• Eat Your Books

  2004 International Association of Culinary Professionals Award Winner

• spockie on January 28, 2014

  I used recipes from this book for a dinner party. Everyone loved the food. One attendee asked for the name of the book so she could buy multiple copies for Christmas presents.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Rouille

  • blintz on November 08, 2015

    This was delicious with the New England Bouillabaisse! Next time I think I'd use all olive oil. We thought we could taste the canola.

• Classic bistro vinaigrette

  • Breadcrumbs on February 15, 2013

    p. 29 - A classic French vinaigrette. Hammerlsey has you macerate the shallots in the vinegar prior to whisking in the oil and remaining ingredients. I have some amazing Pinot Noir vinegar that seemed perfect for this recipe. I love how mellow it is relative to other red wine vinegars and it really worked well to create a balanced and very versatile dressing. I ended up grilling some endive in my Panini press then drizzling this dressing atop along w a sprinkling of sliced Kalamata olives and grated Parmesan cheese. The cheese melted into the caramelized crevices of the endive and its sweet, earthy flavour provided a nice balance for the bitterness of the endive and the tartness of the dressing. A lovely recipe to have in your repertoire. The author notes this dressing keeps for 3 days when covered and refrigerated. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888742#7870952

  • Laura on April 15, 2014

    Pg. 29. I had some really lovely fresh mixed greens, plus mache, claytonia, radishes, carrots, red onion and Persian cucumbers that I bought at my farmers market the day before. I wanted to dress them with something different than my usual homemade lemon vinaigrette. This recipe appealed and it was very good and I will keep it in my repertoire. My only issue with it is that it was quite thick. The relative proportions of olive oil (3/4 c.) to red wine vinegar (1/4 c.) were standard, but it turned out thicker than I'd like. I added a bit more vinegar and I liked the result.

• Tomato, basil, and fennel salad with lemon vinaigrette

  • Laura on July 21, 2012

    Pg. 39. Well, it's official, I guess I really just don't like raw fennel. I've tried making dishes with raw fennel several times with many different other ingredients and it always turns out the same -- just don't care for it. I thought this one might have a chance because I love all of the other components and I had very nice tomatoes and beautiful Bibb lettuce. For those who love fennel, this might be a great salad; it just isn't for me.

• Chopped salad of peas, cucumbers, and radishes with tarragon vinaigrette

  • beetlebug on June 28, 2016

    Used this recipe as inspiration. Used full amount of radishes and cucumbers but half the amount of (frozen) peas and edamame. Also, only had a few small chard leaves (new from garden) and parsley. Made half the dressing. Refreshing and delicious.

• Creamless yet creamy garlic soup

  • Yildiz100 on March 11, 2013

    This turned out very thin and not at all creamy for me. Also, the long simmering of dried thyme brought out a funky flavour. I think I would have preferred to finish with fresh thyme instead.

• Potato and leek soup with tarragon and fennel seeds

  • Breadcrumbs on February 08, 2013

    p. 54 - A really lovely soup! The combination of flavours was very appealing to me and when I read GH’s suggestion to serve the soup topped with shrimp or lobster sautéed w some fresh tarragon I knew I had to give this a try. I did make a couple of minor changes. I dislike dried tarragon so I used fresh in the soup but I added it (chopped) right before I pureed the soup so the flavours would be brighter. I also used my Bamix right in the pot because: I’m lazy and didn’t want to drag out an dirty the blender, the Bamix does a good job and I didn’t want to dirty another pot! Immediately prior to plating I sautéed some lobster claw meat in butter along w some chopped fresh tarragon and placed this atop the soup. This soup was beautifully balanced, fresh, flavourful and very decadent. I love to make green pea soup topped w lobster in the spring. This is a lovely cold weather alternative. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888742#7882033

• Fiona's hearty lentil soup with bacon and asiago cheese

  • Breadcrumbs on February 15, 2013

    p. 55 – Wonderful winter soup. A few minor changes to note: I used olive oil vs the vegetable oil and my supermarket didn’t have any kale so I used chard instead. My lentils were lenticchie; a small Italian green lentil that holds its shape nicely in soups and stews and adds a slight nuttiness to a dish. The Asiago toasts were a nice touch. I don’t believe I’ve ever broiled Asiago on bruschetta before but I’ll definitely do that again as it made for a nice change of pace. What I especially loved about this soup is that it was totally doable as a weeknight dinner. The soup comes together very quickly and makes for a hearty, satisfying meal. I’d like to try it w red lentils for a different textured soup. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888742#7896212

• Wild mushroom and roasted garlic sandwich

  • Delys77 on February 25, 2013

    Delicious little sandwich. I served it as a veggie main course along with a simple green salad and it was excellent. I would say the recipe yields closer to 3 main course servings. I gave the mushrooms a little longer to brown as I like them very caramelized, and I added just a touch more parsley. The roasted garlic is lovely, but I think it would be even better mixed in with a little butter. Also, the sandwich is perfectly tasty with umami goodness this way, but with a touch of provolone it would be even better.

