• amoule on April 01, 2015

  I really expected to love this book but I've always found it a disappointment. I just don't think anything I've cooked from it has been particularly good. I suspect that this book was made at the computer and not in the kitchen. I am removing it from my bookshelf.

• LeslieB22 on September 21, 2011

  Anyone thinking of buying this book, but not familiar with Mark Bittman's philosophy or his column "The Minimalist" which ran in the New York Times for years, should know that when he says "Simple Recipes" he means just that. He shuns complicated steps or long lists of ingredients, even if these are called for by authenticity or tradition. There is certainly merit to this, seeing that many people shy away from cooking for fear that it is too difficult or time-consuming. But it's certainly a book for pragmatic cooks or beginners to the kitchen. There's a ton of good reference material about ingredients, equipment, cooking times for everything from rhubarb to boiled eggs, etc, and all the basic recipes from popping popcorn to making vanilla pudding from scratch, that make this a great foundation for a cookbook shelf. But I certainly understand complaints from experienced cooks like @Breadcrumbs - this is not the book for you if you're already cooking up a storm and need new ideas.

• Breadcrumbs on June 04, 2011

  I first rec'd the cd version of this book as a gift and it just didn't appeal so I figured it must have been the format that bugged me and I purchased the actual book from Costco. I don't recall which recipes I tried but they underwhelmed relative to other versions of the same dish I'd tried previously. I look forward to reading more reviews here and hope to find something that exceeds expectations as I'd be happy to give this another shot and learn its earning its keep on the shelf!!

• Sir_jiffy on August 06, 2010

  Good reference book for just about anything.How to cook anything, yes. How to cook something amazing, can't say yes.Beet rosti is a fun new way to eat beets though.

• sck on July 28, 2010

  Great reference book! I use it more for technique than for full recipes.

• gssmitty on February 10, 2010

  This cookbook is fabulous. Every recipe I've ever tried is nothing less than delicious. It's one of the first books I grab when I have an ingredient and need a recipe.

• gcottraux on January 26, 2010

  My go-to everyday cookbook. The Joy of Cooking for a new generation,and a lot easier to follow.

• Valyn on December 26, 2009

  Great reference book. Especially useful when the internet goes down!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Cabbage braised with onions

  • jaelsne on April 25, 2010

    Absolutely delicious cabbage recipe. Next time I'll cut the oil in half...

  • kath on October 23, 2013

    Following Jaelsne's advice, I cut the oil in half and it was still delicious! It was great served with pork chops.

• Chicken thighs with soy sauce and lemon

  • pluckow on February 09, 2010

    Quick and easy way to make tasty chicken thighs. Tasted more of lemon than soy sauce, which I liked.

  • JKDLady on October 15, 2014

    There was too much lemon in this, and I really like lemon. Next time I would use 1 T. Maybe my particular lemon had more juice than normal. I'm not sure why juice of 1 lemon is ever used. It should be a measured amount. I would definitely make this again.

  • ashallen on October 24, 2019

    Both easy and good!

• Banana bread

  • mfeldman51 on March 18, 2013

    Too dry.

  • monica107 on January 26, 2014

    I made several adaptations and really enjoyed how it came out. Applesauce in place of some of the butter, less sugar, a different combination of flours, and a bit of difference in what got mixed in when and to which bowl. If you're comfortable adjusting a recipe to your personal tastes, this is a good starting point.

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Far too bread like, not sweet at all

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    9/9/06 Just okay.

  • lmhester on January 11, 2017

    Disappointing. Not very sweet and very heavy and breadlike. With so many great banana bread recipes in the world, this is one to skip.

• Stir-fried shrimp with black beans

  • westminstr on August 12, 2015

    I used this recipe as the basis for a shrimp and broccoli stir fry. I didn't love the sauce and wouldn't repeat. My fault for choosing bittman for this type of thing.

• Basic steamed clams

  • westminstr on January 10, 2014

    Made on Christmas Eve. Just like the basic mussels, they turned out great.

• Basic steamed mussels

  • westminstr on January 10, 2014

    I made this on Christmas Eve. They were great.

• Hummus

  • Lee on February 28, 2015

    Delicious, classic hummus as is, it's also a great base for additions.

• Curried pork tenderloin sandwich with chutney and arugula

  • spsmith on May 11, 2010

    Made with lamb (from Thrill of the Grill, marinated in milk and curry) and also with chicken, as the recipe suggests. 5/11/10

• Blueberry cobbler

  • scmoomaw on August 01, 2010

    Great with any fruit - we use it when the peaches or apricots or plums are bountiful.

