasting dish. Normally, I don't bother to peel tomatoes, but since I already had the pasta water going, it was easy to drop them in before cooking the pasta noodles. I substituted green olives for Niçoise, red onions for shallots, and arugula for parsley, because that's what I had, and it turned out very nice.

  • Ezair92 on February 24, 2021

    This is a good summer dish. As a short cut I did use canned tomatoes and it turned out nicely

• Spinach or chard Catalan style

  • radishseed on December 21, 2011

    One of my favorite simple chard recipes. Sometimes I add red pepper flakes, or red wine or balsamic vinegar.

  • cookerT on November 28, 2011

    This is a delicious way to do greens. The raisins give you a nice sweet pop and the pine nuts, texture.

• Stir-fried roasted eggplant

  • radishseed on August 26, 2013

    Mmmm. I've never met an eggplant stir-fry I didn't like.

• Chickpea soup with condiments (leblebi)

  • radishseed on April 03, 2014

    The first time I made this it was a little bland, but it was much improved with a few adjustments. I salted the chickpeas while they soaked, and then pressure cooked them in 4 cups of salted vegetable broth (instead of 10 cups of water) for 12 minutes with natural pressure release. I used the Pilpelchuma recipe from "Jerusalem" for the harissa, and the pickled turnip recipe from "Jerusalem." Instead of green onions, I put leftover tabbouli on top along with the other garnishes.

• Lentils and rice with fried onions (mujadarrah)

  • radishseed on January 18, 2012

    This is great on its own, and extra great with a spoonful of yogurt-garlic sauce on top.

• Peanut-tofu sauce

  • radishseed on April 26, 2021

    This makes a nice light peanut sauce. I like it plopped on top of a bowl of rice and veggies.

• Sichuan pepper salt

  • radishseed on May 31, 2016

    Use a very coarsely ground salt...Mine came out as a kind of salt powder. It's still tasty, though, and good on tofu.

• Lime-cumin vinaigrette

  • radishseed on February 20, 2012

    A good salad: lettuce, clementines, red peppers, avocado, toasted nuts, and lime-cumin vinaigrette. Black beans or lentils would be make it heartier, as would quinoa or other grains. Bright and fresh, nice with Mexican or Indian food.

  • Bloominanglophile on October 22, 2015

    This vinaigrette is used in Madison's Lentil Salad w/ Roasted Peppers & Vegetable Garnishes. Also nice with an orange/avocado/red onion salad. Not surprising since her sidebar states this would go well with citrus fruits, onions, avocados and peppers.

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This is great on a salad of jicama and oranges.

• Spaghettini with salsa verde

  • kari500 on September 26, 2015

    I do the variation with zucchini, cutting the zucchini into about marble sized cubes and tossing it in with the pasta about 5 minutes before the pasta is done, then just drain the pasta/zucchini mixture and toss with the (very tasty) salsa verde. Oh, and I leave out the hard boiled eggs from the salsa. Very fresh and sort of sparkling on the tongue with the fresh herbs, shallot and champagne vinegar.

• Goat cheese soufflé with thyme

  • ellabee on January 04, 2014

    p.579. Used also as basis for a blue cheese souffle (outstanding served with roasted beets).

• Cabbage and mushroom galette with horseradish sauce

  • ellabee on December 22, 2013

    See Smitten Kitten recipe for alternative galette dough.

• Green lentils with roasted beets and preserved lemon

  • ellabee on March 07, 2013

    p.174. Made with previously roasted whole beets (two, rather than four), cubed and reheated. Surprisingly excellent.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Red beets are sorta overwhelming -- try with white or golden beets.

  • kkillebrew on April 20, 2014

    Another great use for preserved lemon!

• Winter squash soup with fried sage leaves

  • ellabee on April 24, 2016

    p. 215. Garlic and onions should be listed ingredients. Vegan and freezes well. If sieved rather than buzzed with stick blender, the residual mash makes delicious souffle or croquettes. Layered flavors: frying the sage leaves in the oil that's then used to sweat the onion base, roasting the squash and garlic together and then combining. All ingredients nutrient dense and peak together in fall, with quality holding into winter.

• Carrot and red pepper soup

  • ellabee on December 24, 2013

    p.204. Agree with Delys about both the puree (what a great tool the immersion blender is!) and the orange. Soup is very Christmas-y looking while simmering, with the red pepper and green dill.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Puree the soup as finely as possible and you can go with quite a bit of orange. The flavours are very nice, but they need the orange for pep.

• Cobbler topping

  • ellabee on July 29, 2015

    p.245. For topping vegetable or savory stews. Recipe not listed in book's printed index.

• Cheddar cobbler topping

  • ellabee on July 29, 2015

    p.245. For topping vegetable or savory stews. Recipe not included in book's printed index.

• Spring rolls with napa cabbage and tofu

  • ellabee on February 08, 2017

    p. 107. Fried, Chinese take-out style.

• Vietnamese spring rolls

  • ellabee on January 27, 2016

    My wrapping technique is far from unstoppable, but these were delicious. The mortared garlic-salt-chile-lime mix gave just enough zip to lift the ingredients out of blandness (so that the sauce isn't asked to do all the work). Quite a bit more practice needed before I'd serve to anyone but myself, though. Secret appears to be really jamming filling in firmly before starting to roll up wrapper.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good but very difficult to wrap

• Potato salad with green beans and hard-cooked eggs

  • ellabee on November 12, 2015

    p.160. Perfect for the early summer explosion of eggs and green beans, when the green herbs are at their best.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    try with bacon!

  • gillsil on January 01, 2019

    Mmm, I love potatoes, green beans and eggs in a salad and really liked the onions, garlic, capers and mustard in this one. I didn’t have the celery or pepper but added extra green beans and it worked well. I halved the recipe and the two of us polished it off between us for dinner.

• Cucumber and yogurt salad

  • ellabee on July 31, 2012

    p. 156. Resulting tzatziki so excellent that I have no inclination to try other recipes.

• Cobbler topping

  • ellabee on July 29, 2015

    p.691. For topping fruit or dessert cobblers. Only cobbler topping included in print book's index, but there are also two savory versions on p.245.

  • ashallen on September 24, 2019

    Good recipe for a basic fruit cobbler biscuit dough.

• Spiced peach cobbler

  • ellabee on July 28, 2015

    p.691. Was given big batch of half-gone, unevenly ripened peaches. Scalded, peeled, extracted good pieces, and acidulated with a half lime (what was on hand). Macerated a bit with brown sugar. Used Madison's spice recommendations, a bit less flour, and a little pinch of salt. Baked in buttered low wide 2.5-3 qt casserole with thawed crisp/crumble topping, frozen from a double batch made in a previous edition (topping: oats, chopped nuts, plus butter-sugar-flour-spices). Nice bounty of summer, welcome home for J. Significantly less sugar than recipe, but still balanced, and all tastes came through.

  • moreace01 on October 19, 2010

    This was very good (in my haste - I used the juice of one lemon, so mine was a little overly lemony, but still good. Still - I might watch the lemon - 1 T plus zest is kind of a lot). I've noticed Madison has a tendency not to add salt to some of her recipes - so I added a pinch to the filling. Don't know - seems weird not to.

  • ashallen on September 24, 2019

    I like the biscuit topping for this recipe, but the cobbler overall didn't appeal to me - too many peaches relative to the biscuit and the peaches' spice mixture didn't grab me. Although this particular version of Madison's cobbler doesn't call for lemon juice, using some probably would have brightened the peaches' flavor which otherwise tasted very...cooked. I also didn't care for the beaten egg wash option for the biscuit in the recipe - egg dribbled down between the biscuit cobbles and cooked into hard little lumps in the peach juices - yuck! The milk/cream wash option in the recipe would've worked better (or using a lighter touch with the egg wash).

• Flageolet bean and leek soup

  • britt on September 16, 2010

    The time this recipe recommends cooking the beans is short. The standard recommended cooking time for flageolet is 1.5 hours. Also, the leek topping was strangely sour.

• Mexican dry soup (Fideos)

  • britt on September 16, 2010

    My husband liked this a lot, 9 out of 10, but I thought it was just OK.

  • sapahl on August 08, 2011

    I have experimented widely with this recipe and it is good as it is written. You can vary the type and amount of red chiles that you simmer with the stock - I have used New Mexicos, Guajillos, Anchos, and Ghost Chiles (take them out before the stock becomes too hot). I highly recommend Cotija cheese instead of the feta. Also, try adding chicken or seitan to the recipe to make it more satisfying.

• Turnip soup with Gruyère croutons

  • redbird on October 19, 2021

    Sautéed 4 oz. diced bacon, removed bacon, and then added turnips, etc. Added bacon at end as a garnish. Reduce amount of broth next time.

  • shamby on August 04, 2013

    I wasn't sure what to do with turnips that arrived in my CSA share. This soup was a delicious discovery.

• Smoked mozzarella sandwich with olive paste and roasted peppers

  • milgwimper on July 03, 2014

    This was deliciously smokey, salty, rich and easy. The components the basil and the tapenade and roasting the pepper can take some time but they are east enough. I made everything in the the mortar and pestle even the olive paste. It was simple but I can see why some people would not ant to make it, but each part is easy. Putting it all together may consume some time, but not much. Will be making this again.

• Olive paste

  • milgwimper on July 03, 2014

    Easy peasy and delicious.

  • mharriman on December 23, 2020

    This is a snap to make, and may motivate me to never purchase olive tapenade again, it’s so good. I used kalamata olives and capers and they were great with the olive oil, thyme, garlic, and ground pepper. Used as a base for a mozzarella and tomato sandwich in same cookbook.

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    Very good. Be sure to use olives you really like. I once made this to use up some olives I wasn't fond of and - surprise, surprise - ended up with olive paste I wasn't very fond of!

• Orange vinaigrette

  • okcook on May 17, 2015

    This is really good, especially over asparagus as she suggested. I had orange oil so I used that.

• Winter portobello mushroom stew

  • okcook on March 19, 2013

    Excellent flavours. Will have it with creamy polenta.

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Wants slightly more onions and more liquid

  • rionafaith on February 17, 2020

    This is really great for how simple it is! I made a quick mushroom stock by soaking about 1/4c of mixed dried porcinis and shiitakes in boiling water and also simmering the portobello stems and a carrot, both chopped, for 20 mins or so. I strained both, but saved the now rehydrated mushrooms, chopped them finely, and added them to the stew with the other ingredients. I used 1t dried rosemary instead of 2t fresh (though could probably add more next time), did not add the extra butter, and finished with chopped parsley, as well as stirring in a handful of thawed frozen peas at the end -- a great addition. I served over grits, but I think this would be great over mashed cauliflower, pasta, etc. too.

  • jdjd99 on January 25, 2020

    Very flavorful and strangely satisfying as a meal with starchy side considering it's essentially just mushrooms and onions. We served with grilled cheese on sourdough bread.

• Quinoa and fresh corn with scallions

  • okcook on May 17, 2015

    Easy side dish. I used red quinoa which looks very pretty with the corn.

  • clcorbi on July 17, 2017

    Very fast, easy, and tasty summer side dish. If you had corn stock or a rich veggie stock this would be a great place to use it. I would definitely repeat when we need a quick starch!

  • anya_sf on October 15, 2018

    Nice way to prepare quinoa. I used half chicken broth, half water, and used frozen corn. I'm sure fresh would be even more flavorful with the corn cobs. Fresh herbs would be a nice addition.

• Onion frittata with vinegar and walnuts

  • Lindacakes on January 22, 2012

    The onions are quite rich and sweet, but the addition of the walnuts turns it into one of those gourmet vegetarian restaurant dishes -- in a bad way. Not necessary, and pulls what's good down. I would add more parsley if I made it again. A good recipe to use up superfluous onions.

  • amoule on April 07, 2015

    I couldn't disagree with the other reviewer more. This dish is outstanding. I have made it dozens of times. I consider it one of the finest omelets ever.

  • jenburkholder on February 10, 2021

    I concur completely with amoule - this is superb, probably the best frittata I've ever eaten.

• Plum soup with wine

  • Kiyah on June 28, 2013

    I skipped the wine and the orange flower water and it was still great, just the thing for a hot summer meal.