• Creamy bistro potato and leek gratin

  • mfeldman51 on December 24, 2009

    Easy and delicious.

• Caramelized onion, bacon, and potato tart

  • hibeez on March 14, 2026

    This was a bit disappointing- bland and dry. I couldn't get the potatoes to slice cleanly, so they might have absorbed more of the liquid than intended. Crust took forever to prebake; his note says to bake until brown after taking the weights out. That was not helpful. Not exciting enough to muck around with so probably won't make this again.

• Oven-baked penne with onions, walnuts, and goat cheese

  • DKennedy on November 21, 2013

    Claire loved this recipe.

• Lu lu's favorite linguine

  • Breadcrumbs on February 15, 2013

    p. 129 - While this may be Lu Lu’s favourite, it was a little too rich for our blood. Cholesterol counts be damned – with 1.5 cups of heavy cream, and 4-6 oz of cheese, this recipe isn’t for the faint of heart. Truly. On paper, this sounded a little like a Carbonara without the eggs but on execution; it’s far heavier than that. Not sure exactly why this didn’t work for us. I don’t love dried herbs and this called for 2tsp of herbes de Provence. My dried herbs were fresh enough, but I really think fresh herbs work much better w pasta. This was so rich it made our faces tingle. Proof that sometimes; there can be too much of a good thing. I wouldn’t repeat this dish. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888744#7871029

• Fiona's easy halibut with white wine, shallots, and basil

  • Cheri on May 09, 2021

    This was excellent. Fresh halibut. I gilded the lily with a bit of cream in the sauce. Newly dug potatoes and arugula salad with a mustard dressing. If you have good fresh herbs, don’t skimp, it makes the dish.

• Salmon wrapped in leeks with anchovy butter

  • hillsboroks on February 05, 2014

    This was a fun dish to make and was absolutely gorgeous on the plate. I think it would be the perfect dinner party dish because you can put everything together ahead of time and have a baking pan full of these leek-wrapped pieces of salmon all ready to pop in the oven before the guests arrive. The filets at the market were thin so I bought two thick salmon steaks about 1'-1 1/4" thick, removed the skin and bones and cut them in half. The steaks were so big I only ended up using one for two of us. I baked them in the oven for 10 minutes and the salmon was perfectly cooked. If using filets I would make sure to get a thick one and cut it into 1" wide strips to wrap in the leeks. Because I was concerned about the anchovies being too salty I made the mistake of rinsing them too much and the salmon needed a bit of salt at the table. I am going to make another batch with the other steak tonight and will put a bit of salt in my leftover salt-free anchovy butter first.

• New England bouillabaisse with rouille and croutons

  • blintz on November 08, 2015

    This is a perfect and delicious meal for company. The fragrant broth, which is all vegetables, wine, and spices, can be made a day or two ahead or even frozen. And the rouille can be made the day before too. Then 20 minutes or so before you serve the meal you add the fish and shellfish to the hot broth in order of how fast each variety takes. You toast the croutons while the fish is gently cooking away. I served it in huge bowls and people were licking their platters clean!

• Hamersley's roast chicken with garlic, lemon, and parsley

  • Beeg on February 03, 2010

    So delicious--he will never take it off the menu!

  • DKennedy on October 31, 2012

    This recipe makes two chickens, perfect for dinner with lots of leftovers later in the week. The marinade can be made the night before. Put it on like a wet rub. The resulting sauce is scrumptious. Great over the chicken, veggies and mashed potatoes.

  • Delys77 on February 04, 2013

    This makes a very nice roast chicken. The bird is flavourful, juicy and tender, and the sauce is delicious. My only changes would be to cut the russet smaller as it was a little large and not so attractive on the plate. Also, I would toss the onion and potato with the oil and salt and pepper so that the seasoning adheres better. My single chicken was about 4lbs and took closer to 1h20.

  • lorloff on February 07, 2016

    ThIs will become our go to recipients for roast chicken. The technique is fantastic broiling to crisp the skin and heat through at the end. Needed to add more chicken stock to make the sauce. The sauce made from the herb rub marinade mis amazing. Stongly recommended recipe.

• Crispy chicken breasts

  • mirage on July 28, 2022

    Made this with cod - very good

• Chicken paillards with lemon and capers

  • Cheri on March 06, 2011

    Very good. Easy. Forgot to add parsley, which would be good, but not necessiary. Served with glazed carrots and spanikopita.

• Skillet-cooked skirt steak with blue cheese butter

  • PennyG on October 17, 2010

    This is awesome! For quick blue cheese butter, I just mash butter, blue cheese and add Penzey's Shallot Pepper Seasoning and a little salt. Of course, we generally grill the skirt steak. The skirt steak smeared with the blue cheese butter and a hearty red wine is hard to beat!

• Sear-roasted veal chops with capers and cornichons

  • mirage on April 22, 2013

    This was excellent made with pork chops.

