• Eat Your Books

  See Lisa Is Cooking's take on Basic pizza dough from this book.

• Foodelf on May 27, 2012

  The New Basics Cookbook. Although I no longer have this book (loaned and never returned), I've been making the Split Pea and Ham Soup for at least a couple decades. It's the best and can be dressed up (add a splash of sherry) or simply a flavour-filled soup on a chilly winter evening. Don't skip adding the spinach just before serving. The soup freezes beautifully.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Bill's planked salmon

  • Laurendmck on July 08, 2010

    p. 472

• Black and white bean salad

  • Laurendmck on August 31, 2013

    P. 329

• Spaghetti squash cassserole

  • Laurendmck on October 05, 2014

    p. 290. This is a microwave recipe.

• Raspberry angel food cake with raspberry Amaretto sauce

  • Deborah on February 01, 2010

    This is a super easy and very impressive dessert; you can use an angel-food cake mix instead of making a scratch cake (esp. if you're low on eggs) and it comes out just as well. The raspberry amaretto sauce is to die for; make extra and serve it on ice cream when the cake's all gone...which will be instantaneous!

• Lemon and ginger pork loin

  • Cheri on June 02, 2011

    I have made this many times with good success. Generally very well liked by different taste palates. Lemon marmalade is tough for me to find, so I always stock up when I find it, just for this dish!

  • chawkins on December 08, 2019

    The lemon marmalade is surprisingly easy to locate, it is stocked in my regular super market. The timing for roasting was spot on, moist and flavorful pork with minimal effort, did not even have to make gravy, the pan juice was delicious.

  • quinns on November 27, 2012

    I agree with Cheri, lemon marmalade is very tough to find. But Rose's Lime Marmalade is very easy to find and it substitutes well.

• Ellen's fried chicken

  • Cheri on June 01, 2011

    This is a really great fried chicken recipe. My basic go-to when I get this craving.

• Italian stuffed flank steak

  • Cheri on June 02, 2011

    This is Excellent. Good cold or warm. Spirals are pretty (red/green/white).

• Split pea and ham soup

  • Cheri on June 01, 2011

    This is good, tarragon adds nice variety to flavor. I would make this again.

  • zengal on November 22, 2020

    A delicious split pea and ham soup. The Sherry, tarragon and Spinach go really well together and give the recipe a welcome freshness. This is my husband and my go-to split pea soup recipe, and we never get tired of it.

• Sliced sirloin with shallot wine sauce

  • unrealmeal on March 13, 2011

    1. Make sure that the fat in the pan is good and hot and sizzling before adding meat or it won't brown. 2. Don't go just by suggested cooking time -- use a meat thermometer to judge internal temperature. Also, keep in mind that meat will continue to cook a little after removed from heat. 3. 2# of meat for four people is 1/2 lb of meat each, which can be a lot for some people. A 1# steak fed three nicely in my house. If you're trying to eat more healthily or watch calories or whatever, cut back on the amount of protein here and supplement with some extra veg on the side.

• Ginger ale pork chops

  • unrealmeal on March 27, 2011

    This is a really not-terribly-gingery dish, which was a little disappointing.

• Pork chops and scalloped potato casserole

  • hjm on October 13, 2012

    After making this recipe twenty years ago for the first time, it has become my standard scalloped potato recipe (minus the pork chops). The meaty version is delicious, but time-consuming. Potato scallop made this way never fails to earn praise. It seems to call for a lot of mustard, but you can safely use the full amount as it mellows deliciously during baking. I have used many mustards but I always try to use one that is sweet and one that is rough--usually a honey mustard and a coarse Dijon. I now skip the par-boiling step for the potatoes, but I make sure to cook the dish the full recommended time. Al dente scalloped potatoes are not what you want!

