N U M B E R N I N E T Y J A NUA R Y b F E B R UA R Y 2008

STR ATE D
No-Knead Bread 2.0
Dutch-Oven Method, Better Loaf
Cutting Boards
Wood, Plastic, Bamboo,
or Composite?
Chicken in a Pot
French Method, Juiciest Bird
Dark Chocolate
Taste Test
Pay Less, Get Better Chocolate!
Crunchy Baked
Pork Chops
Sunday Roast Beef
Slow Cooking Transforms Cheap Cuts
Best French
Onion Soup
^
Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Mastering the Ar of Stew
Sizzling Garlic Shrimp
Roasted Broccoli
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'`11`1c
January f February 2008
2 Notes from Readers
BY SANDRA WU AND DAVID PAZMINO
Quick Tips
COMPILED BY DAVID PAZMINO
b Improving Cheap Roast Beef
Roasting inexpensive beef usually yields tough meat best
suited for sandwiches. How do you transform a bargain
cut into a tender. juicy roast that can stand on its own at
dinner? BY DAVID PAZMINO
o Introducing French Chicken
in a Pot
Taking cues from a French technique for cooking chicken
in a covered pot, we forgo crispy skin for succulent meat
and unforgettable flavor. BY CHARLES KELSEY
| Ultracrunchy Baked Pork
Chops
Pork chops with a thick coating that won't fall off
require more than just a shake in a bag. We get rid of
crumbly crusts and soggy bottoms to create chops with
real crunch. BY SANDRA WU
12 Best French Onion Soup
Most versions of this age-old recipe hide a mediocre
broth under a crust of bread and a blanket of Gruyere.
What is the secret to coaxing impressive flavor out of
humble onions? BY REBECCA HAYS
1 Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp
Shrimp in garlicky olive oil is a tapas bar classic. But
make this appetizer at home and suddenly the shrimp
are rubbery and the garlic goes missing in a sea of olive
oil. BY J. KENJI ALT
|b Mastering the Art of Stew
A little know-how goes a long way toward avoiding
common mistakes when making stews. Here's how to
get it right every time. BY KEITH DRESSER
COOK'S ONLINE
1o No-Knead Bread 2.0
A no-fuss recipe is revolutionizing home baking but
trades flavor and reliability for ease. Could we improve
the bread's bland taste and make it rise high every time1
BY J. KENJI ALT
21 How to Roast Broccoli
Roasting can concentrate flavor to turn dull vegetables
into something great. Could it transform broccoli '
BY MATTHEW CARD
22 Thin and Crispy
Oatmeal Cooies
You may think an oatmeal cookie should be moist
and chewy. Thin and crispy oatmeal cookies can be
irresistible-if, that is, you can get the texture just right.
BY SANDRA WU
2 Perfecting Spice Cake
Spice cakes can be bland and leaden. Could we create a
tender, airy cake with convincing spice flavor that stands
up to a rich cream cheese frosting?
BY KEITH DRESSER
2b The Truth About
Dark Chocolate
Does spending more for "gourmet" chocolate buy
richer. more complex flavor and better baking results?
BY LISA McMANUS
2o Cutting Boards
Cutting boards made from bamboo and wood com
posite are flooding the market. Is there any reason to
choose these new-fangled materials over traditional
wood and plastic! BY LISA McMANUS
J Kitchen Notes
BY J. KENJI ALT
J2 Equipment Corner
BY ELIZABETH BOMZE
Go to www.cooksillustrated.com to access all recipes from Cook's Illustrated since 1993 as well as updated tastings
and testings. Wtch videos of all the recipes in this issue being prepared and a special report on the cutting board testing.
EXOTIC MUSHROOMS Violet-stemmed blewit mushrooms. ofen called bluefoot, have
a pronounced hominy or barley flavor and a firm, meaty texture. Fairy ring mushrooms have
stems that are too tough to eat, but their dainty, bell-shaped caps yield a full-bodied, heady
nuttiness. Mushrooms of the oyster variety include the hearty king oyster, silver-capped
blue oyster, and abalone, which derives its name from its resemblance to the shellfish and
rivals the blewit in meatiness. Oyster mushrooms are characterized by a clean, mild sweet
ness. Popular Japanese shimeiji mushrooms include the musky beech and the nutty pioppini.
Namekos, also favored in Japanese cooking and similar in shape to the clustered shimeiji,
are distinguished by their spongy, mucilaginous texture. Another textural oddity, the nearly
translucent wood ear is rubbery and gelatinous when reconstituted from its more common
dried form or when used fresh. Bear's head mushrooms have a flavor similar to asparagus
and artichoke.
COVER: Gmpefril by Robert Papp: BACK COVER: Exotic .\|USluk||S by John Burgoyne
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C

t

T
he World's Food Fair. Boston. October
1896. Admission: 25 cents. Huge crowds
throng the Mechanics Hall convention
center. Women queue up for fee sam
ples fom 200 diferent vendors: cereals, gelatins,
extracts, candy, and custards. Table displays include
"Edible Flowers" and "A Mermaid's Dinner."
Luncheons are ofered-a Dietetic Luncheon,
a Hygienic Lunch-and teas as well, including
Tennis Tea and Japanese Ceremonial Tea. Booths
are constructed in the shape of buildings: a log
cabin to sell pancake four, a castle to sell all
purpose four, and a Dutch cottage to promote
Dutched cocoa. Other exhibits include a miniature
margarine factory, a cereal machine that produces
shredded wheat, an electrically operated dairy that
churns out 3,000 pounds of butter each day, and a
life-sized wax woman that promotes Pearline soap.
Just like today, food and cooking were at the con
vergence of popular entertai1ent and capitalism.
Newspapers were raucous, loudmouthed, com
mercial, and utterly working class, and Boston's
private clubs were much the same. Yes, in 1906
H. G. Wells accused the members of the Club of
Odd Volumes of too much preoccupation with
the past, but another private club of the period pre
sented an evening entitled tl1e Dime Museum, one
of the features of which was the Bearded Lady, who
was described by a reporter as an "exquisite picture
of ravishing loveliness, whose heaving and sensitive
bosom is concealed fom view by her depending
beard." Yet another bizarre dining establishment
of the period featured a member who ate only with
his toes and housed a live bear as a mascot.
The world was getting rapidly smaller. Three
innovations-steamships, refrigeration, and rail
roads-meant that perishable goods could be tans
ported across the country or across the Atlantic, both
in and out of Boston. The S. S. Pierce supermarket
ofered more than 4,000 items for sale, including
mushrooms grown in old quarries near Paris, tl1e
highest-quality Spanish olives, and isinglass, a pre
cursor to modern gelatin (originally made fom tle
bladders of Rssian sturgeon, but a cheaper sub
stitute was later made fom cod). Quincy Market
EDITORIAL
LOST RECIPES
was a hotbed of local vendors,
tl1e original farmers' market, if
you wl, and Boston was also fll
of smaller establishments, many
of which specialized in poultry
(chicken, partridge, quail, wood
cock, snipe, etc.), fruit, confec
tionary products (cream cakes,
Washington pie, vanilla jumbles,
charlotte russe, etc.), seafood
(scallops, smelt, clams, white
fsh, salt cod, shad roe, mackerel,
etc.), or household dry goods.
Christopher Kimball
ing cups, start with dry, then liq
uid, and fnally fat/shortening; to
make cofee, steep 2 tablespoons
grmmds in 1 cup cold water over
night and then bring tl1e mixture
to a boil the next morning to serve;
birds should be dredged in four
before roasting to create a bet
ter crust; and when baking bread,
reduce the oven temperarure for
the last 15 minutes to cook the
interior afer the crust has been
set. Not bad for 1896 r 2008,
The Boston Globe contained
two food colunns: one entitled "The Housekeeper's
Department" and the otl1er penned by tl1e Boston
Cooking School. Recipes included Dewey's Fried
Shortcakes (a recipe that was rediscovered in
Pennsylvania almost 100 years later by Marion
Cunningham, tl1e author of tl1e revised Fannie
Farmer Cookbook), Snifed Baked Tomatoes, Welsh
Rarebit, Oatmeal Drink, Eggs Nest on Toast,
Corn Bread, Salmon Croquettes, Chicken Pate,
both Puf and Plain Paste, Brown Bread, Leap
Year Cake, Pressed Cake, New Brides Cake, Pear
and Rice Pudding, and Cinnamon Tea, to name
a few. Staid? Repressed? Hardly. It was a mon
grel mix of classic French (puf pastry and pate),
Soutl1en1 (corn bread), English (pudding), health
food (oatmeal drink), pioneer (brown bread), and
classic American (layer cakes). And what about
taking a Victorian cooking class? Look no frther
than Fannie Farmer to learn about fve types of
acids (acetic, tartaric, malic, citric, and oxalic), four
types of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca, and
sago), and tl1ee types of fermentation (alcoholic,
acetic, and lactic). Readers of this publication will
fnd those lists familiar. In addition, you would
learn how to cook a live terrapin, including draw
ing out the head and removing the skin, and how
to boil a calfs head for mock rurtle soup.
You might ask about cooking technique. Sure,
they were cooking on coal stoves, but tl1ey were
thoroughly modern in their approach. Farmer
suggested tl1at when using only one set of measur-
for that matter.
Many of you have, like me, a long reach back
through history. I grew up on a small mountain
farm, learned to simmer and bake over a wood
stove, and extracted water fom the well under
the side porch using a loosely bolted green metal
pump handle located in the pantry sink. I remem
ber poor milk the color of an early morning sk
faint, powdery, and tinged with blue-hot baked
potatoes opened with the swat of a fst, and baking
powder biscuits stored in mistletoed Christmas
tins separated by ragged, hoary rounds of waxed
paper. A recently uneartl1ed snapshot of my father
standing arms stretched back, hat high, on an air
feld in Egypt during the Second World War looks
historical, but hoecakes, wine jelly, Irish moss, and
chocolate cream do not. Good food lives on. If it
pleases the palate, it's as timeless as an open-eyed
kiss taken in the back of a school bus.
The history of food has sailed oceans to ship
wreck on America's shores. Where this half
remembered fotsam has fetched up is sometimes
hard to say, but the recipes are still there, buried
perhaps, but not so far beneath our footsteps. We
claim cooking as sometling new, yet another form
of modern art, while the feasts of the ancients still
echo through fickers of candlelight.
That is why so many of us stand at the stove to
remember-to recall the wood smoke, the perfme
of warm molasses, the fecund aroma of yeast. One
lost recipe remembered is like love rediscovered, as
fresh and unexpected as that frst kiss.
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J AN U AR Y c F E BR U AR Y 2 0 0 8
``1c l1! 11/111c
3 BY S A NDR A WU A ND DAVID P AZMINO E
When to Oil a Grill Grate
Your rccipcs call lor oiling thc grill gratc ancr it's
hcatcd, but my husband insists on oiling prior to
hcating.Hisprcmiscisthatthcgngsurlaccisbct-
tcrablctoholdthcoilwhcnit'sstillcool.Isoncway
bcttcrthanthcothcr?
SUZANNE EYERMAN
LONGMONT, COLO.
Jo prcvcnt lood nom sticking, oiling your grill
gratcis csscntial. Jhcrcasonwc call lor oiling thc
gratc ancr it has bccn hcatcd is bccausc thc gratc
always nccds to bc scrapcd down bclorc it can bc
uscd. Icbris is morc rcadily rcmovcd nom a hot
gratcthanacoolonc,andonccthcscstuckonbitsarc
gonc,thcgratccanbcmorcchcctivclyslickcddown
withanoildippcdwadolpapcrtowcls.
iling thc grill gratc oncc it'shotalso hclps thc
ontobondquicklytothcmctalandprcvcntprotcins
homstickingtothcgrillgratc.Wcnoilisaddcdto
acoldgnllgratc,thcoilslowlyvaporizcsas ucgrill
rcachcs thcdcsircdcookingtcmpcraturc.Jhcmorc
thcoil vaporizcs, thclcss oilwl bc lcn on thcgrill
gratc,makingstickingmorcHcly.ncmorcpoint:
cvcrtrytotakcashortcutbysprayingahotcook-
ing gratc with nonstick cooking spray. You might
savcabout I0scconds,butriskhavinganarc-upon
yourhands.
Seasoning Cold Food
Isittructhatcoldloodnccdsmorcsalttotastcmlly
scasoncdthanthcsamcloodwhcncatcnhot?
BILL SIEVER
NORTHAMPTON, MASS.
Wconcnhndthatloodthattastcsgrcatpipinghot
sccmsundcrscasoncdwhcn it issamplcdagainancr
rchigcration.Jotcstthisobscrvation,wcmadcsomc
vichyssoisc,coldpotatolccksoup)andgazpacho.Wc
dividcdthcvichyssoiscintotwobatchcs,thcnwarmcd
onc andkcpt thcothcr icccold. or thcgazpacho,
wc scrvcd onc batch straight hom thc rcnigcrator
and thc sccond at room tcmpcraturc. Jhc rcsults?
vcn though both vcrsions ol cach soup containcd
thc samcanountol salt, tastcrsjudgcd thchotand
room-tcmpcraturcsoupssalticrandbcttcrscasoncd.
Jhis pcrccption was parhcularly pronounccd in thc
mildcrtastingvichyssoisc.
Itturnsoutthatch gdullsallhavors,including
saltincss, making thcm morc dimcult lor thc tastc
budstopcrccivc.Iutthcncxttimcyoumakcadish
toscnccold,don'tjumpthcgunbyovcrsaltingwhilc
thc lood is stnI hot. Instcad, scason as you would
normally. ncc thc lood is chillcd, tastc and add
morcsaltasdcsircd.
Keeping Wafes Warm
How can I kccp wamcs warm and crisp until I'm
rcadytoscncthcm?
CRI SWELL CHOI
SAN MATEO, CALIF.
