Favorite Paula Wolfert Recipes [Split from October Cookbook of the Month Voting thread]

[Sally LaRhette]

i wonder if you could tell me some of your favorite Wolfert recipes?I love the books she has, have not cooked from them yet!
[e-mail]

[roxlet]

Her cassoulet recipe from The Cooking of Southwest France is absolutely magnificent. It has been called "The Best Cassoulet I Ever Had" by numerous French friends. The pork skin on the bottom of the pot is one of the truly great touches...

[oakjoan]

How to choose, how to choose!?

I really love (and have made countless times for dinner parties) the following:

From World of Food

Chicken with Tomato Eggplant Jam
Moroccan Fried Chicken
Suquet of Shrimp with Toasted Almond Sauce

Caramel and Coconut Cake from Ohrid
Orange Slices with Moroccan Spices

Cooking of S/W France - my favorite of all her books.

Daube of Beef in Style of Gascony

BBQ Spareribs, Languedoc Style (one of my fave recipes of all time by ANY cookbook writer) - I don't do the ham fat part. This is such a welcome respite from all the sweet and gooey bbq ribs.

Toulouse Sausages with Savoy Cabbage - I've done this with various sausages because I don't have a source for Toulouse Sausages and I've never undertaken to make them (altho she gives a recipe).

Chicken with Verjus
Chicken with Garlic Pearls and Sauternes Sauce

Hot Mussel Salad
Chicken Liver Salad with Apples and Watercress

I've also made the Cabbage and Dumpling Soup which is delicious, but quite a bit of work. Good project for a long dark winter's day.

I also wish somebody would make 2 desserts: Frozen Lemon Parfait in a Bitters Mousse with Black Currant Sauce (from World or Food) or Molded Mint Parfait Stuffed with Chocolate Mousse (from her Cooking of S.W. France), which seems to me to be one of the most complicated desserts I've ever seen. It certainly won't be me.
Murakan (sp?)

Slow Med. Kitchen

Haven't cooked much from this.

Do love the chickpea, celery and porcini soup with pecorino cheese
The Green Grape Tart is interesting because we so rarely see grapes cooked

Med. Grains and Greens

I can't remember what exactly this is called, but it's a potato cake with a filling of kale and Taleggio and it's GREAT. I've used other greens and other cheeses and it's always delicious. A bit of a chore turning it over, but worth it.

Beans with Arugula and Prosciutto - this book has loads of recipes for greens and beans or greens and potatoes

Med G&G also has the great Breakfast Biblical Burrito (pita with tomatoes, parsley, feta, etc.) a terrif breakfast and even good with coffee.

Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean

Musakhan - a magnif chicken dish sprinkled with roasted pine nuts and crumbled lavash before serving - a great party dish.

Burhan's Onion-Parsley Salad - great with grilled lamb or chicken or kebabs.

She has a very good recipe to accompany the salad: Lamb loin strips marinated in tomato paste, homemade pepper paste (mix of red bells and chilis), garlic, Turkish baharat (she has recipe- its a spice mixture). Highly rec.

She also has a recipe for Pork Kebabs (something one rarely sees)

Last, but not least - Hot and Sweet Red Pepper Dip with Walnuts and Pomegranate Molasses - great dip.

I probably went on way too long and I don't even know if you have these books....her website also has a bunch of these recipes.

Can you tell I'm a fan? Okay, a fanatic!

[foxy fairy]

oakjoan -- This popped up when I searched for the Moroccan chicken with eggplant-tomato jam (page 161, World of Food). You mention it as one of your favorites. Any tips or modifications that you would suggest? thanks. I'm going to make it for a friend this week. thanks so much!

[oakjoan]

foxy fairy:

Oops, didn't see this until today, Monday 9/22. Sorry. I think I just put some chicken broth in place of water in most all recipes, not just Paula W's.

[jen kalb]

do yourself a favor and cook wolfert's recipes as written (tho be careful taking them from the web except on her site). they are pretty special and well thought through.

[dkennedy]

Hi Jen,

I have a question about the rib recipe. I am making them for the first time and they are marinating right now- they smell incredible, by the way. The recipe says to grill them at least 6 inches from the heat or to do them in oven. Do you find they are better one way or another?

[jhan]

oakjoan,

I am new to chowhound, so I don't know if you will see this on such an old thread, but I am wondering if you might be able to answer a question... I am expecting Wolfert's World of Food in the mail this week, and am curious to try this chicken with tomato eggplant jam. When I google the dish name, I am only seeing a similar recipe pop up from her Food of Morocco cookbook.Do you know if it is the same recipe in both books? You seem to be quite the Wolfert authority, so thought I'd ask.
Thanks.