Recipe feedback - August 2000 Issue

[Peggy]

I hope that most people have received their August issue by now, (I saw the frustration experienced by many on another thread!) Mine arrived earlier this week and I tried my first recipe last night. It was the Chicken Brushetta and it was very good! The vegetables and seasonings were delicious. I did grill the chicken instead of broiling (I suffer from broiler fear also, plus I just like the flavor of grilled chicken). I thought it was a very good summer chicken recipe.

Looking forward to hearing the feedback of other "Chefs"!

Peggy

P.S. If some of you still have not received your August issue, I hope I have not increased your understandable frustration!

[debj]

Peggy - my whole family gave a "thumbs up" to the meatloaf although I used ground turkey. It was so moist (even a bit mushy but good) that next time I'll try ground turkey breast. Have got to try the chicken bruschetta. Texas Deb

[KateH]

I also tried the meatloaf. According to my boyfriend it was "quite possibly the best meatloaf I've ever had!" Like debj, we also found it quite moist, even though I had mistakenly set the oven for 425 for the first 20 minutes. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

We used ground round, though I think we'll try ground turkey next time. I couldn't find sharp provolone or sun-dried tomatoes not packed in oil (how do these come? dry or in water?), but it still tasted great.

It also smelled so good cooking that I wanted to yank it out of the oven and eat it tartar. The fresh basil is very tasty in it.

[melisa]

Kate-I've use the dried version. I plave in a bowl of hot water and let them soak for about 10 minutes. The sharp provolone is new to me, I've never seen this!I'm planning on making the meatloaf next week. Wish me luck!

[CathyPA]

Where I live, Southcentral PA, sharp provolone is hard to find in a grocery store. When I crave sharp provolone, I go to the local Farmers market where there is a stand that sells Italian meats, cheeses, etc. If there is a specialty store near you, you can probably find it there. Can get it sliced or in block pieces. I love it! Adds a nice flavor to homemade hoagies.

[Ohioan]

Two places online where you can get a good sharp provolone are:
Fortuna's Sausage, http://www.soupy.com
or iGourmet, http://www.igourmet.com

But be aware that the shipping costs (usually overnight air) can make mail-order cheese very expensive. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

I've also had some pretty good provolone from our local Wild Oats, so if you have a Wild Oats nearby, give it a try.

From your Ohio Provolone Freak... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif (I really do love these smilies!)

[melisa]

Another high five for the Italian meatloaf. I to used ground turkey and had to substitute sun dried tomatos for chopped canned. Because of the extra moisture, I added a bit more turker and a bit more breadcrumbs with a few pinches of dried oregano. I was thinking that in keeping with the Italian theme, tomato sauce might be a good substitute for the ketchup. I did experience a slight problem of getting it out if the pan and on to a serving dish, but with patience it came out great! I served this with the gazpacho salad minus the shrimp, it was great!

Melissa

[kentgirl]

I STILL have not received my August issue. Should I be worried? Has anybody still not received their Aug issue?

[Don]

I also have not received my August issue yet. The anticipation is killing me!

[BethR]

I'm still waiting for August too. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one!

[BethH]

I'm waiting (not so patiently) too. I come home everyday from work and look for it--so depressing. I also feel better though, that others share my distress! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

ps...I never paid much attention to when I received each issue until I became a BB junkie! How funny.

[karen w]

Ditto about receiving that August issue! My fingers are tapping harder, and I'm getting more impatient!

[JeanneW]

I don't have mine either. Usually it would have arrived a week ago. Sigh.....

[Beth H]

I'm still waiting as well, and my mail already has come today. If it doesn't arrive by August 3, then you can call CL and they'll (after some grumbling that you should wait another few days) send you out a replacement issue. Can't tell that I've had this problem before, huh?

[Peggy]

Hi Everyone!