Wccxpcrimcntcdwitlscvcralmctlodsolkccp-
ingwanlcswarmandcrispbclorchndingonctlat
workcd wcll. irst, wc sct tlc wamcs on a bak-
ing shcct in a 200dcgrcc ovcn, which was just
hot cnough to kccp thcm warm without actually
rccooking thcm. Iut by thc timc thc last batch
was donc, thc oncs that had bccn waiting in tlc
ovcn thc longcst had lost tlcir crispncss. cxt,
wcplaccdthc wamcs on a wircracksctin a bak-
ingshcct.Jhough tlis mct|od improvcd mattcrs
dramaticallybyallowinghotairtocirculatcundcr-
ncathandkccpthcwamcscrisp,italsodricdthcm
out ovcr timc. Jo rctain moisturc, wc covcrcd
thc wamcswitla clcan kitclcn towcl, rcmoving
it onlywhcn tlc lastwamcwas in thcovcn. Altcr
a lcw morc minutcs in tlc ovcn, thc waLcs-
hcld lor about 30 minutcs total-rccrispcd and
tastcdlikctlcyhadjustcomclromthcwanlciron.
Sweet versus Hot Paprika
IowcanIsubstiuitcswcctpapnkainrccipcsthatcall
lorhotpaprika?
MELANIE F ILES
MARTINSBURG, W. VA.
Iotlswcctandhotpaprikacomclromtlcdricd
pods ol Capsicum annuum L., which includcs a
largc swath ol pcppcr varicucs ranging lrom swcct
rcd bcll pcppcrs to hot chilc pcppcrs. Jhc typc of
pcppcruscdwillinuucncctlchavor, spicincss, and
intcnsityolthcpaprika.Swcctpaprikaismadclrom
onlytlcmiddlclaycroltlcpcppcr'soutcrwall,thc
mcsocarp ),whilchotpaprikaalsocontainssomcol
tlcwhitcvcins,thcplaccnta)andsccds,whcrcmost
ol thchcat rcsidcs. Mostpaprika labclcd paprika
or mildpaprikaisolthcswcctvaricty.
Hcatasidc,wcwantcdtonudouti tlcrcwcrcany
othcrHavordicrcnccsbctwccnthctwovaricticsand
iloncwasbcttcrsuitcdforaparticulartypcolrccipc
thananotlcr.Wctookourwinningbrand,cnzcys
Hungary Swcct aprika) and its spicy countcrpart
,cnzcysHallSharpaprika-thcrctailcr'sonlytypc
ol hotpaprika)anduscdcachinthrcc applications:
chickcnpaprikash,barbccucsaucc,andad(rublor
bakcd chickcnbrcast. Most tastcrs hud tlcswcct
paprika, with its bright, wcllbalanccd, and
smokyhavors,tobcabcttcrchoiccintlcchickcn
paprikash, thc hot paprika was lcss uavorml, asidc
homitspronounccdhcat.Jhcdicrcnccswcrccvcn
C OOK
'
S ILL U S TR ATED
2
morc apparcnt in thc spiccrubbcd chickcn brcasts,
whcrcthchotpaprikatookonanunplcasantbittcr
cdgc.Inthcbarbccucsaucc,howcvcr,tastcrslound
both varictics pcrlcctly acccptablc, and somc prc-
lcrrcdthcsauccmadcwiththchotpaprika.Hcrc,its
spicincsssccmcdlcss
aggrcssivc and was
actuallya virtuc.
Il yours is going
tobcaoncpaprika
houschold,wcrcc-
ommcnd stocking
thc morc vcrsatilc
swcct,asapinchor
twoolcaycnncpcp-
pcrcanbcaddcdto
rcplicatc thc uavor
olthchotstuh.
Paprika
Paprika
llg flalf-Slw Hungar 5wO
Hot paprika (lef) l ends
spi ci ness but not much flavor;
sweet paprika (right) prvides
earthy, smoky notes.
Raw-Milk Cheese
Is it possiblc to buy rawmilkchccscin thc Initcd
Statcs? My undcrstanding isthatthclcdcralgovcrn
mcntrcquircsallchccscstobcmadchompastcurizcd
milk.Isthattruc?
MILTON GARBER
JEFFERSON CITY, MO.
1awmilk chccscs can bc purchascd domcsti-
cally, but thcymaynot bc cxactly likc thc raw-milk
chccscsavailablcinIuropc.JhcI.S.oodandIrug
Astration ,IA) rcquircs that chccscs manu-
lvutcd hcrc andabroad nom raw ,unpastcurizcd)
milkmustbcagcdloratlcasto0daysat35dcgrccsor
highcratthcirpointoloriginbclorcbcingimportcd
or sold. Any chccsc whosc rccipc prccludcs it hom
bcing agcd longcr uan o0 days is ahcctcd by thc
rcgulation, including sonripcncd chccscs ,such as
CamcmbcrtandIric),washcdrindchccscs ,suchas
Ipoisscs ),naturalrindgoat'sm chccscs,andhcsl
,unagcd)chccscs.JhcpurposcolthcIAcnlorccd
waitingpcriodistogivctlcsalctoingcstbactcriain
thc chccsc ,such as lactobacillus) sumcicnt timc to
multiply and bccomc thc dominant bactcria, which
obstructs uc potcntial growth ol harmnil bactcria
suchas.coli,listcria, andsalmonclla.
A arcsultolt|cIAnlc,hcavilypastcunzcdm
isoncnuscdtoproduccthcscchccscsintlcImtcd
Statcs, but not without a sacrincc in Uavor. Chccsc
authority Stcvcn {cnkins told us that a chccsc wl
inmcdiatclyrcportwhcthcritwasmadchomraw
m bythcdcpth,intcnsip, nuancc, and] rusticity
olitshavors.Ahcavilypastcurizcdchccsc,hcsaid,wl
bccquallyrcvcaling,withhavorsthatarcmutcd,vin-
atcd, abscnt, and blur(. Somc chccscmakcrs dcal
vththcissucbypastcurizingm slowlyandgcntly
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WHAT I S I T?
I enjoy col l ecting anti que kitchenware and recently bought thi s wi re
contraption. I t l ooks l i ke it may have been used to hol d or l if things,
but I ' m not sure. Do you have any i deas?
KEUI-CHEN HSIEH. SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
This antique
kitchen tool
provides a
sure grip on
canning jars.
We did some research and determi ned that thi s funny-l ooki ng
gadget, made of wood and heavy-gauge wi re, is an ol d-fashi oned
j ar-l i fer used to remove canning j ars from thei r hot water baths,
mi ni mi zi ng the ri sk of burns or broken jars. The gadget works l i ke
a pai r of gi ant tongs. To use it, pl ace your mi ddl e fnger through
the top l oop and posi ti on the handl es around the edge of the jar's
ri ng top. Next, pul l up on the wooden bars with your free fngers.
The tensi on from the pul l i ng action wi l l cause the handl es to cl ose
securel y around the top of the l i d, al l owi ng j ars of any si ze to be
l ifed up and out of the water. We found a few of these for sal e
onl i ne for about $6.
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Pastry cl oth i s no better than parhment paper
for rl l ing out dough.
Erratum
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SEND US YOUR QUESTI ONS We will provide a compli
mentary one-year subscri pti on for each letter we print. Send
your inqui ry, name, address, and daytime telephone number
to Notes from Readers, Cook's I l l ustrated, P.O. Box 470589,
Brookli ne, MA 02447, or to notesfromreaders@americastest
ki tchen. com.
No-Mess Measuring
It can be trick to measur dry
ingredients from smal l containers, such
3 cocoa powder or cornstarch boxes,
without getting the work surface
messy. To keep thi ngs tidy, Kate Grifin
of Oakland, Calif., rl i es on a pi ece of
parhment paper.
I. Pl ace a dry measuri ng cup on a
square of parchment or wax paper
and measure the i ngredi ent i nto
the cup. Use a fl at utensi l to sweep
excess onto the paper.
2. Hol di ng the edges, pi ck up the
paper and sl i de the excess i ngredi ent
back i nto the ori gi nal contai ner.
Cutting Marshmallows
Mini marshmallows are an imporant garnish for hot
chocolate, but what if you only have large marshmal
lows on hand? Ari Wolfe of Princeton, N.J., found
himself in such a predicament and reached for his
kitchen shears, lightly spraying them with nonstick
cooking spray to prevent the sticky marshmallows
frm adhering to the blades.
Portable Kitchen
Robert Romano of San Diego,
Calif., ofen misses must-have
ingredients or favorite kitchen
tools when cooking at friends'
homes. His solution? He packs a
few sharp knives and other indis
pensable items like a garlic press,
a pepper grinder, his favorite type
of salt, and a bottle of extra-virgin
olive oil into a plastic container to
take along. Multiple containers can
easily be stacked on top of each
other and lowered into a paper
grcery bag.
Stacking Glass
Measuring Cups
Stacki ng gl ass measuri ng cups can
resul t i n chi pped and broken edges.
Cel este Mari en of Medi na, N.Y,
found that a smal l square of wax or
parchment paper pl aced beteen the
cups prevents them from chi ppi ng
and makes them easi er to separate
when needed.
Send Us Your Tip We wi l l provi de a compl i mentary one-year subscri pti on for each tip we pri nt. Send your ti p, name. and
address to Qui ck Ti ps, Cook's I l l ustrated, P. O. Box 470589, Brookl i ne, MA 02447, or to qui ckti ps@ameri castestki tchen. com.
C OOK
'
S I L L U ST R ATED
4
Removing Refrigerator
Odors
Mary LeBrun of Raymond, Mai ne,
came up wi th a techni que that works
better than baki ng soda to deodorize
a refri gerator. She pl aces a handful
of charcoal bri quettes in a di spos
abl e pl asti c contai ner (wi th no l id) i n
the refri gerator or freezer. Once the
ofendi ng smel l has di ssipated, she
si mpl y discards the contai ner.
A Cleaner with Frills
Susannah Dickey of High Point,
N.C., came up with an ingenious
tool f or removing bits of food frm
the nooks and crannies of hard-to
clean kitchen tools such as pastry
tips, garlic presses, and rasp
style graters: the frilly
end of a toothpick.
Unblemished Caulifower
Even the frshest head of caul iflower
can have mi nor bl emi shes. Sharon
Cul l i nane of Farmi ngton, N.Y, gentl y
rubs a rasp-styl e grater over di scol
ored areas u nti l they di sappear.
Perect Pie Pastry
Citrus-Flavored Cocktails
Susan Abell of Hinesburg, Vt.,
came up with an idea for using up
the zest taken frm juiced lem
ons, limes, grapefruit, or oranges.
Rolling pie dough into an even circle requires def hands and experience. Joy Lillie of San Jose, Calif., uses parchment paper and a
pencil to make the process less daunting.
Combine the grated zest frm
I to 2 pieces of fruit with I
cup of vodka in a glass jar
and refrigerate. When it's
time to use the vodka in
I . 2.
I. Place a 12-inch skillet lid on a sheet of parchment paper. Using a pencil, trace a circle around the lid.
2. Roll out a disk of lightly floured dough on the parchment, using the tracing as a guide and stopping when the dough reaches
the line.
Makeshif Double Boiler
Many recipes call for melting chocolate in a homemade double boiler, which
is created by suspending a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Finding
herself with a bowl too small for her pot, Marika van Eerde of Santa Barbara, Calif.,
came up with a clever solution.
I. Place a heatproof colander in a pot of simmering water (the perforations should
be above the level of the water).
2. Set a heatproof bowl with the chocolate inside the colander. Using an oven mitt
to avoid a steam burn, stir the chocolate with a spatula until it melts.
Scoring Chicken Skin
Cutting slashes in chicken skin with a knife to
help render fat during cooking is
a slippery job that ofen results
in the meat being scored as
well, leading to a loss of juices
and drying out the meat. Tracey
Bissell of West Hartford, Conn.,
found a better way: Pinch the
chicken skin with one hand,
then use kitchen shears in the
other to snip the skin two or
three times.
Chemical-Free Cleaning
To avoid cleaning kitchen countertops
with chemicals that might contami
nate food, Carlyn Roberts of
Vienna, Va., uses a spray bottle
flled with equal
-._:,
pars white vinegar
and water.
An Easier Squeeze
Pressing all the juice from a lemon or lime with a citrus juicer can be trick. To
ensure he gets every last drop, Fred Dunayer of Sarasota, Fla., employs the follow
ing technique:
I. Using a paring knife, cut the lemon peel from pole to pole, making four
!-inch-deep slits. Next, cut the lemon in half crosswise.
2. Place the lemon half in the juicer and squeeze to remove all of the juice.
J A N U A R Y c F E BR U A R Y 2 0 0 8
5
Im
p
roving Chea
p
Roast Beef
Roasting inexpensive beef usually yields tough meat best suited for sandwiches. How do you
transform a bargain cut into a tender, juicy roast that can stand on its own at dinner?
F
or most families, Sunday roast
beef isn't prime rib; it's a lesser
cut that's someti mes good,
sometimes not. The roasts my
parents prepared throughout my child
hood were typically tough and dried
out and better suited for sandwiches
the next day. But when my grand
father was at the stove, he could take
the same inexpensive cut and turn it
into something special-tender, rosy,
beef-tasting meat that had everyone
asking for seconds. I wanted to work
the same kind of wizardry on my own
Sunday roast.
3 B Y DAVID PAZMINOE
First I needed to zero in on the most
promising beef Aer a week in the
kitchen testng a slew oflow-cost cuts (see
"Low-Cost Lineup," right), Ihad a clear
winner: the eye-round roast. Though
less flavorf than fattier cuts fom the
shoulder ( the chuck) and less tender than
other meat fom the back leg ( the round),
my eye roast had one key attribute the
others lacked: a uniform shape fom font
to back. This was a roast that would not
only cook evenly but look good on the
plate as well .
