• maldenruths on May 25, 2011

  This is a fabulous cookbook. Everything I have tried has been both doable and delicious. She gives me confidence that I am on the right track as I improvise on recipes that I know.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Quick grilled flanken with chili, sesame, and ginger

  • kleins99 on February 24, 2021

    Made this with UNSEASONED rice wine vinegar (no salt, no sugar) and used Brown Sugar Swerve alternative sweetener to keep this a keto-friendly dish for the win.

  • Breadcrumbs on April 09, 2012

    p. 210 - Outstanding! I did manage to find Flanken at the butcher but thought I’d save that for a braised dish and use flank steak for this since I’m more familiar with this cut, especially for grilling. The marinade came together in no time and the flank steak marinated overnight. What really appealed about this Asian-inspired dish was the inclusion of Sriracha, I have no idea why I never thought of using this in the past but the result was brilliant and I’ll be stealing this idea in the future!! We served this with MC’s Crispy Roasted Cabbage alongside. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841843#7265883

  • kari500 on December 24, 2019

    Delicious. The marinade is top notch, and so easy to throw together. Worthy of my quarterly meat splurge.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    We had a tri-tip steak, so I whipped up the marinade and let the steak bathe for the afternoon. Mr. NS cooked it on the grill. I was so caught up in getting it plated while hot (and enjoying the aroma) that I completely forgot the arugula and sesame seeds. Oh well, still a delicious dish. I served it with the Southeast Asian Tomato Salad, and Roasted Spiced Cauliflower with Almonds. A meal that required very little time, yet felt quite special.

• Roasted shrimp and broccoli

  • louie734 on July 17, 2017

    One of my all-time favorite recipes, and one that I make, uncharacteristically, exactly to the recipe! Although I have made it with ground spices, using whole gives such an interesting 'pop' of flavor. Aleppo pepper is my favorite chile to use here, but anything works. A one-dish dinner that eats like snack food, satisfies like a home-cooked meal, and is healthier than many of either!

  • Jane on May 12, 2012

    This was so delicious and so easy. I kept the spices whole as I always like to follow a recipe exactly the first time I make it but I think next time I will lightly crush the coriander seeds and cumin seeds as others have suggested. The combination of the spices, lemon and caramelizing from roasting the broccoli and shrimp at high temperature, was so good. Definitely a repeat recipe..

  • Breadcrumbs on April 28, 2012

    p. 105 Love, love, love this dish! Over the years I’ve made many a quick and easy weeknight meal but none like this. I loved the idea of roasting the shrimp. The only adaptation I made was to season this with fennel seeds vs the cumin along w some Turkish oregano. I served this atop some couscous and finished the plate w a drizzle of lemon-infused EVOO and some fennel pollen. Absolutely delicious. We’re having this again this week! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841843#7277150

  • MelMM on April 10, 2012

    Could not have been easier, and surprisingly good. I lightly crushed the coriander and cumin in a mortar and pestle before tossing with the broccoli to release their flavor and aroma a bit more. I also went a bit heavy on the coriander, and doubled the chili powder (I used the Indian kind). Instead of tossing the shrimp with the lemon zest in a separate bowl, I reused the bowl from the broccoli, thus mopping up any of the spices that were left coating the inside.

  • amraub on October 24, 2012

    Excellent! Used hot shattered paprika in place of the chile powder.

  • KarenS on April 12, 2012

    I had boneless chicken thighs that needed to be cooked. MC says in the intro that they would work, but she felt chicken thighs are better if they have time to marinate. Well, I didn't have time to marinate them either, but I cut them into smallish chunks, tossed them with a little olive oil and the spice mix (I too lightly crushed the coriander and cumin seeds, and held back on the salt a bit), then set it aside while I prepped the broccoli. I then tossed the broccoli with the chicken, adding a little more oil, and stuck it in the oven, stirring once halfway through. The chicken was fantastic! The broccoli was good, but I think I should have reserved a bit of the spice mix to sprinkle on the broccoli, because it mostly clung to the chicken pieces. Other than that, a real winner. Fast, easy, delicious.

  • BethNH on October 27, 2018

    I prepared this entire dinner in the time it took my oven to preheat. Super simple and delicious. I'd leave the broccoli a little larger next time or cut back on the roasting time.

  • lorloff on February 02, 2020

    I agree with all the recommendations below. This recipe was absolutely delicious and even convinced my husband that he could love a broccoli dish. I used whole spices which I thought worked very well. I too marinated the shrimp in the same bowl to pick up the spices. I went a little heavy on the whole spices. I used smoked green New Mexican chile which worked very well. Will make again and again. I like someone’s idea of using ½ cauliflower and half broccoli. I cut and trimmed the stems and threw that in too. It worked very well. Easy and highly recommended.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Pressed for time, I was trying to think of something bright and healthy and quick, and I remembered the COTM posts. The cooking time was perfect. I followed the recipe, except that I didn't really measure spices, and was probably slightly generous. I loved the outcome; this is some of the best broccoli I've tasted, and I may just cook broccoli this way from now on. I especially liked it with the coriander seeds. And roasting shrimp? Just great! We've been consuming more than our share of pasta lately, so I didn't even serve it with a carb, just lovely as-is.

  • Astrid5555 on February 10, 2016

    Made this for dinner last night, could not be easier! Loved the cumin and coriander seed combination with the broccoli. Delicious with jasmine rice.

  • BlytheSpirit on June 03, 2012

    I love this recipe. Not a big fan of cumin or chile powder in most cases so for spices used coriander, Aleppo pepper, S&P. Broccolini is my preference over regular broccoli. This is so fast, easy, and tasty. The browned caramelized edges of the broccolini .... Crunchy and wonderful.

  • Lepa on April 24, 2018

    I finally tried this recipe and it really is all that: easy, quick and delicious! I was shocked the broccoli was done in that amount of time but it was perfect.

  • clcorbi on November 23, 2016

    I have to join the praises and say that we loved this dish. Served with some toasted brioche, although I actually don't think this needs a carb. I left the cumin seeds whole (but decreased the quantity slightly), used ground coriander, and added a bit of garlic powder. I also roasted the broccoli for 5 extra minutes before adding the shrimp. The squeeze of lemon at the end really makes this, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually don't mind whole cumin seeds in this context! Would definitely make again.

  • jhallen on February 03, 2021

    This was a perfect weeknight dinner. Great spice mixture, extremely easy and fast.

• Garlicky cashew pork and pineapple skewers

  • tmatthey on September 09, 2020

    My first grilling project. It was unsettling for me to decide what heat to grill at since recipe does not specify (It is a grill or broil recipe - no temps specified) so I went for medium & covered. Might have overdone the meat, and undercharred the pineapple as a result, but the sauce was so delish all is forgiven. And while I failed to truly caramelize the pineapple chunks on my skewers, they were lovely just warmed up, all the same. I did not notice the lack of heat other posters noted - guess that is not what I was looking for. Served it as the center of my first pandemic backyard cookout with one person outside of the household invited and I was more focused on how do I do the hosting dance before the weather forces us all indoors. She, my husband, and I all thought the pork/pineapple skewers were delish.

  • amraub on June 16, 2012

    Very good. The sauce is delicious. I doubled the pepper flakes, but didn't notice much heat. Next time, I might increase it even more. I might also toss the pineapple with some brown sugar and cayenne to caramelize it some while it's under the broiler. Will make again.

  • mrsmadam on March 30, 2016

    I treated this as a stir fry and added some snow peas I had stir fried before beginning. Turned out really well and will be repeated.

  • Kduncan on March 30, 2020

    As others have written the sauce is delicious, though with 3Xs the red pepper flakes, spiciness was hard to discern. Really simple to make, I didn't even pre-chop any of the ingredients before adding them to the food processor and had no problems. Will be making again.

• My mother's garlic and thyme-roasted chicken parts with mustard croutons

  • Jane on April 11, 2012

    I wanted to serve this with the Barley & carrots dish in Cook This Now so I skipped the croutons. It was a very quick, easy chicken dish. Basically just chicken thighs sprinkled with olive oil, bay leaf and thyme with some garlic cloves tucked in then roasted. Very easy for a weeknight dinner. I will definitely try it again with the mustard croutons though. BTW, even if you don't cook this, read the story before it - it is so funny.

  • Cheri on January 01, 2012

    Made as directed, including 5 minutes under broiler at end to brown a little more. This was fabulous. Used Dijon mustard and spread the peeled roasted garlic cloves on the bread to accompany the chicken. Served with simple green salad. It's good to try and match bread slices to the size of chicken pieces, so they can be served together. While the bread is a little soggy on top, it is nice and crispy on the bottom giving a good variety of textures to the dish.

