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Cooking with "Fine Cooking" (the magazine)


Chris Hennes

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So, to start of our discussion and analysis of the recipes in FC, I present:

Vietnamese-Style Caramel-Braised Chicken (May 2008, No. 92)

Recipe here if you have online access

This recipe actually had me a little worried: didn't quite know what to expect. The gist of it is that you make a caramel, then add fish sauce. To me, the quantity of fish sauce called for seemed very high, and the idea of literally making a caramel as the basis of a savory dish was something I had never tried. It also added an element of challenge to the dish: this recipe is in the "Quick and Delicious" section at the back of the issue, but "Q&D" does not imply "easy"---the recipe basically says "make a caramel: cook to deep amber over medium-high heat." Well, in a large saute pan over medium high, the difference between "medium amber" and "charcoal" is not very large. Keep your eye on the pan!! Well, I managed that OK, and then added the fish sauce and "WHOOSH" I am inundated with a cloud of fish-sauce vapors :shock:, since of course the caramel was very hot. I gotta tell you, that is not my favorite smell ever. But I soldiered on, added the last couple ingredients, tossed in the chicken and finished the dish (which takes about 15 minutes total). I also sautéed some baby bok choy (as directed in this topic) and made made some sticky rice.

The real surprise of the evening was how tasty the final product was: I really had no idea what to expect from this ingredient combination, and it actually turned out very well. The sauce was very flavorful (careful how much you ladle on!) and not nearly as sweet as I was expecting. I think the final result probably depends a great deal on just how "medium amber" you make your caramel, and mine was a little on the dark side of "medium," but for a first shot, not too shabby. I don't know that the flavor said "Vietnamese" to me, and my wife thought it tasted mostly like a soy sauce base, but overall considering the time investment, this recipe is a keeper for nights when I'm in a hurry.

Has anyone else tried this one, or have any other FC recipes they want to discuss here? I'll try to get caught up on posting the few things I've tried so far.

Caramel sauce is a very common ingredient in many Vietnamese dishes. I often make up a batch and keep it handy in the fridge so I can use it as needed--it keeps a long, long time. Here's link to a great site with more information on the topic: Viet World Kitchen

Jan

Seattle, WA

"But there's tacos, Randy. You know how I feel about tacos. It's the only food shaped like a smile....A beef smile."

--Earl (Jason Lee), from "My Name is Earl", Episode: South of the Border Part Uno, Season 2

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That's a very good question: the article says it is from issue #75, but according to the back-issue order form, there is no issue 75!

That just means all the back-issues of number 75 are sold out.

No, seriously, check this out:

76 December 2005/ January 2006 Roasts with the Most, Sensatinal Twice-Baked Potatoes, 4 Great Ways to Cook Broccoli, Kung Pao Chicken At Home, Friday Night with Friends, Chocolate Desserts On Demand, the Bold Flavors of Dried Mushrooms

74 October/ November 2005 A New Spin On Thanksgiving Essentials, Four Fall Side Dishes, a Very Tempting Pumpkin Tart, Warm Salads for Dinner, Making a Succulent Pot Roast, Singapore Noodles, Easy Pured Soups for Autumn, the Sweeter Side of Cranberries

Where would #75 fit? Was there a special Christmas issue, maybe?

Edited to answer my own question: at least in 2004 there was a special "Fine Cooking Annual Holiday Baking Issue 2004," which is not listed for 2005. So maybe the granola recipe was in the "Fine Cooking Annual Holiday Baking Issue 2005" that they don't have available right now.

Edited by Chris Hennes (log)

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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That's a very good question: the article says it is from issue #75, but according to the back-issue order form, there is no issue 75!

That just means all the back-issues of number 75 are sold out.

No, seriously, check this out:

76 December 2005/ January 2006 Roasts with the Most, Sensatinal Twice-Baked Potatoes, 4 Great Ways to Cook Broccoli, Kung Pao Chicken At Home, Friday Night with Friends, Chocolate Desserts On Demand, the Bold Flavors of Dried Mushrooms

74 October/ November 2005 A New Spin On Thanksgiving Essentials, Four Fall Side Dishes, a Very Tempting Pumpkin Tart, Warm Salads for Dinner, Making a Succulent Pot Roast, Singapore Noodles, Easy Pured Soups for Autumn, the Sweeter Side of Cranberries

Where would #75 fit? Was there a special Christmas issue, maybe?

