Time of death: 3:14, Friday, August 26. I couldn't tolerate more than ten days of this book. So Easy contained a few standouts--the corn salad, the mocha java smoothie, and the pork piccata--but the bulk of the recipes I tried were mediocre, at best. I've cooked all the recipes that caught my optimistic eye, and most of them turned out lousy anyway. If those that I wanted to make didn't turn out well, I have no hope for the remainder, which I don't want to make.
These recipes are so uninspiring that I'm beginning to question my affection for The Food You Crave.
Obviously, I'm tossing this book as soon as I copy out those few good recipes.
And now, for something completely different.
One of my best friends had the extreme good fortune of finding a job in Honolulu a few years back. She sent me a cookbook, Hawai'i Cuisine: A Sampler of Favorite Island Recipes by Chef Sam Choy, to ensure that I represent her adopted home on this little blog.
What do I know about Hawaiian food after my two visits to Oahu? I know that I love poi, preferably a day or two old. I know that I'll eat as much Kalua Pig as you put in front of me. I know that fruity drinks taste even better when the sunset over the ocean mirrors what's in your glass. What do I know about cooking Hawaiian food? Nothing.
Part of the reason Pauline chose this particular book was because Chef Choy makes the recipes accessible for a home cook, so you don't need to have an entire pig and a fire pit in your backyard. Where does one even get an entire pig?? I'm glad I don't need to find out.
Showing posts with label So Easy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label So Easy. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2011
So Easy: Egg, Ham, and Spinach Pizza
Egg, Ham, and Spinach Pizza (pg 99) is exactly what it sounds like. I went in thinking of it less as a pizza, and more as an open-faced sandwich. Take a store-bought whole wheat pizza crust, dump a butt-load of sliced spinach on it with a drizzle of olive oil, prosciutto, garlic, and grated parmesan cheese. Make four wells in the spinach, and break an egg into each. Then you bake for 12-15 minutes "until the spinach is wilted and the egg whites are fully cooked." In her intro to the recipe, Ellie says that the first time she had egg on a pizza "it was a revelation. When you cut into the egg, the yolk oozes out over the tender greens and crisp crust."
On closer reading, I realized that she was not waxing rhapsodic about this version of a pizza, but something she ate in Italy. I checked my pizza at 12 minutes, and the yolks were completely cooked, while the whites were not set yet. Because they were confined to these spinach wells, the white part was deeper than it would be just on a pan. By the time the whites cooked, there was no chance of any lovely oozing yolk. The yolk cooked faster than anything else on the pie, spinach and prosciutto included. Very disappointing.
I'm not opposed to having hard boiled eggs on a pizza. I ate that in Rome, and it was good. Not my favorite pizza topping of all time, but I still enjoyed it. The egg on this pizza was nasty. The texture was weird. I can't describe it. A little gritty, maybe? and the white seemed to cook in layers, so there were striations of toughness as I bit down. I pulled the rest of my egg off the pizza. Yuck.
On the plus side, the spinach did provide a nice faux-cheese layer of softness as you bit down, and the prosciutto crisped nicely, with its grease flavoring the rest of the pie.
Conclusion: Without the egg, just okay. With the egg, disliked. Since a key part of the recipe is the egg, I'm going to have to go with Dislike on this one.
On closer reading, I realized that she was not waxing rhapsodic about this version of a pizza, but something she ate in Italy. I checked my pizza at 12 minutes, and the yolks were completely cooked, while the whites were not set yet. Because they were confined to these spinach wells, the white part was deeper than it would be just on a pan. By the time the whites cooked, there was no chance of any lovely oozing yolk. The yolk cooked faster than anything else on the pie, spinach and prosciutto included. Very disappointing.
I'm not opposed to having hard boiled eggs on a pizza. I ate that in Rome, and it was good. Not my favorite pizza topping of all time, but I still enjoyed it. The egg on this pizza was nasty. The texture was weird. I can't describe it. A little gritty, maybe? and the white seemed to cook in layers, so there were striations of toughness as I bit down. I pulled the rest of my egg off the pizza. Yuck.