• Sizzling risotto gratin

  • gmvetter on May 04, 2014

    Arborio or carnaroli rice

• Smoky-hot Anasazi or pinto beans with broth

  • lorloff on July 21, 2017

    Very delicious. My husband could not believe it was vegan - the smoky flavor from the chipotle coupled with the Spanish smoked paprika I used for the chile worked perfectly. We had soaked the beans in advance (actuallly two days earlier, because something came up and I could not cook them when planned) and the beans were very fresh from the farmers market. They cooked up in a little more than an hour. Really great for a weeknight. Will definitely make again!

  • MsMonsoon on November 17, 2020

    Delicious, warming and spicy. I ate with some dill rice I had but I’m sure cilantro would be even better. Used 1/2 of a chipotle pepper in adobo, puréed. Chances are you won’t purée just a 1/2 a pepper and instead would do the whole can. So you’ll have to eyeball how much of the purée equals 1/2 a pepper. (Freeze leftover chipotle purée in 1 or 2 tbsp dollops to have on hand when making this, or recipes like NYT Best Black Bean Soup, in the future.)

• Braised celery

  • lorloff on June 26, 2021

    This was a delicious dish. I had both leeks and celery so ended up combining leeks and celery braised together. I serve it bathed with a mustard vinaigrette as suggested, but made the vinaigrette and the whole dish vegan. For herbs I used chervil, chives and thyme.

• Braised leeks

  • lorloff on June 26, 2021

    Combined this with braised celery from the same book. I used a combination of leeks and celery and followed the celery approach.

• Sesame noodles with asparagus tips

  • lorloff on November 21, 2020

    This was an amazing dish. I used brown rice noodles and made half the amount. It was a huge portion much more than for four people. I think the amount of sauce was perfect. The noodles absorbed the sauce beautifully. Will make again. We look forward to leftovers tomorrow.

  • we10mom on October 20, 2011

    I love these noodles and this is my go-to recipe when I need to bring a salad somewhere. I always get requests for this recipe. I have also made this by varying the vegetables.

  • mamacrumbcake on May 14, 2017

    This was delicious and has a beautiful presentation. Because it can be made in advance and served chilled or at room temperature, it is ideal for a potluck. This will be on my short list of good party dishes. UPDATE 7/10/17. I've made this twice and think I would reduce the salt by 1/2 teaspoon.

  • clcorbi on May 24, 2017

    Wow, this is delicious. I will be repeating this for sure, and I think it'd be equally good with other thinly sliced veggies subbed in (I'm thinking strands of carrot or zucchini would be nice). I used more like 1.5lbs asparagus, because 2lb seemed like too much, but next time I'd just go for the full amount. I also might up the amount of noodles as well. The sauce makes a TON, probably more than is actually needed to dress the noodles adequately, but it's delicious. Leftovers are even better the next day. As others have said, this salad would be great for a picnic or potluck--it's fast, fresh-tasting and delicious, and quick to throw together.

  • Skamper on August 03, 2021

    We both liked this. I used soba because i had some. Also added one shredded carrot snow peas would also be good. Leftovers were good.

• Red peppers stuffed with corn and fresh mozzarella

  • Kjohns101 on September 04, 2019

    (p. 406) I made this with a few variations and loved the recipe. I used smaller yellow peppers from the farmer's market so used about 4 or 5 of them. I also used a variety of cherry tomatoes just chopped in half and tossed in without peeling or seeding. Instead of bread crumbs, subbed parmesan cheese to lower the carb count. Baked about 30 minutes on a bed of marinara. Served with a side of turkey meatballs and marinara and it was a delicious meal.

  • cookbookhabit on July 30, 2012

    One of my go-to summer recipes. I've used shredded mozzarella with good results, too.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very fresh summer taste, especially with the sauce. Went lighter on the cheese and it was still good.

• Turnip and leek gratin with blue cheese

  • stacey on October 23, 2010

    This made a fairly easy and elegant gratin.

• Vegetable gratin-soufflé

  • stacey on October 14, 2010

    Simple and comforting dish. Preparation is a bit fiddly with egg-separation and all, but it's pretty yummy and worthwhile.

• Sesame sauce with tofu

  • cespitler on November 03, 2012

    This is a quick and tasty dish that can be easily made after work. I cooked the tofu on the grill and served the sauce on the side over brown rice.

• Tortilla soup

  • jmunson on September 05, 2010

    page 218

  • jmunson on September 05, 2010

    You need to make a stock beforehand

• Rhubarb-apple crisp

  • Christine on May 19, 2016

    This was absolutely delicious, but I do think there is something a bit off with the recipe as written. I only had half the rhubarb called for, so planned on halving the fruit portion of the recipe, but making the full amount of crumbs (because I love extra crumbs!) That was a total of 1-3/4 lbs less of fruit and it pretty much filled my 2 quart baking dish (11x7 Pyrex). How double the fruit would ever fit in that same dish, I do not know. Now given the lesser amount of fruit, I figured I would need to adjust the baking time down from the 1 hr 10 min in the directions, but at 45 minutes the fruit was vigorously bubbling and the crumbs were quite browned, almost on the verge of burning - 40 minutes would have been sufficient. So I don't know how this possibly could have worked with the full amount of fruit in the size dish called for -- and regardless of the changes I made, anywhere near 1 hr 10 min would have burnt the topping. So make sure to follow the other doneness cues rather time.

• Multigrain waffles

  • Christine on February 12, 2017

    I have been making a Cooking Light multigrain waffle recipe for years, but I was out of the homemade mix I use for it. I went in search of another recipe in my collection that would use some of the various flours in my pantry and this recipe fit the bill perfectly. For my usual waffle recipe, I eat them plain because they are so good as-is. This recipe however, fell a bit flat for me. It is a fairly solid recipe, but the waffles just tasted a bit boring. When I compared the two recipes side by side, it became apparent the major difference is the amount of salt. For two cups of dry ingredients, this recipe calls for 1/4 tsp salt while my other recipe calls for 3/4 tsp. That does not sound excessive to me, so I would definitely up the salt next time I make this. The Cooking Light recipe also calls for 1 Tbsp sugar, but I reduce that to 1 tsp at most, if not skip it altogether, so I definitely think it's the salt more than the sweet that is needed here.

  • Zosia on April 08, 2014

    We loved these! Light and crisp with great flavour. I used whole wheat pastry flour, wheat bran, cornmeal and rye flour only to make up the 2 cups (260g) but I'm sure any combination of whole grain flours would work well.

• Roasted eggplant with dill, yogurt, and walnuts

  • Waderu on October 13, 2013

    Used roasted garlic instead of raw and pine nuts instead of walnuts. sprinkled a little bit of smoked paprika on top.

• Lentil minestrone

  • Emily Hope on October 07, 2021

    Perfect comforting soup for a chilly October night. Needed to use up some veggies, so included half a bulb of fennel. I only had 1 tbsp of tomato paste, so I added a few slow-roasted tomatoes from the freezer during the saute, along with a tomato from the garden added at the end (might do that again as I liked the pops of fresh flavor). Discovered at the last minute that I didn't have any parsley, so added a sprig of marjoram. Greens were chard, kale, and sorrel from the garden. Cooked in the IP for 6 min, then waited 5 min before a manual release, which resulted in pretty soft lentils that weren't quite falling apart.

  • aeader on April 19, 2020

    Excellent soup and pretty quick to make. Prepping the veggies was a bit time consuming since I made a double batch, but I did the prep the night before. Used brown lentils instead of green and added a Parmesan rind. Made a double batch and used 1 large bunch of spinach and the greens from a bunch of Hakurei turnips. Next time I'd use a larger Parm rind as I think this one was too small for the double batch.

  • Wlow on February 08, 2019

    Family favorite!

  • purrviciouz on December 27, 2018

    One of my favorite all time soups. I always make a double batch and freeze a bunch of it. I like to add a Parmesan rind into the broth while it's cooking and my favorite green is the bitter broccoli rabe with celery root.

• Spice muffins

  • MollyB on April 06, 2019

    Decent muffins but rather boring. Would be better with nuts or chopped dried fruit added.

  • MsMonsoon on July 03, 2021

    If made as written, I might find them a bit boring. But I increased the spices, added 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, and used the streusel topping, and they were really good — tasty, fragrant, and just sweet enough. Used somewhere in between the 1/2 and 3/4 cup of brown sugar.

• Noodle kugel

  • moreace01 on October 19, 2010

    Alright - I don't know the first thing about kugel's so take this with a grain of salt. I thought the noodle part of this dish was great, but the topping kind of made it over the top sweet. I would try this again but less sugar in the topping. I also wasn't able to detect the coriander.

  • Wlow on March 20, 2016

    My picky eater older son thought too sweet for a noodle dish, younger son and I thought was it delicious. The raisins seem to me the sweetest part so thought I might cut back next time. Made half recipe and cooked only 30-40 minutes. Did not invert well onto a platter at all, which made us laugh. Had to stir it to make at all presentable. I ended up eating the entire (half) casserole myself over several days and found it very appealing and comforting.

• Hot and spicy tapenade

  • mfto on June 17, 2014

    This is so easy and delicious. Although the directions say to hand chop everything, I had very good results using the food processor. First I dropped the garlic through the chute to easily mince the cloves and then added all the ingredients except the oil, lemon zest and juice, and red pepper flakes which I added later by hand. I was afraid that 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes would be too much but the person who usually complains about heat was the one who ate the most. Also I would suggest making it at least a day ahead to let flavors develop. p87 Update 2017 One of my daughters is a Special Ed teacher in a nearby school. Twice a school year, she hosts a luncheon for the special ed staff and volunteers. Since she first served this tapenade, it has been on the menu for every luncheon and the recipe is often requested.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Excellent, go heavy on the lemon

  • dinnermints on June 14, 2019

    Good! I also used the food processor. Made it to go with Eating Well's tilapia with tomato olive sauce - very good (and would have been very quick if I hadn't made my own tapenade, but, well, there you go).

• Red chile sauce

  • zorra on August 17, 2014

    I like this version of versatile New Mexico red. The recommended addition of a dash of vinegar makes a difference. Now if only I could find an equally good green one.

  • Dannausc on April 03, 2020

    I used a blend of guajillo, habanero and chipotle ground chiles. Good and easy.

• Quinoa salad with mangoes and curry dressing

  • zorra on July 12, 2014

    A favorite simple summer dish with its curry vinaigrette. I've tried it with frozen mango chunks too, but found them disappointingly under-ripe & flavorless. Best to stir in dressing just before serving.

  • clcorbi on December 06, 2016

    We really enjoyed this, especially Harry. Easy to throw together and the curry vinaigrette was very flavorful. We substituted half a head of roasted cauliflower for one of the mangoes because we needed to use it up, and I quite liked it that way. I could definitely see making this again and a variety of different vegetables could be added.

• Warm red cabbage salad with pecans

  • zorra on July 15, 2014

    Tasty & different salad. Prefer to add the vinegar just before serving, & vary amounts of supporting ingredients.

  • TiaGoats on August 10, 2019

    This dish is really strange, but addictively delicious if you enjoy goat cheese and cabbage.

• Curry vinaigrette

  • zorra on July 12, 2014

    Usually omit the dairy to no ill effect. I like lime instead of lemon juice if dressing the Quinoa Mango Salad.

• Posole with red chile pods

  • zorra on February 19, 2016

    Remarkably good vegetarian version of this dish. Need to make it more often now that dried corn is more easily found north of New Mexico.

• Kale with olives

  • EdM on April 15, 2022

    Simmer/boil kale, then drain, chop, if necessary, and add back to pan/pot with EVOO, etc. for quick sauté and a squirt of lemon. Kalamata olives adds a nice complementary flavor to lacinato kale.

• Tofu in curry-coconut sauce

  • adrienneyoung on June 14, 2012

    Blistered the tofu in the wok first, added a zucchini to the peppers. Pretty good comfort food, but not, as written, a particularly spectacular curry.

• Artichoke, celery root, and potato gratin

  • meowingmyrtle on October 06, 2011

    Spectacular flavor. Incredibly labor intensive if you trim the artichokes yourself.