• Parmesan-crusted lamb shanks

  • chapmanca on October 01, 2011

    This is a great recipe - one of the best I've tried ... ever. Most of the time I stop at the stage where you add the parmesan and bake, which is delicious.

  • hillsboroks on October 24, 2020

    The flavors in this recipe meld together perfectly. The crunchy Parmesan and bread crumb topping is a lovely counterpoint to the tender lamb. I used panko bread crumbs and they worked great. I only had two lamb shanks and cooked them in my LeCreuset braising pan per the instructions and found that when I removed the pan from the oven that not only were my lamb shanks cooked to perfection but the sauce was too. I did not have to cook it down as it had already reduced in the oven. The flavor of the sauce was amazing with the lamb and its crispy coating of crumbs and cheese. I served it with polenta as suggested but I think it would also be fabulous with mashed potatoes on the side.

• Hamersley's cassoulet with pork, duck confit, and sausage

  • hibeez on January 26, 2026

    When my husband begs for cassoulet, this is the one I make. Thinking I was making 1/2 recipe, I started with 1 lb of beans, but the pork seemed meager so I went with a full recipe with only half the beans. Glad I did, as there were LOTS of beans. This recipe is easy enough to make over the course of a couple days, and it does really make 10 or so portions. I baked the bread crumbs on individual portions so as to keep the leftovers free from crumbs. One duck confit leg is a good amount for 2 people. I did sauté the duck leg to crisp and warm it up.

• Grilled pork tenderloin with spicy watermelon salad

  • Breadcrumbs on February 26, 2013

    p. 246 We thoroughly enjoyed this flavourful dish! I especially liked how the marinade does double-duty as a salad dressing. Anything to save time is appreciated these days. I marinated the pork overnight and prepped the fruit and veggies the night before so that all we needed to do before dinner was grill the pork and assemble the salad. We especially enjoyed the peppery flavour of the watercress with the sweetness of the watermelon. The layered sesame flavours (seeds and oil) were also really nice adding a little Asian influence to the dish. Though the recipe claims to be spicy, we found it to be quite balanced in flavour and didn’t feel there was any prevailing spiciness to the dish – just a subtle warmth. A truly delicious and unusual recipe. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/888747#7919337

  • L.Nightshade on September 28, 2013

    I was really forcing summer with this one, but there were those cute little seedless watermelons in the store, and I had a pork tenderloin, so there it was. This is a wonderful marinade! It includes balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sesame oil. Part of the mixture is used to marinate the pork, and some is reserved to dress the watermelon salad. While the pork was resting, I tossed the salad, which contained chopped watermelon, sliced red onion, and watercress. The finished salad is topped with toasted sesame seeds. This was a great plate, and I look forward to doing it again.

• Braised leeks with coriander and orange vinaigrette

  • sdeathe on May 07, 2020

    P. 258. Delicious and easy to prepare, exactly my idea of 'bistro leeks'. The coriander is a good and interesting addition. Adding this one to my favourites.

• Japanese eggplant with coriander, mint, and ginger

  • L.Nightshade on September 28, 2013

    I'm not sure I'd slice the eggplant again, I think it might work better in chunks, as the 1/4" slices pretty much fell apart. Otherwise, it's pretty great. A lot of flavors, all of which combine beautifully. A huge hit at table, and Mr. NS couldn't stop talking about it. I think it would be great cold also. If only we had leftovers to test that theory. All gobbled up. Not the most visually stunning dish, but certainly delicious!

• Souffléed lemon custard

  • Running_with_Wools on May 09, 2024

    One of my favorite dessert recipes of all time. I believe this is based on a very old-fashioned recipe that Lee Bailey revived in "Country Desserts". You make a milk-based custard with quite a bit of lemon juice and zest, and then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. As it bakes, it separates into a custard layer on the bottom, and a light, souffle layer on top. It is quite lemony and delicious with a bit of whipped cream and can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. It is good any time of year, but seems really appropriate in the Spring, somehow. It can also be made with lime or orange, or even grapefruit, instead of lemon.

• Apple tarte tatin

  • spockie on January 28, 2014

    This was delicious! I used Pink Lady apples. Everyone loved it.

• Chocolate truffle cake

  • Yildiz100 on February 10, 2013

    This was good. Used one bar (200 grams) odense 55 percent chocolate, and the rest (140 grams) was 86 percent. Next time can be a little lighter on the 86 percent stuff. Was very, very dark. Served with creme anglaise. That was not the best complement--cake was so dark that the sweetness of creme anglaise accented the bitterness. However, might be better when cake is slightly lighter. Try with a fruit based sauce, or the port cherry sauce. Remember, next time, if using springform, put it in the pan first, THEN add the water. Otherwise, the water pushes the bottom up and can infiltrate the pan. Also, cake cooked in 30 minutes. It might have been that the pan was bigger than 9 inches. Also, use only half teaspoon salt.

  • Yildiz100 on February 10, 2013

    Only used half a teaspoon of salt, since I did not have kosher. This was plenty.