Edited to answer my own question: at least in 2004 there was a special "Fine Cooking Annual Holiday Baking Issue 2004," which is not listed for 2005. So maybe the granola recipe was in the "Fine Cooking Annual Holiday Baking Issue 2005" that they don't have available right now.

Yes, it was probably the Holiday Baking Issue (which they no longer do), but as I said earlier, that it's not on the back issues page means the issue is sold out. It will never be available again, not just "right now." (Unless they happen to find a box of them lingering around their warehouse.)

Forgot to mention...Randi, over on the Fine Cooking boards they sometimes post recipes. That's how I was able to find my favourite florentine bar cookie recipe again (my poor magazine has been lost for years). It has a very annoying interface, but it's a useful tool.

Edited by prasantrin (log)
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What month/year is that Granola recipe in? 
I have been getting Fine Cooking for years and I really enjoy it. The articles are great to read. They are written by well known chefs like Molly Stevens.

Speaking of Molly, has anyone ever made her potato salad recipe from Issue #52( Sept 2002). Its called Creamy Potato Salad w/ Radishes, Lemon and Dill. The recipe contains lots of fresh herbs and also heavy cream. I'm looking for a stellar potato salad recipe for an upcoming catering job.

eta: I just looked at my old issues. I have Issue #71, 73 and 74, but alas no #75. :sad:

I'm making Andy's Fairfield Granola for this catering job. Anyone ever made it? I've made it numerous time and we love it. I wonder how it compares to FC's granola.

Margo's recipe is from the book--it is a special Holiday issue from winter '06.

Cooking is chemistry, baking is alchemy.

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CaliPoutine, PM me your mailing address and I'll send you a xerox of the page with all three recipes.

Margo Thompson

Allentown, PA

You're my little potato, you're my little potato,

You're my little potato, they dug you up!

You come from underground!

-Malcolm Dalglish

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Forgot to mention...Randi, over on the Fine Cooking boards they sometimes post recipes. That's how I was able to find my favourite florentine bar cookie recipe again (my poor magazine has been lost for years). It has a very annoying interface, but it's a useful tool.

I actually have that issue. They were on the cover right? I can bring the issue to Chicago if you want( you can have it).

I've never made them, but I remember when the magazine came out thinking they looked really, really good.

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Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf (Fine Cooking 91, March 2008, p. 37)

Recipe here if you have online access

gallery_56799_5710_1976.jpggallery_56799_5710_17594.jpg

gallery_56799_5710_17619.jpg

Tonight for dinner was one of the meatloaf recipes from the March 2008 issue: the one I had was a recipe from Jessica Bard, and was a standard meatloaf base with a sherry-marinated cremini mushroom addition, and wrapped in bacon. Overall I was very pleased with the recipe, but there are a few things I will change before making it again. First, the texture was looser than I prefer for meatloaf. The instructions have you mix and work the meat as little as possible, but since I ground the meat myself (making it very loose to begin with), I think I carried that a little to far, and didn't work it enough. Second, I think I will use more thinly-sliced bacon next time. I was using homemade, and I had sliced it thicker than was optimal for the meatloaf, since you need to crisp it up at the end without overcooking the meat, which turned out to be a problem. Finally, I found the gravy to be a bit bland: rather than using watered down chicken stock, I think a full-strength homemade beef or even veal stock would fit the bill better. It's a good thing the meatloaf itself wound up so tasty, because I am going to be eating it for lunch for the next week! :smile:

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Mussels Steamed with Leeks, Tomatoes, and Garlic (Fine Cooking 90, January 2008, Q&D)

Recipe here if you have online access

gallery_56799_5710_68188.jpg

Any recipe that calls for scrubbing four pounds of mussels has a hard time calling itself "quick," in my opinion. Nevertheless, tonight I made this steamed mussel dish from the "Quick and Delicious" section, and it was in fact, pretty tasty, if not terribly quick. I love leeks, and they are a focal point of this dish, so that helped. Really, I could have lived without the mussels entirely and just dipped the baguette I had in the leek and tomato sauce, which I think would make a good pasta sauce as well. Other than scrubbing the mussels the recipe is straightforward, with only a few ingredients, though I substituted a fresh heirloom tomato for the canned diced tomatoes the recipe calls for. There is a bit of tarragon in the dish, which in my opinion was completely lost in the finished dish: I couldn't detect it at all. I was surprised that it was added so early in the cooking: I like tarragon added at the last minute. Next time I may go half and half with it, and add a little at the very end.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf (Fine Cooking 91, March 2008, p. 37)

