Cook Club: Mario Batali's Molto Gusto

MARIO BATALI’S MOLTO GUSTO

Top Scoring Recipes:  Anjali’s Sunchokes with Walnut Gremolata, Jackie’s Linguine with Lemon, Amanda’s Hazelnut Stracchiatella Gelato, Sonia’s Ricotta Gelato

Lowest Scoring Recipes: Jackie’s Broccoli Rabe Pesto Pennette

Average Score: 3.94 (3.9375)

This month’s Cook Club brought us Mario Batali’s MOLTO GUSTO.  The book is structured on what Mario describes as “the true world of Italian meal ideology” … which apparently is built around vegetable antipasti, leafy salads, cheeses, salumi, pastas, pizzas, and gelati or copette.  The recipes are simple and short with a focus on maximizing the best ingredients.  The recipes are organized by seasonal availability of the produce – perfect for the turn of seasons!  The dishes are perfect for sharing, and as it turns out, were a hit for the most part!  This is one of the highest scoring cookbooks from which we’ve cooked. 

For your cooking and tasting pleasure, here is the recipe for LINGUINE WITH LEMON, which scored a 5 out of 5:

Serves 6

Ingredients
4 lemons, preferably Meyer or Sorrento
Kosher salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound dried linguine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving

Directions

Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from 2 of the lemons.  Using a sharp serrated or other knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the remaining 2 lemons to expose the flesh.  Stand each lemon upright on the cutting board and cut away the peel and white pith in strips, working from top to bottom and following the natural curve of the fruit.  Hold the fruit over a bowl to catch the juices and cut down along the membranes on either side of each section to release it, letting the sections drop into the bowl.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest, juice, olive oil, and butter in another large pot and heat over medium-low heat until the butter melts.  Remove from the heat. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente.  Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the lemon juice mixture and stir and toss over medium heat to coat the pasta well.  Stir in the lemon sections and cheese (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce) and serve immediately, with additional grated Parmigiano on the side.

And here are all our reviews!  Enjoy!

Vegetable Antipasti

Amanda’s Spring Peas with Mint with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Score: 3.5

This was another recipe that was very easy to put together. I ran into a snag when I was unable to find fresh peas. Apparently, it was a little too early in the season, so I substituted frozen peas. The recipe called for a  medium red onion, which I thought was a bit too much. The onion sort of overpowered all of the other yummy flavors in the dish. I would love to try this recipe again, except with less onion.

Leanne’s Roasted Peppers with Capers

Score: 2.5

The roasted red peppers with capers were good but not great.  I also stuck to the recipe on this one as well, although I used capers from a jar and not salt packed dry ones.  This recipe was really labor intensive because the peppers had to be roasted and then peeled.  Honestly, even if it was less work, I wouldn't make it again.

Anjali’s Sunchokes with Walnut Gremolata

Score: 5.0

I have always wanted to eat a sunchoke since watching the first season of Top Chef when Harold (the eventual winner) made a sunchoke soup! So I had to pick this.  In researching sunchokes, I found out they are related to the sunflower and are a great starch substitute for diabetics. Fun facts!  Anyway, the scary part about this dish was using a mandolin! It asked for thinly shaved pieces and my knowledge of mandolins is that they can quickly lead to accidents! Thankfully, I made it through that experience without injury. The remainder of the prep was a breeze, especially because I have made gremolata several times.  The final result was a hit! Everyone at the party loved the crunch of the raw sunchoke and the saltiness of the gremolata.  It was a great snack for the next few days! I will definitely return to this dish for an easy side or appetizer for a large party.

Lisa H.’s Cherry Tomatoes with Crème Fraiche

Score: 3.0

I’m rating this 3/5 because I thought the crème fraiche was too rich. I thought it was really good without the crème fraiche. It would be really good in the summer with fresh tomatoes. I will definitely make this again.

Bruschetta

Rachel’s White Beans Bruschetta

Score: 4.0

Surprisingly good!  So hearty!  Rachel served this dish at our DC cook club party, and here were some of the comments from the night:  “This was one of my favorite dishes of the evening!  I could have certainly eaten the white bean salad without the bread – it was rich and full of great flavor.”  “Complex flavors and spicy.”  “Very good!  Hearty, yummy.”

Sonia’s Broccoli Rabe Bruschetta

Score: 4.0

This dish was a nice twist on the traditional tomato bruschetta.  The topping came together quickly; the broccoli rabe didn't need quite as long as directed.  I added a squeeze of lemon juice to the greens while it was cooking, which helped balance the bitterness and I felt that that water was completely unnecessary, as I had quite a bit remaining that needed to be drained.  The ricotta salata was a nice color contrast to the bright green, and added a bit of nice flavor. Parmesan would also be nice.  Overall, this was a solid, easy appetizer that I would serve again.

