cynjne
 Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)
Home Town:
Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Member Since: Jun. 2005
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Interests: Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, Healthy, Dessert, Gourmet
Hobbies: Walking, Reading Books, Music
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About this Cook
I never learned to cook as a girl. When I had a family of my own I had to learn quickly. As my family has grown my interest in cooking has too. I started watching cooking shows on TV then discovered this and a few other sites. This is my favourite though. I love experimenting with new tastes and have somehow discovered that I seem to have a knack for looking at recipies and being able to tell if they would turn out to be delicious.
My favorite things to cook
Main courses. Good steaks, roast beef, turkey. A vegetarian I am not. I also love to make sauces and salad dressings. When I see a recipe for a sauce,dressing, marinade that calls for lots of ingredients or ingredients that I usually don't use I get intrigued. Due to quite a few really good recipe results, mainly from this site, I have been enjoying baking.
My favorite family cooking traditions
Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkey dinner. The menu is almost always the same and the kids wouldn't have it any other way. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, a veg, my special gravy, cranberry sauce, cabbage salad, manderine orange salad and nanaimo bars for dessert.
My cooking triumphs
I am always on cloud nine when I make a roast and the gravy turns out really good. But I think that finally mastering a pie crust makes me feel triumphant.
My cooking tragedies
Friends were invited over for a casual dinner. I was using my old standby spagetti sauce recipe that I have made for 10+ years and I burned it. My friends are great and we had a good laugh. A few months later the same group gathered at my house for a meal. Everything looked great. A nicely balanced Sunday spread. Nothing too fancy, just a homey meal. I carved the roast beef in the kitchen and began to load up a generous platter. My jaw dropped when I saw how rare the meat was. Now personally I enjoy beef rare but I wasn't sure everyone would share my taste. There wasn't too much I could do considering everyone was seated and very hungry. Thank goodness for the dimmer switch.
Recipe Reviews 234 reviews
Artichoke Chicken
In an attempt to tidy up my recipe box I realized there are some recipes that I have overlooked. That's what happens when your recipe box is bursting with more than a couple of thousand saved items. So, I finally made this chicken dish served with Garlic Spinach (AR) and it made for a delicious meal. There is absolutely no exaggeration in the quoted 35 minute prep and cook time, allowing this dish to be enjoyed any day of the week. I used marinated artichokes and used half mayo/sour cream. A reviewer had suggested toasting some Panko crumbs and sprinkling them on top. I might add that the next time. I was very careful to drain and even press excess liquid from the artichokes but still had a small amount of water in the baking dish described by some reviewrs. I say "just never mind" as it in no way took away from the taste and texture. I would suggest that the Parmesan cheese be of the best brand affordable or at least freshly grated. I'm pointing this out as the flavour of the cheese comes through in just the most perfect balance and therefore this might be where to spend a little extra if possible. At first I cringed at the price of a fairly small piece but it really lasts when stored correctly. Thanks for posting a great recipe.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jan. 31, 2012
Garlic Spinach
Delicious! Done in a flash! Healthy and Economical. This made a perfect side dish to Artichoke Chicken (another yummy AR recipe). There's just something about the wonderful aroma of butter garlic and lemon juice. Oh...the spinach turns a lovely bright and fresh green colour too - So Kudos all around.

2 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jan. 31, 2012
Jennie's Heavenly Slow Cooker Chicken
How nice to be surprised. I haven't always been happy with crock pot meals but this is a recipe that I will keep and make again for sure. Rather than cut back on salt (a few reviewers said "too salty") I used unsalted butter and paid attention to how much salt there was already built in the called for ingredients that I cannot control - the soup for example. I'm a Kosher salt fan as I find the flavour is less harsh and more pleasing even when using less. As a personal preference I used half white wine and half chicken broth. I was unsure if 4 hours on low would be long enough so I began at high for about an hour then turned to low for the remaining time. The chicken was very tender and the sauce smooth. I served it over basmati rice with a broccoli side. Delicious! The following night I made egg noodles serving them with the remaining sauce. Add economical as another bonus. Thanks so much for posting.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jan. 31, 2012
 
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