Comment Guidelines

Few things make smittenkitchen.com more fun for me than the lively comment sections on each post. I love to hear from you, enjoy our conversations and a, flattered daily that you’d share even a snippet of your cooking life with me. That said, the larger these comment sections grow, the more “weeding” I find unfortunately necessary to keep the comment section on-topic and, I hope, as good of a read for you as it is for me. Thus, rather than leaving anyone perplexed as to where their comment disappeared to, here’s a loose outline of what will fly or flop in smitten kitchen discussions:

Please come back more often:

  • Join the conversation. Share a story. Be part of smitten kitchen. Corny as it sounds, a great comment (or a thousand of them) can really make my day. Plus? This site without a comment section would be like me talking to myself all day long, and, trust me, there’s already too much of that.
  • Recipe feedback. Have you tried it? Did the recipe work for you? What changes did you make, or would you make next time? Have any suggestions for others who want to try the recipe but might need that last push? Confession: I jump right to the end of comment sections on other cooking sites when I’m curious about a recipe, because I know that the further down you go, the more likely it is that respondents will have made it, and reported back with their results. As I never make a recipe without reading available reviews of it first, comments that help me answer the “should I bother making this?” question are invaluable to me, and I’d hope others.
  • Recipe questions. Is an instruction confusing? Have you never heard of an ingredient and Google was no help in giving you a lead on it? Want to know how it compares to another recipe on the site? Should I have a good answer, or heck, even a good-enough one, I respond to these as quickly as possible.

I still love you, but your comment? Not so much:

  • Not skimming previous comments. Yes, I know that comment sections can get very long, especially when people are especially excited about a new recipe. I love this enthusiasm. But before you ask a question, can I poliltely request that you check previous comments to see if it has been previously asked and/or answered, either by skimming or doing a word search, usually “Find” under your browser’s Edit menu or Cntrl/Command+F on most keyboards. And please, please don’t say things like “I don’t have time to read all these comments, but…” which often happens when a comment section hits a certain size; I know that your time is valuable but it sounds flippant to the value of other people’s time.
  • Off-topic requests or notes. A comment needs to relate, even tangentially, to the post. Please don’t leave a comment that asks permission to use a photo, or requests that we work together — it’s not really a public conversation, so send an email instead. Likewise, did you nominate smittenkitchen.com for an award on your blog or site? Why thank you! But tell me in an email, not in an off-topic and of little-use-to-other-readers comment.
  • Leaving full recipes in the comments. Due to space limitations, I cannot allow this, but this doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear about another version of a recipe I’ve shared. Instead, first, tell us what’s different about a recipe you like or prefer (i.e. “my favorite pudding recipe has no eggs, but gelatin instead”) so we know why it is worth checking out. Then, tell us where we can find it (i.e. “in the Joy of Cooking, page 218” or “on my site”). The thing is, the internet is full of recipes; what it’s short of is explanations of why one may stand apart from the crowd, or why it deserves your attention. A comment that hones in on this — one that adds insight or contrast — is infinitely more valuable to the conversation than cluttering the web with yet another unsubstantiated recipe.
  • Plugging a product or company. I steer very clear of product recommendations on this site, intentionally — this is about cooking, not shopping. I would never tell you that you need to use This Brand or That Farm to make a smitten kitchen because that would stand in stark contrast to what I feel cooking should be about: accessibility and flexibility. “Buy cheap vanilla beans here”, “the best bread flour is from…” and like comments will be quickly marked as the spam that they are.
  • Shamelessly plugging your own site or project. Trying to draw an audience to your site? Say something interesting. Add something unique the conversation and people will want to know where to hear more from you. “OMG love this.” takes up space but adds little color to the conversation. “I’ve got more recipes like this on my site, come visit” sounds like self-promotion, not recipe commentary. I’d so rather hear what you really have to say.
  • Your url in the comment body. The correct place to leave your site’s url is clearly marked in the comment form. It will appear as a link to your name. Unfortunately, anywhere else resembles the above a little too much for its own good, and will end up in Comment Purgatory (yes, an actual folder).
  • Slander, bile, insults, blah blah: Fortunately, you’re all such fine folks that this happens almost never, but it should go without saying that when you’re in the comment section, consider yourself a welcome guest in my home, and if your comment is rude, unpleasant or, frankly, makes it clear that you’re kind of an ass, we’re going to quickly usher you to the door before you cause a party-ruining fuss. How people can get so riled up by salad or cupcakes is beyond us, but seeing as it does happen… sigh… perhaps use this as a reminder that the smitten kitchen comment section is not the best place for one to work out their slaw rage.