  • Emily Hope on January 21, 2011

    Made this with 4 chicken legs, separated the drumsticks and thighs. Left the bread plain (no mustard) as we wanted to try that way first... The recipe has a high reward to effort ratio--smells delicious, and the bread (which did not burn) was super good. (And would be good tossed with some arugula, Zuni-style. The chicken was a bit dry, though, so watch the cooking time. And the garlic cloves were surprisingly not good (I usually like to smash them with some mayo to put on the chicken)--perhaps not enough cooking time to get really roasted with this variation. Next time, put most on the outside of the pan and toss with olive oil first.

  • BlytheSpirit on April 21, 2012

    This was easy and delicious. I almost burned the bread but saved it just in time! Be cautious with the drizzling of the olive oil - I was a tad too free with the drizzling and there was too much for my taste - next time I'll be more careful.

  • stockholm28 on April 13, 2014

    Chicken was good but mustard croutons (smeared with the roasted garlic) really made the dish.

  • bching on June 10, 2014

    Very good, and essentially a one dish meal. I roasted some broccoli florets in the pan with the chicken. Not sure that the garlic cloves contributed much. Unless the bread matches the chicken pieces exactly, it would be good to give it a baste half way through the cooking time.

• Quick-braised chicken with Moroccan spices, lemon, and olives

  • Jane on March 25, 2018

    This was a good quick and easy dinner. It's not the most appealing looking dish, being very brown, but the flavor is better than you would expect from such a quick braise. I used boneless/skinless thighs, preserved lemons and barberries and served it with couscous.

  • Laura on December 07, 2014

    Pg. 153. We really enjoyed this. I used 2 bone-in chicken breasts and 2 bone-in legs. Next time, I would remove the skin before cooking because, while it browned nicely during the initial saute, the skin turned into kind of a flabby mess during the braising and we removed it. Also, I had to add a total of 4 cups of chicken broth due to the size of the breasts. I omitted the dried fruit, but did add a handful of sliced mushrooms, which I think made a nice addition. The spices perfumed the broth with lovely flavor. Overall, it was simple and quick to prepare and I'd make it again.

  • Laura on March 03, 2015

    Made this again with bone-in chicken breasts that were skinless. Much better result! I cooked the chicken a bit less time than the recipe specified and it worked perfectly. Used only 2 cups of chicken broth. Added dried cranberries in place of the currants. The aromatic sauce was a wonderful accompaniment.

  • MelMM on September 18, 2012

    Made this with boneless, skinless thighs. I did the fake preserved lemon trick, where you just slice a lemon into thin rounds, put in a saucepan with enough water to cover, add a tablespoon of salt, and boil for 5 minutes. Then you drain and rinse the lemon, and use in the recipe. I omitted the dried apricots, but threw in a small handful of raisins. I used Spanish manzanilla olives, which I have decided I love. I made this in a tagine (Emile Henry flameware), and perhaps because of that, very little (or perhaps no) liquid evaporated. As it was a little soupy for my taste, I removed the chicken to a plate, cranked up the heat, and boiled the liquid uncovered until it reduced down to a nice sauce. That didn't take long at all. Served this with some plain quinoa. This dish made the whole kitchen smell fantastic as it was cooking, and I'm happy to report that the flavor lived up to the aroma. Definitely one to repeat.

  • jayg312 on December 12, 2011

    Great dish with relatively minimal effort, I love olives and this had a nice briny kick through the spiciness, tempered by the lemon. Very good.

  • chawkins on May 18, 2014

    This was delicious. I made this with a mix of thighs and drumsticks, used my home-made preserved lemon, and only 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper as I thought 1/2 tsp might be too hot, as it turned out, there was only a slight hint of heat, 1/2 tsp might have been okay. I also used currents rather than apricots.

• Roasted spiced cauliflower with almonds

  • Jane on March 23, 2016

    A very quick and easy side though I had it for dinner on its own. It really needed an extra element to be a complete meal such as my favorite Melissa Clark cauliflower recipe which includes salted yogurt, pomegranates and mint.

  • westminstr on October 23, 2014

    This was a nice dish, not unlike other spiced roasted cauliflower dishes. I liked the almonds. T and E loved it.

  • wester on June 16, 2013

    Roasted cauliflower is always good, but this recipe didn't add that much extra. I served it with a sauce of yogurt and herbs (dill, tarragon, and a squeeze of lime) which added a nice extra layer of complexity.

  • caitmcg on April 26, 2012

    Crushed cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds provide a delicious variation on cauliflower tossed in olive oil with salt and pepper and roasted, and sliced almonds tossed in for the last bit of roasting give a nice crunch and marry well with the other flavors. I added a bit of Aleppo pepper, as well.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Ever since trying Batali's cauliflower dish with agruumato, olives, and capers, I'm a total convert to roasting cauliflower. His dish tastes very Italian, so it's great to have another recipe that works with a different theme. Sarahcooks describes the simple instructions for preparing this dish above. And it is simple: a few seeds, a few florets, some oil, pop it in the oven and enjoy the spiced aroma. I served this with a steak marinated with Asian flavors, and it was a great side dish. But I think this could also be my new favorite snack food.

• Whole wheat demerara shortbread

  • Jane on April 15, 2012

    This could not have been easier - whizz a-p flour, whole wheat flour, butter and small amount of sugar in processor. Press into pan, sprinkle some more demerara on top and bake. Although I didn't love this as much as my Grandmother's Scottish shortbread, this is healthier (less sugar and more fiber in ww flour) and for a very fast and easy cookie it was pretty good.

  • spharo00 on May 30, 2012

    This was a super easy recipe. I used turbinado sugar in place of the demerara and increased the cooking time by two or three minutes. I was worried that the shortbread wouldn't be very sweet, but sprinkling with turbinado gave it a sweetness and a crunch that I really enjoyed.

• Red lentil soup with lemon

  • Cheri on December 15, 2013

    Loved this. Garnished with fresh mint and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Easy, nice flavors.

  • robinorig on March 04, 2012

    Love this soup, the lemon really lightens it up & makes it wonderful. I have also found, not surprisingly, that different stock makes the soup taste very different. I like it best with really good vegetable stock. I also like the Orangette version using Aleppo pepper, it is nicely aromatic.

  • Breadcrumbs on February 27, 2013

    p. 75 Perfection in a bowl! I made per MC's directions veering off the path only when it came to garnish as I topped w some Aleppo pepper. I tasted this before adding the lemon juice and it was delicious. So much so that I hesitated as to whether I should bother but then I remembered MC commenting that this is one recipe that she always makes to her own specifications each time she prepares it so in went the lemon juice. It really takes the soup from good to great. I found the lemon really made the flavour of the carrots pop. We just loved this. I'll be happy to make it again!

  • Laura on October 21, 2014

    Pg. 75. Fantastic! Loved this soup! I used chicken stock and added the juice of 2 lemons. This was so quick, easy, healthful, and beautiful! It was such a pretty soup that I took a picture. I'll be making it again soon!

  • vinochic on September 14, 2011

    Really good. Even better the next day!

  • Emily Hope on May 21, 2011

    Nice basic lentil soup recipe. C thought that it was just sweet enough from the carrots without going over the edge to too sweet.

  • Vand11 on January 09, 2011

    As far as lentil soups go this is pretty good. Reheats well.

  • Melanie on July 24, 2014

    Easy and and delicious weeknight meal that reheats well. Perfect when feeling ill as there isn't much effort required. I really enjoyed the lift given by the lemon and coriander but may add more chilli. Will try with mint next time for something slightly different. I swapped water in for half of the suggested stock.

  • meggan on May 11, 2016

    It's good. It's easy - what's not to love? I am so lazy, I don't even peel the carrots! Make sure you add the lemon though because that's the key.

  • chawkins on March 24, 2018

    Simple and delicious, takes no time at all to make.

  • stockholm28 on April 08, 2014

    Easy weeknight meal. Lemon and mint made the soup taste really light. I topped with some Aleppo pepper as suggested by other reviewers.

  • wodtke on August 17, 2015

    As I have come to expect from Melissa Clark, this is an excellent recipe. I did modify it by adding Italian sausage, broken up, browned, and drained.

  • Lepa on September 13, 2017

    The whole family loved this simple, delicious soup. We ate it garnished with mint and yogurt.

  • jhallen on February 22, 2021

    This was amazing. Very balanced, subtle and delicious flavors, extremely easy. Loved it.