Sonia served this at our DC cook club party, and here are some of the comments:  “This bruschetta turned out so pretty.  The ricotta salata grated on top of the broccoli rabe was a great complement to the strong taste of the broccoli rabe.”  “Great, wonderful flavors.”  “Nice flavor, yummo!”  “Yummy.”  “The broccoli rabe had an excellent flavor, would make at home.”  “Yummy, a great surprise.”

Amanda’s Onion Ragu Bruschetta

Score: 4.0

This recipe was very similar to the vidalia onion confit I made from Bon Appetit Y'all. The only difference was the Mario Batali recipe included garlic, and the only seasonings were salt and pepper. The recipe was very easy to put together and took very little hands on time. I did make a small modification to the recipe, which I thought improved it quite a bit. The onions were a bit bland after being cooked with water, salt, and pepper, so I added some balsamic vinegar, and let it simmer and reduce. This was a big improvement, and I highly recommend adding balsamic or red wine in place of the water.

Insalata

Rachel’s Radicchio and Ginger Salad

Score: 4.0

Warning: only for people who like strong flavors J And DC Cook Club comments:  “I never would have thought to put radicchio and ginger together, but I loved the flavors.”  “Great to have a salad with the heavier pasta dishes.” 

Monica’s Winter Caprese Salad

Score: 4.2

I loved this caprese!  It took a little more work on the front end than I would like for a quick caprese after work, though, so I might save it for dinner parties or special weekend dinners.  The tomatoes were chewy and a little hard to bite through, but the caprese was too big for one bite, so I ended up eating these messily with my hands for dinner and with a fork for cutting the leftovers at work for lunch the next day.  The fresh pesto was luxurious, but this would be easy enough to make with store-bought pesto, too.  The agrodolce was a great, new take on the tangy-sweet-acidic flavor that balsamic vinegar usually provides to a caprese, and it was quick and easy to make.  (Check out Monica’s extended review on her blog!)

Pasta

Jackie’s Linguine with Lemon

Score: 5.0

I was really excited to make this dish.  The steps and ingredients were quite simple (lemon, olive oil, butter, garlic, parm cheese), but the flavors were bright, robust, and a perfect way to welcome in Spring.  I was surprised by Mario’s use of the actual lemon wedges in the dish, but I really liked the added oomph of lemony flavor that the slices infused in the dish when it was cooked all together (otherwise, it would be lemon zest and lemon juice).  Mario suggests serving this immediately after making… I ended up serving it quite a bit later for our cook club party, but all the flavors were still there. Rach and I did taste a bit of it right after it was cooked, and it definitely is quite wonderful when “served immediately.”  Jonathan and I then tried the leftovers the next day (with some rotisserie chicken) and it was fabulous then too.  Would definitely make again!

And DC Cook Club Comments: “Very good, tasty.”  “Delish!  Lemon very refreshing.”  “Tasty.”  “Excllent!  Yummy lemon flavor!”  “Loved the lemony flavor – amazing!”  “Excellent!  This was my fave.  I had seconds.”  “Yum!”

Lisa W.’s Penne all’Arrabbiata

Score: 3.5

My husband and I love arrabbiata sauce with any pasta.  Our fun fact about arrabbiata is that it literally means, “angry,” due to the heat of the chili peppers!  We thought that this recipe was extremely easy to make and very flavorful.   Although we enjoyed this dish, we still prefer Harris Teeter's arrabbiata sauce.

DC Cook Club comments: “Spicy as an arrabbiata sauce should be, but felt like some of the other flavors got lost in the spiciness.”  “Spicy, but good.”  “Spicy!”  “A little spicy but good.”  “A little spicy for my palette.”  “Yum.”

Anjali’s Penne alla Puttanesca

Score: 4.75

So I really wanted the pasta Lisa W. chose (it's my sister's favorite!), but the Puttanesca was also intriguing. It wasn't until I saw the ingredient list that I realized I have never actually had puttanesca! Was I really going to eat anchovies? I was more than a bit scared, nevertheless, I proceeded.  The prep was very simple, but I will say, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Batali.  WHAT are Gaeta Olives? Google didn't know, the men in Jimmy's Food Store (awesome Italian grocer in Dallas) didn't know, and I certainly had no idea.  I decided to subsitite with Green Cerignolas.  Also, he asked for Pomi tomatoes, but I bought canned San Marzano instead.  I was displeased with his level of specificity and lack of explanation, but I was quite pleased with the alternatives I chose.  The dish was wonderfully hearty and savory. Each component added to the flavor explosion, but also aded a layer of complexity. No one even knew the anchovies were there!  I happily ate the leftovers for days! The guests at our Italian feast were also fans.

Monica’s Pennette with Basil Pesto

Score: 4.8

The only reason this dish doesn't get the full 5 points is that it requires a food processor and fresh basil, neither of which I have on hand all the time.  I used whole wheat pasta and made sure to cook it just to al dente, and the result was fantastic.  The pesto was a salty, garlicky, light but delectable sauce for the pasta.  I usually buy my pesto from the grocery store, but now that I've tasted fresh pesto and realized how easy it is to make, I'll never make pesto pasta with store-bought pesto again.  Considering how easy these ingredients are to keep on hand (minus the basil, which is perishable and pseudo-seasonal), it doesn't make sense to pay for overpriced, preservative-filled pesto at the store when I'm craving a good Italian meal.  It was such a mindless dish to make, too, so it'd be easy to make in a hurry for dinner on a week night as long as you keep the ingredients in your pantry.  I think it'd also work really well with angel hair pasta, so that's what I'll try it with next time.  (And check out Monica’s extended review on her blog!)