  • chawkins on April 13, 2015

    Made this based on the star rating. As my husband said, what's not to like with pork, potatoes, onions and mustard. Even though it is supposed to be one-pot meal, the preparation is not all that simple, you do have a few pots to clean. First you have to reduce the cream with the garlic slices steeping in it, then you have to blanch the sliced potatoes and dry them and brown the pork chops before assembly. I halved the potatoes but only made two pork chops instead of six. I put everything in a 9x5 loaf pan and baked for only half of the time call for and everything was done. I also did not have enough cream and augmented with 2% milk.

  • Skamper on September 22, 2021

    These weren't as delicious as expected, and that's probably because I made some changes - used a half heavy cream and half 2% milk to lighten it up, drained the potatoes but didn't dry on a towel because that sounds like no fun, and I made a half batch but probably had more potatoes relative to the amount of cream/milk. Not bad, but just not amazing.

• Carnival feijoada

  • Breadcrumbs on March 14, 2010

    March 2010 - Haven't made this....put off by rec when looking in book. Calls for 1/2 lb slab of bacon and 1lb sausages to be cooked (whole) in pot w other ingredients. Once cooked, the liquid is separated out and refrigerated overnight so fat (which I'm imagining will be plentiful!) can be removed. Remaining liquid is then heated and served over rice with cut up meats and beans. Sounds like too drawn out a process for the results I'm imagining. I'll let someone else try this one and let me know if I've got it wrong.

• Chicken breasts Positano

  • Breadcrumbs on June 10, 2010

    p. 408 - cornmeal crusted flattened chx breasts w a chiffonade of arugula tossed in a pressed tomato and lemon dressing

• Basil barley Provençal

  • Laura on May 16, 2010

    Pg. 309. This was really good. I would not make any changes.

• Full of beans soup

  • Laura on March 13, 2010

    Pg. 322. Had some wonderful all-natural kielbasa from my local purveyor at the farmers market, so decided to make this soup. Used flageolets, kidney beans, garbanzos, and black beans. Made some changes: significantly increased the spices as the amounts seemed way too low; used cilantro instead of parsley, as I think it pairs better with chili powder and cumin. The soup turned out very spicy, which we like. Served it with grated pecorino romano, chopped cilantro, sour cream.

  • ctweebee on November 02, 2013

    I love chili and soup and this recipe is the perfect combination. But I don't like ham hocks or kielbasa so in I increase the beans (1 cup white, 2/3 cup red, 2/3 cup blackeyed peas, 1/3 black beans, 1/3 mixed yellow and green split peas) and after soaking overnight and rinsing, simmer them with a pound of sliced bacon (naturally smoked) in 12 cups of water, lid off, for 2 hours, then remove bacon (reserve for other use or throw away), add a little water if too thick, then 28 oz. Marzano tomatoes blended 1/2 a minute with handblender added to the beans with chopped onion, 1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder, 2 tsps. ground cumin, red pepper flakes to taste, and, instead of lemon, 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 tsp. of salt. Simmer for another hour, stirring frequently, until is thick as you like. For a hardy nutritious meal add shredded poached chicken, diced avocado and shredded cheddar cheese, etc.

• Corned beef and cabbage

  • Laura on March 13, 2010

    Pg. 497. I've been making this for St. Patrick's Day every year since the cookbook was published. Has it really been 20 years?! It's super simple and very tasty. I suggest making way more than you think you'll need -- people eat a lot of it and it's great as a leftover. Serve with Irish beers - Harp is a favorite at our house.

• Asian baby back ribs

  • Laura on January 24, 2011

    Pg. 553. This dish had good flavor, but the cooking instructions really need to be revised. At an oven temperature of 400 degrees, the sugary marinade began to burn well before the halfway point. I had to lower the heat significantly and pull the meat out well before the stated time of 1-1/4 hours. Fortunately, the meat was cooked adequately at that time. Unfortunately, I don't think I can salvage the pan that I cooked it in -- there is a thick layer of burned marinade that I doubt I can remove. I won't be making this again, but if I did, I'd significantly lower the oven temperature, cook longer, and not baste until the very end.