• Cream of mushroom soup

  • southerncooker on January 09, 2019

    Hubby and I loved this version of cream of mushroom soup. Quick to make on a work night as well.

• Breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs and cheese

  • southerncooker on January 06, 2019

    I didn't have Monterrey Jack cheese or a Serrano pepper on hand so I used Pepper Jack Cheese instead. This was a quick and easy, yummy breakfast. It would also be good with the addition of salsa and I may do that next time.

• Summer squash soup with salsa verde

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Light and tangy. Try serving with fish. Better if only half pureed at the end.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The salad verde overpowers the zucchini

• Black bean soup

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Calls for WAY too much water

  • emiliang on August 29, 2013

    A simple but flavorful version of bean soup. I used a 16 Bean Mix instead of black beans, and a bit of cognac in place of the Madeira. I also added some dried mushrooms, a bit of soy sauce, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika to approximate what a smoked ham hock might have added to the recipe.

  • mamacrumbcake on July 18, 2019

    Have to agree with Harlan. It is too much water. I would reduce it by 2 or 3 cups. I can’t really say much about the flavor as it is diluted due to the excess water.

• Lentil and caramelized onion croquettes

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    Looks like it cooks fater than specified 5-8 minutes, but really takes that long. Serve with lemon wedges.

  • ashallen on August 01, 2019

    Oooo, these did not turn out well for me. I don't have much croquette experience - that probably contributed (or maybe it's the whole explanation!). The "batter" seemed to be on the wet side. The interiors were quite mushy even after the exteriors crisped. And while I'm generally not afraid of some oil absorption while cooking, these seemed to absorb a *lot* of oil. The flavor of the mixture was OK, though. I added some finely chopped almonds, raisins and dried currants (both for flavor and to absorb some moisture) and they worked well with the lentils and sweet caramelized onions.

• Chickpeas

  • HarlanH on July 29, 2011

    the broth is great!

• Spanish potatoes with saffron, almonds, and bread crumbs

  • eve_kloepper on May 14, 2020

    This was good but too heavy for my taste. Next time I will cut the amount of almonds in half. Nice flavors. Best to accompany a simple piece of grilled meat or fish.

• Fennel a la Grecque

  • eve_kloepper on November 11, 2011

    I undercooked this the first time. Crunchy really doesn't bring out the lovely mellow fennel flavor. So cook longer than the recipe calls for, until pieces can easily be pierced with a fork. also needs an additional drizzle of olive oil before serving.

• Fennel and leek soup with fennel greens

  • eve_kloepper on July 16, 2013

    simple and delicious. I rounded out flavors with white miso.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Spencer really likes this one for its simple but rich flavours, no need for the cream

  • Mumpkinator on February 10, 2014

    A perfect soup to heal whatever ails you! No need for cream. A squeeze of lemon and a dash of hot sauce does the trick!

• Lentil salad with roasted peppers and vegetable garnishes

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    This recipe calls for lime-cumin vinaigrette: http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/171295/lime-cumin-vinaigrette

  • Bloominanglophile on October 22, 2015

    My husband really enjoyed this salad, which is a high complement for any dish that contains lentils! The sidebar suggestion of adding a cup of pasta to the dish helped lighten it, resulting in a less stodgy lentil salad ( I used orzo as the pasta).

• Tunisian pepper and potato couscous

  • michalow on June 16, 2019

    Pretty good. Needs lemon juice and lots of herbs. The first time I made this it felt like too many peppers. Tried four peppers (include some green) and three medium potatoes (1.5 pounds?) the next time around, and found this to be a better balance. Chunks of zucchini would be a good addition as well. The couscous made with the veggie broth was nice, but equal parts liquid to couscous yields a fluffier result than the ratio given in the recipe.

• Potato and chickpea stew

  • michalow on December 07, 2021

    It's winter, so I made this with cabbage instead of peppers. The result was flavorful and satisfying. Leftovers were especially nice when topped with a fried egg.

• Romaine hearts with Parmesan and lemon vinaigrette

  • michalow on February 14, 2021

    I really like this vinaigrette, even with half the oil and no cheese.

  • TiaGoats on August 10, 2019

    Best vegan Caesar-ish salad ever, if you leave off the cheese.

• Black bean-smoked chile dip

  • michalow on October 01, 2019

    Delicious. I used less lime and am using this as a filling for burritos/quesadillas. I used freshly cooked beans, chile-soaking water for the liquid (from some dried cascabels I had used for another recipe), freshly ground spices, and coconut oil. Contrary to other reviewers, I didn't find this bland at all. I didn't measure the liquid, just added until the puree was the consistency I wanted (so, based on other reviewers' comments, I may have used less than the recipe called for).

  • aeader on May 27, 2012

    This didn't work for me - it wasn't thick enough and the flavors just weren't there. It was on the bland side and the flavors that did come through just didn't seem to meld together. I have enjoyed most of the recipes I have made from this book, so this was a bit of a disappointment. I cooked my own dried beans rather than using canned.

  • ashallen on July 18, 2019

    Like aeader, I also thought this was bland and made a note to make sure my spices were super-fresh if making this again and perhaps reduce the amount of water/bean broth added.

• Spicy potato, tomato, and pepper tagine

  • michalow on December 02, 2018

    This recipe is close to great but needs a lot of tweaking. Overall, I found it too acidic, and will reduce the vinegar significantly next time. I also found it needed to cook for about 20 minutes longer than the recipe called for. This yielded well cooked peppers, but the other veggies were not quite right. Next time, I will cut the celery a bit smaller and parboil the potatoes a bit less to achieve a more even done-ness for various veggies. Like Nancith, I used canned tomatoes. This works, but I think fresh will be much better, when the season allows. I tossed some chickpeas into the mix this time around and will do this again. Also -- the ingredient list includes 2 tsp of paprika, but the recipe instructs you to use 1/2 tsp in the sauce, then never mentions paprika again. I think the full 2 tsp could be included in the sauce.

  • Nancith on August 08, 2017

    The sauce really makes this dish--it adds zing, spiciness, and heat. Most of the veggies are very mellow, making a great backdrop for the sauce. The celery is a really nice surprise, with a more strident flavor that juxtaposes well with the rest of the dish. I used whole canned tomatoes, since fresh were unavailable, & about half as much cayenne as called for. It was also rather fun to pound the sauce with mortar & pestle; the aroma was fantastic & added to my enjoyment of the tagine. Served with crusty bread & cheese, plus sausages for hubby.

  • Dannausc on April 03, 2020

    I used 1/2 t. Cayenne. Also, the ingredient list calls for 2 t. Paprika but the recipe only calls for 1/2 t. I used 1/2 t. Paprika and then sprinkled some on the top at the end. I served it over couscous. Quite easy and good.

• Celery root and potato gratin

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Flavors were good but this came out more liquidy than expected. I ended up pureeing the whole thing, which was very tasty, even though it was a roundabout way to get there.

• Black beans with chipotle and tomatoes

  • michalow on September 18, 2020

    I inadvertently made this with only half the black beans, and I liked it. Served over cornbread with garnishes, it was a very satisfying meal.

• Lasagne with eggplant and chard

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    This recipe calls for white wine and an egg. She suggests two tomato sauces from the book, a fresh tomato sauce or an alternative using canned. (Note that only one of these calls for basil, so that should be considered an optional ingredient.)

• Moroccan stuffed tomatoes

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    This is on page 433 -- a variation on Tomatoes Provencal.

• Roulade base

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Gruyere can be used instead of parmesan. Also includes 1.5 cups of milk.

• Sweet corn coffee cake with berries

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    I thought this tasted more like a sweet cornbread than a coffeecake, but it was good.

• Basic corn bread

  • michalow on October 07, 2017

    Half batch works well in a 7" round. Comes out thin, but thick enough to have a tender middle.

  • michalow on September 18, 2020

    Both corn bread recipes in this book are good, but I prefer this one. It uses milk, not buttermilk (contrary to the ingredients listed here). I subbed brown rice syrup for honey out of necessity, and it worked fine.

  • Wlow on November 18, 2018

    1/07 delicious, though butter and honey quite rich / 3/10 G used 1/2 white and half “white w/w” and sugar nothing honey — great / 4/14 great with all purpose flour, fine stoneground cornmeal, canola oil, sugar (2 T) in iron skillet

• Yeasted sugar cake

  • michalow on July 02, 2017

    I've made this cake frequently as written and it is delicious. This time I added 1/4 cup of ground almonds, which made the cake a bit richer without any noticeable almond flavor. It also kept the cake, which is best soon after baking, from drying out so quickly. Will do this again.

• Apple galette with pine nuts and candied lemon

  • michalow on January 03, 2013

    Absolutely my favorite fall dessert. Subtly spiced and not too sweet, but with bursts of flavor from the pine nuts and candied lemon. A layer of finely chopped apples on the bottom gets melty and gooey, then sliced apples on top of that maintain some structure. The presentation is lovely.

  • ashallen on November 23, 2019

    I made this recipe as written the first time I made it. I love the basic structure - the galette dough is buttery and flaky and, like michalow notes, the technique of using finely chopped apples on the bottom and bigger apple slices on top works really well. However, I didn't like the candied lemon slices - candied lemon often tastes bitter to me and the sweetness of the apples wasn't enough to balance it out. I also didn't care for the pine nuts enough to include them again. I've since made this many times with just the apples + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, though, and it's wonderful. I use 1.5-2 pounds of apples depending on how much fruit I'm craving. I brush the upper part of the crust after pleating with milk and sprinkle the galette heavily with turbinado sugar - very pretty and adds great crunch. I found the original galette dough to be a bit bland and now use 1 vs. 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt.

• Lumache with broccoli and capers

  • Krisage on December 14, 2012

    This first time I prepared this recipe, I tried to shortcut by cooking the broccoli with the pasta, then adding the sauce. The dish turned out very mild, except for the last few bites, when you could gather up most of the sauce that had fallen to the bottom of the bowl. The next time, I followed the recipe as directed and cooked the broccoli first, mixing it well with the sauce, then combining it with the cooked pasta. The dish was much more flavorful this way because the sauce stuck in the nooks and crannies of the broccoli rather than all falling to the bottom.

  • Delys77 on May 27, 2012

    I went with the suggested alternate of orrechiete and this was quite good. Comes together quickly with minimal ingredients and effort. my only suggestion would be to add the juice of one lemon and I also sautéed the garlic in the oil before adding to the pasta. Great little dish!

  • Wlow on May 09, 2017

    1/2015 kids and I loved it, then next two times one or the other didn't like or want it. Time to try it again! Update 1/29/19: Younger son tired of pasta so didn’t try but older son liked it. Not as high proportion of veg and one lacinato kale mixed with broccoli. Tried radiatore again but something concave might be better to catch broccoli. 5/31/21 mixed mini penne and red lentil penne, broccoli and cauliflower, Kashmiri red chile instead of red pepper flakes. Kids and I all liked.

• Navy bean and pasta gratin with basil and ricotta

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    You used goat cheese instead of ricotta and the result was pretty good. The texture is a little flat though.

  • omegabeth on October 27, 2020

    Used pinto beans I had already cooked, pesto I had previously frozen, and jarred sauce (Valicenti "Alla Norma"). I did the ricotta/pesto mixture as a layer at about the 2/3 mark, doubled the bread crumbs to get a nice thick layer on top, and added garlic salt. So I have nothing to say about this recipe itself, rather about its fabulousness as a base for improvisation, but the combination of the base ingredients is simple and satisfying. It also came together super-quickly with most of the component parts pre-made. If I had had leftover pasta, it could have been in the oven in under 5 minutes.

• Eggplant Parmesan

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The mozzarella is a nice addition but you can go a bit lighter, maybe 3 oz. I added a bit of garlic to the tomato sauce. The method for browning the eggplant is no fuss and no muss.

• Eggplant and summer vegetable gratin

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Perhaps there was not enough tomato but it was dry and the breadcrumbs did not do much for it.

• Cauliflower gratin with tomatoes and feta

  • Delys77 on November 22, 2012

    This was easy to prepare and the broiled feta and cauliflower had a nice texture and pretty good flavour. Not a bad dish as a side but doesn't stand up as a main as she says since it is a little too simple and one note.