  • JKDLady on October 13, 2015

    This was good. I followed the suggestion of sugar to taste. Glad I did. 1/3 cup sugar for the blueberries and 1/4 cup for the topping. I still thought it was too sweet, but the rest of the family thought it was good. They wouldn't add the full amount of sugar.

  • joeljkp on June 26, 2023

    Delicious and easy, probably a new go-to here. We made it with overripe strawberries, sliced, with a few frozen in there to make 4 cups. The book suggests strawberries but the online recipe discourages it - I thought they were great.

• Butter-braised radishes

  • HunyBadger on October 06, 2012

    super easy and very good! Never knew how good radishes could be until we tried braising them. A revelation!

• Coconut macaroons

  • HunyBadger on May 16, 2010

    So easy: 4 ingredients (eggs, coconut, vanilla and salt) 45 minutes = very good cookies!!Could use slightly less sugar.

• Broiled or grilled chicken with cilantro and lime

  • HunyBadger on May 09, 2010

    on pg 376

  • Maefleur on September 13, 2022

    Juicy and flavorful!

• Cabbage soup with potatoes and tomatoes

  • HunyBadger on January 12, 2011

    Dont skimp on fat. Use butter/oil mix and fat in chicken broth. Use the sugar too. Excellent recipe!

• Broad rice noodles with chiles, pork, and basil

  • MelMM on September 17, 2010

    I made as directed, except used twice the number of dried chiles. The recipe worked, but was a bit bland for my taste.

  • Lindalib on February 12, 2013

    Simple and good even without the fresh basil, although the basil would have added color and another layer of flavor.

  • Delys77 on June 15, 2012

    Nice noodle dish with a great balance of flavours.  I went with a heaping tsp of chili flakes to up the heat a little.  I also think about 12 oz of pork is just right. Finished with a finish of green onion and a bit of chili.

  • garritylex on March 05, 2012

    Served with Sriracha sauce on the side - that was good for anyone that wanted it hotter.

  • Wordsfailme on August 12, 2024

    I've been making this recipe for more than a decade. There's magic in the interplay of pork, basil, and the sweet-sour-salty notes of the sugar, vinegar and fish/soy sauces. I tend to double the sauce ingredients, stirring half through the pork after browning, and the rest to the noodles as they're stir-fried.

  • sharone7 on February 19, 2021

    I used about 3/4 lb pork and boosted the sauce ingredients to match (3 T fish sauce, 1/.5 T soy sauce, 1.5 T sugar, etc). It was tasty and easy. I had also roasted some broccoli so I tossed it and it was good but next time I would maybe steam or parboil (the caramelized flavors I usually love about roasted broccoli were a bit of a distraction here).

• Beet and fennel salad

  • PennyG on June 15, 2011

    Nice and easy. Good crunch from the fennel goes well with the roasted beets.

• Bulgur pilaf with vermicelli

  • PennyG on January 01, 2017

    I make this often as an interesting alternative to rice, pasta, etc. It is always a hit!

• Quinoa "pilaf"

  • PennyG on January 28, 2018

    Very nice and easy way to use a different grain for a side dish.

• Rice with fresh herbs

  • PennyG on October 06, 2013

    Pretty basic, but this is a nice way to incorporate herbs from your garden into an easy side dish.

• Flageolets, French-style

  • PennyG on December 23, 2016

    Decadent and delicious! I will definitely make this again.

• Turnips in mustard sauce

  • PennyG on March 19, 2014

    This was nice, really nice. I usually roast my vegetables and this was a great change of pace!

• Créme brülée

  • PennyG on December 04, 2016

    This is a good basic recipe for Creme Brûlée. I was looking for something quick and easy - no extra flavorings. Bittman says you can use vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean and that's what I did. However, his baking time of 25-30 minutes is WAY off! I thought it was odd since browsing through various recipes I found that many said to bake very low for an hour. I used 6 ramekins in a water bath and they ended up needing almost an hour.

• Wild rice with vegetables and dried mushrooms

  • lorloff on April 16, 2022

    I made this for a dinner party using homemade vegetable stock from a farmer at my local farmers market and the dish was fantastic. I had smoked wild rice from Zingermans in Ann Arbor, MI that gave the dish a subtle earthy flavor. Will make again!