I made the Lemon-Dill Couscous with Chicken and Vegetables last night. We thought it was good but not especially exciting. I liked some of the couscous salad recipes in the June issue better, (especially the Chicken-Avocado with Tomatillo Dressing and the Nectarine and Chickpea ones). I decided to make this one because I had yellow squash, red bell peppers, parsley and dill to use from my garden. So it served my purposes well.

I am pleased to hear that the meatloaf is so good. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until our current heatwave is over to try it. Don't want to heat up the kitchen by using the oven right now. Thanks for the input on that one.

Condolences to those that haven't received their August issue yet...

Peggy

[karen w]

It's here

[lindrusso]

I was at my mom's house over the weekend and we baked the "Spinach, Caramalized Onion, and Feta Quiche" and it was a hit with all our guests.

The crust was not as tasty as a "real" quiche pie crust, but not having to make a crust from scratch does have its advantages. I will have to recalculate the cals and fat grams using a low-fat pie crust - it would be REALLY good that way.

One tip: when using the canned breadstick dough, I had a hard time getting it to keep its shape - it kept sliding down the sides of the pie dish and shrinking (even after letting it rest). I found that refrigerating for a while and getting it nice and chilled helped.

I will definitely make this one again. Now that I'm home again, on to more August recipes!!

[MrsReber]

I made the Italian meatloaf last night. I don't ever recall mixing so many things into a meatloaf before, but the end result was very good. I put extra basil because I have so much growing and I love the flavor. It was a little soggy out of the oven and I did let it sit for a while. Seemed like alot of breadcrumbs, too, for 1 pound of meat, but, like I said, it was very tasty. I will keep this one. I had tried another CL meatloaf a few years back. It was a meatloaf with sundried tomato gravy. That was also very good so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this one! I used ground venison mixed with a little bit of ground pork. The recipes keep getting better!

[BarbaraL]

Just got my August issue last night; haven't even opened it yet. Usually I get my issue pretty early (judging by the bulletin board comments), so hang in there. Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to try the meatloaf; I grew up HATING meatloaf (I remember a big, dry brick), so I'm trying to overcome my aversion. I haven't even made much from July; having too much fun with June. Where did the summer go?

[Beth H]

Mine finally arrived today! After a quick glance-through, no recipes jumped out at me as with some issues. I'm sure after I look through it more closely, I'll find a few good ones.

[BethH]

Everyone but me! I'm so sad! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

Oh well, I'll be patient. The wait has allowed me to try the enchiladas with refried white beans. Very good--esp. the leftovers! I give the white beans an excellent and the chicken/tomato/onion/poblano chili filler a just OK. I'm going to spice that part up next time I make it!

[Natasha]

Originally posted by BethH:
Everyone but me! I'm so sad! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

Oh well, I'll be patient. The wait has allowed me to try the enchiladas with refried white beans. Very good--esp. the leftovers! I give the white beans an excellent and the chicken/tomato/onion/poblano chili filler a just OK. I'm going to spice that part up next time I make it!

Those enchiladas sound good!! BethH, if you have heard about any August recipes that you would like to try SOON, just let me know and I will post them for you.

[Natasha]

Originally posted by Beth H:
Mine finally arrived today! After a quick glance-through, no recipes jumped out at me as with some issues. I'm sure after I look through it more closely, I'll find a few good ones.

Beth H - I did the same thing. When I first went through August, there was almost NOTHING that caught my eye. But, reading these reviews, I m finding out that there are definitely some must-try recipes. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[MrsReber]

I thought it was only me. The meatloaf is the only recipe that jumped out at me- maybe it was the picture on the cover?? But we are big meatloaf fans, too. It was very good and worth trying, IMO. A wee bit gushy, but very tasty.

[JodiL]

I made the Filet Mignon with Mushroom Wine sauce and thought it was excellent. There were only 2 of us, but we finished all the sauce (servings for 4), and may have licked the bowl had it not been soaking already! hee hee http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif The only change is that next time I'd grill the steaks instead of using the stove. I like them medium-rare, but after the suggested cooking time, they were still VERY rare inside and I had to keep putting them back on. Definitely a keeper, although next time I want to try a recipe someone posted for Filet Mignon with French onion sauce.