• Potato and leek gratin

  • Delys77 on September 26, 2012

    Pg. 282 I made only two slight modifications to this dish and it turned out delicious. I added a bit of panko to the top as we always like our gratin with a slight crunch, and I also very lightly salted between the layers. I was careful because the recipe doesn't call for any additional salt between layers, likely due to the fact that there is some salt in the milk broth as well as in the cheese, but I thought it might need a tiny bit more since potatoes tend to drink up the salt. Overall the result was a lovely dish with hints of garlic and leek and the richness of the milk and the potatoes. I boiled the potatoes in the milk for 20-25 minutes and that was just right. The only challenge was that there was still a little too much milk in the pan when I was done baking. I tilted it and drained off a good portion of it before serving.

  • Skamper on May 15, 2021

    This was delicious. I made a half batch in an 8x8 pan and it took 40 minutes in the oven. Used a combination of gruyere, cheddar, and parmesan since I had scraps on hand.

• Grilled corn

  • Delys77 on August 06, 2013

    The suggestion is to soak the corn then wrap the husks around it and grill for about 20 minutes. It may have been my corn but the husks just didn't stay put. This meant the corn didn't steam as much as it should have and I was forced to fully husk it mid way through and grill attentively with lots of flipping to ensure an even doneness.

• Roasted carrots with garlic and thyme

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Simple roasted carrots really, but the addition of the thyme and garlic was great.

• Braised carrots

  • Delys77 on September 27, 2012

    A good simple side. There is a touch of sweetness but I think the recipe could do with a bit more thyme to up the flavour quotient a little.

• White bean and vegetable stew in red wine sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Simply vile! Used the dry beans, and despite following the instructions the texture was mushy. Flavour wise there was the odd bright note from the butter and the win but the beans and vegetables were otherwise flavourless.

  • Nancith on November 09, 2017

    My version of this was somewhat mushy as another reviewer has said, but that can be attributed to the beans cooking longer than optimal in the oven because of a delay in my schedule. Timing is important to keep the beans & veggies from disintegrating. I would probably shave 5-8 minutes off the cooking time after adding the veggies as well. Flavor was earthy, the dish was filling. Omnivores in the family added browned sausage to their portions & enjoyed it.

  • timothyhuber on May 21, 2017

    I had a completely different experience with this recipe. Wonderful flavor and texture

• Linguine with asparagus, lemon, and spring herbs

  • Delys77 on August 31, 2012

    Pg. 448 Not bad, but nothing special really. For me this would pair more naturally with a short pasta (fusili, penne etc..) as I always find that very chunky "sauces" such as these simply sink to the bottom in tossed pasta. I found the flavour improved overnight, especially with a squirt of lemon juice.

  • Wlow on May 09, 2019

    5/2019 Made with T, who liked it very much. Used half lemon zest and thyme to play it safe, and probably could add more next time. Also, used mini rotelle instead of linguine, Pecorino instead of Parmesan, and half asparagus, half frozen peas. Kept pine nuts on the side, and T tried but not sure if liked. Non-dairy butter (Miyoko’s) worked well.

  • anya_sf on April 08, 2022

    I quite liked this, but did increase the thyme and parsley. I also reserved extra pasta cooking water, some of which I added, along with an extra tablespoon of butter and more cheese, to coat the pasta better.

• Sauteed spinach with garlic and red pepper

  • Delys77 on October 14, 2011

    This is pretty good. I quickly wilted it in a pot instead of blanching. The lemon definitely brings it up to a nicer level.

  • mharriman on February 17, 2022

    We thought this was an okay way to serve cooked spinach (nothing out of this world but okay). I used Trader Joe’s 21 spice seasoning instead of red pepper flakes. The freshly squeezed lemon juice does up the flavor quotient.

• Mushroom lasagne

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not very complicated once the bechamel is made, and quite tasty. The mushroom flavour is great, and the portabello give a nice meaty flavour

• Spaghetti with zucchini and basil

  • Delys77 on August 14, 2012

    Pg 456 Simple weeknight pasta that consists mostly of pantry staples and yields a delicious result. The dairy enriches the light sauce without making it heavy amd the slw simmered zucchini is nice and silky. I do feel there s a bit too much pasta for the sauce, so you can up the other ingredients a bit. This is also nice drizzled with a bit of pepper and fleurvde sel at he end, and maybe a tiny splash of olive oil.

• Somen in broth with silken tofu and spinach

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The kombu stock is a bit light so I added more heat and a bit more mirin. The broth does get absorbed by the noodles quite well.

  • Wlow on December 04, 2014

    Disappointing. The kombu stock was not great, second try now. Noodles were a delicate change from soba. Tried mizuna in place of spinach, which had a little more flavor.

• Spaghetti with garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Pretty good and super simple to do. Not something for company but maybe a good lunch or a quick dinner if the pantry is pretty bare and you don't have much time.

  • Wlow on September 06, 2020

    Approximation very good, with toppings served on the side for the kids.

• Rice and chickpea pilaf with pine nuts and currants

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not very good at all. Strange textures and flavour, plus the cooking of the herbs makes them a little slimey

• Risotto croquettes

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Excellent use of left overs. Make sure the rice is cold when you are forming your croquettes.

• Zucchini frittata with marjoram

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not bad, you can put quite a bit less olive oil.

• Risotto with scallions, lemon, and basil

  • Delys77 on July 06, 2012

    Pg 553 Not bad as a side, but not interesting enough to stand as a vegetarian main course. I would also note that I think the cream should be replaced with butter, and that you should add some lemon juice and up the parmesan a bit as it was a tiny bit bland.

• A summer bean and vegetable soup with pesto

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Essentially the same as the Pistou from Les Halles with a few more vegetables. Both are very good

• Eggplant stew with tomatoes, peppers, and chickpeas

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not a winner. The flavour required a serious boost from some fleur de sel as it was flat. The texture, especially of the eggplant was not appetizing. Spencer seriously disliked.

  • emiliang on August 18, 2014

    This is essentially a ratatouille, but without some of the herbs traditionally used in it. I didn't bother to remove the eggplant and add it back in later. I just left it in the pot to stew with the other veggies. Used the stew as an accompaniment to pan-fried salmon. Delicious!

  • quaquacat on August 08, 2019

    We thought this recipe was astoundingly good, and I don’t think it tasted like ratatouille at all. It took much longer to cook than the instructions said, especially precooking the eggplant strips (a step you don’t want to omit or rush). It looks like a stew with interesting shapes and colors, and it has a surprising depth of flavor for something with so few ingredients and a can of chickpeas. Fresh produce may be the key—I used up tomatoes from the garden. I also cooked the saffron noodle cake she suggested to make with it. It was tasty and filled out the meal, but not inherently a partner to this dish.

• Winter vegetable pot pie

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Pretty good. The herb bechamel was nice, and the frozen puff pastry was tasty and very easy to use. The vegetables were nice and hearty. You did use a large deep casserole dish which made for a poor balance between filling and crust. Also it was lacking in salt eventhough you used a good amount. The recipe is a good base but it might do better with heavier seasoning, more herbs, and maybe served in shallower individual dishes so that there is a bit more pastry to filling

  • tutunoe on November 06, 2021

    We loved this though I tasted and adjusted seasoning while cooking. A repeat, and it will be my Thanksgiving offering at our family gathering.

• Thai tofu and winter squash stew

  • Delys77 on September 07, 2012

    Pg 257. I quite liked this dish as it was flavourful and healthy. I pan fried the tofu as she suggests and it adds a bit of dimension to it. I also love the addition of the leeks and the heavy hand with the chiles. My only gripe is that she calls for 3 cups of water which I thought was weird so I went with 1 cup, and the result was just right. 3 cups would make a soup not a stew. Spencer wasn't a huge fan because it included several ingredients he isn't fond of (tofu, curry, and squash).

  • clcorbi on January 17, 2018

    We also really enjoyed this dish. I did stray from the recipe a bit by using fish sauce instead of some of the soy sauce, chicken stock instead of water (per Delys' comment I used 2c rather than 3), and I drizzled in a liberal amount of extra fish sauce and lime juice at the end right before serving. I loved the extra umami that that added. I also oven-roasted my tofu rather than pan-frying it, which was a little less fussy and still added a nice hearty texture to the final dish. I would definitely make this again--it's both delicious and healthy.

• Parsnip soup with ginger and parsnip "croutons"

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    a little one note despite the ginger

  • ashallen on December 08, 2019

    Good soup. My parsnips were kind of dehydrated - they had been hanging around a while and I made this soup to use them up! I think the dehydration might have intensified their flavor. If using parsnips like that again, I'd reduce the amount used.

• Bright green spinach and pea soup

  • Delys77 on March 07, 2012

    Pg 213 This is Avery healthful recipe that yields good results. The peas and green onions give the soup a bright fresh flavour with the substantial spinach in the backdrop. I scored it 3.5 because it is good without being outstanding.

• Mushroom and spinach bruschetta

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very good but make sure to cook the mushrooms down as much as possible. Used shitake instead of dried but I think the dried would be better

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2000) Good!

• Cool rice and cucumber salad

  • Delys77 on September 05, 2012

    Pg 170 I quite like grain based salads, and this one definitely captures the toothsome and wholesome elements that these types of salads seem to embody. The choice of herbs is very nice, and the addition of the yogurt provides a nice texture and a certain richness. I do think that as written there is a bit too much acidity/tang as you are getting it from both the yogurt and the vinegar. I woudl suggest cutting back the vinegar just a bit. I also, added some left over feta to the recipe and it proviced a nice texture contrast and contributed to the flavour.

• Red pepper sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good but go easy on the vinegar

• Tomato sauce with dried mushrooms

  • Delys77 on December 02, 2011

    Pg 64 Make sure you dice the mushrooms quite finely as the texture an be a bit unpleasant. Overall this is a Rey flavourful sauce that will go with anything from meatballs to pasta.

• Bechamel sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This makes for a slightly more flavourful bechamel, quite nice really.

• Moroccan green sauce (Chermoula)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Almost like a spicy salsa verde. Great little sauce.

• Cheese muffins

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Conceptually this is very interesting but the presentation is not great since the muffin comes out entirely white if you use white cheddar. It might be improved by adding a little cubes ham and using yellow cheddar.

  • themasterkey3000 on February 01, 2019

    More like cornbread muffins, dry, not cheesy

• Golden tofu

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Nice and crisp

• Sweet and sour tofu

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very dependent on your tofu as I have made several times with vastly diferent results

• Spicy stir-fried tofu with coconut rice

  • smccandless on July 10, 2016

    Triple and save extra spice blend for quick morning breakfast with sautéed greens. Divine with coconut rice.

  • anya_sf on May 19, 2022

    I made 1/2 recipe with 8 oz extra-firm tofu and 2 people ate it all with some stir-fried snap peas on the side. The tofu never got crispy, but the texture was still pleasant. The tofu's spices went really well with the coconut rice.

  • ashallen on October 05, 2019

    Good tofu dish. I've since frequently made the coconut rice, which I particularly like, as a side dish for other meals. The rice is rich and delicious when made as specified in the recipe, but also works well when made in a lighter style by using light coconut milk or by substituting some water for some of the full-fat coconut milk. [Cross-post for Veg Cooking for Everyone/New Veg Cooking for Everyone/Serious Eats.]

• Bulgur and green lentil salad with chickpeas

  • aeader on March 07, 2021

    This is a very tasty salad, especially after a few hours/overnight in the fridge for the flavors to meld. Initially it seemed like too much dressing to the grain/bean mix, but resting it in the fridge also allowed most of the dressing to be absorbed. I would use a little more bulgur next time. A great vegan option for a picnic or potluck. I made the version with walnuts/walnut oil but did not add tarragon.

  • Dannausc on April 03, 2020

    I didn’t have enough lentils, so I added some split peas. I used walnuts and tarragon but no walnut oil. Quite easy and good. Tasty. I liked it a lot.

• Split pea soup

  • aeader on April 12, 2020

    My new favorite split pea soup recipe. The herbs give so much wonderful flavor. My last batch used split peas that were a bit old so required extra cooking time and extra water to keep the consistency right but still turned out delicious. I've also sauteed the veggies in a little bacon or sausage grease instead of oil to add a little meaty/smoky flavor.