Jackie’s Pennette with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Score: 2.0

I was very sad about this dish.  I had high expectations for it – I always wanted my “own” pesto recipe that I could make again and again.  And I usually really like broccoli rabe.  But this dish was disappointing.  The pesto itself was very bitter and then when mixed with the pasta, the pasta became, somehow, bland and bitter.  It was slightly better as a leftover the next day.  I’m not sure if I ended up using too much broccoli rabe, but either way, I don’t think I would make this again.

DC Cook Club Comments: “A little bland, but good.”  “Slightly bitter but good.”  “A little too bitter.”  “Very good, though the flavor was a little strong for me.”  “Very fresh and summery.”

Leanne’s Pennette with Summer Squash and Ricotta

Score: 4.5

My summer squash pasta was great and got really positive feedback.  I generally stuck to the recipe, although I probably used double the amount of parm that it called for.  The mint was a really nice touch although I was skeptical about how it would work with the dish.  I also couldn't find pennette so I used some form of penne.  This was a really easy recipe and I would make it again.

Amanda’s Penne alla Primavera

Score: Day of = 2.0; next day with modifications = 4.0; average = 3.0

I was so excited to try this recipe. I adore Primavera and was so excited to make it. The recipe has several yummy fresh vegetables, which I loved. However, I was very disappointed to see there were no tomatoes in the recipe. I thought that the vegetables would need a bit of acidity to enhance the flavor, which was a correct guess. The recipe was very straightforward and easy to put together, but was seriously lacking flavor. It needed tons more salt and pepper, and, as mentioned before, some acidity, and possibly red pepper flakes. I doubled the recipe to accommodate our 13 person dinner party, and had tons of pasta leftover. The next day, I added stewed tomatoes, and some of my mom's canned tomatoes. It was a great improvement. I will definitely try this recipe again, but with the modifications.

PIZZA

Sonia’s Margherita D.O.P.

Score: 4.0

The recipe for the pizza dough was very detailed and easy to follow.  I elected to skip the parbaking step, and instead used a pizza stone, which resulted in a crisp thin crust that was chewy but not soggy (a bit of cornmeal on the bottom of the unbaked crust created an extra bit of crunch).  I used premade pizza sauce (Muir Glen) rather than Pomi strained tomatoes.  I added freshly chopped garlic to the sauce, which gave it a great flavor.  The classic Margherita toppings were light and tasted great.  My only complaint was that the crust was slightly salty.  Overall, this was a really quick and easy technique for making fresh pizza.  I used the remaining dough for other combinations of topping, and will be keeping this in my repertoire.

Lisa H.’s Balsamic, Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Score: 3.0

I used store bought pizza dough and then I didn’t correctly read the directions. So, the rating could be 100% my lack of following directions. The best part to me was the balsamic reduction you make for the onions. It was great on a salad and I think the onions would have been great on a salad too. Not bad, I just didn’t care for the combination on the pizza, but I will be making the balsamic reductions again.

DESSERT

Amanda’s Hazelnut Stracchiatella Gelato

Score: 5.0

I absolutely adore gelato, and have always wanted to try making it on my own. One of my favorite flavors is hazelnut stracchiatella, so this recipe was an obvious choice! The recipe itself was very involved, but not as hard to make as I expected. The hazelnuts had to be toasted and then soaked in milk, which gave the gelato such great flavor. Batali suggested chilling the custard for anywhere from 6 hours or overnight, and I chose to let it chill overnight, which also helped intensify the flavor I think. Once the mixture was ready for the ice cream maker, I was a little unsure of how long to let it freeze. The recipe said to use the ice cream maker instructions and vice versa, so I just checked it every few minutes while it was freezing. This is a fantastic recipe if you are not familiar with making gelato. The steps are very well defined and easy to follow. I see more homemade gelato in my future!

Sonia’s Ricotta Gelato

Score: 5.0

I just got an ice cream maker, so I was excited to try it out with this recipe.  To my surprise, this wasn't an exceptionally difficult undertaking.  I made a couple of changes: replacing the corn syrup with 1/4 cup of sugar and adding a tablespoon of vanilla (I absolutely couldn't resist).  The gelato had a really subtle flavor that was just slightly sweet.  It was very creamy and smooth, and it achieved an appropriate level of thickness without the corn syrup (the corn starch acts as enough of a thickener).  The ricotta gave the gelato a richness, without being heavy.  Huge success!