On the plus side, the spinach did provide a nice faux-cheese layer of softness as you bit down, and the prosciutto crisped nicely, with its grease flavoring the rest of the pie.
Conclusion: Without the egg, just okay. With the egg, disliked. Since a key part of the recipe is the egg, I'm going to have to go with Dislike on this one.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Catching Up
I tried two more of Ellie's breakfast recipes. They were okay, but not anything that I'd bother making again.
First up, Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast (pg 53). My strawberries had molded overnight, so I omitted them and had a few cherries on the side. Without the berries, this recipe is just ricotta cheese and a few chocolate chips sandwiched between bread, then you soak the whole sandwich in milk and eggs and cook it on the griddle. Ellie calls for a shocking 1.25 cups of milk per three eggs. When I make french toast, I add just enough of a splash of milk to loosen up the eggs. I would never use a full cup. I did it my way. I'd think her way would make the bread totally soggy and disgusting.
I thought that Charlie would love this. I mean, it's chocolate for breakfast. He wouldn't even try it, though. He is definitely his father's son: uninterested in sweets. It's better in the long run, I guess, but it makes no sense to me. After dinner the other day, I gave him a plate with a gougere and a small slice of the apple cake on it. The cheese puff wins every time. Oh well, more cake for me.
Conclusion: Just okay.
Honey Harvest Quinoa (pg 63) has lots of good stuff in it--a diced apple, dried cranberries, honey, cinnamon, and toasted pecans on top, yet it still barely surpasses mediocrity. With the pecans, this was earthier and a bit more complex. Without the pecans (I ate leftovers when I got home from the gym), it was bland. It's amazing the a difference one single ingredient can make. Those nuts really tied the dish together.
Conclusion: Just okay. The only reason I'd make this again is because Charlie ate half of what I gave him. I'm instituting a new "Charlie Approved" category. This is mostly for my own benefit, so that on days when I'm bemoaning the fact that I can't get him to eat anything, I can click on the Charlie Approved label and pull up recipes that have had some success in the past. Unless you've got a fussy toddler and are looking for ideas, pay it no mind.
Much to my surprise at this point, last night's dinner of Pork Piccata was really good. I love me some piccata, and this tasted just as it should--caper-briney, garlicky, lemony, with a strong reduction of white wine. YUM. It was so good that Matt thought I'd changed cookbooks. HA!
Conclusion: Loved it.
First up, Chocolate and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast (pg 53). My strawberries had molded overnight, so I omitted them and had a few cherries on the side. Without the berries, this recipe is just ricotta cheese and a few chocolate chips sandwiched between bread, then you soak the whole sandwich in milk and eggs and cook it on the griddle. Ellie calls for a shocking 1.25 cups of milk per three eggs. When I make french toast, I add just enough of a splash of milk to loosen up the eggs. I would never use a full cup. I did it my way. I'd think her way would make the bread totally soggy and disgusting.
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| So maybe I used more than a few chocolate chips. |
Conclusion: Just okay.
Honey Harvest Quinoa (pg 63) has lots of good stuff in it--a diced apple, dried cranberries, honey, cinnamon, and toasted pecans on top, yet it still barely surpasses mediocrity. With the pecans, this was earthier and a bit more complex. Without the pecans (I ate leftovers when I got home from the gym), it was bland. It's amazing the a difference one single ingredient can make. Those nuts really tied the dish together.
Much to my surprise at this point, last night's dinner of Pork Piccata was really good. I love me some piccata, and this tasted just as it should--caper-briney, garlicky, lemony, with a strong reduction of white wine. YUM. It was so good that Matt thought I'd changed cookbooks. HA!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
It's Not All Bad
Apparently I like any smoothie that crosses my path. The Mocha Java Smoothie (pg 25) from So Easy is exceptionally tasty. I didn't realize until after I dissolved the instant espresso, cocoa powder, and a touch of sugar in boiling water that the recipe was actually for two servings. I gave myself the correct amount of milk, thickened up by a frozen banana, but I doubled up on the flavor. It was a good mistake.