• Hot and sassy cornbread

  • Laura on November 06, 2010

    Pg. 626. It took a long time for the center to cook. Also, while it tasted good, the texture was gritty. I doubt that I would make this again.

• Minestrone

  • Laura on August 15, 2010

    Pg. 583. I usually think of minestrone as a cold-weather dish. However, I had a lot of vegetables from the farmers market to use up and this recipe came up -- along with the fact that it's been a rainy, rather cool day here in Maryland. Anyway, it was pretty tasty, if not exceptional. I'd make it again, although I'm still on the search for a great minestrone recipe. Maybe it will be better tomorrow after the flavors have had a chance to deepen.

• Baked winter squash soup

  • Lee on October 26, 2014

    I didn't have mace on hand and substituted garam masala - nice.

• Tomato lentil soup

  • jlockwood0 on January 10, 2010

    very yummy. made some changes - noted in cookbook

• Tartar sauce

  • Lindalib on November 10, 2012

    Excellent basic recipe!

• Berta's chopped liver

  • ellabee on July 08, 2013

    p.10. Cook the onions a bit more -- 25-30 minutes rather than 20. Added a splash each of cream and cognac when buzzing with immersion blender. Used as basis for calves liver pate summer 2013; also excellent.

• Pheasant pot pie

  • ellabee on December 28, 2013

    Didn't make this exact dish, but used guidance on rolling and cutting puff pastry tops for chicken pot pies in 16-oz ramekins. For next time, if using frozen store-bought puff pastry: overnight fridge thaw preferable to counter, because sheet stays at the ideal rolling stage, flexible yet chilled, while the various components get prepared. With my slowpoke style, it's hard to time it just right for the 40 minutes thawing at room-temp.

• Three layer Mexican dip

  • mlbatt on June 10, 2017

    So good and so different from the ready-made versions. Worth the work to make the Black Bean Pesto from this book as the base layer.

• Black bean pesto

  • mlbatt on June 10, 2017

    Really great! I have made this numerous times as the base for the Three Layer Mexican dip.

  • chawkins on May 16, 2014

    Very good, the house was filled with the wonderful aroma of jalapenos and cilantro. I made this as part of the chicken fajitas recipe.

• Red cabbage braised with vinegar and bacon

  • kith51 on April 10, 2014

    The three tablespoons of brown sugar was _way_ too much; I cut it down to about a tablespoon and still thought the dish was too sweet (but my household disagreed). And I don't use the raisins.

  • valbe on November 28, 2020

    Another standby from New Basics. I use red onions and add the apple along with some freshly grated beetroot about 20 minutes before serving. Excellent.

• Rhubarb strawberry sauce

  • lorloff on June 16, 2013

    Great really delicious

  • canderson on May 12, 2012

    Totally delicious, and it could not be easier! Perfect for ice cream, desserts, and pancakes too. I like it for breakfast over fresh yogurt with a little granola. Delicious!

• Vegetable chili

  • lizard on February 09, 2017

    Just made this last night. Really fantastic. Like stockholm28 I used half the oil.

  • stockholm28 on February 21, 2014

    This is my go to chili recipe. I've been making it a couple times a year for 20+ years. I think it is as good as any chili with meat. I reduce the olive oil by half.

• Chunky applesauce

  • MsB on March 28, 2011

    This is my go to applesauce. It is quick, easy and most importantly my boys love it.

• Spiced party nuts

  • WendyKinney on January 03, 2012

    This was really ho-hum. Not worth the effort. Much better options.

• American picnic potato salad

  • Krisage on June 07, 2022

    Good combination of cooked and fresh flavors, colors, textures. Capers are a nice addition.

