# Kate Cooks the Books

> Practical Cookbook Reviews from the kitchen of Kate Sheehan


## Posts

- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Moroccan Chicken Smothered in Olives](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-moroccan-chicken-smothered-in-olives/): This was a great dish with wonderful flavor. Even the husband liked it a lot, despite the fact that it’s all dark meat. Also I think I’ve found a new favorite spice: smoked paprika. Smokey, as you might expect, and complex. Best of all, McCormick makes it so they had it at Jewel, Home of […]
- [Off Topic: Croissants](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-croissants/):   Raise your hand if you think croissants are hard to make.  Wow, that’s a lot of hands. And last week, I would have been right there with you.   But guess what? They’re not! Yay, now we can have them every day!   In fact, Tom Petty must have had croissant-making in mind when he said […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Spanish Fricco](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-spanish-fricco/): It’s hard to start off a cookbook with a disappointing dish.  And this one sounded so promising: layers of thinly-pounded beef, potatoes and onions, laced with butter and cream and baked in water bath for a couple of hours.  How could that go wrong? And it’s not so much that it went wrong…it just didn’t […]
- [The Next Book: The Essential New York Times Cookbook!](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook/):   What a formidable task Amanda Hesser set for herself: a comprehensive review of 150+ years of New York Times recipes.  Good thing she had no idea what she was getting into.  As she says herself: “Had I known then that it would take six years and entail more than 1,400 recipes, I might never have […]
- [Off Topic: Pizza](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-pizza/): I probably have more recipes for pizza than any other single dish. I am, after all, a Chicagoan. Furthermore, pizza is universally popular, great for vegetarians and omnivores alike, cheap, and always welcome with children and adults. This recipe started with Pam Anderson’s dough from The Perfect Recipe but I have incorporated toppings and other […]
- [Baked Explorations: Quick Skillet Snack Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-quick-skillet-snack-cake/): Let me start by telling you I love and adore this cake.  I want to get that out of the way because I’m going to quibble with the nomenclature and I don’t want my digression to in any way obscure my main point.  Which is: YUM! First of all, “snack”?  That’s a nice world to […]
- [Off Topic: Pasta, Sausage and Bean Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-pasta-sausage-and-bean-soup/): One of the reasons I started a blog was that I would sometimes find an absolutely wonderful recipe and there were only so many people I could button-hole about it at work without getting the feeling that they were starting to avoid me in the hallways. This soup certainly would have made me kind of […]
- [Off Topic: Sauted Chicken Breasts with Red Wine Pan Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-sauted-chicken-breasts-with-red-wine-pan-sauce/): Once again from my favorite week night cookbook comes an amazing dish that is reliably accomplished in 30 minutes and is nice enough to serve at a dinner party.   Chicken breasts, in my opinion, are over-rated.  They became so popular during one of our many national nutrition frenzies (I think it was the grim period […]
- [Baked Explorations: Speculaas](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-speculaas/): I knew I was in trouble with these cookies when I couldn’t stop eating the dough scraps. The story behind them is the author’s obsession with Delta Airline’s Biscoff cookies.  I can’t remember the last time I flew Delta and the notion of an airline giving out cookies is as quaint as leg room and on-time departure, […]
- [Open-Faced Beef Wellington](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-open-faced-beef-wellington/):   I made “real” Beef Wellington once.  And it took days. Even without making the puff pastry or the pate from scratch, it was quite a project: a scrumptious and complicated red wine sauce made with oxtails, the Duxelles, the proper cooking of an intimidatingly expensive cut of meat, the assembly, plus a dozen dressed-up […]
- [Off Topic: Spanakopita](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-spanakopita/): I had never made Spanakopita before despite the fact that everything about it sounds good: feta, phyllo, pecorino-romano, butter. And I was even able to get phyllo dough, in the correct size, at my local Jewel; a store committed to the idea that all people want to eat is ground beef, frozen pizza, yogurt that […]
- [Off Topic: Pasta Al Forno](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-pasta-al-forno/): This is from the latest (February 2011) issue of Cook’s Country and it is incredibly delicious and just different enough from every other pasta dish you probably make often to get your attention.  And I love that the vegetables (in this case, eggplant) play a bigger role than in many pasta dishes. And it’s quick: […]
- [Baked Explorations: Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-farm-stand-buttermilk-doughnuts/):   I know, right? Shall we just look at them for a while? I think a wise diet plan is to not eat any doughnuts you don’t make yourself. And then don’t make any doughnuts. Seriously though, when people ask me why I’m not fat, part of the reason is that because I have eaten […]
- [Baked Explorations: Nutella Scones](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-nutella-scones/): How is it that I’d never tried Nutella before making these scones? I really can’t figure that out. Anyway, it’s lovely stuff, although kind of like eating straight frosting so don’t be misled by the “made with skim milk” statement on the label into thinking you’ve stumbled on the secret to the Mediterranean Paradox. I […]
- [Baked Explorations: Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-maple-cupcakes-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/): Holy smokes these are good. And I’m not just saying that as someone who is powerless in the face of maple syrup. They are objectively, insanely, ridiculously good. How do I know? I taste-tested them on a focus group. Ok, so it was people at work who are so nice that they’ll say flattering things […]
- [Off Topic: Vegetable Lo Mein](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-vegetable-lo-mein/): Don’t you just love the holidays? And don’t you just love when they’re over? I adore all of the carb-heavy, fat-laden, coma-inducing foods I make around Christmas but when it’s over I am always left craving something that cuts through the heaviness of traditional holiday food. What I really wanted tonight was Hot and Sour Ramen but […]
- [Baked Explorations: Buckeyes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-buckeyes/):   Living next door to Ohio, I had heard of Buckeyes before. I had eaten them in their natural habitat and even made them. They are meant to resemble the nuts of the buckeye tree and, trust me, they do. I don’t know how old they are but I suspect they pre-date Reese’s cups and […]
- [Off Topic: Holiday Fudge and Butter Toffee Popcorn](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-holiday-fudge-and-butter-toffee-popcorn/): So I made the Butter Toffee Popcorn from the Oct. 2010 issue of Cook’s Country and I’m pretty sure I’ve stumbled on the next wildly popular recreational drug.  First of all, it’s popcorn; a food that means movies and fairs and just smells like fun waiting to happen.  I use my standard Real Popcorn recipe […]
- [Guest Recipe: Mo's Holiday Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/guest-recipe-mos-holiday-cookies/): Mo and I met at my very first job (I won’t say what year that was but I will give you a hint: we did not have computers and people smoked with abandon right in their offices).  We were young and single together and did lots of young, single things.  Like go to church and […]
- [Off Topic: Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-spaghetti-with-lemon-and-olive-oil/): This is from the most recent (Jan/Feb 2011) Cook’s Illustrated.  With a vegetarian among us I’m always looking for something meat-free that will appeal to all three of us.  And quick recipes are never unwelcome.  Tonight cooking was hastily wedged between work and a 7:00 p.m. basketball game so this fit the plan nicely.  I […]
- [Baked Explorations: Mississippi Mud Pie (B), aka Muddy Mississippi Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-mississippi-mud-pie-b-aka-muddy-mississippi-cake-2/): As much as I like this cake I have to say, I think it’s trying too hard. Isn’t combining an Oreo-cookie crust, a flourless chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and whipped cream pandering, just a little? If I had to leave one of those elements out it would be the crust because not only does it […]
- [Baked Explorations: Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-chocolate-mint-thumbprint-cookies/):      If you already know what a sucker I am for chocolate+mint it will come as no surprise that I adore these cookies all out of proportion. They are a little like French sables, (“sable” meaning sand but no, of course they don’t taste like sand. Nobody would eat that. It’s a reference to a slightly […]
- [Off Topic: Hot and Sour Ramen with Tofu, Shiitakes and Spinach](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-hot-and-sour-ramen-with-tofu-shiitakes-and-spinach/): Another favorite from Cook’s Illustrated’s The Best 30-Minute Recipes and another great option for vegetarians, or flexitarians having a meat-free night.  And, with the exception of the shiitakes, a good choice for Cheapetarians (thanks to the brilliant use of those perennially inexpensive ramen noodles minus the nasty sodium “flavor” packet).  Seriously, are ramen noodles secretly some kind of […]
- [Off Topic: Scrambled Eggs with Red Pepper and Gruyere](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-scrambled-eggs-with-red-pepper-and-gruyere/): I promise you that when I left work tonight I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner.  And that’s not like me.  Typically, I plan all our meals for the week and shop on Saturday and from these formidable planning skills seven meals appear effortlessly and right on time throughout the week.  […]
- [Off Topic: White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-white-bean-soup-with-rosemary-croutons/): It’s a rainy Monday here and while not exactly cold by the standards we will soon be numbly familiar with, it’s not pleasant either. It’s the kind of night when you take the dogs for a walk and they get down to business quickly and turn right back for home. You need soup on such […]
- [Off Topic: Enchiladas Verde](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-enchiladas-verde/): It’s hard to say what I love most about this dish. We are very partial to Mexican food, especially my husband to the point where I suspect he might be a Mexican trapped in the body of an ancestral German. Although he doesn’t cook much he has embraced Rick Bayless’ books and declared Mexican as his […]
- [Off Topic: Paprika Roasted Chicken and Onions](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-paprika-roasted-chicken-and-onions/): File this under: I have a chicken and some onions and need to have dinner on the table in 38 minutes. I adapted this from an old Gourmet recipe and one of the things I changed was to triple the amount of onions because they are the best part of this dish. Seriously, a delicious […]
- [Baked Explorations: Sweet and Salty Brownies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-sweet-and-salty-brownies/):   My dear friend Susan (of kugel fame) was just telling me that she does not like this trend of salty+sweet. She also doesn’t like things like cayenne pepper in her chocolate dessert. Just can’t get into this particular culinary movement. What can you do, the heart wants what it wants, no? I, however, love […]
- [Off Topic: A Brief History of Popcorn and How to Make the "Real" Thing](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-a-brief-history-of-popcorn-and-how-to-make-the-real-thing/): Popcorn is one of those foods I cannot resist.  If I smell it, I must eat it, regardless of whether I’m hungry or not.  I have been known to make a meal out of it but I suspect I’m hardly unique in that regard.   In the 1960s when I was little we mostly made […]
- [Off Topic: Thanksgiving](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-thanksgiving/): For the last 18 years we have spent Thanksgiving with my husband’s family in Ohio, so I have not made a Thanksgiving dinner since 1992.  And, truth be told, I wouldn’t have been very good at it back then anyway. To make up for not getting to make this classic meal in November, I make […]
- [Baked Explorations: Chocolate Coffee Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-explorations-chocolate-coffee-cake-with-dark-chocolate-ganache/): Have I got a cake for you. This is absolutely one of the most satisfying cakes — both for eating and for gazing at fondly — I’ve ever made.  For that reason I forgive it for taking up my entire Sunday afternoon.  And making me half-watch “The Real Housewives on Beverly Hills” because there’s nothing on on Sunday afternoons. […]
- [Review: Around My French Table](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-around-my-french-table/): Recommending this book is a no-brainer and I predict that it will become a classic. It will earn coveted real-estate in many bookshelves and will be a cookbook today’s children will remember as one of the ones that was out on the countertop often during their childhoods, not unlike The Joy of Cooking or Mastering the Art […]
- [Around My French Table: Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-pumpkin-stuffed-with-everything-good/): I wanted to make this recipe anyway but then on Friday night I was driving through some inexplicably bad traffic (honestly, does no one remember 1982 when were legally granted to ability to turn RIGHT ON RED???) when suddently, I heard Michele Norris’ voice on NPR’s “All Things Considered” telling me that she is about to make this very thing […]
- [Off Topic: Pan-Seared Scallops with Brown Butter Lemon Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-pan-seared-scallops-with-brown-butter-lemon-sauce/): I feel like I owe you some fish. I was hoping you wouldn’t noticed that I don’t make it often. I blame growing up in the Midwest in the 60s and 70s where fish, with few exceptions, came in the form of frozen sticks upholstered in bread crumbs from some crazy place called “Gloucester,” (which […]
- [The Next Book: Baked Explorations](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-baked-explorations/): By popular demand (well, three votes to be accurate, but they were enthusiastic) I’ve chosen Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented as my next review book. What looks good?  What doesn’t.  Double-Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread, Grasshopper Bars (if it’s got chocolate and mint, I’m stalking it), Chocolate Mint Thumbprints (see what […]
- [Off Topic: Risotto](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-risotto/): Earlier this year (May, 2010) Cook’s Illustrated featured a recipe for “Almost Hands-Free Risotto.”  Got my attention.  I’d been tinkering with risotto and had some success but hadn’t yet found the perfect recipe.  The game-changer in this one is the cooking vessel.  Cook’s theorized that something that excelled at conducting heat evenly, and retaining moisture, […]
- [Off Topic: Stir-Fried Thai-Style Beef with Chiles and Shallots](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-stir-fried-thai-style-beef-with-chiles-and-shallots/): This is one of our favorite stir-fry dishes and if I can only convey one thing to you about this recipe it is this: do NOT fear the fish sauce.  Believe me, I’m as adverse to the stuff, in its undiluted form, as anyone.  When I’m pouring it out I actually hold my breath so as not to smell […]
- [Around My French Table: Souffle](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-souffle/): A true rite of passage: I made my first souffle.  And I see the world differently now.  Mostly because I measure time in terms of how much of it will elapse between souffles. Souffle needs to fire its PR agency.  It has allowed itself to be placed, in popular perception, at a level of culinary skill somwhere between tete du […]
- [Off Topic: Cream of Tomato Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-cream-of-tomato-soup/): Like you and your parents and Andy Warhol, I grew up on Campbell’s Tomato Soup and it will always hold a special place in my heart (and that place is with its fist firmly around my arteries). But after finding this Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Ultimate Cream of Tomato Soup years ago I doubt that […]
