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One of my favorite recipes so far on Food and Wine. Chicken hasn't tasted this good in a long, long time. These are DELICIOUS sandwiches -- the lemon provides a spicy flavor in combination with the remoulade. Texturally, between the grilled break and the sauce, the sandwiches are a perfect combination. An official easy, go-to crowd-pleaser.

By uvakat | 

June 3, 2009

Disappointingly bland. The recipe doesn't do anything with the potatoes, steak was fine, but the flavor of the puree was too jarring (it's not especially flavorful puree -- it just didn't seem to fit with the rest). I was looking forward to the simplicity of this dish, but ultimately, found it lacking and not cohesive.

By uvakat | 

May 7, 2009

This is a mild, smoky sauce that adds a really delicious flavor to chicken. The garlic adds a richness that comes out when you add a touch of salt; the chile is mild and gives subtle flavor. I absolutely recommend this recipe if you're a chicken-eater tired by the same old ways of preparing it.

By uvakat | 

May 5, 2009

Very flavorful recipe (I'd give it 3.5 stars). It's a bit too salty between the garlic and cumin, but overall it's a nice marinade for asparagus and provides some savory flavor and a great grilling recipe.

By uvakat | 

May 5, 2009

This recipe gets 3 stars from me. It's a tasty stew packed with nutrients, and I really enjoyed making it. But for so many ingredients, the taste was -- for me -- sort of a one-trick pony, so to speak. The overwhelming flavor is cumin (which is delicious -- don't get me wrong). I was expecting more layered flavors, given all the ingredients.

What you'll get with this recipe: a health-conscious meal and a reliable, filling stew that you'll likely make again

What you won't get with this recipe: something that does flavor explosions on your palette.

By uvakat | 

February 5, 2009

This is just delicious. One of my few 5-stars on food and wine. Now for me, 5-stars can mean one of two things: 1) remarkable flavor profile, or, 2) it's the kind of good you just want to keep eating, no matter how full you are. This recipe touches on both -- but it's primarily in the second category. It's a super simple, super delicious recipe.

By uvakat | 

February 2, 2009

This is just plain good. I'm not an olive fan, but I can totally appreciate the bold flavors of this recipe. It's worth cooking for the steak rub alone, but olive-lovers among you will really enjoy this dish. The rub is incredibly flavorful and goes hand-in-hand with the olive relish. If you like bold flavors, give this one a try. (PS -- scrap the crusty rolls and choose a rosemary bread that compliments the flavors of the dish).

By uvakat | 

January 28, 2009

Nothing special about this recipe. The mushroom sauce is nice, but not superb. The salmon is -- all-in-all -- bland. Perhaps marinating overnight in OJ would provide more flavor.

By uvakat | 

January 18, 2009

The fries have a nice, sweet taste. Not sure what the parsley does for this dish, though, in terms of flavor.

By uvakat | 

January 6, 2009

Delicious! The horseradish blends really well with the other ingredients for the paste to form a more subtle and nuanced horseradishy flavor. My only complaint is that I couldn't get the paste crunchy as the roast cooked. (Be careful about the actual roasting instructions in the recipe, especially if your roast isn't quite 6 lbs). Really, really tasty and easy roast--two thumbs up.

By uvakat | 

December 10, 2008

These potatoes are delicious. Now, in fairness, I added another 5 garlic cloves and used red potatoes as a healther option. Outside of that, I followed the recipe as-is and was very pleased. The garlic isn't overpowering and the flavors come together to make the perfect, subtle comfort food. One of the few 5-stars I've rated. Give it a try!

By uvakat | 

December 10, 2008

These are tasty tacos. And easily a recipe I will keep in my collection. I can't help but feel, though, there the flavor should have boomed a bit more, given the unique spices and ingredients. The slaw needs a lot of salt (I think because the sour cream curbs the flavor of the rest of the ingredients) and then, once spooned onto the tacos, hides some of the flavor of the salmon. No mistaking, this is still a keeper of a dish -- but in the end, I was expecting more flavor.

By uvakat | 

December 8, 2008

Great idea -- and definitely a crowd pleaser. But really begs for salt and a little extra flavor.

By uvakat | 

December 4, 2008

This is very easy and definitely popular with crowds. I think, however, the popularity comes from it's easy-to-eat-ness vs. deliciousness. Good, but nothing extraordinary.

By uvakat | 

December 4, 2008

This is an "OK" burrito -- reliable, fast, and standard. It's certainly worth making (especially if you need a quick fix for a meal), but don't expect any of the flavors to knock your socks off. In other words, this isn't "serving for guests" material.

While the black bean salsa had a good thing going, I'd strongly recommend adding more punch to this recipe by layering in some kind of corn-based salsa (in addition to the beans) for more flavor. And don't be afraid of using pepper jack -- it adds a necessary flavor to the burrito.

By uvakat | 

November 13, 2008

This is a great boiling sauce with layered flavors (definitely use the boil for extra veggies!) and a sinfully delicious butter sauce for dipping. Great finishing touch to a mild but tasty boil.

By uvakat | 

September 4, 2008

This is a nice, mild recipe. The sauce is gentle enough for delicate tilapia, but sufficient enough to provide flavor.  On the down side, the sauce is oily and runny. The extra juice and oil made the dish beg for more texture. Overall -- a nice way to serve tilapia.

The next time I prepare it, I'll likely make a citrus salad using the basting sauce for the fish as the sauce for the citrus salad and top the fish with the salad.

By uvakat | 

September 2, 2008

This is an easy, tasty ceviche recipe. What I appreciated the most was that the snapper came out flavorful, but not totally overwhelmed by the citrus. Some ceviche can become sour from the citrus, but this recipe held up well, thanks to a bulk of additional ingredients (be sure to use red onion, so the sweetness curbs the rest of the flavors). My only recommendations for changes: use 3 cloves of garlic, 3-5 tablespoons of cilantro, and 1 tsp of cumin. Give it a try.

By uvakat | 

August 11, 2008

Even with the crunch of the cabbage, these tacos are missing something. It's a good recipe--but not an exceptional one. I tried the recipe as is, to truly experience it. When I make in the future, I'll add chopped onions vs. minced for texture, 2 small jalapenos vs. 1 for zing, and *maybe* a few cellophane noodles per taco for crunch (the texture of the tacos was too creamy). Certainly give these tacos a try -- the snapper makes for a tasty, healthy meal.

By uvakat | 

May 6, 2008

A nice gumbo, although a little too soupy. Consider adding a touch more flour.

By uvakat | 

May 5, 2008