• Not my grandma's chicken with lemon, garlic, and oregano

  • Cheri on January 17, 2012

    This has a really nice flavor. Needed to bake 40 minutes as chicken pieces were large. Not all that unusual in the end, but nice baked chicken recipe.

  • Emily Hope on September 26, 2011

    This was excellent. Quadrupled the recipe (to serve eight), and used drumsticks and thighs rather than just drumsticks. Because of the greater quantity, it took about twice as long to get everything brown under the broiler before slathering on the garlic paste/oil/oregano. I ended up adding the garlic/lemon paste in just two additions, as I was worried that the third addition might end up leaving too much of a raw flavor. I also wasn't sure why the paste was added separately from the oil, as it made it more difficult to apply the paste and added an extra step--next time, I'd just add some oil to the paste to simplify. Served this at an (informal) dinner party and everyone loved it. Put the pan drippings in a pitcher so people could pour over the chicken/put on bread--yum. However, needed to pour off a significant amount of oil/chicken fat first. With roasted peppers and tomatoes, an arugula/raw zucchini/fennel salad, bread, and an almond apple galette.

  • Astrid5555 on October 06, 2013

    Always in search of the perfect crispy chicken thighs I might have finally found our favorite recipe. MC's method of broiling the meat before roasting produces really crispy skin, which otherwise I usually fail to achieve. Used all thighs instead of drumsticks. Added the olive oil to the marinade as suggested by previous review instead of drizzling the meat separately. Despite the amount of garlic, not that garlicky at all and nice tang from the lemons. Will go into the regular rotation!

  • chawkins on April 17, 2015

    A very flavorful dish. However, the skin on my chicken did not get crispy. I used all drumsticks. I think that thighs would have been a better choice, as they have skin on one side only and are fattier, whereas drumsticks are leaner and have skin all around, so inevitably, part of the skin would be submerged in the juice.

• Pomegranate roasted carrots

  • westminstr on March 19, 2014

    Simple and delicious. The sweet and sour molasses is perfect with roasted carrots.

  • vickster on June 03, 2019

    I enjoyed this recipe for roasted carrots. The pomegranate molasses adds just enough richness.

  • amraub on August 24, 2012

    I loved the mix of sour, heat, and sweetness of the carrots with this recipe.

  • Melanie on June 13, 2014

    Delicious and easy. Used cayenne pepper and paprika and then mixed parsley through at the end.

  • Hannaha100 on July 10, 2020

    This was great! Simple to prepare and the pomegranate molasses added just enough interest (earthy-sweet is perfect description). I appreciated the tip about not adding till just before the end, I would definitely have made that mistake! Left out the pepper, although I'm sure that would be great too. A surprise hit with my 4yo who has a history of not liking carrots so may make this again! Toddler wouldn't try but you can't win them all.

  • ashallen on April 30, 2020

    Very nice carrots, particularly given the low level of effort they require. Flavors are a nice mix of earthy-sweet from the carrots, fresh from the herbs, salty (crunchy grains from the kosher salt), and sour-sweet from the pomegranate molasses. I skipped the hot red pepper but will include it next time - it'll work well. Recipe says it serves 4 - serving size will be modest at that number of servings.

• Brown butter swordfish with Turkish chili and mint

  • westminstr on October 23, 2014

    This is a wonderful way to cook swordfish. It doesn't dry out. I used fresh mint only and Aleppo pepper. Made with 1 pound swordfish, a little over 3 tbsp butter and the full amount of garlic. The brown butter sauce is very very delicious. Served with cous cous which worked well to soak up the sauce. I think this sauce would also be great with scallops and possibly even with flounder. My family just loved this dish.

• Raw Brussels sprouts salad with Manchego and toasted walnuts

  • westminstr on December 29, 2019

    Have made a few times recently- a huge hit with T and E.

  • jnetlw on November 06, 2012

    Made with roasted pumpkin seeds. A wonderful side to a bowl of butternut squash soup.

• Spinach and avocado salad with garlic mustard vinaigrette

  • westminstr on December 04, 2014

    This was pretty good. There is a very similar garlic-mustard viniagrette in Cook This Now which I think I prefer (IIRC it uses vinegar and this one has lemon juice).

  • Lepa on June 13, 2017

    Raw spinach needs a hearty, thick dressing to overcome that unpleasant squeaky feeling and this dressing does the trick. It was very good with the rich avocado. Next time I am tempted to add some pepitas or sunflower seeds for crunch.

  • clcorbi on January 20, 2017

    We subbed arugula for spinach. This was easy and good!

• The mysterious David Dares pancake

  • westminstr on April 23, 2014

    This wasn't too popular with the kiddos, they prefer traditional pancakes. I thought it was a bit too eggy.

  • stockholm28 on May 25, 2014

    I liked this. It has a taste of an egg custard with lemon and butter.

  • panbiscotti29 on March 15, 2015

    I like this--Melissa Clark's tweak of the NY Times Craig Claiborne-mined recipe, as she adds an egg and a bit of salt. I did not add confectioner's sugar, though, but maple syrup, which is probably not proper. And I had no milk so used buttermilk, so it's really a puffy buttermilk pancake.

• Extra-sharp leeks vinaigrette

  • westminstr on March 25, 2015

    I came across a lot of leeks at a good price and decided to use them in this recipe. I made a half recipe because I wasn't sure if I would like it. I did! I used my own method to cook the leeks, so this review is just for the viniagrette. This was quite good, better than expected, and I would do it again. A half recipe was plenty though.

• Roasted chicken thighs with green tomatoes, basil, and ginger

  • westminstr on March 19, 2015

    This wasn't a huge hit at our house. I used green cherry tomatoes from the garden and tom was not a fan.

• Shrimp for a small kitchen (Shrimp with capers, lemon, and feta)

  • westminstr on February 26, 2016

    The feta melted and created A LOT of sauce, which I didn't expect somehow. O loved it, but E didn't like the sauce or shrimp. Also between the feta and capers I think no additional salt is needed. I think I could have improved the dish by defrosting the shrimp overnight in the fridge and patting them dry before cooking, and by including the cilantro garnish. Served with bread, I think basmati rice would have perhaps been better. Sauteed greens made a good side, the sauce was good with the greens.

  • Breadcrumbs on April 28, 2012

    p. 109 I think the combination of flavours in this dish is something we’re accustomed to seeing on menus and in recipes but the difference here, at least for me, was the quantity and use of the feta as a sauce, that sets this dish apart and really make it something special. I made this by the book and we made ours w the basil vs the cilantro. My faithful friend Zoji did a stand-up job w the steamed basmati rice so this really makes for a quick, low effort weeknight dinner. Yummy, I’d make this again and I’ll definitely be using some Aleppo pepper next time around. mr bc loved this too and he’s not the shrimp-lover I am. photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841843#7301106

  • mcvl on July 06, 2018

    A delicious, nearly effortless dish. For those of us old enough to remember shelling shrimp before they started to arrive at markets already split, the comparison makes today's shelling seem quick and snappy. Yum!

  • Astrid5555 on August 21, 2016

    This was delicious and so quick to make. The addition of feta created a perfectly thickened sauce with just the right acidity from the lemon juice and the capers. Added the suggested cilantro and served over basmati rice. A winner!

  • chawkins on June 25, 2014

    My kitchen is 9'x20', not that miniscule, but the shrimp turned out great. We really enjoyed the dish. In my garden, currently the cilantro is doing better than the basil, so I used cilantro. This is also the first time I cooked feta, most of the crumbled feta melted when cooked rendering a creamy sauce for the shrimp, delicious.

  • stockholm28 on May 29, 2015

    Loved this. Another one of Melissa Clarke's high value recipes ... minimal effort with great flavor. I've had recipes similar to this, but they've generally had a wine sauce with feta added at the end. Using feta as the base of the sauce was delicious.

• Oven-roasted pork butt with rosemary, garlic, and black pepper

  • westminstr on May 19, 2014

    Made with a bone in skin on shoulder. It took a long time and I had to pull it out of the oven a bit early. But, it was still delicious. I loved the marinade. I am realizing now that I totally forgot to put the black pepper in. It was still really good! Next time though I won't forget. I think the marinade would be great with lamb as well. Note to self: meat was a little over 3 pounds, I cooked for 3 hours, it probably needed 4. The bone might have increased cooking time.

  • amraub on November 11, 2012

    Such a simple recipe for such outstanding results. I cooked in the slow cooker on a bed of leeks. The pork came out perfectly. Will make again.