• Crab cakes

  • lorloff on August 23, 2016

    This is my go to base recipie for crab cakes. I use garlic mayo and add about 1T of fresh herbs from the garden. Thai basil, tarragon, chives was my latest iteration. I serve it with Tom Douglas' Lime Dipping sauce from the I love crab cakes book.

• Shrimp "scampi"

  • lorloff on January 01, 2014

    This was a hit. I left in the paprika ans cumin, used 2t smoked sweet Spanish paprika and 1t agridulce spanish paprika. I marinated the shrimp fro 2 hours in 2 heaping T garlic the cumin and the paprika. used lemon pepper. Added 1/3 the fresh parsley at the en d of cooking and passed more as a garnish

  • lorloff on August 16, 2020

    I am updating my note. In my most recent version of this great dish I doubled the garlic and cooked it very slowly on low as Bittman recommends in lots of oil. I left in the both the cumin and the hot paprika. I used israeli hot paprika not spanish smoked paprika. I used almost a ½ cup parsley and vinegar de Jerez and it was perfect. I did not marinate the shrimp in advance. That step was not needed.

• Basic pesto

  • lorloff on March 20, 2018

    Served this as a sauce for poached salmon and it was delicious

• Bean and tomato casserole

  • Waderu on January 13, 2013

    Made slow cooker black beans for the first time and used them. Had a half can of tomato sauce mixed with diced fire roasted tomatoes. Made two layers in a lasagna pan. Used as a filling for tortillas with guacamole. Turned out great, will definitely make again.

• Beet roesti with rosemary

  • Emily Hope on November 18, 2010

    Great and unusual way to cook beets. Tasty with an apple grated in with the beets.

  • zorra on February 27, 2014

    Terrific & unusual beet recipe. Caramelized & crisp exterior, moist interior strands. If using higher amount of beets, it's helpful to cover for a few minutes after flipping. We like it as a vegetarian main dish too.

  • shoffmann on September 19, 2017

    Simple and tasty. I served with a horseradish-dill yogurt sauce which was a good complement.

  • ashallen on December 11, 2019

    I have marginal appreciation for beets to begin with (though I keep trying :) ), so my review is from that perspective. This recipe didn't turn me into a beet-lover. I used golden beets and, in addition to the beet's sweetness, there were some slight bitter notes I didn't like - some grated apple or a yogurt sauce as previous reviewers mentioned would have helped with that. Maybe it was my cooking technique or the particular beets I used...

• Roasted root vegetables

  • MollyB on November 19, 2018

    Good basic recipe for roasting root vegetables, using whatever you have on hand. I usually skip the garlic.

• Tomato soup

  • Kathy Henr on November 10, 2010

    Great soup with no cream, but if slightly pureed - great texture.

• Baked macaroni and cheese

  • cleolin on November 11, 2010

    Not nearly enough cheese.

• Braised broccoli with garlic and wine

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The sardines definitely add a lot to the flavour and the wine sauce is very nice. Make sure you don't overcook.

• Eggplant Parmesan

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Didn't do the mozz and I liked the delicious simple flavour of this. Simple and keeps very well as you make the rest of dinner so it is an easy weeknight side.

  • shoffmann on July 31, 2018

    I had my doubts about this recipe along the way. The ingredients list seemed almost too simple and I let the eggplant get a bit darker than I would have liked. Even so, we LOVED this! Simple, but tasty.

• Slow-cooked green beans

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    It is quite mushy but that is the idea I suppose.

  • RuthGo on June 02, 2012

    This is a family favorite, we make it all the time. Easy and impossible to overcook.

• Summer squash or zucchini rounds cooked in butter

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Nice but I would do them without the mint as it doesn’t add much flavour

  • ingabritt on May 04, 2017

    Bizarrely, my super picky stepson liked this. He said it tasted like green beans. I wasn't especially thrilled by it, but I will definitely make it again!

• Pureed parsnips

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Parsnip is a relatively sweet vegetable and makes for a sweet and flavorful puree. A good accompaniment for a very savory dish, perhaps with bacon. If the parsnip is very woody you should cook for about 30 minutes.

• Cassoulet

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious, rich and not actually that difficult.

• Indian-style split pea fritters

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very good, but might do better with a bit of flour to help bind

• Roast tenderloin with herbs

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious with the bearnaise, which tastes a bit acidic but flatens when applied to the roast. You might need to cook for 25 at least since the doneness was good for Spencer a but a bit rare for you.

  • julesamomof2 on August 12, 2018

    My go to recipe, however usually use this one for the grill

• Stir-fried pork with spinach

  • Delys77 on October 18, 2012

    Very simple stir fry that comes together in the time it takes to cook the rice. Flavours are ok but it is a little dry, definitely could do with some stock.

