No, we have not given up on our quest to cook this entire book! It’s just that life has made it tough to sit down and document our culinary exploits. Winter has turned to spring here in Detroit since we posted last. We are looking forward to exploring more salads and fruity desserts in the coming weeks. Hopefully it won’t be 3 1/2 months before we post again. Here’s what we have been up to since February:
#28 Welsh Rarebit, 1875 (p. 385) Gooey cheese sauce? Yes, please! This weirdly tasty concoction, paired with a simple salad made a wonderful light dinner. The leftovers were just as yummy. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#29 Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake, 1968 (p. 665) We enjoyed this deliciously moist and light cake warm with whipped cream. It was just as delicious the next day, lightly toasted for breakfast. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#30 Chocolate Quakes, 2002 (p. 749) These light flavorful cookies melt in your mouth and travel well. The recipe makes a smallish batch. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#31 Moroccan Chicken with Olives, 2002 (p. 497) We made this with bone-in thighs and drumsticks. It made an excellent weekend family dinner and was interesting and delicious enough to serve to company. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#32 Moroccan Carrot Salad, 1995 (p. 183) This salad is beautiful and smells amazing, but we found the texture a bit grainy and the flavors were a bit overwhelming. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 3/5
#33 Ed Giobbi’s Rabbit Caccitora, 1980 (p. 476) The hardest part of this recipe was finding rabbit at a local grocery store. Once that was accomplished, the recipe came together relatively easily. Despite our high hopes, we found this recipe very disappointing. We discovered that rabbit is not for us. Despite the flavorful broth, it tasted “rodenty”. We may try this again with chicken. ⭐️ 1/5
#34 Mango Ice Cream, 2002 (p. 781) Refreshing, not too sweet. Great after a spicy dinner. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#35 Salade Nicoise, 1967 (p. 176) Takes a long time to assemble, but the results are satisfying and, ultimately, worth it. This was a treat and a throwback to 7th grade home-ec. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#36 Malaysian-Inspired Pork Stew with Traditional Garnishes, 1999 (p. 571) Not as complicated as it looks. Excellent flavor. This will be part of the regular rotation. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#37 Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon, and Blue Cheese, 2009 (p. 396) This was delicious and different. The flavors are very bold and rich, so it is quite filling. Does not make great leftovers. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#38 Raw Spinach Salad, 1947 (p. 173) Good, basic old-fashioned Spinach salad. Not great for leftovers because the bacon fat gets gross. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 3.5/5
#39 Yucatan Fish with Crisp Garlic, 2003 (p. 447) 5/5 We used halibut and served this on corn tortillas with a little queso fresco. Excellent weeknight dinner. We will be coming back to this one for sure. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#40 Pork and Squash in Coconut Milk, 2001 (p. 573) This is a tasty, hearty stew-like dinner. We used squash that had been frozen. I’m thinking the texture might have been better if that had not been the case. We were disappointed that it did not make great leftovers. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#41 String Beans with Ginger and Garlic, 2006 (p. 261) Excellent, simple yet flavorful side dish. Have made this a few times already. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#42 Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric, 2018 (p. 162) Soooooo good. Now we know what all the fuss was about. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#43 Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, 2008 (p. 158) This is our new favorite lentil soup! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#44 Cheese Crusts, 1896 (p. 387) Weirdly satisfying since they are just basically little pieces of bread with cheese melted on top. We ate these with the Red Lentil soup and they were wonderful. Used artisan white bread. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#45 Teddie’s Apple Cake, 1973 (p. 804) This is a more rustic apple cake than #29. We used Honeycrisp apples. It was amazing. The book club agrees! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#46 Cucumbers in Cream, 1977 (p. 225) Refreshing and simple. We will be revisiting this in the summer for sure. Served with Buffalo Chicken and it was a great combination. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#47 Creamy Farro and Chickpea Soup, 1998 (p. 141) Hearty and delicious. So far the soup chapter is the star of this cook book (although the cake chapter is also a strong contender) Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#48 Steamed Spinach with Balsamic Butter, 1983 (p. 227) Something different and tasty. Went well with the Farro/Chickpea Soup. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#49 Blue Cheese Dip, 1953 (p. 55) A blast from the past. This brought me back to swiping snacks from the kitchen when my mom had bridge club. Millenials like it too! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#50 Zahav’s Hummus Tehina, 2015 (p. 95) Very light-texured hummus. Tasty and lovely to look at too. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#51 Konigsberger Klopse (Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce),1975 (p. 547) We made this with 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork. The texture was loose, but the meatballs were flavorful and satisfying. We made it with Noodles Romanoff as suggested, but that made for a lot of sour cream in one meal. If/when we make it again it will be with plain egg noodles or rice.⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 3.5/5