[kentgirl]

I felt the same way---after finally getting my issue, I was a bit disappointed that nothing really caught my eye (except the meatloaf). Usually, my magazine has a bunch of little post-it flags sticking out after I sit down to read the magazine. This time I posted exactly 3 flags (meatloaf, the filet mignon, and one other that I can't recall - it was in the small kitchen section). I don't have the magazine in front of me---my sister borrowed it!

By the way, I have never eaten couscous before---is it good?

[Beth H]

Well, I spent more time last night looking through the magazine, and now I plan to make four or five recipes: the flank steak, which looks great, the "chicken scampi" (which is buried towards the back), several from the reader recipes, and one from the "inspired vegetarian." I'll post feedback when I get around to cooking all this!

[Denise]

I highly reccommend that everyone try both the sesame asparagus and the zucchini with penne pasta. Both were outstanding and easy to cook!

kentgirl-I had never eaten coucous until I got my June issue, now I love it! It is very simple to cook and absorbs the flavors of sauces etc nicely. Give it a try!!

[Natasha]

We just made the Tomato Chutney and I like it. Keep in mind, though, that it is sweetish (I believe that it s a Bengali-style chutney.) Still waiting on the (lightly-seasoned) rice to serve it with. As the article said, it would also be good with chicken or fish. It would also be good, I think, tucked into wraps and pitas (in small quantities) with other veggies, chicken, etc. Anyway, though I m not the biggest fan of Indian food, (I like it - just not one of my favorites), I do like this condiment!

Later (after dinner): Okay, guys, I logged back on to say that after having had a meal with this condiment, I m not all THAT crazy about it, though it s still good. I think if I make it again I will put a bit less sugar and maybe a bit more spice (though we already were a bit liberal with the spices...). Oh, well...


[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 07-28-2000).]

[Liz K]

I made the meatloaf for dinner tonight and it was delicious and easy to make. Important cooking factors for me.

[MrsReber]

I made the chicken scampi last night for dinner. It was very good, but I think next time, I may skip the breadcrumbs on the chicken and simply brown it with some seasoning. Also, I think 20 minutes was a little too long to simmer. I had to add more broth and wine. The breadcrumbs kind of fell off the chicken while it was simmering, which is why I'd skip the breadcrumbs. I added some broccoli florets, too. It reminded me of my favorite dish from the restaurant down the street - chicken and broccoil scampi. My husband liked it alot, too, but we are garlic freaks!! I'm sure I'll make it again with those couple of modifications. And thanks, Beth H, for pointing out that recipe! I skipped by it the first time since it is, as you said, burried in the back!

[joanieb]

MrsReber--THANKS SO-O-O much for the report on the Chicken Scampi!! Was hoping someone would try it soon! I, too, was worried about those bread crumbs, my concern was them getting gummy, soggy, after simming in the sauce. Hadn't even thought about 'em falling off!! But I bet you didn't have any mosquito issues after consuming this, did you? Woo-hoo, love that garlic!
BY THE WAY--your relatives in Garner, NC, and I are practically neighbors! Well, not quite, I live west, northwest of Wake County, just west of Chapel Hill--UNC-CH, probably 30-40 miles apart!
joanieb

[Connie]

I made the gazpacho shrimp salad last night for dinner. It turned out good; I love all those fresh summer vegetables. I did not serve it with french bread, but had an asiago cheese bagel (yum!) instead. I would recommend the recipe.

[Laura B]

Originally posted by joanieb:
BY THE WAY--your relatives in Garner, NC, and I are practically neighbors! Well, not quite, I live west, northwest of Wake County, just west of Chapel Hill--UNC-CH, probably 30-40 miles apart!
joanieb

Hi joanieb, we ARE neighbors! I am in Chapel Hill, too.