  • chawkins on May 30, 2018

    Succulent is the right word. Made this again with a 3.5 lb roast, halved the rub ingredients, marinated for 6 hrs. and roasted for 1 3/4 hrs. to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.

  • chawkins on May 28, 2013

    This is wonderful. The aroma filled the house all afternoon while it was roasting in the oven.

  • pistachiopeas on April 12, 2015

    Very simple preparation. I loved the marinade and would try it again on other meat, such as lamb or chicken. We had a 5 pound shoulder boneless pork shoulder. It took about 4 hours. Succulent.

• Coconut fish stew with basil and lemongrass

  • Breadcrumbs on April 30, 2012

    p. 118 - I adore all things Thai or Thai-inspired so of course this dish had immediate appeal. The fact that it was getting great reviews here and, touted as a quick and easy weeknight meal just added to its appeal. Nonetheless, with a little time to spare on a Sunday afternoon, I elected to make the broth in advance so all I needed to do the following day was add the fish and shrimp. Prep has been expertly covered above so all that’s left for me to add are my own modifications. I had one Anaheim chili to use up so to enhance the heat factor I also added 1 Thai bird chili in place of the jalapeno. I also elected to sauté off the peppers along w the shallots and garlic. My fish was Palumbo and, I also tossed in some baby shrimp. We served this atop steamed brown jasmine rice. This was a huge hit. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841843#7311126

  • Laura on January 18, 2013

    Pg. 118. This could not be quicker or easier. I kept it even simpler and used only some wild-caught Pacific cod as the seafood and did not include rice. I think in the future I would mix it up and include some shrimp or other kinds of seafood and rice. The flavors were nice, but not transporting. It made exactly 2 servings -- no leftovers. ETA: Made this for a second time a few days ago, this time with some wild-caught shrimp and weathervane scallops. Punched up the flavor by chopping the jalapeno and sauteeing it along with the shallots and garlic; also sauteed the lemongrass. Used coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil. These changes produced a more deeply flavorful broth, so I'll do it this way in the future.

  • sfcarole on March 09, 2013

    This really was divine! For the two of us I used 1/4 pound each of diver scallops cut in half, large prawns cut in thirds and good sized chunks of monkfish. I added the shrimp only in the last minute since it wouldn't take as long as the other seafood. I served it on top of Balinese Turmeric Coconut Rice (a new recipe in Hensperger's revised The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook---not indexed yet). Both recipes call for coconut milk, but I used a little from the stew to put in the rice. And the outer inedible part of the lemongrass leftover from the stew prep I tied up and put in with the rice. The stew is easy to prep way in advance, then throw together at the last minute. My recently acquired rice cooker also makes life a lot simpler.

  • mcvl on July 31, 2014

    Nice & easy. I used what they call sole here in the Pacific Northwest, a very soft and vnot terribly flavorful fish. I used water instead of chicken broth -- next time I'd use clam broth.

• Pan-roasted asparagus with fried eggs and anchovy bread crumbs

  • Breadcrumbs on April 29, 2012

    p. 46 - Scrumptious! mr bc and I both agreed this would make for a yummy weekend breakfast so when I saw the lovely purple-tinged California asparagus in my market yesterday I pounced on it with this dish in mind. As an extra-special treat, mr bc took to the kitchen and prepared this himself!! Ms Clark makes a very convincing case for pan-roasting the asparagus in the head note but since mr bc wasn’t all that comfortable w that method, we opted to oven roast ours - approx 15 mins at 400F for thick stems. Asparagus is laid out, breadcrumbs sprinkled atop before plating the over-easy egg. We sprinkled w the remaining breadcrumbs. We loved the salty, subtle fish flavour the anchovies impart into the breadcrumbs and how it contrasted with the sweet, caramelized asparagus and a little kick from the garlic. The silky, creamy egg yolk cascaded over the lot to produce breakfast-perfection. Yum!! Loved this. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841844#7307996

  • sfcarole on March 30, 2013

    This was incredibly good. When I saw the plump purple asparagus at Whole Foods yesterday (totally purple, marketed as Purple Haize!), I knew I had to try them to see if they truly are sweeter than green asparagus. And they decidedly were. So they went beautifully with the eggs. I tripled the batch of anchovy-garlic breadcrumbs because having made them before I know they keep well in the fridge and go beautifully with endless dishes. Also, having read the notes here I decided to roast the asparagus instead of panfrying them, knowing I'd get a predictable result. And 400F for 15-18 min worked perfectly (thanks Breadcrumbs!). The end result was beautiful and delicious.

  • KarenS on May 18, 2012

    This got merely an okay from us. I liked all of the elements just fine, and the bread crumbs were really tasty. But the dish didn't pull together for us. The asparagus and the eggs seemed very distinct and separate from each other. I will say that I tried her pan-roasting method since I had skinny asparagus, but after 10 minutes, twice her suggested time, they were still crisper than I like. Maybe if I had cooked them to totally tender, I would have liked the dish better. If I make it again, I think I would roast or grill the asparagus which would also save a little time since that could be happening while I made the breadcrumbs and fried the eggs.

  • stockholm28 on May 13, 2014

    Good, quick, and simple.

• Raw Tuscan kale salad with chiles and Pecorino

  • Breadcrumbs on April 22, 2012

    p. 63 - If you like kale, you’ll love this dish. I thought it was outstanding! This is not a salad I’d recommend for a hurried weeknight, as the prep is somewhat involved. Just a note on quantities; MC has you juice a lemon but doesn’t specify an amount to incorporate into the dressing. FYI, she calls for 3 tbsp of EVOO so I only used 1 tbsp of the lemon juice in the dressing then I sprinkled a little on top of each plate, all told I likely used 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp. I should also add that I used a Pepper Pecorino, which I bought with this dish in mind and which was ridiculously good with the kale. I loved everything about this dish, the chewy texture of the kale, the dryness the extra Pecorino added, the slight heat from the chilies and of course the bittery-goodness of the kale/lemon mix. Dee-lish! This may be one of my favourite dishes yet. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841844#7286367

  • Laura on April 25, 2014

    Pg. 63. Loved this salad! The dressing is fantastic and I plan to make it to dress other green salads. My husband thought it was too tart -- I thought it was perfect. I didn't add the bread. The pecorino is essential.

  • Emily Hope on November 18, 2010

    Have made several times--super tasty and holds up well. A bit fiddly with the breadcrumbs, but worth it.

  • monica107 on January 26, 2014

    I never use the breadcrumbs. I think it's better without them, and it holds up really well for a few days in the refrigerator.

  • Rinshin on July 21, 2014

    Great taste which will hold up well served along with rich tasting foods. My 18 year old nephew who loves to cook made this and only issue we found was the bread crumbs. They got soft so best to toast the bread and make the crumbs right before serving to retain the crispness.

  • Lepa on May 06, 2017

    I concur with other reviews. This is easy and delicious. I foresee making this regularly.

  • clcorbi on November 20, 2016

    I used a huge head of curly kale for this recipe, only to then realize MC specifically calls for Tuscan Kale. Undeterred, I made the dressing recipe as written and massaged it into the kale, which made it perfectly tender. Unfortunately I used the full juice of a lemon, which I thought would be all right because my bunch of kale was actually larger than specified--but it was WAY too much lemon. I'm not sure why MC calls for so much lemon juice as no one could possibly want that much for only 4-5 cups of kale. I tried to re-balance the salad with extra cheese and olive oil, and I'm only just now realizing I left out the breadcrumbs entirely. All in all, it's certainly my own fault this didn't turn out correctly, but I can tell the recipe has potential so I'll try it again.

• Braised flanken with pomegranate

  • Breadcrumbs on April 21, 2012

    p.316 - This is a very, very special dish. I’ve never seen flanken at my butcher’s or, the supermarket and truth be told, I’d never heard of it until I read this book. Luckily, I was able to locate some at the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and when I did, I knew I had to try this dish! For those who haven’t found it yet, it may be labeled as short ribs because this is from the same cut of beef but the meat is cut across the top so you have a strip of meat punctuated with coin-like rib bones - if that makes any sense!! Though MC suggests you stir some pomegranate syrup into the finished dish, I had very little liquid left in my Dutch oven so once I’d plated the meat & chopped veggies, I simply drizzled each dish with some syrup and sprinkled w some pomegranate seeds and basil. We loved it. If you make this, I’d highly recommend using the pomegranate seeds and basil as their freshness was the perfect foil for the richness of all the beefy-goodness. Outstanding!