[Last updated 6/7/13]

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80 comments on Comment Guidelines

  1. Katherine

    Off topic – though as a woman currently in her third trimester, I WILL be making his shake imminently – but do you do anything special to keep your vitamix container so clear and sparkly? Mine is so cloudy, and I just tried a baking soda scrub on it to no avail. If you have any tips on the matter, I would love to hear them!

    1. deb

      How strange that comments have appeared on this page. It’s honestly an accident, but to answer your question (and once I know you’ve read it, I’ll turn them off here): I haven’t used mine very much. I’m sorry, terrible answer, I’m just not a big smoothie drinker, I don’t make a lot of juices. Perhaps I should. I bought the Vitamix not because I imagined using it everyday but I was upset after going through 2 $100 blenders in 3 years (each had a 1-year warranty) and the Vitamix, although spectacularly expensive (although it was on sale at Costco at the time), has a 7-year warranty.

  2. Jen pachus

    So delicious. I had leftover bacon from breakfast and leftover corn on the cob and just reheated it in a little butter before mixing in with the other ingredients and penne pasta. I added about a half cup of cream cheese and that made it even MORE of a decadent, rich dish. Even my pickiest son loved it. Simple salad on the side and dinner was served.

  3. Kim Burlingham

    Hi Deb- over the last 4 weeks I’ve made this strawberry summer cake 4 times, the last two requested by houseguests who have now gone home. I’d like to make another to mail it to them. I was thinking of making it, cooling, leaving in pan, vacuum sealing and freezing and mailing in styrofoam container. Is this how you’d do it? Thanks for making me look so good this weekend.

  4. Sounds like this was quite the process, but your friends are clearly lucky to have you! It can be hectic to get ready for a wedding, so I cannot imagine having to complete a process like this prior to one :) It came out beautifully, even if some of the blobs aren’t actually found in nature! I absolutely love the accents.

  5. Chris S

    I made this and absolutely loved the filling and the crumb topping. I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Will definitely be making again.
    The only problem I had is with the crust. It was very chewy/leathery. I had no issues while making it and know not to overwork the dough. Will probably opt for a different crust next time.

  6. Rob

    I made these. Used them to top a (precooked) cobbler of apples and rhubarb. But my question is why do we have to cut circles and then reroll the scraps? Why not cut into wedges so there are no scraps to reroll?

  7. Lauren

    Just made this and liked it a lot, especially for how easy it was. I don’t always love eggplant but it was very tasty in this sauce and gave it a nice thick consistency. I left the garlic raw for a stronger flavor and I think I’d add some lemon juice next time because it felt like it could use some acid.

  8. Kristin

    I’ve seen questions on why these cookies would spread but don’t see any responses. I’ve made these 4 times now. The first 2 times were perfect (and delightful). The last two times, in the last two days are pancakes. Thoughts on why? Butter and dough were both in fridge well past recipe guidelines. Thanks!

  9. emilycpeters

    I do not consider myself a cook by any means, but I desperately wanted something warm in tomato sauce for dinner tonight and so I wandered over to your website to see what I could find. These meatballs were so easy to make and even more importantly SO DELICIOUS. Will definitely be adding this recipe to the weekend rotation. Yum!!