[MrsReber]

Joanie, that is close to my sister and her family. She talks about Wake county alot. I think they have a really good school that she wanted to send her little girl to. They are in Johnston county.

Anyway, I will definitely skip the breadcrumbs in the scampi next time. They all kind of went to the bottom of the pan- and they were very very soggy. When I eat chicken scampi out, it is never breaded. The garlic and wine seem to add enough flavor for the chicken, in my opinion. Besides keeping away the mosquitoes, my husband and I are convinced that the garlic keeps us healthy. When we feel a cold coming on, we load up on garlic. I miss it if we don't have at least one "garlic night" a week. And the house smells wonderful! Must be my Italian side speaking. Something about that garlic aroma filling the house on Sunday afternoon!

[Natasha]

Hi everyone,
I saw a review of the Choc. Mint cheesecake from August 2000. Anyone tried any of the others?
I made the Zebra Cheesecake yesterday from this issue and we liked it. (I personally would probably have liked it more if it was a white cheesecake, but oh well!!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif Anyway, it was super easy and really did look nice. I made it in my small 4-inch springform so we wouldn't end up with more than we should be eating... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif
Look forward to hearing about the other cheesecakes from August 2000.


[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-01-2000).]

[Beth H]

I made the Lemon-Dill Couscous with Chicken and Vegetables last night. It was great! This is the first recipe I've tried with couscous that I gladly would make again. I modified it slightly by using a mix of yellow squash and cucumber instead of the 1 1/2 cups squash. I also added more pepper than the recipe called for. But, this was a very easy dish to make after work, and I'm looking forward to having leftovers for lunch today.

[Laura B]

I made the Italian Meatloaf last night and loved it. I thought I had fresh basil but realized last minute that what I had was no good anymore http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/mad.gif so used dried italian seasoning instead. This made a difference that was noticeable even though the finished product was still very good. I will be sure to have fresh basil on hand next time! Also, will probably leave out the sundried tomatoes. I am not a big fan of them so I won't mind skipping the whole step of soaking them and chopping them - yuck!

On Sunday night I made the Molasses Barbecued Chicken served with baked beans and corn on the cob. This was pretty good. I will make it at least one more time before I decide whether it goes in the "favorites" folder.

On the list for the rest of this week and next week: filet mignon with mushroom wine sauce, sesame asparagus with garlic, penne with zucchini and ricotta, flank steak with corn-tomato relish and grilled garlic bread, and the double vanilla meringue cookies. I think all of them have already gotten great reviews on this board except no one has mentioned the cookies. Anyone made these?

[christinew]

The Penne Zucchini pasta recipe was incredible. My husband had a second serving and he is usually a meat kind of guy. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Natasha]

Christine,
So funny that you should mention this just now. I intended to make this for dinner tonight, and thought I would substitute just a couple of ingredients, but as I was making it, I kept substituting things left, right and center until the end result was nothing like the recipe (the noodles were penne, and the similarity kind of ended there...) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif The result wasn t bad, though, so I guess that s all that matters...plus we had a good laugh. I must make the penne w/ zucchini for real sometime.

[christinew]

Originally posted by Natasha:
Christine,
So funny that you should mention this just now. I intended to make this for dinner tonight, and thought I would substitute just a couple of ingredients, but as I was making it, I kept substituting things left, right and center until the end result was nothing like the recipe (the noodles were penne, and the similarity kind of ended there...) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif The result wasn t bad, though, so I guess that s all that matters...plus we had a good laugh. I must make the penne w/ zucchini for real sometime.


Natasha!
Funny, I made it with Gemelli instead of penne...so I would like to know what kind of substitutions you made to the dish. Personally I really liked the Gemelli vs. the Penne. I even thought about jazzing it up a bit with cayenne or red pepper. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Natasha]

Originally posted by christinew:

Natasha!
Funny, I made it with Gemelli instead of penne...so I would like to know what kind of substitutions you made to the dish.