  • Wlow on December 06, 2016

    Family favorite since 2005. Used to use stock from vegetable base but now just use water and the full amount of salt. Use 6 cups of water and pressure cook 13 minutes at low pressure. Sometimes thin leftovers with more water. Have used the recommended mushroom soy sauce in the past but don't usually have it on hand—one of the few speciality ingredients in this cookbook that are almost never called for!

  • mharriman on February 23, 2022

    I agree with the other reviewers- wonderful soup! The best split pea soup I’ve ever made. Didn’t miss the ham whatsoever. We really liked that it wasn’t thick. I liked adding just a teaspoon of mushroom soy sauce to my soup bowl for added flavor. I will definitely keep this recipe in mind the next time I want split pea soup.

  • purrviciouz on October 29, 2018

    One of my favorite soups. I'm not vegetarian so sometimes I'll add diced pancetta. I make smoked paprika croutons which I feel go perfectly with the soup. I like how this soup is more liquidy than most split pea soups and I agree with Deb, it's more enjoyable that way.

  • aromo on January 18, 2019

    I love this soup, like it much better here than with any of the ham based recipes. A very savory and full flavor.

• Slivered asparagus saute with shallots

  • aeader on June 14, 2020

    We both liked this and will repeat. There are a lot of flavors but none overpower the asparagus. I cut the stems to about 1/2" because I thought 1/4" seemed too small, but next time I'll use 1/4. Skipped the parsley and didn't miss it.

• Five-minute beets

  • aeader on May 27, 2012

    These were nothing really special, but if you want a quick way to cook beets, this is it. I wanted to use up some beets I had on hand, but didn't have time to roast them as I usually do. This was very simple and tasty.

  • ashallen on December 12, 2019

    I second aeder's description - a quick, simple, and pretty tasty way to cook beets.

• Green barley and kale gratin

  • aeader on October 12, 2013

    Served this for dinner along with roast chicken. It was very tasty and we enjoyed having a new way to use up all the kale we have been getting in our CSA. The only change I would make is to use extra Gruyere cheese next time.

  • Hawley on January 29, 2014

    Liked this in concept, but thought it was a bit bland.

• Pita with broiled eggplant

  • rchlnnmllr on May 25, 2013

    good with sliced cucumbers

• Buttermilk pancakes

  • okmosa on May 26, 2020

    I would have never thought to look in my favorite vegetarian cookbook for a buttermilk pancake recipe, but that’s where Eat Your Books is a winner. I cannot believe how good these pancakes are. This one is definitely earmarked and will be made again and again.

  • Zosia on October 13, 2015

    The flavour was good but they weren't very light and fluffy, something I expect in a buttermilk pancake. I used the recommended substitute of whole wheat pastry flour which may have affected my results.

  • clcorbi on January 30, 2017

    This is my go-to pancake recipe--I love the addition of nutmeg and vanilla. I also love that Madison provides an alternative solution if you don't have buttermilk, which I usually don't. You can curdle milk with a little vinegar, which takes about 10 minutes, and usually during those 10 minutes I can already have the rest of the ingredients pulled together. I use 2t of salt for the full recipe, and also add cinnamon--I add three times more cinnamon than nutmeg, which gives these a nice flavor to my taste.

• Quince or pear sauce

  • Bloominanglophile on January 01, 2014

    Mrs. Madison's recipes for applesauce and these variations are really just guides--I think applesauce making is pretty much foolproof, and one can combine apples, quinces, and pears in whatever combination they desire. I had between 1-2 pounds of apples that were getting a bit soft, as well as 2 quinces and 1 pear. I barely add any sugar to applesauce, and just a whisper of cinnamon and nutmeg, so I repeated that here. The resulting sauce was delicious, but for some reason the sauce didn't turn pink (I did leave the skins on the quinces). I would precook the quinces a bit before adding the apples and pears--they don't seem to cook at the same rate. I used the resulting sauce in a riff on a Scandinavian dessert and layered LU Le Petit Beurre cookie crumbs with the sauce and topped with barely sweetened whipped cream (rich!). Also added it to oatmeal with a crumbled ginger cookie and leftover whipped cream for breakfast the next morning. Yum!

• Crostini with tomatoes and basil

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2000) A good, basic crostini recipe that depends on ripe, summer tomatoes for its success.

• Tomato and avocado sandwich on toast

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (1999) I tried this with the lemon vinaigrette and the cilantro salsa--makes a wonderful sandwich!

• Impromptu arugula salad

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2001) A simple but refreshing arugula salad.

• Arugula salad with grilled onion vinaigrette

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2001) Gave this 4 stars.

• Carrot salad with parsley and mint

  • Bloominanglophile on August 21, 2013

    My bad--this is the recipe that I meant to review instead of the Carrot Salad with Parsley, Lovage and Mint from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. As you can probably tell by the name, this is practically the same recipe--it just calls for a smaller amount of the herbs. This recipe also gives several variations on this theme.

• Cilantro salsa

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (1999) I really enjoyed this salsa!

  • clcorbi on June 06, 2017

    This salsa has a delicious flavor and we'll definitely be repeat it, but it was SO watery when made as written. We even decreased the oil and it was still extremely thin. Maybe our bunch of cilantro was smaller than Madison's, but it was a pretty decent amount of cilantro, so I'm not sure. At any rate, I don't think the 1/4c of water added to this salsa is necessary at all. Next time I'd blend all the ingredients except the oil, omit the water entirely, and then mix in oil until it's our desired consistency. All that said, there will definitely be a next time, because the flavor really is awesome.

• Red wine tomato sauce

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2008) This takes a little while to cook, but it is an easy recipe. I have also made the variation with olives, which is quite nice.

• Oven-roasted tomato sauce

  • Bloominanglophile on April 14, 2014

    (2007) Easy recipe. Roasting the tomatoes concentrated their sugars and made for a nice sauce.

• Macaroni smothered with onions

  • Bloominanglophile on February 01, 2013

    This is a hearty, but not rich pasta. Good for weeknight meals and leftovers heated up nicely. We got about 6 servings out of this instead of 4, when accompanied by salad. I would recommend increasing the amount of onions, gruyere and parsley--and be sure to use 4 BIG boiling potatoes to balance out the 1 lb. of macaroni.

• Tender tomato tart

  • emptywheel on September 27, 2012

    Made this for a group event. It tasted great--very concentrated tomato flavor, tender crust. Lots of compliments, one person said the filling had consistency of mousse. That said it was somewhat fussy to make.

• Straw potato cake

  • JKDLady on July 31, 2015

    Terrific dish. I added a layer of sliced onion, green onions, and shredded raclette.

  • Zosia on May 31, 2020

    I made one of the suggested variations and included a layer of fresh, chopped rosemary in the middle. It was delicious. In my cast iron pan, the potatoes seemed to steam on low heat without developing a golden crust so I went to a higher setting (just shy of medium) to brown the bottom and left it there to cook the other side.

• Buckwheat noodle salad with grilled tofu and roasted peppers

  • JKDLady on July 30, 2015

    I would suggest leaving out the brown sugar. This recipe was too sweet; I think the sweetness of hoisin sauce is enough.

• Romesco sauce

  • Yildiz100 on April 11, 2016

    Halved the recipe and it still made quite a lot. Was very nice, but I thought it needed a bit of smokiness so I added about .25 or .5 teaspoon smoked paprika. I could even see doing this with less tomato and going for more of a dried chile flavor. Next time, I will just use one clove of garlic for half of the recipe (as opposed to 1.5)

• Polenta cheddar croquettes

  • Yildiz100 on March 01, 2013

    Good, but did not go well with the suggested cherry tomato relish.

• Red lentil dal with aromatics

  • Yildiz100 on March 26, 2017

    This was fine but bland as far as dals go. We ate it, but would not repeat it.

• Green lentils with wine-glazed vegetables

  • Yildiz100 on January 18, 2013

    This recipe is delicious, though the lentil cooking instructions are off. (They call for way too little water.) Instead, cook lentils to my taste, and make wine glazed veggies, then combine. Very good with double the ratio wine glazed veggies to lentils. Try making more elegant by using beluga lentils and serving half of the veggies on top instead of mixed into the dish. Garnish with croutons and spinach with garlic.

• Mushrooms with paprika and sour cream

  • Yildiz100 on August 03, 2019

    Delicious as written, though I used to think it calls for too much liquid. Maybe it comes down to how long you cook the mushrooms and evaporate their juices before adding the stock. Also very nice with creme fraiche instead of sour cream.

• Sweet potato muffins with candied ginger

  • Yildiz100 on December 20, 2017

    Nice texture and flavor but despite the fact that I love ginger, I didn't like the flavor or texture of the candied ginger here. Next time I would use one of the other options she gives-raisins or chopped dates.

  • MsMonsoon on January 11, 2021

    A warm, comforting muffin that fills the house with a wonderful scent. These came out perfectly. I always seem to get a good rise on Deborah Madison muffin recipes, which isn’t always the case with others. Followed the recipe exactly except for the 1 tsp of cinnamon. I amped up the spice by using 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice instead.

  • AmyS on January 09, 2017

    I had some leftover mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes that I wanted to use up. This was the vehicle, and it turned out are very sweet and moist. I think I could even have left some of the sugar out because of the sweetness in the original mash I don't like things super sweet) but I left it as is.

• Wild rice and celery root gratin

  • Nimorrison on December 02, 2012

    This recipe did not have shallots listed as an ingredient.

• Spinach and herb torta in a potato crust

  • maggiewt on February 18, 2014

    A bit time-consuming, but incredibly delicious. Leftovers reheat well.

• Kale with cannellini beans

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Fast and easy, but we found it rather bland.

  • emiliang on July 08, 2020

    This was a delicious way of using up some kale we had in the fridge. Some tips to boost the flavor and protein content: add some sundried tomatoes (in oil) right before you add the wine; serve with farmers cheese crumbled on top instead of Parmesan; and garnish with some olives for a final boost of salty umami.

• Greens with potatoes

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Boring.

  • amoule on October 20, 2014

    I made this with tuscan kale and ripe tomatoes and I thought it was fantastic. I'm surprised at the other review; perhaps it was her ingredients.

  • cottonmama on February 22, 2020

    I don't see the page number noted here... it's on page 380

• Cabbage gratin

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Mushy and bland.

• Kasha (buckwheat groats)

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    This recipe has several unindexed variations: kasha varnishkes, kasha with fried onions, kasha with toasted walnuts and scallions. I made the latter, using yellow onions instead of scallions--delicious.

• Rice and eggs with pesto, pine nuts, and tomatoes

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Surprisingly good.

• Fennel with oil and lemon

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Very flavorful and refreshing. An excellent choice for any meal that needs a little spark.

• Walnut bread

  • LauraG on December 13, 2012

    Fine texture, easy to slice thin, great flavor. Makes great grilled cheese sandwiches. Directions omit adding the yeast, but you can figure it out.

• Potato bread

  • emiliang on March 22, 2015

    Our new favorite sandwich bread recipe. Very flavorful. Comes together in about 3.5 hours and stays fresh 2-3 days. I add about 1/4 cup bulgur for some extra texture and fiber.

• Tomato and avocado salad

  • emiliang on October 06, 2016

    This was very good.

• Fresh mushroom risotto

  • emiliang on October 10, 2016

    A mushroom-lover's risotto. Instead of mushroom stock, I used regular stock with plenty of dried porcini powder added to it. And instead of cream, I used a tablespoon or two of butter. Delicious!

• Southern style black-eyed peas

  • emiliang on January 18, 2013

    A great vegetarian version of the classic dish. Comes together very easily and can serve a lot of people with minimum effort. But the amount of salt required in the recipe makes it way too salty. Start with half the amount and go from there.

  • thecharlah on December 31, 2014

    This recipe was removed from the new edition, which is a shame as it's one of my favorites!

  • cottonmama on February 22, 2020

    I'm a Southerner who used to think you couldn't make black-eyed peas without bacon or ham. Deborah Madison proved me wrong. This is now my go-to black-eyed pea recipe. I'm not a vegetarian, but I appreciate not having to deal with the hassle or expense of meat sometimes. I do use a scant measurement of allspice and since my family can't handle any spice, I do about 1/8 tsp of chipotle powder.