Conclusion: Loved it. Not the most filling breakfast, but definitely delicious.
I'm on the fence about Salmon Florentine and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts (pg 197). The Florentine part, which was spinach, shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes mixed with ricotta, was flavorful and a nice twist for dinner, but it didn't mesh perfectly with the flavor of the salmon. It would be great on top of breadcrumbed chicken (which would, of course, defeat Ellie's entire healthy-cooking premise).
I thought the Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts was boring, but Matt liked it. The quinoa is just mixed with toasted pine nuts, cooked onions, and parsley. Enh.
Conclusion: Liked the Florentine, though not on salmon. The Quinoa Pilaf was just okay.
Charlie had eaten his dinner earlier, but then he wanted mine, too, so I gave him a bit. Usually he just takes my food away from me and feeds it to the dog. Thaaaanks. I couldn't believe my eyes as he ate all of the spinach mixture and all of the quinoa I gave him. To give you some perspective on the impressiveness of this, he has spit out every single strand of spinach that has ever passed his lips. I may throw Florentine on everything from now on.
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| Chocolate + Caffeine=Happy Ma |
I'm on the fence about Salmon Florentine and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts (pg 197). The Florentine part, which was spinach, shallots, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and red pepper flakes mixed with ricotta, was flavorful and a nice twist for dinner, but it didn't mesh perfectly with the flavor of the salmon. It would be great on top of breadcrumbed chicken (which would, of course, defeat Ellie's entire healthy-cooking premise).
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| This meal is Charlie-approved. |
Conclusion: Liked the Florentine, though not on salmon. The Quinoa Pilaf was just okay.
Charlie had eaten his dinner earlier, but then he wanted mine, too, so I gave him a bit. Usually he just takes my food away from me and feeds it to the dog. Thaaaanks. I couldn't believe my eyes as he ate all of the spinach mixture and all of the quinoa I gave him. To give you some perspective on the impressiveness of this, he has spit out every single strand of spinach that has ever passed his lips. I may throw Florentine on everything from now on.
Friday, August 19, 2011
A Smattering of Ellies
I'm afraid my time with Ellie may be short-lived. Things are not going well. I'll give a handful more recipes a shot, but if they don't start impressing me soon, it's over.
I baked Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars (pg 40), which she describes as "tender, cakey, and perfectly sweetened with a great nutty crunch and fruity chewiness." Sounds like a good breakfast, right? Wrong. They're dense as a protein bar and dry out your mouth. They maintain no crunch or chewiness. When I saw the serving size, I thought there must be a mistake. Then I ate one. No one would ever want to eat more than that teeny little bar.
Conclusion: Hated it.
Last night's dinner of Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce (pg 177) would have been great if it involved a thick, juicy cut of beef. With good meat, I see no reason to bother with the marinade (balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and oil). I couldn't find anything labeled flank steak, so I bought some slices of eye round, because I figure Ellie was probably calling for a lean cut. They were quite thin and un-beefy, though. I basically flash-seared each side and got them off the heat as quickly as possible.
The blue cheese sauce was delicious, and I'm locking it away in my brain for future use. Just mash up a bit of blue cheese with an equal bit of buttermilk and a splash of Worcestershire sauce until it's creamy. I would guess that the quality of the cheese will effect the quality of the sauce. Mine tasted bacony. Yum.
Conclusion: Liked it.
Tonight, dinner was Prosciutto-wrapped Cod with Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans (pg 154). The one (only) thing this recipe has going for it is that it is, in fact, easy. Wrap prosciutto around cod. Cook for a few minutes on each side. I, of course, had some kinks, because fate likes to complicate things. The prosciutto I bought seemed to have been sliced on the short side. There was no way to wrap it. I made do. Didn't matter because the prosciutto wasn't potent enough to penetrate the boring old cod. Blech.
