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Tag: cookbook

Quick and Easy Arancini: Cookbook Review

Zoe’s Take:
7.5/10

I can make risotto in my sleep so these were not so difficult to do for me. However, the size they wanted was a little big for me. I would have definitely preferred smaller ones. The taste however was fantastic. I wish I had added some sundried tomatoes with the peas, but I will next time.

Eric’s Take:
8/10

I thought this recipe was fantastic. The overall flavor was delicious, the mushroom risotto and peas were earthy and fresh, with a wonderful creaminess. I had two issues with the recipe. First, the instructions say to use a box mix of risotto, preparing as instructed. However, brands vary and mine (I believe) was a bit too wet. The other issue was how heavy these were. These, in theory, should be an appetizer. However, after two I was full. Overall I can overlook those details, because it was a fun, tasty and easy recipe.

April 19, 2019
Beef Tartare with Harissa: Final Cookbook Review

Zoe’s Take
8.5/10

I really liked this recipe, it’s not perfect, but it’s still pretty great. The sirloin is incredibly tender, and when mixed with the harissa and the other ingredients, it’s absolutely lovely. When on a crostini, it’s even better. I added extra harissa and extra garlic to mine because that’s just how I roll.

Eric’s Take
9/10

This recipe was darn near perfect. I don’t typically like tartare’s, and don’t recommend eating any meats raw. I went all out and used a filet for this recipe. It’s much more tender and has less fat marbled through. The only note I have on this recipe was that there needed to be some tweaks. I felt there was too many capers and not enough hairssa. Overall there was a great balance of sour, spice, and saltiness. A great end to this cookbook!

March 28, 2019
Absolutely Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies: Cookbook Review

These cookies were made by Chef Marcel Desaulniers for The Trellis: Cafe, Restaurant & Grill.

Zoe’s Take:
8/10

I love a good cookie. If it’s an all chocolate cookie, even better. So when we saw this recipe in The Great Chefs of America Cook Kosher, we had to try it. It’s a good cookie. It might even be a great cookie, but it’s not a 10/10, 5 star amazing cookie because it didn’t live up to the fudge bit. When a cookie describes itself as fudge, I expect melty chocolate chips and a richness. These cookies spread out quite a bit for me and were huge and got a little crunchy. Don’t get me wrong, I still like crunchy cookies, it was just not what I was expecting. Oh well.

Eric’s Take:
9/10

These cookies are VERY good! Super chocolatey and decadent. I thought this recipe was relatively easy to follow. There were a lot of steps and they were blocked in large paragraphs. There were also a lot of timed steps with mixing. I really liked these cookies, but the lost point was with the directions. Because of the steps being a bit confusing it led to inconsistent results between Zoe and my cookies.

February 28, 2019
Cumin and Lime Spiked Grilled Skirt Steak with Avocado Corn Relish: Cookbook Review

This recipe is from Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken from the Border Grill.

Zoe’s Take:
9/10

I really enjoyed this steak and that’s saying something because I am easily bored by steak. The cumin comes on really strong and it’s supported really well by the lime. I marinated my meat for 24 hours and the meat was quite tender, but I really want to go for 48 and see how tender it gets then. the avocado corn relish is amazing, I want to eat it on everything. My biggest issue is the marination time, and also, I prefer not to use skirt steak unless I have access to a grill (which I do not at the moment).

Eric’s Take:
9/10

I was skeptical with this recipe at first. I had made something similar before, and it wasn’t my favorite to say the least. However, this recipe called for toasting cumin seeds and that made a big difference. The aroma held up to the other strong flavors. The cilantro paired well with the jalapeños, making it not only complex, but delicious. The accompanying corn relish was incredible. By far my favorite bite from this cookbook yet. This recipe lost a point due to the choice of meat. Skirt steak is not always available and is typically better grilled. The long marinade time required to develop a stronger flavor and break down the meat means you can’t just make this dish on a whim. There needs to be long preparation. However, other cuts would likely work very well with this recipe too.

February 20, 2019
Cookbook Review: Warm Wild Mushroom and Chicken Strudel

This hors d’oeuvre is by Chef Charles Palmer and was featured at Aureole.

Zoe’s Take:
4/10

While I liked the flavors in both the sauce and the strudel, there was a lot that was lacking. First off, the instructions for forming the strudel itself was very confusing. The sauce was oily, and could have used more acidity. The strudel dough itself took a lot longer to cook. I used puff pastry because the strudel dough just didn’t work out at all. Also, the chicken and mushroom mixture felt dry. Overall, I disliked it, but it definitely has potential to become a better recipe with some work.

Eric’s Take:
5/10

I’m not sure where to begin with this recipe. I love basil, and the chicken and mushroom filling was good with the sauce. Then the problems come. I also could not find strudel dough, so availability of ingredients lost a point for me. I also ended up using puffed pastry. Flavor lost two because for me this was just ok. There was a lack of heat and fat. The sauce provided acidity, but for some reason mine was a bit thin. Double cooking the chicken ended up drying the filling out. The instructions were too vague on the folding method. Zoe took a hand-pie approach, and I made more of a stromboli. I understand that all the recipes in this book have been standardized to a particular format. This one may have been lost in translation.

February 13, 2019
Cookbook Review: Onion Soup with Glazed Shallots

This month, Eric and I are reviewing a very interesting and non-traditional cookbook. The Great Chefs of America Cook Kosher is a compilation of recipes from famous chefs and their famous restaurants. In order to really cover the recipes in this book, we’ll be taking a recipe from several different sections of the cookbook. We are starting with soup.

