wsf Recipe Reviews (Pg. 1) - Allrecipes.com (10894104)

Chicken Fried Venison Steaks

Reviewed: Oct. 27, 2008

I loved this recipe! the coating was crispy, the meat succulent and tender, and the gravy was divine. I am not a fan of chicken fried recipes, but this almost reminded me of a schnitzel, and was heavenly in every mouthful!

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17 users found this review helpful

Spicy Baked Feta (Feta Psiti)

Reviewed: Oct. 27, 2008

I love baked feta, and was really looking forward to trying this recipe out, and I was definitely not disappointed. The balance of salt from the cheese, spice from the chilies, and the herbal aroma of the oregano hit the spot. But... I gave it three stars because although I enjoyed it, the flavour was a bit plain. I added some crushed garlic, and a bit of rosemary, and felt the recipe was better rounded for the changes. But since I am judging on the recipe as it, it was just a bit of a single note, so only three stars.

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54 users found this review helpful

Bangers and Mash

Reviewed: Oct. 25, 2008

This is NOT bangers and mash. Rather, it is a low rent version of a shepherd's pie. Bangers and mash is a dinner of sausages with mashes potatoes on the side, served with a tasty gravy. A true bangers and mash does not call for mixes or premade gravy. As for taste, it was mediocre at best.

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9 users found this review helpful

-A-Leekie Stew

Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2008

I am kind of strange when it comes to "traditional" recipes, and how to review them. On the one hand, how does the recipe taste? On the other, does it really live up to the name? In this case, we are talking about a very traditional Scottish soup/stew: -a-Leekie. As far as taste goes, it is OK. It isn't a bad chicken stew, but there is nothing particularly exciting. Hence the three out of five stars. BUT... it is NOT a traditional -a-leekie! The carrots are there for the broth, and should be removed before it is served. There are no prunes in this recipe, again a part of the original dish. These may seem like minor problems, but they are vital components to the original. So, is this a good recipe: it's adequate, but it is not a true -a-leekie stew.

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33 users found this review helpful

Garlic Pasta

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2008

I have read a few reviews, and have noticed that quite a few people have said that the amount of herbage was simply overwhelming. And I can't help but wonder if they used dried herbs, rather than fresh. I used fresh herbs in the amounts recomended, and found myself eating a very fresh, very beautiful bowl of pasta. I did serve mine with additional grated parmesan on the side, and found that everyone used more, so perhaps the cheese could have been doubled. Given that the cheese is the only source of salt in this recipe, that may be the reason why we used so much extra cheese. Perhaps a sprinkling of salt would have cured that... Having said all that, I find myself making this often when I have a need for a good flavour, but little time. Final note: one other adjustment I made was to add a bit of lemon juice. Again, I served wedges at the table, and left each to their own. Some used it, some did not. I have tried it both ways, and it really depends on my mood, and how rich the other dishes I served alongside it. With other rich dishes, the lemon is a must. With light dishes on the side, I found it excessive.

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47 users found this review helpful

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2008

Wow! This is one of the most consistent recipes for pizza crust I have used. Every time, the crust has the same consistency, texture, snap, and taste. It has never let me down. To this, I do add one caveat: I feel his oven temp. is too low. I bake at 500, preferably using a pizza stone, and for 8-10 minutes. This gives a crispier crust than the original temperature, and has the mouthfeel of a crust from a fine quality pizza oven.

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5 users found this review helpful

Salisbury Steak

Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2008

In some ways, I almost feel the single star rating is unfair. But this is a recipe in which one half is adequate, and the other I just didn't care for at all. As has been mentioned before, the steaks themselves turn out quite well. I made my own onion soup from scratch, as I do not use many canned foods. And the burgers were fantastic! The sauce however was too salty, and the ketchup flavour was too surreal and artificial. A simple red wine and onion gravy would have been much better, and later was in a second attempt. But I would not recommend the sauce.

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6 users found this review helpful

Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Reviewed: May 15, 2008

How did this get a four star rating? Someone suggested this to me, as I was not in my own kitchen, and did not have the ingredients to make a roux for my own baked maccaroni and cheese. So I thought I would give this a go. I was leery from the beginning, and my concerns were all validated. First off, because a roux was not made, the cheese and milk did not make a sauce, but simply went grainy and coagulated. The evaporated milk still had a metallic taste from the tin. The temperature on the oven was too high, and the macaroni on the top browned and dried to where it was inedible (I had to throw the top away.) this was way underseasoned. I am reluctant to say a recipe is not salvageable, but this one is not.

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10 users found this review helpful

Dry Spice Rub for Lamb or Beef

Reviewed: May 15, 2008

As the recipe stands, I did not enjoy it. But with one simple tweak it came alive: sea salt. Without the salt, the flavour is plain and hardly comes alive. But once I added salt to the mix, everything was jigging and jiving, and my tongue thanked me greatly! As it is being used on fatty cuts such as lamb, it will not leach out too much liquid. If salt had been added, I would have given this 4-5 stars. Cheers!