• Banana-yogurt shake

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Tart but delicious. Tried the variation with iced tea and it was great.

• Mornay (cheese) sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Go a bit heavier on the cheese than he suggests. Use white pepper to avoid flecks in your bechamel.

• Béarnaise sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Great balance of tang and richness

• Spanish potato omelet (Tortilla)

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Make sure you season well, otherwise it might be flat. If you season well it is quite delicious

• Light and fluffy pancakes

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    A bit more involved because you have to separate the eggs and beat the whites but it does make a lighter fluffier pancake.

• Tiramisu

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very nice, I was worried it would be bitter but surprisingly it wasn't

• Peaches with fresh blueberry sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very simple but very scrumptious and satisfying

• Classic chocolate chip cookies

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Added the milk to make a flatter cookie but I was a bit short on the chocolate chips. They were good but could do with the full amount of chips

• Corn, tomato, and zucchini soup with basil

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Fresh and very summery, definitely go with the fresh corn since the cobs in the stock really make for a nice flavour

• Guacamole

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Excellent, definitely go relatively heavy on the shallots

• One-hour bouillabaisse

  • Delys77 on March 21, 2013

    This did come together pretty quickly but as written it is missing many of the great elements of bouillabaisse. There is no fish stock and no wine, so I added some of both in lieu of the water. I would also suggest cooking the fish for about 1/3 of the time he suggest as I went for about half and mine was dried out a bit.

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    9/21/11 Very good and fast.

• Broiled or grilled chicken with soy and ginger

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good but I've always used Skinless boneless thighs and they end up drying out.

• Grilled or broiled chicken cutlets with capers and tomatoes

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Ok but nothing special really. Came together very easily but despite the coriander you added it was a little boring.

• Stir-fried chicken with broccoli or cauliflower

  • Delys77 on January 04, 2013

    I made this recipe from the app and I was a little disappointed. I know Bittman's recipes are supposed to be elemental but this was just lacking in flavour. I added some rice wine, a little hoisin and some chilly garlic sauce to up the flavour as I was stir frying. The technique is fine, but if you stick to his ingredient list the results would likely be very bland.

• Roasted eggplant dip

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    So so, maybe go lighter on the tahini

• Prosciutto and melon

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Classic and delicious

• Cheese quesadillas

  • Delys77 on August 06, 2012

    This was a good use of left over bits of cheese.  I would avoid bitter cheeses like asiago and stick to cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack etc.  you can also up the chili and onion by about 50%.

• Spiced melon balls

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Not bad but was a little watery

• Feta cheese dip

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Delicious, just the right amount of salt. Used fleur de sel

• Orange, onion, and rosemary salad

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    I can see where he was going but the onion overpowers everything. Maybe if you soaked it in some vinegar first, but that would turn the flavour of the salad upside down again. This one isn't really a winner

• Couscous salad with mint and parsley

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Super fresh and tasty

• Cod or other thick white fillets in Neopolitan tomato sauce

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything to write home about. The sauce was tangy but a bit one dimensional, and the fish was bland despite the sauce.

• Halibut or other steaks simmered in soy broth

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This is quick and simple but has a great flavour and a lovely Asian simplicity. Done from end to end in about 25 minutes. Don't reduce the sauce too much.

• Broiled cod or other thick white fillets with pesto

  • Delys77 on November 16, 2011

    I actually used the pan fry technique for these, which is a bit of a hybrid with his sautéed filet from the same book. I did finish with pesto under the broiler and it was excellent. Great little crust, flavourful and quick.

• Chicken with Indian spices and yogurt

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Good flavour which is mellowed by the yogurt

• Chicken and garlic stew

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Very nice stewed Garlic, best with Crunchy Bread

• Sour cream or yogurt muffins

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    This is a white flour muffin so it is a bit lower and fibre, but it is also super low fat since you used non fat yogurt and low fat sour cream (a combo). Very light and fluffy, as well as moist. Nice mellow flavour.

• Savory muffins

  • Delys77 on November 05, 2011

    Pg 250 I went with a half cup each of ham and cheddar and this made 10 tasty little savoury bundles. Great as an afternoon snack. In my oven these took about 25 minutes.