- [Around My French Table: A Complete Dinner](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-a-complete-dinner/):     You know a cookbook is good when you have to tell yourself to stop cooking from it and move on to another project.    But before I do, let me tell you about the entire meal I made from this book and and the friends I served it to.    First, meet Mo and Colin:      What […]
- [Around My French Table: Marie-Helene's Apple Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-marie-helenes-apple-cake/):   Don’t you just love saying “Marie Helene” with a heavy French accent?  It’s almost as good as “bouche de noel,” or “”mise en place” or “recherche du temps perdue.” This is such a simple, satisfying and forgiving dish.  You can use any kind of apples you might have on hand (and you may have […]
- [Around My French Table: Cafe Salle Pleyel Hamburgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-cafe-salle-pleyel-hamburgers/):   As you may recall, hamburgers are one of the very few things I need to be happy.  And I typically don’t like “fancy” burgers. I suspect it must be powerfully tempting to mess with the basics, especially if you’re a restaurateur and want your burger to get noticed in a city like Paris (or Chicago), […]
- [Off Topic: Carrot Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-carrot-cake/):   One of my co-workers loves carrot cake and in the interest of promoting a collegial work environment and getting my requests expedited at all times, I made him one for his birthday today. I have a good carrot cake recipe but because my plan to win the Nobel Prize in baking requires me to […]
- [Off Topic: Cupcakes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-cupcakes/): Sadly, these all went right out the door, as often happens at my house (it’s a sad place sometimes, what with only a lingering whiff and a sprinkle or two to document the estwhile presence of baked goods). These were sacrificed for a good cause: the Student Council fundraiser at my daughter’s school. If you’re in the mood for cupcakes, here are my […]
- [Around My French Table: Hachis Parmentier](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-hachis-parmentier/): Every now and then you find a recipe that speaks to you on an entirely different level.  A recipe that you think about long after you’ve eaten it. A recipe that, should it transmorgify into human form, would give your spouse a serious run for his or her money.  Yes, I want to marry Hachis […]
- [Mini Review: Greek Revival, Cooking for Life](https://katecooksthebooks.com/mini-review-greek-revival-cooking-for-life/): I love my uncle despite the fact that he once gave me away.  Ok, it was at my wedding but still, he didn’t even put up a fight!  He is a sociology professor at the University of South Carolina and he told me about this new cookbook, written by the wife of the university’s president, […]
- [Off Topic: Alice's Quesadilla Casserole](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-alices-quesadilla-casserole/): So my “little” vegetarian found this recipe in the scholarly journal she reads called Seventeen magazine and wanted to make it for dinner. And, of course, she wanted her efforts documented on Kate Cooks the Books. This was a delicious little dish and she had no trouble making it (and mom only hovered a little […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Cassoulet-Style Italian Sausages and White Beans](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-cassoulet-style-italian-sausages-and-white-beans/):   Please sit down because I have something very important to say to you: you must make this dish as soon as humanly possible.  Are you at work?  Feign illness and leave immediately.  Don’t like beans?  Get over it.   Why do I feel so strongly about this recipe?  For one thing, the difficulty level is possibly […]
- [Off Topic: Fetuccine with Prosciutto and Cream Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-fetuccine-with-prosciutto-and-cream-sauce/): I defy you to find a bad sauce in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.  Go ahead, try, I’ll wait right here.  And most of the ones I’ve tried are shockingly simple and quick.   This one will make you particularly happy. Mind you, I didn’t say it will make you particularly healthy. No, no way. […]
- [Around My French Table: Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-spicy-vietnamese-chicken-noodle-soup/): One of the reasons I was intrigued by this book is that Dorie promises to bring us contemporary recipes from France — what real French people are cooking today. Not surprisingly, Vietnamese food is common and she says that this soup is ubiquitous. This soup is good but just not my thing. I also think I wasn’t […]
- [Around My French Table: Beatrix's Red Kuri Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-beatrixs-red-kuri-soup/): The 80-degree temps seem to be over and I no longer feel foolish making things like hearty soups. I hate being seasonally out of sync so this is quite a relief. Dorie says that this is a beloved soup in France. Traditionally made with a Red Kuri squash which is also known as potimarron (“pumpkin” […]
- [Off Topic: Root Vegetable Cobbler](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-root-vegetable-cobbler/): I don’t know what I was thinking but I scheduled several warm, substantial dinners during a week when the temps were consistently above 80 degrees (I guess I was thinking “It’s October”).   Nevertheless, we’re heading into warm, substantial food season and next week this dish might seem inspired and rather brilliant. You will say […]
- [Off Topic: An Easy and Versatile Left-Over Solution](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-an-easy-and-versatile-left-over-solution/): One of my favorite cookbooks for weeknight meals is Best 30-Minute Recipes from America’s Test Kitchen.  In the chapter entitled “Starting with Leftovers” I discovered the brilliance of the Tostada. To give you the short-cut, spray some corn tortillas with Pam, bake until crispy, then top with just about anything and cheese and return to the oven […]
- [Off Topic: May Hanrahan's Crepes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-may-hanrahans-crepes/):   This is May. She is 9 years old and she’s as sweet and perfect as a bon bon. I have known her since she was the size of a bon bon too but what I didn’t know is that she’s an accomplished crepe-maker.  Apparently, she saw this on Hell’s Kitchen and thought “how hard can […]
- [Around My French Table: Gerard's Mustard Tart](https://katecooksthebooks.com/around-my-french-table-gerards-mustard-tart/): I admit that the thought of a “mustard tart” did not make me drool. I like mustard but in very small doses. It seems to be a big flavor bully and makes everything you put it in taste like mustard. But I am participating in “French Fridays with Dorie, ” in which we follow a […]
- [Off Topic: Chicken Canzanese](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-chicken-canzanese/): This is one of my favorite recent recipes from Cook’s Illustrated and one of its most talented (former) employees, Kenji Alt.  The familiarity and simplicity of the ingredients belie how incredibly scrumptious this dish is.  It’s elegant enough to serve at a dinner party but simple enough for a family meal (although probably not a […]
- [The Next Book: Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-around-my-french-table-by-dorie-greenspan/):   If you look at the top of this page you will see one of Dorie Greenspan’s books, Baking: From My Home to Yours, in the book shelf. I bought that book on the recommendation of people I trusted and it quickly became one of my favorites (try the “World Peace Cookies”). So I was beyond excited […]
- [Review: Perfect One-Dish Dinners](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-perfect-one-dish-dinners/):   Buy.  This.  Book.  Why?  Because I think it will give you some nifty tricks and deceptively simple morsels to serve to friends or family.  Because the recipes are recognizable favorites, stripped, for the most part, of their processed components, and yet still do-able for most home cooks.  This book is a good example of what […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Mixed Greens with Shredded Carrots and Dried Cranberries](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-mixed-greens-with-shredded-carrots-and-dried-cranberries/): This salad was part of the Chicken Potpie menu and complemented it perfectly.  What with the apples in the potpie and the cranberries in this salad it had a nice note of Fall running through the whole meal. I absolutely LOVE salad and could eat it for dinner every night but the people I live […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Coq au Vin Blanc with Spring Vegetables](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-coq-au-vin-blanc-with-spring-vegetables/): One of the reasons I made this dish is that Pam Anderson’s daughter, Maggy, said it was one of her favorites from the book. And I can see why. But can I just ask: when did pearl onions become an endangered species? I went to three stores and could not find them either frozen (as specified in […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Creamless Chocolate Mousse](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-creamless-chocolate-mousse/): Pam says that the whipped cream traditionally used in mousse dulls the flavor of the chocolate and I have to believe she’s right because this mousse tastes like a truffle. The vanilla ice cream on the side is meant to compensate for the cream not being in the mousse but you won’t miss it, trust […]
- [Off Topic: Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-crispy-pan-fried-pork-chops/): Tonight I made a dish from the November/December 2010 issue of Cook’s Illustrated. As per usual, the fine people at Cook’s have solved one of our nation’s most urgent and intractable problems: poor coating adhesion on our pork chops. Turns out using a little cornstarch will form a kind of culinary paste and cornflakes in […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Quick, Creamy, Mushroom-Spinach Lasagna](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-quick-creamy-mushroom-spinach-lasagna/): This was a delicious and easy lasagna although not much quicker than my usual. I’ve never used cream cheese in a lasagna before and I’m sure it will make purists sniff with disdain but hey, it works. I made the vegetarian version with mushrooms and spinach as well as Pam’s “Simple Marinara.” She offers the […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Baby Spinach with Beets and Toasted Walnuts](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-baby-spinach-with-beets-and-toasted-walnuts/):   I always forget that I like beets, and you should too (like them that is, not forget about them). They’re sooooo delicious and I’m sure they’re full of things like antioxidants, or probiotics, or carbon offsets or something beneficial. I’m giving you a highly adapted and free-wheeling version of the recipe from the book […]
- [Off Topic: Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-big-fat-chocolate-chip-cookies/): I was making these the other night for my daughter to take to her 8th grade dance and remembered that my friend Kylee had asked for the recipe so thought I’d post it and send it out into the world (or at least to the 76 facebooks “likers” I have). Because I love chocolate chip […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Giant Linzer Cookie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-giant-linzer-cookie/): I worried about this cookie at several points during its creation. It was liked a troubled child who manages to pull it all together at some point and ends up a fine, upstanding adult (I can relate). My first issue was that you are supposed to bake the two “cookies” that form this sandwich in two 12″ pizza pans. […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Mocha Tartlets](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-mocha-tartlets/): Talk about bang for your buck.  These are ridiculously simple and so very, very delicious.  They require no baking and not only can they be made ahead but they must be made ahead.  The recipe calls for assembling the tartlets in foil muffin cups but when I realized I didn’t have any I decided to […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Chicken Potpie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-chicken-potpie/):   Yum yum yum.  I made this and had my mom and her boyfriend, Rudy (my photography life-coach) over for dinner and everyone loved this dish.   Special thanks to my neighbor, Jennifer, who saved me from having to make a THIRD trip to the store by hooking me up with some baking powder. It was so […]
- [Off Topic: Granola](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-granola/):   I made granola today for two of my favorite kids who are off to college for the first time this year: Jane at University of Vermont and Sam at Purdue. It’s hard to believe they are old enough for this step in their lives, particularly since Jane was the 3-year-old flower girl in my […]
- [The Next Book: Perfect One-Dish Dinners](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-perfect-one-dish-dinners/): Pam Anderson is one of my favorite cookbook authors.  She tends to steer you towards home-made and from-scratch but with empathy for the fact that no one is paying you to cook this stuff, so your time is limited.  Just thumbing through this book I can tell it’s a good choice for Fall.  The dishes seem […]
- [Off Topic: Creamy Skillet Penne with Mushrooms and Asparagus](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-creamy-skillet-penne-with-mushrooms-and-asparagus/): I was thinking about my friend Susan tonight when I made this. She recently told me that she would love a cookbook with easy one-dish meals and lots of vegetarian options. Like us, she is not a vegetarian but would like to eat less meat, and I think there is a growing number of like-minded […]
- [Off Topic: Grilled Flank Steak with Garlic-Ginger-Sesame Marinade](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-grilled-flank-steak-with-garlic-ginger-sesame-marinade/): This is an excellent recipe with three variations; in addition to the Garlic-Ginger-Sesame there is a Garlic-Shallot-Rosemary and a Garlic-Chile. Because this one has an Asian profile I serve Asian side dishes with it (like the stir-fried green beans below). The Chile one gets flour tortillas and maybe a Caesar salad. The Shallot-Rosemary variation is […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Leek Bread Pudding](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-leek-bread-pudding/): The base for this recipe is Keller’s brioche that will now be transformed into what is, essentially, an excuse to eat stuffing as a regular side dish, which is a brilliant idea. Maddeningly, Keller tells you you will need 12 cups of brioche cubes for this but doesn’t hint as to whether that’s one of the loaves you’ve […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Brioche](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-brioche/): I forgot for a moment that I am now a food blogger and did not take a picture of the completed brioche so please accept these prep shots in its place. I made brioche a few years ago as part of my attempt to make every cake in The Cake Bible. Although that book has […]
- [Guest Recipe: Susan Nussbaum and Noodle Kugel](https://katecooksthebooks.com/guest-recipe-susan-nussbaum-and-noodle-kugel/): Susan has been my friend since high school.  We were co-editors of our high school paper (in fact I was tickled to see that she ended this recipe with a “-30-“) and then went to the same college.  Since that time our lives have taken us in different directions and Susan now lives in Vermont […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Braised Oxtail and Mushroom Tartine](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-braised-oxtail-and-mushroom-tartine/): Another epic endeavor of a recipe beginning with 5 cups of beef stock. It really is important to make your own beef stock because there is nothing nearly as good as home-made on the market. Chicken stock, on the other hand, you can get very good canned (or boxed) versions of and I’m partial to Swanson’s […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home at Williams-Sonoma](https://katecooksthebooks.com/at-hoc-at-home-at-williams-sonoma/): Well, well, well, look what you can buy at Williams-Sonoma (chickens not included): Here’s why I really don’t shop there though: This set of “breading pans” (essential to your Ad Hoc at Home fried chicken experience) is $35. Plus tax and shipping.
