Smitten Kitchen Keepers-and a cookbook gripe

[BeeZee]

I borrowed this from the library recently, as I wanted to do a test run before buying. My gripe is that with the layout of the book (photo on left, right page with narrative/recipe) every single recipe goes to the flip side of the page (except a few basic dressing or condiment recipes). Even if it is only a couple of lines. I find this annoying to the point where it is making me have second thoughts about buying the cookbook. Having a recipe on 2 facing pages is fine, you can lay the book open and see everything, but having to flip the page over when you are 3/4 of the way through the recipe is just annoying. The ingredients are listed in a column on the left side of the page, compressing the useable area on the first/right page. On one recipe, the 2nd page literally has 5 lines of text (the left margin area is left unused to have a consistent layout with the prior page). It has that feel of someone trying to stretch out their term paper to make it more pages😆

[SLB]

Also.  Her fingers aren't covered in wet/drekked/sticky when she cooks?  How?

[BeeZee]

Right, the library’s copy already had a food stain on one page (ew).

[ElsieD]

I bought the book and was disappointed as I found there was very little in it I wanted to make.  Given that I paid full price for it at a bookstore, I should have leafed through it before I parted with my $$$.  Strange thing is, I love her blog and have made many of her recipes and really enjoyed them.  This book, however, will not have me rushing into the kitchen except for a couple of dessert recipes.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I'm lucky in that my public library keeps fairly up to date on cookbooks.   I just about always check one out for a relaxed perusal before ponying up retail.

[Smithy]

55 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I'm lucky in that my public library keeps fairly up to date on cookbooks.   I just about always check one out for a relaxed perusal before ponying up retail.

 

It's taken me far too long to adopt that practice, but I too am lucky to have access to good libraries...and now I use them.

[ElsieD]

I did make a  Chocolate Dulcs Pudding Cake from her book.  I was disappointed in it.

[SLB]

Those Pizza Beans are definitely a keeper. 

 

I got a spectacular idea from her blog years ago, pink-lemonade lemon bars.  

 

However, I did not use her recipe for the lemon bars.  I used the end-all, be-all recipe for lemon bars, which is by Pam Anderson from her Cook's Illustrated days.  [That Pam Anderson was no joke.  As far as I was concerned, she was the only contributor at the 90's CI whose seasoning did not require radical improvements.]

 

I just adapted that to include pureed raspberries, maybe I reduced some of the lemon juice or something.  But I do consider the concept something that would have never occurred to me had I not encountered it in Perelman's blog.  

 

And those pink-lemonade lemon bars never fail to destroy any other dessert on the table.  Even the chocolate.  The last time I made them, the host turned to me and said, "[SLB], these are sick."

Edited April 3, 2023 by SLB (log)

[ElsieD]

Pizza Beans?

[blue_dolphin]

3 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Pizza Beans?

Pizza Beans

[FauxPas]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

Pizza Beans

 

Funny, I am just making these right now, they are in the oven. Unfortunately, I don't know if I had the right kind of beans (using Rancho Gordo Cassoulet because I really have to use them up) and although I had some kale that I froze last summer/Fall, it looked so woody when I thawed it, I decided not to use it.

 

Deb's recipe says crushed tomatoes and I only had whole canned ones so I decided to use my immersion blender to "crush" them, but I think they may have ended up a bit too watery. I certainly didn't need to add any extra liquid. I hope the soupiness of the bean mix doesn't make the whole thing a waste of time. 

 

Mind you, my husband loves any kind of baked beans so beans with tomato and cheese will appeal. He'd probably prefer that I completely omitted the carrots and celery, ha.  🙂

 

[FauxPas]

 

I have to say that my effort definitely looks a lot soupier than David Lebovitz's take on this. And I don't think he made many changes from Deb's recipe. Maybe the fresh kale makes the difference? 

 

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/giant-bean-gratin-cheese-pizza-recipe-smitten-kitchen/

[SLB]

I would make pizza beans with any ole' bean.  Obviously they'll look different with a dark bean, but I don't think the taste or texture would be worse for the substitution.  

 

And I only ever have whole canned tomatoes, I just chunk 'em. 

 

To state the obvious, this board is filled with bona fide professionals with master-skills; but with me, when things seem too soupy, I just turn up the heat and pull off the foil.  The beans are gonna be fantastic.

Edited April 4, 2023 by SLB (log)

[OlyveOyl]

Cannellini and Great Northern have worked well for me, I agree that most any bean will be successful.

[FauxPas]

1 hour ago, SLB said:

To state the obvious, this board is filled with bona fide professionals with master-skills; but with me, when things seem too soupy, I just turn up the heat and pull off the foil.  The beans are gonna be fantastic.

 

Yes! I just let them bake a bit longer and they did dry out somewhat. They were very tasty! Some fresh kale (or spinach or chard) would have added something but I just made a small side salad and it was a fine meal.