  • cottonmama on February 22, 2020

    I also make this in the crock pot sometimes. Just use a skillet to saute onions and all, then instead of adding the peas and water to the onions, combine it all in a small slow cooker. Cook on high or low until tender (I follow other crock pot recipes for timing)

• Braised collards or turnip greens

  • emiliang on January 18, 2013

    This is a delicious side dish but the preparation takes way too long. The indexers omitted to list the brown butter called for in the recipe, which alone takes about an hour to prepare. From beginning to end, the recipe will keep you with an eye on the stove for about two hours.

• Potato soup

  • carlenedrake on April 25, 2015

    A good basic soup. I added some chicken broth, spinach, and some shredded carrot.

• Rice with spinach, lemon, and dill

  • Nancith on October 10, 2014

    Was in a bit of a hurry so the scallions & spinach were not chopped finely as stated in the recipe, but very tasty, with a bright lemony-dill flavor. Probably would be good with a bit of feta sprinkled on top.

• Wehani rice pilaf

  • Nancith on November 29, 2016

    A pretty basic pilaf-filling with decent flavor. I used a combination of dry vermouth & sherry as a sub for the red wine, & added a large batch of sautéd mushrooms, which really added to the taste.

• Spaghettini with cauliflower, butter, and pepper

  • Nancith on September 25, 2016

    Very tasty--cauliflower is mellow w/ buttery overtones, combination of ingredients is satisfying. Next time I will add the crisped breadcrumbs at the last possible minute or sprinkle over individual servings, as they did not retain their crispy texture when tossed with the other ingredients as suggested.

  • Wlow on May 24, 2019

    Lovely. Used broccoflower, Aleppo Pepper as the red pepper flakes, combination Parmesan and pecorino.

  • Dannausc on April 03, 2020

    I used 1 t. Red pepper flakes. Quite easy and good.

• Summer mushroom ragout

  • Nancith on June 06, 2017

    Very yummy! Rich flavor with relatively few ingredients. I used a "not-chicken" bouillon cube for stock, and substituted onions for tomatoes. Especially satisfying over baked spaghetti squash, as suggested in the book. Anxious to try this again when good tomatoes finally come to market.

• Artichoke, shallot and potato ragout

  • Nancith on December 29, 2018

    I liked this dish quite a lot: gentle, subtle flavoring, tender veggies, broth for dipping bread into, warming & comforting. Not liked as well by son & hubby--they felt it lacked something, maybe seasoning-wise or texturally. If you're looking for something intensely flavored, this is not it. I subbed celeriac for the rutabagas, & used frozen artichokes. Visually would be improved with red-skinned potatoes for some contrast.

• Braised turnips with thyme

  • Nancith on February 09, 2015

    I thought this was a nice, warming dish, although a bit bland perhaps. I did have to substitute olive oil for butter & didn't use cream while I'm on a temporary dairy-free diet. That would perhaps have added some richness to it. Probably leftovers could be pureed w/ some stock for soup,

  • ashallen on December 11, 2019

    Nice dish as long as you're fond of turnips in the first place!

• Rice and ricotta tart

  • dinnermints on November 20, 2021

    I saw this got one four-star rating, but it gets just one from me. One of the crust options for this recipe is the yeasted tart dough with butter, but that recipe makes too much for a 9" tart pan (the tart dough recipe indicates this, but the rice & ricotta recipe specifies a 9" pan). The recipe says to "fit" the dough to pan, so I did that, and when I pre-baked it, it took up most of the tart pan. I was able to get half of the rice & ricotta mixture in there, and the rest went into ramekins. At 40min, it was still a little goopy right under the baked top (it looked set), and the texture was not great. And then - if I'm going to have a bunch of crust, I really don't want a bunch of rice in addition. And it wasn't super flavorful. Sort of a bust all around. Too bad; was looking for a go-to recipe to use up 1 cup of ricotta...this definitely isn't going to be it.

• Yeasted tart dough with butter

  • dinnermints on November 20, 2021

    This seemed like a pretty good tart dough...I put it into a tart pan that was too small and then didn't like the recipe that used it, but I think there's potential here. It was pretty easy to put together, and I like that you can put it in the freezer overnight before baking the next day (thus avoiding pie weights). I subbed half of the all purpose flour for whole wheat. It only has 4T butter, which I also like.

• Cabbage and rye panade

  • dinnermints on January 21, 2018

    Wonderful flavor as is, but would be even better with some sausage. To make it more of a main course, I used 10oz rye bread (torn into pieces), 6oz cheese, and five cups broth. The rye bread sort of disintegrated into the dish in a delightful way. Would next time make this in three stages: day 1, broth; day 2, assemble panade & refrigerate; day 3, bake.

• Herb and garlic broth

  • dinnermints on January 21, 2018

    I made this to put in the Cabbage & Rye Panade from the same book, and it was worth the trouble. Rich flavor, and adding the mashed cooked garlic back into the broth gave it additional body and earthiness. I didn't cover it - mostly (well, completely) because I missed that part, but I also wanted the broth to cook down to 4-5 cups for a more concentrated flavor. I started pressing the garlic through the strainer per the recipe notes, and that was slow-going; better to peel the garlic completely from the get-go so it can just be mashed after cooking.

• Cottage cheese and watercress dip

  • Wlow on April 10, 2016

    Pleasant but not exciting

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    Agree with Wlow - this was very mildly flavored. I doubt I'll make it again since it's too mild for me.

• Savoy cabbage with potatoes and brown butter

  • Wlow on February 08, 2019

    Side dish version of Pizzocheri, not baked. Made approximation and cooked potato and cabbage with dried Pizzocheri noodles, used an artisan fontina but not Italian. Very good, cozy, but noodles a little gritty even after cooked a long time.

• Rice and eggs with peas and herbs

  • Wlow on July 01, 2019

    Good but not great (with N), using white jasmine rice, frozen peas, aging green onions, pecorino and 1/3 the sage, less lemon zest from old lemon and lemon juice at the table — try with fresher ingredients, maybe basil, full amount of lemon zest and a short- or medium-grain rice.

• Butterflies with chickpeas

  • Wlow on July 21, 2019

    9/13 approx very good but chickpeas still tinny (w/o parsley or crumbs). 12/18 better with home-cooked chickpeas (approx amounts). Definitely use both crumbs and cheese. 7/19 used Aleppo pepper (more than 1/4 t) and added 2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped and chunks of avocado! Really improved flavor and texture. 7/20 canned pretty good but greater proportion of pasta to chickpeas would be better. Half the amount of chickpeas for me, even less for T. Maybe more sun-dried tomato too. Added some steamed baby spinach too, very nice.

  • Lepa on December 28, 2017

    I have tried lots of chickpeas with pasta recipes but this one is my son's favorite so we eat it frequently. I add some butter at the end, to bring it all together.

  • clcorbi on November 21, 2016

    A favorite of ours and very quick. I use only one can of chickpeas as we prefer a ratio of more pasta to beans. It's really hard to go wrong with this flavor combination.

• Cornmeal with vanilla and molasses

  • Wlow on June 02, 2018

    Very good, though added vanilla and molasses only to my own bowl. N had milk and maple syrup on top. Microwaved fine stoneground cornmeal using clipped recipe adapted from Barbara Kafka’s Microwave Gourmet.

• Scrambled tofu with tomatoes and salsa

  • Wlow on December 07, 2019

    Title should really be Scrambled Tofu with Salsa—no tomatoes! Most recent edition has corrected title. Ground chile good sub for fresh, orange cheddar best for color. Good with shallot (on hand) but try with scallion.

• Yogurt sauce with cayenne and dill

  • peaceoutdesign on February 01, 2021

    Good when you got a big container of yogurt. Easy and fast.

• Zucchini matchsticks with yogurt sauce

  • peaceoutdesign on February 01, 2021

    I really like to cook zucchini this way, the caramelization adds everything. The sauce was okay but the zucchini was almost as good without it.

• Pear-almond upside-down cake

  • peaceoutdesign on February 28, 2015

    firm pears is key

• Coleslaw with buttermilk-horseradish dressing

  • Alro9 on April 29, 2014

    I made this with red cabbage as that is what I had. I also had to omit a few of the dressing ingredients but it was generally very good.

• Chard and onion omelet

  • ebehm on November 07, 2013

    Excellent - made many times with and without fresh herbs.

• Basic buttermilk muffins

  • Zosia on January 09, 2014

    Moist, tender muffin that's a great base for whatever you'd like to add. I've made chocolate chip and cranberry-walnut variations, both times using 1 part AP flour, 2 parts whole wheat pastry (total 300g), 110g brown sugar (~1/2 cup) and oil. They're a generous size at 12; baking time for 14 smaller muffins is 19 minutes.

  • clcorbi on February 05, 2017

    These were made to use up a carton of buttermilk lingering in the fridge. This recipe does produce a nice, moist muffin, but mine did not end up very large at 12; they puffed up but weren't large enough to spread out and create nice muffin tops. Not a big deal, but next time I might make 10 instead. I used 1/2c of sugar (1/2-3/4c is the recommended amount), and next time I think I would add the extra 1/4c as these were hardly sweet at all. Luckily, I made the spiced variation, and the cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger added a nice additional flavor to make up for the lack of sweetness. With some tweaks I think this could be a great muffin recipe to my taste.

  • MsMonsoon on June 30, 2021

    I’ve twice made the dried apricot and ginger version, and they are great. I even forgot to add the oil with the wet ingredients and had to mix it in at the last minute, and still I got a nice fluffy muffin with good rise. The batter fills the tin and makes 12 generous muffins. I then tried the spice muffin version, adding the streusel. I thought they would be kind of boring but they are fragrant and delicious! I did increase the spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove) and added 1/2 cup of walnuts. They seem to be done right at the 25-minute mark, just as the recipe says. Love Deborah Madison.

• Sauteed mushrooms with spinach and pepper

  • Zosia on September 05, 2017

    Easy, tasty and quick cooking...a great side when you don't have much time. As written, this recipe is not vegan since it calls for butter. I used olive oil and found that 2 tbsp were plenty.

• Mashed potatoes with herbs and olive oil

  • Zosia on May 08, 2014

    This recipe was not a success. The garlic-herb-olive oil flavour was nice but the texture of the mash seemed oily even though I used a fraction of the olive oil recommended. It was also an unappealing shade of yellow. Perhaps milk would have been a better choice than the potato cooking water.

• Greens with tomatoes and Asiago

  • Zosia on May 14, 2014

    A great way to serve greens. I love that the tomatoes were merely warmed through, retaining their fresh taste.

• Pasta with broccoli rabe and tomatoes

  • Zosia on May 05, 2016

    Tomatoes and toasted pine nuts add a nice twist to what is otherwise a very basic (and common) pasta topping of greens with garlic and red pepper flakes.

• Pizza with eggplant and dried oregano

  • Zosia on June 19, 2018

    I thinly sliced and broiled the eggplant rather than cube and fry it so it was a bit dry by the time the pizza was baked but with added garlic, parsley and oregano, the flavour was very good. I used the dough recipe from RLB's The Bread Bible.

• Ricotta frittata

  • Zosia on December 09, 2016

    Delicious way to use up a half container of ricotta. The frittata was moist, but not wet, and quite light. I used thyme because that's what I had but any fresh herb would work nicely. Next time, I'll reduce the salt (fine sea salt) a bit.

• Rice pilaf with saffron and spice

  • Zosia on March 30, 2019

    I liked this method of cooking the rice; with the active time at the start, it allows one to focus on the rest of the meal while the rice sits. We liked the flavour of it but I did adjust the spicing a little, reducing the cloves to 3 and substituting cardamom pods for ground cardamom. The saffron was a bit lost in this so I would omit it next time.

• Dried fruit gratin with pistachio-walnut topping

  • bching on December 20, 2017

    This is a winter breakfast standby in our house--perfect with some Greek yogurt. The fruit mixture is easily varied. I like to increase the nut topping by 50%--and the nut mixture also works with whatever nuts are available.

