Untitled

Cookbooks Used

Notes

  1. Grilled Carrots with Limey Hot Sauce and Cotija (Nothing Fancy | Alison Roman): When I say these were the best carrots I've ever eaten, I am not exaggerating! I don't have a grill so I roasted them — I put the sheet pan in the oven while it was heating to 450, then added the carrots to the very hot sheet pan and I think that helped them char. They took longer than the roast time estimated (more like 30-35 mins for me), but once you add the honey lime sauce and the cotija — just wow. I've never had anything like it! Phenomenal, will probably make these 1000 more times. (PITA: 4, Outcome: 9)
  2. Green Chile Pork with Crispy Rice (I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To) | Ali Slagle): This was really good! I forgot to get spinach at the store but luckily I had some forgotten kale in my fridge that was a nice sub 🤣 it was pretty simple and the main flavor profile was the lime + chiles, which was good! I'd probably make again but it's not top of my revisit list, but overall very solid dish. (PITA: 5, Outcome: 7)
  3. Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread (Dining In | Alison Roman): As I was making these I realized I've made them before! These are good — they are not my platonic ideal of a chocolate chip cookie but I think they are for my partner 😂 flavor is great, truly just a brown sugar-y, butter-y shortbread with chocolate. What's not to like! Would make other cookies again before I make these, but I'm happy to have some of the dough stashed in the freezer for sure. (PITA: 4, Outcome: 7)
  4. Spicy Vinegar Chicken and Tomatoes with Orzo (Something from Nothing | Alison Roman): This was a 6 PITA because I had to break down a whole chicken (when did I decide breaking down a whole chicken would be fun and easy?!). Next time would by bone-in chicken pieces. Okay now the actual review: WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE. Why is this so good?! Have I never had a vinegar sauce? Have I never had vinegar-y onions and tomatoes? Does everyone else know about vinegar and I am just way too late to the game? This was SO good, my favorite thing I've made in my cooking experiment so far. It was like eating salt and vinegar chips but maybe a touch healthier because vegetables. The chicken was perfect, the orzo was perfect, everything was perfect. I cannot get over how good this was!! (PITA: 6, Outcome: 9)
  5. Citrusy Cucumbers with Red Onion and Toasted Sesame (Nothing Fancy | Alison Roman): There are multiple things to say about this dish:
  6. Warm Barley with Berries (That Sounds So Good | Carla Lalli Music): I'm really torn on this one! On hand I think the barley was excellent — it was just sweet enough with some citrus flavor and slight tanginess from buttermilk. And the raspberries with a touch of brown sugar and citrus made me think I'll never eat plain raspberries again. But together I think they were a little too much? I will 100% make the raspberries again (maybe every time I have raspberries now), but not sure about the barley. (PITA: 4, Outcome: 7)
  7. Crispy Salmon with Coconut Rice and Crackle Sauce (More is More | Molly Baz): This was good and unique! I wasn't as enraptured by this as I was the brussels sprouts salad I served with it, but it was good and the peanut crackle sauce was unlike anything I've had before! The flavors together were a little flat — I think it needed maybe a touch of lime juice or some sort of acid. I'd make this again — probably not any time soon — but it was good! (PITA: 5, Outcome: 7)