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Cherry Pie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-cherry-pie/): Cherry, my absolute favorite kind of pie. And this one is amazing. I know many people are intimidated by pie dough, and rightly so. It’s tricky. I’ve probably had more kitchen tantrums trying to make pie dough than anything else. It’s hard to get the proportions right, it’s hard to roll out properly and even […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Sweet Potato Chips](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-sweet-potato-chips/):   You’re really going to be sorry I told you how to make these. Because they’re good. And easy. And mildly addictive. Keller recommends slicing your potatoes with a mandoline, which I don’t have, so I used my Cuisinart’s 1mm slicing disc and it worked perfectly. I suppose if you have mad knife skillz you […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Hamburgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-hamburgers/): Hamburgers are one of my all-time favorite foods. In fact, if I could just have a really good burger, a frosty Cosmopolitan, a reliable supply of Frango Mints and George Clooney I think I could be happy with those simple things for a very long time. Fortunately I can cook, and I live in Chicago […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Crab Cakes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-crab-cakes/): This is the kind of recipe that gives gourmet cooking a bad name and demonstrates my number one pet peeve with any cookbook. Here’s why: The main recipe is on page 83. In the list of ingredients is “1/4 cup Piment d’Espelette Aioli (page 333).” When you turn to page 333 you will find Mayonnaise, […]
- [Ad Hoc at Home: Creamed Summer Corn](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ad-hoc-at-home-creamed-summer-corn/): This is an easy, uncomplicated dish that takes best advantage of wonderful summer corn. I think you could easily adapt it to your tastes by adding bacon, onion, red peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, any herbs you may have in abundance, etc. Creamed Summer Corn From Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller Serves 6 […]
- [Chicken Tikka Masala](https://katecooksthebooks.com/chicken-tikka-masala/): From the April 2013 issue of Bon Appetit comes this very delicious, very easy Tikka. There are just a couple of things I want to say about it. One, the spices are key so if yours are old, or if you have no idea how old they are, or if they have a paper price […]
- [Meatless: Mini Broccoli and Pasta Casseroles](https://katecooksthebooks.com/meatless-mini-broccoli-and-pasta-casseroles/): The idea of a mini casserole is certainly adorable enough but those of us who don’t live in a dollhouse might not have “six 1-1/2 cup baking dishes.” I know I don’t and, trust me, I’ve got a lot of stuff. Ramekins, yes. Madeleine pan, check. Things I bought here just to say I bought […]
- [Meatless: Broccoli Rabe and Butternut Squash Pizzas with Hazelnut Dough](https://katecooksthebooks.com/meatless-broccoli-rabe-and-butternut-squash-pizzas-with-hazelnut-dough/): Let’s start out with a winner from this book. I probably have more recipes for pizza and pizza dough than any other single type of dish.  I’ve got a skillet pizza dough (that uses beer as the leavener), a recipe for grilled pizza (amazing), quick pizza doughs, slow pizza doughs, thin crust, deep dish, french […]
- [The Next Book: Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-meatless-more-than-200-of-the-very-best-vegetarian-recipes/): I know, I know, I poke fun at Martha. A lot. In my defense I’d like to think 1. she’s asking for it and 2. she’s crying all the way to the bank.  And 3. she has no earthly idea who I am and never will (unless she’d like to talk about buying out KateCookstheBooks.com […]
- [Review: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook/): I’d like to think that Deb Perelman and I are a lot alike but all I can come up with to support that is that we’re both happy in the kitchen.  But it’s enough, I think, to claim a connection. What does it mean to be happy in the kitchen, besides the obvious?  It means […]
- [Cook's Illustrated: Chicken Parmesan](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-illustrated-chicken-parmesan/): What did Cook’s Illustrated want?  “A juicy cutlet that kept its crunch.”  When did they want it?  “Twenty years ago would have been nice but now works.” As with many popular dishes there are many bad ways to make chicken parmesan and many points where you can go wrong and end up with dry chicken coated in soggy crumbs […]
- [Creamy Pappardelle with Leeks and Bacon](https://katecooksthebooks.com/creamy-pappardelle-with-leeks-and-bacon/): Oh just go make it, you know you want to. It’s from the February 2013 Bon Appetit and right here on Epicurious. What are you waiting for?
- [The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Sesame-Spiced Turkey Meatballs and Smashed Chickpea Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-sesame-spiced-turkey-meatballs-and-smashed-chickpea-salad/): I love dishes like this because I never would have thought of this on my own.  And yet I love every part of it: turkey meatballs sitting on top of some mashed chickpeas. Deb’s story behind this recipe is that she thought she’d found the elusive something new under the sun until she realized that […]
- [Hearty Spanish-Style Lentil and Chorizo Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/hearty-spanish-style-lentil-and-chorizo-soup/): What is it with the Spanish food lately?  Must be the weather. Because it’s officially cold outside.  Here in Chicago we’ve had some freakishly mild weather and a disconcerting lack of snow.  Until this past week when we got those character-building below-zero wind chills we know and love and were able to break out the […]
- [Cook's Country: Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-country-spanish-chicken-cutlets-with-yogurt-sauce/): This was so good despite the fact that I temporarily lost my mind and mistakenly used chicken breast halves instead of cutlets.  What’s the difference? Well, a lot of cooking time, for one. Basically, a cutlet is a breast half cut in half, horizontally, making two much thinner breast-shaped pieces. I saved it by browning […]
- [The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Wild Rice Gratin with Kale, Caramelized Onions, and Baby Swiss](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-wild-rice-gratin-with-kale-caramelized-onions-and-baby-swiss/): Another incredibly good, deeply satisfying vegetarian main dish from Deb. You could absolutely use regular rice, brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, whatever you have five cooked cups of on hand but I really like the wild rice part of this. I think because I so seldom make wild rice; it’s kind of very welcome surprise guest […]
- [Cook's Illustrated: Glazed Maple-Pecan Oatmeal Scones](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-illustrated-glazed-maple-pecan-oatmeal-scones/): Readers, I have to disabuse of something right now: living at my house is not like an endless and much less disturbing visit to the Wonka factory. Yes, wonderful things are made regularly BUT, more often than not, they are carried out the door to work or a party or someone else’s house before my […]
- [The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Heart-Stuffed Shells with Lemon Ricotta Bechamel](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-heart-stuffed-shells-with-lemon-ricotta-bechamel/): Sometimes I can’t believe how sexy my food looks. Damn, I’m good. And so were these. You know what they kind of tasted like? That artichoke-mayonnaise dip that everybody made for every party from 1997 through late 2000, remember that stuff? It also had parmesan cheese in it and you baked it and served it […]
- [Cook's Country: Cheese Frenchees](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-country-cheese-frenchees/): (Photo by Cook’s Country/America’s Test Kitchen) At this time I’m going to have ask Michelle Obama to leave this page and, maybe, go look at amazing pictures of herself.  ‘Cause she’s not going to like this.  At all. Because this post is about a dish so sinful and glutenous and wrong that it will have to be […]
- [The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Pancetta, White Bean, and Swiss Chard Pot Pies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-smitten-kitchen-cookbook-pancetta-white-bean-and-swiss-chard-pot-pies/): This is going to sound disingenuous given the picture above but I am not the kind of woman who puts hearts on things. Smiley faces, ok, yes, occasionally. Not hearts though. No judgments. But something about these cute little pot pies charmed me into unusually giddy behavior.  And truly, who can remain stoic in the […]
- [Artichoke and Spinach Relish with Walnuts](https://katecooksthebooks.com/artichoke-and-spinach-relish-with-walnuts/): I’m so remiss in not sharing this recipe with you earlier and for that you may pelt me with canned artichoke hearts.  I deserve it.  I have been making this for years and it’s one of my favorite appetizers ever. It will remind you of that classic spinach-artichoke dip that we all know and love […]
- [The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: Roasted Smashed Potatoes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-cooks-illustrated-cookbook-roasted-smashed-potatoes/): As promised, these potatoes deliver both the fluffy interior of a baked potato and the crispy exterior of a french fry (without the deep frying).  They are absolutely heavenly and will you will forget any weirdness you felt when crushing potatoes between two sheet pans. They are on page 277.