Thi nl y s l i ci ng the eye round is the l ast step i n transformi ng i t from
tough to tender.
The Showdown: Hi gh or Low Heat?
My next challenge was choosing between the two
classic med1ods for roasting meat-high and fast
or low and slow. 1 began with the more common
high-heat approach, quickly searing the meat on d1e
stovetop and then transferring it to a 450-degree
oven for roasting. The technique works great with
more upscale rib and loin cuts but showed its faws
with the leaner eye round, yielding meat that was
overcooked and dried-out.
But before heading down the low-temperature
J COOK' S LIVE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i llu s t r at ed.c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Sl ow-Roasted Beef
VIDEO TIPS
Whi ch cut of meat shoul d I buy?
How do I carve roast beef?
Do I real l y need an i nstant-read thermometer?
Can I check the temperature of my oven without an
oven thermometer/
pad1, which normally involves roasting meat in an
oven set between 250 and 325 degrees, 1 wanted to
t something more extreme. To extract maximum
tenderess fom meat, the popular 1 960s nutritionst
Adelle Davis advocated cooking it at the temperature
desired when it was done. For a roast to reach an end
temperature of 1 30 degrees for medium-rare, this
process could involve 20 to 30 hours of cooking.
Davis's advice wasn't new. Benjamin Thompson,
the 18th-century physicist who invented the roasting
oven, observed that leaving meat to cook overnight in
an oven heated by a dying fre resulted in exceptional
tenderess.
Tossing aside practical considerations like food
safety and the gas bill, I decided 1 had to replicate
these two experts' fndings. 1 set the one oven in
the test kitchen capable of maintaining such a low
temperature to 1 30 degrees and popped in an eye
round. Twenty-four hours later, 1 pulled out a roast
wid1 j uicy, meltingly tender meat that tasters likened
to beef tenderloin. What special beef magic was
going on here?
C OOK
"
s ILLU STR ATED
6
The Lowdown
When Ithought back to the test kitchen's discoveries
in "The Problem with Thick-Cut Steaks" (May/June
2007), Ihad my answer: Beef contains enzymes that
break down its connective tissues and act as natural
tenderizers. These enzmes work fster as the tem
perature of the meat rises-but just Lt it reaffes 122
degrees, at which point all action stops. Roastng the
eye round in an oven set to 130 degrees allowed it to
stay below 122 degees f longer than when cooked i
the typical low-temperature roastng range, transform
ing this lean, unassw1ing cut into something great.
But given that most ovens don't heat below
200 degrees-and that most home cooks don't
want to run their ovens for a fll day-how could I
expect others to re-create my results? I would have
s H o P P 1 N G : Low-Cost Lineup
Not al l bargai n cuts have the potenti al to taste l i ke
a mi l l i on bucks-or l ook l i ke i t when carved and
served on a pl ate.
OUR FAVORITE
EYE-ROUND ROA
($4. 99 per pound)
We si ngl ed out thi s cut not onl y
for i ts good flavor and rel ative tender-
TOO FATTY
CHUCK EYE
($3.99 per pound)
Whi l e undeni abl y tender
ODD SHAPE
TOP ROUND
($ 3. 99 per pound)
A del i staple for sandwi ches, thi s cut
TOUGH TO CARVE
BOTOM ROUND RUMP
($4.29 per pound)
We rul ed out thi s roast for
bei ng both tough and hard to
carve agai nst the grai n.
RE CI P E S HORTHAN D j THE TRANSFORMATI ON FROM TOUGH TO TENDER
Along with sal ti ng and seari ng, the key to our eye round's makeover i nto a tender, j ui cy roast i s keepi ng its i nternal tem
perature bel ow 1 22 degrees for as l ong as possi bl e. Bel ow 1 22 degrees. the meat's enzymes act as natural tenderi zers,
breaking down its tough connective ti ssues.
C
I . SALT Sal t the roast and al l ow i t to rest for 1 8 to 24 hours. Sal t breaks down protei ns to i mprove texture.
2. SEAR Sear the meat i n a hot pan before roasting. Whi l e thi s won' t afect tenderness. i t wi l l boost flavor.
3. OVEN ON Cook the meat in an oven set to 225 degrees and open the door as i nfrequentl y as possi bl e.
4. OVEN OFF When the roast reaches 1 15 degrees. turn of oven and conti nue to cook the roast as the oven cool s.
to go as low as I could and see what happened. To
accommodate the widest possible range of ovens, I
settled on 225 degrees as my lowest starting point.
I also decided I would brown the meat fi rst to give
it nice color and a crusty exterior. (Willie tender,
my 1 30-degree roast had an unappetizing gray
exterior. ) Searing would also help to ensure food
safety, since bacteria on roasts are generally confned
to the outside.
When I took tl1e roast out of the oven, however,
I was disappointed. It was tender, but notlng like
the texture of the eye row1d cooked at 1 30 degees.
What could I do to keep the meat below 122 degrees
longer? A new idea occurred to me: Why not shut of
the oven just before the roast reached 1 22 degrees?
A the oven cooled, the roast would contnue to cook
even more slowly.
Using a meat-probe themometer to track t inter
nal temperamre of the roast, I shut of the oven when
the meat reached l l 5 degrees. Sure enough, the meat
stayed below 122 degrees 30 minutes longer, allowing
its enzymes to contnue the work of tenderzing, before
creeping to 1 30 degrees for medium-rare. Tasters
were cery happy with tls roast. It was remarkably
tender and juicy for a roast that cost so little.
The Home Stretch
With the tenderness problem solved, it was time to
tackle taste. So far I' d simply sprinkled salt and pep
per on tl1e roast j ust before searing it. Perhaps the
flavor would improve if the meat were salted over
night or even brined. Brining-normally reserved
for less fatty pork and poultry---certainly pumped
more water into the beef and made it very j uicy, but
it also made it taste bland, watery, and less beef.
Next I tried salting the meat for first four, tl1en 1 2,
and fnally 24 hours. A night be expected, tle roast
benefted most from tl1e longest salting. Because
the process of osmosis causes salt to travel from
areas of higher to lower concentration, tle fl 24
hours gave it tle most time to penetrate deep into
the meat. There was another beneft: Salt, like the
enzymes in meat, breaks down proteins to frtl 1er
improve texture.
At last I had tender, flavomll beef for a Sunday
roast tl1at even my grandfatler would have been
proud to serve to his f. The lefovers-if tl1ere
were any-would have no need for may01maise or
mustard to taste good.
SLOW- ROASTE D B E E F
S E RVES 6 TO 8
We don't recommend cooking tlUs roast past
mecium. Open tl1e oven door as little as possible
and remove the roast fom tl1e oven while taking its
temperanrre. If tle roast has not reached the desired
temperature in the ti me specifi ed in step 3, heat the
oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, shut it of, and
contnue to cook the roast to tl1e desired temperatu re.
For a smaller ( 212 - to 3 11-pound) roast, reduce the
amount of kosher salt to 3 teaspoons ( 1 11 teaspoons
table salt) and black pepper to 1 12 teaspoons. For a
4l2 - to 6-pow1d roast, cut in half crosswise before
cooking to create 2 smaller roasts. Slice me roast as
minly as possible and serve witl1 Horseracish Cream
Sauce, if desired ( recipe follows) .
bonel ess eye-rund rast (3 V2 t o 4 V2 pounds)
(see note above)
4 teaspoons kosher sal t or 2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons pl us I tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l
2 teaspoons grund bl ack pepper
1 . Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly witl1 salt. Wrap
with plastic wrap and refigerate 1 8 to 24 hours.
2. Adj ust oven rack to nuddle position and heat
oven to 225 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels;
mb witl1 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle all sides evenly
with pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in 1 2-
inch skillet over mecium-high heat until starting to
smoke. Sear roast until browned on all sides, 3 to 4
minutes per side. Transfer roast to wire rack set in
rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat-probe tl1er
mometer or instant- read thermometer inserted into
center of roast registers 1 1 5 degrees for mecium
rare, 1 1 to I hours, or 1 25 degrees for medium,
to 214 hours.
J A N U A R Y c F E BR U A R Y 2 0 0 8
7
3. Turn oven of; leave roast in oven, witl1out
opening door, until meat-probe mermometer or
instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast
regsters 1 30 degrees for meciwn-rare or 140 degrees
for meciun, 30 to 50 nlnutes longer. Transfer roast
to carving board and let rest 1 5 n-lnutes. Slice meat
crosswise as ty as possible and serve.
HORSE RADI S H CRE AM SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT I CUP
V2 c u p heavy cream
V2 cup prepared horseradi sh
teaspoon tabl e sal t
Va teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
Whisk crean in mecium bowl until tlUckened but
not yet holcing sof peaks, to 2 nlnutes. Gently
fol d in horseradish, salt, and pepper. Transfer to
serving bowl and refrigerate at l east 30 minutes or
up to 1 hour before serving.
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
Meat-Probe Thermometers
Repeatedl y openi ng the oven door to monitor the
i nternal temperature of a roast can throw cooki ng
ti mes of ki l ter. One sol uti on? Meat-probe ther
mometers. These remote devi ces transmi t tempera
ture from a l ong probe l ef in the meat and attached
to a thi n cord that snakes out of the oven to a digital
consol e. But don' t throw out your i nstant-read
thermometer j ust yet. We tested I I model s-sev
eral by the same manufacturers-and not one
was flawl ess. The ones that accuratel y measured
temperature sported functi on buttons that were
too sl ow or too hard to fgure out. Others that
were user-fri endl y were al so unrel i abl e.
The best of the bunch-an easy-to-use ther
mometer from Thermo Works ($ 1 9)-was great
when i t worked but has probes that even its
manufacturer admits are someti mes defective.
Unti l a better meat probe comes on the market, we
recommend this one-with reservati ons. Check
the probe's accuracy by boi l i ng water and taki ng a
readi ng before tryi ng i t wi th a roast. If the probe
doesn' t read very cl ose to 2 1 2 degrees. ask for a
repl acement. For compl ete testi ng resul ts, go to
ww . cooksi l l ustrated. com/february.
US E R- F RI E NDLY
B UT U NRE L I AB L E
The ThermoWorks ri gi nal
Cooking Thermometer/
Ti mer ofers a long cord
and si mple, si ngle-function
buttons, but its prbe can
be inaccurate.
-El i zabeth Bomze
Introducing French Chick
en in a Pot
Taki ng cues from a French tech n i qu e for cooki ng ch i cken i n a covered pot
we forgo cri s py s ki n for s uccu l ent meat and u nforgettabl e fl avor.
I
frst encountered poulet en cocotte
in a Pari si an bi s tro l as t fal l .
Recommended t o me by the waiter
as a specialty of the house, the dish
featured a whole chicken baked with a
smattering of root vegetables in a covered
pot. It was just the kind of homey com
fort food I was craving on that cold, wet
night. The bird arrived at my table in a
cast- iron pot, and my anticipation grew as
the waiter lifed the l i d. At frst glance, the
chicken was notlung to rave about-it had
pale, sof skin ver unlike the crisp exterior
of the roasted poultry I was used to-but
its deep aroma was better than that of
any roast chicken I could remember. My
frst bite confrmed that the dish was very
special, i ndeed-the meat was i ncred
ibly tender and j uicy, with a rich, soul
satisfing favor.
3 B Y C I I A R L E S K E L S E Y E
My next go-round, I cooked a chicken
by itself save for a little oil to prevent it
from sticking. When I pulled the pot &om
the oven and removed tl1e lid, a tiny puf
of stean emerged-not the great whoosh
tl1at had been escaping &om tle tests with
vegetables. This was a bird witl1 great flavor
tlat won over tasters and ren1inded me of
my meal in Paris. And witl1 no vegetables to
soak them up, tle favor j uices remained
in the pot. Afer deftting the liquid, I had
a simple, richly favored jus to accompany
my chicken-a huge bonus. Still, tl1e bird
was not perfect. Tasters complained that
the breast meat was a tad tough and fbrous,
and I had to agree. I wondered what a lower
oven temperature would do.
Ti mi ng Is Everythi ng
A I contued to savor each bite, I began
to t about the American obsession with
crisp chicken skin. We are so bent on gettng
t one aspect right that we'll sacrifce what's
really important-the meat. I'd certainly be
willing to give up a crisp exterior if it meant
I could have tender, succulent meat bursting
with concentrated chicken favor. I had to t
making poulet en cocotte at home.
As i t bakes i n a Dutch oven, the chi cken rel eases j ui ces that stay i n the pot,
contri buti ng to excepti onal l y moi st meat and a ri ch-tasti ng j us.
Settng up a half dozen chickens i n pots, I
tested a range of oven temperanrres below
400 degrees. To account for pots with
poorly fttg lds, I sealed each witl1 foil
before adding the top, ensuring tlut as
much of the chicken j uices as possible wOLtld
stay inside. Temperamres fom 300 to 375
degrees produced better results, but even
lower temperanires-between 250 and 300
degrees-yielded chickens with increcibly
Bl owi ng Off Steam
The basic metl1od for poulet en cocotte is simple:
Place a seasoned chicken in a pot, scatter in a small
hand of chopped vegetables, cover, and bake.
Unlike braising, little to no liquid is added to tl1e
pot, resulting in a drier cooking environment. Many
of tl1e recipes I found called for aLLxiat ingredients
such as bacon, mushrooms, or tomatoes. But when
I tried tl1ese extras, I fow1d they served only to cover
up what I was really afer: great chicken favor, pure
and simple, like I'd had in Paris. I would stick witl1 the
chllof potatoes, onions, and carrots I remembered
&om that meal .