DC Cook Club comments: “Delicious!  Lots of rich flavor, but light at the same time.”  “Delicious.”  “Very tasty, good flavor.”  “Delicioso.”  “Superb.”  “Yum!!”  “Great!  I had seconds.” “Really simple, fresh, creamy.”

And Sonia made these amazing Lavender Shortbread Bites to go with her gelato. Check them out at her blog!

I couldn't resist including this photo too of Monica's oven roasted tomatoes. Beautiful, no?

Cook Club: Ming Tsai's One Pot Meals

MING TSAI'S ONE POT MEALS

AVERAGE SCORE: 3.58

HIGHEST SCORING DISHES:  Star Anise Ginger Braised Chicken, Crispy Tofu with Miso Butter, Tamari Tofu Stirfry with Rice Noodles

LOWEST SCORING DISHES: Ginger Chicken Thighs with Parsnips, Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Salad

To kick off the new year, I wanted to dive into some of the cookbooks I received for Christmas and, after a quick poll of Cook Club, we selected Ming Tsai’s One Pot Meals.  I was excited to try this cookbook because it offered a different flavor profile from the other cookbooks we have tried recently.  Chef Tsai drew on a number of Asian countries in his recipes, including China, Thailand, Japan, and Korea.  Also, who doesn’t love the simplicity of a one pot dish?  As you’ll see though, the “one pot dish” concept was a little bit of a stretch for some of the dishes, but overall, the dishes were not too complicated or difficult. 

This round also marked the first DC Cook Club party with me, Lisa W., Sonia, and Rachel (and our lovely guests).  We decided to take a page out of the Dallas cook club girls’ book (Anjali, Amanda, and Lisa H) – they’ve been cooking up dishes for cook club and serving them up for one another for awhile now, which is an idea I always loved because what makes food even better is sharing it and experiencing it together!  So you’ll see mixed in some of the reviews the added comments of some of the cook club-ers that were in attendance at each party. 

Because the reviews are almost all entrees, I’ve listed them in alphabetical order by the name of the cook club-er.  As an extra treat, here is the recipe for our top scoring dish – Crispy Tofu with Miso Butter – (SO GOOD).  Enjoy!

Crispy Tofu with Miso Butter

Ming's Notes:  This recipe elevates humble yet healthful tofu to great, delicious heights.  It's flash-fried, which makes it golden brown and crispy.  The tofu is then dolloped with a flavorful miso butter whose richness is offset by ponzu and iceberg lettuce -- a lettuce I've always loved for its compatible, no-frills crunchiness.  This makes a great light meal or appetizer.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons shiro miso
2 tablespoons naturally brewed ponzu, plus more for drizzling
1/4 pound salted butter, at room temperature
Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
Two 12-ounce packages silken tofu, each portion quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon togarashi or chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups rice flour
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the miso and ponzu.  Using a hand blender or sturdy whisk, whip until well blended.  Add the butter and whip until blended.  Set aside.

2. Fill a heavy medium skillet 1/2 inch full with the oil.  Heat over medium heat to 375F.

3. Meanwhile, season the tofu with the togarashi and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the rice flour on a large plate, add the tofu, and dredge on all sides.  Shake off excess flour and, using a skimmer or slotted spatula, transfer half the tofu to the oil.  Fry the tofu until crisp, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining tofu.

4. Transfer the lettuce to a platter or divide the lettuce among four serving plates.  Drizzle with the ponzu, top with the tofu, and dollop with the butter mixture.  Garnish with the chives and serve.

Ming's Tips:  The frying is best done in a heavy, straight-sided pan, but any heavy pan will do.  You may have extra miso butter.  Refrigerate it and use it later for searing fish or meat.

To Drink: A crisp lager like Yanjing from China

REVIEWS

Amanda’s Chile Pork Chops with Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Score: Pork Chops - 2.5; Brussels Sprouts - 4.0

I picked this recipe because I LOVE brussels sprouts, especially when they have been roasted, :) so this recipe was an obvious choice. The preparation was very simple and straightforward. The mixture of spices--chili powder, brown sugar, and garlic--were a great combination for the pork, I just wish it would have had more flavor after cooking it in the oven. I think next time I will marinate the pork chops for a bit before cooking to see if that enhances the flavor. The Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, were very flavorful. The first step in cooking them was to quickly heat them in the skillet with the same spices as the pork. Yum! They were definitely my favorite part of the dish! Another modification I would make is roasting the potatoes separately for a longer time, or at a higher temperature. They were, much to my embarrassment, undercooked for our dinner party. :-/ Overall, I really liked the recipe and would like to try it again with adjustments.  Anjali also enjoyed this dish and gives it overall a 4.0.

Amanda’s Thai Basil Shrimp Risotto

Score: 3.5

Risotto was always a dish I wanted to learn to make, but have never found a recipe that really appealed to me. This one caught my eye though, and I decided that the time had come for me to figure it out. The recipe itself was very easy to follow, although I think it should have included more flavor or spices. Overall, the dish seemed to be missing something. That said, I understand that risotto takes some practice in order to master, so part of this score could be stemming from my lack of technique. If anyone knows of a step by step guide for cooking risotto, let me know! :) I will definitely try this one again!