• My mother's lemon pot roast

  • Breadcrumbs on April 15, 2012

    p. 317 – Heaven! Odd as this may seem, I’ve never cooked a brisket so when I saw that MC suggests the use of a brisket for this dish, I couldn’t resist the urge to jump in and give it a try. Last night I rubbed the brisket w a paste of garlic, lemon zest and salt. The zest was my own addition since MC has you incorporate 3 lemons in this dish but only the zest of 2 lemons is required in the braise so, hating to waste perfectly good zest, I threw caution to the wind and added some to my paste. I marinated the brisket overnight, covered tightly in plastic wrap. Such a lovely aroma wafts through the house as this dish simmers away. I really didn’t know what to expect from this dish but it really was special. Though the meat was tender and super-flavourful, for me it was the broth that was the star of the show. Seriously, I could bathe in that broth. I’m salivating just thinking about the super-lemony yet somehow rich tasting broth that stole my heart. mr bc loved it.

  • stockholm28 on December 27, 2015

    This was first time cooking brisket and I didn't realize that it had so much fat. My seemingly huge slab of beef cooked down to very little. After I sliced it and trimmed off the fat, I ended up with very little of the roast. Similarly, the sauce was mostly fat so more than 2 cups of liquid yielded just over 1/2 cup of sauce once I skimmed off all the fat. The beef was very moist and the lemon is fairly pronounced in this sauce. This was very tasty, but I'll probably stick with a traditional pot roast in future as all the trimming and skimming was a bit much for me.

  • Kerrykim on February 04, 2021

    I made this for my family, and they really liked it. (I don't eat meat but will cook it for them occasionally.) It was a very easy recipe that made my house smell great all afternoon. There is a lot of sauce, which would probably be delicious over a pile of mashed potatoes or polenta. I did run it through my gravy separator because the meat did release a good amount of fat. I have never cooked brisket, but the 2.5 pound piece I got was pretty lean and more than enough to feed 4 people with some leftovers.

• Beef, bean, and hominy chili with cilantro sour cream

  • Breadcrumbs on April 10, 2012

    p. 207 - Well, I LOVE hominy but it’s not something I use all that often so I was delighted to find this recipe. It seemed like a great make-ahead dish so I prepared it on Sunday for a Tuesday night meal. Though the ingredient list is long, prep is very simple. The recipe calls for dark beer and we used Waterloo Dark Ontario craft beer. We simmered for 2 hours. On Tuesday this looked much the same as it did when we tucked it in the fridge on Sunday night. Nothing got mushy! The chili heated up beautifully and tasted wonderful. mr bc had 3 - yes 3 bowls!! I topped w chives vs cilantro due to an allergy to the latter. The heat level was perfect and the flavours were balanced. This is somehow fresher and lighter tasting than our regular chili. Loved it!

  • stockholm28 on August 05, 2018

    I made this with dry beans and hominy, so I started the day before and overnight soaked the beans and hominy before cooking them. The dish ended up taking a couple of hours between cooking the beans and the long cooking of the chili. Nevertheless, I liked this a lot and would make again when I wanted a chile with meat.

  • IsaSim on May 02, 2014

    Excellent, and the hominy addition is great.

• Blood orange olive oil cake

  • Breadcrumbs on May 05, 2015

    p. 356 - Two weeks ago I stumbled across what I was convinced to be the very last of the blood oranges in town so I scooped up all 16 of them. Since then the burden of deciding how best to use this precious commodity has been weighing on me. I love blood oranges and I definitely didn't want to deploy them frivolously. After a few EYB searches, I landed on this cake for three of my oranges. Thankfully this was not a mistake. As lovely as this cake smells as it bakes, it's even better once it's out of the oven and exuding its rich, olive-oily orangey aromas through your home. We'd been craving it all day so the stakes were high, would it live up to our expectations? Thankfully it did...and then some. The cake was moist and rich, the supremed oranges were divine and a perfect tangy counter to the richness of the cake. I'm so glad I discovered this recipe; I'll make it every year now. Wonderful! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1012220?commentId=9548914#9548914

  • Apepin on March 13, 2022

    Great flavor and visually stunning. I underhand mine slightly so I didn't get caramelization on top but it was still good. Nice texture from the semolina.

• Steamed wild salmon with mustard greens, soy sauce, and ginger

  • Laura on January 14, 2013

    Pg. 85. This couldn't be quicker or easier and the salmon turned out perfectly cooked. I used a mix of greens, with an emphasis on red mustard, bought from the farmers market. Thought the sesame oil was a bit too much, might omit that next time.

  • jayg312 on February 24, 2012

    Another quick and tasty recipe. Used red Swiss chard instead of the mustard greens. The greens get infused with the soy and ginger nicely, if a tad bit salty. Underestimated the greens amount, definitely use two full bunches.

  • mamacrumbcake on November 23, 2019

    The salmon cooks up perfectly and this would have been a great, easy dinner except it was too salty. Fortunately that’s an easy fix for the future. A tablespoon of soy sauce is too much. Honestly, I would start with 1 teaspoon and then increase to taste. Because the salmon steams above the greens, it doesn’t become salty, but the greens were nearly inedible. I will definitely use this method again but adapt the recipe to our taste.

• Sausages with sweet pepper and onion stew and fried croutons

  • Laura on August 19, 2014

    Pg. 177. This was really good. I didn't make the croutons and, while I'm sure it would have been even better with them, it was plenty good without them. Spicy, but not too spicy.

  • adrienneyoung on October 15, 2017

    Not a success, in my hands. Disappointingly NOT a flavour bomb. Probably to do with the sausage I chose. New source: mild. Meh.

• Spiced chipotle honey chicken breasts with sweet potatoes

  • Laura on July 23, 2014

    Pg. 147. I made this as written, except that I didn't include sweet potatoes. It was certainly easy and quick to put together. They weren't bad, but I didn't find them to be anything special, which surprised me because I love all of the ingredients that went into the marinade. The chicken was also a bit dry. I don't think I'd bother to make it again.

  • amraub on October 20, 2012

    Easy and fairly quick. Good mix of flavours with the chipotle and sweet.

  • stockholm28 on February 14, 2016

    This was one of those recipes that reminds me of why I'm such a fan of Melissa Clark's recipes. It took maybe 10 to 15 minutes of prep, dirtied one pan,and was full of flavor. I'm not a big fan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (usually pretty boring) or sweet potatoes (too sweet). In this form, the chicken was moist with big flavors and the sweet potatoes with the heat and smoke of the chipotle were delicious.

  • BasicStock on May 23, 2017

    I'm on a rotation worthy chicken recipe quest at the moment, and this one pleased me. Quick to put together, and very flavourful. I used skinless chicken thighs (8), so did them for the 45 minutes along with the sweet potatoes. Also doubled the chipotle sauce. The chicken was really moist and flavourful, and the sweet potatoes also absorbed the flavour. Had some heat but not overwhelming to the other flavours. Would be great with some sauteed greens for both colour impact and dinner plate gestalt.

• Spicy chicken barley soup with sweet potatoes and spinach

  • Laura on November 21, 2013

    Pg. 164. This made a delicious soup both on the day it was made and for leftovers for a couple of days afterward. The density, however, was more like a stew, despite the addition of 2 additional cups of liquid. I followed the directions exactly with the small difference that I used only chicken broth instead of part broth/part water. I also didn't have ground coriander, so skipped that. The spice flavors were really nice and added a lot of interest to the taste. It wasn't especially spicy, though, so if more heat is desired, it would be a good idea to increase the chili powder and cayenne

  • we10mom on October 23, 2013

    I've made this soup twice in two weeks, once with mint and once with cilantro. Love it both ways. I used rotisserie chicken and, because I'm not crazy about cooked spinach, I substituted lacinato kale. This will definitely be one of my go-to soup recipes.

  • Melanie on July 22, 2016

    This was delicious and lasted well. Interesting mix of flavours and textures, thick and filling.

  • chawkins on January 28, 2018

    This soup grew on me, it tasted better and better as I ate on. It is not spicy hot but the spices flavored the soup nicely. I agree that the cilantro did nothing to the soup even though I added more cilantro than called for, you can barely detect it visually and virtually non-existent taste wise. I used frozen pre-baked sweet potato that was harvested from the garden earlier in the summer and lime instead of lemon.

  • hillsboroks on January 18, 2017

    This is the perfect cold weather soup. I agree with Laura that it thickens up quickly so keep an eye on it as it simmers. I also started with just chicken broth and then ended up adding 1/2 cup water several times as it cooked and thickened. I added all the spices as called for and used fresh cilantro. The spice flavors are lovely but I could not detect the cilantro. With so much else going on in this soup if you don't have the mint or cilantro I don't think it will matter. My husband doesn't like too much heat so the spicing was perfect for us. I plan to freeze half of it for later dinners.