Okay ... since you asked ... but I can t believe I m admitting this to you, especially since you re one of those wonderfully-ORGANIZED people... (and that is a compliment, really!! I could probably a use a bit more of that!)

Well - I had already planned to use eggplant instead of zucchini, and that was fine. Then I tossed in some red pepper and onion, did not discard the garlic and, in fact, added a bit more, substituted parsley and chives for the other spice or spices (was it marjoram?), and added a bit less oil. THEN I realized that the ricotta had gone bad - before the date (which has never happened before). OH NO! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif So I used a blend of gruyere, Feta and Romano. I also added some tofu. I think by the end all that was the same as the original was the penne, salt and pepper. (And now I realize that I should have used gemelli instead too!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Everything was fine up to the ricotta. That was an unwelcome surprise, but it all turned out fine in the end.

Gee - I bet you ll never talk to me again... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/redface.gif

[christinew]

Natasha! I love the idea of parsley and chives. I love chives so much I could eat them on chocolate ice cream I swear http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif What a hoot, you took a potentially smelly (bad ricotta, ick http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif )dish and made it into a glorious creation. The other cheeses you mentioned and the chives peeked my interest.

Side note: I really am not that organized believe me-my closets have damned me http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by christinew (edited 08-01-2000).]

[This message has been edited by christinew (edited 08-01-2000).]

[Ralph]

I'll have to disagree w/the prior posts about the Chicken Scampi. IT WAS EXCELLENT!!!
I'll fess up though - as a result of those posts, I did cut down on the simmer time (about 11-12 minutes, rather than the recommended 20) & I did NOT simmer it covered. Covering while simmering obviously creates a lot of steam which may have contributed to the "lost" bread crumbs.
This recipe was a very pleasant surprise; we usually find the "Reader Recipes" less exciting than other recipes in each issue.

[bijoux22]

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif The Fish Soup Provencale was excellent, I used pollack and instead of 1 cup of green pepper, I mixed it up and used yellow, orange and green. Also,the potato needed a little longer to become tender than the time allotted. My husband can't wait to have it again.
Also made the Garlic Shrimp in Yogurt Sauce. The sauce had a nice flavor, but too watery. I might try it again but cut way down on the water.
Sesame Asparagus with Garlic was a great new way to have this veggie.
Next is the Fragrant Chicken in Creamy Almond Sauce - any tips?

[Angelina]

I loved the pasta with zucchine!!!! And tomorrow I am going to make the Spiced chicken with the cinnamon and the almonds. I can almost smell it already!

Originally posted by Denise:
I highly reccommend that everyone try both the sesame asparagus and the zucchini with penne pasta. Both were outstanding and easy to cook!

kentgirl-I had never eaten coucous until I got my June issue, now I love it! It is very simple to cook and absorbs the flavors of sauces etc nicely. Give it a try!!

[MrsReber]

Christine and all who loved the penne with zucchini- did I do something wrong when I made it? I completely followed the directions and thought it was a little bland and not too exciting. I like the idea of keeping the garlic. I didn't feel right throwing away those beautiful cloves! I may not have added enough zucchini, though. It does seem like it needs some spicing up, but I can't help thinking I did something wrong since everyone is raving about it.

As for the meatloaf, I loved it, but my husband (after saying it was good) has decided that he does not like the sundried tomatoes in it. The fresh basil was great, though!

Ralph, I did love the scampi and will make it again, just didn't like the breadcrumbs. Oh, I didn't cover to simmer either, and they were still soggy. I won't use the breadcrumbs next time, but I loved the rest of it. It was still as good the next night!

I really want to make the chicken in almond sauce- I'm curious to hear how it turns out Bijoux!

[christinew]

MrsReber,

I added oregano and marjoram. Also I left the garlic in the dish, by accident but gratefully so. Instead of Penne I used Gemelli. We loved it.........hope this helps.