Amanda’s Ginger Chicken Thighs with Parsnips

Score: 2.0

I chose this recipe for the parsnips. Having never cooked or eaten them, I thought this dish would provide the perfect opportunity for both. :) They are a very interesting vegetable, flavor-wise, and I think roasting them is the best way to cook them, which is what my recipe instructed. Again, I feel like this dish was missing something, and was a bit bland. The chicken thighs were very moist and tender, but needed lots of seasoning after they were cooked. The recipe said to bake everything together, (hence the name of the cookbook, I suppose) but I think the vegetables would have tasted better roasted separately and for less time.  Anjali dined on this dish as well and gave it a 3.0.

Anjali’s Star Anise Ginger Braised Chicken

Score:  4.75

I chose the dish because I have never braised anything besides turkey on Thanksgiving and the flavor profile appealed to me.  This recipe was incredibly simple! The "One Pot Meal" technique always makes like a little easier.  The prep work was easy, but of course, the cook time is lengthy, but that just means more time to drink wine while in the kitchen! The end result was a hit at the party.  The meat was incredibly tender (I forgot to mention, I cheated and bought thighs/breasts instead of a whole chicken because I don't like carving meat!).  The flavors were rich and deep.  Lucky for me, there are leftovers!

Jackie's Kung Pao Chicken

Score: 4.0

I was curious to see Ming Tsai's take on kung pao chicken, a standard Chinese take out dish.  The directions reminded me of the stir fry dishes that my parents typically made, so I was mainly curious to try out the flavors of the kung pao chicken.  This recipe called for sambal, which I could not find in my grocery store, so I substituted it (as suggested by the internet!) with sriacha and hot sauce... I was worried about overdoing it on the spicy, but I think next time I would kick it up a bit more. In general, the recipe was very straightforward, the chopping/cutting of the chicken and veggies took much longer than the actual cooking!  I enjoyed the flavors and would make this again.

DC Cook Club Comments: “Loved that this wasn't greasy, and the peanuts really make it. The veggies add a nice crunch.”  “This was a flavorful dish that had an extra crunch from the peanuts that I loved!”

Jackie's Curried Beef

Score: 3.8

My husband and I love curry dishes, so when a very cold wintery day rolled around (we've been having so many of those), we decided to make this dish.  And let me tell you, it is perfect for warming up your insides and making your house smell delicious.  I unfortunately could not find any skirt steak, so I substituted with another cut of beef... even though the dish cooks for quite awhile, the beef was still a bit tough (but not overly tough... not too chewy).  The curried beef cooks up with the potatoes, so the curry flavor permeates everything.  We served it with some rice, but I think a vegetable would make an excellent accompaniment as well.

Lisa W.'s Asian Spaghetti

Score: 3.0

My husband's favorite food is spaghetti so he naturally picked this recipe for the cook club this month. The ingredients that made this dish "Asian" are Thai basil leaves, soy sauce, and pork. Ming states that this recipe feeds 4. This recipe could easily feed 15! Overall, we thought it had a nice flavor. However, we agreed that we prefer Italian spaghetti and would stick to that as our spaghetti of choice!

The DC cook club-ers agreed, that this “tasted like very good spaghetti,” but “nothing particularly Asian about it.”  “The flavors were great” and the dish created “good leftovers that stood up well to reheating.” 

Lisa W.'s Crispy Tofu with Miso Butter

Score: 5.0

I cannot rave about this recipe enough! First of all, miso butter is delicious! The creaminess of the butter paired with the miso and ponzu created the perfect sauce. The tofu was dusted with rice flour, which when fried, created a yummy shell of crunchiness! The tofu was served over a bed of lettuce. In the future, I am going to cube the tofu and serve the miso butter as a dipping sauce and eliminate the lettuce as it did not enhance the flavor of the dish. Overall, this was my favorite recipe from the DC cook club party!

And some comments from our DC cook club party: “The miso butter makes this dish. It would be good on anything. I suspect (but do not know) that the fried tofu was a lot of work, and that I'd rather just make the miso butter and put it on a baked sweet potato :)”

“Score: 4.5!  The miso butter stole the show at the dinner party!  It was really flavorful and complemented the tofu perfectly.”

“I'm kind of obsessed with this fried tofu with miso butter dish.  I could have eaten the entire plate myself and was very happy with my leftovers the next day.  I adored the miso butter – gave the perfect kick to the fried tofu.  I definitely want to make this dish.”

Lisa W.'s Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Score: 2.0

This dish definitely wins the award for being the most colorful dish! I love avocado with everything so I thought that this dish would be a winner. However, I realized that I am not a fan of pairing shrimp and avocado. The textures of the shrimp and avocado did not work well for me.

And some comments from our DC cook club party:  “Perfect light salad - would make a great picnic item or light dinner on a hot day.”  “I enjoyed the slight spiciness of the shrimp balanced by the creamy and cool taste of the avocado.”