  10. Anne Chalupa

    Made this last night, we loved it! I’d add even more cauliflower next time, as it was SO delicious. When I’ve tried sheet pan chicken recipes in the past, the food is more braised than roasted, due to the juices from chicken, or some of the other ingredients. So I spread the chicken & veggies out on both a half sheet & another smaller sheet, to ensure that everything had enough space to roast. Afterwards, I did not think that was necessary, excess liquid never developed. But I’d still use two pans, since I want to increase the amount of cauliflower. And I might try adding more of the marinade to the sheet pan (even stir a few dollops into some of the veggies?).

  11. Erin R

    I was so excited to try this because I LOVE the Nancy Silverton recipe and have made it a number of times but it always makes so much and and I don’t ever have XL eggs etc etc. But you should modify your recipe…don’t say to bring mixture to a boil before tempering eggs, I should have known better! It just needs to be hot to temper eggs. I’m a trained pastry chef, but I nevertheless followed your instructions. Since the milk and cream came to a boil with acidic brown sugar made even more acidic by caramelization, it turned my mixture into ricotta!! In Nancy’s recipe she doesn’t say to BTB, just to liquify. Xo Love your recipes normally Deb! Thanks

  12. loloma7

    I’m going to try potato starch instead of cornstarch or flour. Does not impart any floury taste and has no flavor to it as does cornstarch.

  13. M-C

    Instead of futzing with white(!) bread, I find that panko crumbs give the perfect crunch.. Love this, thank you 😀

  14. Yum! Just made this tonight! I halved the recipe and omitted the carrots because I’m allergic (I know it’s weird). I did half mayo half yogurt I also like a little more vinegar so I added quite a bit more (more than double) and added in 2 scallions and some green apples. I practically ate the whole mixing bowl myself. I, too, never ever ate coleslaw growing up but not cannot get enough. I love making it super fresh and salad-y tasting. The savory element of the cabbage just keeps me coming back!

  15. Pam Hochman

    I was so excited to make this for thanksgiving as I’ve noticed my apple pie does always cave in. However, this one caved in just as much as the ones I’ve made before (America’s Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated or Ina Garten have been our staples). I was careful to use a lot of apples (4.33 lbs or so) and they macerated for about 1.5 hours. I did use a regular/non-latticed top, but since the recipe indicated you could do so, that shouldn’t have been the problem.

    How has this worked for others?
    Any idea why it did collapse? What are the other factors?

  16. I love this recipe! I make this bread several times in the fall and winter and it is always a hit. It’s an easy recipe and the results are consistent every time. If you’re wavering on whether or not to make it, the answer, politely, is DO IT.

  17. artc1209

    Can’t leave a site-level comment, but because I’m going to try this recipe… :

    Could/would you start including basic nutritional info with the recipes, for those of your readers who are either curious or need to know for medical reasons what the nutritional info is?

    Love the site already, but this would make it even better.

    1. deb

      I don’t include calorie counts because there are too many variables in my recipes (serving sizes, ingredient choices, etc.) but I use this recipe analysis tool when I want to check information. It’s far more useful than any list I could add at the end of a recipe because it allows you to cut and paste whole recipes, removing or adding any ingredients you’d like and adjusting serving sizes to what you’ll eat or make.

  18. JoAnna Wall

    Hey,
    Pardon me, but I just made the Russian honey cake thing. I worked so hard on it. It wouldn’t work. I tried and tried, I’m lost, upset, and hungry.

  19. Nila

    I made this and the consistency was great until I took it off the burner and added chocolate chips and vanilla. It separated and wasn’t smooth anymore. When I put it on ice cream it formed into balls and was chewy. I used sugar free syrup, could it have caused this? I also used salted butter because it’s what I had and didn’t add the salt. Any suggestions on how to get different results next time?

  20. pixelhammer

    Visiting this website is something like revisiting a favorite scenic place or camping spot; you wonder after you’ve arrived why it’s taken so long to get back to such a pretty place. Well, until you remember that life happens and every day is too busy and blah blah blah. So my comment is; as inspirational and interesting as your recipes are, I find your writing to be just as fresh and delicious as the best little farmers market you can imagine. Nicely done and thank you for being here (there, wherever…).