[Liz K]

Regarding the sun-dried tomatoes in the meatloaf. I used sun-dried bits that I had found in the bulk section of my grocery store. Then I just had to soak and drain them. I don't see why can't chop them before the soaking and draining.

[Connie]

I made the Bow Tie Pasta with cherry tomatoes, capers, and basil for guests last night, and it was good!! I used a whole pound of dried bow ties, doubled the tomatoes, used a mixture of red and yellow, halved the crushed red pepper, used kalamata olives instead of nicoise, and didn't measure the basil. I just had some of the left overs for lunch - still very good. It's going on my repeater list, especially with locally grown tomatoes.

[This message has been edited by Connie (edited 08-02-2000).]

[lorilei]

Originally posted by Liz K:
Regarding the sun-dried tomatoes in the meatloaf. I used sun-dried bits that I had found in the bulk section of my grocery store. Then I just had to soak and drain them. I don't see why can't chop them before the soaking and draining.

If you can, I would. But many of the sundried tomatoes I've purchased are far too difficult to chop before they're reconstituted...

[MrsReber]

Connie, I wanted to try that recipe too! It was a toss up between the penne zucchini and the bowtie pasta. I will definitely try it soon. I just seem to be going crazy with the pasta lately!

I actually chopped the dried out sundried tomatoes before I put them in the water. It was tough, but knowing me, I'd burn my fingers on them if I cut them after they were in boiling water! It seems to take the same amount of time either way, actually, and I don't think there's any difference in the long run anyway.

[karen w]

I too made the penne pasta with zucchini, but I could not throw away the garlic either. (My husband's two favorite vegetables are garlic and onions!) My modifications: I made the pasta and ricotta mix separate from the veggies, and added fresh basil since I had some in the fridge. I sauteed garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion in skillet with small amt. of olive oil, and topped the pasta with the veggie mix; then sprinkled a little more parmesan on top. It was very good-a definite repeater. Next time I might add other veggies too....mushrooms, roasted red pepper etc...

[MaryH]

I made the Aromatic Chicken last week and like the recipe says it is aromatic. My husband enjoyed it. If you don't like or haven't used curry I would suggest using somehwat less than the recipe calls for. The fragrance really comes from the cinnamon. Also, the recipe says to take the bay leaves and the cinnamon out at the very end. I took them out a little sooner because the bay leaves become hard to find with everything else in there and (I'm told) they are poisonous if eaten.

[MaryH]

Natasha,

I made the mint chocolate cheescake but either did not cook it long enough or the 3 packages of nonfat cream cheese made it too watery. Although it increses the fat content, I prefer to cook my cheescakes with regular or 1/3 less fat cream cheese.

Also, mine cracked which really didn't make any difference to the taste, but I have found that if you put the springform pan inside a 11x15 dish filled with about an inch of water, lower the temperature to 300, and cook it about 15 minutes longer that there is less cracking and mine have always come out done. (There was a recipe for raspberry cheescake a few months ago that used this method and that one came out perfect.)

[christinew]

Originally posted by MrsReber:
Connie, I wanted to try that recipe too! It was a toss up between the penne zucchini and the bowtie pasta. I will definitely try it soon. I just seem to be going crazy with the pasta lately!

I actually chopped the dried out sundried tomatoes before I put them in the water. It was tough, but knowing me, I'd burn my fingers on them if I cut them after they were in boiling water! It seems to take the same amount of time either way, actually, and I don't think there's any difference in the long run anyway.


MrsReber, I too cut my tomatoes before cooking. I used a kitchen scissor! Worked great. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Jenny-Wren]

I tried the Fusilli with Green Beans and Oregano. I had everything on hand, it was easy to make, and very quick. It was pretty tasty, but if I make it again, I'll add more garlic. Also, I used the dried oregano option, but I think fresh would be nicer. And I bet it would be good with sliced grilled chicken added to it, if you wanted to make it into a more filling meal.

[karen w]

Tonight my husband and I had the oriental salad with the chuka soba noodles(curly Japanese noodles). It was delicious. I did not alter the recipe at all, and I would definitely repeat the recipe as written.