Conclusion: Hated it.
For the side, I used asparagus instead of green beans. You just cook the potatoes and asparagus and then mix store-bought pesto in. I made my own, but you get the picture. Ellie says to use 3 tablespoons of pesto for 1.5 pounds of potatoes and 1 pound of green beans. She must be joking. I used everything I made--at least 1/2 cup, but probably more--and it still wasn't enough. Those potatoes just suck it right up.
Conclusion: Just okay.
I baked Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars (pg 40), which she describes as "tender, cakey, and perfectly sweetened with a great nutty crunch and fruity chewiness." Sounds like a good breakfast, right? Wrong. They're dense as a protein bar and dry out your mouth. They maintain no crunch or chewiness. When I saw the serving size, I thought there must be a mistake. Then I ate one. No one would ever want to eat more than that teeny little bar.
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| I put the plum there for comparison's sake. It's teeny. |
Last night's dinner of Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce (pg 177) would have been great if it involved a thick, juicy cut of beef. With good meat, I see no reason to bother with the marinade (balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and oil). I couldn't find anything labeled flank steak, so I bought some slices of eye round, because I figure Ellie was probably calling for a lean cut. They were quite thin and un-beefy, though. I basically flash-seared each side and got them off the heat as quickly as possible.
The blue cheese sauce was delicious, and I'm locking it away in my brain for future use. Just mash up a bit of blue cheese with an equal bit of buttermilk and a splash of Worcestershire sauce until it's creamy. I would guess that the quality of the cheese will effect the quality of the sauce. Mine tasted bacony. Yum.
Tonight, dinner was Prosciutto-wrapped Cod with Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans (pg 154). The one (only) thing this recipe has going for it is that it is, in fact, easy. Wrap prosciutto around cod. Cook for a few minutes on each side. I, of course, had some kinks, because fate likes to complicate things. The prosciutto I bought seemed to have been sliced on the short side. There was no way to wrap it. I made do. Didn't matter because the prosciutto wasn't potent enough to penetrate the boring old cod. Blech.
For the side, I used asparagus instead of green beans. You just cook the potatoes and asparagus and then mix store-bought pesto in. I made my own, but you get the picture. Ellie says to use 3 tablespoons of pesto for 1.5 pounds of potatoes and 1 pound of green beans. She must be joking. I used everything I made--at least 1/2 cup, but probably more--and it still wasn't enough. Those potatoes just suck it right up.
Conclusion: Just okay.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
So Easy: Pork & Mango Stir-Fry
The word "pork" is usually enough to make any recipe catch my eye. Add "mango" to that title, and that recipe just rocketed to the top of my list. There seemed to be enough going on in the Pork and Mango Stir-Fry (pg 129) that I thought it would have good flavor, and be a little different because of that mango. I stand corrected.
This is a fairly standard stir-fry, so I won't go into too much detail as to the steps. Cook the pork, remove it from the wok, then cook red onion, red pepper, fresh ginger, garlic, and snow peas. I used this gorgeous bag of teeny rainbow peppers that I bought last weekend at the farmer's market instead of one big red pepper.
Once they're softening, add in chicken broth with corn starch, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, Chinese five spice powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Chunks of mango go in for the last minute.
This got us to eat a lot of veg, but it was bland.
Me: I already know I won't make this again, but what do you think of it?
Matt: Totally flavorless.
Ouch.
Conclusion: Just okay. I hope these recipes improve soon.
This is a fairly standard stir-fry, so I won't go into too much detail as to the steps. Cook the pork, remove it from the wok, then cook red onion, red pepper, fresh ginger, garlic, and snow peas. I used this gorgeous bag of teeny rainbow peppers that I bought last weekend at the farmer's market instead of one big red pepper.
Me: I already know I won't make this again, but what do you think of it?
Matt: Totally flavorless.
Ouch.