- [Girl in the Kitchen: Asparagus Linguine with Almond Butter Crisp](https://katecooksthebooks.com/girl-in-the-kitchen-asparagus-linguine-with-almond-butter-crisp/): This would be a fairly straightforward pasta dish — asparagus, baby arugula and olive oil — before you add the almond butter crisp.  And please, take a moment to fully absorb that that concept: Almond.  Butter.  Crisp.  It’s nuts and butter and bread crumbs and parmesan.  As Stephanie says, it’s a savory version of a […]
- [Girl in the Kitchen: Pork and Apple Ragu with Parparadelle](https://katecooksthebooks.com/girl-in-the-kitchen-pork-and-apple-ragu-with-parparadelle/): One thing I’m learning very quickly about our friend Miss Stephanie Izard is that she is not about the 30-minute meal.  Like most professional chefs, she loves the kitchen and gets paid to be in it all day and kind of assumes we all feel the same way.  For me, only the former is true.  […]
- [The Next Book: Girl in the Kitchen](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-girl-in-the-kitchen/): Is Stephanie Izard’s Chicago restaurant Girl and the Goat the hardest reservation in town these days? I don’t know but I do know I have had three separate conversations in recent weeks about strategies for getting in, and that is telling, no? (And don’t think I’m going to tell you the strategies because I think […]
- [Make this Now: Butternut Squash Galette with Gruyere](https://katecooksthebooks.com/make-this-now-butternut-squash-galette-with-gruyere/): Be warned: this is a project. It probably took me three hours start to finish but it was so worth it. If you’ve ever wanted to eat pie for dinner but just could not come up with a way to justify it, I think I can help you.  Make it out of vegetables.  You’re welcome. Of course, […]
- [The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: Nut-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Thyme](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-cooks-illustrated-cookbook-nut-crusted-chicken-breasts-with-lemon-and-thyme/): As I’ve mentioned before, chicken breasts need a lot of help. I would almost always rather have a leg, a thigh or even a wing over a breast any day because, of course, they’re fattier and that equals better. But if you insist on white meat I think you need to do two things: cook […]
- [The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: Yeasted Blueberry Waffles](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-cooks-illustrated-cookbook-yeasted-blueberry-waffles/): If you’ve never made yeasted waffles before you really need to get on it.  It’s not a dish for the spontaneous as it requires an overnight rest in the fridge but, other than that, there’s nothing standing in your way to experiencing breakfast (or in the case, dinner) ecstasy. The main difference between regular waffles […]
- [The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: "The Only Tomato Sauce You'll Ever Need"](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-cooks-illustrated-cookbook-the-only-tomato-sauce-youll-ever-need/): This was a perfectly delicious tomato sauce but if I had to pick one to call “the only tomato sauce” I’ll ever need it will not be this one.  That honor goes to Marcella Hazan’s brilliant sauce which is simply a 28-oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes, an onion cut in half, and 5 tablespoons […]
- [The Next Book: The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-the-cooks-illustrated-cookbook/): It’s no secret that I’m a complete fool for Cook’s Illustrated.  I learned how to cook from this magazine and it is my single favorite source for reliable recipes.  Yes, their meticulous approach often results in recipes that ask you to do things that are unorthodox, inscrutable, and sometimes seem ridiculous.  Right now I am looking […]
- [Review: Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-sara-fosters-southern-kitchen/): There is an article in the October 31 edition of The New Yorker about Homer Sean Brock, the latest molecular gastronomy darling, and his two New Orleans restaurants.  Like most of the brilliant, insightful, well-written articles in The New Yorker, I did not finish it (food articles always lose me when they bring in Ferran […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Spring Pea Toasts with Lemon Olive Oil and Fresh Pea Shoots](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-spring-pea-toasts-with-lemon-olive-oil-and-fresh-pea-shoots/): I’m not going to lie to you: I made this way back in the spring when I was able to get fresh spring peas at the farmers’ market (or as Miss Sarah says they’re called in the south, English peas).  But I might try them with regular frozen peas sometime because this is too good […]
- [Mache and Avocado Salad with Tortilla Strips](https://katecooksthebooks.com/mache-and-avocado-salad-with-tortilla-strips/): This salad, from the August 2007 issue of Bon Appetit, has been one of my favorites for a long time.  As you can guess, it is a great accompaniment to a Mexican main dish.  Use it as a bed for leftover fajita chicken, or shrimp or pork and it becomes a main dish on its own. I usually substitute […]
- [French Bread Pizza](https://katecooksthebooks.com/french-bread-pizza/): Children, in the 1970s when I was growing up things were different.  As I’m sure you’ve heard, we had 3 t.v. stations, drank Tab, and rode around in gigantic cars with unused seat belts.  But did you know that they sold cigarettes in vending machines, and that you could obtain liquor as a minor by calling your neighborhood […]
- [Grateful for the Cooking of Others](https://katecooksthebooks.com/grateful-for-the-cooking-of-others/): Some of you know that my husband, Charles Gerlach, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a bike race on October 1st when he collided with another cyclist (wearing his helmet as he always does). He was rushed to a nearby hospital with an excellent trauma center and went almost immediately into the OR. In the […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Deviled Ham Salad and Pimento Cheese](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-deviled-ham-salad-and-pimento-cheese/): These were both so very good, I honestly don’t know which one I liked better.  Miss Sara says that pimento cheese is a “Southern classic” and that Southerners are “passionate” about it.  You should believe her because I’m beginning to understand that these people are rarely wrong about food.   I remember having deviled ham around when I […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Summer Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-summer-corn-cakes-with-chopped-tomato-and-avocado-salad/): The last time my sister (the soon-to-be-famous writer) was in town we ate at a wonderful place called Tweet and I knew she had out-ordered me when I tasted her arepas.  They were heavenly corn pancakes served with salsa, black beans, avocado and sour cream.  I may have tried to convince her that she had been given […]
- [Come See Me in Person - I'm Real!](https://katecooksthebooks.com/come-see-me-in-person-im-real/): You might have thought Kate Cooks the Books was just a clever algorithm and a Heidi Klum-replica robot created by a team of MIT students and run out of an off-shore media lab in the Caspian Sea.  Or maybe you thought that behind all of the cooking, blogging, photography and rapier wit was a highly-trained beagle being developed […]
- [Chicken Fajitas](https://katecooksthebooks.com/chicken-fajitas/): This has been a favorite of ours for a long time.  The brilliant thing about the recipe is that it understands that chicken breasts are about as exciting as a Steven Raichlen marathon and one needs a pretty creative trick to overcome that.  And the trick is this: reserve some of the marinade (before it touches […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Summer Squash Casserole](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-summer-squash-casserole/):   This recipe does not need me to sing its praises.  It’s got cheese, bacon, eggs, mayonnaise and breadcrumbs to do that.  Yes, it’s as good as it sounds.  You will want to be alone with it in a dim room and a big spoon.       Even though the word “summer” appears in […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Spicy Pepper Jelly-Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-spicy-pepper-jelly-marinated-grilled-pork-tenderloin/): I have made many recipes like this one.  You marinate a pork tenderloin, apply some type of wonderful glaze and grill it, re-applying the glaze as it cooks.  And this one didn’t fare any better than any of those.  The problem being that none of this imparts much flavor beyond the surface of the meat.  Even […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Buttermilk Strawberry Jam Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-buttermilk-strawberry-jam-cake/):   I know what you’re thinking: “Kate, you idiot, why didn’t you put some blueberries on top of this along with the strawberries since you made it over the 4th of July weekend?!?!?”  That’s what I think when I look at this picture. This was an incredibly delicious cake but very similar to a Cook’s […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Grilled Peach Salad with Shaved Country Ham and Summer Herbs](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-grilled-peach-salad-with-shaved-country-ham-and-summer-herbs/): My problem with this salad can probably best be summed up in one shocking statement: I don’t actually like peaches.  I hate to be the world’s biggest party-pooper, and right in the midst of High Peach Season, and I know you will say that I have probably never had a really “good” peach and you may be […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Kate's Sweet Potato Refrigerator Rolls](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-kates-sweet-potato-refrigerator-rolls/): How could I not make something with my name literally written all over it.   These rolls were such a huge hit at my house.  The recipe makes quite a few so we froze some but even those did not last long.   I thought they could have benefited from just a tad more salt […]
- [Potato Gnocchi](https://katecooksthebooks.com/potato-gnocchi/): I need to buy a ricer.  Because I hate my food mill and I am going to want to make gnocchi more often.   This is from the September/October issue of Cook’s Illustrated.  I did not use one of the yummy-sounding sauces because I’ve always wanted to try Marcella Hazan’s Tomato-Butter sauce with gnocchi.   […]
- [Spinach Salad with Crispy Shallots and Strawberries](https://katecooksthebooks.com/spinach-salad-with-crispy-shallots-and-strawberries/): Every now and I then I just have to pat myself on the back.  Like today, when I invented this salad.  Strawberries are so good right now and I love how they taste with the balsamic vinegar in the dressing. I am also completely infatuated with the crispy shallots.  They’re kind of like super easy onion rings and the […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Salt and Pepper Skillet Cornbread](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-salt-and-pepper-skillet-cornbread/): I love this cornbread.  I love that Miss Sara acknowledges that, although it is near blasephemy in the South, she thinks adding a touch of sugar to cornbread is a good thing.  I love that the coarse salt and pepper are sprinkled on the top, adding a nice crunch and flavor boost.  And I love that […]
- [Spicy Shredded Mexican Pork Tostadas (Tinga)](https://katecooksthebooks.com/spicy-shredded-mexican-pork-tostadas-tinga/):   Although this dish takes a little time to throw together, most of that is the meat simmering so it’s pretty easy.  I made it even easier (and slightly more healthy) by baking the tortillas vs. frying them.  I used a pork shoulder instead of a butt because — you guessed it — that’s all they had […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Summer Succotash](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-summer-succotash/): We should all make more succotash.  Especially in the summer.  And this is a great place to start. I must acknowledge, however, the less-than-appetizing color of the butter beans.  Those perky tomatoes and corn and basil are doing their best but they’re no match to buzz-killing drabness of the beans.  They are also problematic.  Miss Sara is […]
- [Sara Foster's Kitchen: Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Butt](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-kitchen-slow-roasted-pulled-pork-butt/): How’s this for a bone-headed move?  I made this amazing, amazing pulled pork, packed everything up for a beautiful night of music under the stars in the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities…   …only to realize when we arrived that I had forgotten…THE BBQ SAUCE!!! Curses!  As a testament to how good this pork […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Memphis-Style Barbequed Spare Ribs](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-memphis-style-barbequed-spare-ribs/): They look good, don’t they?  Too bad you can’t eat them.  Because they’re made of FIRE. I rarely make ribs because my husband half-heartedly but stubbornly insists he doesn’t like them.  But once in a while I prevail and this was, after all, in the interest of art and science and truth and beauty all […]
- [Ramen-Broccoli Slaw](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ramen-broccoli-slaw/): I’ve been making this slaw for a long time and it’s time I shared it with you because it’s addictive stuff.  It’s cool and crunch and nutty and slightly onion-y but also has a hint of sweetness.  It’s a perfect summer slaw but you can make it any time.   The original recipe from Cook’s […]
- [Fall 2011 Cookbooks](https://katecooksthebooks.com/fall-2011-cookbooks/): I’ve been looking at lots of soon-to-be-released cookbooks and here are the one that are making me hungry (why do I always do this before lunch???): As I may have mentioned one or two or 50 times, Cook’s Illustrated taught me how to cook and this book brings together 2,000 “landmark” recipes from the magazine’s […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Anytime Hoppin' John](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-anytime-hoppin-john/): More culinary discovery for me.  I think I had heard of Hoppin’ John before but wasn’t sure if it was something you ate or the unfortunate side effect of something you ate.  Of course now I know that this is one of those dishes that appears, in some form, in many many countries and traditions (it’s […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Rosemary Cheese Crackers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-rosemary-cheese-crackers/): There are many recipes like this out there (including “Cheez-it-ish Crackers” in Around My French Table) and I’m a sucker for every one of them.  I’d rather eat a bowlful of these than candy.  I’d also knock down a creme brulee to get to a baguette.  Salty over sweet almost every time, that’s how I roll. Miss […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Fried Green Tomatoes with Buttermilk Green Goddess Dressing](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-fried-green-tomatoes-with-buttermilk-green-goddess-dressing/):   One of the reasons I wanted to explore this cookbook was to introduce myself to dishes that I’d heard about, and been intrigued by, but had never made.  Fried green tomatoes was near the top of that list.  My one and only point of reference for this dish was the 1980s novel and movie […]
- [Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Minted Sweet Tea](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sara-fosters-southern-kitchen-minted-sweet-tea/): Shall we start with a beverage? How about one that is quintessentially Southern? Of course sweet tea is not unique to the South.  We drink it here in the frozen bits of the US.  We even sweeten it.  They serve it at McDonald’s for crying out loud — how much more ubiquitous could something be? […]
- [Review: My Father's Daughter](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-my-fathers-daughter/): So we all know that the world’s reaction was to a cookbook by Gwyenth Paltrow, star of stage and screen (large and small), hopelessly blond and thin, child of bi-coastal privilege and mother of what I think we’re all just assuming are children (think about what a good name “Apple” would be for a pet […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Macaroni & Cheese (One Way)](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-macaroni-cheese-one-way/): The real title of this recipe is Macaroni & Cheese (A Few Ways) but I only made one so…full disclosure. Here’s a funny thing: I have never, ever, in my life had Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  I don’t know how that could be since I ate every other kind of processed convenience food as a […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano and Cacio e Pepe](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-spaghetti-limone-parmeggiano-and-cacio-e-pepe/): The next time life hands you lemons and about 12 minutes to cook dinner, remember the first of these two recipes.  When life says “you know what? I can’t even give you the lemons today” then you’ll need recipe #2. Both can be made in the time it takes the pasta to cook and with […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Arugula Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Slow-Roasted Tomato Crostini and Playwright's Melt](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-arugula-salad-with-smoked-mozzarella-and-slow-roasted-tomato-crostini-and-playwrights-melt/): I’m categorizing these two recipes together because 1. they’re both very simple and 2. good as they are, they are only marginally “recipes” in my mind. First, Arugula Salad:  Nothing more than toasted slices of baguette with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on them with a basic salad with basic vinaigrette.  She says the crostini are […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Bruce Paltrow's World-Famous Pancakes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-bruce-paltrows-world-famous-pancakes/):   I’m going to make a bold statement here so stop reading if you don’t like your beliefs challenged: Pancakes are hard to make.  Everybody makes them, or has made them, and yet it’s taken me an awfully long time to perfect mine.  Making a souffle was much easier by comparison.  But even recreational weekend breakfast cooks (also […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Artichoke and Parmesan Frittata](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-artichoke-and-parmesan-frittata/): This is very serviceable frittata but not the best one I’ve ever made.  I prefer the thicker, heartier versions I’ve made before use 12 eggs vs. the 6 in this recipe.   I have come to truly love and appreciate frittatas.  It’s like a great, big, easy omelet that can be a main dish, an appetizer, […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Homemade Turkey Sausage](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-homemade-turkey-sausage/): Right here is a perfect example of what I like this cookbook so much: this is turkey breakfast sausage and it will take you about 5 minutes to make.  It’s ground turkey plus some herbs and spices (fennel, herbs de provence, sage), and a little maple syrup just to add another breakfast-y element,  Combine, form […]