  • senzler on July 04, 2022

    Great potato salad. Made many times. Live the crunch

• Schiacciata con l'uva (Tuscan grape bread)

  • dondell on September 13, 2013

    hard to kneed in all the raisins. irish soda bread texture - and dense. good with sweet grape topping. used biter mini grapes with seeds, after backing he seeds dissolved and grapes were sweet.

• Broccoli and garlic penne

  • Bloominanglophile on September 15, 2013

    My notes from 2000 say this is just "ok".

  • LifeofPie on November 06, 2022

    I made this recipe and followed it to the letter. I read the previous note and decided to make it anyway even though it was reported as "just ok". A lot of times something very simple can be really good and I was looking for simple this night. There is an incredible amount of fat in this. 3/4 C olive oil and 1/2 stick of butter. Still, I went with it. The 10 cloves of sliced garlic I thought might make it interesting. The results were in my opinion like the previous poster, just ok.

• Molly's vinaigrette

  • Bloominanglophile on September 15, 2013

    I gave this 4 stars back in 2000.

• Creamy fresh corn

  • Bloominanglophile on September 15, 2013

    My notes from 2006 say that this recipe is "good, easy". I did underline the word "fresh" in reference to the corn. Any age to the corn that results in tough kernels will also result in a less than satisfactory dish.

• Herb-crusted lamb with roast potatoes

  • Bloominanglophile on September 15, 2013

    Looking at a recipe you made notes on can definitely take you back. I made this in 1998 while we were living in Iceland (lamb aplenty there!) for a new family that we were sponsoring. My first experience cooking lamb, and for Easter, and it turned out quite well for this novice cook!

• New Basic chicken fajitas

  • chawkins on May 16, 2014

    Kind of involved if you make the black bean pesto and guacamole that goes with it, but well worth the effort. I only used half of the called for oil to cook the onions and it turned out well. I did not char-grilled the chicken breasts, I gas-grilled them. The bean pesto is a good idea, if you spread it on the tortilla before piling on all the fillings, the tortilla won't fall apart no matter how much you overstuff it.

• Guacamole is hot!

  • chawkins on May 16, 2014

    Very good guacamole, interesting that lemon juice is used rather than lime, but then the chicken fajitas that this goes with has tons of lime juice in it.

• Cinnamon raisin bread

  • chawkins on January 21, 2021

    Not a sweet bread, could hardly detect the presence of cinnamon. There are a lot of other cinnamon raisin bread recipes out there that I prefer over this.

• Confetti corned beef hash

  • chawkins on March 18, 2014

    It was a good hash, both in taste and in appearance. The addition of thyme is different but in a good way. You're supposed to put a plate on top of the hash and weighed it down with something, while cooking. I could not think of anything I could put on top of the plate to weigh it down and covered the pan at the same time, so I skipped that process, I also sub dried parsley for fresh as I just got back from the store and I forgot to buy some.

  • hillsboroks on March 22, 2014

    This is a very good corned beef hash recipe. I hadn't made corned beef hash before and just had to try it after seeing all the notes and comments about various hash recipes. The thyme really adds a lovely flavor note and the peppers add color as well as flavor. I also used Yukon Gold potatoes. I used a heavy oven proof plate to weigh the hash down in the pan and didn't worry about another lid. I took a tip from David Leite's hash recipe and near the end of the cooking time made four holes in the hash in the pan and cracked four eggs into the holes. Then I covered it for about 4 minutes to let the eggs cook and served it at once. My husband, who has always said he didn't like hash because his mother made it dry and salty when he was a kid, absolutely loved this version and said he would eat it again any time.

• Santa Fe pork stew

  • hillsboroks on April 15, 2022

    This dish has been a long-standing family favorite for many years. The combination of the pork, sweet potatoes and black beans yields a hearty but not heavy stew. Then the addition of white wine, red wine vinegar, garlic, capers and cumin ensures that this is no every day boring stew. Add some fresh-baked cornbread and a salad for a great meal. This stew reheats really well the next day too.