A I contued to experiment with ciferent recipes
in tl1e test kitchen, I realized the bistro had described
their dish as a specialty of the house with good reason:
Notlng I made could compare. Though most recipes
did nothing to the chicken except season it before
placing it i the pot to bake, I decided extra measures
were necessary. I tried basting the bird, but going to
the oven every 20 Iinutes was a hassle that had little
impact on tle taste. Next I tiied lightly browning tl1e
top and bottom of tle chicken on tl1e stove top before
baking. Now I was gettng somewhere-tile favor was
beginning to deepen. But how cOLtld I get even more
intense chicken favor? I remembered earlier tests in
which I'd added a splash of wine or brotl1 to tl1e pot
at tl1e start of cooking. These versions resLilted in meat
tlat was very j uicy, but the steamier environment cre
ated a washed-out favor. What if I actually decreased
tl1e humidity inside tle pot? Would tl1at gve me tl1e
result I was looking for?
Eager for answers, I prepped a new chicken and
a batch of vegetables, dryig each tl1oroughly witl1
paper towels before adding them to tl1e pot. This
had little efect. And tl1en it dawned on me tl1at the
vegetables were releasing liquid and making tl1e pot
too steamy. To create something close to a one-pot
meal, I had been using more vegetables and in larger
chunks than I remembered &om my bistro dish. But
I' d gladly sacrifi ce tl1e veggies if it meant a bird with
better favor.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S r R A 'I E D
8
tender breast meat. And willie these birds
took much longer tl1a average to cook (about an hour
and a haf-al walk-away t, mind you) , taster raved
about tl1e meat's rich, concentrated flavor, which was
al tl1anks to tl1e techique: slow-cooking the chicken
in nothing more t1 its own juices.
The last cooking hurdle to clear was the matter of
tl1e dark meat not cooking quickly enough. By tl1e
time the breast meat was perfectly cooked to 1 60
degrees, tl1e dark meat (which needs to be cooked to
1 75 degrees) still wasn't ready. Placing tl1e oven rack
on tl1e lowest position, so it was closer to the heat
source, combined witl1 browning tl1e dark meat for
an extra minute or two, solved the problem.
With the cooking process under control , it was
time to fnesse the favors. Two teaspoons of kosher
salt was enough to season the chicken witl1out mak
ing tle j us too salty. And I discovered tl1at I could
get away with adding a small an10lll1t of potently fa
vored aromatic vegetables-hopped onion, cele1,
whole garlic cloves-to tl1e pot. Lightly browning
them along with tl1e chicken helped wick away any
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excess moisture, and the caramelization added tich
color and fl avor to the j us. Stirring in a litde fresh
lemon j uice to fsh the jus brightened and balanced
all of its flavors.
My French Chicken in a Pot wlnever place fi rst in
a beauty contest, of course, if a browned roast bird is
the standard. But its tender, j uicy, intensely flavored
meat is sure to be a winner every time.
F RE NCH CHI CKE N I N A POT
S ERVES 4
The cooking times i the recipe are for a 41/z - to
5-pound bird. A 3Vz- to 4Vz -pound chicken will
take about an hour to cook, and a 5- to 6-pOLmd
bird wl take close to 2 hours. We developed this
recipe to work wid1 a 5- to 8-quart Dutch oven with
a tight-ftting lid. !fusing a 5-quart pot, do not cook
a chicken larger than 5 pOLmds. Use the best chicken
available, such as a Bell & Evans. If using a kosher
chicken, reduce d1e kosher salt to 1 teaspoon (or lz
teaspoon table salt) . If you choose not to serve d1e
skin WHd1e chicken, simply remove it before carving.
The amount of j us wvary depending on the size of
the chcken; season it with about 1/4 teaspoon lemon
j uice for every l4 cup.
whole rasti ng chi cken (4 V2 to 5 pounds),
gi bl ets removed and di scarded, wi ngs tucked
under back (see note above)
2 teaspoons kosher salt or I teaspoon tabl e salt
\ teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
tabl espoon ol ive oi l
smal l oni on, chopped medi um (about V2 cup)
smal l cel ery stal k, chopped medi um
(about \ cup)
6 medi um garl i c cl oves, peel ed and tri mmed
bay l eaf
medi um spri g fresh rsemary (opti onal )
V2-l teaspoon j ui ce frm I l emon
l. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat
oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper
rowels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in
large Dutch oven over medium heat until j ust smok
ing. Add chicken breast-side down; scatter onion,
Dry Cooking versus Braising
French Chi cken i n a Pot shares some si mi l ariti es wi th
brai sed chi cken-both are cooked i n covered pots i n l ow
temperature ovens to yi el d tender, flavorful meat. Unl i ke
brai si ng, however, where l ots of l i qui d i s added to the pot,
our chi cken i s pl aced i n a dry pot and l ef to cook i n nothi ng
more than the essence of its own j ui ces.
DRY E NVI RONM E NT
I n a dry pot with no added liquid, juices that come out of
the chicken go right back into it, undi l uted by other flavors.
WE T E NVI RONME NT
The wet envirnment of a braise creates an ongoing
exchange between the flavors of the chicken 3 well as
other ingredients, such as wine, brth, and vegetables.
celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary ( if using) around
chicken. Cook until breast is lighdy browned, about
5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon inserted into
cavity of bird, fip chicken breast-side up and cook
w1til chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to
8 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from heat; place
large sheet of foil over pot and cover tighdy wid
lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read
d1ermometer registers 1 60 degrees when inserted in
duckest part of breast and 1 75 degrees in mickest part
of thigh, 80 to lO minutes.
2. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent wid1
foil, and rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken
j uices from pot d1rough fne- mesh strainer into fat
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
I s a Cl ay Cooker Better
Clay pot roasters have garnered fame for coaxing
remarkable flavor from few i ngredi ents and mi ni mal
work: You si mpl y soak the cooker i n water for I S
mi nutes, add the raw i ngredi ents, and pl ace the cov
erd pot in a col d oven. You then crank the heat up to
at least 400 degrees. Theoreti cal l y, the steam rleased
from the water-soaked clay and the gradual tempera
ture i ncrease shoul d yi el d tender, j ui cy meat.
Can a cl ay cooker outperform a Dutch oven? To
fnd out, we compared two batches of our French
Chi cken i n a Pot, one cooked in a Dutch oven and
the other adapted for a cl ay roaster. We preferred
the Dutch oven method. Though both chi ckens
cooked up equal l y moi st and fal l -apart tender, clay
cookers are not stovetop-safe, so we needed to
brown the chi cken in a ski l l et before transferring i t
to the cl ay pot. We' l l sti ck wi th the Dutch oven.
-El i zabeth Bomze
ONLY I N A HOT OVE N
Clay cookers aren't stovetop-safe, so you' l l need
to brwn chi cken separately.
separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard
solids ( you should have about % cup j uices) . Allow
Liquid to settle 5 minutes, men pour into saucepan
and set over low heat. Carve chicken, adding any
accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon j uice into
jus to taste. Serve chicken, passing j us at table.
l COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o k s i l l u s t r at e d. c o m
HOW TO MAKE

French Chi cken i n a Pot

VIDEO TIPS
Whi ch Dutch oven shoul d I buy?
How can I separate fat wi thout a fat separator?
KE YS TO S UCC E S S I MOI ST C H I C K E N WI TH C ONC E NTRATE D FLAVOR

I . BROWN Sear chi cken on both si des 2. SEAL Cover pot wi th foi l befor addi ng 3 . S LOW- COOK Cook chi cken at 250 4. REST Transfer chicken to caring boar
t to enhance flavor. l i d to trap chi cken j ui ces i nsi de. degrees for 80 to I I 0 mi nutes. to rest so j ui ces can redistribute.

J A N U A R Y c^ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
9
Ultracrunchy Ba
k
ed Pork
Chops
Pork chops wi th a th i ck coati ng that won't fal l off requ i re more than j u st a s hake i n a bag.
We get ri d of cru mbl y crusts and soggy bottoms to create chops wi th real cru nch .
W
hen done right, baked
breaded pork chops are
the ul ti mate comfort
food: tender cutlets sur
rounded by a crunchy coating that crack
les apart with each bite. But all too ofen,
baked chops fal l short of that ideal . Opt
for the convenience of a shaky packaged
product from the supermarket for your
breading and you wind up with a bland
tasting chop with a thi n, sandy crust. Make
your own breading with fresh crumbs and
the faws are diferent-a soggy, patchy
crust that won' t stick to the meat. My goal
was clear: to cook a j uicy, flavorfl chop
with a crisp, substantial crust that would
stay on the meat from fork to mouth.
Choi ce Chops
3 B Y S A N D R A W U E
cheated. What if I let air circulation keep
the bottom crumbs crisp? Placing tl1e chops
on a wire rack set inside the baking sheet
def1itely helped. Upping the oven tem
perature from 350 to 425 degrees helped
even more. The coating nisped up more
readily, and the excess moisture evaporated
by the time the pork reached the requisite
1 50- degree sering temperature.
Cri sp and Crunchy
I had fgured out the right chops to use
and the proper way to cook them. Now I
could concentrate on the breading. Tasters
deemed panko too fine- textured and
bland. Crushed Melba toast was crunchier
but didn' t stick together. Ultimately, tast
ers preferred the fresh favor and sl ight
sweetness of crumbs made from white
sandwich bread.
I tossed the fresh crumbs with a little
My frst task was choosing te best cut of
meat. Though bone-in chops retain mois
ture better, I decided on a boneless cut for
ts dish, so I wouldn't have to bread the
bone and there would be no distraction
fom the crunchy crust. This gave me two
options: sirloin or center-cut. I settled on
center-cut boneless loin chops, which were
not only easier to fnd in the supermarket
but also cooked more evenly.
A novel techni que gi ves these chops thei r seri ousl y crunchy coati ng.
salt, pepper, and oil ; tl1en I spread them on
a baking sheet and toasted them until they
were golden brown. The resulting crust
was decently crisp but still not as good as
I knew i t could be. What if I took a cue
from tl1e supermarket coating and toasted
the crumbs to a deeper brown? Though
boxed crumbs produce a crust tlat is thin
Next I needed to determine tl1e chop size. The
1!-inch-thick chops generally used for pan-fing
were too easily overwhelmed by the kind of crust I
wanted, and the l l-inch-tck chops usualy resered
for barbecuing or stfg proved to be too tllick, giv
ing me too much meat and not enough crust. Pork
chops that fell in between-% to l inch thick-were
my tasters' top choice.
The test kitchen's standard breading metl1d
( dusting witl1 fl our, cipping in beaten egg, and
rolling i n toasted bread crumbs) was sufcient as I
fgured out the best cooking tecrique. Simply bak
ing tl1e breaded chops on a baking sheet, the most
obvious method and one used in many recipes, made
tl1e bottoms soggy. I tried breading just the top and
sides, and while this quick fx worked, tasters felt
K e c 1 P e T e s T 1 N G : Coatings wi thout the Crunch
THI N
This popular boxed mix gives
chops an i nsubstantial, bland crust.
PATCHY
The crust peel s of chops di pped
i n a typical thin eg wash.
CRUMB LY
Fresh, untoasted crumbs have
trubl e sticking to the chop.
COOK
'
S I L L U S T R AT E D
1 0
and sandy, the processed coating does have one
thing going for it-a true crispness tint I' d yet to
achieve. For my next test, I lef the crumbs in tl1e
oven until they looked dangerously overtoasted and
was pleasantly surprised that tllis worked-the bread
ing didn't burn when baked again on tl1e chops, and
my crumb coating was now seriously crisp. To add
even more favor, I stirred in some minced garlic and
shallot with the crumbs before they went into the
oven and tossed in some grated Parmesan cheese and
minced herbs afer they cooled. These chops tasted
great. Everything would be perfect if I could just
ensure one thing: that the crumbs swck onto the
pork evenly, rather than peeling of in patches.
Sti ck to I t
Witl1 cnunbs as tl1ick and coarse as these, I knew I' d
need sometlling witl1 more holding power than a
typical egg wash to glue them to the pork. I recalled
a cookbook recipe that used mustard instead of eggs
to stick crun1bs on chops. A straight swap made the
taste too intense, but keeping tl1e eggs and adding

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S TE P - BY- STE P 1 S E C RETS TO A C RI S P C OATI NG
I . DI P A thi ck batter of fl our, 2. COAT Coati ng the chops with 3. E LEVATE Baki ng the chops on
a rack set i n a baki ng sheet al l ows
greater air ci rcul ati on and prevents
the bottoms from turni ng soggy.
mustard, and eg whites gri ps the fresh, wel l -toasted bread crumbs
bread crumbs l i ke gl ue. resul ts i n a crust wi th flavor and
crunch.
a few tablespoons of Dijon mustard thickened the
mh:mre nicely and brought just enough new favor to
the mix. But wlUle the crumbs stuck onto the baked
chops better than they had wth a simple egg wash, a
few areas still flaked of.
A fellow test cook wondered aloud what would
happen if I got rid of the egg wash altogether and
dipped the foured chops into a thick batter before
breading them. I laughed. Afer all, batter is for fried
food. Who ever heard of using it for baking? I did it
anyway, using a basic fitto misto batter of four, cor
starch, water, oil, and eggs as my base. Fully expecting
this experiment to tank, I was surprised when the pork
chops came out with a crust that was crunchier than
before and stayed on like a protective sheath. This
batter, though, requires resting and seemed too f1ssy
for a weeknight dish. But what if ! made a quick egg
wash dat was more like a batter?
I whisked enough four into d1e egg and mustard
mmre to give it the tick consistency of may0maise.
This adherg agent was now more of a spackle d1an a
water glue. Afer fouring the chops, I coated dem
eveny in d1e egg wash-batter hybrid, covered d1em
in bread crumbs, and baked them again. Much better,
but dere was a sof, puf layer direcdy benead1 the
crumbs. Replacing the whole eggs with egg whites,
which have less fat but enough protein to lend stick
ing power, provided j ust the crisp, dry crust I was
looking for. But even more impressive, d1e crumbs
clung frmly onto the meat even during some heavy
knife-and-fork action. This pork fnal.ly had some
rea chops.