Sonia's Wild Mushroom Polenta with Thai Basil Salad

Score: 3.5

This is an interesting combination of Asian and Italian influences.  The mushrooms were hearty and stood up well to the creaminess of the polenta.  I used regular basil instead of Thai basil, but the salad turned out nicely, and the bright, zesty flavors of the herbs and lemon was a good contrast with the earthy mushrooms.  I was a bit perplexed as to why pink peppercorns were really necessary in the recipe.  I ended up buying pink salt instead, and it made no difference with the end product (you couldn't see it at all).

Our DC Cook Club thoughts: “Unexpectedly GREAT. This would be a really nice, warm, filling vegetarian entree for a winter day, and the basil topping keeps it from feeling heavy or too ‘casserole-y’.”

“I really enjoyed this dish.  Another dish that I could eat a ton of!  I am a big fan of polenta and mushrooms, so the two of them coming together was ideal for me.  I was very happy to snag some of the leftovers for the next day.”

“Typically, I am not a huge fan of polenta, but the addition of the wild mushrooms made this dish delicious!”

Sonia's Hot and Sour Soup

Score: 4.0

This soup has a lot of flavor, and is very spicy.  The mushrooms and tofu made it substantial enough for a main course.  I would definitely make this soup again, but might scale it down a bit and add bamboo shoots for a little extra crunch.

Sonia's Tamari Tofu Stirfry with Rice Noodles

Score 4.5

I think that the "one-pot" aspect of this dish was stretched a little thin (wok, colander, bowl of ice water, extra bowls for cooked broccoli and noodles), but beyond that, this was an excellent stir-fry.  I was wavering as to whether or not to be lazy and skip the ice water bath, but I'm glad I didn't, because the broccoli came out bright green and really crunchy.  I used brown rice noodles to up the nutritional content, and couldn't tell a difference at all.  I also substituted seitan for tofu, because that's what I had on hand.  The marinade was really flavorful with the addition of garlic, ginger, and chili sauce, and my only complaint was that it wasn't really enough to coat all the noodles, and it came out a little dry.  Once everything was mixed together, I added a bit more soy sauce and some sesame oil, which corrected the problem.  I was very impressed by how this turned out, and will definitely be making this regularly.

And as an added bonus… Sonia made these amazing cupcakes for our dessert at our DC cook club party.  Even the name alone sounds delicious: almond chocolate souffle cupcakes with white chocolate ginger cream.   Check them out in full at her blog.

Cook Club: Nigella's Christmas

NIGELLA'S CHRISTMAS

TOTAL SCORE: 3.84

Highest Scoring Dishes: Boozy British Trifle / Poinsettia

Lowest Scoring Dishes: Roast Squash and Sweet Potato Soup / Panettone and Sausage Stuffing

For Christmas 2009, I received Nigella Lawson's "Nigella's Christmas" as a gift!  Even just reading it, I LOVED this cookbook.  It had Nigella's typical lovely commentary -- little bits of insight into her life as well as her own suggestions and solutions for a fun holiday season.  Even better, the recipes looked applicable to all sorts of parties and even just your everyday dinner.  All in all, it was a very jovial and enjoyable cookbook to read through.  So when November/December cook club rolled around, I thought Nigella Christmas would be a wonderful cookbook to try out -- many of our members are quite busy around the holiday season, so I wanted a cookbook that would be applicable for all those holiday parties and gatherings that everyone would go to.  So thanks to everyone for taking part!  Here's how it all turned out:


APPETIZERS

Amanda's Roast Squash and Sweet Potato Soup with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Swirl

Score: 2.5

Of all the recipes I chose, I was most excited about this one, so, I was a little disappointed in how the soup turned out. Overall the dish was a bit bland, and missing some flavor...I am still unsure what. While I was preparing the soup, I liked the fact that the recipe said to leave the potatoes and squash unpeeled (much easier prep!), but disliked it when the soup was put together. The flecks of skin gave the soup an odd texture (yuck!). As a whole, the recipe was very straightforward and easy to prepare, I just wish the flavor would have been better. 

Jackie's Cranberry and Soy-Glazed Cocktail Sausages

Score: 4.0

These sausages were SUPER simple to make and a big hit at the holiday party we had my house!  I ended up using small cocktail sausages instead of breakfast sausages, and all it required was mixing up the marinade, letting the sausages marinate for several hours/overnight, and then baking it up.  These definitely had a bit of a zing -- I love the slight heat with the tangy flavor.  Definitely would make again!

ENTREES


Sonia's Butternut Orzotto
Score: 3.5

I made this dish the night before my company's Thanksgiving potluck lunch, and with a bit of extra vegetable stock, it reheated nicely.  This recipe made A LOT of orzo, so I would recommend scaling it down if you're not cooking for a crowd.  I interpreted the "mace" in the recipe as cayenne pepper, and halved the amount in the recipe (1 teaspoon would have been overkill), which gave the dish a substantial and unexpected kick.  The combination of the mascarpone cheese and pureed squash with the cubed pieces, along with the the pine nuts, was a nice blend of textures.  The taste was good, but it lacked a depth of flavor (parmesan cheese? salt? herbs?) that would have really elevated this dish to something special.