• Not so sloppy Joe

  • hillsboroks on June 01, 2022

    These were absolutely delicious and my husband pronounced them the best Sloppy Joes he has ever had. I didn’t have any celery and we don’t like green pepper so I just minced up some sweet orange pepper that I had. Also, I did not use the microwave oven but cooked everything in a nonstick skillet and it was still quick and easy. We loved the flavors in this recipe and the fact the they did not end up watery and too sloppy.

• Bourbon turkey

  • hillsboroks on June 20, 2016

    This is one of our all-time favorite grilling recipes. We have never made this with a whole turkey but have used turkey parts instead. We especially love it with either turkey legs or turkey thighs. For 2 legs or thighs I just make 1/4 of the marinade and 1/4 of the glaze. I penciled in the 1/4 version of the recipe in my cookbook years ago. We try to leave the turkey in the marinade at least 8 hours, turning it over once or twice. The resulting turkey meat is savory, moist and a bit reddish on the inside from the red wine in the marinade and the glaze gives it a lovely mahogany coating on the outside. There is always a bit of glaze left over and next time we will hold out part of the glaze as a dipping sauce after maybe reducing it a bit to make it more syrupy. The thighs and legs take about 40-45 minutes on the charcoal grill over indirect heat . We turn them every 20 min. and remove them to rest when the instant read thermometer reads 165 F.

• Garden vegetable soup

  • hillsboroks on February 20, 2023

    My family has loved this soup for years. The addition of parsnips and nutmeg give it a hint of an unusual spicy note that is delicious. I first started making it one fall when the garden tomatoes were abundant and my teenage son was in his vegetarian phase. But it is truly a keeper soup for the whole family.

• Clark Wolf's bruschetta

  • hillsboroks on September 19, 2015

    This is the recipe that I wait all summer for vine ripe tomatoes to make. I have had guests say that they could just eat the whole bowl of this bruschetta topping for dinner and be happy. The quality of the tomatoes makes all the difference here so try to use garden ripe tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market to make this dish magic.

• Herbed asparagus with Parmesan cheese

  • hillsboroks on February 26, 2023

    We loved this asparagus as a side dish. It was fast and straightforward to prepare and the herbs added marvelous flavor. I will definitely make this again. Page 200.

• Springtime quiche

  • bktravels on March 08, 2020

    This quiche needs a crust. I've made crustless quiches before, but this was just not satisfying.

• Corn chowder

  • stockholm28 on May 30, 2017

    This is a pretty basic corn chowder that I’ve made a number of times since I bought this book years ago. It is comfort food. The one alteration that I always make is that I cook the bacon until it is crispy and then remove it before adding the onions. I don’t add the bacon back in until the end. I also sometimes replace the red pepper with a jalapeno.

• Smoked salmon and leek frittata

  • lauries1000 on January 05, 2014

    P 445-446

• Sesame snow peas

  • lauries1000 on March 09, 2014

    P 262

  • peaceoutdesign on February 17, 2021

    Simple and easy.

• Pasta dough

  • lauries1000 on January 05, 2014

    P 128

• Mango chutney

  • lauries1000 on May 15, 2022

    Used green tomatillos as substitute for green peppers - excellent

• Cream of tomato soup

  • peaceoutdesign on June 15, 2022

    I made this when the book first came out and rated it as excellent but I haven't made this again to confirm.

• Kasha varnishkes

  • Rachaelsb on February 01, 2018

    This has been a go to recipe for many years. So simple to make and tastes just like my Bobbie's Kasha and Varnishkes-even with the unconventional help of the microwave.

• Maple cranberry sauce

  • Rachaelsb on November 26, 2020

    An oldie but a goodie!

  • tonileemerrill on November 24, 2022

    I was raised on the canned stuff and simply can't imagine I ever ate it! I get endless compliments on this simple recipe. Absolutely a winner!!

• Penelope Wisner's white beans with star anise and chicken

  • peachy on November 24, 2013

    A wonderful chicken dish for cold weather dining.