• Shrimp jambalaya

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Simple rice bowl with good flavour but would definitely benefit from the suggested ham

• Pilaf with wine and tomatoes

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    Nice flavour, definitely benefits from the parmesan

• Cumin-scented rice with shrimp

  • Delys77 on October 31, 2011

    The addition of cumin seeds definitely makes the rice nice and fragrant. Overall the flavour however is a little on the simple side. It might work better with the addition of a little acid like tomato.

• Meat sauce, Bolognese-style

  • trudys_person on December 24, 2014

    A very nice rich meat sauce, also very tasty in the Pastitsio recipe on pp. 154-155.

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    3/7/09 Very nice.

• Spinach-cheese triangles

  • reh on November 30, 2011

    These are delicious even without the cheese; instead I added chopped toasted almonds; also omitted the dill. Found videos online to demonstrate folding.

• Sautéed pork chops

  • Kouture007 on December 20, 2011

    Sauce is wonderful.

• Roasted gazpacho

  • coyote on July 31, 2014

    Too hot to cook inside, roasted ahead on grill with an added gypsy pepper, chilled 4 hours -- Fantastic!

• Linguine with garlic and oil

  • spharo00 on March 28, 2012

    This was a very simple dish and a tasty one. I used thyme, chives, tarragon, and parsley. I thought a full cup of herbs and eight garlic cloves would be overpowering in the pasta, but it was light and fragrant. I used pasta water to thin the sauce, as the recipe suggests. I would definitely make it again on a busy work night.

• Baked eggs with onions and cheese

  • spharo00 on June 14, 2012

    This dish was quite easy to make as I prepped most of it the day before. I caramelized the onions instead of cooking them only until soft. The onions themselves were really flavorful. However, the taste of the dish as a whole was somewhat disappointing. The cheese mixture really distracted from and covered up the flavor of the egg. Baked eggs are usually so rich and comforting, but I could barely even taste the egg in this dish. This is not something I would spend the time to make again.

• Basic mayonnaise

  • spharo00 on May 30, 2012

    This mayonnaise was creamy and golden, but it had a bitter note that I couldn't get past. I think it must have been the olive oil as it had quite an overpowering flavor. I'm not sure if maybe my oil had gone rancid (it seemed fine otherwise) or if perhaps I'm just more comfortable with a more neutral flavored mayo. I'll make homemade mayonnaise again, but probably not with this recipe and definitely using another oil. I will say that the food processor method seems foolproof though.

• Irish soda bread

  • okmosa on April 04, 2018

    I’m not sure if this bread is supposed to be as dense as it finished, but 30 seconds kneading in the food processor seemed long to me. I know adding raisins and caraway seeds is not traditional, but I threw a few seeds on the top anyway. This was pretty easy to pull together last minute.

• Simple roast chicken

  • okmosa on January 13, 2022

    I don’t think the instruction to to turn done the oven to 325F is sound, or clear when to do it. My 4# chicken was not done and it was in the oven an hour. This recipe did not yield especially crispy skin either. I’ll try another roast chick recipe.

  • ashallen on October 14, 2019

    A fine, basic recipe for roast chicken and quite speedy. Turning the oven up to 500F, however, made various residues inside it smoke (hmmm, maybe I should just clean the oven...). I usually use the roast chicken recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking vs. this one, however.

• Popovers

  • okmosa on March 25, 2018

    Very straightforward and good #popovers recipe. No changes here and they were yummy!

• Thickened reduction sauce or pan gravy

  • okmosa on April 07, 2018

    I don’t normally make gravy but am more accustomed to the type made with a flour roux. This gravy using white wine and shallots then cornstarch for thickening certainly had a different flavor than flour-thickened, not any better to me, but it came together easily enough. It was clear-er, if that’s a thing, not as creamy. And the wine and shallots made it more acidic and bright, not what I expect in gravy.

• Broiled cod or other thick white fillets

  • ellenklutz on September 23, 2012

    Made this with TIlapia, and it was really bland.

• Sautéed soft-shell crabs with shallots and capers

  • ellenklutz on September 07, 2013

    Husband says this is the best thing I've ever made!

• Shrimp cocktail

  • JKDLady on October 17, 2012

    4/6/08 Excellent One of my favorite recipes for shrimp cocktail.

• Cranberry nut bread

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    11/8/11 Too sweet. Cut the sugar. Added orange extract also.

  • LouiseQuasiChef on January 23, 2023

    I liked it. I think I substituted buttermilk for the orange juice in the batter. Made an orange glaze with confectioners sugar, orange juice and orange oil.

• Classic lasagne, Italian-American style

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    3/14/06 Okay. Nothing to write home about.