• Quinoa muffins

  • laurenlangston on August 27, 2017

    These muffins will never win any beauty contests but they've got a really well rounded flavor and texture -- nothing complicated, a great pop with the quinoa. I've been making these since I got this cookbook in college, 15(!) years ago. I usually just use all whole wheat flour (as a recommended substitution for half ww/half quinoa) because I don't often have quinoa flour around, and either way works great.

• Leek and potato soup

  • alisonkc on January 21, 2014

    This is a great recipe, I make it often in the summer. If I have any on hand, I will often stir in some sour cream for tang.

  • clcorbi on June 02, 2017

    Very basic but tasty soup. It was a bit bland the first time we served it, but per alisonkc's comment below, we mixed in some sour cream to our bowls which really helped. Served with crusty garlic bread, it was still a nice dinner. I had it again for lunch today and it definitely did improve after a few days in the fridge. Next time, if I made this again, I'd consider using stock in place of some of the water, just for a bit of a richer flavor. I also blended about half the soup, which I would do again.

• Basil puree

  • alisonkc on January 21, 2014

    I make this every year with the basil from my garden. It freezes beautifully! I have defrosted & thinned it out with a bit more oil to serve with baguettes; it's fantastic as a simple sauce on a pizza, and you can easily enough turn it into something more like a true pesto if you like.

• Cauliflower, spinach, and potato stir-fry with coconut milk

  • Hawley on November 11, 2015

    Not a favorite, but I would probably make it again. Full disclosure: I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I made or ate this so that may be influencing my feelings.

• Spicy eggplant spread with Thai basil

  • kkillebrew on June 19, 2014

    Add kaffir lime leaf to basil

• Kohlrabi with horseradish

  • kkillebrew on May 30, 2016

    Add a bit of vinegar and substitute fennel leaves for dill

• Tofu and steamed cabbage with rice and peanut sauce

  • mharriman on December 22, 2017

    Very, very good! I’m not a big tofu fan unless it’s disguised in something like tomato sauce, but had a lot leftover (from a tomato sauce disguised tofu recipe), took a chance, and so glad I did. My husband and I loved this. It has quite a few steps and is a bit time consuming: make the peanut sauce, thinly slice the Napa cabbage, chop the cilantro, drain and cube the tofu, make the rice, steam the cabbage, cook the tofu. I opted to make the golden tofu (recipe in same book) instead of steam it, and this was a key to why I liked the dish. Nice color and crust and firmer texture. I used Jif peanut butter for sauce because I didn’t have unsweetened and that may explain why I had to spoon the sauce; it wasn’t thin enough to drizzle. I’ll use natural, unsweetened next time. We thought the sauce had a bit too much vinegar taste so I’d reduce the rice vinegar next time.

• Brussels sprouts with mustard butter and caraway

  • mharriman on September 28, 2017

    The amount of Dijon mustard in this butter mixture is not so overpowering that it overtakes the butter/shallots. A nice way to add interest to Brussels sprouts and easy to prepare. My husband hates caraway seeds so I omitted that. I served as a side with pan sautéed bison steaks and baked sweet potatoes.

• Glazed carrots with mustard and honey

  • mharriman on April 02, 2018

    Loved this! And it was still in prime condition and delicious after cooked, sitting covered for 20 minutes on low/ warm while the rack of lamb was roasting. The butter, honey and mustard enhanced the carrots’ flavor. Definitely adding this to my everyday rotation.

• Steamed artichokes

  • mharriman on October 09, 2019

    Does one really need a recipe to cook a simply steamed artichoke?! I do. I make them only a few times a year, and appreciate having step by step directions and reminders of how to prep them as well as how to cut into the chokes when eating them. Served this tonight with small dishes of light mayo and melted butter and that made a mid -weeknight dinner meal special.

• Asparagus with peanut oil and black sesame seeds

  • mharriman on August 09, 2020

    Very good. I substituted sesame oil for peanut since I had no peanut oil. The sesame seeds added a nice, slight crunch to the asparagus. This veg was a good contrast to the lobster tails and butter my husband grilled.

• Another mushroom pizza

  • mharriman on August 23, 2019

    Delicious. I used two quiche pans so my pizzas were more like pizza pies. I think that is the way to go with so many vegetables in this pizza. I was a bit taken back by the amount of mushrooms (1 pound) and tomatoes (6) called for, but using the pans helped secure all those sliced vegetables. They were luscious with the melted fontina cheese. I used a bag of whole wheat pizza dough from Wegmans and that worked well. This would make a great casual company lunch or dinner because all the prep work could be done in advance.

  • purrviciouz on February 16, 2020

    This was fantastic flavor for pizza topping and takes the place of both sauce and toppings! Although a little wet and a bit too much toppings for me. Next time I'd make a full recipe of this with a full recipe of the pizza dough and put the mushrooms in a strainer in the fridge overnight to rid of excess liquid. Instead of thyme, I used a dried Italian herb mixture and added halfway through the mushrooms cooking. Tomatoes aren't in season so I used tinned plum tomatoes which may have added to my moisture but was delicious.

• Fusilli with cauliflower, olives, and herbs

  • mharriman on February 18, 2019

    Bland. This might make a great complement to a meat entree but for a main dish, we found it pretty bland. The fresh tarragon helped but not much. Needs a sauce to liven it up.

• Garlic mayonnaise (aioli)

  • mharriman on June 23, 2020

    I whipped this up to jazz up some boiled new potatoes and it was delicious with them. I added fresh minced chives from my garden which added a nice color contrast.

• Warm sage and garlic butter

  • mharriman on December 15, 2017

    Great to use with acorn squash. Quick Recipe ; needs to be cut in half or even more for two people.

• Warm asparagus salad on arugula with walnut vinaigrette

  • mharriman on December 26, 2017

    Lovely! Four generations of eaters loved this. Easy to put together and looks nice on a serving platter.

• Tomato sandwich with olive paste, mozzarella, and arugula

  • mharriman on December 23, 2020

    A simple and satisfying sandwich. I used toasted rustic country bread (Whole Foods bakery), kalamata olives, plum tomatoes, and subbed green leaf lettuce for the arugula. I cut my tomato and mozzarella slices fairly thick, so my sandwich was pretty thick. I’m thinking it would have been more flavorful with summer tomatoes but since the olive paste is the predominant flavor in this sandwich, maybe not. Worth repeating. As a side note, I’ve had this cookbook for ages and just today discovered the wonderful 17 page sandwich section.

• Tabbouleh

  • mharriman on June 08, 2018

    Tasty and refreshing tabbouleh recipe! I made this to go with a Mediterranean style chicken dish, and this was the winner of the two. I love using the leftovers for a lunch salad by adding chickpeas. Great summer salad.

• Brown sugar-yogurt tart in a nut crust

  • Barb_N on August 03, 2014

    A simple, elegant dessert with just the right balance of tangy and sweet.

• Quick peanut sauce

  • TiaGoats on April 02, 2020

    Delicious, but next time I will try it with just a little less vinegar.

  • Suitsme on February 08, 2020

    Love the tang of the vinegar. Great with pasta. Start with less water, then add as needed.

• Zucchini and fresh herb fritters

  • TiaGoats on August 08, 2019

    These are incredibly, addictively delicious!

• Corn chowder with new potatoes, golden peppers, and basil

  • barbarajane on August 20, 2014

    Very good. The vegetable broth with corn cobs makes this very corny and tasty.

  • tfreedma on August 31, 2016

    Delicious! I topped with a some pesto instead of basil strips.

• Marinated grilled tofu with hoisin sauce

  • jdub1371 on April 26, 2022

    I made two modifications: 1) I couldn't get next to the idea of western herbs with hoisin, so I skipped the herbs and grated in some fresh ginger. 2) I used half lower-sodium soy sauce and half coconut aminos. I marinated drained, pressed, sliced firm tofu in this mixture for a few days and then broiled it in the toaster oven. Very tasty with a good texture. Perfect served with sesame noodles and roasted broccoli.

  • Ishie1013 on April 11, 2022

    Quite good and enjoyed by my vegetarian friend. If I make it again, I'll marinate the tofu for longer.

• Marinated and fried tempeh, Indonesian style

  • jdub1371 on March 31, 2019

    For all the marinade, this came out kind of blah. It needs 2x or maybe even 3x the amount of flavoring ingredients. The fried tempeh had a good texture though, very toothsome. It tasted fine, just not the flavor explosion I expected. I added the shallots (which I used instead of onion) from the marinade to the pan along with the tempeh and despite being boiled for a while they browned up nicely. I was a little worried the whole works would scorch towards the end of the simmering process, but I kept an eye on it and it was fine - not even browned at the end.

• Pears (and other fruits) poached in vanilla syrup

  • mamacrumbcake on June 06, 2016

    This makes really wonderful poached pears. The syrup is delicious and fragrant with vanilla bean and lemon zest. When my kids were little, they liked to put this syrup on their pancakes instead of maple syrup. It's that good. I have often substituted honey for the sugar and that variation is delicious as well. Just use less honey (reduce by 1/4 - 1/3).

• White pizza

  • clcorbi on June 04, 2017

    Simple but pretty tasty. We made this pizza using our go-to dough recipe from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and upped the proportions of cheese and basil accordingly. This tastes pretty much exactly like you'd expect. I did find myself wishing this pizza had some sort of sauce, even though we used high-quality fresh mozzarella which did add a bit of moisture. Still, though, this made for a tasty enough dinner.

• Mushrooms and tofu in hoisin sauce

  • clcorbi on September 27, 2017

    This wasn't bad, just not really what I was expecting. I thought the dish would be more like a stir-fry, but it's actually quite liquidy, more like a mapo tofu but with a different flavor profile. I actually reduced the liquid by half and only used 1c stock instead of 2c, and still found the end result to be too saucy. The flavor was all right, definitely serviceable for a weeknight meal, but not memorable enough that I'd repeat.

  • ashallen on December 11, 2019

    Strong flavors! I thought it went well with buckwheat noodles as suggested in the recipe.

• Broccoli with mustard butter and capers

  • clcorbi on April 15, 2017

    I modified this recipe by roasting the broccoli rather than steaming it, and replacing the butter in the dressing with 2T of olive oil. Yum. Lovely flavor combination here, and the longer the roasted broccoli sat in the dressing, the better it got.

• Cauliflower with curry butter and toasted cashews

  • clcorbi on January 05, 2018

    This was pretty tasty, maybe a bit too acidic. Rather than steaming my head of cauliflower, I roasted it till tender with just a bit of olive oil, then tossed it with the curry butter. Leftovers tasted a bit better because the lime flavor had become a little less potent.

• Mustard vinaigrette

  • clcorbi on November 27, 2016

    So many chopped shallots went into this vinaigrette that we were certain it would never work! The end result was really thick but very good. We substituted mayonnaise for the sour cream but otherwise followed the recipe as directed. We ended up using the full batch to dress the Celery Root and Apple Salad (pg 156).

• Cauliflower with dried mushrooms and bok choy

  • clcorbi on January 24, 2017

    Not great--there was way too little sauce (and, hence, flavor) for the amount of veggies. I suppose I shouldn't have expected a great Chinese stirfry from this cookbook--for that, I turn to Dunlop!

• Leeks in mustard vinaigrette

  • clcorbi on February 12, 2018

    Very nice. The mustard vinaigrette is delicious and really makes the dish.

• Celery root and apple salad with mustard vinaigrette

  • clcorbi on November 27, 2016

    I really enjoyed this salad! Upped the amount of celery root to 1.5 pounds, so we needed the full batch of Mustard Vinaigrette to dress it. To me this was like a really amazing, updated coleslaw. I liked the combo of celery root and apple, although H said he thought it could be better with a different vegetable. At any rate, I'm really looking forward to the leftovers, as I assume this will keep fairly well.

  • jenburkholder on February 28, 2021

    We omitted the capers and watercress. This was quite tasty, although it felt a bit greasy. In order to achieve enough acid in the salad, we needed to use more dressing, resulting in a flabby taste. If making again, would up the acid in the dressing. Kept beautifully.

