5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple comfort food, casual dinners with a twist - and as expected Oh My! Those Desserts!!!
Reviewed in the United States on 27 October 2018
Everyday Dorie The Way I Cook is a wonderful collection of comfort food recipes that combines simplicity in preparation with some interesting and unexpected ingredient combinations. Dorie describes them as “elbows on the table” meals and that is exactly what they are! For the most part they are simple recipes for any skill set that will provide a meal that you are proud to serve to your family or guests.
The photos are luscious, full page mouth watering images, and there are lots of them.
Last night I made the Spatchcocked Chicken with Za’atar, Cumin, Coriander butter. The butter is both squished up under the skin and lathered over the skin. The chicken is then placed on a bed of onion rings and garlic and some herbs. Dorie calls for thyme, rosemary, oregano or parsley. I was serving this with a tabbouleh so used parsley and dill stalks (dill fronds get very soggy during cooking but the stalks impart all the flavor, I removed them before serving) . The cooking time and temperature was perfect (Dories chicken was just 3-4lbs, but mine was larger so it needed about 10 more mins)
I spatchcock and roast chicken all the time. I generally switch between cooking times and methods trying to find the perfect base recipe. My favorite recipe is chicken with a butter rub as the results are always juicy and tender. I was a bit concerned that keeping the 425F temp during the entire cooking time might be a bit overkill, considering my very large chicken, which would need to be cooked for such a long time, but my chicken came out tender and moist and perfect. I credit the wine and broth in the base of the pan for that, and elevating the chicken above the liquid by placing it on the onion rings was key and prevented that nasty soggy chicken skin on the bottom result, which is to be avoided at all costs. I cut my onion (I used two, not the one that Dorie called for) cut very thick, so the bottom of the chicken was up out of the liquid at least until the onion collapsed.
The Za’atar, Cumin, Coriander butter was good but I personally enjoy very amped up flavors so next time I would double the spices in the same amount of butter. I would definitely use this recipe again and switch out the spices and fresh herbs to compliment the rest of my planned meal.
If you want a great spatchcock recipe, look no further!
I have no doubts that the rest of the recipes are as extensively tested and will be just as successful.
I love that this book takes great comfort food recipes and adds a touch of inspiration or as Dorie says, “sneaking in a little surprise” The Parsnip and Cranberry cake is a case in point. Quite a surprising recipe to say the least, but I am VERY intrigued!
Some of the other little “surprises” that sparked my interest is the star anise in the Roasted Butternut Soup, the pinch of Old Bay in the Bean and Tortilla Soup, the Clam Chowder My Way which incorporates Thai flavors with the addition of Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime and Coconut Milk. The ginger and lemon in the Turkey Meatball Soup, the strawberries, lime and Harissa in the Tomato and Berry Gazpacho, the cranberries and orange peel in the Beef Stew, and the five spice in the Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake.
The only gripe I have, and it is a small one really, is that the Vegetable chapter has only 16 recipes (I am not counting one as it is a squid and corn main and would have been best placed in the seafood chapter) whereas the Desserts chapter has 28 recipes including variations. Now I am certainly not complaining about the dessert recipes because they all sound mighty fine. But a little more effort on the vegetable chapter would have been great. Admittedly, and importantly there are vegetables in a lot of the mains, there are vegetable soups, and there is a salad chapter so maybe I am nit-picking. But I love unique vegetable recipes especially with that element of surprise that Dorie utilizes in some of the other recipes. A few of the vegetable recipes are also very basic, and I feel that I have seen similar before (Ottolenghi, The Broad Fork etc) such as the Roasted Carrots with Smoked Paprika Yoghurt, Butter Glazed Turnips with Honey, Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges sprinkled with Za’atar and served with a harissa yoghurt, Maple Syrup and Mustard Brussels Sprouts. More inspiring to me, is the Granola Topped Squash and Root Vegetable Gratin and the Pasta with Cabbage, Winter Squash and Walnuts.
But that said, I didn’t buy this book for a plethora of vegetable sides. I have other books that cover that territory very well. However, I expected and received a book chock full of great, trustworthy weekend family style meals like the Chicken Chili Tamale Pie, Beef Carbonnade and a strong collection of quick weeknight flavor packed dinners like the Umami Beef and Mushroom burgers or the Lightening Fast Tahini Pork and I just knew that would be some amazing sounding dessert recipes and I was not disappointed by any of that!
