I’ve been cooking this and that and it’s time for some recipe test drives. What’s interesting to me is that out of these three recipes, the best one belonged to the home cook. The famous chefs missed the mark for me, this time, though I still love them both dearly.
I didn’t think there could possibly be anything wrong with Ina Garten’s turkey meatloaf, and there isn’t. We enjoyed it thoroughly, but it just didn’t have the magic of my gourmet meatloaf. The reasons I love my meatloaf — the carmelized onions, the balsamic vinegar, the tamari, the two different kinds of meats, the mustard and the fresh basil — were not in The Barefoot Contessa’s meatloaf, so my taste buds were not singing. It was definitely easier to make than mine, but the next time I make meatloaf, I’m back to my old favorite.
Any crock pot recipe that sticks a pinch of saffron into it has some promise. This easy crockpot Moroccan chicken, chick pea and apricot tagine was really special. I only wish I had snapped a shot of it before we inhaled it … it looked so pretty, sprinkled with fresh cilantro and sporting the round chick peas and the sweet brown apricots. The blend of flavors and textures really worked.
Color me disappointed, but La Tartine Gourmande’s coconut and lime macaroons were unsatisfying as a cookie, treat … edible substance. She makes them sound so delicious, irresistible even. As a macaroon lover, I couldn’t wait to try these. Granted, the citrus zip was a wonderful complement to the coconut, but I honestly don’t think her directions were correct. Since I don’t usually make my macaroons with eggs, I just followed her steps. Mine looked nothing like her pictures and the more I think about it, the more I think the egg whites needed to be beaten until fluffy and the rest of the ingredients folded in. I’ll try it that way the next time and if these cookies are worth making, you’ll hear about it.
Clacked by Debbie McDuffee
on Apr 20, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