• Moroccan chicken

  • peachy on November 24, 2013

    I've been making this recipe for over 20 years and it never fails to please. My husband loves it.

• Scalloped ham and potatoes

  • vhague on February 03, 2016

    This is a decent, basic recipe but it needs a little more flavor. Next time I make it, I will likely increase the amount of salt and utilize garlic powder in lieu of simmering garlic slivers in the heavy cream. The faint taste of garlic was nice, but was somewhat overpowered by the ham.

• Alice Waters' bruschetta

  • RecipesLost on August 30, 2014

    Delicious and simple.

• Grand gaucho paella

  • BelleB. on September 14, 2014

    Use Spanish chorizo instead of the Italian sausage and add lots of saffron!

• Lots of leeks tart

  • AlexandraCohenSpiegler on December 27, 2021

    They're not kidding when they call this "lots of leeks"! Could probably do with fewer than the 10 called-for.

• Sunny lemon sherbert

  • groovyspoon on December 22, 2015

    Never Fails; I have been making this for over a decade in a Donvier. substituting limes is just as good

• Buttermilk waffles

  • Alowishs on March 31, 2016

    Used a maple/butter syrup inspired by the orange butter recipe next to this one in the book. A big fat yummo! I also added some orange zest to the dry ingredients of waffle recipe and that added great flavor as well.

• Spicy breakfast patties

  • rionafaith on June 21, 2017

    Annoying that this recipe calls for 1.25 lbs of ground turkey... I used a 1 lb package and just went a little scant on the herbs. (Used the full amount of breadcrumbs and whole egg.) Substituted about 1 T dried parsley and basil for the fresh herbs. These definitely stuck to the pan a bit but my trusty flexible fish spatula dislodged them. Good flavors, I think they'll make good grab-and-go breakfasts for weekdays so I hope they reheat well!

• Deviled deviled eggs

  • Maefleur on May 25, 2020

    A delicious spin on a classic!

• Steamed beet greens

  • anya_sf on June 09, 2022

    I used red onion instead of shallot. Lacking the full amount of beet greens, I cooked some frozen haricots verts too. Both vegetables tasted delicious, although the beans turned dull due to the lemon juice. I would use this method with other vegetables as well.

• Tarragon chicken salad

  • PanNan on April 18, 2020

    I added a little more mayo as the size of the chicken breasts were rather large and it was too dry at first.

• Stuffed poblano chiles

  • chefwow on September 30, 2017

    We love poblanos and I'm always looking for new ways to serve them, but this recipe is my favorite. It takes a little extra time for the prep work, but the finished product is delicious and well worth it!

• Candace's basil cheese loaf

  • valbe on March 21, 2021

    Haven't made this for years but made it yesterday and it was as good as I remembered. I use a small (cereal) bowl rather than a loaf pan. After removing plastic wrap, the dish does need something sprinkled on top for presentation: pine nuts, chopped walnuts, fresh parsley, ???

• Shellfish risotto

  • valbe on March 02, 2023

    I've made this several times over many years and it always turns out luxurious and tasty. I have never used the mussels - just shrimp and scallops. Tonight I used celery instead of fennel and at the end added some goat cheese as that was what was in the fridge!

• Cilantro pesto

  • Skamper on February 14, 2023

    This was good. next time add some red pepper flakes.

• Berta's carrot cake

  • zarzxjmhabe on January 10, 2021

    Best carrot cake recipe

• Quattro formaggi and pesto pizza

  • PatFB on January 14, 2022

    This is extremely salty, at least with the cheese we used.

• Chicken pot pie nouveau

  • sdevito on November 21, 2021

    Made using frozen and thawed perl onions, 11 oz chicken Microwaved fresh snap peas instead of boiling 1 Frozen and thawed puff pastry sheet Single deep dish pie pan instead of ramekins. Nice flavors, good use of cooked chicken