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24 users found this review helpful

Parmesan Baked Potatoes

Reviewed: May 15, 2008

I read the reviews before trying this, and was amazed by some of the comments. I found this recipe was amazing! The parmesan salts the potatoes, as well as the salt in the butter. This is an excellent recipe for a simple basic baked potato. What I loved as well, is how easy it is to add to this recipe. I have since added minced garlic to the butter, sometimes fresh rosemary and thyme, and have used EVOO or Walnut oil in place of the butter. My only caveat to this recipe is twofold: real salted butter and real freshly grated parmesan (not the stuff in the green cans) are a necessity! These both add the needed saltiness to make the cheesy buttery flavour pop! If using margarine or unsalted butter or the parmesan from the green can, it WILL fall flat. The only other thing I would add is that this recipe is meant as a side, and hence is at its peak with a strongly flavoured protein (marinated chicken or dry rubbed and grilled steaks) and a fresh vegetable (I used steam cauliflower once and green beans regularly). Since the flavour is relatively simple, it compliments rather than stars on a plate. I would not recommend this is the star of the plate, for example, for a vegetarian meal. Cheers!

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138 users found this review helpful

Hayley's M Chicken

Reviewed: May 15, 2008

My concern with this recipe is not the taste. Now, I will admit that I am in the "I Hate Marmite" camp. But I thought that it would work here, and it did! But, the 45 minute cooking time dried the chicken out. I tried the same recipe with bone-in chicken breasts and leg quarters, and it was fantastic! But since the star rating is for the original recipe, it has to be low, as the chicken was too dry. Great flavour concept, but cooking times are wrong.

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8 users found this review helpful

Vegan Lentil, Kale, and Red Onion Pasta

Reviewed: May 15, 2008

I actually made this for a picnic, planning to serve it cold. It had a beautiful taste, and I reallly enjoyed it. There were a few things I changed the next time I made it: 1. I steam the kale separately, to keep the vitamin content. 2. I swapped the vegan sausage for chunks of kielbasa instead (I am not a vegetarian). 3. I used ditalini pasta. The four stars is because I didn't like the kale boiled, and is for the original recipe, and not when I changed it. This makes a great main course (hot or cold) or a great side dish). Even without the sausage it has a beautiful flavour. Excellent dish!

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24 users found this review helpful

Zippy Corn on the Cob

Reviewed: May 14, 2008

I have made corn on the cob time and again, and often enjoy trying different flavoured butters. This one really worked for me! The lower heat notes of the mustard, along with the sharp zing on the horseradish combined well with the natural sweetness of the corn! I originally made 6 cobs for two people, expecting leftovers to use in corn chowder. Needless to say, there was no chowder the next day, as we ate all of the corn!

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14 users found this review helpful

Gnocchi II

Reviewed: May 14, 2008

There is nothing wrong with this recipe in principle. It is basic gnocchi. But, my problem was the proportions. As it does not specify the type of potato nor size, I had to guess at what type to use. Because of this, the amount of flour was variable as well. I ended up using a starchy (russet) medium sized potato (about the size of a cricket ball) and it worked out fine for the amount of flour suggested. The second concern I have is that there were no seasonings suggested. Without something, they tasted quite bland. Salt at the very minimum should have been suggested as well.

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7 users found this review helpful

French Dip Sandwiches

Reviewed: May 14, 2008

I enjoy using my slow cooker, and this is a recipe I was really looking forward to. In spite of the low rating, the flavour was actually not bad. But I found that there were three key issues I had with the original. My qualms were the following: 1. the type of roast wasn't specified. For my first attempt I used a very cheap cut, which was too fatty, and the sandwiches were cloying. I finally used a tri-tip, and it was fine. This would have been good to know. 2. the slow cooking process seemed to mute the garlic flavour, drowning it out. Again, after using fresh garlic, it really came to life. 3. When I used the bouillion, I found it too salty. On the second attempt, I used homemade beef broth instead (low sodium consomme would have worked as well) and I enjoyed it much more.

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9 users found this review helpful

Foil Potatoes

Reviewed: May 14, 2008

I made this recipe as is, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I felt that rather than garlic powder, fresh garlic would have made this so much better, given the 40 minute cooking time.

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7 users found this review helpful

Mexican Posole Stew

Reviewed: May 7, 2008

As a native of Ireland, I can't authenticate this recipe! Ha! Now having said that, I loved the strong pork flavour this stew had. I thought it was fantastic. The only qualm I had was that they did not specify the type of chili. I used anchos, and felt it was not hot enough. Other than that, this was amazing. It will also convert people who normally don't eat grubeen (pig's feet), as it imparts much of the amazingly unctious flavour found here!

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18 users found this review helpful

Pomegranate Sweet Potatoes

Reviewed: Apr. 29, 2008

This was a brilliant twist on candied yams! I loved the pomegranate juice with the starch, and found it a lovely foil to baked ham. I eliminated the water, as I wanted a stronger flavour, but found both mine and the original quite tasty! Well done!

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12 users found this review helpful

Cheese Borek

Reviewed: Apr. 28, 2008

I found these to be an excellent blend of cheeses, and the timings were spot on. I used them as appetisers with a variety of dips, although I can imagine it would be great as part of a light lunch as well!

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13 users found this review helpful

Romanian Grilled Minced Meat Rolls

Reviewed: Apr. 7, 2008

These are amazing! I found the suet kept them moist. I only gave four stars, as it is easy to overwork the meat. It really needs to be lightly mixed to work. This should have been mentioned in the recipe.

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12 users found this review helpful