• Whole-wheat quesadilla with Monterey Jack and cilantro salsa

  • clcorbi on June 06, 2017

    I am still thinking about how delicious the flavor combo of Monterey jack plus cilantro salsa was! Wow, are these good. Fast, too. We used regular flour tortillas rather than whole-wheat, just because it's what we had. My only caveat about this recipe--and it's a big one--is that, as written, the cilantro salsa is way too thin and watery. This makes the quesadillas super messy to eat and cook, because the salsa begins to just pour out into the pan. You need a lot of napkins ready when you eat these. That being said, the flavor was so delicious that I'm finding it hard to begrudge these. Next time I will rework the salsa recipe to remove the extra liquid.

• Tomatillo salsa

  • clcorbi on September 11, 2017

    A serviceable salsa, but not so delicious that I'd make it again. I added a few cloves of garlic and also found I needed to up the salt a little bit.

• Pepper sauce

  • rionafaith on February 12, 2017

    This is good even before six weeks have passed, but it just gets better with age. Very good on collard greens... waiting to discover other uses!

• Vinegared beets nested in their greens

  • rionafaith on September 23, 2016

    Meh. This is very simple, so it's not like I had great expectations. I used beautiful Chiogga beets -- they were on the medium-sized side so I quartered them after steaming and before sautéing (she says nothing about peeling, only scrubbing, but I peeled them after steaming as well). They were okay but I'd probably add more balsamic next time. The greens, I would just sauté rather than steaming them and then tossing with butter... they ended up overcooked and waterlogged and it was hard to distribute the butter once they had clumped together. I much prefer the taste/texture of sautéed greens anyway. This just isn't very interesting.

• Braised red radishes

  • rionafaith on September 23, 2016

    Never really thought about cooking radishes, but hey, it works! Next time I might add more herbs to the braise or cook in stock instead of water, as they were a bit bland... but I liked the technique. Definitely add the extra butter at the end, it's needed.

• Dried wild mushroom risotto

  • rionafaith on August 01, 2016

    Absolutely delicious, and very easy other than the whole standing over the stove stirring constantly thing. Used a combination of dried porcini and shiitake mushrooms as I was a bit low on the porcinis, and I used beef broth instead of making homemade mushroom stock (which is not reflected in the indexed ingredients here for some reason).

  • ashallen on October 05, 2019

    2019.10.05: Great risotto with a very rich, deep flavor. I used mushroom stock - I'd expect it'd work very well with chicken stock, too. 2020.08.11 update: Yes, very good with homemade chicken stock, too!

• Cauliflower with bread crumbs

  • MsMonsoon on February 08, 2018

    Easy and delicious way to serve a steamed vegetable like cauliflower. Simply melt butter, brown breadcrumbs in it, and toss with the vegetable.

• Red cabbage with apples

  • MsMonsoon on March 27, 2022

    Super simple and easy. Cabbage is cooked until “meltingly soft.” Nice combo of sweet and sour with the apple cider vinegar. Low effort prep and you’ve got a big batch of comforting, healthy, high fiber, low-fat veg.

• Roasted eggplant with garlic

  • MsMonsoon on April 18, 2021

    Super easy. Good with yogurt sauce like the cucumber carrot raita on Page 65.

• Yogurt tahini sauce

  • MsMonsoon on October 19, 2020

    Easy and quick. Recipe calls for one garlic clove but I used two. Could easily add fresh herbs like dill if desired.

  • sosayi on October 23, 2017

    Recipe list should include garlic and lemon juice and zest, as well. I needed to add a bit more tahini for my taste, but it was a good guide/ base to build from.

• Persimmon and hazelnut salad with hazelnut vinaigrette

  • anya_sf on December 01, 2021

    I used a lot more lettuce and just 1 persimmon. I didn't have hazelnut oil, so the vinaigrette (only needed 1/3 recipe) just had olive oil, but still complemented the salad. Persimmons and hazelnuts were a good combination.

• Oatmeal pancakes

  • anya_sf on February 05, 2022

    These had good flavor and I really enjoyed the chewy texture from the oats. I added a cup of blueberries. The pancakes were slightly tricky to flip, especially with berries, since the batter was relatively loose.

• Yeasted waffles and pancakes

  • anya_sf on August 10, 2021

    Solid yeasted waffle recipe, a bit healthier than most. The batter was thinner than I expected - not sure if I did something wrong or if was due to using oil instead of butter. The waffles baked up nice and crisp, although they softened upon cooling (as they usually do - I just recrisp them in the toaster oven). I got 10 round waffles.

• Apricot and cherry crisp with almond topping

  • anya_sf on June 15, 2021

    Very nice, good ratio of topping to fruit. My apricots were rather tart so I added 2 extra Tbsp sugar to the filling and the sweetness was good on its own or with ice cream. Next time I'll leave out the nutmeg as it didn't go that well with these fruits. This made plenty for 6-8 people.

• Peach, raspberry, and blackberry crisp

  • anya_sf on July 23, 2020

    I used nectarines and blueberries instead of peaches, raspberries, and blackberries. There is a nectarine and raspberry version on the next page that has much less sugar and no thickener (unless we're meant to use the flour from the original version? it was unclear), but this recipe was less confusing. Less sugar would have worked, but the thickness was good, and no one complained that it was too sweet, even with ice cream. The crisp was quite good.

• Steamed broccoli

  • LouiseQuasiChef on April 13, 2019

    My variation of recipe on p. 341: Steam or parboil broccoli (don't overcook!). Lay on sheet pan. Cut up slices of garlic and sauté gently in olive oil and salt for a few minutes until just turning golden. Put all in small bowl. Put fresh olive oil in pan with pepper flakes, broccoli, S&P and sauté and turn to heat through. Add reserved olive oil/garlic slices and mix in. Put in bowl and shave on some Parmesan.

• Beet soup

  • dornole on September 25, 2017

    Excellent. I added 1/2 cup red lentils to the pot to add body.

• Posole with red chile sauce

  • Dannausc on April 03, 2020

    I used white corn because the store was out of posole/hominy. I used 1/2 recipe of the Chile sauce. Quite tasty with a nice kick. Worth a repeat.

• Herb-crusted tofu

  • Skamper on July 04, 2021

    This was just ok. I added a bit of fine sea salt to the breading, but it was still under seasoned.

• Cashew curry

  • purrviciouz on January 30, 2019

    I forgot chilies with my groceries so instead of the spices in the recipe i used Thai curry powder. Very quick and simple and made great leftovers. I was surprised how delicious the nuts were as the main component of the curry dish.

• Artichoke risotto

  • purrviciouz on April 30, 2018

    The marscapone cheese really put this over the top and made it a decadent treat. The artichokes are time consuming but they can be done a day ahead. Definitely keep some slices to garnish because the added texture is lovely.

• Barley-sesame flatbreads

  • wkhull on November 08, 2019

    Density is greater than typical naan. I tried making some in the oven on a stone; they do brown more evenly, but taste better fried in a pan. Cast iron worked better than non-stick. Thorough spraying with coconut oil seemed to work out better than coating with olive oil. They do not taste nearly as good reheated, so would recommend refrigerating or freezing unused dough disks until ready to fry.

• Caramelized onions

  • ashallen on December 11, 2019

    Nice method for making caramelized onions which are a delicious addition to all sorts of things...

• Celery root and potato puree

  • ashallen on December 11, 2019

    Very good!

• Spicy chickpeas with ginger

  • ashallen on August 01, 2019

    This recipe is an old favorite - a great mixture of flavors and easy to pull together. Using pre-ground spices is fine - dry-toasting and grinding whole cumin and whole coriander adds even more flavor layers. Mustard oil isn't sold everywhere, but it adds a slight bitterness which balances out the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions.

• Beans with aromatics

  • ashallen on October 13, 2019

    Nice instructions for making a great pot of basic beans!!

• Chinese dumplings with shredded cabbage, mushrooms, and leeks

  • ashallen on August 13, 2019

    Tasty dumplings. Flavors from the dried shiitake mushrooms definitely dominate. To suit my own preference, I'll probably tinker with the mushroom mixture and increase the ginger a bit in the future. Filling had a good consistency and behaved nicely in the dumpling wrappers.

• Roasted turnips or rutabagas

  • ashallen on December 12, 2019

    Nice, simple cooking method - good for those who are fond of turnips/rutabagas. I used thyme sprigs which ended up totally drying out, but I might have used too large a baking dish.

• Barley-mushroom pilaf with sauteed mushrooms

  • ashallen on September 27, 2019

    Excellent, deeply flavorful pilaf. Topping the pilaf with sautéed mushrooms made the dish seem a bit greasy to me - next time I'll try incorporating all of the mushrooms during the early mushroom prep steps in the recipe and see how that goes. I used dried shiitake vs. dried porcini mushrooms which would have been great but weren't on-hand. Also used one portobello in place of some of the white mushrooms.

• Basic rice pilaf

  • ashallen on October 05, 2019

    Solid instructions for a good, simple rice pilaf.

• Stir-fried carrots, jicama, and watercress

  • ashallen on December 13, 2019

    Good. Flavors are not super-intense so I liked this best as a side dish to balance out a more intensely flavored dish.

• Winter vegetable stew with sunchokes

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    I thought this was just OK. As written, the flavors seemed dull to me and in need of serious livening up.

• Mushroom stock

  • ashallen on November 30, 2019

    Very good and very flavorful mushroom stock!

• Sesame-soy sauce

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    Classic mixture of sesame oil and soy sauce for dipping dumplings - so simple and so good!

• Spicy peanut dip

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    Very tasty dip/sauce, but very thick.

• Baked ricotta with thyme

  • ashallen on August 07, 2019

    Both good and *very* easy!

• Warm feta cheese with sesame seeds

  • ashallen on August 12, 2019

    Delicious!!

• Pita bread

  • ashallen on July 24, 2019

    This is a great pita bread recipe that I've made many times - it's converted friends into pita bread-makers! So much better than store-bought and extras freeze well for later.

• Galette dough

  • ashallen on November 23, 2019

    This is a fine, basic recipe for making a galette crust - it's thick and sturdy enough to keep filling juices contained and handle pleating/folding without tearing or cracking. Great buttery flavor and flaky. I found the 1/2 tsp fine salt called for in the recipe to be too little (even for a sweet galette) and bump it up to 1 tsp. I would like the crust to be a bit more tender - some tweaks to the mixing method and the flour (I've been using unbleached all purpose so far) might do the trick...

• Crème Chantilly

  • ashallen on September 21, 2019

    If you need a good, basic recipe for whipped cream, here's one! Lots of suggestions for ways to vary the flavor of the cream, too...

• Tangy whipped cream

  • ashallen on September 21, 2019

    This is a great alternative to regular whipped cream. I sometimes eat certain desserts with sour cream - it's easy and its tanginess goes really well with certain flavors. This whipped cream lightens the sour cream with the sweet fluffiness of regular whipped cream - awesome!

• Ginger cream scones

  • ashallen on August 24, 2019

    Good scones - strong ginger flavor (!) and extra moistness form the crystallized ginger bits.

• Applesauce spice bread

  • ashallen on September 05, 2019

    Good. Flavor had pleasant baking soda undertones when made with cardamom - it'll be fun to see what happens when using cinnamon instead.

• Cranberry relish with walnuts

  • Suitsme on October 20, 2019

    As written the recipe is very sweet. I used only 1/3 cup sugar and probably could have gotten away with 1/4 cup. Also since I had the orange I added the orange zest to the processor. It’s a lovely color, quick to make, and the orange is a nice complement.

• Mushroom enchiladas with epazote and green chile

  • jdjd99 on January 25, 2020

    Really flavorful. I added some shredded cheese to the filling, though I'm not sure it really needed it.

• Corn with cumin, chile, and tomato

  • Jardimc on August 20, 2021

    I made this with summer CSA veggies at their peak and it was delicious. A simple recipe packed with flavour. I will be making this every summer.

• Food52 by Celia Sack

  A classic vegetarian cookbook that has stood the test of time.

  Full review

• Food52

  ...she helped transform vegetarian cooking from a fringe diet into a complete and worthy cuisine.

  Full review

• Pen and Fork

  Madison’s desire is to get us all into the kitchen, whether we are vegetarian, vegan, or (as she says) ''you don’t attach a title to your eating style.'' Truly a book for all cooks...

  Full review