Suzie's Cornish Game Hen

Score: 4.75  

As someone who had never made any type of whole poultry before, I was surprised that they are actually very simple to make (except for the fact that I forgot to defrost them).  The prep is easy, and then you just have to put them in the oven while you do anything else you need to do.  They take over an hour, so its not a quick meal, but certainly not difficult. They turned out super yummy and moist, and I was told they were even better than the ones we had at an actual restaurant the week before  :)  The flavors were nice and complemented the couscous that I will comment on later.  Only problem was that my spice rack was a little lacking in the spices, so it made it a little more expensive the first time.

SIDE DISHES


Amanda's Redder than Red Cranberry Sauce
Score: 4

Cranberry sauce is one of my favorites, so when I saw this recipe, I HAD to try it! Honestly, I was expecting the recipe to have a few more ingredients or steps, but the dish did not disappoint. I chose to use Cointreau instead of cherry brandy, (mainly because I couldn't find a small bottle of cherry brandy) and was glad I did! I loved the orange flavor the Cointreau added to the dish, and the simplicity of the flavors were perfect. The entire recipe took 10 minutes, start to finish, so it's definitely an easy one to throw together when lots of other cooking is going on. I will definitely make this again!

Anjali's Beet and Ginger Chutney

Score: 3.25

This was a totally random pick. most because I love condiments and have never cooked with beets.  It was fairly easy (apart from the fact that chopping beets is hard!). The end result was fine, but I had to wonder with what Nigella intended me to eat it.  The British do have a somewhat odd palette...

Jackie's Panettone and Italian Sausage Stuffing

Score: 2.5

We made this dish as part of our Thanksgiving dinner with my family...  I was disappointed with the dryness of the stuffing, but my husband and my dad loved the stuffing with its sausage.  This makes a HUGE portion of stuffing (well, I suppose the fact that we made another stuffing along with this one made us a little ... overstuffed :)).  I didn't feel like this stuffing had much more to it other than sausage, bread, and a few veggies, and that it wasn't very flavorful.


Suzie's Festive Couscous

Score: 4.75

Once again, super easy to make.  I had the same problem with the spices as with the hen, but I certainly needed to expand my spice rack.  Other than that, you could certainly subsitute different components for this dish.  I added cranberries and pecans because I had them for the cookies, and couldn't find pomegranite seeds.  But quite delicious and a nice break from the usual side dishes I make.

DESSERTS

Sonia's Gold Dust Cookies
Score: 4

This dessert wins points for its aesthetic appeal.  The gold dust (I used pearl dust, not real gold powder) gives the cookies a subtle sheen, and the star shape definitely gives it a holiday feel.  I served the cookies at Jackie's holiday party on a gold-colored plate, which made them look extra pretty.  But, the real surprise here is the flavor.  It looks innocently like a sugar cookie, but the ground ginger is a nice twist that gives a bit of warmth and spiciness.  My only complaint is that they are crunchy, and I prefer a soft and chewy cookie.  This did not vary despite tweaks of thickness of the dough or decreased baking time.  The taste was still very good, though!

Amanda's Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake

Score: 3

I opted to make the "spiced" version of this cake, with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and I think that was a good choice. This recipe reminded me of a bread (Friendship bread) that my mom used to bake. The cake was very easy to put together, but I was a little nervous to bake it in a bundt pan. In my experience, cakes are not cooperative in these types of pans. I was correct...the cake completely fell apart when I turned it out of the bundt pan! Overall, I was not a huge fan of the flavor. I thought it needed more spice, but my parents loved it! It flew off the plate within a matter of days. I will probably try this again, but with more spice. :)

Lisa H's Boozy British Trifle

Score: 5

I should first start out by saying I like trifle.   Correct that I LOVE trifle!  Whenever I have a chance to have it, I will.   So, when I saw this recipe I had to try it.  Well it turned out GREAT!  I think this recipe calls for a bit more sherry than most recipes, which is good because I think it makes the cake more moist.  An additional trick that I used was to lay the pieces of pound cake on a cookie sheet when applying the sherry.   It helped to spread the sherry more evenly.  This made the cake layer significantly more moist.   Which is always, as Martha says, “a good thing”.   I’ve never used frozen berries before but they turned out surprisingly well.  They held their consistency and tasted fresh even in the dead of winter.  I did not use the rose petals as suggested, but if I had some I would.  

