Tag Archives: disappointment

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

I made this without the jalapeños, so I suppose the title of this post should just be “Cheddar Cornbread.”  I can’t believe I’m advocating this, but I strongly prefer the cornbread mix sold by Trader Joe’s.  If I made this … Continue reading

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Irish Soda Bread

This recipe (Barefoot Contessa at Home) claims to be less bland than other versions of Irish Soda Bread because it contains currants and orange zest.  It may be less bland, but I still found it to be kind of dry … Continue reading

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Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart

This recipe (Barefoot Contessa Family Style) claims to be less “cloying” than pumpkin pie, but I didn’t really care for it.  My husband bravely gobbled through it, but I was not impressed.  First of all, creating it dirties about three … Continue reading

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Scott’s Short Ribs

These short ribs were part of our grass-fed beef order from our CSA, and never having cooked short ribs before, I was looking forward to trying this recipe (Barefoot Contessa Family Style).  However, I did have some reservations, since the … Continue reading

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Blintzes With(out) Blueberry Sauce

I’ve never made blintzes before, mostly because of the labor intensiveness that they seem to require.  I don’t mind labor intensive recipes, but breakfast is not the time to experiment with futz.  So, I decided to get cute and try … Continue reading

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Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

The headnotes to this recipe (Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics), indicated that it was inspired by a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated, reportedly one of Ina Garten’s favorite magazines (and one of mine, too).  For me, learning that the dear Contessa … Continue reading

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Outrageous Brownies

The only thing outrageous about these brownies (The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook) is how much butter is required to make them, and how they can still turn out to be just so-so.  I’ve made them twice now, and the first time … Continue reading

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

This recipe (Barefoot Contessa at Home) is further proof that I can’t follow a recipe for mashed potatoes.  I think maybe it’s a little like learning to drive or play a musical instrument:  one can’t follow written instructions alone to … Continue reading

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Disappointment. Or, The Night I Ate Candy Corn for Dinner.

  Oh, dear Barefoot Contessa.  Sweet Ina.  Where did I go wrong?  Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve been sharing the same head and chest cold with my toddler for over a month now, and I’m operating on a torture … Continue reading

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