Recipe Site Review

Recipe Site Review - Recipes

These are some of my favorite recipes from my mother's kitchen, other relatives, friends, and a few that I've found on my own that I think are especially good. I'm not providing an extensive list of recipes because there are plenty of other sites out there that have many more recipes. If you are looking for recipe sites (complete with reviews) go to my site The Recipe Site Review . The Home link below will also take you to the Recipe Site Review home page. I have been redesigning this site a bit, so if you go to the bottom of this page there are some caveats, tips, and comments.

Home . Breads . Desserts . Main Courses . Miscellaneous . Credits .

Breads

Bran Muffins - These are easy to make, stay moist, and the taste is not overpowering. They freeze well, too.
Dill Bread - One from my mother. An easy quick bread made in a casserole dish.

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Desserts

Baby Ruth Bars - This is one of my mother's recipes ... don't know where it came from otherwise. The bars do remind me of a Baby Ruth candy bar.
Baked Lemon Pudding - A bit like a lemon soufflé, but not as light and puffy A recipe from my mother.
Buster Bars - A takeoff on the famous Dairy Queen Buster Bar -- mom use to make this one too.
Carrot Cake #1 - There are many carrot cake variations, but this is one of my favorites. The pineapple and coconut keep it moist for days.
Cranberry Dessert - Another from my mother. A nice use of fresh cranberries and a wonderful (fattening) sauce.
Deluxe Sugar Cookies - A recipe my son, Eric, acquired at school. An easy recipe.
Easy Sugar Cookies - This one comes from my mother's Aunt Ann. They taste good and are much easier than the Rolled Sugar Cookie recipe below.
Frango Mint Brownies - Made with the chocolate mint made famous by Marshall Field's in Chicago. The mints are now available through many of the stores owned by Dayton/Hudson Corporation.
Grand Marnier Cheesecake - Made with a small amount of Grand Marnier liquor; a bit difficult and time consuming, but worth it. People will rave about it.
(Best) Lemon Meringue Pie - I think this came from the Chicago Tribune sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's. If you're planning on serving it the same day, allow at least 5 hours because it needs to chill for at least 3 1/2 hours.
Lemon Velvet Ice Cream -- An old family favorite that my father used to make on those special occasions when he brought out the ice cream maker. Unusual because most of the time when you think of lemon in a frozen dessert, you think of sherbet.
Monster Cookies #1 -- Another cookie recipe with many variations. This one has peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M&M's.
Monster Cookies #2 -- A little bit more work than the other Monster Cookie recipe, but they seem to be a bit more moist. I got this recipe years ago from a summer intern who worked with me at SPSS.
Rolled Sugar Cookies -- More difficult than most. These are wonderful if you can roll them thin enough. I believe my mother got the recipe from either her mother or aunt. She has a beautifully worn pastry cloth that's perfect for getting them thin.
Snicker Doodles -- From Mary "Sugar" Lukk one of my dear friends in Northfield, Minnesota (now residing in Venice, Florida -- I'm jealous).
Triple Citrus Cheesecake -- This one comes from the Kraft (Philadelphia Cream Cheese) site. I'm not usually a big fan of their recipes because they're usually a bit sweet or heavy for my taste, but this one is wonderful. A relatively light, but satisfying, cheesecake. I found that I liked it with a bit more lime than the recipe calls for, but it's good either way.
Triple-Ginger Layer Cake -- Wonderful cake recently found in Bon Appétit. The recipe has ground ginger, crystallized ginger, cream cheese frosting ... what more could you ask for.
Watergate (Pistachio) Cake -- I think this is a classic from the 1970's. It's traditionally made in a 9 x 13 sheet, but I make it in layers and leave out the cherries, etc. that some recipes call for. It's very similar to a pistachio cake I had in a middle-eastern restaurant.