#52 Noodles Romanoff, 1970 (p. 321) This would make a yummy side dish for roast chicken or lamb. We served it with Konigsberger Klopse for a sour creamy ’70s-type-of dinner, but I think it would be better with something simple and salty. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 4.5/5
#53 Fennel and Apple Salad with Juniper, 1999 (p. 186) Refreshing in every sense of the word. A wonderful light crisp salad with wintery ingredients. A mandoline is a must to slice the apples and fennel paper thin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#54 “Rabbit” Soup with Garlic, Peppers and Chorizo, 2002 (p. 148) Not eager to repeat our rabbit experience (see above) we decided to substitute chicken here and boy are we glad we did. Despite the long recipe, this is not a difficult dish to make and the result is a satisfying soup with layers of yumminess. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 4.5/5
#55 Caramelized Onion and Quark Dip, 2003 (p. 83) Quark. Quark? Quark! I had never heard of this creamy, cheesy substance before I read this recipe. Once I located it (at Papa Joe’s) I was glad to make its acquaintance. This dip was well-received and paired well with veggies, crackers, and pretzel thins. All of this was made more enjoyable by the fact that we got to keep saying “quark”. KLH would like to try using more sour cream and less quark next time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
#56 Risotto with Radicchio and Sausage, 1989 (p. 332) Although it contains ingredients we love, this one didn’t work for our raters. They found it bitter and the texture a bit unpleasant. ⭐️⭐️1/2 2.5/5
#57 Shrimp in Green Sauce, 2003 (p. 446) This is a great weeknight dinner. We have made it several times and plan to make it part of the regular rotation. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#58 Mezzaluna Salad, 1990 (p. 182) This is an exceptionally flavorful, refreshing, and balanced salad. We paired it with Macaroni with Ham and Cheese. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#59 Macaroni with Ham and Cheese, 1988 (p. 329) So, the title says it all. Comfort food at it’s best with a salty twist. It made a perfect Sunday dinner paired with Mezzaluna Salad. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#60 Brown-Butter Salmon with Lemon and Harissa, 2018 (p. 461) This relatively simple recipe is great for a weeknight dinner or for company. It is simply wonderful in every way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#61 Crisp Smashed Potatoes with Onions and Parsley, 2017 (p. 308) A great accompaniment to almost anything. We paired it with Green Goddess Chicken, but this would be just as delicious on a brunch menu. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#62 Green Goddess Chicken, 2013 (p. 512) This chicken was delicious and so so so tender! We turned down the oven halfway through. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 4.5/5
#63 Meat and Spinach Loaf, 1974 (p. 544) This recipe received conflicting ratings. I found it too crumbly. Our resident meatloaf expert loved it. We made it with all beef, which may have contributed to the texture issue. I would definitely try again with a mix of meats. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 3.5/5
#64 Even-Greater American Pound Cake, 2008 (p. 839) Incrediby rich and delightful in every way! I’m guessing it has to do with the fact that it contains at least 4 kinds of fat. This will make you very popular. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#65 Maple Shortbread Bars, 2001 (p. 748) Another crowd-pleaser. If you’re not sure what you want for dessert this is a good choice – part pecan pie, part cookie, with a mapley bonus. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#66 Baked Rajma (Punjabi-Style Red Beans with Cream), 2020 (p. 311) This is definitely in my top five entree recipes from this project. The texture is perfect and the flavor is wonderful – warm and fresh at the same time. Best of all, it is a true pantry recipe so we can whip it up any time! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#67 Lidia Bastianich’s Swiss Chard and Scallion Fritatta, 1991 (p. 670) This is a great make-ahead brunch, lunch, or dinner recipe. The brilliant technique of cooking half the eggs to form a crust is – truly – life-changing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#68 Gingersnaps, 1992 (p. 740) While I still prefer my old gingersnap recipe, this one is a close contender. I especially appreciate their neat appearance and gentle snap. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#69 Spaghettini with Vegetables and Pepper Vodka Sauce, 1988 (p. 331) This is an excellent recipe – much more exact and reproducible than others in the book. It does not taste like an 80’s pasta dish. It is at once rich and light. This is my new favorite vodka pasta recipe! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#70 Miso Chicken, 2015 (p. 515) Sooo easy and sooo tasty! This dish works in any season and with a variety of accompaniments. It is best when hot. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#71 Lemony Carrot and Cauliflower Soup, 2013 (p. 159) Layers of flavor make this soup extra delightful. We used coriander from a jar. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#72 Chicken Paprikash, 1980 (p. 476) Paired with buttered noodles, this really took us back to the 70’s/80’s. Flavorful, comforting, and quick to make. We used a combination of bone-in thighs and drumsticks. Next time I would use just thighs. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Rehfwitz Recipes 