A selection of recipes from each chapter heading are as follows:
NIBBLES, STARTERS AND SMALL MEALS
Carrot and Mustard Rilletes
Double Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Crab
Kale and Onion Frittata
Tomato Tart with Mustard and Ricotta (Pictured)
Mushroom Bacon Galette
Caramelized Onion Galette with Parmesan Cream
SOUPS AND SALADS
Gingered Turkey Meatball Soup
Lettuce Soup (pictured)
Beet Fennel Soup
Cauliflower tabbouleh
Tomato and Peach Panzanella
Ginger Beet Salad Bowls (pictured)
CHICKEN
Luang Prabang Chicken Chili Sandwiches
Ponzu Chicken
Sheet Pan Balasamic Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Mushrooms
Spatchcocked Chicken (with Z’atar butter and fresh herbs)
Lemon Fennel Chicken in a Pot
MEAT
Three Pepper Burgers
Beef and Beer Stew
Slow Cooker Brisket with Carrots and Sweet Potatoes (pictured)
Stuffed Cabbage
Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie
Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives
Bourbon Roasted Pork Loin
FISH AND SHELLFISH
Warm Squid Salad
Miso Glazed Salmon
Citrus Marinated Halibut with Mango Salsa (pictured)
Pasta with Sardines, Fennel and Pine Nuts
Pasta with Shrimp, Squash and Lots of Herbs
Seafood Pasta (Pictured)
VEGETABLE GO-ALONGS AND GO-ALONES
Maple Syrup and Mustard Brussels Sprouts
Potato Tourte (Pictured)
Pasta with Cabbage, Winter Squash and Walnuts
Savory Bread Pudding
Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges
DESSERTS
Chocolate Covered Chai-Tea Bars
Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake
Caramel Pear and Five Spice Upside down Cake
Triple Layer Parsnip and Cranberry Cake (pictured)
Tangerine Topped Cheesecake (pictured)
Apple Custard Crisp
Mostly Rhubarb Tart (pictured)
BASICS AND TRANSFORMERS
Lemon “Goop” Viniagrette (pictured)
Tomato Chutney
Demi Goddess Dressing
Spiced Yoghurt Two Versions
Pickled Strawberries
Spiced Granola
Pie Dough, Tart Dough, Galette Dough
To sum up, there are a heap of recipes here that I want to make, and that I anticipate will end up in my “keepers” recipe folder. No matter how adventurous and competent that you are in the kitchen, there is always room for more expertly crafted, delicious comfort food recipes for family meals and casual dinners - because after all what guest doesn’t want to be served a perfectly cooked rustic meal, paired with a beautiful loaf of purchased bread, maybe some cheese, some great wine (hey, maybe a few cocktails) and a gorgeous rustic dessert served by a relaxed host who didn’t have to spend all day making 15 different things?
Confession time, I spend hours every week poring over my beloved recipe books, and my recipe magazines, pairing dishes and working out what goes with what, and checking what I have on hand, often making a number of dishes for every meal and writing extensive shopping lists. I LOVE cooking and often complain that with the two of us I don’t get to cook as much as I would like (seriously I would cook all day if I only knew what to do with all that food, or how to make a living out of it at my age)
But, in all honesty, when it really comes down to it, my favorite evenings are most often the nights I make one or two pot or pan meals. Simple but elegant dishes that allow my husband and I time to relax, listen to music, chat and throw back a couple of drinks, and which ends up with us eating a delicious dinner and getting some quality time in - without having to wash dishes two or three times an evening, to make room in my tiny kitchen while I cook up a storm, and without me worrying about how late its getting!
This book is filled with the type of recipes so that every night can be one of those relaxed nights. In short, I am going to make an effort to make less effort, and give myself a break - at least a few times a week. Therefore, this book is going to get a workout in my kitchen!
I will post updates as I cook through this book.
UPDATES:
-Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives
Halved the quantity of olives to 1/2 cup because mine were powerful. Would probably try to get a more mellow olive next time. We agreed that 1 cup would be too many for us even if using milder flavored olives. Added extra carrots because - vegetables! Served this with a red potato (with skins) and celeraic mash. Did not add the whole garlic head as recommended because I hate fishing out garlic skins and cloves with skin and the base of the garlic and I just don't see any good reason to do this. But in the interests of sticking to the recipe as closely as possible I put the cloves in my spice infuser (could use a cheesecloth herb bag) for easy retrieval. Don't really see why using a whole unpeeled head would add anything more (except hassle) than just adding say 5 smashed garlic cloves at the end of cooking the onions and carrots in all honesty. But recipe very good. Silky sauce, perfectly cooked lamb shanks, with the exclusion of the half cup of olives and the garlic question - recipe very good.
-Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken wtih Baby Potatoes and Mushrooms
Instead of the leg quarters Dorie suggests I used a whole cut up chicken. I used 4 lge shallots rather than the 1 called for. I doubled the mushrooms and put them in whole. Chicken was ready in 45. Took out and returned vegetables to oven for another 10 mins to crisp up. We really enjoyed this. If you want a delicious roast chicken meal on the table in an hour and a half including prep time, try this one with a spring green and herb salad dressed with a viniagrette, on the side.
-Seafood Pasta
Sadly despite the shrimp, calamari and fish, this was a bit bland as written. It gives the option of adding the zest and juice of 1 lemon which I did. I think it needed another lemon 1/2 (zest and juice) also added a lot of chile flakes to our tastes. Served with fresh herbs as recommended. I used fresh tarragon and parsley. Regardless of all that, it just didn't have enough flavor for us. I am thinking of making it again using a fish stock. The clam juice didnt give it enough of a boost. Maybe roasting fresh tomatoes instead of using canned would help too. Wouldn't make again as written.
3/5/19
-Lightening Fast Tahini Pork. I changed this recipe a little because it didn't make sense to me as written. It calls for heating a pan to medium and searing the pork cubes until browned on all sides for a minute or so! Thats just not going to happen at medium or even at searingly hot heat! Its going to take a lot longer than that and the spice rub is going to scorch, so I seared at a hotter heat without the spice rub and added the spice rub into the sauce at the end. It was delicious and really different. The flavors of the seasoning with the tahini and cider vinegar really worked. I would make this again with my changes. But I was a bit cross at the suggestion to sear for 1 minute to brown the cubes. Perhaps it was supposed to read one minute each side but at medium heat that wouldnt have done it either.
-Bourbon Roasted Pork Loin - We really liked this recipe as written and I have added it to my "Pork Files"
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