  21. Cathy

    I was excited to try this soup. I love rustic, simple soup recipes. I used savoy cabbage and my usual homemade vegetable broth. I also really like farro in soup, but I was disappointed in the flavor of this one. For my taste, using both vinegar and lemon juice threw the flavor off.

  22. Rebecca

    It looks like turning off comments didn’t work, but actually I love reading the medley of comments that have accrued to this page! Like a buffet of all your different recipes ;-)

  23. These Raspberry Breakfast Bars look amazing. My wife and I were trying to come up with a new breakfast food for early morning travels. Our family is on the move often and will make homemade treats to eat thus allowing us to get moving quickly. We find this is more convenient for our family of six. It beats sitting around restaurants or a hotel lobby. Your raspberry bars will be perfect. We look forward to trying them!

  24. Barbara

    I am eager to make these but oh how I can relate to this pregnancy nausea at the moment. Seriously, what kind of monster would want pizza? Oh the smells…. :/ I can’t wait to get back to cooking Smitten Kitchen recipes when I’ve got my little one wrapped up on me in her carrier. Thanks for the great recipe, Deb!

  25. Vivian

    I’m thinking of making this for a friends birthday party in four layers, filled and covered with lemon curd and a mixture of cream and mascarpone. Do you think this is a suitable cake? Should I use twice the recipe for the four layers in a nine inch pan?

  26. Currently making this with my toddler using the strawberries we picked yesterday! Quick question — can I assume the milk is added along with the egg, yolk, and vanilla? Can’t wait to devour this tonight with freshly whipped cream. Thank you!

  27. robyn

    I made these last week! Yes definitely the best blueberry muffins I have ever made. I did have to make a couple of substitutions: I used vanilla greek yogurt because that’s what I had on hand and it was fine. I did not have dark brown sugar so used light brown and added a dash of molasses. I topped the muffin batter with lavender vanilla sugar – yum. I baked them in my muffin pan that holds 6 large muffins. I do love a larger muffin! I did mash up some of the blueberries before adding – great idea! This recipe is definitely a keeper. So glad I found it. Thank you!

  28. wllmrogers

    I used a metal roasting pan, generic thing that was in my apartment when I moved in, and tin foil, cooked great and cleanup was easy. Threw out tin and soaked pan overnight.

  29. Lina

    I saw this recipe on Instagram and thought about it a whole week before finally buying limes and white rum. I had a whole watermelon I didn’t quite know what to do with (my kids are with their grandparents, so food hasn’t gone as fast!) and thought the idea of freezing the watermelon was genius. I finally made this treat for my husband and me, and OH MY WORD, it was refreshing, minty, and watermelon-y. Everything I had imagined. Thank you for an amazing recipe. I need to go to the store to get more limes to make another batch!

  30. Tonight I made your QUICK ZUCCHINI SAUTE and it was FABULOUS! Because we love almonds so much I did increase them just a tad. This dish is so simple, delicious, elegant and healthy! You can’t beat that!

  31. Diana

    I made this recipe twice now and it is definitely a moist bread.The only change I made was the second time I made it I added 2 tsp. of cinnamon instead of the 1 1/4 tsp. I thought it needed that extra flavor that cinnamon brings. I would also like to add chopped walnuts but my husband vetoed that idea.It definitely is worth making with or without the extra cinnamon.Love the crunchy top.Thank you for sharing.

  32. Marcella L.

    I just made Rice Stuffed Tomatoes ! Excellent recipe.. I used chives for the onion. I had fresh basil and oregano that made the dish. I did bake it with potatoes as suggested. One point, because stove and temperatures vary; I was uncertain if after simmering the tomato purée, how much liquid should remain? I ask as my dinner plate had liquid that pooled.
    I would give this recipe 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  33. Eileen

    Best cake I’ve ever made. Made this twice now, second time I followed someone else’s advice and after greasing with butter, dusted with sugar. Cake comes out easily and adds a nice little crunch to the crust (I skipped the glaze). Just made a peach raspberry version. Incredible!

