So much for counting the weeks… It’s been an eventful summer and fall with kids moving in and out, home improvements, and the resumption of many activities that were paused due to the pandemic. This project continues, albeit with a few more breaks than before. The original 5-year timeline may be overly ambitious. Time will tell. On the bright side, we have been able to share our experimental creations with a wider audience. During the warmer months, we leaned heavily on the salad chapter, took advantage of our new grill, and made a lot of things with zucchini (Amanda Hesser must really like zucchini). More gatherings meant more chances to concoct some sweet treats as well. Here’s some (most) of what the Rehfwitzim have been cooking since Memorial Day:
#73 Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken, 2007 (p. 509) So. So. So. Good. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#74 Lemon Cheese Pie, 1963 (p. 870) The flavor was excellent, but the filling did not set. It may be due to my timidity in cooking the custard and/or my mediocre meringue skills. I loved a lot about this recipe, including the delightfully tangy crust. I will definitely retry this one. Rating: 🤔 Inconclusive.
#75 Chocolate Caramels, 1881 (p. 730) If you’d like to spend the better part of an hour stirring a pot of hot sugar, only to end up with a weirdly-flavored substance that threatens to ruin a lot of expensive dental work, then this recipe is for you. As I stirred and stirred, my sympathy was directed toward the cooks of 1881 who did not have an audiobook to divert them during this tiresome chore. My friend, Sarah Chisholm, who had the misfortune of being one of the taste testers on this one, theorized that molasses is different now (worse) than in the 19th century, which would partially explain this situation. But only partially. Overall rating: ⭐️ 1/5 (Keith said it “wasn’t that bad”. Dear, dear Keith.)
#76 Joyce Goldstein’s Pickled Salmon, 1988 (p. 422) I had my doubts about this one, but it turned out to be a gem. This is a perfect example of why it is good to cook an entire book. I would probably have skipped this otherwise and that would have been a shame. I halved the recipe and still had lots of salmon to play with. We tried it on toasted pumpernickel with mayo, on a green salad, and with Spinach Artichoke Pasta. In every case, it was delicious. This would make an excellent brunch dish. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
50’s Appetizer Trio: #77 Cucumber Sandwiches, 1958, #78 Egg and Olive Canapes, 1959, #79 Florentine Dip, 1959 (pp. 57-59) All of these were fun, tasty, and relatively easy to make. It is hard to find Bermuda onions in 2022, so I substituted a Vidalia onion in the cucumber sandwiches with good results. I used Pepperidge Farm Very Thin white sandwich bread for both the sandwiches and canapes and served the dip with vegetables. The dip was wonderful and would go well with chips or crackers. Overall rating for sandwiches and canapes: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 if you’re in the mood for mayo. For the dip: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#80 The Best Spinach Dip, with Chipotle and Lime, 2007 (p. 88) This refreshing take on an old (gooey) favorite works well as a dip and also makes an excellent sandwich spread. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#81 Garden Minestrone, 1973 (p. 118) This one was just OK, but has promise with a few changes. The onion slices were too big (Perhaps I misunderstood the directions) and overall it didn’t exactly work texture or flavor-wise. The amount of lima beans seemed excessive, but I am not a big fan of lima beans… Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#82 Italian Salad, 1958 (p. 175) This salad made frequent appearances all summer. It is well-balanced and interesting without being weird. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#83 ‘Ino’s Tuna with Black Olive Pesto Panini, 2003 (p. 393) We had never made panini before, so this was a lot of fun. I like the fact that we almost always have the ingredients for this in our pantry/freezer, so it could be an easy weeknight supper. We used Kalamata olives, but I am eager to try making this again with Gaeta olives now that I have located them. It was a bit oily, so I may cut back on the olive oil in the pesto as well. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#84 Poisson a L’Huile (Salmon with Sauternes and Olive Oil), 1874 (p. 407) This was yummy, but very rich and filling. My advice is to put more vinaigrette on the fish than you think you need. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#85 Salmon Salad, 1881 (p. 410) We took the author’s advice and used the leftovers from the Poisson a L’Huile to make this. This salad had very good flavor, but there seemed to be more liquid than was necessary. We may need to try this again… Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#86 Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pine Nuts, 1990 This is a terrific side dish that also makes a great salad topping the next day. This is destined to make an appearance again soon – probably at Thanksgiving. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#87 Green Bean Salad with Savory Topping (p. 175) This one still has us scratching our heads. It is basically a bean salad with egg salad on top. Both salads were tasty, but the combination was just OK. It also seemed like a lot of dressing for the beans. If I make this again (and I might) I will cut the beans into smaller pieces. I admit that I didn’t marinade the beans as long as the recipe called for, which surely affected the final result. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 (maybe 2.5/5)