- [Butter Lettuce, Chicken and Cherry Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/butter-lettuce-chicken-and-cherry-salad/):   Do not let the word “salad” lull you into thinking this is a quick dish.  Or low-fat.  It will require as much of you as any other type of main dish but it is well worth the effort.     There’s so much to like here: crisp-roasted chicken thighs, fresh cherries, croutons cooked in […]
- [The Next Book: Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-sara-fosters-southern-kitchen/): Why? For one thing, this book kept popping up on lists.  Good lists.  Lists I trust.  First NPR’s “Best Simple, Summery Cookbooks” of 2011.  Then in the New York Times Book Review’s summer round up of of books.  Also swaying me: her previous cookbooks are well-thought-of by people who really cook.  Add to that the fact […]
- [Long Time No Cook/Nutella Buttercream](https://katecooksthebooks.com/long-time-no-cooknutella-buttercream/): As highly profitable as this site is, my team of therapists say I should go to a “regular” job every day just to maintain my mental equilibrium.  It keeps me grounded and in touch with my fellow humans.  It gives me a place to wear my little outfits, as well as a built-in audience to […]
- [Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aioli](https://katecooksthebooks.com/turkey-burgers-with-cheddar-and-smoky-aioli/): You know how turkey burgers can sometimes be sad, dry little hockey pucks of compromise?  Often eaten under the mistaken assumption that turkey is always better for you than ground beef?  Well let me introduce you to possibly the best turkey burger you’ve ever had.  You and my husband.  He ate three of them. Over the years, […]
- [Flank Steak Tacos with Grilled Corn Salsa](https://katecooksthebooks.com/flank-steak-tacos-with-grilled-corn-salsa/): From the June 2011 issue of Cook’s Country magazine comes a wonderful addition to your summer cooking/grilling bag of tricks.  This is a quick and absolutely delicious steak taco with carefully edited garnishes (proving again that you do not have to drown every Mexican dish in cheese).  I mean, just look at this list of […]
- [Beef Satay](https://katecooksthebooks.com/beef-satay/): This has been one of our favorite grilling recipes for a long time and it’s always one of the first things I make when the weather gets warm.  Although Cook’s Illustrated categorizes it as an appetizer (as do most Thai restaurants) I didn’t see why it couldn’t be the star of the show.  Let me implore […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Lalo's Famous Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-lalos-famous-cookies/): If you had told me 2 hours ago that I could love a cookie without butter, or sugar, or chocolate, or butter, I would have taken you by the hand and, in a pitying tone, explained how you can’t have cookies without butter.  How cookies were invented, essentially, as a way to consume more butter.  Why […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Fish Tacos](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-fish-tacos/): It’s like my husband’s two favorite dishes — fish & chips and tacos — got married.  And after making these, I am never getting rid of that man! These are really fantastic.  The beer batter is wonderful and easy and even though I did not make all of the accompaniments, I can say that the […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Homemade Veggie Burgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-homemade-veggie-burgers/): One afternoon I spent 135 hours making homemade veggie burgers.  It was a recipe from the July 2005 of Cook’s Illustrated and it was a long day’s journey into night, I’ll say that much.  You know what a fan I am of Cook’s but this recipe involved cooking lentils, cooking bulgar, sauteing vegetables, sauteing mushrooms, processing […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Challah French Toast](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-challah-french-toast/): Damn, she even makes good french toast. Her value added elements: coarse sugar (I used some demerara sugar that someone — was it you Mary Jenner? — brought me from Hawaii) and real vanilla seeds scraped from a bean.  The sugar adds a really nice crunch. In my experience the success of French toast, like pancakes, […]
- [My Father's Daughter: Chicken & Dumplings](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-chicken-dumplings/): Ok, this is getting scary.  It’s beginning to look like Gwyneth Paltrow is a very talented cook.  How could this be?  Even if you think she can’t act or sing she has successful careers doing both of those things, despite your opinion.  To find out she knows her way around a kitchen just strains the limits of one’s […]
- [My Father's Daughter: White Bean Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/my-fathers-daughter-white-bean-soup/):   Ok skeptics, haters and nay-sayers, prepare to question your reality.  This is an incredibly delicious soup.  One of the best soups I’ve made all year.  A soup for the ages. First you should really make Gwyneth’s vegetable stock (pg. 36) because it’s easy and complements the soup perfectly.  And it’s just a bunch of […]
- [The Next Book: My Father's Daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-my-fathers-daughter-gwyneth-paltrow/):   When I threw this book out as a possibility on my Facebook page I was stunned at the visceral reaction many people had. “Anybody but Gwyneth!” for example. Or “I just want to smash her face into her own vegetable paella” (ok, I made that one up but I think it captures the spirit […]
- [Review: Salad as a Meal](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-salad-as-a-meal/):   I can’t tell you how hopeful I was when I picked up this book.  I’ve always heard enthusiastic praise of Patricia Wells and feel a profound spiritual kinship for anyone who is living my dream of running away to Paris.  I am also a huge advocate of salad for dinner (in contrast to my child, who is a […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-zucchini-carpaccio-with-avocado/): I was not wowed by this dish but I think it has potential. The instructions tell you to slice the zucchini as thinly as possible but you will realize that how thin you slice them will (duh) influence the number of slices you end up with. I had it in my head that this would […]
- [Review: The Essential New York Times Cookbook](https://katecooksthebooks.com/review-the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook/): What can you say about a book that contains more than 1000 recipes?  That it is comprehensive and exciting and a bit overwhelming?  That the passion of the editor/author is apparent in every page?  That it could use some pictures?  You’ve probably heard by now that The Essential New York Times Cookbook won the 2011 […]
- [Bon Appetit: Bucatini All'Amatriciana](https://katecooksthebooks.com/bon-appetit-bucatini-allamatriciana/): What’s not to like about a quick pasta dish with tomatoes, bacon and onion?  And cheese? I’ve always loved the Cook’s Illustrated version of this but this one, featured in the May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit is really delicious too.  This one, I think, is more tomato-y and I was lucky enough to have […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Seared Tuna in Black Pepper Crust](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-seared-tuna-in-black-pepper-crust/):   I adore tuna and I would eat it once a week if it weren’t $549/lb. Expensive fish makes me nervous.  Plus I’m a native Midwesterner so cooking fish well comes about as naturally as surfing.  But I love it so I keep trying to perfect my skills. This recipe was so good and exactly the […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Pasta a la Vodka](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-pasta-a-la-vodka/): As any Italian or Italian-cooking snob will tell you, Pasta a la Vodka is not authentic in any way. Even though it was, allegedly, created in Italy, it was only embraced by us ignorant Olive-Garden perpetrators. But love it we do and there are a few really good versions out there. This, I’m afraid, is […]
- [Easter](https://katecooksthebooks.com/easter-2/): For starters I made some crostini with chopped up artichoke hearts (canned) and parmesan… And guess what? My mom made deviled eggs (yes, that mom. And you said she couldn’t cook, shame on you!). We had a lovely grill-roasted pork roast (from the May/June 2011 issue of Cook’s Illustrated) Asparagus with Bernaise Sauce… And cheese […]
- [Off Topic: Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Avocado Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-grilled-spicy-lime-chicken-with-black-bean-and-avocado-salad/): Ok, you are seriously going to love me for this one.  Get ready to name your next child Kate.  (You could even name your next dog Kate.  I won’t be offended). This is absolutely scrumptious and easy and efficient (you don’t hear that word describing a recipe often, do you?)  Basically, you make a vinaigrette/marinade out […]
- [Come see me at the Lake Forest Book Store!](https://katecooksthebooks.com/come-see-me-at-the-lake-forest-book-store/): Yep, I will be LIVE, in person, at the Lake Forest Book Store talking about some of my favorite cookbooks and recipes and answering your (not too difficult, please!) questions!  (Wouldn’t it be funny if I turned out to be a 10-year-old Icelandic boy and this whole thing was made up? Well, come and see!) […]
- [Off Topic: Spring Vegetable Pasta](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-spring-vegetable-pasta/): Spring.  In Chicago.  Sigh. Some people say we don’t really have spring here.  Just a bitter arm-wresting match between winter and summer.  On days like last Sunday, when it reached 85, summer seems just about to push winter’s fist into the table.  Today, April 18th mind you, with actual accumulating snow in the morning and an […]
- [Perfect One-Dish Dinners: Chicken Biryani American-Style](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-one-dish-dinners-chicken-biryani-american-style/): I originally tagged this post as “Indian” but when I searched for “biryani” on Wikipedia I realized that calling it Indian is about as accurate as calling rice Chinese.  Biryani has been adapted by many countries and all the variations sound delicious (although I’d rather not think too much about Kacchi Biryani, made from castrated goat.  […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-spicy-garlicky-cashew-chicken/): I’m going to need you to go out and make this immediately. And while you’re at it, you might as well corner the market on cashews because this could become your go-to dish of the summer. I mean, think about it: your smearing chicken with cashews. It doesn’t get much better than that. You have […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Italian Roast Potatoes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-italian-roast-potatoes/): Nice, right? I think I just invented potato porn. Not to stereotype myself but I am, in fact, Irish and I do, undoubtedly, love potatoes in all forms. I think real mashed potatoes were the first thing I ever learned to make. Even my mother, who has made not cooking her life’s passion, can make […]
- [Off Topic: Chocolate-Peppermint Ice Cream Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-chocolate-peppermint-ice-cream-cake/): At the end of every basketball season I have my daughter’s team over for a celebration. By now I have made a basketball-shaped cake, basketball-inspired cupcakes, and basketball-themed cookies. If this goes on much longer I will have to learn how to do ice sculpture.    But this is 8th grade, her last year at […]
- [The Next Cookbook is...](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-cookbook-is/):   I don’t recall the exact moment I first came under the magical spell of the talented Sandra Lee but I think it might have been around the time (2004?) of what I like to call her fabulous Hannukah Treif Cake: a luscious store-bought angel food cake adorned with blue-tinted canned frosting, marshmallows inexplicably stuffed […]
- [Off Topic: Lentil and Farro Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-lentil-and-farro-soup/): So when I was in Italy last month (and I never get tired of saying that.  Check back here in 2013 when I preface everything with “When I was in Italy 27 months ago…”) one of the highlights of my trip was a visit to Orvieto, a city once populated by the Etruscans, in Umbria.  […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Grilled Onion Guacamole](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-grilled-onion-guacamole/): So the husband says, and I quote, “This is the best guacamole I’ve ever had.” And the man eats a lot of guacamole.  “Obsession” would not be too strong a word for his relationship with guacamole. It is good. I love onions that have been grilled, caramelized, reduced, etc. so I thought that grilling (or […]
- [Off Topic: Rainbow Chopped Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-rainbow-chopped-salad/): Do I seem a little salad-obsessed? My daughter would respond with a definitive “YES!” Personally, I don’t think you can eat too much salad. And it’s not like I’m ignoring my friends hamburger, cake and alcohol. So let’s add one more delicious salad to our repertoire, shall we? This was soooooo good. Lettuce, cabbage, apples, […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Buttermilk Roast Chicken](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-buttermilk-roast-chicken/): This is a really handy little number to have in your repertoire. The brine is started at least the night before and then the chicken just roasts, mostly unattended, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. As I was eating it, it occurred to me that this is really fried chicken without the frying. Many fried chicken recipes […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Fettuccine alla Romana](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-fettuccine-alla-romana/): It’s recipes like this that make me wonder why anyone would buy a jar of congealed hydrogenated oil, corn syrup, and stabilizers calling itself “Alfredo sauce.” This is almost as easy as opening that jar. This recipe was featured in an article by Craig Claiborne from 1968 and I love the whole “La Dolce Vita” […]
- [Off Topic: Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-rigatoni-with-eggplant-and-pine-nut-crunch/): This is what comes from reading Bon Appetit right before lunch.  Everything looks good.  Turns out, this dish really was. This is probably not a weeknight meal as it has a few components, all of which take some time.  But well worth it.  The first part is an oven-roast of eggplant, bell peppers, and grape […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Caramelized Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats and Maple Shortbread Bars](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-caramelized-brown-butter-rice-krispies-treats-and-maple-shortbread-bars/): I chose both of these recipes because I wanted to make two things and didn’t have a lot of time.  And, as you may remember, the word “maple” almost always stops me in my tracks.            So let’s start there.  What a hit these were.  Even my young friend Jane, who has somehow gotten herself […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Stir-Fried Chicken with Creamed Corn](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-stir-fried-chicken-with-creamed-corn/): This is, by far, the weirdest stir-fry dish I have ever made or heard of.  Part of the reason I decided to make it was because it was so intriguing in its improbability.  Had the normally sane and rational Mark Bittman taken leave of his senses?  Was the date on this April 1?  Had Sandra […]
