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That would have been multiple batches of Mario's babysitter's Chicken with Green Sauce, with all being successful and some being just the sauce. The most recent batch is described here.

I like Pam Anderson's "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over" - especially the lasagna bolognese.
I substitute no-boil noodles, but otherwise I really appreciate the way her recipes are written.
I find her instructions truly geared to the home cook - for example, the bolognese sauce calls for "one small onion, chopped" not "1 cup of chopped onion " (that's how I really cook) and she suggests heating the milk for the bechamel sauce in the microwave with chopped garlic (great tip.) But this is no "30 minute meal" - it's an involved recipe using good ingredients written for someone who likes to cook and knows how. Another big difference is the number of pots & pans used - chef recipes rarely contain tips on how to keep the mess under control! (wouldn't it be nice to have a dishwasher at your elbow taking care of those dirty dishes?)
This particular lasagna recipe is a huge hit with my friends and family - it differs from most other lasagnas by the lack of ricotta cheese, and is lighter and more flavorful.

I made oatmeal cookies from Cooks Illustrated Best Recipes. I added cranberries. They came out great. The instructions were clear, and accurate. I also made Hungarian raspberry bars from the Heirloom baking cookbook. I received rave reviews. Again, everything was right on. I recommend both of these books. But I must say for reliablility, 95% of everything I've made from all the Barefoot Contessa's books has been very good to excellent.

I made the Barefoot Contessa's coconut cake last week. It is fabulous. I didn't tinker with it because, well, it's the Barefoot Contessa for gosh sakes! I would like to try different flavor variations though, like adding a pineapple filling or another flavor that would complement the coconut. Or omitting the coconut entirely from the cake and frosting- the cake seems very versatile.

I also made a spice cake with a browned butter buttercream icing - both from my all-purpose Betty Crocker cookbook. I didn't get to eat any because I made if for someone to take to a birthday gathering. It smelled pretty good and the frosting was great so I'll have to make it for myself some time! Again, no tinkering. I tend not to tinker with recipes the first time I try them unless I see a glaring error or something I don't like.

I made Mario Batali's Spaghetti al Pomodoro recipe (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/09/unclogged-mario-batali-spaghetti-al-pomodoro-pasta-recipe.html) on Monday night. Wow! So simple, fresh, and amazingly delicious. I plan to make this every weekend while tomatoes are still in season! Wonder if I could make this sauce and freeze it to enjoy in the upcoming tomato-less winter months...

I'm also a huge fan of the Chicken with Green Sauce recipe from his babysitter, we just can't get enough of all the bright flavors in there.

Aunt Jone - I bet that coconut cake would go really well with pineapple, too. Maybe (since you've tried it and know the taste and how it works) a thin layer of pineapple preserves layered in the center? Sigh. Coconut cake does not last long in my house. :)

DevlChef - I agree with you about adjusting recipes except for in the professional kitchen. Standardized recipes are of paramount importance in any restaurant kitchen (for both cooks and chef, even if the chef devised the recipe him or her self) to maintain consistency so that the diner gets what they expect. It is great fun to play with any recipe, though, rather a luxury of sorts, really.

capricornpig - You're lucky to have good fresh tomatoes where you live. Sometimes, even in the Farmer's Market here they are tasteless, sadly.

Sarahrm - You may have started on a serious addiction. :)
I just discovered, also, that KitchenAid has developed a new attachment for their mixers: an ice-cream maker. This is a terribly tempting invention!

Karen Resta- The Hungarian raspberry bars are made with lattice on top, so they cannot be layered. The crust is similar to shortbread, just a little softer.

Karen Resta- I absolutely agree with the NO changing the recipe in the professional kitchen, consistency is one of the most important things in a restaurant.. If any of my cooks altered my recipes they would lose their job! I was aiming for the Suzy homemaker recipe books.

Karen Resta- What was your initial intention when you bought all those books? I also have so many cookbooks, and 90% of them gather dust. You actually are on the right track asking peolpe what they find reliable. I find I look at recipes for cooking, then I put my own spin on it. But when it comes to baking, I don 't fool around. I find the best, and I stick with it, with just a little addition, here and there. Do you have any cookbooks you like? By the way, I make the Barefoot Contessa coconut cupcakes(delicious!), which she created first, but had many requests for a cake so she slightly altered the recipe for the cake.

Mich23 - I like lots of the books. I've used lots of them in the past, too.

Molly O'Neill wrote something once about this phenomena of buying cookbooks as part of an active fantasy life. (Ha, ha!) They definitely are something beyond just cookbooks as cookbooks, that's for sure.

The ones I know will work: Anything from Julia Child. Many things from James Beard, but not all are to everyone's taste. The Silver Palate Cookbook is one solid recipe after another. I like Elizabeth David, but her recipes are written in a very simplified form. An ancient copy of The New York Times International Cookbook has remained on my shelves since forever (Craig Claiborne) for its Hungarian goulashes and Greek pastisio mostly, and a very traditional Italian tomato sauce with sausages and ribs and meatballs. Some of the old Time-Life series, in particular the Vienna book is excellent for Viennese pastry. Lenotre Desserts and Pastries for classic French pastry. The Joy of Chocolate by Judith Olney has some fun stuff like chocolate cabbages and work like that which is easy enough for even someone not vastly experienced in chocolate work to do. Cook's Illustrated - I have twelve bound annual volumes. Arthur Schwartz' Soup Suppers. The Golden Lemon by Doris Tobias and Mary Merris (reprinted recently, as was The Silver Palate Cookbook). And I have twelve bound annual volumes of Cook's Illustrated which is always great for technical detail even though it is "home cooking".

Those are some of the ones I can not give away. Besides Larousse, of course, and some textbook production cooking type things.

I'll stop now before you're sorry you asked. :)
I am curious though which cookbooks of yours fall into the non-dusty ten percent that you use?

A brine for smoked Salmon. It turned out so good, my husbands co-workers could'nt say enough good things about it.

I forget where I got this idea from, but I read somewhere that this is the way Alain Ducasse makes pasta when he cooks for himself, and its fantastic.

Basially, you make pasta the same way you would make risotto. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil, add dry pasta (i like whole wheat), and then add chicken brother a cup at a time. The broth evaporates as the starch from the pasta breaks down into a sauce of sorts. Add the broth until pasta is done, add lots of salt, and voila. I also like to add diced tomatoes to this about 5 mins before its done, but they need to be pretty quality to work with the rest of the dish.

I did Julia Child's Beef Burgundy for the second time. It didn't turn out as well as the first time I made it. The only thing different was the type of wine I used, although it was still a good wine (I follow her advice in never cooking with wine you wouldn't drink.) Not sure if this is what made the difference but I intend to keep trying to get it right!

I also second others here in terms of all Barefoot Contessa's recipes. I haven't tried one yet that hasn't turned out absolutely perfect and delicious.

Fudgy Brownies from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. I had made a cook's illustrated brownie that was good, but far too cakey. I was hoping to replicate or get closer to the ridiculously dense, rich brownies that Pret a Manger sells here in New York. I followed the recipe to the letter (I'm one who thinks a good chocolatey brownies is hard to improve upon) and it came out wonderful and got rave reviews.

Jeana - Might as well try the recipe with a third wine to see what happens. :)

LizNYC - You reminded me that I've been meaning to buy this Baker's Edge special brownie pan for that perfect combination of edge and center on every brownie.