CRUNCHY BAKE D PORK CHOPS
S E HVE S 4
This recipe was developed using natural pork, but
enhanced pork ( injected with a salt solution) will
work as well . If using enhanced pork, eliminate the
brining in step l . The bread crumb mixn1re can be
prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance.
The breaded chops can be frozen for up t o l week.
They don't need to be d1awed before baking;
simply increase the cooking time in step 5 to 35 to
40 minutes.
Tabl e sal t
4 bonel ess center-cut pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces
each, 3 to I i nch thi ck, tri mmed of excess fat
4 sl i ces hearty whi te sandwi ch bread, torn i nto
l -i nch pi eces
I smal l shal l ot, mi nced (about 2 tabl espoons)
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
Grund bl ack pepper
2 tabl espoons grated Parmesan cheese
V> teaspoon mi nced fresh thyme l eaves
2 tabl espoons mi nced fresh parsl ey l eaves
V4 cup pl us 6 tabl espoons unbl eached
al l -purpose fl our
3 l arge egg whi tes
3 tabl espoons Di j on mustard
Lemon wedges
l . Adjust oven rack to riddJe position and heat
oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve l4 cup salt in l quart
water in mediwn conner or gallon-sized zipper-lock
bag. Submerge chops, cover vid1 plastic wrap, and
refigerate 30 minutes. Rnse chops Lmder cold water
and dry d1oroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor
until coarsely ground, about eight 1 - second pulses
( you should have about 3 1z cups crumbs ) . Transfer
crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot,
garlic, oil, l4 teaspoon salt, and l4 teaspoon pepper.
Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake
untiJ deep golden brown and d1, about 1 5 minutes,
stirri ng twice during baking time. ( Do not turn of
oven. ) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs
with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
3. Place 1/4 cup four i n pie plate. In second
pi e pl ate, whisk egg whites and mustard until
combi ned; add remaining 6 tablespoons four and
whisk until almost smooth, with pea- sized lumps
remaining.
4. Increase oven temperatme to 425 degrees. Spray
wire rack wid1 nonstick cooking spray and place in
rin1med baking sheet. Season chops wid1 pepper.
Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake of excess. Using
tongs, coat wid1 egg mixntre; let excess drip of. Coat
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
l l
The 30- Minute Bri ne
You mi ght be tempted t o ski p the bri ni ng step
when prepari ng Crunchy Baked Pork Chops.
Don' t. Center-cut chops are quite l ean, and lef
untreated they wi l l be very dry and chewy, even
when cooked to medi um (an i nternal temperature
of I SO degrees). The sal t in the bri ne changes the
structure of the muscl e protei ns and al l ows them
to hol d on to more moi sture when exposed to
heat. My tasters had no troubl e pi cki ng out the
chops that I had bri ned versus chops that I had
l ef untreated.
I f you' re accustomed t o bri ni ng a turkey for the
hol i days, you might thi nk you don' t have time to
bri ne pork chops for a weeknight reci pe l i ke this. But
I found that maki ng the bri ne super-concentrated
(with ! cup of tabl e sal t di ssol ved in I quart of
water) gets the j ob done in j ust 30 mi nutes-the
ti me i t wi l l take you to prepare the fresh bread
crumb coating. And my potent bri ne fits, al ong with
four chops, in a medi um contai ner or gal l on-si zed
zi pper-l ock bag. No bri ni ng bucket needed.
One excepti on: I f you' ve purchased enhanced
chops i njected wi th a sal t sol uti on, don' t bri ne them.
The i nj ected sol uti on wi l l make the chops moi st,
even spongy, and bri ni ng wi l l make the meat way
too salty. We prefer the flavor of natural chops and
fnd that 30 mi nutes i n a strong brine makes them
pl enty j uicy. -S. W.
all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing
gendy so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop.
Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with
remaining 3 chops.
5 . Bake untiJ instant-read thermometer inserted
into center of chops registers 1 50 degrees, 17 to 25
minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before servng
with lemon wedges.
CRUNCHY BAKED PORK CHOPS WI TH
PROSCI UTTO AND ASI AGO CHE ESE
Follow recipe for Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
through step 3, omitting salt added to bread crumb
mixn1re in step 2. Before breading, place ls - inch
thick slice Asia go cheese ( about l2 ounce) on
top of each chop. Wrap each chop wid1 thin slice
prosciutto, pressing on prosciutto so that cheese
and meat adhere to one another. Proceed wid1
recipe from step 4, being carefl when handling
chops so that cheese and meat do not come apart
during breading.
l COOK' S LI VE Ori i nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u st rat e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
VIDEO TIPS
How do I mi nce a shal l ot?
How do I mi nce parsl ey?
Best French Onion Sou
p
Most vers i ons of th i s age-ol d reci pe h i de a medi ocre broth u nder a crust of bread and a
bl anket of Gruyere. What i s the secret to coaxi ng i mpressi ve fl avor out of h u mbl e oni ons?
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Forget constant sti rri ng on the stovetop. Cooki ng oni ons i n the oven takes ti me but requi res l i ttl e attenti on.
I . RAW The raw oni ons nearl y fi l l 2. AFTER I HOUR I N OVE N 3. AFTER 2 V2 HOURS I N OVEN
a large Dutch oven. The oni ons are starting to wi l t and The oni ons ar gol den, wi l ted, and
rel ease moi sture. si gnifi cantl y reduced i n vol ume.
C O O K
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S I L L U S T R A T E D
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once, if at al l . The secret to our reci pe i s to degl aze
the pot at l east three ti mes.
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3 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, cut i nto 3 pi eces
6 l arge yel l ow oni ons (about 4 pounds), hal ved
and cut pol e to pol e i nto V4 -i nch-thi ck sl i ces
(see "Sl i ci ng Oni ons, " page 30)
Tabl e sal t
2 cups water, pl us extra for degl azi ng
Y2 cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodi um chi cken brth (see note above)
2 cups beef brth (see note above)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied wi th kitchen twi ne
bay l eaf
Grund bl ack pepper
Cheese Croutons
I smal l baguette, cut on bi as i nto Y2 -i nch sl i ces
8 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 2 Y2 cups)
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1 3
T A s T , N G : Gruyere Cheese
Though its fame derives mai nl y from its use i n fon
due and French oni on soup, Gruyere i s also a tabl e
cheese revered for its creamy texture and savory
flavor. Both Switzerl and and France make authentic
versi ons that are crafed from raw cow's milk and
aged for the better part of a year in government
designated regi ons (the French cheese i s cal l ed
Gruyere de Comte) . Though l abel ed "Gruyere,"
domestic cheeses of this type bear l ittle resemblance
to the real thi ng. Made from pasteurized cow's mi l k,
they are aged for fewer months and have a rubbery
texture and bl and flavor. In fact, in a bl i nd taste test
of ni ne brands, tasters overhel mi ngl y panned the
two domesti c versi ons, l i keni ng one (from Boar's
Head) to "pl asti c. " I mported Gruyeres, on the
other hand, recei ved raves. The top pi cks i n the
l i neup were three reserve cheeses, aged I 0 or more
months to devel op stronger flavor: the Gruyere
Reserve carri ed by Whol e Foods Market, Emmi Le
Gruyere Resere, and a Gruyere Sal e from a Boston
area cheese shop. For compl ete tasting results, go to
www. cooksi l l ustrated. com/february.
-El i zabeth Bomze
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ll COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o k s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Best French Oni on Soup
VIDEO TIPS
How do I peel and sl i ce an oni on?
What si ze oni ons shoul d I buy?
Spanish-Style Garlic Shrimp
Shri mp i n garl i cky ol i ve oi l i s a tapas bar cl ass i c. But make th i s appeti zer at home and
sudden l y the sh ri mp are ru bbery and the garl i c goes mi ssi ng i n a sea of ol i ve oi l .
I
lthcrc i s onc thing that can catch
attcnti on i n a Spani sh tapas rcs
taurant, i t` sthchcady aromawah
i ng up lrom a dish olgambas al
ai/o-ittlc shrimp sizzlingi na poolol
o|ivcoilandgarli c. ncbitcwillconhrm
that thc garli c sharcs cqual bil|ing with
thc shrimp,whcnpropcrlyprcparcd, thc
shrimp is wondcrmlly swcct and tcndcr
andinmscdwithdccp garlic havor. Jhc
kcyto achicving this havor is thc oil . A
|argc quantityishcatcda|ongwith sliccd
garl i c, Spani sh chi l cs, and bay l cavcs
in a cazuela an carthcnwarc ramcki n)
until lightlysizzling. A handlu|olsmall
shrimparcaddcd,hcatcduntil j ustbarcly
cookcdthrough, andscrvcddircctlyout
olthccookingvcsscl . Jhc dishisalways
accompani cd by crusty brcad to soak
up a|l thc l cltovcr garlic and shrimp
Uavorcdoil .
3 B Y J . K E N J I A L T E
Aspcr|cctas thc dishi s, itnccdssomc
adjustmcntstoworkasanappctizcrscrvcd
athomc.Atatapasrcstaurant,whcrcyour
tablcisovcrhowingwithothcrdishcs, it`s
casytobccontcntwithalcwsmal|shrimp.
ackathomc,whcrc mostcooksarcgoing
toprcparcon|yasing|cappctizcr,thcdish
Shri mp and garl i c share equal bi l l i ng i n thi s tapas bar favori te.
nccdstobc morc substantial,mcaningcit|+crbig
gcrshrimp ormorc smal|oncs. Jastcrsi nuctcst
kitchcnprclcrrcdbiggcrshrimp,andI scttlcdona
poundollargc shrimpas thc idcalportionsizclor
six pcop| c. utnowthatIwasplayingaroundwith
thc sizc and quantity olshrimp, whatwou|d uat
mcanlor thcrcstolthcdish`
s H o P P 1 N G : Choosing the Right Chi l e
Ensuri ng Tender Shri mp
Jraditional rccipcs lorgambasal ajillo call lor com
plctclysubmcrgingthcsl+nmpi noil ,whcrctl1cycat+
bchcatcdvcrycvcnlyatdgcnt|yata|owtcmpcrantrc.
Shortolaccidcntally bringing tl+c oilup to dccp
tcmpcraturcs, thc slup arc almost in+possiblc to
ovcrcook. ut tonillysubmcrgc ucpotmdol|argc
Paprika
I0ng hWO
AUTH E NTI C CHOI CE
The sl ightly sweet cascabel chi l e is
the traditional choi ce for gambas
al aj i l lo.
BE S T S U BS TI TUTE
New Mexico chi l e (aka Cal ifornia
chi le, chi l e Col orado, or dri ed
Anahei m chi l e) i s far more wi del y
avai l abl e and has the same bright
freshness as the cascabel .
LAST RE S ORT
You won't have any trubl e fndi ng
paprika, but its sl ightly stal e flavor
cannot compare with the compl ex
taste of whol e dri ed chi l es.
C OOK
"
s I L L U S T R A T E D
1 4
shimp I wantcd to usc, I` dnccdncar|y
2 cups oloi|-lar morc uan six pcoplc
could cvcr msh. I wouldn`t havc to
scrvcal|uatoil,olcoursc,butwhywastc
it` I wantcd to md away to rcducc t|+c
amountabouthallacupwasarcasonab|c
quantitylorsixpcopl c)butsulmaintain
ucjuicincssandgarlicllavoruatarctl+c
hal|marksolthsdish.
Witl+|css oil, I hgurcd usingthcsmall
cstpan I couldhtucsluimp intowou|d
bcmorccnccnvc,sinccasmallcrpansizc
mcantdccpcroil . Inan 8inchsauccpan,
thc oil cuc only l2 inch up thc sidc,
covcnng about ha|lotuc slup. Jhc
rcsu|ts`vcrcookcdshrimpont|+cbottom
andraw shrimp ontop. Ivcnviua|most
constantsningandtossing,Icould:`tgct
t shmptocookascvcnlyasilthcywcrc
comp|ctc|ysubmcrgcdinoi|.
I satdownandwcntbacktomg
about cooking basics. In ordcr to |ccp
shrimpjuicyandtcndcr,itisimport:tto
notovcrcooktl+cm. Myshnt:+pwcrcpar
tilyovcrcookmgbccauscucywcrchcat
ingm+cvcmy.Jhcywcrchcaut:guncvcnly
bccausc ucywcrcarrangcdinucpanin
|aycrs-somc slup wcrc closcr to mc
hcatsourccu+atothcrs.Iswitchcdouttl+c8 inchpot
lora ! 2inchsknct.Inthcvidcrpat+,ucoilprovidcd
on|yathin coatingbcncautl+cshrimp,but at |castI
could htthcm inasinglc|aycr.
Jhcncwsinglc|aycrmcuodmcat+tuatIwould
havc to turn thc shmp halray through cooking.
Witlus mat+yshrimp intl+c pan, I was ahaidtlat
turningucmwiutongswouldtakctoolong,byuc
nmcIhadmncduclastshrin+p,tlchrstoncswould
bcovcrcookcd.Kccpingtlchcatatmcdim|owgavc
mc plcntyoltimc to tun cachshrimp indi\dually,
soI managcdtocooktl+cmascvcnlyatdgcnt|yasil
tlcyhadbccn comp|ctclysubmcrgcdinoil .
Inowhadtcndcrshp,butthcomcrkcycharac
tcristic otucdishwasmissing. grcat garlic Uavor.