- [Off Topic: Arizona Biltmore Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/off-topic-arizona-biltmore-salad/): I actually have a “real” job and sometimes it takes me to wonderful places. Recently I was obliged to go to the Arizona Biltmore. Wow. I think it might literally be heaven. I would advise you not to get a room directly above the bar but, other than that, I whole-heartedly encourage you to get […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Welsh Rarebit](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-welsh-rarebit/): There’s something really fun and somewhat risky about making a recipe from 1875.  How do you even translate something that was probably made on a wood-burning stove to modern-day equipment?  And didn’t people have very different tastes back then?  I mean, they ate a lot of turtle for crying out loud.   Can we trust them? […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Spinach Dip and La Paloma](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-spinach-dip-and-la-paloma/): Or as it’s formally known: The Best Spinach Dip with Chipotle and Lime (from Melissa Clark, 2007).  This was delicious.  It is a pretty standard spinach dip but, as the name suggests, chipotle peppers, cilantro and lime make it special. It’s quite easy; everything goes in the food processor for a whipping, then the frozen […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Warm Soft Chocolate Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-warm-soft-chocolate-cake/): So again I find myself with a recipe that I want to shout about from the rooftops.  I already ambushed my neighbor on her way to her car, now it’s viral time. Hesser rightly points out that this dish became too popular for its own good in the 1990s.  It started out on the A-list […]
- [The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Jean Yves Legarve's Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-essential-new-york-times-cookbook-jean-yves-legarves-spaghetti-with-lemon-and-asparagus-sauce/): Well this is awkward. Not only did it take some digging to find this recipe in The New York Times archives but I can’t find “Jean Yves Legarve” (if that is his real name) anywhere in the Google-verse. I even had a heck of a time finding Michele Evans who wrote the article in the […]
- [Caramelized Onion Dip](https://katecooksthebooks.com/caramelized-onion-dip/): Please see Part 1 of my thrilling archeological excavation of two beloved and thought-to-be-lost-forever appetizer recipes. Q: Kate, American leads the world in onion dip production, why are you putting another recipe out there? A: Because it’s better than what you’re probably making or buying. I said what I said. For one thing, it doesn’t […]
- [Artichoke and Spinach Relish with Walnuts](https://katecooksthebooks.com/artichoke-and-spinach-relish-with-walnuts-2/)
- [Pasta al Pomodoro](https://katecooksthebooks.com/pasta-al-pomodoro/):   Hope you are all enjoying a safe and happy Tomato Season. For many of us, it’s a celebratory time; a time to consume tomatoes every way we can imagine: BLTs, bruschetta, panzanella, galettes, caprese salads, tomato tarts, gazpacho… And fresh tomato sauce. This recipe from the New York Times is a winner. It’s rich […]
- [Blueberry Cream Pie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/blueberry-cream-pie/): Get a load of this stunner. If summer were a pie… The blueberry flavor is optimized and heightened by combining whole berries with a blueberry puree and finished with a touch of lemon. All poured into a graham cracker crust and topped with a heavenly alloy of sweetened cream cheese and whipped cream. And all of […]
- [Cherry Pie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cherry-pie/): Cherry pie is my favorite pie I don’t even have to think about it. Last week I managed to hit the farmer’s market at the exact right moment to get the tart cherries I needed for this recipe and therefore achieved pie nirvana and am now deceased. I did not grow up eating homemade pie […]
- [Blueberry Biscuits](https://katecooksthebooks.com/blueberry-biscuits/): I was intrigued by this recipe when it took a certainly nonconsensual ride on the social media rollercoaster on a facebook cooking group I belong to. It went like this: popular>wildly popular>backlash (“would people PLEASE stop posting about these biscuits!” and “I am LEAVING THIS GROUP FOREVER if one more person posts a picture of […]
- [Pork, Fennel, and Lemon Ragu with Pappardelle](https://katecooksthebooks.com/pork-fennel-and-lemon-ragu-with-pappardelle/): Sometimes you make a dish so sublime and so chef-y that you ask yourself “do I ever need to eat out again?” This is certainly that dish. Close your eyes and you could be in any high-end, trendy-neighborhood hotspot. You know the place. It doesn’t have a drink menu it has a beverage program. It […]
- [Cornmeal Lime Shortbread Fans](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cornmeal-lime-shortbread-fans/):   Recipe first, blah, blah, blah later. God I’m already so tired of sweets and it’s only December 11th. But we must persevere. There are so many cookies, candies and pies to eat before we’re done. This recipe was part of a brilliant article by the brilliant Melissa Clark about how to assemble the perfect […]
- [Classic Martini](https://katecooksthebooks.com/classic-martini/): I know everyone is joking about how much drinking is going on right now. Oh, were you waiting for a “but…” and then something witty? Something Nick-and-Nora-Charles-ish? No time for that because I need to talk about my new hobby: the Classic Martini. It’s taken me a stupidly long time to get here. Years of […]
- [French Summer Sandwiches with Zucchini and Olive Tapenade](https://katecooksthebooks.com/french-summer-sandwiches-with-zucchini-and-olive-tapenade/): I’m going to assume we’ve all had it up to our masks hearing about Covid cooking. Sourdough starter, banana bread, air-frying, everyone’s done it, blogged about it, made a Tik-Tok, and written a New York Times think piece. Whatever you’re going to get out of this catastrophe, cooking-wise, you’re probably already there and beyond. I’m […]
- [(David) Hasselback Challah French Toast](https://katecooksthebooks.com/david-hasselback-challah-french-toast/): My book group meets on Sunday mornings and brunch is typically served, so when it’s my turn I’m always looking for something that can be made ahead and is, of course, worthy of the fine women who attend. With a small amount of effort this dish from our friends at Real Simple delivers both in […]
- [Cranberry-Orange Olive Oil Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cranberry-orange-olive-oil-cake/):   Use this cake carefully as it will stop any show.  It will suck all attention out of the room and command the respect and admiration of all who behold it.  And it tastes good. Make no mistake though: it’s a project. I made it as part of a multi-course Christmas dinner, all of which […]
- [Baci di Dama (Italian Hazelnut Cookies)](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baci-di-dama-italian-hazelnut-cookies/): If Milano cookies had babies they would be these impish little bundles.  Actually it would have to be a Milano and a bag of hazelnuts and I’m not sure how that would work but love is love, I don’t judge. Cookies really don’t get any cuter and in addition these are easy and fun to […]
- [Quinoa Salad With Chicken, Almonds and Avocado](https://katecooksthebooks.com/quinoa-salad-with-chicken-almonds-and-avocado/):   You didn’t think I ate cake all the time did you?  We all know how that ends. It’s all about balance, which is a palatable way of saying: sometimes you have to eat healthy things. But healthy does not have to mean penance or deprivation.  There are many, many dishes that live in the […]
- [Lemon Shortcakes with Gingered Blueberries](https://katecooksthebooks.com/lemon-shortcakes-with-gingered-blueberries/):   I had two worries as I made this recipe. First, that the crystallized ginger would be too harsh but it was absolutely perfect, adding a judicious bit of brightness and contrast to all the sweet lusciousness. Second, the shortcake dough was so flaky as I assembled that I feared it would crumble to bits […]
- [Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Honey-Lemon Glaze](https://katecooksthebooks.com/gluten-free-almond-cake-with-honey-lemon-glaze/): I’m sure you know someone who’s avoiding gluten and you are maybe a little bit sad for them about all of the gluten-filled treats they’re missing.  And maybe your friend has a birthday and maybe you’re especially sad that they can’t have birthday cake. Weep no more. In case you didn’t already know, King Arthur […]
- [Browned Butter Blondies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/browned-butter-blondies/):   Remember when it seemed like people were throwing browned butter in everything?  Suddenly it was bringing new life to old favorites like Rice Krispie Treats, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and every butter-based sauce imaginable. And this is not just a theory, I have receipts.  Here’s a an article from Bon Appetit called “How To Make […]
- [Crispy Skillet Turkey Burgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/crispy-skillet-turkey-burgers/):   Dead simple, four ingredients, shockingly delicious.  As the recipe says the panko keeps the turkey from becoming dense and acquiring that yoga-mat texture turkey burgers sometimes have; the mayo keeps it moist throughout; and the cheese works its usual magic.  All of it together makes a burger that I promise will not just compete […]
- [Italian Chicken Soup with Parmesan Dumplings](https://katecooksthebooks.com/italian-chicken-soup-with-parmesan-dumplings/):   I had you at “parmesan dumplings,” didn’t I?  You’re not wrong, they are amazing. I felt the urge to make soup even though we are experiencing freakishly warm temperatures in Chicago lately.  Like, 55 and sunny.  In Chicago.  The place they make tedious, unfunny snow jokes about.  The place where snow brought down a […]
- [Italian Sausage and Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle](https://katecooksthebooks.com/italian-sausage-and-mushroom-ragu-with-pappardelle/):     At first glance there is nothing new about this sauce from Milk Street Kitchen.  Heat fat, saute aromatics, add veggies, deglaze, add some other stuff, simmer while the pasta boils.  And yet.  I don’t know if it’s the cinnamon, or the way the flavors are layered (yes, I hate myself when I write […]
- [Caponata](https://katecooksthebooks.com/caponata/): I cannot begin to tell you how hard I fell for this. As promised it’s sweet and sour but also luscious without being unctuous.  I followed the advice in the comments section and sauteed cubed eggplant in the same pan before adding the other ingredients, no need to roast separately.  I used my dutch oven […]
- [Peach-Blueberry Crisp](https://katecooksthebooks.com/peach-blueberry-crisp/):   Tomatoes get the lion’s share of attention this time of year, and rightly so, but let’s not forget how insanely delicious blueberries and peaches are right now.  I’ve been a tad obsessed with blueberries in particular, eating half a pint every morning with Greek yogurt and my own granola and pulling up all my […]
- [Pasta alla Genovese](https://katecooksthebooks.com/pasta-alla-genovese/): It seems almost impossible not to make pesto in the summer when bouquets of basil are everywhere, screaming “pulverize me and toss me with fettuccine!”  Before you know it we will be back to the tiny, pricey little boxes of the stuff so let’s get on it before it’s too late, shall we? In their […]
- [Pork-Fennel Burger](https://katecooksthebooks.com/pork-fennel-burger/):   As delightful as grilling is (and short-lived for those of us who live in colder climes) there might come a point in the season when you feel like you’ve done it all.  You’ve ventured beyond hamburgers, brats and steaks to beer-can chicken, peaches, beef satay, and maybe way into the realm of watermelon with smoked […]
- [One-Skillet Steak and Spring Veg with Spicy Mustard](https://katecooksthebooks.com/one-skillet-steak-and-spring-veg-with-spicy-mustard/): Another dish that somehow transcends the sum of its parts — with every bite you will wonder how steak, vegetables and mustard could synthesize into something so eye-rollingly delicious.  Extra points for coming together quickly and even more for adaptability: several commenters used different cuts of meat and one even substituted chicken; I kept thinking […]
- [Savory Spring Vegetable Goat Cheese Tart](https://katecooksthebooks.com/savory-spring-vegetable-goat-cheese-tart/): It’s 45-degrees and raining sideways here in Chicago today and yet it is factually, temporally, undeniably spring.  And I know this because the Green City Market has moved outdoors and it is bursting with Hunter boots, double strollers, and every size, shape and color of asparagus. Perfect for this lovely tart.  The creme fraiche, goat […]
- [Deep Dish Pizza](https://katecooksthebooks.com/deep-dish-pizza/): I don’t know why I keep trying to replicate Lou Malnati’s pizza; I live in Chicago so I am never more than about 60 minutes away from eating the real thing. But I do.  Perhaps because even when it doesn’t quite get there what you’re probably left with is a damn good pizza for dinner. My […]
- [Shrimp in Chipotle Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/shrimp-in-chipotle-sauce/): This fell flat for me and I’m not sure why.  I suspect the (suggested) addition of sour cream might be the culprit but I can’t put my finger on it.  Certainly no fault of the recipe, in fact when I checked back with the Milk Street Facebook group I saw that this was a huge […]
- [Central Mexican Guacamole and Chili-Pineapple Margarita](https://katecooksthebooks.com/central-mexican-guacamole-and-chili-pineapple-margarita/): Oh guacamole.  You are so embedded into American food culture that we have formed strong, chili-like opinions about the best, the most authentic and the most worthy recipes.  Because we need more stuff to fight about. According to Milk Street, the version out of central Mexico differs in its radical exclusion of lime juice and […]
- [Tahini Swirl Brownies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/tahini-swirl-brownies/): For anyone familiar with Halvah, adding tahini to brownies is a no-brainer, in fact, what took us so long???  And if Halvah is good enough for Suleiman the Magnificent who are we to question it? For those unfamiliar, it brilliantly transforms what can be a cloyingly-sweet dessert into something more nuanced and adult.  (Not to […]
- [Crisp Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Parsley](https://katecooksthebooks.com/crisp-smashed-potatoes-with-fried-onions-and-parsley/): A Sunday afternoon impulse abetted by the presence of leftover baby potatoes on their last legs as well as an abundance of duck fat from the cassoulet soiree.  The only ingredient I did not have was parsley and I wish I did because it would have provided much-needed contrast to fifty shades of brown.  But […]
- [Dried Cranberry Shortbread Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/dried-cranberry-shortbread-cookies/): Do you have a great baker in your office?  No?  You should probably quit. We have Lynn and she makes many Mondays bearable with the homemade treats she brings us.  Recently she made these little melt-in-your mouth gems.  So delicious were these cookies that I probably got all my steps in walking over to our […]
- [Cassoulet](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cassoulet/): Earlier this year, Melissa Clark published The New Essentials of French Cooking in the New York Times and I took it as a personal challenge from Melissa to me.  To which I said, out loud in my home, like a boss “game on Melissa. Game on.” And why not start with the recipe that is the […]
- [Israeli Couscous with Lemon, Mint, Peas, Feta and Pickled Shallots](https://katecooksthebooks.com/israeli-couscous-lemon-mint-peas-feta-pickled-shallots/): There’s something about Israeli couscous that I’m infatuated with.  I don’t know if it’s the toothsome, pasta-like texture, the neutral palette that makes it the perfect canvas for any ingredient, or the versatility.  Perhaps it just reminds me of Israel?     Whatever the reason I was in the mood for it recently and wanted […]
- [Parsley-Cucumber Salad with Feta, Pomegranate and Walnuts](https://katecooksthebooks.com/parsley-cucumber-salad-feta-pomegranate-walnuts/): I owe parsley a big apology.  All these years I relegated it to a mere garnish or, at best, an important cameo player at Passover.  Then again, what did parsley expect?  I mean, it’s always there, at every store, doesn’t seem to have a “season,” and it’s cheap.  Did it think that was going to […]
- [Christopher Kimball's Milk Street](https://katecooksthebooks.com/christopher-kimballs-milk-street/): I always give Cook’s Illustrated credit for teaching me how to cook and it will always be my go-to for classic American dishes like fried chicken, chocolate cupcakes, pancakes, burgers, roast turkey and countless other things I cannot live without. But Milk Street is currently blowing the figurative lid off my metaphorical pressure cooker. In […]
- [Basic Challah and Za'atar Monkey Bread with Garlic and Onion Labneh](https://katecooksthebooks.com/basic-challah-zaatar-monkey-bread-garlic-onion-labneh/): Just like pictures of myself, I’m only going to post the most flattering one of my challah.  You know, thinner, younger and generally more attractive than it actually is: But I admit that it was a little wonky looking.  Turns out braiding thick, heavy, sticky dough is different than braiding hair.  I wish Molly had […]
- [Hummus and Pita](https://katecooksthebooks.com/hummus-and-pita/): It’s not difficult to understand the crazy popularity of hummus.  Easy to make (with ingredients found almost anywhere), vaguely healthy, cheap, and versatile.   But like many popular things, it has strayed very far from authenticity.  People have added all kinds of things to make it their own and its inherent simplicity makes it a […]
- [Funfetti Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/funfetti-cake/): Unlike Molly, and maybe many of you, this was not an "iconic cake of my childhood" mainly because I was a child in the 1960s and cake innovation technology just wasn't there yet.  But even without the strong pull of nostalgia, how can you not be drawn to this cake? It's got "fun" right in the title for crying out loud!
