Favorite Chili

Prep Time: 70 minutes
Cook Time: 90-120 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: No

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2011)
Recipe Source: America's Test Kitchen TV Season 12

You can get recipe (and video) with free subscription at ATK website for the next year.

This was not as good as I hoped. And it was more work than I wanted. The flavor was not quite what I expected. That may be because I used slightly less chili's - I'm not sure. The meat was good and the beans were good, but the overall flavor just wasn't great enough to warrant 70 minutes of work. I could probably do it faster, but it would still take a while, so I probably won't do this one again.

I wouldn't say that other people shouldn't try this recipe though. The flavors may appeal more to others.

Beer Batter Cheese Bread

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (December 2007)

Quick breads are supposed to be quick, and this one is super-quick. The only effort you have to put in is dicing and shredding the cheese and melting the butter. I only used 2 T of butter (instead of 4) and I think that was fine, since you just pour it on top. It still tasted buttery.

I had two minor problems. 1) The crust was hard to cut and 2) it was hard to get out of the pan, because there was a bit of cheese on the bottom, and it ripped a little. Also, sometimes I feel like quick breads baked in my larger 9x5 pans don't cook perfectly through the middle of the pan. For that reason, I think that I might prefer to stick with muffins. The Savory Cheese Muffins I tried last year might be a better option in the future. (I did enjoy just pouring in an old bottle of beer in here though, since I had some to use up.)

Glazed Pork Chops with German Flavors

Total Time: 30 minutes

Grade: B

Make Again: Probably

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (March 2006)

This was not a terribly exciting recipe, but it was good, quick and easy. It probably would have been even better if I didn't use pork chops that were 1 year old! (I'm cleaning out the freezer.)

I skipped the caraway seeds, because I didn't have any. The glaze had plenty of flavor without them.

No Knead Bread 2.0

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Rise Time: 8-18 hours
Form Time: 5 minutes
2nd Rise: 2 hours
Bake Time: 45-50minutes

Grade: A+

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (January 2008)
Recipe:  Almost No-Knead Bread (Season 9)

This is an amazing recipe. It is some of the most delicious bread I have ever had, and I made it myself, with less than 10 minutes of effort! I will definitely be making this frequently in the future. It reminds me of my favorite Ciabatta bread from Trader Joe's, with a delicious crust, airy interior and a flavorful taste (but not sour, like sourdough, which is not my favorite.)

I never tried the original from the New York Times, and now I probably won't since I love this one so much. I didn't weigh my dough, and it was too sticky, but it didn't matter, because the dough filled the Dutch oven and didn't spread out too much.

Shepherd's Pie

Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cool Time: 10 minutes
(Prep time included 15 minutes of waiting)

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Country (Februrary 2006)

This was very good and true comfort food. I have made another CI version of Shepherd's pie from Cover & Bake, that might be better, but it has been a few years. This one was very tasty and used beer instead of wine. I will probably try the other one again this winter so I can compare. It was fairly easy, and allowed me plenty of time to clean up while preparing the basics before popping in the oven.

The one thing I had trouble with was using the 12" skillet to cook the meat - things were falling out, so I switched to my Dutch oven. And I wasn't even using a full 2# of meat (1.6 lb instead). I did add one carrot and some extra peas, but they didn't take up too much room. Also, I had trouble fitting everything into my casserole dish. If I used large enough equipement from the start, including my larger cutting board, I would probably shave 5 minutes off the prep time on this.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (October 2003)

This was the original Tortilla Pie recipe in Everyday Foods. They came up with a new one this year with ground beef and Spinach, which is also very good. This one is nice for a vegetarian meal. I should try my own version of this. The idea of using the tortillas in a spring form pan is a good one, and there are lots of variations that could be developed.

I skip chopping a jalapeno and just add crushed red pepper. It saves time and adds a more consistent heat, since jalapenos are not always very hot lately. I used 1/2 teaspoon instead of 1 jalapeno, and it worked well. I could use more, for more heat.

This took me a little bit longer to make than it was supposed to, because the beer took a long time to evaporate. I might use a little less next time.