Conclusion: Just okay. I hope these recipes improve soon.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
It's Good to Eat Color
I didn't intend to make yesterday's lunch from So Easy, but I had all the ingredients for Cheddar-Apple Quesadilla (pg 26), so figured I might as well. Technically, this is in the breakfast section, but whatever. I blame this recipe, with it's full page photograph that my book always seems to open up to, for being one of the primary reasons I so quickly disregarded the collection when I first scanned it. I mean, it's just cheddar and apple slices melted together in a whole wheat tortilla. This warrants a recipe?? Granted, I never would think to put an apple in a quesadilla, but still. It seems to take "easy" and turn it into "too easy to be taken seriously."
Since I had everything I needed to make it, I figured I should stop grumbling about the stupidity of this recipe and just make it, or else it would bother me for the entirety of the month.
Shock of shocks, it tastes like cheese and apple in a whole wheat tortilla. Nothing interesting going on.
Conclusion: Just okay. Good in a pinch, if you're starving and have minimal groceries on hand. Can't imagine making it otherwise.
Dinner was Chicken with Warm Tomato-Corn Salad (pg 144). The chicken portion of this dish is a shame. Thin-cut breasts, seasoned only with salt and pepper, are browned and cooked through. That's it. COME ON.
The Tomato-Corn Salad, on the other hand, was perfect. Fresh corn, halved grape tomatoes, garlic, and the whites and greens of scallions are cooked briefly--just long enough for the tomatoes to release their juices and the corn to warm up, but not lose any of its crispness. You're supposed to serve the chicken on top of the salad, and then top that with avocado, lime juice, and cilantro. I did't realize until I saw my pan full of glorious color that not only was so much of the food I cooked from Best International Recipe vegetable-deprived, but it was brown, brown, and more brown. Just looking at this salad brightened my day considerably. Shoot, looking at it now is cheering me up.
I could have eaten a big bowl of the salad by itself. No chicken necessary. I don't understand why Ellie made this pairing. If this salad were served with some shrimp quick-cooked with garlic and oil (my suggestion) or with a grilled london broil (Matt's suggestion), it would have been great. Even if the chicken were seasoned with some southwest spices, it would have improved things. I don't understand the deliberate decision to serve bland chicken on something that doesn't have a sauce.
Conclusion: Since I didn't like the chicken and I loved the salad, I'll meet it halfway and say Liked It. I'll be making the salad again, often, and will never make the chicken again.
Since I had everything I needed to make it, I figured I should stop grumbling about the stupidity of this recipe and just make it, or else it would bother me for the entirety of the month.
Shock of shocks, it tastes like cheese and apple in a whole wheat tortilla. Nothing interesting going on.
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| It is what it is. |
Dinner was Chicken with Warm Tomato-Corn Salad (pg 144). The chicken portion of this dish is a shame. Thin-cut breasts, seasoned only with salt and pepper, are browned and cooked through. That's it. COME ON.
The Tomato-Corn Salad, on the other hand, was perfect. Fresh corn, halved grape tomatoes, garlic, and the whites and greens of scallions are cooked briefly--just long enough for the tomatoes to release their juices and the corn to warm up, but not lose any of its crispness. You're supposed to serve the chicken on top of the salad, and then top that with avocado, lime juice, and cilantro. I did't realize until I saw my pan full of glorious color that not only was so much of the food I cooked from Best International Recipe vegetable-deprived, but it was brown, brown, and more brown. Just looking at this salad brightened my day considerably. Shoot, looking at it now is cheering me up.
Conclusion: Since I didn't like the chicken and I loved the salad, I'll meet it halfway and say Liked It. I'll be making the salad again, often, and will never make the chicken again.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wrapping up The Best International Recipe
I'm ready to call it on The Best International Recipe and move on to something with more vegetables. Cooking from this book is like dating a really nice guy who you're just not attracted to. There's nothing to be done for it. For the most part, the recipes are fine, but they're not delicious or memorable. Without scrolling back through my posts to jog my memory, the only two standout dishes I can think of are the scones and the colcannon soup (and the spaetzle Matt made prior to the book's inclusion in the blog).