Recipe here if you have online access

gallery_56799_5710_1976.jpggallery_56799_5710_17594.jpg

gallery_56799_5710_17619.jpg

Tonight for dinner was one of the meatloaf recipes from the March 2008 issue: the one I had was a recipe from Jessica Bard, and was a standard meatloaf base with a sherry-marinated cremini mushroom addition, and wrapped in bacon. Overall I was very pleased with the recipe, but there are a few things I will change before making it again. First, the texture was looser than I prefer for meatloaf. The instructions have you mix and work the meat as little as possible, but since I ground the meat myself (making it very loose to begin with), I think I carried that a little to far, and didn't work it enough. Second, I think I will use more thinly-sliced bacon next time. I was using homemade, and I had sliced it thicker than was optimal for the meatloaf, since you need to crisp it up at the end without overcooking the meat, which turned out to be a problem. Finally, I found the gravy to be a bit bland: rather than using watered down chicken stock, I think a full-strength homemade beef or even veal stock would fit the bill better. It's a good thing the meatloaf itself wound up so tasty, because I am going to be eating it for lunch for the next week! :smile:

That could almost be a terrine, come to think of it. Looks wonderful.

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Forgot to mention...Randi, over on the Fine Cooking boards they sometimes post recipes. That's how I was able to find my favourite florentine bar cookie recipe again (my poor magazine has been lost for years). It has a very annoying interface, but it's a useful tool.

I actually have that issue. They were on the cover right? I can bring the issue to Chicago if you want( you can have it).

I've never made them, but I remember when the magazine came out thinking they looked really, really good.

Yes, those ones! I think you should try making them, first, and then if you don't like them, I'd be happy to take the magazine off your hands. Along with any leftover unloved florentines, of course. :biggrin:

I was thinking they'd be very good if made with chocolate-covered orangette and citronette.

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A couple of days ago I was thinking about which kind of brownie I prefer--fudgy or chewy? Well, one cannot sleep with such a question on the mind, so I made two batches of brownies from Fine Cooking, fudgy on the right, chewy on the left.

gallery_11355_5637_25967.jpg

I prefer chewy. But the fudgy has a much richer chocolate flavour (maybe because it uses both unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate, which the chewy uses only unsweetened and some cocoa?).

But I left them out overnight to cool, and the chewy one is no longer chewy (it's quite humid in Japan right now). :sad: I'll probably bring them to work and pawn them off on my unsuspecting co-workers.

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The recipe for Crispy Sweet Pecan Granola is from fine Cooking Issue 75. It is called "Holidays" and covers appetizers, menus, desserts, cookies and gifts. The date on the cover is Winter 2006. Hope this clears up the confusion.

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Thanks, an Eg member sent me the recipes in the regular mail.

I made one of Molly Steven's potato salad recipes for my big catering job. It was really good. The mayo is lightened with some heavy cream that is whisked first. The salad also contains lemon zest and juice along with fresh dill.

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  • 2 months later...

Ratatouille from Issue #80:

gallery_43248_6179_40003.jpg

I also posted about this in the Ratatouille Cook-Off thread. Recipe available online here.

I made the sauteed version, which then-editor Martha Holmberg preferred for the deeper flavor. She also offers a roasted version that saves time but yields a bit less. I was pretty faithful to the recipe, but I opted not to peel the eggplant or the tomatoes as they were super fresh from my farmers' market. I also left out the few drops of hot sauce at the end--it just didn't seem right to me. The reduced juices and the splash of lemon juice are genius additions, though. I used the best olive oil I had since so much was used I figured you would be able to taste it in the final dish, and you could.

Overall, the recipe does take quite a while, but especially for two people, the leftovers are so worth it. When we had it for dinner, I served it with some marinated, grilled lamb chops and a wee bit of bread for mopping up all the juices. Heaven. :wub:

P.S. I am really glad this thread was started. This is my go-to, never-let-my-subscription-run-out magazine.

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Fine Cooking is also one of my favorite food magazines--it's one of only two that I don't rip apart (I mean physically rip the few recipes I like out of for filing, then recycle the vast majority of the ad-filled remainder). The other is Saveur, but that's a different subject.