  • Cathyschuh on February 16, 2022

    I made this using the instant pot. I already had some onion roasted in the fridge. I bloomed the spices with the onion and better than bouillon and tomato paste, added water to make the broth then added the rest using a bag of frozen sweet potato and adding in a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes. No oil. Very healthy recipe. Instant pot 12 min and topped with cilantro (use the stems too for flavor) and spinach, cooking another couple minutes. Including prep it was on the table in 45 minutes. Excellent

• Garlicky sesame-cured broccoli salad

  • wester on November 05, 2012

    I'm not sure about the sesame here - why does sesame always taste of peanut butter when combined with anything cabbagey? However, the other ingredients worked fine together, and I couldn't stop eating the salad. Might tweak it a bit next time - blanch the broccoli, use toasted almonds instead of the sesame.

  • violi on January 01, 2019

    I loved everything about this except the huge amount of oil. I bet I cut down to 1/4 cup. I think I also doubled the vinegar. I probably had enough dressing for a 3rd head of broccoli. I will use this idea again and probably on other veggies, I won’t follow a recipe. The stems were the best part.

  • sfcarole on March 28, 2013

    This was even better the next day. I made it mid-day, halving the recipe and only using only the florets as directed (about 8 oz.). That evening we couldn't stop eating it and loved the combination of the crunchy cumin seeds, garlic and sesame oil. Next time I have friends over I'll try to remember to make it a day ahead.

  • amraub on November 04, 2012

    Comes together quickly, but requires a bit of planning ahead for the flavours to meld. I liked this salad quite a bit. The sesame oil is quite pronounced in the final dish.

  • mcvl on December 26, 2014

    Didn't have time to let it sit, so I cooked the broccoli just a little -- steam-fried it with the garlic and spices. We liked it a */lot/*, will make it again.

  • zorra on August 05, 2014

    Not my favorite. Needed more than 1.5 teaspoons vinegar for 2 heads of broccoli. I'd prefer blanching the broccoli for 30 seconds.

  • Mungo on May 02, 2014

    I love this dish and have made it many times. It is better once it has had some time to sit. I usually cut back on the olive oil, though not the sesame. I often reuse the dressing a couple of times and just add new broccoli.

  • jayg312 on November 09, 2011

    Even giving raw broccoli the treatment here didn't make it great. A decent dish, but not great enough to make again.

  • meggan on April 02, 2017

    We really didn't like this even after the flavors melded for a day or two. Just tastes like oily raw broccoli.

  • spharo00 on March 12, 2013

    I halved this recipe and used powdered cumin and a cajun spice mix in place of the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. It may have been my changes with the spices, but I did not like this dish at all. It seemed okay at first, but the more I ate it the more I realized that I wasn't enjoying it. I did like that the broccoli still had some crunch to it, but the flavor was unappealing to me.

  • imaluckyducky on March 17, 2015

    Good way to use broccoli stems.

  • Rinshin on November 09, 2016

    Thank you all for the reviews esp Urmani for wanting me to make this pronto. I used 1 head of broccoli and sliced more thinly than shown on the picture including stems. The bottom part of the stems were sliced diagonally. As advised, I used more vinegar - approx. 2 1/2 tsp persimmon vinegar with salt. Massaged broccoli well until color turned vibrant green and texture a little softer. Added only about 2 T olive oil heated with garlic, cumin seeds and chili pepper and drizzled on broccoli. Topped with smaller amount of sesame seed oil. Massaged that well again. Reminded me of some Korean and Japanese style vegetables without cumin seeds. Served with a splash of fresh lemon juice before serving. Loved it!

  • Cathsav on February 12, 2014

    Halve the oil. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice before serving is delicious.

  • clcorbi on April 26, 2018

    I remember making this before and really loving it, but this most recent time I made it something didn't gel for me. I think it's all the cumin. I'd completely omit it next time and let the Asian-y flavors of the sesame oil and red pepper flakes shine. Also, I think this salad improves after a day or so, especially if you slice the broccoli thinly.

  • urmami on November 07, 2016

    So I love this recipe a lot and it's definitely a staple in my broccoli repertoire. BUT it only got that way with some serious tweaking: 1) More vinegar in the cure mix. I double the amount in the recipe for 2 heads of broccoli, and add a half teaspoon-ish for one head depending on the size. You really do have to stir it well, too. Use a bigger bowl than you think you need. The broccoli needs to go from matte to glossy during the salt and vinegar mix step. 2) WAY less oil. No more than 1/3 cup if you are using 2 heads of broccoli, and even that is a lot. 1/4 c for one small-medium head of broccoli is perfect. 3) This needs to sit for a while. Overnight, ideally. 4) Chop the broccoli smaller than pictured. If you hate crunchy broccoli, this might not be your favorite. 5) Cook the garlic until a few of the pieces are just starting to turn from golden to brown. At that stage it gets a bit chewy and the textural contrast is magnifique.

• Crème brûlée French toast with orange blossom water

  • sfcarole on March 02, 2013

    This was heaven! As Clark says "crackling, glassy sugar surface over tender slices of bread imbued with the scent of Northern Africa". It was sinfully delicious. Perfect brunch fare.

  • amraub on August 04, 2012

    This was very good. I didn't get much of the orange blossom flavour from this. Mine also didn't crispy up, but I think it's because I used a slightly smaller pan and it was too crowded for the liquid to evaporate. I added fresh strawberries and blueberries.

  • Emily Hope on May 21, 2011

    This was quite good and worth the effort. A bit over the top, perhaps, for a regular weekend breakfast, but perfect for brunch.

• Spicy, garlicky cashew chicken

  • sfcarole on July 13, 2013

    OMG this was good. I smeared the marinade/sauce under the chicken skin as well. I halved the recipe for two and grilled 4 thighs, which was really enough for four if you have a lot of sides or starters. I kept dipping into the reserved sauce with my spoon, it was so amazingly great.

  • meggan on December 08, 2021

    The sauce was good but for some reason it did not translate into a good chicken dish. Maybe I should’ve marinate it longer.

  • stockholm28 on October 12, 2014

    I pretty much burnt the coating on the chicken. It was my fault entirely. I put the chicken on the grill and just let it cook. She tells you to turn and move it frequently. Neverthless, I pulled off the skin and the chicken beneath was still quite moist with a hint of soy sauce and garlic. The recipe makes more cashew sauce than is needed to coat the chicken, so I had the chicken with a dollop of the sauce. Today, I cooked some pasta and tossed the leftover cashew sauce with the noodles and some cut up chicken. This was great.

• Sonia's phyllo and feta cheese torte with dill and nutmeg

  • sfcarole on May 23, 2013

    This was a particularly easy & tasty recipe. Perfect with just a green salad for a weeknight meal. The recipe serves 10 to 12, so I made 1/3 and used a 7" small bundt pan. It came out so pretty and golden, and it was my very first time using phyllo dough. Be forewarned that it takes 1 1/4 hrs to bake and 1 to 2 hours to cool down and set up.

• Roasted chicken thighs with green peaches, basil, and ginger

  • kari500 on July 23, 2020

    This is a reasonable meal if you have chicken, basil, and a lot of peaches. I liked it, didn't love it, doubtful I'd repeat it.

• Lemon curd squares with rosemary

  • caitmcg on April 26, 2012

    I loved the idea of adding fresh rosemary and lemon zest to the shortbread crust of lemon bars, but I'm sad to say, these were a disappointment though not because of those additions. The shortbread is thick and rich (it has 3 sticks of butter), but despite its 6 eggs and 2/3 cup lemon juice, the lemon "curd" layer was almost nonexistent, no more than 1/8" thick, and started to separate from the crust when cut, to boot.

  • Melanie on November 05, 2014

    I really enjoyed the flavour of these and found that I had a good thick layer of lemon, however it is possible that I ended up using more than 2/3C lemon juice as I just squeezed 3.5 lemons and used all the juice. The rosemary in the shortbread provided an interesting background note that others couldn't place but it wasn't particularly strong, and as such I would consider bumping up in the future. Instead of using the suggested food processor, I simply softened the butter and mixed with the other shortbread ingredients with a wooden spoon, before wiping out the bowl to make the curd - easy!

  • lils74 on March 14, 2022

    Made this to bring to a bbq at a friend's last year but forgot to add a note: relatively easy, though I did pull a few shortbread tips from other places. I love lemon so liked this, but didn't really taste the rosemary; however the friend ate the extra pieces the next day and she said the rosemary was much more pronounced then.