Jackie's Sticky Gingerbread Cake

Score: 4.25

I made this for a holiday party at my work.  The cake was moist and had a wonderful light ginger taste -- it smelled and tasted just like the holidays.  I definitely recommend taking Nigella's suggestion in frosting the cake with a cream cheese frosting or a lemon frosting or dusting it with powdered sugar (I didn't do either due  to transporting issues and figuring that people dressed in dark colors wouldn't want powdered sugar all over themselves!) -- without, it looked a little bit plain, which may have explained why those cupcakes covered in icing flew off the dessert table faster than the gingerbread cake!  No worries though, I took the leftovers home to my parents' house and my dad devoured the cake. (...and then I powdered sugar on it for the photo ;)) So, I think it was a success :)


Suzie's Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Score: 4

Basic cookie from scratch as far as technical difficulty.  Uses pecans and oatmeal, so makes for a nice grainy, healthier feel for it :-P.  They came out a little crunchier than I prefer for cookies (I like mine super soft), but I found even when I cooked them less, they didn't have the chewiness that I like.  But I certainly liked the flavors of the cranberry and white chocolate.

BREAKFAST

Amanda's Triple Cheese and Onion Strata

Score: 4

Typically, I am not a huge fan of stratas because of their soggy nature, but this recipe caught my eye. The recipe said to let the bread stale throughout the day, but I decided to leave it out for a good part of the day and overnight to see if that would help some of the sogginess. It turned out to be a good decision. The strata was flavorful, and not at all soggy. Yay! The recipe was very easy to put together. The only problem was that I used the tops of green onions to garnish, instead of chives, which made the onion flavor a little too strong. I will definitely make this again! 

Anjali's Pumpkin Pancakes

Score 3

I chose these because I love both pumpkins and pancakes! I also thought this would be a good breakfast dish for the holidays.  It was very straightforward, sadly, when I see the words baking soda and baking powder, my "non-baker" self starts getting scared! Additionally, my mother does not own measuring spoons.  Indian food doesn't require them. ;) Therefore, I had to approximate...which I knew would alter the final product. And it did; the batter was a bit thick. Nevertheless, we happily ate our pumpkin pancakes

BEVERAGES

Sonia's Poinsettia
Score: 5

Party punch is an irresistible delight for me, and this recipe did not disappoint as the signature cocktail for our Christmas party.  I used a cranberry-pomegranate juice blend, the tartness of which was sweetened with the orange flavor of the triple sec.  I loved the bubbles of the sparking wine--it made the drink feel fun and fancy. The color was also quite stunning, so don't even think about serving this in Solo cups!  I garnished each glass with a few pomegranate seeds, and it was perfect.



And as a bonus... the recipe to one of the top scoring recipes: 


BOOZY BRITISH TRIFLE


INGREDIENTS
For the custard:

4 cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the base:
2 plain pound cakes (12 ounces each)
One 12-ounce jar strawberry or blackberry preserve
2 cups cream sherry or sweet sherry
Two 12-ounce bags frozen mixed berries, thawed zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons superfine sugar (not needed if using fresh fruits)

For the topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon crystallized rose petals (or crystallized violet petals)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the custard, heat the cream in a large, wide, heavy-based pan and while it's heating, whisk the egg yolks, whole eggs and superfine sugar in a bowl.

2. When the cream's at boiling point--though, do not let it actually boil--take it off the heat and pour it over the eggs and sugar, whisking as you go.

3. Wash out the pan (boring, but it does have to be done!), then pour the uncooked custard back into it and return to the heat.

4. Cook over a medium heat (people will tell you it should be low heat but that is just too tedious for words!), stirring all the time, until it has thickened. It must never boil!

5. After 10-15 minutes, it should be thick enough, so straightaway pour it into a cold, clean bowl, add the vanilla extract, and whisk a bit to help bring the temperature down.

6. Cover the very top of the custard, as well as the bowl, with plastic wrap and leave to cool, while you start assembling your trifle.

7. Cut each pound cake into 16 slices and make into sandwiches with the preserve. Squidge these into the base of your trifle bowl. A trifle bowl should, I feel, be glass so you can see the layers from the outside. The proportions vary and, since the point of the trifle is the layers, the dimensions of your bowl will determine how these build up and the amount of cake etc. you will need.

8. Pour the sherry over the cake sandwiches and let it soak in.

9. Now tumble in the thawed berries, with a little of their liquid. (It might seem unseasonal to use "summer" fruits, but I love their tartness against the sweetness of the custard that will drape over them.) Then grate the zest of the orange over the fruit and sprinkle with the superfine sugar; if you're not using frozen fruit (which tends to be sour), don't bother with the sugar.

10. When the custard's cool, remove the plastic wrap. Pour and scrape the custard on top of the berries. It will be soft-set: thickened but far from solid. Cover the bowl (not the custard this time) with some fresh plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half a day or up to 2 days--it's this standing time that makes the difference.

11. When you are ready to serve, take the trifle out of the refrigerator to stand for about 1 hour. Whisk the cream until softly whipped. You don't want it to merge with the custard, but nor do you want it stiffly peaking.

12. Remove the plastic wrap from the trifle bowl and spread the whipped cream on top of the custard with a rubber spatula.

13. Finely chop the pistachios, sprinkle over the top of the trifle and adorn with a few, beautiful crystallized rose petals (or crystallized violet petals, if you prefer).