  34. K

    This recipe was exactly as outlined. It tasted great. I think I went a little overboard on the pepper, but also used a mix of ground and fresh!

  35. Hannah

    This brisket has become the brisket to which all briskets in my family are compared (thank you!), but my slow cooker died and I got an Instant Pot. Do you have any guidance for the instant pot? Have you ever been able to try this in one?

  36. Jeffrey Foldenauer

    I found this recipe while searching for Russian desserts for a Russian-themed party for a native Russian who was celebrating her US citizenship. The cake was amazing thanks to the detailed instructions and reassurance the cake would turn out provided in the recipe. My friend was very impressed, and everyone at the party loved it! This is quickly becoming a go-to recipe!

  37. Nathalie

    Loved this, thank you!!! Brightened up our day as we shelter in place. I used about a pint of fresh blueberries and it yielded a glorious large loaf. We checked it at 55 min but left it in for about 20 more min.

  38. A Great Cake For a Quarantine, or Any Day! I’d been hankering for dark, rich, moist chocolate cake that doesn’t need frosting and am glad to have found this one. To start, I greased a non-stick 5″ x 9″ loaf pan and dusted it with chocolate hazelnut powder that had been in the cupboard for years. I did not cream the butter first (it would have been easier to incorporate the sugar if I had.) Didn’t have Dutch-processed cocoa powder so I used Ghirardelli 100% cocoa powder. I got carried away and beat half the dry ingredients into the batter before I read to stir them in with a spoon. (I really should have read all of the instructions first.) Got a clean tester at about 64 minutes. After a slight cooling it popped right out of the pan. This was very moist and dee-lish! I might add a bit of grated orange rind next time just for fun.

  39. Maggie

    I saw many were having problem with piping out the dough. Yes, a 1/2 star must be used. However, what makes the dough come out easily is by warming the bagged bough. It becomes more pliable with body heat and can be popped out at a fast pace. My cookies are currently in the oven so I can’t comment on the taste yet, but they smell delicious. 15 minutes and the are not golden brown yet. It might be my oven.

  40. Jennifer

    Made it as posted without the liquor and 2Tbsp butter. Turn out wonderful!! Question: the next day the texture was very custard like thick – smooth and delicious but thick. Is that correct? I kind of prefer the more pudding texture with some cooling. Just wondering if I cooked too long. Thank you! It was a hit!

  41. I love Cake most becasue of taste. I like Chocolate flavor cake most.My Special occasions I cutting chocolate cake because everyone know without cake cutting incomplete the occasion. I try this cake recipes at my home i like it most and that cake was the most attractive. I truly said I love you cake Recipes. Thanks for your recipes related to cakes.

  42. Sandy Coppin

    A friend served this at lunch (before Covid shutdowns here in Melbourne). It was so good I asked for the recipe. I made it when plums were still available, but there have been no plums through winter, so I made it with canned plums !! It was a bit messy as the plums had pips and were in liquid, but to be honest, it was still yummy, and I’ve made it twice. The last time my cinnamon burned, must have had it too hot, but we still ate the lot in two sittings. Thanks for the recipe, we love it.

  43. Amie

    OMG I found my favorite Banana Bread recipe! I had used the Jacked up recipe before, but love this one even more. I made it exactly as written, and it’s fab.

  44. Nancy

    Love your cooking and stories, Deb. But a question… how are your ‘Best of…’ generic and by year, chosen? Is it how often the recipe is ‘clicked’ ? or the ones you like most? or … ?
    Thanks again : )

    1. deb

      They are a mix of reader favorites and recipes I consider the best in category for what they are. I’m due to add a few from the last year, but they’re otherwise accurate.