• Sesame halvah toffee

  • caitmcg on April 26, 2012

    With the note about the missing 1/3 cup light brown sugar, I was able to make this recipe, which is excellent. Sesame seeds and tahini flavor the buttery shortbread, which comes together quickly in the food processor, and is topped with a layer of dark chocolate and crumbled halvah. I might not bother with the halvah next time, though I liked it, just because everything else in the recipe is something I'm likely to have on hand.

  • clcorbi on December 11, 2016

    Made these for our Christmas cookie tray! I made sure to add in the 1/3 c brown sugar missing from the recipe, and also think these are delicious! I did the chocolate/crumbled halvah topping which really adds something. I love how chocolate and tahini play together. My only criticism is that this shortbread is VERY crumbly and the end result is difficult to cut into nice squares because of that. However, the flavor more than makes up for it, and I'd definitely make these again.

• Zucchini with mint and garlic

  • mlbatt on September 19, 2020

    thin, half-cooked zucchini slices were troublesome to broil and difficult to flip. But we loved the browning, and the combination of mint and raw garlic added at the end is super.

  • Vand11 on June 15, 2012

    Great on Pizza with Ricotta

• Pasta with Turkish-style lamb, eggplant, and yogurt sauce

  • okcook on February 15, 2020

    Very easy to make but not very tasty...something is missing but not sure what.

• Honey-glazed pear upside-down cake

  • sarahcooks on March 15, 2012

    This sounded better than it actually tasted, though I just used regular honey, not the strong honey she suggested so that might have had something to do with it. I was kind of hoping the topping would be a bit stickier or more caramelized. I've made the original Dorie recipe a couple times and I think I'll just stick with that in the future.

  • Frogcake on September 30, 2019

    Oh my! This a glorious, delicious cake! I used peaches in place of the pears. I never thought caramelized honey could be so yummy! And there are plenty of gooey peachy honey bits around the rim of the cast iron pan to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

• Olive oil granola with dried apricots and pistachios

  • Emily Hope on March 01, 2012

    This really is a delicious granola recipe, hard to stop eating when it's warm from the oven! I altered quite a bit--using 1 cup pecans, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup almonds, and 1/2 cup sesame seeds for the nuts, leaving out the ground spices, adding the microplaned zest of 2 oranges, used half butter and half olive oil for the fat, and cutting the sweetener quite a bit, to 1/2 cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. I also didn't add any dried fruit, though I'd like to try with dried cherries. Yum. Good for gifting.

  • clcorbi on May 13, 2018

    This is a favorite household recipe; I've made it at least 10 times. I always use high-quality olive oil but whatever maple syrup I have on hand--I find the fake stuff works just as well as the real here, so to me it's not worth it to splurge (I save that stuff for pancakes!). I never use the recommended nuts, instead using a mixture of whatever I have on hand or whatever sounds good--that almost always includes pecans and sunflower seeds. I omit the dried fruit, and use half ground ginger and half cardamom. I also up the amount of salt ever so slightly, and use chunky sea salt. This granola is so decadent that I can't have it on hand all the time, but it makes a perfect breakfast mixed into some greek yogurt.

• Lamb tagine with apricots, olives, and buttered almonds

  • Emily Hope on November 28, 2011

    What a great recipe! I'm a little hesitant about lamb because the flavor can sometimes be gamey, but I loved this stew and so did our dinner guest. The apricots add the perfect amount of sweetness, and the olives add just enough savor to balance them out. The frozen lamb "stew meat" I bought ended up being in much smaller pieces than what she suggests, but even so, it turned out well. I served with baked buttered couscous (putting the reserved dried apricots and buttered almonds on top of the couscous rather than the tagine), a Paula Wolfert cooked carrot salad with harissa and feta, sauteed chard, and a chopped tomato and pepper salad (which in hindsight seemed unnecessary), followed by Dorie Greenspan's chocolate mousse.

• Broiled striped bass with brown butter corn sauce

  • DKennedy on November 21, 2013

    A wonderful recipe. The 500 degree temperature results in the fish being cooked to the perfect texture. The compound butter worked very nicely with this dish.

• My mother's zucchini latkes

  • DKennedy on December 16, 2013

    I used Melissa's tip for frying latkes in duck fat and it does indeed elevate any latkes to a completely different level.

• Whiskey-soaked dark chocolate Bundt cake

  • zorra on September 01, 2014

    Boozy & delicious. Wasn't sure we'd like this, but everyone did. Some difficulty removing it from the pan & the flour dusting didn't look good--maybe try cocoa or sugar next time? To disguise this, I drizzled a mix of glazing sugar & whiskey on top, but should have waited until just before serving, as it was absorbed & vanished. Flavor, though, was undiminished & birthday candles dressed it up. Cinnamon ice cream served with it didn't hurt either. Recipe is online on multiple sites.

  • mamacrumbcake on June 08, 2020

    This is very assertively boozy on day 1. Even my husband said it was too much. By day 2, the alcohol had mellowed. However, the flavor seemed a bit one-note. This is not a cake to eat by itself, it needs something to balance it. I think that if you serve this on day 2 or later with ice cream and berries, it would be a restaurant-worthy dessert. The texture is very dense and pudding like in places. The cake doubled in height but collapsed slightly upon cooling. Regarding the mixing, I was very careful with ingredient temperatures and slow addition of liquid so as to not break the emulsion. The cake batter was runny, having the texture of cream. We used rye and added ¼ cup after baking.

• Grilled squid with snail butter

  • zorra on August 29, 2014

    Little experience cooking squid, so I tried this easy recipe. Nice, not memorable. Of course, the liberal amounts of parsley, garlic & butter, etc. would enhance even lowly tilapia.

• Rich and nutty brown butter corn bread with fresh corn

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    I used this cornbread recipe to make a breakfast dish that I remember fondly from my childhood. My mother's version had sausage links, canned cranberry sauce, and Jiffy mix corn bread. I broke up bulk sausage, sautéd it and tossed it in a springform pan; cooked up some cranberries with orange zest and just a bit of sugar and spooned that over the sausage; then added the corn bread per this recipe, and baked as directed. I had one ear of fresh corn to use up, so this was perfect. And even though there is only a tablespoon of maple syrup, it adds a nice touch. I did do the browned butter step, and poured it over the cranberries, which wasn't the technique in the recipe. But once I flipped it over and heated it up again, I think the butter seeped into the top layer of the corn bread. This is a lovely corn bread recipe. It was fun to recreate a dish I hadn't had since I was a wee one, but the corn bread would be great on its own also!

  • chawkins on March 23, 2016

    Great corn bread, with crisp top and bottom, tender interior crumb and good rise. I made it in a 9" cast iron skillet with frozen corn and a mix of sour cream and yogurt. The only problem with it was that the kernels of corn did not get incorporated into the batter, they were left in the bottom of the pan. Next time, I'll scoop the kernels out after sauteing them in the butter and fold them into the batter.

  • mzgourmand on November 01, 2020

    Just delicious: moist and tender. Everyone loved it, even my cornbread-disliking spouse!

• Individual French honey-apple tarts

  • L.Nightshade on April 02, 2012

    Like many dishes that utilize ready-made puff pastry, this one is easy, and presents impressively. The pastry is cut into rectangles (mine were not in the prescribed shape, I just cut the sheet into four pieces), and brushed with warmed honey. Peeled apples (I used granny smith, honeycrisp, and braeburn) are thinly sliced and placed atop the pastry. Each tart is brushed with a melted blend of butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla bean. They are brushed again every 20 minutes while baking. Brushed isn't exactly the right word, as the mixture is thick, I would say dabbed is more accurate. The recipe calls for cooking them about 60 minutes; mine were clearly done, and surrounded by burnt sugar, at 40 minutes. Very, very good.

• Seared pork chops with kimchi

  • jayg312 on May 30, 2011

    Another favorite in this book. Mind that you don't reduce too much after deglazing. Also, remember the marinating time of least 30 mins (and up to 24 hrs).

  • chawkins on January 19, 2019

    Interesting recipe with very good result. I marinated for 6 hours and the chops were moist and tender, will definitely make again.

  • Rinshin on April 21, 2016

    I had very fermented kimchi I wanted to use up for flavoring. I used shio koji instead of salt brine to soften the pork chops. I changed this recipe a bit. Following the recipe, I pan fried the pork chops and removed while the same pan was used for pan fried green peppers along with onion slices and kimchi in a small amt of oil. Then added 1/2 C vermouth and 1/2 C beef broth along with small honey. Tasted and it really tempered the sour and over fermented kimchi. I put the pork chops back in and covered the pan for quick braising. Pull the chops out and reduced the sauce with the addition of butter. I was very surprised to find that this had a very good taste which went well with pork. I think the addition of kimchi, onion, and green pepper slices really improved the taste.