Bui l di ng Garl i c Fl avor
Withonlya t|+in laycr oloilinthcpan, thc shrimp
wcrcnot absorbingcnoughgarhcllavor. I incrcascd
tl+cgarlichomlourthinlysliccdclovcstocight,which
providcducrightpropornonolshrimptogarlic,but
tl+c s|iccs wcrc sti|| acting morc likc a gart1ishuat+a
nilly intcgratcd part olthc dish. Morc sliccd garlic
Garl ic Fl avor Three Ways
We i mparted garl i c flavor to the shri mp in three diferent ways for three di ferent efects, resul ti ng in a di sh wi th
mul ti l ayered garl i c compl exi ty.
RAW = P UNGE NT B ROWNE D = SWE E T POACHE D = ME L LOW
The minced garlic i n the marinade gets Gentl y browni ng smashed whol e Sl i ced garl i c cooked gentl y i n l ow
temperature ol i ve oil loses its harsh
flavor. becomi ng sof and mel l ow.
cooked briefly with the shri mp. mai n- garl i c cl oves i nfuses the ol i ve oi l wi th
rai ni ng a hi nt of raw-garl i c pungency. a sweet roasted-garl i c flavor.
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s c 1 e N c e : Marinade Superheroes: Oil and Sal t
We found that omi tti ng ei dler the oi l or the sal t from our mari nade si gni ficantl y reduced garl i c flavor i n the cooked
shri mp. Why? Oi l protects and stabi l izes al l i ci n, the compound i n garl i c that i s responsi bl e for i ts characteri sti c flavor.
Al l i ci n is produced when garl i c is cut or crushed, and i t qui ckl y degrades i nto l ess flavorful compounds when exposed
to ai r. Once i n oi l , however, the al l i ci n di ssol ves and i s protected from ai r. With thi s protecti on i n pl ace, i t can move
into the shri mp. There's one more advantage to oi l-it coats the shri mp and del i vers flavor evenl y, not just in areas
di rectl y in contact with the mi nced garl i c. Sal t contri butes to the process by speedi ng thi ngs up. Sal t draws water
contai ni ng al l i ci n out of the garl i c at a faster rate than al l i ci n woul d migrate on its own. -J . K. A.
+
+
OI L + SALT + GARL I C + S HR I MP = COMP L E TE F LAVOR DI S TRI B UTI ON
Oi l prtects garl i c flavor, and salt speeds u p the marinating ti me.
J A N U A R Y b F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
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1 4 medi um garl i c cl oves, peel ed
pound l arge (3 1 -40) shri mp, peel ed, devei ned,
and tai l s removed
8 tabl espoons ol ive oi l
V2 teaspoon tabl e sal t
bay l eaf
(2-i nch) pi ece mi l d dri ed chi l e, such as New
Mexi co, rughl y brken, seeds i ncl uded (see
note above and page 1 4)
I V2 teaspoons sherry vi negar (see note above)
I tabl espoon chopped fresh parsl ey leaves
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! COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t r ate d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Spani sh-Styl e Garl i c Shri mp
VI DEO TI P
How do I peel and sl i ce garl i c?
Masteri the Art of Stew
A l i ttl e know- how goes a l ong way toward avoi d i ng common mi stakes when maki ng
stews . Here's how to get i t ri ght every ti me. BY KE I TH D RE s s E R
Stew i s kitchen al chemy that turns a mari nal cut of
meat and some basic vegetabl es i nto somethi ng ri ch,
flavorful , and much more interesting. Even better, stew
general l y requi res l ittle preparation or efort; time and
gentle si mmeri ng do all the work. That said, we've al l
had (or made) stews wi th tough meat, l i stl ess veg
etables, and dul l , watery broth. Over the years, we've
learned whi ch steps produce a superi or stew.
Choosing the Right Meat
Choosi ng the proper cut of meat is the si ngl e most i mpor
tant part of maki ng a great stew. We l i ke to use cuts from
the shoul der area, because they have the best combi nati on
of flavor and texture. Meat from thi s regi on i s wel l marbl ed
wi th fat, whi ch means i t won' t dry out duri ng l ong, sl ow
cooking. In chi cken, the hi gh percentage of i ntramuscul ar
fat in thigh meat makes thi s part the preferred choi ce. For
the best results, we l i ke to cut our own stew meat (see "Cut
Your Own Meat, " page 17).
PORK
We l i ke pork butt (al so
cal l ed Boston shoul der or
Boston butt) for its great
flavor, but the l ess-expensive
and sl ightly fattier pi cni c shoul der
i s al so a fne choi ce.
BEEF
We l ove
excepti onal tenderness of chuck
eye roast. Another good opti on:
the chuck 7 -bone roast.
LAMB
Roasts from the l amb shoul der
can be hard to fi nd, so we rel y on
shoul der-cut chops such as the
round-bone for our stews. Thi s
chop has bol d taste mel l owed by
l ong cooki ng, and i ts bones are
a bonus that add extra flavor to
the pot. An al ternati ve choi ce is
the bl ade chop.
CHI CKEN
The extra fat and connective ti ssue
CHUCK E YE
ROUND- B ONE
CHOP
i n thigh meat make i t better suited
BON E - l N
than breast meat for stew; i t al so
c
H 1 c K E N T H 1 G H
separates more easi l y from the
bone than does drumsti ck meat. We use ski n-on thi ghs
to protect the meat and keep i t from overcooki ng and
dryi ng out duri ng browni ng. Both the bones and fat l end
stronger chi cken fl avor.
DUTCH OVEN
A Dutch oven i s essenti al for maki ng stew. Look for
one that i s twi ce as wide as i t i s hi gh, wi th a mi ni mum
capaci ty of 6 quarts (7 or 8 i s even better) . The bot
tom shoul d be thi ck, so food browns evenl y and the
pot retai ns heat duri ng cooki ng. The pot shoul d al so
have a ti ght-ftti ng l i d to prevent excess evaporati on.
TEST KI TCHEN WINNER:
LE CREUSET
--
7'/-Quart
Round French
Oven, $229. 95
BEST BUY:
TRAMONTINA 6. 5 Quart Cast I ron Dutch
Oven, $39. 86
HEATPROOF SPATULA
Wooden spoons are thi ngs of the past. Our favori te
spatul a i s ri gi d enough to sti r a thi ck stew yet fl exi bl e
enough to get i nto the ti ght corners of a pot when
degl azi ng. Throw i n the fact that i ts surace won' t
stai n, and what' s not to l i ke?
TEST KITCHE N WINNER:
RUBBERMAI D 1 3. 5-l nch High Heat Scraper,
$ 1 1 .40
TONGS
After fl i ppi ng thousands of batches of
cubed meat, we've come to val ue
a good pai r of tongs. Our
favorite handi l y pi cks up
the smal l est pi eces of
meat wi thout teari ng
or mashi ng.
TEST KITCHE N WINNER:
XO Good Gri ps 1 2-l nch Locki ng Tongs, $ 1 0. 39
LADLE
A l adl e i s defi ni tel y t he best tool for di vi di ng
porti ons among i ndi vi dual bowl s; i t' s al so use
ful for ski mmi ng fat from the surface of the
stew before servi ng.
TEST KI TCHE N WI NNER:
ROSLE Ladl e with
Pouri ng Rim & Hook
Handl e, $26. 95
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
1 6
Whi l e broth i s not as central to the
flavor of stew as it is to soup, coos
ing a hi gh-qual ity brand is sti l l i mpor
tant. And usi ng a l ow-sodi um broth
i s essenti al ; as the l i qui d in a stew
reduces, regul ar ful l -sodi um broth
can turn the stew too sal ty and rui n
the flavor.
TEST KI TCHEN
WI NNE RS:
SWANSON Certifi ed Organi c
Free Range Chi cken Broth and
PACIFIC Beef Broth
WI NE
When a stew cal l s for wi ne, many
cooks wi l l grab the l east-expensi ve
bottle on hand. But even in smal l
amounts, there i s no hi di ng the taste
of bad wi ne. In the test kitchen, we
prefer the ful l er, more compl ex flavor
of wi ne made with more than one
grape variety.
TEST KITCHEN WINNER:
COTES DU RHONE or other
frui ty wi ne wi th l i ttl e or no oak
BEER
I n general , we prefer darker al es to
l ighter lagers for the rich, ful l flavor
they i mpart to stew (l ager can leave
stews tasting watery). As l ong as
they' re dark, nonal cohol i c ales wi l l
work equal l y wel l .
TEST KITCHE N WINNE RS:
Amber and dark-col ored
al es
TOMATO PASTE
A smal l amount of tomato paste added to a stew al ong
with the aromatics brings depth and col or, and its sl ight
aci dity enhances the flavor of other i ngredi ents.
TEST KITCHEN WI NNER:
AMORE Tomato Paste
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t;

I . CUT YOUR OWN MEAT

Packaged stew meat is ofen made up of
i rregul arl y shaped scraps that cook at varyi ng
rates. Cut your own stew meat to guarantee
same-si zed chunks that share the same fl avor
and cooki ng ti me. Use fatty, flavorful cuts
from the shoul der, or chuck, that wi l l stay
moi st with extended cooki ng.
2. SKIP THE FLOUR BEFORE BROWNING
Contrary to popul ar bel ief, dusting meat
with fl our before searing it doesn't hel p it
brown beter. In fact, we have found just
the opposite. The flour itself darkens a lit
tle, but the meat remains pal e and doesn't
develop the intense flavor compounds that
are the goal of browning. I nstead of flour
ing, pat stew meat dry and season it with
salt and pepper before browning.
3 . BROWN MEAT PROPERLY
Crowdi ng the pan with too much meat or usi ng i nadequate heat can cause meat
to steam (rather than brown) and ul ti matel y l ose fl avor. To avoi d thi s probl em,
add the meat onl y afer the oi l begi ns to smoke and l eave pl enty of space (about
V2 i nch) between pi eces (thi s means no more than I pound of meat per batch).
Turn onl y when the first si de i s wel l seared.
4. I F FOND BURNS, REMOVE IT
Browni ng meat in more than two batches can l ead to a pan covered by burnt
(rather than browned) fond that can i mpart a bi tter fl avor to the stew. I f the fond
i s bl ackeni ng, add a l i ttl e water to the empty pot and scrape the fond to l oosen i t.
Di scard burnt bi ts and water and wi pe the pot cl ean. Add fresh oi l and proceed
with the next batch of meat.
5. SAUTE AROMATICS TO
ENHANCE FLAVOR
Reci pes that cal l for dumpi ng spi ces and
aromatics, such as garl i c and oni on, i nto
the pot at the same ti me as the l i qui d
fail to maxi mize thei r flavor. So hol d the
l i qui d and saute these flavor-enhanci ng
i ngredi ents frst.
6. FLOUR AROMATICS TO
THI CKEN STEW
Many recipes cal l for thickeni ng a stew at
the end of cooking by leaving the l i d of,
but thi s method risks overcooking. Thicken
stew at the begi nni ng of the cooking pro
cess by spri nkl i ng fl our over the sauteed
aromatics. Cook the fl our for a mi nute or
two to rmove any raw fl our taste.
7. STAGGER ADDI TI ON
OF VEGETABLES
When vegetabl es are dumped i ndi scri mi natel y i nto t he pot at t he outset of cook
ing, they not onl y l ose fl avor and turn mushy, but al so water down the stew. Take
into account the cooki ng ti me of i ndi vi dual vegetabl es (see "How Long Does I t
Take: Vegetabl es, " above) and add them at the appropriate ti me.
H OW LONG DOE S I T TAK E : VE GE TAB L E S
Bel ow are some common stew vegetabl es and general gui del i nes for how l ong
to cook them. I n many cases, you wi l l be addi ng the vegetabl es once the stew
has been cooki ng in the oven for a whi l e.
VE G ETAB L E P RE PARATI ON COOK I NG T I ME
Potatoes
1- to I V2 -i nch cubes I hour
Carrots
sl i ced ! to V2 i nch thi ck hour
Parsnips
sl i ced ! to V2 i nch thi ck hour
Sweet Potatoes
quartered and sl i ced ! i nch thi ck hour
Turnips
V2 - i nch di ce 45 mi nutes
V2 - i nch di ce 45 mi nutes
Canned Beans
ri nsed 45 mi nutes
Frozen Vegetables
do not thaw I S to 20 mi nutes
Hearty Greens
washed and chopped 20 to 30 mi nutes
Tender Greens
washed and chopped I to 2 mi nutes
Fresh Herbs
chopped Sti r i n off heat
H OW LON G DOE S I T TAK E : M EAT
Because meat vari es i n moi sture and fat content, pi npoi nti ng cooki ng ti mes i s
not an exact sci ence. The chart bel ow ofers general gui del i nes.
M EAT CUB E S I ZE
Beef, Pork, and Lamb I to I V2 i nches
Beef, Pork, and Lamb I V2 to 2 i nches
Chicken Thighs whol e
8. SIMMER STEW I N OVEN
To ensure a steady, gentl e si mmer
that al l ows the i nternal tempera
ture of the meat to ri se sl owl y and
el i mi nates the ri sk of scorchi ng
the pot bottom, cook the stew
i n a covered Dutch oven at 300
degrees. Thi s wi l l keep the temper
ature of the stewi ng l i qui d bel ow
the boi l i ng poi nt (2 12 degrees)
and ensure meat that i s tender, not
tough.
9. COOK MEAT UNTIL
FALL-APART TENDER
When meat i s undercooked, i ts fat
and connecti ve ti ssue have not had
AP P ROX. COOK I NG TI M E
2 to 2V2 hours
2 V2 to 3 hours
30 to 60 mi nutes
the chance to break down sufci entl y, and i t wi l l taste rubbery and
, tough. Cook meat to the poi nt where col l agen has mel ted down
i nto gel ati n. Thi s yi el ds tender meat that separates easi l y when
pul l ed apart wi th two forks. (See " How Long Does I t
Take: Meat, " above. )
I 0. DEFAT BEFORE SERVI NG
Pour stew l i qui d i nto a narrow contai ner before
defatting. Thi s wi l l create a thi cker layer of fat
that's easi er to remove. Alternatively, refrigerate
the stew overnight. When the fat sol i difies, it can
be l ifed right of.
