How Readers Cooked EVERY RECIPE From Our September Issue
If you haven't been following along, the Bitten Word Cover to Cover 2013, in which the Washington, D.C.–based food bloggers Clay Dunn and Zach Patton asked some 485 of their readers to make the 37 recipes from our September issue—i.e., our Best New Restaurants issue, with recipes like lamb tartare and the inordinately complicated Fat Rice—is finally COMPLETE! There were some hits and some misses, but culinary success or not, it was really all about rising to the challenge. So, a job well done to all participants: we applaud your efforts! Check out some of our favorite submissions here, with comments from the people who made them, and be sure to head over to The Bitten Word for a full recap.
1/11Sloppy Tacos
Josie: An amazing, light, summery taco which should be on everyone's bbq menu planning. If the taco meat isn't enough to impress you, the addition of the lime sour cream will knock your socks off. Get the recipe.
2/11Apple Salad with Walnuts and Lime
Erica: The herbs, spices, and lime juice complemented each other nicely. I like vegetable salads and am not crazy about those that have fruits, nuts, and cheese. But if you do, this is a good one, and probably could be served over lettuce. Easy to find the ingredients and fast to assemble. Toss the apples with the lime juice first to prevent discoloration. Get the recipe.
3/11Fat Rice
Lisa: The dish has quite a few steps, but if you break up the steps as suggested, it is manageable. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using headless shrimp. I really liked the combination of Portuguese and Asian flavors. At first I thought the list of garnishes was too much, but they really added to the final flavor of the dish. I especially liked the crisp rice at the bottom of the pot. It reminded me of the Korean dish bibimbap. Get the recipe.
4/11Fish and Chips with Malt Vinegar Mayonnaise
Alice: This household enjoys fish and chips on a regular basis, but we have always left the work to restaurateurs. We found the fish prep easy with straightforward directions, and the final product to be quite delicious. It is recommended that extra soda or beer be kept close at hand to temper the batter; it tends to thicken as it is used, becoming difficult to work with. A quick splash and stir with extra liquid before dipping each piece of fish is helpful. The malt vinegar mayonnaise ingredients appear to be out of proportion. It took four attempts to achieve a consistency even close to a sauce let alone a stiff mayo, and even then we had to modify the ingredients (two yolks, half the oil). Next time we will skip the suggested mayo and just enjoy a basic malt vinegar! Get the recipe.
5/11Skate Wing Schnitzel
Michael: Skate wing is not a common fish. I happened upon it at a fabulous Fish Market here in Portland, Maine, 3 months ago. I was wary I might find it again for this assignment, but lo and behold, there they were (I bought and froze extra!!). Please look for it if you can. It is amazing. It resembles in flavor and texture, scallops. Yet, it is a beautiful fillet size. In this recipe, the texture holds up well to a schnitzel technique. Ultimately, it was delicious. I followed the recipe verbatim (which I usually do not do), and it was great. My only suggestion would be to amp up the sauce...more lemon, more capers, and a little more of it. (The schnitzel sops up the sauce fairly quickly). Even if you can't find skate wing, try one of the alternates listed in the recipe. Get the recipe.
6/11Carrot and Beet Slaw with Pistachios and Raisins
Danielle: This recipe was great, pleasantly crunchy with a nice balance of acid and sweetness. When I make this again I will shred the carrots and beets to cut the prep time in half. Get the recipe.
7/11Lamb Tartare
Anushka: This recipe was simple to make and well balanced in its flavors. The olive oil and fresh lemon juice accentuated the lamb mixture really well. This appetizer is a cool variation of the traditional steak tartare and would impress most dinner guests! Get the recipe.
8/11Fried Farro with Pickled Carrots and Runny Eggs
Alix: What a fun challenge! I haven't stuck so closely to a recipe since high school, so it was a good exercise to follow instructions. I did sub out the fish sauce for this vegetarian mock-fish sauce recipe, which I think worked pretty well. The meal was delicious! I never would have sought out maitake mushrooms, or used farro or parsley in a fried rice style recipe. One problem with the recipe was that Bon Appétit didn't tell me how many carrots to pickle, so I made a ton. Okay, so that's not really a problem. Yum. Get the recipe.
9/11Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Speck and Chimichurri
Eliza: I was skeptical at first -- cilantro tastes like soap to me, but recently I have enjoyed it in salsa. The dish sounded like it would be a bit disjointed, a pile of things on a plate on top of sauce. I followed the recipe closely and only substituted white wine vinegar for red. The taste was... amazing. The flavors -- the grassy green of the chimichurri, the sweet earthiness of the potatoes, the gamey salty flavor of the speck -- all complimented each other beautifully. I will definitely make this again, probably for company. Get the recipe.
10/11Tarragon Creamed Corn
Nicole: Before making this dish, I hadn't had creamed corn since my childhood when it came out of a can. This was definitely a grown up version of the classic, it was full of flavor and had a great texture. This would be great as a Thanksgiving side. Get the recipe.
11/11Cornmeal Crepes with Figs and Pears
Carrie: I have never made crepes before and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. This was such a fun recipe to make! Get the recipe.