  • pistachiopeas on April 12, 2015

    Loved this and would make it again in a heartbeat. Super simple and the kimchi gets transformed during the cooking process.

• Crisp chicken schnitzel with lemony spring herb salad

  • jayg312 on September 27, 2011

    Don't forget the garlic, eggs, or flour

• Fudgy bourbon balls

  • jayg312 on January 29, 2019

    I've made this several times for holiday parties and I love it. Very boozy though, so be prepared.

  • leilx on November 29, 2020

    Easy and good. Try leaving a few pecans for crunch? Wish could roll in sprinkles but doesn’t stick

• Kate's impossibly fudgy brownies with chile and sea salt

  • Melanie on March 09, 2014

    Delicious. I substituted a few spoons of some chilli cocoa that I own for the cayenne pepper and some of the cocoa. It worked really well - not spicy, just a gentle warming flavour. I loved the texture of these brownies, by sprinkling the sea salt over the top there is a nice slightly crunchy layer topping the fudgy brownie. These were a winner.

• Braised pork chops with tomatoes, anchovies, and rosemary

  • BlytheSpirit on January 09, 2013

    I made this last night and really enjoyed the flavors! The anchovy adds a wonderful 'umami' flavor to the sauce. This was also fast and easy.

  • chawkins on May 21, 2013

    Simple yet flavorful. Would be good in the summer when the garden is producing tons of tomato, this uses 2 pounds of tomatoes for two servings.

  • peaceoutdesign on September 10, 2020

    I made this in a crock pot to save time. It had lots of taste. I shredded the pork some to break down the chunks and disperse flavor throughout the meat.

  • clcorbi on November 30, 2016

    Very good weeknight recipe. Nothing earth-shattering, and the pork chops were of course not as tender as they would have been in a real braise, but the sauce was delicious and made plenty of leftovers!

• Coconut hot chocolate

  • spharo00 on February 24, 2013

    This hot chocolate is very creamy and very thick. It's just sweet enough, but also has a really nice bitterness that makes it the perfect cup for a grown-up.

• Figgy, piggy drumsticks and thighs

  • chawkins on October 21, 2015

    Of cause it tasted good, with 1/2 lb of bacon and a dozen figs in it, it couldn't possibly be too bad. My only complain was the sauce, it was mostly bacon fat, next time I'll drain off the fat before making the sauce.

• Ale-steamed mussels with garlic and mustard

  • imaluckyducky on May 30, 2020

    Wow! Simple, quick, with a full-bodied flavor from the ale. I used a blood orange and hibiscus ale for a non-traditional spin, and was gobsmacked by how the hops balanced out the other flavors of this dish. Used frozen mussels because that's what was available, and was impressed. Will make again!

• Chic quiche

  • stockholm28 on December 28, 2015

    page 221. Well this was really delicious. How could it not be? It has a cup and a half of heavy cream, bacon, and gruyere. MC says she combined Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine (which has no cheese) with Julia's Quiche au Fromage to get the best of both. The crust is crisp, the filling is silky and rich. This is a great twist on a classic.

  • Lepa on March 10, 2021

    Why, oh why did I wait so long to make this? It's so very good. My whole family raved about it and I expect we will be making it again very soon.

• Kumquat-clementine gin cordial

  • peaceoutdesign on March 13, 2021

    Made with 16 kumquats that I quartered (no clementine juice), 12 coriander seeds, 6 black peppercorns, 2 c Bombay Saphire, I didn't add any sugar so I guess it's not really a cordial anymore. What I really wanted was a flavored gin that would make a good Ramos gin fizz. I then cooked this sous vide at 135F for 3 hours, strained, and immediately chilled.

• Olive oil-poached halibut nuggets with garlic and mint

  • jbny on September 24, 2022

    good. goes well with potatoes.

  • Lepa on June 08, 2018

    I thought this was good; my husband thought it was great. I love this method for cooking fish because it ends up so tender and succulent and the juices are delicious. I added the fresh mint at the end and think it provides a nice flavor boost.

• The Clark family's traditional chestnut stuffing

  • pistachiopeas on October 13, 2015

    Too much liquid. Not a great recipe.

• Really easy duck confit (Really!)

  • joanhuguet on October 23, 2015

    I love this technique and have made these many times. Beware of oven temperature and cooking time - as written, I end up with dried-out meat. I tend to cook at 300 for about 2 hours total, uncovered for the last 45 minutes or so.

• Crispy tofu with peanut sauce

  • Lepa on June 06, 2017

    This sauce is very good. I always mess up frying tofu and it was rather irregular and sloppy in appearance but it didn't matter because the sauce was so delicious. We ate it with coconut rice, which was a great way to use up the rest of a can of coconut milk and the sauce/rice combo was incredible.

  • clcorbi on June 13, 2017

    Agree that this sauce is tasty. Even after adding 4T of water, it was still a bit thick for my taste, but I didn't want to risk watering it down too much. I sort of think that's the nature of peanut sauces, though. I did brighten the sauce by adding a bit more lime juice and hot sauce.

• Chocolate chip pecan loaf cake

  • Lepa on June 11, 2017

    This is decent and I'm sure my kids will be thrilled to wake up and have this for breakfast but I agree with clcorbi that this cake's flavors are a bit one-dimensional. As soon as I tried it I wondered why it didn't have any vanilla or cinnamon- or any spice that might push the cake in a more exciting direction. My cake baked in 50 minutes and was not dry.

  • clcorbi on October 02, 2016

    This cake isn't bad, but ultimately not good enough that I'd make it again. It took longer than the 55 minutes stated for the cake to be baked all the way through, but once I cooled and cut into it I found it really wasn't as moist as I'd expected (especially with all that yogurt and butter!). Also, the flavor is a bit one-dimensional, even with the layer of coarse sea salt I sprinkled on top.

  • KristenS on June 13, 2021

    Surprisingly dry and just not very good. Not worth the calories, won't be making again.

• Not-so-Irish soda bread

  • Lepa on May 10, 2017

    This is so easy and so, so good. It's a cross between cake and soda bread. The crumb is tender from the buttermilk and egg and there is some sugar so it isn't quite a soda bread. It is delicious slathered with butter. I can't wait to have leftovers for breakfast.

• Pan bagnat

  • Lepa on June 18, 2017

    We made these for an ocean-side picnic lunch and they were perfect. I used black olive paste instead of olives and felt it would have benefited from more olives or tapenade- and maybe a sprinkling of flaky sea salt at the end. I otherwise followed the recipe (anchovies included) and it was delicious!

  • clcorbi on January 12, 2017

    Delicious! We omitted the hard boiled egg and subbed fresh parsley for basil. I'd love to try this again with both the optional anchovies and, of course, the egg. We pressed the sandwiches for the full 20 min, but I'd like to try even longer next time. Other than the time it takes to press the sandwich, this makes a very easy dinner.

• Brown buttered corn

  • clcorbi on November 29, 2017

    Made for Thanksgiving 2017--this is a nice, easy, luxurious side dish. I think an extra garnish of fresh thyme at the end is necessary, and I'm betting lots of other herbs would be nice here too.

• Easy stovetop macaroni, peas, bacon, and cheese à la Jamie Oliver

  • clcorbi on March 15, 2017

    This recipe is extremely easy and ended up being pretty good, but only after we added about twice the amount of cheese and creme fraiche. As written, the sauce is almost nonexistent. I double-checked, and we definitely used the correct amount of pasta, so I'm not sure what to make of this recipe, since Melissa Clark normally tests all of her stuff so thoroughly. Once we'd course-corrected on the sauce, we really enjoyed the flavor--the bacon, peas, lemon and herbs worked really nicely together.

• Moist and boozy fruitcake with rum and port (aka dark brown cake)

  • leilx on October 28, 2021

    It’s very good.

• Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan

  Taken from Melissa’s popular column in The New York Times, the book gives you 150 eclectic recipes and just as many stories. A lovely kitchen companion.

  Full review

• Fine Cooking

  Sprinkled with tips from culinary luminaries and sage advice..., these captivating tales offer dreamy glimpses into a food-centric life that almost any cook would love to live.

  Full review

• Boston Globe by T. Susan Chang

  ...whatever your tastes, you can be certain that every recipe in this book works as it was meant to. And because of that, someone is bound to love each one.

  Full review