  45. Amy R Clay-Moore

    This is great! I have often made Jeffrey Morganthaler’s easy eggnog recipe. For some reason, I was having some kind of mental block to making it this year. Something about recipe struck me as easier. I love.the separate whipping and folding. I am not lactose intolerant, but my tummy does not love milk. I actually used 4 tbsp of cream with 6 tbsp. almond milk. It was actually still very thick and rich. It was perfect. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!

  46. Deb,
    I have been in search of a gluten free recipe that did not include almonds, nothing against them just need some variety. Your pecan cake is, well, heavenly. I made it without any changes to your recipe. It raised up like a movie star looking for someone to take her picture. I am so happy to include this in my limited gluten free baking repertoire.
    If you feel inspired to come up with a gluten free carrot cake, I would probably faint with joy. You’re an awesome chef. I am your forever fan.

  47. Giorgiana

    Made this a couple of times already. Really good and a big hit with the family. We always have homemade chicken stock on hand so used that instead of water. Very cozy and tasty one dish dinner!

  48. Dana

    I made this tonight with ground fake beef. It turned out great, my favorite fake beef thing I’ve done so far. I also used sauerkraut and garlic instead of carrots/parsnips, because I have a big jar of sauerkraut on hand. And I did the freeze the whole head, then defrost in the fridge technique, which took 3 days, but was low effort and worked great.

    I also made your Hot and Sour Soup today, so the extra cabbage that I couldn’t use for the rolls got chopped and added to that.

  49. Joy Rimpau

    I made this today and it was oh so yummy! Thank you! I substituted dried dill weed because I prefer that to tarragon. I also found that the leftovers are good cold as well as hot. It’s a great meatless meal, but it also would go well as a side dish alongside chicken or other favorite meats. This will be a go-to dish for me!

  50. Kathryn Exner

    Made this last night. It was delicious! I added the zest of one lemon just after adding the salt and red pepper flakes. And was I was dishing it out thought that I would have loved some toasted chopped almonds scattered on top with the Parmesan. ❤️ SK.

  51. liz

    I made this last night as two 9 by 13 pan pizzas. One exactly as per the potato section of the recipe on a dough ball purchased from our local Co-Op. One which I played with adding cheese.

    The one made per instructions was delicious. We had a several guests for pizza dinner, one being a vegan. All loved and devoured this pizza.

    On the other version I made an almost fatal mistake and did not take the potatoes all the way to the edge. The crust was burned but still edible. Next time will take the potatoes all the way out as stated by Deb as being important…I used Skagit Bay Vache Cheese half way through the cooking process, dolloped on top and will play with that again too.

    Love discovering another great go to pizza flavor. The Skagit Valley grows excellent potatoes and the Yukon Golds were perfect here.

  52. Carrie Fischer

    absolutely delicious! The meatballs have so much flavor along with the broth. I added a little more coconut milk and curry powder, turned out perfect! Thank you for a great recipe!

  53. Julie

    This was a perfect cake for a Rosh Hashanah/birthday that fell on the same day. Such a moist cake and the apple chunks gave such great texture. Just delicious!!

  54. Albert smith

    The amazing guideline you share with us. Thanks for sharing nice information with us. i like your post and all you share with us is update and quite informative, i would like to bookmark the page so i can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job.Get best App Developer Dubai service you visit here site https://www.mistersaad.com/

  55. Elliott

    I made this recipe last year with a reasonably sized turkey, and it came out great! This year I’m cooking for a lot of people and wound up with a 23.5 pound bird. I saw some folks comment that they used 20 pound turkeys and they were done in 3.5 hours, and I’m wondering if anyone has cooking time tips for a larger bird. I’m planning on trying four hours.

    Thank you!

  56. Pamcakes

    I’ve never had a snickerdoodle so I had nothing to compare it to, but holy smokes were these good. I made the batch for a friend who requested them, and he said these were the best that he ever had. The kicker for him was the cinnamon on the top and the bottom. Unlike others, I had the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar for the batch and I used the #40 scoop which made cookies that were quite large, Martha’s must have been the size of pancakes. Thanks for another winner winner chicken dinner of a recipe Deb!

