Cynthia LaFourcade

With absolutely no changes, this bread came out with perfect flavor and texture. It has just the right amount of "sweet" in it. The outer crust was not tough like many bread machine results can yield. Hubs gobbled up half of the loaf before supper. Needless to say it's a definite keeper.

This salad is outstanding! I took it to a dinner party and everyone gushed over it. The flavors pair beautifully. Don't deviate from the recipe as it's perfect as written. And by all means, do not sub out the Walnut Oil. It's what makes it. Needless to say, it got more attention than the main course. A definite keeper.

This is a simple pie to make that has good body and texture. It could use a little more oomph of flavor, possibly by adding a bit more sugar and spice. Added rum as a suggested alternative and it gave it a nice punch with the ginger. Hubs absolutely loved it, so I'll be making it again.

This was a very good, flavorful raisin bread. I adjusted the amount to yield one loaf to see if we were going to like it (you can do this by clicking on Change Settings above the list of ingredients). I let the bread machine take care of the dough part. It rose beautifully in the loaf pan. My only criticism is the bake time is way off, so keep an eye on it. It could be because I had only one loaf baking in the oven. This loaf was perfect in 30 minutes.

I think the gist of this recipe is the method used to bake the chicken, which I've done for years. Chicken and vegetables are "steam" baked using liquid, covering the pan with foil. The proportions are too much to fit in a 9 x 13 pan, and 2 cups of liquid and butter suggested is way too much to use. By the time the fat renders off the chicken the dish will be swimming. I used 1/2 cup and it was just right. It also lacked seasoning, so I gave it a good dose of herbs de Provence and a sprig of thyme to infuse some savory flavors. Since I don't like soft skin, I increased the oven temp to 375, uncovered, and baked an additional 15 minutes to to crisp it up a bit. For the basic cook, this recipe is okay. Just be careful you either cut down on ingredients or use a larger pan.

These were a breeze using the bread machine to make the dough. I skipped scalding the milk, and just combined it with the water. I'm not sure what I missed out on by doing this, but these turned out beautiful and worthy of serving at Thanksgiving dinner. Definitely a keeper.