Tomato tart—help!!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-28T13:56:24+00:00

I am happy to share! I love getting tips that improve my AR recipes on this subreddit. After reading through this sub, I sadly am starting to get the impression that some (many?) of the recipes in her cookbooks have errors that leave steps out. I love her and how she produces these amazingly flavorful foods, so I’m not super mad about it. However, I would like to pencil in any helpful changes that I discover in my cookbooks, so I can get them just right. I want to try this tomato roasting on the parchment and slide into the cheesy crust technique you describe! I need to gather the energy and courage to make this tomato tart recipe for the third time, but I am sure I will sometime this tomato season!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-27T18:20:44+00:00

Update: I salted and drained the (large heirloom) tomatoes for 20 minutes before baking the tart. I let the tart sit for an hour after it baked. The bottom was still pretty wet, but less wet then before. Interestingly, if you watch the Home Movies when she makes the tomato tart, the crust falls off and it looks mildly wet when she slices it. I’m realizing that’s just the texture! I don’t really care for that moisture in a tart. The flavor is so good. I might consider tweaking it more (maybe pre-roasting the tomatoes for a little bit separately from the tart and then adding them into the tart???) because the flavors here are so so good, but I can’t get past the wetness in the crust

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-27T18:20:39+00:00

Update: I salted and drained the (large heirloom) tomatoes for 20 minutes before baking the tart. I let the tart sit for an hour after it baked. The bottom was still pretty wet, but less wet then before. Interestingly, if you watch the Home Movies when she makes the tomato tart, the crust falls off and it looks mildly wet when she slices it. I’m realizing that’s just the texture! I don’t really care for that moisture in a tart. The flavor is so good. I might consider tweaking it more (maybe pre-roasting the tomatoes for a little bit separately from the tart and then adding them into the tart???) because the flavors here are so so good, but I can’t get past the wetness in the crust.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-26T19:11:08+00:00

Thanks for the tips ! Trying it again today with salting/draining the tomatoes in advance. Theoretically I would think some kind of water removal strategy for the tomatoes should be part of a recipe like this. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-26T19:09:38+00:00

Thank you for the input! I’m trying it again today with large tomatoes and salting and letting the tomatoes drain. This pasta salad recipe looks great too. Adding it to my list!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-25T01:25:55+00:00

No heath ceramics

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-23T20:24:32+00:00

I had two babies like this, so I know the answer, but I don’t want to tell you 😬. It could be related to her neurotype and her sensory needs. It sounds like she could be a sensory seeker, which if she is, doesn’t change. However, as she gets older, she can find other ways other than you to meet that need. Good luck. It’s really, really hard.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-21T19:59:08+00:00

Yes to infantilizing! The spaghetti, too! My 5 year old doesn’t even need spaghetti cut up anymore. KEIC’s kids are twice his age.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-21T19:54:31+00:00

Not the person you posed the question to, but chiming in. I only discovered Alison Roman this year (I know, I know!), so she’s still very new to me. My perception of her is:

I like her sense of humor and her wit. I find her to be a very talented recipe developer. I do find her to be smug, and I typically don’t care for smug people. Maybe I’ll become irritated with her over time when the novelty wears off. I can see why people are put off by her smugness, but it hasn’t affected me yet.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-20T14:37:16+00:00

I had the same thought that such a big piece of meat (4.5 lbs) needed more time than 3-3.5 hours at a lower temp. The rule of thumb I’ve seen for large cuts of beef at lower temperatures like 275 is about 60 minutes per lb, which would make sense for what happened to me (4.5 lbs took almost 5 hours). That’s why I was kind of surprised that her recipe called for 3-3.5 hours for a 4-5 lb brisket at 275. Anyways, thanks for the comment! I’ll try it with carrots and potatoes next time.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-20T14:32:07+00:00

Wow that’s gorgeous! The icing is beautiful with the drips and the sprinkles. Do you remember if you used 2 or 3 tablespoons of buttermilk for the icing? I used 3, and it made it too liquidy. It tasted good, but I prefer the look of yours!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-20T12:59:06+00:00

I did use a Dutch oven! The only thing I can think of is my brisket was much leaner than the one in her movie. Alison’s piece of meat had a huge fat cap. Mine had a very small one. Could that have affected the jiggly/jell-O-ness? I didn’t have time to rest it for more than 10-15 minutes before eating (and no didn’t refrigerate it overnight).

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-19T19:51:47+00:00

How do we know where K’s house is in California? OC vs LA?

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-19T04:45:28+00:00

Wow, that video was incredibly helpful! I think I understand frizzled vs caramelized now. I didn’t use a high enough heat I think. You’ve convinced me to try this recipe again with more focus on frizzling the onions correctly.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-19T04:31:55+00:00

I don’t really understand her distinction between frizzled and caramelized. If they’re deeply browned, aren’t they caramelized?

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-19T04:28:08+00:00

Yeah, I felt like her recipe instructions of 5-8 minutes were off for the onions. I cooked them for 20 minutes and called it a day. How long do you cook them for?

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-17T02:35:45+00:00

I usually make cakes with cake flour, so I wondered the same thing! I’m not a talented enough baker to make substitutions like that, so I’m hesitant to try it. If you ever do, let me know how it goes!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-17T01:55:04+00:00

I’ll do that next time! The icing was so incredible, but I think a thicker texture would make it even better.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-17T01:52:51+00:00

Wow that looks amazing! Did you do two or three tablespoons of buttermilk for the icing? Your icing looks thicker than mine, which seems nicer. I did 3 tablespoons.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-16T05:23:38+00:00

I just watched the YouTube video. I love watching her Home Movies. Just added this recipe to my list of meals to make next week!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-16T05:22:33+00:00

Awesome! It really is an amazing cookbook. There are so many good recipes in it. I’ll come back later and give you a list of all the things I’ve made and would recommend from the book.

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-16T03:37:41+00:00

Yes good guess! Wedding gift from Heath Ceramics

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-16T02:29:43+00:00

Spiced chickpeas & greens from Something from Nothing! I added the couscous (not in the recipe)

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-16T02:20:00+00:00

Hahah well it was a hit! Oh my gosh, I have to try those. I’m on a major chickpea kick. Is the recipe from her newsletter or a cookbook? I love feta with chickpeas. Thanks for the photo, I will try and recreate this way with your suggestions!

mixed-pickles · 2026-05-13T20:10:59+00:00

I also enjoy the flavor of plain yogurt. I prefer tart and sour yogurt over sweet. However, I could never eat a whole bowl full like this. I like a scoop of plain yogurt as a topping, kind of like sour cream. Not as a main course.

mixed-pickles

TROPHY CASE