• Spinach gnocchi

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    4/7/09 Easy and very good. Boil gently.

• Classic lasagne, Bolognese-style

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    9/18/03 Okay. Nothing special.

  • springandfall on July 10, 2015

    Meatball variation (using either Bittman's meatball recipe or Cook's Illustrated issue 11) worked great. Use best possible homemade sauce and real Parmigiano for great results. You don't have to make the lasagne noodles yourself, but if you do, this is out of this world. Reminder to self: this one is bechamel-based - no ricotta, no mozzarella.

• Basic red gazpacho

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    9/2/02 Great. Make in small batches. Used 4 cups of water instead of 6.

• Walnut oil vinaigrette

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    5/6/01 Okay.

• Carrot salad with cumin

  • JKDLady on October 16, 2012

    7/28/06 Okay.

• Soy and sesame dipping sauce or marinade

  • JKDLady on October 17, 2012

    Great. Used 2 tsps rice vinegar instead of 1.5.

• Brownies

  • JKDLady on October 17, 2012

    Terrific. Added banana. Another time I added chocolate chips and orange extract. Definitely need to try adding baking powder as the headnote suggests for a cakier brownie.

• Summer squash or zucchini pancakes

  • JKDLady on August 13, 2015

    I cut the zucchini to one pound, but left the other ingredients the same. In hindsight, I would grate the squash, salt it, and let it drain to remove some of the liquid. I had to use a lot of breadcrumbs to make this work. The taste was worth it though.

• Roast pork shoulder, Puerto-Rican style

  • JKDLady on October 17, 2012

    7/09 Excellent.

• Spicy pork with cinnamon (Vindaloo pork)

  • JKDLady on March 18, 2016

    While my husband really liked this and found it slightly spicy, I didn't think it tasted like any vindaloo I have ever had. The cinnamon was a bit overwhelming to me. I would cut the cinnamon to 2 tsps. It was not spicy in the least to me, so I would increase the cayenne to 1 tsp. The mustard oil does elevate this dish to a different level. I find myself using mustard more and more. The first time I used it, the smell was overwhelming and thought it would ruin the dish. However, it becomes mild when heated.

• Polenta with fresh corn

  • hillsboroks on May 12, 2023

    This was a fast, not too labor intensive way to prepare polenta. I did the version where you start with half water and half milk and only stir every 10 minutes. At the end I added a 1 1/2 cup package of thawed frozen corn from last year’s garden, some chives and some Gorgonzola. I didn’t measure the Gorgonzola and I think I was a bit heavy handed. But my husband loved it and it was a nice change of pace side dish with grilled salmon.

• Salad Niçoise

  • heatherknape on April 24, 2014

    Yes! Bittman gets it right here, the tuna must be canned and packed in oil. Otherwise, the magic combo of hard boiled egg, vinaigrette and tuna just doesn't seem to work.

• Spicy coleslaw

  • mreils on January 22, 2014

    This is a very flavorful coleslaw. The dressing is great.

  • lajaxon on July 05, 2015

    Tasty, but I wouldn't call it spicy.... Pretty mild flavor actually.

• Beef salad with mint

  • latham on March 02, 2013

    Easy and delicious. Always enjoyed by family.

• Stir-fried cabbage

  • MikeCirillo on January 14, 2014

    This is a great recipe. I think it goes great with the Salmon pesto recipe from "The Source." I bet it would be great as a base for pan seared scallops.

• Basic meatballs

  • springandfall on May 17, 2014

    Made with half the meat and added 1/2 cup pureed cooked carrots: easy and fabulous. Halving the meat (or doubling everything else) gives a lighter meatball and an abundance of sauce that's delicious over pasta or rice. Kids and adults alike approved.

• Sautéed trout with almonds (Trout amandine)

  • Tatiana131 on November 10, 2015

    Very easy and delicious

• Kosher pickles, the right way

  • katesmom99 on August 09, 2014

    I agree to let sit 12-48 hours. Then refrigerate. These are the most wonderful half sour dills. On a par with Jewish delicatessen pickles. They will last for more than a week in the fridge--at least a good 2 weeks.

• Onion quiche with bacon

  • sarahawker on February 24, 2015

    This was a beautiful quiche, I wish the amount of salt & pepper were clearly stated because you can't taste raw egg to check. Quite easy, make again!

• French toast

  • sarahawker on September 10, 2015

    Super easy, I made the custard and poured it over the bread instead of dipping as I get more even coverage that way. This was delicious!