Our recipe for this week is Onion Soup with Whole Glazed Shallots from Chefs Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton from Campanile.

Zoe’s Take:
6/10

For me, the best part of this soup was by far the whole glazed shallots. I was not impressed at all by the soup itself. In my house, my 24 hour French Onion soup is law, and by my standards, the soup itself didn’t live up to it. I felt like I had to dip my toasted croutons in it in order to finish even half a bowl. The shallots on the other hand are amazing. So tender and delicious. I added them right into the soup so that it would add extra flavor.

Eric’s Take:
8/10

I’m a huge fan of onion soups. I really enjoyed this recipe. It was simple to make although it had many ingredients. My favorite part was also the glazed shallots. They were so sweet and tender they could have been mistaken for apples. The soup itself was also very sweet. As there was no added sugar or sweeteners the onions provided it all. The first step of the soup is to break down the onions over 40 minutes. I had mine going for about an hour. This recipe lost 2 points because I felt it was rather plain. It could have benefited from some body, or maybe another type of onion.

February 6, 2019
Almond Rose Cake: Cookbook Review

Zoe’s Take:
6.5/10

While this cake is fluffy and buttery with that almond and rose flavor gently coming in for a lovely mild flavor, I just wouldn’t make this cake (other than this review). First, since I know how much butter went into it, I can STILL feel the butter in my pores an hour after eating one small slice. Also, despite the buttery texture and gorgeous crumb, it needs some moisture. The Soframiz cookbook says to pair it with rose petal jam. I made the jam and it definitely added what the cake needed.

Eric’s Take:
8/10

This was a delicious cake. I thought it went well with the rose petal jam. On its own it was definitely lacking something. The almond past, butter and eggs make for a very dense batter that lightens up when baking. However, it wasn’t as light as I was hoping. With over two sticks of butter and six eggs this is also a very rich cake. A half-inch sliver was enough for me. This cake lost one point for complexity of instructions. It was a bit harder to follow than other recipes in the book. The last point was on flavor. Although good, I wasn’t as into it as the other recipes.

January 30, 2019
Cheese Borek: Cookbook Review

Zoe’s Take:
7.5/10

I like borek. I know them more commonly as borekas, and I ate many of them when I was in Israel last summer. They come in all different flavors, but any with cheese is the best. I liked these borek. I made the yufka myself, mostly because I don’t have a store that sells the pre-made anywhere near me. (I definitely could have rolled them a little thinner) While this borek was definitely good food, it wasn’t the super flaky and super crispy pastry that I know and love. My expectations are the reason this is a 7.5 and not higher rated.

Eric’s Take:
8/10

I’d never had borek before this. I’ve had many different types of pastry using yufka (or similar dough like phyllo). Because this recipe calls for pouring a liquid milk mixture over the layers, the final dish came out denser than I thought. It also wasn’t as flaky as I thought it would be. Overall It was really good and I enjoyed it fresh and reheated the next day. This recipe lost points on two points. I felt there was something missing to counter the saltiness of the cheese. The other problem was that the instructions weren’t as easy as the other recipes to follow. There was some interpretation that ultimately didn’t matter, but did effect the final outcome slightly.

January 22, 2019
Simit: Cookbook Review

Zoe’s Take:
10/10

I LOVE SIMIT. Well who wouldn’t. It’s basically a better bagel. When they first come out of the oven, they’re crunchy and delicious. Soframiz recommends you eat them the day they are made. Well, I made simit mountain, so I didn’t eat all mine in one day. Days 2 and 3, they weren’t crunchy anymore, but were still tasty chewy and bagel-like. I must say, I am such a fan of this delicious bread. Really, what’s not to love?

My Simit Mountain

Eric’s Take:
10/10

These came out terrific! The recipe was easy to follow, and had simple ingredients. Like the other recipes in this cookbook I enjoyed making them. Being somewhere between a bagel and pretzel when fresh, these were a huge hit. We tried them with cheese warm. The next day we ate them as bagels with cream cheese. I found no faults with this recipe. I will absolutely be making these again!

January 16, 2019
Cookbook Review: Soframiz

This month, we are reviewing a fantastic cookbook that I actually use on a regular basis. Soframiz is a book full of vibrant Middle Eastern recipes from the Sofra Bakery & Cafe in Boston. We’re so excited to review this cookbook and to show you some amazing food.

Our first review is Flower Pogaca Rolls. They are a common breakfast item in Turkey. While not usually made in the style of roses or flowers, these rolls are just as good formed as a regular roll.

Zoe’s Take:
10/10
I might be obsessed with these rolls. I have a deep love of feta cheese, but also of bread and the soft buttery texture of the rolls, combined with the salty feta is absolute perfection in my mind. I have nothing bad to say because there is nothing bad about them.

Eric’s Take:
9.5/10
I really loved these rolls. The recipe was easy to follow, the ingredients were easy to find and work with. This was by far my most successful bake on a bread, which makes me believe they’re “fool-proof.” The bread was soft and flakey, and remained so for about two days. This was a big surprise as the recipe called for no butter and only one egg. The only reason I dropped the recipe a half point is that there was nothing in the cheese mixture to cut the saltiness from the feta. Otherwise this was perfect!

January 3, 2019