I definitely use a lot of their recipes in my day-to-day cooking (and also for entertaining, come to think of it). I find that (for the most part) the recipes are well tested and reliable. Off the top of my head, my go-to recipes are the method for polenta in the oven (no, it's probably not authentic, but with the oven method, I am able to include it in a weekday meal where I don't have time to linger over the stove, stirring like mad), the French rolls (which were in the issue for the cassoulet, which I've also made several times), the parmesan chicken, the grilled flank steak with various sauces, and the cardomom palmiers.

Alas, no pictures right now (or issue numbers), but I will make sure to grab some the next time I cook from there.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Crackers from December 2007, can't remember the issue number:

gallery_43248_6199_40807.jpg

These are deeelicious, and they impress the pants off people who don't really cook!

The recipe is great as written in the magazine, except I would recommend letting the dough rest a few/ten minutes before beginning to roll it out; it just shrinks back if you try right after mixing. In another issue, they published a comment from a reader who had trouble rolling it out; he ended up using a pasta roller. I think that would be a bit of a production for such a small amount of dough, but if it's out anyway, I guess it's worth a shot.

I made the ratatouille again this week and used some leftovers for the puff pastry tart recipe in the sidebar. This was also deeelicious, but I used goat cheese instead of feta because with the anchovies I thought it would all be a bit too salty.

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July issue #93 has a terrific recipe for peach and blueberry crisp with spiced-pecan topping.

I just picked up another case of freestone B.C. peaches to make the dessert again for this weekend. Unfortunately, blueberry season is at an end, and they are selling at $2.99/pint.

Has anyone else made this recipe? Would IQF blueberries work as well?

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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I also made the blueberry/peach crisp, but used nectarines instead of the peaches. The day that I went to the store the peaches just did not look as good as the nectarines. It was really good. It was so easy to make, it made me wonder why I always order the crisp at one of our favorite restaurants. It is another case of "I can do that at home, and it is just as good if not better". Now I can order something else.

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne."

John Maynard Keynes

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Made the Blueberry - Peach Spiced Pecan Crisp from Fine Cooking again - this time with frozen blueberries as I couldn't find any fresh. :sad:

It turned out fine!

gallery_13838_4218_46410.jpg

Dejah,

Looks good! I was planning to make this, and will also be using frozen blueberries. Normally, I don't defrost berries in baked stuff, but this recipe specifically says to have the fruit at room temperature. So... did you defrost and drain them or just leave them frozen? Thanks.

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
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Made the Blueberry - Peach Spiced Pecan Crisp from Fine Cooking again - this time with frozen blueberries as I couldn't find any fresh. :sad:

It turned out fine!

Dejah,

Looks good! I was planning to make this, and will also be using frozen blueberries. Normally, I don't defrost berries in baked stuff, but this recipe specifically says to have the fruit at room temperature. So... did you defrost and drain them or just leave them frozen? Thanks.

I did defrost them and left them in a bowl on the counter. Didn't drain them, and hindsight tells me I should maybe drain or add more cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit more.

Maybe Minute Tapioca would work better?

I like the "runniness" of the innards, but a little thicker would be good also.

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

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Made the Blueberry - Peach Spiced Pecan Crisp from Fine Cooking again - this time with frozen blueberries as I couldn't find any fresh. :sad:

It turned out fine!

Dejah,

Looks good! I was planning to make this, and will also be using frozen blueberries. Normally, I don't defrost berries in baked stuff, but this recipe specifically says to have the fruit at room temperature. So... did you defrost and drain them or just leave them frozen? Thanks.

I did defrost them and left them in a bowl on the counter. Didn't drain them, and hindsight tells me I should maybe drain or add more cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit more.

Maybe Minute Tapioca would work better?

I like the "runniness" of the innards, but a little thicker would be good also.

Thanks. I'll try them undrained - I like the juices!

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
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The Spaghetti alla Carbonara from From Fine Cooking 92, pp. 57 is excellent. I had never had nor made carbonara before-- it is pasta in a sauce made from egg and cheese, plus it has bacon, or similar pork product. It is very flavorful and rich, plus the directions in the recipe make it very easy-- and easy to avoid the pitfall of accidentally making scrambled eggs! I wish I had photos, but the ravenous hordes devoured the spaghetti before I could get my camera!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I just recently made the Indian-spiced Spaghetti Squash from the most recent issue: it is very good. I overcooked the squash, so make sure you check it about five minutes before they say it should be done, and remember that squash can vary widely in size. That said, I'm really not sure what you would want to serve this dish alongside: it does not have the cooling effect that I think of as sides for curries and the like. Any suggestions for what main course would go well with this one?

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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