  • Ishie1013 on May 24, 2022

    This was a decent basic french toast recipe. No frills but good taste for using up some stale homemade bread.

• Lamb patties with bulgur (Kibbe)

  • MelissaM0223 on February 03, 2016

    These tasted delicious but fell apart very easily. Might be easier to skip the food processer step and just make them more like meatballs.

• Bran and oat sandwich bread

  • shoffmann on November 14, 2017

    Maybe it was my cold kitchen, but this bread just didn't rise. Flavor is excellent, but it ended up being fairly dense.

• Onion-rye bread

  • shoffmann on March 22, 2017

    I had some trouble with this recipe. Instructions mentioned it was unlikely that the dough would be too wet, but I ended up with the consistency of a thick pancake batter. I added additional bread flour (maybe 1/2 cup to a cup) until the dough matched the description in the recipe, but with this addition the food processor started making a terrible noise so I finished by hand. Rising and shaping the loaf went smoothly, but then comes an instruction to bake 15-20 minutes at a high temperature then lower the temperature and continue baking. There was no description of what the bread should look like at this point so I split the middle and turned the oven down at 18 minutes. The resulting bread was quite tasty and had a wonderful crisp crust so I would try this again, but not without modifications to proportions and technique.

• Corn bread

  • kitchen_chick on November 07, 2021

    Contains wheat flour. It's not listed on the ingredients, so adding a note for those of us looking for a wheat flour-free cornbread. (Yes, I know most cornbread recipes use wheat flour. It'd be nice if the EYB ingredient list reflected that.)

  • Jenjeanh on October 31, 2020

    I only had 3/4 cup of cornmeal so added 1/4 cup bran and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour. It was good

• White bean salad

  • clcorbi on January 30, 2017

    I love this salad. The recipe is super-simple, but the proportions of olive oil to vinegar and mustard are perfect, to my taste. This recipe is also super versatile--although I prefer it with shallots, really any type of onion or scallion will work, and basically any dried or fresh herb will be tasty. I omit the red bell pepper because I never have portions of bell peppers laying around. I also always make a half-recipe so that I can use only 1 can of beans, but I imagine homemade cooked beans would really put this salad over the top.

  • Zormasa on May 19, 2024

    This recipe is really delicious and also versatile. I used a can of white beans and a can of garbanzos, because that’s what I had. I used leeks for the allium. I ended up adding another can of garbanzos. I might skip the step of heating next time. The one can of white beans I had just turned to mush.

• Vegetable frittata

  • clcorbi on October 11, 2018

    Made with broccoli--a really tasty, basic frittata recipe.

• Basic pancakes

  • rionafaith on July 04, 2016

    Good basic pancake recipe. I used the buttermilk variation this time and halved the ingredients to feed just two of us, though I used one egg and ended up using the larger amount of milk (~1 cup) as the batter started off quite thick. I also added 1/2tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

• Fragrant curry powder

  • rionafaith on August 27, 2017

    Made to top up my empty spice jar... much more flavor than generic store-bought curry powder!

• Onion-marinated lamb chops

  • rionafaith on October 24, 2016

    Used a lovely rack of ribs from TJ's that I cut into double chops. Made the onion paste mixture in the food processor and marinated for maybe an hour and a half. They needed a bit more time under the broiler than Bittman suggests, I did about 6 minutes each side and they were a perfect medium-rare. Great!

• Basic pizza dough

  • rionafaith on June 30, 2016

    p. 258 -- Super quick and easy. I mixed the dough in my stand mixer as it was already on the counter and that was totally fine, but next time I'd like to try the food processor as Mark suggests. We made 2 medium-sized pizzas and baked each of them on a metal sheet pan coated with a bit of olive oil in a 500 degree oven, and I was surprised at how good the texture of the crust was even without a pizza stone in a regular home oven. I think we definitely have a lot more pizza nights in our future! Planning on trying the cornmeal variation next.

• Steamed littlenecks with butter and herbs

  • Maefleur on March 10, 2023

    Buttery, herby, and very delicious! I didn't strain the broth, I left all the herbs and shallots in and added more fresh herbs on top.

• Spicy grilled or broiled shrimp

  • Maefleur on May 27, 2024

    We enjoyed this shrimp. Very easy, quick cooking, and nicely spicy.

• Bean croquettes with Southwestern flavors

  • Brikl on March 08, 2017

    Required 1 cup of cornmeal and were still too runny to form patties. I just plopped some batter in the frying pan. They set enough to turn.