J A N U A R Y b F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
1 7
No- Knead Bread 2 . 0
A no-fuss recipe is revolutionizing home baking but trades f lavor and reliabil ity for ease.
Could we improve the bread's bl and taste and make it rise high every time?
I
n ovcmbcr 200o, New York
Times writcr Mark i ttmanpub
| i shcd a rcci pc dcvc| opcd by
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butthc nokncad brcad cal|s lor somc
thmg complctcly out olthc ordinary.
a ! 2hour rcst. Was thcrc somcthing
in thc mcchanics ol such a lcngthy
auto|ysis that could hclp mc solvc thc
tcxtura| prob|cm` Jhc most common
cxplanation lor tl+c autolysis proccss is
simply that it allows timc lor thc Uour
to hydratc and rcst, making thc dough
casicr to manipulatc latcr on. ut thc
wordautolysis"tcchnicallyrclcrstothc
dcstruction olcclls orprotcinsthrough
cnzymatic action. I dccidcd to havc a
closcrlookatwhatrcallyhappcnstothc
dough duringthcproccss.
Jhc ultimatc goal ol making brcad
dough is to crcatc g|utcn, a strong nct
workolcrosslihkcdprotcinstl+attrapsa
bubb|csandstrctchcsastl+cdoughbakcs,
crcating tl+c bubbly, chcwy crumb structurc that is
tl+csignantrcolanygoodloal.Inordcrtolormthcsc
crossl, thcprotcinsinthcU ournccdtobcaligncd
ncxttocachotlcr.Imaginctl+c protcins asbund cd
upballsol yarnyouarctryingtouctogcthcrintoonc
|ongcrpiccc,whichyou'|ltIcnscw togcthcrinto a
widcrshcct. In thcir ba|lcdupstatc, it`snotpossib|c
to ticthcmtogcthcr,h rstyouhavc to untanglc and
straightcnmcmout.Jhsstraighugoutandalign
ingisusua||yaccomp|ishcdbykncading.
utuntang|ingand strctchingoutshortpicccs
olyarnismuchcasicrthanuntanglingcntirc ba|ls .
Jhis is vhcrc autolysis comcs i n. As thc dough
auto|yzcs, cnzymcs natural|y prcscnt i nwhcat act
|ikc scissors, cutting tlc bal|cdup protcins into
smallcrscgmcntsthatarccasicrtostraightcnduring
kncadi ng. Jhis iswhy dough that has undcrgonc

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s c i E N c E : How Beer Boosts

Bread' s Fl avor
Duri ng a starter's fermentati on. yeast produces
al cohol . carbon di oxi de. and sul fur compounds.
al l of whi ch contri bute to good bread's uni que
flavor. These three el ements are present together
i n another l ocati on-a bottl e of beer. But why
choose l ager over other types of
beer? I t's all about the fermenta
ti on. Most non l ager beers undergo
a process cal l ed "top fermentati on, "
whereby yeast fl oats on top of the
wort (grai n mashed i n hot water).
which i s exposed to oxygen and
kept warm. Oxygen and warmth
persuade yeast to produce spi cy.
astri ngent fl avor compounds
cal l ed phenol s and fruity, fl oral
compounds cal l ed esters that
are desi rabl e i n beer but not
i n bread. Lagers. on the other
hand. undergo "bottom fermen
tati on, " where the yeast i s kept
submerged i n the low-oxygen
envi ronment at the bottom of
LET THERE
BE LAGE R
the wort at col der tempera- Mi l d-flavored beer
tures. which causes the yeast
to produce fewer phenol s and
esters. so that the breadi er
yeast and sul fur flavors come
forward. -J . K. A.
contai ns flavor
compounds si mil ar
to those i n a dough
starter, which gives
our bread a taste
boost.
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S TE P - BY- S TE P I ALMO ST NO- KNEAD B RE AD
Baking in a Dutch Oven
A maj or breakthrough in the no-knead bread reci pe
publ i shed i n the New York Times was to bake the
bread i n a preheated Dutch oven, whi ch creates the
dramatic open-crumbed structure and the shatter
i ngl y cri sp crust that was previ ousl y attai nabl e onl y in
a professi onal bakery. How does thi s work?
Fi rst, as the l oaf heats i t gi ves of steam to create
a very humi d envi ronment i nsi de the Dutch oven.
Si nce moi st ai r transfers heat much more efci entl y
than dry ai r. the l oaf heats much more rapi dl y. Thi s
i n turn causes the ai r bubbl es i nsi de to expand much
faster, l eadi ng to a more open crumb structure. As
a test, I baked two l oaves of bread, one i n a Dutch
oven and the other on a preheated baki ng stone.
Afer one mi nute i n the oven, the surface tempera
ture of the Dutch oven-baked l oaf had ri sen past
200 degrees. whi l e the other l oaf had reached onl y
I 35 degrees.
Steam contri butes to a great l oaf a second way.
As steam condenses onto the surface of the baki ng
bread, i t causes the starches to form a thi n sheath
that eventual l y dri es out, gi vi ng the fi ni shed l oaf a
shi ny crust that stays cri sp.
Many reci pes sugest addi ng water or i ce cubes
to the oven; the probl em i s home ovens cannot
retai n moi sture i n the way a professi onal steam
i nj ected oven can. Wi th i ts thi ck wal l s. smal l i nternal
vol ume. and heavy l i d, a Dutch oven i s the i deal
envi ronment to create and trap steam.
I . MI X Sti r the wet i ngredi ents 2. REST Leave the dough to rest 3. KNEAD Knead the dough 10 4. LET RI SE Al l ow the dough to
into the dry ingredi ents with a for eight to 1 8 hours. to I S ti mes and shape it i nto a bal l . ri se for to hours i n a parchment preheated Dutch oven and bake
spatula. paper-l i ned ski l l et. i t unti l i t' s deep brown.
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
1 9
Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch oven to
bake can be tri cky. To avoid burnt fingers and hel p
the dough hol d i ts shape, we came up with a novel
sol uti on: Let the dough ri se i n a ski l l et (its shal l ow
depth makes i t better than a bowl) that's been l i ned
with greased parchment paper, then use the paper's
edges to pick up the dough and lower i t i nto the
Dutch oven. The bread remai ns on the parchment
paper as it bakes.
produces without actually having to use one? Could
I introduce a little ranginess another way?
Scanning the labels in our d storage area, I
saw that d1e majority of our bottled vinegars are
5 percent solutions of acetic acid-the same acid
produced by bacteria during dough fermentation.
Since od1er vinegars would introduce undesirable
favors to d1e bread, I expetimented with diferent
amounts of distilled white vinegar before settling on
a single tablespoon.
My bread now had tang, but it lacked complex
ity. What I needed was a concentrated shot of
yeasty favor. As I racked my brain, I realized that
beyond bread, there is another commonly available
substance that relies on yeast for favor: beer. Would
its favors compare to those produced in dough
fermentation?
For the most part, no. I started my testing wid1
dark ales, dunking deir rich taste would lead to better
favor. The resulting bread had a strange spicy, fuity
afertaste and smelled like beer. Then I tried a light
American-style lager. This time, the loaf came out
wid1 a cistinct "bready" versus "beet" aroma that
could fool anyone who had not seen d1e lager go into
the dough. Why is it that d1e lighter beer produced
the better taste? It turns out that the yeast in lagers is
treated in a way that closely resembles the way yeast
acts in dough, resulting in de production of sinilar
favor compounds ( see "How Beer Boosts Bread's
Flavor," page 1 9) .
Through d1e simplest of tweaks-less hydration,
the adcition of vinegar and beer, and a few seconds
of kneading-! had a loaf of bread that both looked
and tasted increcible.
ALMOST NO- KNEAD BREAD
MAKES l LAHGE HCUMO LCAF
An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-ftting
lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a
regular cast-iron Dutch oven or 'heavy stockpot. Use
a mild-favored lager, such as Budweiser ( nd non
alcoholic lager also works) . The bread is best eaten d1e
day it is baked but can be wrapped in alunlinum foil
and stored i n a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
3 cups ( I S ounces) unbl eached al l -purpose fl our,
pl us addi ti onal for dusti ng work surface
V4 teaspoon i nstant yeast
I V2 teaspoons tabl e salt
l cup pl us 2 tabl espoons water (7 ounces),
at rom temperature
! cup pl us 2 tabl espoons (3 ounces)
mi l d-fl avored l ager
tabl espoon whi te vi negar
l . Wllisk four, yeast, and salt in large bowl . Add
water, beer, and vinegar. Using tubber spatula, fold
mixture, scraping up dry four fom bottom of bowl
until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl wid1 plastic wrap
and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 1 8 hours.
2. Lay 1 2 by 1 8- inch sheet of parchment paper
inside 1 0-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cook
ing spray. Transfer dough to lightly foured work
surfce and knead 1 0 1 5 . times. Shape dough into
ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough,
seam-side down, to parchment- lined skillet and
spray surface of dough witl1 nonstick cooking spray.
Cover loosely witl1 plastic wrap and let rise at room
temperature until dough has doubled in size and
does not readily spring back when poked with fnger,
about 2 hours.
3. About 30 nlinutes before baking, adj ust oven
rack to lowest position, place 6 to 8-quart heavy
bottomed Dutch oven (witl1 lid) on rack, and heat
oven to 500 degrees. Lightly four top of dough and,
using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch
long, lz -inchdeep slit along top of dough. Careflly
remove pot fom oven and remove lid. Pick up dough
by lifng parchment overhang and lower into pot ( let
any excess parchment hang over pot edge) . Cover pot
and pl ace in oven. Reduce oven temperatme to 425
degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove
lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and
instant-read thermometer insetted into center regis
ters 2 1 0 degrees, 20 to 30 nlinutes longer. Carefully
remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool
to room temperature, about 2 hours.
ALMOST NO- KNEAD BREAD WI TH
OLI VES, ROSE MARY, AND PARMESAN
Follow recipe for Almost No- Knead Bread, adding
4 ounces fnely grated Parmesan ( about 2 cups) and
1 tablespoon nlinced fesh rosemary leaves to four
mixture in step l . Add 1i cup pitted, chopped green
olives witl1 water in step 1 .
C O OK
'
S I L L U S T R A J' E f
20
E Q U I P M E N T U P D A T E :
I nexpensive Dutch Ovens
Shel l i ng out hundreds of dol l ars for a Dutch oven i s
l ess necessary than ever. We put to new low-cost
model s, one from T ramonti na ($39 . 86) and another
from Lodge ($49. 86) , to the test and l i ked what we
found. Both are crafed from enamel ed cast i ron,
and both produced gl ossy, deepl y flavored Belgian
beef stew; fl uf white ri ce; and cri spy French fries
in the test kitchen. But the Tramonti na oven's larger
capaci ty (6. 5 quarts to the Lodge's 6 quarts) and
even l ower pri ce made it our preferred choi ce.
We recommend the Tramonti na as an i nexpensi ve
al ternative to our favorite 7 ! -quart Dutch oven by
Le Creuset ($229. 95). -El izabeth Bomze
BEST BUY
Boasting both high qual ity and low cost, the
Tramontina 6.5 Quart Cast I rn Dutch Oven
i s hard to beat.
ALMOST NO- KNEAD S E E DE D RYE BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No- Knead Bread, replacing
1 % cups ounces ) all-purpose four witl1 1 ls cups
oLmces) te four. Add 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
to four nlixture in step 1 .
ALMOST NO- KN EAD
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No- Knead Bread, replacing
1 cup ( 5 ow1ees) all-purpose four witl1 1 cup ( 5
ounces) whole wheat four. Stir 2 tablespoons honey
into water before adding it to dry ingredients in
step l .
ALMOST NO- KN EAD
CRANBE RRY- PECAN BREAD
Follow recipe for Almost No-Kead Bread, adding
1i cup dried cranberries and lz cup toasted pecan
halves to four mixture in step 1 .
1 COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t r at e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Al most No-Knead Bread
VI DEO TI PS
How does bread ri se?
Behi nd the Scenes: Devel opi ng the reci pe
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How to Roast Broccol
Roasti ng can concentrate f l avor to turn dul l vegetabl es into something great.
W
hile I ' m a fan of the concentrated
favor and dappled browning that
roasti ng l ends vegetabl es , I ' d
never considered broccoli a suit
abl e candidate. Its awkward shape, tough stems,
and shrubby forets seemed i l l suited for cooking
via high, dry heat; moist cooking methods better
accommodate its idiosyncrasies . However, there
are plenty of people who do consider broccoli fit
for roasting and wax poetic about the resul ts.
Though skeptcal, I roasted a bLmch, following one
of the recipes I had collected for the task. It tasted
good-good enough to eat straight fom the sizzling
pan. That said, this recipe and the others I tried stll
had their faws. First of al, none clearly addessed how
best to prepare the broccoli for roastng. How big, for
example, should you cut forets fom the crown, and
what should be done wid1 d1e stalk to ensure d1at it
cooked at d1e same rate? Second, except for d1e broc
coli i drect contact wd the baking sheet, browning
was spott. And last, d1e forets tended to char and
taste bitter.
If contact with the baking sheet was d1e key to
browning, I thought I' d tr to cut d1e broccoli in
a fashion dut maximized this contact. I tackled
the crown first, lopping it of the stalk, fl ipping it
on its base, and cutting it crosswise into slabs. The
cross sections fell apart ino a jumble of odd-sized
pieces dt cooked unevenly. Perhaps wedges would
work. I sliced anod1er crown in half, d1en cut each
half into wlirm wedges d1at lay fat on d1e baking
sheet-much more promising. Turning my attention
to the stalk, I sliced of the tough exterior, then cut
the stalk into rectangular pieces slighdy smaller d1a11
the more delicate wedges to help promote even cook
ing of both parts.