I don't know if it's because the whole concept of America's Test Kitchen is to analyze every little thing about a recipe and tweak it and tweak it until it's "perfect," but, for me--and I know that there are staunch ATK supporters out there who will disagree--this food has no soul. You can almost tell it was created in a laboratory, far removed from the personal influence and experience that gives a good book's food its unique spark. I feel like I'm missing something with the whole ATK phenomenon, because people are really adamant in their support for them. It's not them, it's me. Maybe.
Anyway, the short of it is that my shelving real estate is far too precious to be wasted on a book of "good enough" dishes. If I had all the space in the world, I'd probably keep this one and whip it out once or twice a year to try something new. Given my space limitations here, and in whatever house I have to move to every two to three years as our duty stations change, I'd rather fill my shelves with books that bring special food to my table. I'm going to toss it, right after I photocopy that spaetzle recipe.
Up next: So Easy by Ellie Krieger. I adore Ellie's previous book--The Food You Crave. Prior to this blog, I can say with full confidence that this was the one and only book that I cooked from over and over again. She makes healthy, nutritious food that actually tastes good. REALLY!
I found Ellie when my cousin had me over for dinner and cooked her mac and cheese (with butternut squash puree mixed in. It's delicious). It was so good that I went home from the meal and immediately ordered The Food You Crave. It wasn't until I received the book and saw the Food Network stamp on cover that I even knew Ellie had a show and was, I guess, a "celebrity chef." I've never seen her show, so, personally, I don't count her among the Giadas and Bobby Flays, because her personality and presentation have nothing to do with why I love her. She holds up on her own.
Because I'm such a fan of The Food You Crave, I pre-ordered So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week when Amazon alerted me to its existence. I was super-excited to get the book, until I opened it. I can't put my finger on what the problem is. Even now, the recipes just didn't inspire me to cook. To date, I've cooked exactly nothing from it. Time to change that. Worst case scenario, it'll get more vegetables into me. Fingers crossed, here we go...
Oooh, Amazon just informed me that I can pre-order her newest book. Refrain, Eileen! Refrain! Break the cycle! ha!
I don't know if it's because the whole concept of America's Test Kitchen is to analyze every little thing about a recipe and tweak it and tweak it until it's "perfect," but, for me--and I know that there are staunch ATK supporters out there who will disagree--this food has no soul. You can almost tell it was created in a laboratory, far removed from the personal influence and experience that gives a good book's food its unique spark. I feel like I'm missing something with the whole ATK phenomenon, because people are really adamant in their support for them. It's not them, it's me. Maybe.
Anyway, the short of it is that my shelving real estate is far too precious to be wasted on a book of "good enough" dishes. If I had all the space in the world, I'd probably keep this one and whip it out once or twice a year to try something new. Given my space limitations here, and in whatever house I have to move to every two to three years as our duty stations change, I'd rather fill my shelves with books that bring special food to my table. I'm going to toss it, right after I photocopy that spaetzle recipe.
Up next: So Easy by Ellie Krieger. I adore Ellie's previous book--The Food You Crave. Prior to this blog, I can say with full confidence that this was the one and only book that I cooked from over and over again. She makes healthy, nutritious food that actually tastes good. REALLY!
I found Ellie when my cousin had me over for dinner and cooked her mac and cheese (with butternut squash puree mixed in. It's delicious). It was so good that I went home from the meal and immediately ordered The Food You Crave. It wasn't until I received the book and saw the Food Network stamp on cover that I even knew Ellie had a show and was, I guess, a "celebrity chef." I've never seen her show, so, personally, I don't count her among the Giadas and Bobby Flays, because her personality and presentation have nothing to do with why I love her. She holds up on her own.
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| Easy will be a nice change of pace. |
Oooh, Amazon just informed me that I can pre-order her newest book. Refrain, Eileen! Refrain! Break the cycle! ha!
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