• Roast turkey and gravy, without stuffing

  • ingabritt on November 30, 2017

    A. Followed his instructions carefully with a 19 pound turkey. Worked beautifully in about 4 hours and 15 minutes (the turkey was never frozen and I didn’t baste much). I used lemon pepper for seasoning, and was very generous with the butter—i ended up using about a stick and a half. I controlled the browning by covering different parts of the breast with foil as they got dark. Made on 11-29-17

• Quick-braised carrots with orange and ginger

  • LouiseQuasiChef on October 28, 2023

    I used daikon radish and carrots, both cut into disks 1/4” thick. Added soy sauce for a kick and a bit of sugar. Skipped the herbs and still delicious! I love this technique for semi-braising firm vegetables

• Eggplant salad, Italian-style

  • sdeathe on November 11, 2021

    Good caponata; easy to do, the pine nut version very nice. A good solid recipe; sometimes you want just good food, little fuss, nothing divine requiring much effort.

• Braised whole grouper or other large whole fish with hot-and-sour sauce

  • jenniferlyle on March 10, 2020

    So delicious! And quick. I upped the ginger and garlic prob x2.

• Salmon fillets in red wine

  • ashallen on September 23, 2019

    Solid dish - not wildly exciting! - but solid.

• Fried rice with greens

  • ashallen on June 02, 2021

    This was fine as a side for a more intensely flavored dish. If I was eating this with something simple, however, I'd probably use more ginger and garlic. I used bok choy instead of the suggested bitter greens, sauteeing the slivered stems with the garlic and ginger before adding the rice. I also used the suggested hoisin sauce alternative to the oyster sauce. Perhaps the flavors would have been more intriguing with the bitter greens and oyster sauce...

• Tapioca pudding

  • ashallen on November 27, 2019

    A fine, basic recipe for tapioca pudding. It does, however, use uncooked egg whites.

• Parsley "pesto"

  • ashallen on November 29, 2019

    Good - worked well with cheese ravioli and chopped fresh tomato.

• Shrimp with cumin and mint

  • mpo on March 15, 2021

    I used cilantro instead of mint. Very nice sauce, I can see just making it for pasta or for any other protein.

• Baked eggs with spinach (Eggs "Florentine")

  • Twysbeek on September 10, 2020

    Scaled this down to use up some leftover spinach--made in toaster oven. Great! Consider adding some garlic to the melted butter prior to spinach.

• Crunchy granola

  • kikiholiday on November 20, 2020

    Good basic recipe for the dry ingredients. I prefer maple syrup to honey. I add melted butter as well.

• Fiery pumpkin seeds

  • KatieK1 on February 27, 2022

    This is a great recipe, except that a 1/2 teaspoon of salt is more than enough, as opposed to the full teaspoon listed.

• Chicken thigh kebabs in yogurt-cumin sauce

  • RaucusBacchus on October 02, 2024

    Frankly, this recipe is non-viable The flavor is ok, but ultimately, not worth the frustration of the hot-mess as written. Who tested this anyway?! My guess, nobody. The recipe is a conglomeration of riffs off of a main theme which lack clarity and adds confusion. When cut as prescribed, the resultant chunks of chicken are not suitable for skewers. The marinade is also not viable for cooking down to baste. It turns into a course, inedible paste. I had to forego the skewers and cook on a cast iron griddle. Next time: find a different recipe and puree the onions.

• Roast sirloin strip

  • Westprog on April 09, 2023

    A nice way to pre-marinade and roast a decent size piece of beef.

• Beef stew with bacon

  • Ishie1013 on November 20, 2023

    This was absolutely fantastic for a beef stew and everyone who had it loved it. I'm keeping this for the archives.

• Spaghetti and meatballs

  • Ishie1013 on April 12, 2022

    I was skeptical, but this was surprisingly good. I didn't think the sauce had enough ingredients, but the only thing I added to it was a half cup of the pasta water, and it tasted great. Meatballs had a good flavor, though I only had ground beef. I would definitely make this again.

• Rice pilaf

  • Soulkitchenjen on March 12, 2024

    This is my go-to baseline pilaf recipe. For when you want something a little more than white rice or plain couscous. Homemade chicken stock makes all the difference.

• Biscotti

  • djnielsen64 on March 11, 2023

    These turned out perfectly. I added 1 c. combined of pistachios and white chocolate and 1.5 t. Damask rose petals, and then drizzled white chocolate over them and added pistachios on the ends after cooking.