  57. Becca

    Great cake, I had some of the same pan issues as others, so I really like the idea of using a springform pan or making a collar. I didn’t have cherry preserves, so I used frozen cherries and cooked them down a little, which worked really well. Next time I’d add almond extract or amaretto to the whipped cream or cherries or both.

  58. Kathy

    This recipe is genius, and the star is the sauce. Even my food-cautious hubby loved it. We have tried a variety of vegetables after following the recipe exactly the first time out. It’s just plain wonderful and quick.

  59. Boston Cat Lady

    I love this cake and have made it many, many times since first discovering the recipe here about 12ish years ago (most recently today at my stepson’s request). However, no matter how much butter, flour, cocoa, spray oil, etc. that I use in my bundt pan, I have never successfully managed to get it out of the pan in one piece. It’s really not a big deal, given that the pieces will “stick” together, and it’s nothing a little extra ganache can’t fix. But, I wanted to share that I’ve had great success baking it either in a springform pan (9-inch for about 60 minutes) or in 2 9-inch cake pans for about 30-33 minutes. I make 1.5 times the ganache recipe for the layer cake, and it seems to be the perfect amount – and no one has ever complained about extra ganache!

    Thank you, Deb, for all your excellent recipes. I visit your website frequently, have your first 2 cookbooks (splattered with ingredients – a sign of love, right?), and am looking forward to the next one.

  60. Diane Solomon

    Here’s a variation on buttered egg noodles, remembered from my father’s repertoire and now passed down to my (fussy-eater) grandkids: Noodles and milk! Just heat up some milk and cook the noodles in the warm milk. Add butter and salt. Serve. Instantly loved by the grandkids and by me for the memories of my father and his comfort food.

  61. I want to make the roasted dry brine Turkey, which sounds wonderful. I am hosting 25 guests and have an 18lb Turkey. I am a little concerned about adding the chili paste. Does it make the Turkey very spicy?

  62. Joy K

    I needed to use up some red potatoes and minced onion from Thanksgiving. PLUS my husband just had some dental work and needed something soft and delicious. This definitely fit the bill. One layer contained the onions. Another was filled with diced ham. Cheddar and parmesan was what I had, so it’s what got tossed in, and it was grand! I got crunchy chewy edge pieces, Mr. Sad Mouth got soft center pieces, and we are all happy.

  63. Dearest Deb, I would LOVE to use your Bee Sting Bar recipe (from your new Smitten Kitchen Keepers cookbook which you inscribed for me in January at the San Francisco meeting where I so enjoyed meeting and talking with you!) for Passover. Is it possible to substitute almond flour for the called for all purpose to make it “kosher for Passover”? If so, what would the amount of almond flour be to replace the 1 cup, 2 tablespoons of all purpose? I am 84 years old and so tired of making Flourless Chocolate Cake, Eighteen Egg Passover Sponge Cakes, and Meringue Cookies (my family detests coconut, hence NO Macaroon Cookies!), and your Bee Sting Bar recipe sounds like a marvelous new addition to our Seder tradition…..with full credit to you as we welcome you to our Seder along with welcoming Elijah!! I await your reply, and wish Hag Sameach to you and your dear family. With love and gratitude, Arlene Katz Finn

    1. deb

      Hehe, I understand your Passover fatigue. I haven’t made the Bee Sting Bars with almond flour, so I’m not sure how the swap will go but if you have another all almond-flour shortbread you like, you can use that as the base.

  64. Betsy Alkenbrack

    I have made this a few times and it is yummy! I am wondering if it would work to finish it with a non-vinaigrette sauce with a mayonnaise yoghurt base?

  65. Magan Smith

    Even so I forgot to divide the flour and mixed it all in the first step, they turned out perfect. I doubled it and didn’t have enough raspberries, so I added blueberries and blackberries. They were delicious! My daughter texted me a *fire* emoji. Thanks for another fantastic recipe, Deb!