NYTCB Project June – October 2022: It’s Been Awhile!

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

NYTCB Project Weeks 6 and 7: Jackpot!

Butternut Squash and Cider Soup: Pretty, but didn’t make the cut. 😞

Out of these 6 recipes, 5 will definitely make it into our permanent repertoire.

#22 Almond Cake (p. 829) This simple, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth delight did not look too promising when it came out of the oven. Powdedered sugar helped. I’m not a great baker and had never made a cake recipe using the food processor, so my confidence was low. Fortunatley, Amanda Hesser and her mother-in-law (the author of this masterpiece) knew what they were doing. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

#23 Steamed Fish with Thyme and Tomato Vinaigrette (p. 425) Although we made this on a winter evening, its fresh, lively flavor reminded us of warmer weather. This recipe works great on a weeknight, especially if you were to make the vinaigrette ahead of time. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

#24 Roasted Cauliflower (p. 248) This is not so much a recipe as a technique. We roast cauliflower all the time with various seasonings, our go-to being salt, pepper and olive oil. What makes this different – and it was a game-changer for us – is slicing the cauliflower. The change in texture and flavor due to increased carmelezation created at least one cauliflower convert in our family. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

#25 Butternut Squash and Cider Soup (p. 135) I admit that I am ambivalent about squash soup. This was not the best we have made. It did evoke Thanksgiving flavors as the author’s note suggests. Perhaps it was the cider we chose, but the flavor was somewhat flat. Not bad, but not great either. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

#26 Drunken Beans (p. 290) We ate these over rice with the Staff Meal Chicken (#27) Just. Perfect. The texture and flavor were all that you want in a warm, comforting pot of beans. Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

#27 Staff Meal Chicken with Salsa Verde (p. 499) This is one of those recipes that has you scratching your head when you are making it, but makes perfect sense when you put it in your mouth. It worked very well as a weeknight dinner. We marinaded the chicken overnight and just popped it in the oven. Leftovers are wonderful in salads, sandwiches, bowls, etc. Due to time and ingredient limitations, we did not make the salsa verde. We used our go-to Mrs. Renfro’s Green Salsa, which was great as always. I’m sure we will make this again and will give the homemade salsa a try. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Replays: Dried Apricot, Cherry, and Cranberry Infusion is becoming a regular thing. Just perfect on a cold Friday night.

NYTCB Project Weeks 4 and 5: Comfort Food Galore!

Oliver Clark’s Meatloaf – strange and delicious

#15 Brownies (p. 732) These brownies have a perfect, slightly crusty top and are very moist and rich. They are less caky than other brownie recipes we have tried. We made them without nuts. We learned to separate the edges from the pan before turning the brownies out. We doubled the first batch and used 13×9″ pan. We ended up remaking these a week later because they were so good! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5

#16 Golden Winter Puree (p. 235) I just love the look of this dish. It’s like a little patch of sunshine on your plate. It was an excellent alternative to mashed potatoes. We will be making this simple and tasty dish again for sure! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

#17 Winter Slaw with Lemon-and-Orange Dressing (p. 183) This crunchy, refreshing salad came together quickly and is a nice alternative when salad ingredients are looking sad at the grocery store. It was a treat to have something so light with all of the richer, heartier dishes we tried this week. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

#18 Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary (p. 543) This is definitely a weekend recipe. The toast under the stew is delicious, but I wonder if it really needs butter. Next time I will try it with my standard garlic toast recipe next time, which calls for olive oil. We cooked this longer than recommended with excellent results. We doubled the recipe and used top-round roast. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

#19 Pasta with Vodka (p. 327) Another insanely simple pasta recipe with very satisfying results. We made it on Friday night after a busy day. It was a wonderful way to start the weekend. Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

#20 Pasta and Bean Soup (p. 153) This may be my favorite so far! Perfect on a chilly night. This is a relatively simple soup with complex flavor and a comforting texture. The rosemary is a brilliant addition! Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

#21 Oliver Clark’s Meatloaf (p. 572) This may be the weirdest and most wonderful meatloaf recipe we have ever tried. It takes a while to pull it together, but it’s worth it. It also yields a pretty gigantic meatloaf, serving 8 easily. Our result was delicious, but a bit crumbly. Next time, we will compress the mixture more thoroughly before cooking and try adding the bacon a bit earlier (45 minutes or so) to allow it to finish cooking on the meatloaf while not overcooking the loaf. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 (SAH deducted a point due to the recipe’s negative climate impact – there is a lot of meat in this loaf!).

Replays: We made Tarragon Sheet Pan Chicken, Perfect Batch of Rice, and Dried Apricot, Cherry, and Cranberry Infusion again. They did not disappoint!

NYTCB Project Week 3: Still No Pictures

What’s wrong with me? Luckily, there will be about 200 more chances for me to get it right.

#9 Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk (p. 516) Good tender chicken, but not as flavorful as we hoped. Perhaps we will use a slightly smaller pan next time. Definitely worth revisiting. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

#10 A Perfect Batch of Rice (p. 326) This is aptly named. We had it with Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk and Wilted Chard with Pickled Onion (Week 2). Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

#11 Spice Krinkles (p. 736) Lovely flavor and texture. They melt in your mouth! The baking time in our oven was 6 minutes. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

#12 Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies (p. 761) These are very tasty, even though we did not have Demerara sugar. We used light brown sugar instead. Crisp, salty, with just the right amount of chocolate. The dough was easy to work with and the results were consistent. Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

#13 Turkish Split Pea Soup with Mint and Paprika (p. 138) Let me start by saying I don’t love split pea soup, and I was the only taster. Even so, I liked this better than most other split pea soups I have tried. The mint and paprika are a lovely, warm combination. It was even better the next day. I did not try it with greek yogurt as suggested. We may revisit this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

#14 Dried Apricot, Cherry, and Cranberry Infusion (p. 42) Everything good about mulled cider without the weird aftertaste. Easy, delicious, warm, and cozy. We enjoyed it on a frigid Friday night with popcorn. Unanimous rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

NYTCB Project Week 2: Comfort and Joy

This is the week my book group got roped into the project. They will be eating a lot of recipes from this book! I need to remember to take photos of the actual food 🤦🏽‍♀️

#5 Mulitgatawny Soup (p. 113) Lots of ingredients. Lots of steps. It was tasty and satisfying on a cold night and even better the next day. As suggested, we purchased frozen coconut from a Southeast Asian grocery store. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

#6 Sheet-Pan Tarragon Chicken With Sherry Vinegar Onions (p. 517) Another simple, yet delicious recipe. Prepped chicken the night before. Nice enough for company, but easy and fast to prepare. The family and the book group all loved it. Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

#7 Italian Roast Potatoes (p. 301) This is the new (to me) roasted potato recipe I didn’t know I needed. Went beautifully with the sheet pan chicken. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside! Overall rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

#8 Wilted Chard with Pickled Red Onion (p. 261) My intention was to serve this with the sheet pan chicken and potatoes, but we ended up making it later in the week. The onions were absolutely delicious. We prepared them the night before. There were “extra” onions, which we used in a salad the next day. Amazing and very easy to prepare! Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)