- [Squash and Ricotta Pizza with Sage and Arugula](https://katecooksthebooks.com/squash-ricotta-pizza-sage-arugula/): Since I am limited in how many recipes I can reproduce on my site (go figure, it’s like Molly wants to make money off her hard work and ingenuity or something) I’m going to just give you some guidelines on how to make this stupendous pizza.  The dough is from Jim Lahey of “no-knead bread” […]
- [Schnitzel Bao with Sriracha Mayo and Sesame Pickles](https://katecooksthebooks.com/schnitzel-bao-sriracha-mayo-sesame-pickles/): Mercy. Not a weeknight meal, to be sure.  But if you have a rainy afternoon and a desire to impress the hell out of even yourself with your cooking, make these. Molly says you can use “store bought bao” but you will likely not find them in a regular grocery store.  I’m sure I could […]
- [Slow Cooker Goulash with Scallion Knodeln](https://katecooksthebooks.com/slow-cooker-goulash-scallion-knodeln/): One reason I love having a blog is that when I make something fabulous I have an outlet for my enthusiasm.  Last night I made goulash, a dish I don’t think I’ve ever made before so I have no point of comparison, for what it’s worth.  But taken solely at face value, Molly’s version is […]
- [Gruyere Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions](https://katecooksthebooks.com/gruyere-mac-cheese-caramelized-onions/): Does it seem like everyone is trying to do something different, or quirky, or artisanal, or “maker” with mac and cheese? It’s on menus from dive bars to foam boutiques, paired with PBRs and boldly-priced malbecs.  Like pizza,  it’s basic enough to accommodate experimentation but familiar and unintimidating to most of the public.  So the usual […]
- [Next book: Molly on the Range](https://katecooksthebooks.com/next-book-molly-range/):   Rather than trying to explain the appeal of Molly Yeh and her toothsome recipes I will send you over to her wildly popular blog to see for yourself.  She’s won every award they give to people who I guess need to be validated that way (poor things) plus she’s a Chicago girl so she […]
- [Appetites](https://katecooksthebooks.com/appetites/): I’ve been a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s since Kitchen Confidential and I’ve always felt a little bad for him in that he’s gotten one of those super-sticky labels that famous people acquire (sometimes unfairly), in his case: “bad boy,” or “the bad boy of cooking.”  It must be maddeningly difficult to get people to see beyond […]
- [Five-Spice Short Ribs with Carrot and Parsnip Puree](https://katecooksthebooks.com/five-spice-short-ribs-carrot-parsnip-puree/): PHOTO BY GIEVES ANDERSON, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA HAMPTON Every now and then I take a truly terrible picture of my culinary product. Sometimes they’re blurry, sometimes they’re irredeemably over- or under-exposed, and sometimes they just make the food look like an unappetizing joke. Take a look: Who would eat that???  It looks like the daily […]
- [Pimento Cheese: Dip, Sandwich or All-Purpose Life-Fixer](https://katecooksthebooks.com/pimento-cheese-dip-sandwich-purpose-life-fixer/): Sometimes you just want cheese-spread on Ritz crackers.  Sometimes you want to serve it to company and sometimes you want to be alone with your schmear-y treat and brown sleeve of crackers.  Sometimes you want to make it into a sandwich and grill it up in a pan.  Sometimes you want it on a burger.  Just this minute […]
- [Summer Panzanella Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/summer-panzanella-salad/): When I combine my obsession with in-season tomatoes with the fact that I love bread so much that I would happily eat a baguette for dessert, I am inevitably led to one thing: panzanella. Bread and tomato salad. There are as many recipes for panzanella as the interwebs allow.  Surprisingly, most of them don’t mess with a good […]
- [No Knead Bread, encore](https://katecooksthebooks.com/no-knead-bread-encore/): I don’t know what you were doing in 2006 (launching Twitter? Introducing skinny jeans?) but I, along with the rest of the cooking world, was going bonkers over No Knead Bread.  What attracted me to the recipe was not liberation from kneading (I like kneading) but the promise of a picture-perfect, shattery-crusted, unbelievably perfect boule […]
- [Strawberry Cream Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/strawberry-cream-cake/): My most-requested cake.  My Strawberry Letter 22.  My best shot at the Nobel Prize in Baking.
- [Kansas City BBQ Brisket](https://katecooksthebooks.com/kansas-city-bbq-brisket/): Sometimes a certain dish calls out to you, maybe prompted by a picture, a season, a memory, a craving, a passing aroma.  In paging through the recipes in this book one thing I really wanted to make was a barbecued beef sandwich that would taste like one from this place.  (True to its old-school quirkiness, it […]
- [Grilled Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/grilled-eggplant-yogurt-sauce/): This recipe attempts to solve a couple of eggplant problems: excessive moisture and an unpleasant texture best described as “spongy.”  Grilling (vs. other cooking methods) itself solves the moisture by letting it all drip away.  To avoid sponginess we are slicing into 1/4″ slices. And it was half successful. Despite achieving some seriously impressive consistency […]
- [Juicy Lucy Burgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/juicy-lucy-burgers/): Apparently a Minneapolis tavern specialty, the Juicy Lucy is a burger with the cheese — are you sitting down? — inside. Wow, way to blow our minds, half of the Twin Cities!  I’m not sure what the advantage is to a cheese surprise but it’s a cheeseburger and I adore them. The problem solved with this […]
- [Grilled Pork Kebabs with Hoisin and Five-Spice](https://katecooksthebooks.com/grilled-pork-kebabs-hoisin-five-spice/): I have made so many disappointing grilled, glazed pork tenderloins.  They look so good and yet they never seem to work for me.  I have the same relationship with J Crew clothes. Typically what happens is the glaze gets completely charred and never penetrates beyond the surface of the meat.  No matter what delicious things […]
- [Mediterranean-Style Portobello Burgers](https://katecooksthebooks.com/mediterranean-style-portobello-burgers/): If you want to serve something to the vegetarians in your life that will make the meat eaters drool, Pin this right now.  It’s an absolute star of a meatless entree that is no way an after-thought or an apology. As I was preparing this, and especially when I sat down to take the pic […]
- [Next book: Master of the Grill](https://katecooksthebooks.com/next-book-master-grill/): Guess what?  America’s Test Kitchen contacted me and asked me to review their new book. You know what that means? Yep.  I won. It’s possible that they sent the same email to dozens of bloggers, food journalists, respected practitioners of the culinary arts like this person or this one, but I’m not even going to go there […]
- [Easy Skillet Pizza re-visited](https://katecooksthebooks.com/easy-skillet-pizza-re-visited/): I wrote about this a year ago when I first made it but after making it again this weekend I felt compelled to tell you about it (and give you the recipe this time). It is truly delicious and, aside from the dough rising, quick.  This time I threw some prosciutto on before it went in […]
- [Short Rib Pot Pie](https://katecooksthebooks.com/short-rib-pot-pie/): Photo by Gentl and Hyers Why humble-brag when you can just straight out brag?  I kicked my own ass when I made this dish.  You know how they say if you can read a recipe you can cook?  I did that.  But first, I used my formidable powers of discernment to pick a recipe that was […]
- [Double Vanilla Butter Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/double-vanilla-butter-cake/): Tis a gift to be simple, which, I know from Wikipedia, was written by Madonna.  True story. This cake is culinary proof.  It’s just eggs, butter, flour, sugar and two kinds of vanilla: extract and bean paste.  Cook it all in an 8″ pan and eat and serve plain like a good Quaker or tart […]
- [Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sauteed-chicken-cutlets-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce/): Of course we all know that a boneless, skinless chicken breasts are an excellent source of low-fat, healthy protein, but the thought of eating one is about as enticing as doing your taxes.  It’s very tricky to cook them all the way through without completely drying them out and unless you’re dipping it in some […]
- [Plump and Tender Shrimp Cocktail](https://katecooksthebooks.com/shrimp-cocktail/): Do you long to be fancy but only in a fleeting way?  Like, you’d like to fancy up some parts of your life but not go overboard and start making your bed everyday or anything crazy like that?  Then let me say two word s to you: shrimp cocktail. Make it, eat this and only […]
- [Lemon Ricotta Pancakes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/lemon-ricotta-pancakes/): One of my favorite things in the world are the Lemon Ricotta pancakes at Sarabeth’s Kitchen.  Unfortunately the closest Sarabeth’s to me is the one on the Upper West Side and it’s a 12 hour and 45 minute drive.  So I have been meaning to try to recreate them at home for years. And lo and behold, […]
- [Cheesy Broccoli or Cauliflower Casserole](https://katecooksthebooks.com/broccoli-cheddar-casserole/): There’s nothing bad about broccoli in a creamy cheese sauce with buttery breadcrumbs on top.  Nothing.  But it could be better. It’s hard to put my finger on what’s missing.  I think I wanted bigger, more hearty pieces of broccoli when what I ended up with was fragments; more of a broccoli infused cheese sauce […]
- [Quick Chickpea and Spinach Stew (or Making a Blender Murderer)](https://katecooksthebooks.com/spinach-and-chickpea-stew/): This is so good I’m almost able to forgive it for breaking my blender.  And it is the absolute perfect food for January.  It will warm you and comfort you and fortify you against any arctic blasts you may have to fight this month.  And all while making up for absolutely every bad thing you ate […]
- [Perfect Easy Red Sauce and Pasta with Caramelized Eggplant and Rich Tomato Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/perfect-easy-red-sauce/): I’m combining my notes on these two recipes because one is really a variation on the other. One of the most brilliant recipes of all time is Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Butter Sauce [no recipe even needed: put a can of whole tomatoes (28 oz.), 4 tablespoons of butter, and an onion cut in half (don’t peel it, […]
- [Cranberry Sauce with Cider and Cinnamon](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cranberries-cider-and-cinnamon/): For my daughter this is the undisputed highlight of our Christmas dinner and one of her all-time favorite foods.  I have been making it for years from a photocopy from a cookbook whose title had been cut off from the copy (or “Xerox” as we used to call them.  Heh heh.  Look it up whippersnappers).  The internet, of course, […]
- [Dry-Brined Turkey](https://katecooksthebooks.com/dry-brined-turkey/): Photo: Evan Sung for the New York Times I think I’m done searching for the be-all and end-all turkey.  Right here, this is it.  Probably the best turkey I’ve ever made and I’ve made a few.  I was a devotee of Cook’s Illustrated’s wet brine for many, many years and it was a great recipe […]
- [The Food Lab](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-food-lab/): Sometimes the hardest part of all of this is choosing a worthwhile book to review.  Why?  Well, frankly there’s a lot of merde out there.  From a cursory Amazon search of 7,663 [actual number not a re-enactment] cookbooks published in the last 90 days the vast majority are “special diet,” including titles like The Vitamix Cookbook: […]
- [Ultimate Sugar Cookies](https://katecooksthebooks.com/ultimate-sugar-cookies/): Even though I have a perfectly fine recipe for sugar cookies, I’m always open to try a new one.  Because resisting new things makes you old and gives you frown lines and age spots and turkey neck.  True story. This one is from the December 2013 issue of Bon Appetit and it’s a keeper. There […]
