Sassy Sausage and Black Bean Soup

Reviewed: Oct. 12, 2009

This was very good. I added a bit of green pepper at the outset. I had to use pork sausage instead of beef, but it was good. The salsa I used was Dee's Famous Salsa from this site. Like others, I felt it would play well over a starch, so we had it over a heavy duty corkscrew type macaroni. DH topped his with cheddar. I think we'll have take two tomorrow night by adding 1/2 cup corn and serving with a savory corn muffin.

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Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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The Best Red Enchilada Sauce

Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2009

I screwed it up. I totally burnt the peppers while toasting them. HAHAHA. Watch the time!!!! Wah. No more peppers on hand, but I really wanted the sauce so I just used a whole bunch of chili powder and a itty bit of paprika for a smoky flavor. I'm still giving it five stars. I can tell this recipe is awesome by the ingredients. The only thing I was going to omit was the oregano because I didn't want even the slightest reminder of spaghetti sauce flavor but that's a matter of personal taste. I soooo wish I didn't burn the anchos. My adjusted sauce was OK: the chilis would have brought the sauce to perfection! So thanks for putting me on the right track. Next time!

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Reviewer:

otis

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan

Living In: Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA

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Thirty Minute Yellow Cake

Reviewed: Oct. 4, 2009

This went together in no time; I was very pleased with the resulting cake, and a bit surprised at how (too, too) easy it is to prepare that many calories' worth of temptation for just the two of us. Could spell trouble!

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Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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Egg Noodles

Reviewed: Oct. 4, 2009

Well...this must be easy enough. I've made it twice already. Once was a sort of impromptu "What shall we do for dinner?" moment, and quick calculations suggested this in chicken broth with some veggies and a bit of crumbled sausage. >>> I am still working on my technique; my noodle results are not as tender as I would like, yet, but I do think it has to do with my novice standing. I'll keep on.

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Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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Blueberry Muffins I

Reviewed: Oct. 4, 2009

These were okay. They certainly weren't bad, but I feel they need a little tweaking in order to make them *really* good. I made them just as written and you could taste the baking powder a little too much... I'm not sure if they need less baking powder, or more sugar...

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amandamae

Cooking Level: Beginning

Living In: Kadena Ab, Okinawa, Japan

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Ultimate Shrimp Scampi

Reviewed: Sep. 30, 2009

I followed the recipe to the letter and it got rave reviews from all of my family, ranging from 24 to 50 years of age. Absolutely delicious! Will use again!

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Alexis H.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Living In: Misawa, Aomori, Japan

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Taco Seasoning I

Reviewed: Sep. 26, 2009

This was really good. So much better than the pre-packaged stuff which always tasted sort of "fake" to us. You can actually taste the meat using this recipe. I cooked one pound of beef and added one can of black beans and used the whole recipe of seasoning. I added 2/3c. cold water with a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed in.

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CandiceSteele

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Higashi-Omi, Shiga, Japan

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Meat Shell Potato Pie

Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2009

I followed the recipe except I used crushed butter crackers as one reviewer recommended and it was phenomenal! My husband was impressed. ;)

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Alexis H.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Living In: Misawa, Aomori, Japan

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Bananas 'N' Cream Bundt Cake

Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2009

I baked this cake. it's realy easy to make. I chenge Sour cream. I used Yogurt. I cut off yogurt water . It's my first time to make bundt cake.

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Yukako

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Osaka, Osaka, Japan

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Shoyu Chicken

Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2009

ono! we're surrounded by great food and culinary adventures every day, but to me shoyu chicken always gonna be one of those comfort foods! this recipe is great. now it's a toss-up between this grilled kine and the slow-cooked/stewed kine (with more of a five-spice flavor) for me. love it!

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abc

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Living In: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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Thai Cashew Chicken

Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2009

this recipe is good. people who claim it is too salty.. try using THAI or CHINESE soy sauce rather than japanese soy sauce. it makes a difference because they are completely different types. also, try adding seasonings like soy or fish sauce to taste, using the recipe as a rough suggestion.. this recipe is good (but i admit it is definitely not something my Thai mother would have made..)

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abc

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Living In: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions

Reviewed: Sep. 20, 2009

What a great recipe! I was looking for something nutritious with an autumn flavor, and this was just the ticket. A few changes I made: Like other reviewers suggested, I decreased the amount of dried thyme. I just used what was left in the shaker, probably 1/2-3/4 tsp, and it was plenty. The subtle flavor was wonderful. Also, I subbed orange juice for amaretto, because I'm on a bit of a tight budget and OJ is a more practical choice for my household. Last, I threw in some prunes (sliced in half) because I love them. They're full of iron, they add color contrast to the dish, and they're delicious!

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lupusliz

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Dover, Ohio, USA

Living In: Osaka, Osaka, Japan

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Shrimp Fried Rice II

Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2009

This turned out pretty bland as is. I made it a second time and added chili paste and extra soy sauce. I also replaced the vegetable oil with sesame oil. Much better. You can add pretty much any veggies you want...we added zucchini and some broccoli.

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CandiceSteele

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Higashi-Omi, Shiga, Japan

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Date Cookies

Reviewed: Sep. 18, 2009

These are good but due to food allergies and pantry deficiencies I had to change things up just a bit. I used crushed flaked rice cereal in place of the nuts...it worked. My cloves were whole, so I had to crush them ... that worked, too. I did bake 12 minutes after chilling batter flattened in freezer for 15 min. I just couldn't wait the full hour & a half chill time.

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Reviewer:

Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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Zucchini Yogurt Multigrain Muffins

Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2009

Well I overdid the zucchini by guesstimating rather than measuring, and I substituted fresh pineapple for the apple sauce, because apple sauce is not a standard item in this region. When the weight of all that wonderfully moist goodness prevented the muffins from rising to the occasion, I filled the dimpled domes with cream cheese frosting, so the end result was a muffin containing: zucchini, carrot, pineapple, lemon zest and just a tad of lemon juice along with wheat germ, oatmeal, and rasins. Can't feel too bad about dimples with all that packed in!! (My bad...not the recipe's fault). Very delicious.

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Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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Carrot Cake with PHILLY Cream Cheese Icing

Reviewed: Sep. 13, 2009

Philadelphia will love this... I only used the icing as a quick save to some crestfallen muffins. I scaled it down to do the few muffins I had, and it was a worthy save.Everyone thought that's how I MEANT for them to look and taste. Yea!

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Reviewer:

Hezzy_tant_Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

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Oregano-Lemon Chicken

Reviewed: Sep. 12, 2009

Not great as is. Won't be making it again.

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CandiceSteele

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Higashi-Omi, Shiga, Japan

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Reviewed: Sep. 12, 2009

With a few little changes, we LOVE this recipe. I added celery, carrots, and plenty of fresh garlic and used 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream. So yummy!

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