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Main Courses

Amarillo Brisket - My sister's recipe -- obtained when she lived in Amarillo, Texas. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.
Au Gratin Potatoes - Easy to prepare - taste great -- from the Idaho Potato site.
Bada-Bing Ribs - It's a long story, but to make it short ... some friends who lived in Northfield, MN (until a recent move to Florida) had an annual "rib fest" competition in their back yard for the past few years ... just among "friends". This is a "no rules" competition, you can buy your entry from the local rib shack if you think they'll win. Anyway after several 2nd place finishes, yours truly finally came away the winner with this adaptation of a Bon Appétit recipe (July, 2002). The glaze for the ribs is made from cherry cola, bing cherries, and more. I know rib purists will cringe (I did), but I had to prove a point.
Beef Stroganoff - This is from Bon Appétit (September, 1999). Obviously not a family recipe, but this is SO good ...
Brisket with Dried Apricots, Prunes and Aromatic Spices -- A really tasty brisket recipe from Bon Appétit (April, 2002). Even if you think you don't like apricots or prunes give this a try. It has a very aromatic middle-eastern flavor, it's quite rich, and it comes out very tender. I liked it with the Lemon Couscous with Peas and Carrots down in the Miscellaneous section.
Mustard Lamb Chops with Tomatoes and Mint Sauce -- This recipe takes some time to prepare, but mostly it's marinating and pre-preparation. These chops are wonderful although a bit expensive to make. The recipe came from a restaurant in the Minneapolis area - Scott Kee's Tour de France and appeared in the Star Tribune newspaper (1991).
Piccadillo -- First tried a version like this in Key West, Florida (unfortunately I don't know the name of the restaurant since it was years ago). In fact, this recipe is probably the one that my mother got from the cookbook she bought at the restaurant. An unusual combination of ingredients -- ground beef, capers, green olive, and raisins.
Reuben Casserole -- Similar to a Reuben sandwich in a casserole. Try the Thousand Island Dressing recipe below as one of the ingredients. As I recall this came from an old friend, Patricia MacClarence, in Chicago.
Spinach Quiche -- My own variation on quiche. I had a couple of tasteless quiches recently and knew it could be done better.
Sweet & Sour Ragout of Lamb with Figs -- Found in Bon Appétit nearly 20 years ago; a bit of a North African influence I'd say. One of my very favorite lamb dishes.
Zesty Biscuit Bean Bake - A classic "back of the box" type recipe, but I like it anyway.

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Miscellaneous

Beef (or Poultry) Marinade - A nice marinade for beef or poultry.
Curried Fruit - Another from my mother. A nice light curry flavored fruit mixture. Make an excellent side dish with ham.
Egg Pancakes - Some people call these Swedish pancakes. They are thin, but not as thin as a crepe. Delicious sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, then rolled up. My uncle used to roll up sausages in them and put them in his pockets when he went hunting.
Kincaid's Lite Citrus Dressing - This dressing, and the salad ingredients, is served at Kincaid's in Bloomington, Minnesota. My mother obtained the recipe -- I'm guessing from the newspaper. The dressing has orange juice concentrate, shallots, vinegar, etc. The salad has lettuce, oranges, strawberries, toasted almonds ... even kids might like this one.
Lamb Marinade - The cloves and cinnamon in this marinade go very well with lamb.
Lemon Couscous with Peas and Carrots - A nice fresh variation on couscous from Bon Appétit. Reheats surprisingly well, too.
Peppered Cheese Ball - A good one that my mother used to make frequently. I'll have to remind her to make it again next time I visit.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme and Marjoram Vinaigrette - Found this one in Bon Appétit (November, 2002). Even my teenage son likes this despite the inclusion of parsnips and rutabagas. The mixture of the sweet vegetables (yams and carrots) contrast beautifully with the more savory ones (parsnips and rutabagas). Plus, you can prepare it up to 4 hours ahead and reheat it.
Thousand Island Dressing - Good for making the Reuben Casserole above and good for salads, too. I believe this one is from Pat MacClarence in Chicago, too.
Shiskabob Marinade - Good with round steak cubes - From Linda Talbot -- Chicago and environs.
Stilton Pâté - A bit strong for some tastes. A little goes a long way.

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Hints and Tips

I've added a style sheet to this site but I'm fairly new at it, so things may look weird in some browsers. If you don't like the font size, you can change it in Netscape by choosing "View" from the menu and then either increase or decrease the font. You can change it in Internet Explorer by selecting "View", then "Text Size". Also, note that recipes and other links open in a new window when clicked. If you do not have JavaScript enabled, when you click on a link, it will probably open in this window rather than in a new window. I have only tried disabling JavaScript in two browsers: Netscape 4.77, and Netscape 6.01.

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Credits

The images used to construct the background for this page are from pixture.com .

The colored diamond bullets were obtained from Ender Design - Realm Graphics .

The JavaScript used to pop up the new windows was adapted from a script obtained at The JavaScript Source

As always, here's a plug for my favorite art history site -- Art History with Michelli .

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Page last updated on -- 6 March, 2005