- [Grilled Shrimp and Vegetables with Pearl Couscous](https://katecooksthebooks.com/grilled-shrimp-vegetables-pearl-couscous/): I made this dish a long time ago and then forgot to tell you about it.  Forgive me. It has been one of my favorite summer meals for a long time because it’s got so much going for it.  It’s healthy, it’s quick, and it’s a self-contained complete meal and, let’s be honest, it photographs well. […]
- [Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash and Greens Over Bow-Tie Pasta](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sweet-roasted-butternut-squash-and-greens-over-bow-tie-pasta/): This scrumptious looking dish came across my facebook feed one day and, completely out of character, I just decided to make it.  My dear friend Anne was coming to town to run ihe Hot Chocolate 5K with me and this seemed like the perfect pre-race dinner. It’s from The Splendid Table, an NPR show I’ve never […]
- [Sweet Potato Soup](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sweet-potato-soup/): You know how I get all excited when a recipe turns out to be way more delicious than the ingredients suggest?  That happened. It happend when nothing more than 2 lbs of sweet potatoes, a shallot, a little butter, and water for crying out loud, came together.  You’d think, and I thought, it would taste […]
- [Maple Glazed Sour Cream Doughnuts with (or without) Sugared Walnut Streusel](https://katecooksthebooks.com/maple-glazed-sour-cream-doughnuts-with-or-without-sugared-walnut-streusel/): If I may quote myself: “never eat doughnuts you didn’t make yourself.” Such inspiring words to live by and I wouild certainly live by them myself if this damn place weren’t two blocks from my office. Oh, and as if that weren’t bad enough this finally opened near my my home.  First it was these […]
- [Baked Oatmeal](https://katecooksthebooks.com/baked-oatmeal/): Originally I made this as written which is in an 8″x8″ glass baking dish. I combined and assembled all ingredients the night before and cooked it the next morning and served it to my book group. And forgot to take a pic. Even as I made it in the bigger pan I was thinking how […]
- [Vegetable and Bean Tostadas](https://katecooksthebooks.com/vegetable-and-bean-tostadas/):   It occurred to me, as I was eating these mind you, that they are very, very healthy. Corn tortillas that are just sprayed with a little vegetable cooking spray and baked, sauted onions and peppers with garlic, some cole slaw mix tossed with lime, and your own re-fried beans that are just canned pinto […]
- [Definitive Chocolate Layer Cake](https://katecooksthebooks.com/definitive-chocolate-layer-cake/): I have baked dozens and dozens of birthday cakes over the years.  Because they are at the whim of the celebrant they
- [A+ Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/a-salad/): I would like to say that I invented this salad but I flat out ripped it off. Because when I eat something delicious in a restaurant my first thought isn’t “wow, this is so good I’m just going chew slowly and live in this amazing moment” but rather “can I replicate this at home?” I […]
- [Roasted Carrots](https://katecooksthebooks.com/roasted-carrots/): Insanely good. My daughter said “these taste like sweet potato fries” and she was 100% on the nose. This is one instance where a recipe meant for two was not nearly enough. I could have eaten an entire baking sheet of these. And all it is is carrots and a sliced fennel bulb, tossed in […]
- [Sticky Buns](https://katecooksthebooks.com/sticky-buns/): Please wipe that skeptical look off your face when I tell you that these are not that difficult to make. The dough is much easier to work with than pie dough; it shapes easily and doesn’t stick like crazy to the counter. And it doesn’t fall helplessly apart when you try to move it. It’s […]
- [Teriyaki Chicken](https://katecooksthebooks.com/teriyaki-chicken/): I have made the “super size” version of this so I already knew it would be good. And it was; the sauce tastes authentic (as far as I know) and is sweet without being cloying. Using chicken thighs ensures that you will not dry them out. I can see the predicament this recipe put the […]
- [Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper and Pistachio Pesto](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cheese-ravioli-with-roasted-red-pepper-and-pistachio-pesto/): I made this dish for my dear friend Jennifer who I have known for many many many years. Because she is so wise she decided recently that the two of us — just the two of us, no kids, no significant others — needed to commit to a monthly date.  And by golly we’ve done […]
- [Easy Skillet Cheese Pizza](https://katecooksthebooks.com/easy-skillet-cheese-pizza/): I make a lot of pizza. Deep dish, grilled, french bread, “grandma,” you name it. But this might be the best yet. The crust, made with bread flour, is a near perfect combination of light with a tiny bit of crunchiness. And although it may sound simple, getting the cheese right on a cheese pizza […]
- [The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: Chicken and Orzo with Spinach and Feta](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-complete-cooking-for-two-cookbook-chicken-and-orzo-with-spinach-and-feta/):   One of my favorite things about cooking is when I am surprised.  And given how much I cook, that doesn’t happen very often.  Disappointingly, I pretty much know what’s going to happen when I, for instance, saute a plain old chicken breast, which is to say: not much.   But hope is a thing […]
- [The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant and Sesame](https://katecooksthebooks.com/soba-noodles-with-roasted-eggplant-and-sesame/): This was so good I had a hard time making it a single serving dish.  I allowed myself a couple more chopstickful's of it while cleaning up
- [The Next Book: The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-the-complete-cooking-for-two-cookbook/):       I fully agree with the premise of this book which is: scaling down a recipe is not necessarily simple math.  In other words, you can’t just divide all the ingredients by 2 or 4 to get the right sized meal for two people.  Why?  Because cooking is often about ratios and some elements […]
- [Tuscan Beef Stew](https://katecooksthebooks.com/tuscan-beef-stew/): I appreciate that Cook’s Illustrated has a scientific explanation for why its recipes are superior to others, but most of the time I’m content to take it at face value and not read their lengthy dissertation.  I don’t dislike science, I just feel like it’s doing fine without me so I should devote my attention to areas where […]
- [Lamb Chops with Dried Cherries and Port](https://katecooksthebooks.com/lamb-chops-with-dried-cherries-and-port/): I love when a dish can be both elegant, special, and yet an absolute snap to make.  Gnaw-on-the-bone delicious doesn’t hurt either.  This — from the April 2008 issue of Bon Appetit — checked all the boxes.   It’s laughably simple: lamb with a classic pan sauce.  And all that means is you cook some […]
- [Toasted Bread with Burrata and Arugula](https://katecooksthebooks.com/toasted-bread-burrata-arugula/): Or Bocconcini if that’s what you discover the kid in the cheese department gave you right before you assemble this.  At least it was buffalo.   This was meant to be a first course but I doubled it and served as an appetizer.  It was a bit of a mess to eat and I’m not […]
- [Italian Vegetable Stew](https://katecooksthebooks.com/italian-vegetable-stew/): As I write this local Chicago weather professionals are going bonkers over a predicted record-setting temperature tomorrow.  National weather folks are saying there will be wind chill factors in FLORIDA.   And what most experts will tell you is that the best thing to do in these extreme circumstances is to make soup.  (It’s a […]
- [Nutella Swirled Banana Bread](https://katecooksthebooks.com/nutella-swirled-banana-bread/): I never truly embraced banana bread (or zucchini bread, or carrot cake) and only make it for the very sound reason that I often have black bananas.  And having lived through the Great Depression and traveled Route 66 through most of the dust bowl with all my possessions on my car I would never throw […]
- [Jerusalem: Mejadra](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-mejadra/): It’s lentils.  It’s rice.  It’s fried onions.  It’s like an onion ring salad but rendered guilt free because…it’s got lentils!  And they’re good for you!  No wonder it is ancient and “popular throughout the Arab world” (according to the authors) and that there is actually some consensus that it is the ultimate comfort food.   […]
- [Jerusalem: Spiced Chickpeas and Fresh Vegetable Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-spiced-chickpeas-and-fresh-vegetable-salad/):   There was a lot to like about this salad, like the spiced chickpeas.  However, if you think Yotam and Sami are going to let you just pop open a can you have come to the wrong grotto.  No, this is old school and you are going to soak dried chickpeas overnight and then boil […]
- [Jerusalem: Hummus](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-hummus/): So, believe it or not, people get very heated on the topic of food, particularly when it comes to tales of origin and authenticity.  And poor hummus, such a humble yet deeply satisfying food, makes people just bonkers in Israel.  According to Ottolenghi and Tamimi, dear friends can be driven apart by divided loyalties to […]
- [Jerusalem: Chermoula Eggplant with Bulgur and Yogurt](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-chermoula-eggplant-with-bulgur-and-yogurt/):   See, this is why I bought this book. I knew it would contain recipes for things I didn’t even know I wanted to eat.  Eggplant that has been perfectly seasoned and roasted into submission, topped with a nutty, sweet, briny grain.  Finished with Greek yogurt.  Mission accomplished! The only ingredient I could not find […]
- [Jerusalem: Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-chicken-with-caramelized-onion-and-cardamom-rice/): I am such a sucker for a chicken and rice dish and I know I’m not alone.  Why do we love this combination?  Many reasons: it’s easy (one pot) and comforting, it’s substantial, it’s adaptable ( riso alla pitocca, chicken biryani, arroz con pollo – and Cook’s does a spectacular version with bacon and red pepper – […]
- [Jerusalem: Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds](https://katecooksthebooks.com/jerusalem-baby-spinach-salad-with-dates-and-almonds/):   A cookbook with great salads has a good shot at winning me over and this is a great salad.  I rarely eat dates or use them in anything and now I’m wondering why.  Where have you been all my life you sticky little gems?  Their pleasant chewiness is a nice contrast to the other […]
- [The Next Book: Jerusalem: A Cookbook](https://katecooksthebooks.com/the-next-book-jerusalem-a-cookbook/): Let’s put all the wild media speculation and crazy theories to rest and let me tell you how I pick cookbooks to review. Typically, I look for something relatively new (published within the last year or so), with enough inherent interest that I think many people will be curious about it.  I try not to […]
- [Cook's Country: Grilled Caesar Salad](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-country-grilled-caesar-salad/): Oh yeah, I have a blog! Sorry about that. Moving on… I’m not convinced that grilling romaine lettuce “adds a smoky char to a Caesar salad” but I love Caesar salad and any excuse to try a new one is fine by me.  This one was pretty great and I don’t know about you but […]
- [Meatless: Polenta with Poached Eggs and Marinated Artichokes](https://katecooksthebooks.com/meatless-polenta-with-poached-eggs-and-marinated-artichokes/): Let’s not mince words: this was repulsive. Not one of the components worked for me and the combination of all three was a culinary train wreck. I’m willing to take 2/3 of the blame since I can never seem to get polenta right and God knows I can’t poach an egg for love or money. […]
- [Cook's Country: Crispy Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce](https://katecooksthebooks.com/cooks-country-crispy-fish-sticks-with-tartar-sauce/): I’m sure there were kids in the Midwest in the 1960s who ate all kinds of great seafood.  Maybe they went “fishing” with their parents (look it up, it’s a real thing!) and ate what they caught.  Or perhaps they were urban sophisticates who experienced fine dining early in their lives.  I was not one of those […]

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