[RunnerKim]

Jenny-Wren,

I'm thinking about trying the fusilli with grean beans next week and was wondering if you thought it would work as a side dish?

Kim

[CLustik]

Originally posted by Natasha:
I made it in my small 4-inch springform so we wouldn't end up with more than we should be eating... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif
Look forward to hearing about the other cheesecakes from August 2000.


[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 08-01-2000).]
Natasha;
Do you use your small springform often? How do you adjust the recipes? One was given to me, but I haven't used it yet.
Chris

[MOuellette]

My wife and I have made a couple of receipies from the August isue. I do agree that it is not as good as the June or July, but we made:

1) The Oriental Salad—VG, we substituted Roman noodles for the Japanese Curly and it tasted fine. We made more than the two servings and ate leftovers for lunch. The leftovers got a bit soggy, but definitely a keeper.

2) Fragrant chicken in almond sauce—this was good, but knowing that they were trying to pass it off as Indian we were a little disappointed. Not quite spicy enough for our tastes.

3) Soba Noodles with Tofu—we greatly altered this receipe. We sauteed the tofu in olive oil, garlic, and mushrooms and then we also added some red bell pepper with the cucumbers. It was delicious!! I will make it again, but my wife has tofu issues.

[Natasha]

Originally posted by CLustik:
Natasha;
Do you use your small springform often? How do you adjust the recipes? One was given to me, but I haven't used it yet.
Chris


I use it all the time. Especially when experimenting, I find it really handy. We just can t handle a large cake each time.
As for adjusting the recipes, I don t have any one method. I eyeball the recipe, taking note of whether it uses a 9-in. or 10-in. springform pan, and, if there is a picture, how high the cake is. Then I think about how big and high I want the particular cake to be. Based on all this, I make 1/4 to 1/2 of the recipe - often 1/3, fairly often 1/4, less often 1/2. (Make any sense?!) Anyway, sorry it s not more precise than this, but I have always been pretty happy with the results, so I guess it works out. Hope it helps you at least somewhat. Enjoy whatever you make in your pan!

[CLustik]

Thanks Natasha! I agree, we never need a large cheesecake, that is why I usually only make them when company is coming. I will start to try eyeballing it in the smaller pan. I'm sure it just takes practice.

[BethR]

A couple of August recipes we've tried...

Spicy Garlic-Roasted Potatoes (I'm not sure if this is the exact title, but it was in the India cuisine section) -- excellent (assuming you like the taste of cumin, which we definitely do!), and pretty easy to put together.

Chop-As-You-Go Pasta with Mushrooms and Smoked Ham -- okay, but uninspired. I had to agree with my husband when he said "with so many ingredients in here, you'd think it would have more flavor." I did substitute zucchini for button mushrooms, which I forgot to buy.

Sesame Asparagus with Garlic -- tasty, but I served it cold, and I think it might taste better at room temperature. Has anyone played around with serving temp on this one?

Oh, and to the person who posted that they heard eating bay leaves can poison you -- I heard on Emeril recently that if you eat them, they'll give you a stomachache, but nothing more serious than that.

[JennyLiz]

I must be the last one waiting for my August issue... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

We just moved from Mississippi to Utah. I used to get them mid-month in MS. Guess I'll have to practice being patient...

[Amy2]

Originally posted by kentgirl:
I felt the same way---after finally getting my issue, I was a bit disappointed that nothing really caught my eye (except the meatloaf). ...

By the way, I have never eaten couscous before---is it good?

You must try it. Have no fear. It's one of those things that has little flavor of it's own. What makes it wonderful is the texture and the rapid fire cooking time. For those last minute meals when you want a quick carb side dish to go with a quickly broiled something, it can't be beat. To add flavor, I chop up a little something from the vegetable drawer (garlic, onion, celery) and brown it in the pot. Then I add a boulion cube to the water.... and ... it's done!