#88 Baked Mushrooms, 1877 (p. 214) This fresh, simple side dish was a great companion for steak or grilled chicken. Felt more like something from 1977 than from 1877. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#89 Chopped Salad with Lemon Zest Vinaigrette, 1998 (p. 185) This is another instant favorite. We found it necessary to make some modifications, but the recipe is forgiving and never failed to impress. When we couldn’t find watercress, we used a mixture of chopped baby spinach and baby arugula. We also subbed halved grape and/or cherry tomatoes for the whole tomatoes. The real star is the dressing, which is simple, fresh, and interesting. As a bonus, it is a good salad to make-and-take. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#90 Dock’s Coleslaw, 1999 (p. 188) A tasty and interesting take on traditional cole slaw. When I make it again (and I will) I will ease up on the caraway and celery seeds. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#91 Chocolate Ice Box “Cake”, 1948 (p. 797) We made this for KLH’s birthday and it was a lot of fun. I accidentally added the vanilla with the sugar before whipping the cream, but no harm was done. The hardest part was locating the chocolate wafers in the grocery store. I finally found them not, as I had expected, with the cookies, but with the ice cream toppings.🤔 To make it a little more special, I grated some chocolate on top. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#92 Spoonbread Potato Salad, 1997 (p. 291) This is a near-perfect classic potato salad recipe. It takes some time to make, but it is worth it. So so so good. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#93 Thai Beef Salad, 1994 (p. 562) We served this with the Pad Thai-Style Rice Salad and it was excellent. We used mini-cucumbers, which were a nice size. Make sure to slice the meat very thinly. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#94 Pad Thai-Style Rice Salad, 2008 (p. 365) This excellent dish would be great for a potluck. It also makes the best lunch leftovers ever. This will become part of the regular lunch/dinner rotation going forward. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#95 Potato Salad with Beets, 1878 (p. 274) Although the vivid color is somewhat disconcerting, this interesting and flavorful take on potato salad was an excellent companion to grilled chicken and steak. Pickling the beets adds a satisfying degree of complexity. Despite what the book says, this recipe serves more than 4 – more like 8 – people. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
#96 Bademaiya’s Justly Famous Bombay Chile and Cilantro Chicken, 1998 (p. 486) Just. Amazing. This is easy to make and yields simply wonderful results. The sauce would be excellent with lots of other fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes as well. I used a coffee grinder to grind the spice mixture. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
#97 Zucchini and Vermouth, 1984 (p. 227) This recipe reminded me why I am doing this wacky project. If I weren’t, it is almost certain that I would have bypassed this recipe. I am SO glad I didn’t. It is not possible to describe the way that this quick and simple technique completely transforms the flavor and texture of what I must admit, is not my favorite vegetable. If you only make one recipe from this book, it should probably be this one. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#98 Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad (p. 201) I made this for the first time 6 weeks ago and since then I have made it at least 4 more times and have served it to over 100 people in all. Without exception, it has gotten rave reviews, even from kale-haters. Again, the secret is the dressing. If possible, use a better-than-average olive oil. It is great for lunch the next day. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#99 Baked Zucchini with Herbs and Tomatoes, 2001 This is a good use of summer produce. The flavor was nice, but there was a lot of oil. Next time I will try cutting back a bit. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#100 Trenette, Fagiolini, e Patate al Pesto (Pasta, Green Beans and Potatoes with Pesto), 1997 (p. 340) This one did not work well for us. The proportions seemed off and the potatoes added a strange texture to what would otherwise have been a perfectly fine pasta dish. I will, however, adopt the practice of heating the bowl before using it to toss the pasta with the sauce. Pure genius. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5
#101 Shirley Estabrook Wood’s Zucchini Bread, 1981 (p. 705) This simple recipe makes a good (not great) zucchini loaf. It smelled better than it tasted. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#102 Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil, 2001 (p. 439) While this recipe produces an attractive and tasty dish, the result does not justify the waste (of time and materials) involved in wrapping each filet with foil and then unwrapping it all 5 minutes later. I can see doing this if you want to prepare the fish ahead of time, but that is not what we did. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#103 Saltimbocca, 2001 (p. 579) I’m pretty sure this was the first time I had ever cooked veal. Also, due to the lack of illustrations, there was some guessing involved in how to put this together. All in all, it turned out pretty well. It was very rich and I remembered that veal is not my favorite in terms of flavor, but it was fun and different and it felt fancy, so that’s all good. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#104 Chocolate Dump-It Cake, 2002 (p. 832) We made this for SAH’s birthday and it may become our family birthday cake as it has in the author’s family. Easy, moist, just dense enough with an interesting easy-to-make icing – what’s not to like? Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#105 Whole-Grain Banana Yogurt Muffins, 2018 (p. 687) After a grocery-delivery miscommunication resulted in the delivery of 7 BUNCHES of bananas in place of the 7 bananas I had ordered, we went looking for all of the banana recipes (see below). I’m so glad we found this one. While I don’t make as many muffins as I did when I had little kids, I will definitely be making these again and they will likely become my go-to. Flavorful, moist and just sweet enough, they are nearly perfect. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#106 Banana Tea Bread, 1947 (p. 697) In the wake of the Bananavalanche of 2022, we prepared this and froze it until October. It froze well and made a perfectly nice banana loaf, but it will not replace my regular banana bread recipe. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
#107 Cream of Carrot Soup, 1974 (p. 119) This is as much a potato soup as a carrot soup. While the technique for this exceptionally creamy soup is labor- and dirty-dish-intensive, the result is wonderful. I sipped – and then greedily swallowed – mine hot from a mug on a chilly late-October evening, but I can see how it would also be delicious cold. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
#108 Chocolate Guinness Cake, 2004 (p. 834) Unlike the Guinness brownies I made one long-ago St. Patrick’s day, this confection is delicious. Not-too-sweet and with a pleasing caramel undertone and just the right amount of topping (not quite icing, not quite frosting). As the author says, it is best eaten the day it is made. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Rehfwitz Recipes 