The most successfl recipes fom my initial survey
dressed the broccoli simply, with salt, pepper, a11d a
splash of extra-virgin olive oil . A 500-degree oven
delivered the best browning, but it also increased the
risk of charred fl orets. A couple of recipes bla1ehed
or steamed de broccoli before roasting, but 1 fow1d
Tossi ng the broccol i with a l ittle sugar
more evenl y and taste
even better.
Coul d it transform broccol i ?
3 B Y M A T T H E W C A R D E
these batches tasted bla11d, as if the favor had been
washed away. Eventually, I discovered that a pre
heated baking sheet cooked the broccoli in half the
time and crisped d1e forets without any charring.
But despite the blazing heat a11d d1e fct that I had
solved the problem of charred forets, the broccoli stll
wasn't as browned as I'd hoped. One of the more
interesting recipes I found coated d1e broccoli in a
lemon j uice-based vinaigrette before roasting, which
resul ted in remarkably even browning. I wondered if
it was the fuit sugars in d1e lemon j uice that gener
ated such browning. Skipping the j uice, I tossed a
sca1t lz teaspoon of sugar over the broccoli along
wid1 the salt md pepper, md the results were the
best yet: blistered, bubbled, md browned stems that
were sweet a11d fll, along wid1 crispy-tipped forets
d1at tasted even better, especially when dressed wid1 a
spritz of lemon juice. It turns out a spoonfl of sugar
really does help make d1e broccoli go down.
ROASTD BROCCOLI
S E HVE S 4
Trim away d1e outer peel !om the broccoli stalk, oth
erwise it will turn tough when cooked. For Roasted
Broccoli th Garlic, stir 1 tablespoon minced garlic
into d1e olive oil before dtizzling it over d1e broccoli .
Our fee recipes for Roasted Broccoli for Two a11d
Roasted Broccoli wid1 Garlic md Anchovies are avail
able at M. cooksillustrated. com/february.
l arge head brccol i (about l l pounds)
3 tabl espoons extra-vi rgi n ol ive oi l
V2 teaspoon tabl e sal t
V2 teaspoon sugar
Grund bl ack pepper
Lemon wedges for servi ng
l . Adj ust oven rack to lowest position, place large
rimmed bakng sheet on rack, and heat oven 500
degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of fl orets and stems;
remove outer peel !om stalk. Cut stalk into Z to
3-inch lengths a11d each lengd1 into 1/-inch-thick
pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3- inches in
dim1eter or owedges if 45 inches in diaJeter. Place
broccoli in large bowl; dr izzle wid1 oil md toss wel
until evenly coated. Sprinkle wid1 salt, sugar, and
pepper to taste a1d toss to combine.
Z. Working quickly, remove baki ng sheet !om
oven. Carefly tra11sfer broccoli to bakg sheet and
spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Renm1
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
2 1
baking sheet to oven md roast until stalks are well
browned a11d tender a11d florets are lighdy browned,
V to 1 1 minutes. Tra11sfer to serving dish a11d serve
immediately wid1 lemon wedges.
ROASTE D BROCCOLI WI TH OLI VES,
GARLI C, OREGANO, AND LEMON
S E HVE S 4
reci pe Roasted Brccol i
2 tabl espoons extra-vi rgi n ol ive oi l
5 medi um garl i c cl oves, sl i ced thi n
V2 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
2 tabl espoons fi nely mi nced pi tted bl ack ol ives
I teaspoon mi nced fresh oregano l eaves
2 teaspoons j ui ce frm I l emon
Follow recipe for Roasted Broccoli, omitting black
pepper. We broccoli roasts, heat oil, garlic, a11d
pepper fakes in 8-inch skillet over medium-low
heat. Cook, stirring fequendy, w1til garlic is sof a11d
begg to ! light golden brown, 5 to minutes.
Remove skillet fom heat; stir in olives, oregmo, md
lemon j uice. Toss roasted broccoli with olive mmre
a11d serve in1mediately.
ROASTE D B ROCCOLI WI TH SHALLOT,
F E NNE L S E E DS, AND PARMESAN
S E HVE S 4
reci pe Roasted Brccol i
tabl espoon extra-vi rgi n ol ive oi l
2 l arge shal l ots, hal ved and sl i ced thi n l engthwi se
(about V2 cup)
teaspoon fennel seeds, rughl y chopped
ounce Parmesan, shaved (about V2 cup)
Follow recipe for Roasted Broccoli. While broccoli
roasts, heat oil in 8- inch skillet over medium heat
untl j ust shimmering. Add shallots and cook, stir
ring fequendy, until sof a11d beginning to nun light
golden brown, 5 to ominutes. Add fennel seeds a11d
continue to cook until shallots are golden brown, 1
to Z minutes longer. Remove skillet fom heat. Toss
roasted broccoli wid1 shallots, sprinkle with Parmesm,
md serve immediately.
l COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t r at e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Roasted Broccol i
Thin and Cris
p
y Oatmeal Cookies
You may think an oatmeal cookie should be moist and chewy. Thin and cri spy oatmeal cooki es
can be irresi stible-if , that is, you can get the texture just right.
M
ost peopl e' s defnition
of the perfect oatmeal
cookie is something big,
hearty, and chewy, with
raisins and nuts in every bite. That has
never been my ideal . When I crave an oat
meal cooki e, I look for something thin,
crisp, and delicate that allows the simple
flavor of buttery oats to really stand out.
I want the refnement of a lace cookie
combined with the ease of a drop cookie.
The test kitchen has an excellent recipe
for Big Chewy Oatmeal - Risin Cookies
(January /februar 1 997). Could I get the
crisp, delicate cookie I wanted by simply
adjusting the ingredients in this recipe?
The Thi ck and Thi n of I t
? B Y S A N D R A W U E
Thick, chewy oatmeal cookies get their tex
ture fom generous amounts of sugar and
butter ( usually melted to lend even greater
chewiness ), a high ratio of oats to four, and
a modest amount of leavener. Most recipes
beat in a couple of eggs and vanilla and fn
ish with raisins and nuts, ingredients I knew
wouldn't work in a t_ crisp cookie.
Buttery oat fl avor shi nes through in thi s thi n, del i cate cooki e.
Because I wanted rich, buttery favor, I rej ected
the idea of shortening fom the get-go (even though
it tyically provides a crisper texture) and used the
same amount of butter called for in chewy cookie
recipes: two sticks. The sugar would take more
fnessing.
Most recipes use a combination of brown and
granulated sugars. Brown sugar lends rch flavor
and moisture, and granulated provides crispness and
encourages exterior browning. Since the greater the
amount of sugar in a cookie, the chewier it is, I began
by scaling the sugar down fom 2 cups to l lz , using
equal amounts of light brown and granulated. But
the cookies sthad too much chew. When I switched
to all granulated sugar, the cookies became hard and
crunchy, wth a one-dimensional, overly sweet favor.
1 COOK' S LI VE Original Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i l l u s t rate d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE

Thi n and Cri spy Oatmeal Cooki es

VI DEO TIPS
Can I use qui ck or i nstant oats?
Why does the test ki tchen l i ke parchment paper?
Do I have to bake the cooki es one sheet at a ti me?
Taking the granulated sugar down to l cup and add
ing 1/4 cup of light brown sugar back in aided the
flavor-it now had subtle caramel notes-without
compromising the texture.
To contribute better strucnre and richer favor to
the cookies, an egg or two is beaten in next. One egg
held the cookies together nicely, but two gave them
a cakey texture. Along with the one egg, I added a
teaspoon of vanilla to row1d out t1e flavor. Now that
the wet ingredients were all set, I was ready to tackle
the d stuf.
Drawing on past experience baking cookies, I
speculated that using less flour would likely yield a
fnal product tlat was crisper rather than chewier,
fl atter rather than pufer. But wthout enough flour,
the oatmeal cookies spread too much, becoming
formless, gossamer-thin lace cookies. A fairly stan
dard amount of l lz cups of fl our gave the cookies a
thicker, oat cake-like texture. I slowly cut down the
amount until I ended up witl1 l cup of fl our. Though
these cookies emerged fom the oven with enough
structure and were crisper tl1a1 their predecessors,
they stil weren't on the mark. Because they didn't
spread enough, they lacked the thinness I was look
ing for, and the dry edges and slightly chewy centers
C OOK
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
2 2
were obviously wrong. Replacing some of the four
wim grmmd- up oats-a technique I'd seen in some
recipes--didn't work: The cookes became even
chewier. Using quick or instant oats in lieu of old
fashioned oats made them dense and bland. What if
I used less oats instead? It was worth a try.
The Ful l Spread
I tried reducing the amount of oats fom 3 cups to
21z cups to get rid of some of the unwanted bulk. A
I watched them bake, I notced that tl1e balls of dough
spread fairly quickly along the edges, which became
dark a11d crisp, wilie the thicker, paler middles took
much longer to catch up. Pressing me dough down
into fat-topped cylinders helped te cookies bake
more evenly, but they still weren't spreading enough.
Could the leavener be the problem?
Baking powder-the leavener used i n our Big
Chewy Oatmeal-Risin Cookies-is a mLture ofbak
ing soda and to kinds of acid salts, one that reacts
at room temperarure and one at high temperanres.
These components react to create gas bubbles that
help baked goods expand. I'd been using 1/ teaspoon
of baing powder, which clearly wasn' t working too
well . I tried taking it out completely, but that lef me
wim leaden rocks mat barely eased out of meir inital
raw dough form. To get the cookies to at least brown
better, I replaced the lz teaspoon of baking powder
with baking soda: They spread even less.
The only thing lef to t was using what seemed
like too much leavener. The basic principles of leav
ener are as follows: Use too litte a11d there won't be
enough bubbles to help the dough rise; use too much
a1d you end up with excess carbon dioxide, which
causes the bubbles to get too big. These big bubbles
eventually combine witl1 one a11omer, rise to tl1e top
More Leavener for Thinner Cookies
It may sound counterintuitive, but doubl i ng the usual amount
of leavener (we used both baking powder and baking soda)
i n oatmeal cook
ies i s the key to
cri s pi nes s . The
ampl i fi ed dose
creates big bub
bl es that frst hel p
the dough ri se,
then combine and
burst. rsulting in
a flat cookie.
P
Bin S
"* ?
MOR E BAK I NG POWDE R
AND BAK I NG S ODA LEADS
TO CR I S P I E R COOKI E S
of the dough, and burst, resulting in a fl at product.
But since what I wanted was a thin, flat cookie, per
haps I could make this "mistake" work to my advan
tage. Aer testing varying amounts and combinatons
of baking powder and baking soda, I found that %
teaspoon of baking powder coupled with l2 teaspoon
of baking soda gave me exactly what I wanted. This
time, the cookies pufed up in the oven, collapsed,
and spread out, becoming a much thinner version of
their former selves. Even better, tley had no trace of
the soapy afertaste that i s ofen a byproduct of too
much leavener. I was fnally getting somewhere.
Cri spi ng I t Up
Now tl1e cookies were thin and had a nice buttet,
oaty flavor. To address tl1eir slightly greasy afertaste, I
reduced tl1e amoLmt of butter by 2 tablespoons. Two
issues remained: They were baking w1evenly-tl1e top
tray was ofen darker than the bottom one, even afer
being rotated halfay through-and had a tendency
to bend into nearly a U shape before breaking in half
They j ust weren't snappy enough.
To guard against tl1e tough, dry cookies tl1at can
result from overbaking, most recipes for tl1ick and
chewy cookies say to remove them fom the oven
when they sti l l look slightly raw. Suspecting this was
a precaution I didn' t need to heed, I tried baking my
cookies all tle way through until they were fully set
and evenly browned from center to edge. Since tl1e
cookies were now min, tley didn't become tough.
Instead, tl1ey were crisp throughout. Baking tl1e
cookies one sheet at a time ensured tl1at tl1ey cooked
evenly. And rather than transferring tl1em warm fom
the baking sheet to a cooling rack, I accidentally
discovered tl1at tl1e cookies got crisper when lef
to cool completely on tl1e baking sheet. Less work,
witl1 even better results ! I'd fi nally achieved my goal :
a thin, delicate oatmeal cookie with buttery flavor
and j ust the right anount of crunch. Who knows-a
cookie this good might even convert the fans of
chewiness over to my side.
THI N AND CRI S PY OATMEAL COOKI E S
MAKES2 4 CCCKl E S
To ensure tl1at the cookies bake evenly and are crisp
throughout, bake them 1 tray at a ti me. Place tl1em
on the baking sheet in 3rows, with 3 cookies i n the
outer rows and 2 cookies in the center row. If you
reuse a baking sheet, allow tl1e cookies on it to cool
at least ! 5 minutes before transferring tl1em to a wire
rack, tl1en reline tl1e sheet with fesh parchment before
baking more cookies. We developed this recipe using
Quaker Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Other brands of
old- fashioned oats can be substituted but may cause
tl1e cookies to spread more. Do not use instant or
quick-cooking oats.
cup (5 ounces) unbl eached al l -purpose fl our
teaspoon baki ng powder
teaspoon baki ng soda
teaspoon tabl e sal t
1 4 tabl espoons ( 1 3/ sti cks) unsal ted butter,
sofened but sti l l cool , about 65 degrees
cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
cup ( I 3 ounces) packed l i ght brwn s ugar
l arge egg
teaspoon vani l l a extract
cups ol d-fashi oned rl l ed oats (see note above)
l . Adjust oven rack to middle positon and heat oven
to 350degrees. Line 3 large ( 1 8- by 1 2-inch) baking
sheets witl1 parchment paper. Whisk four, baking pow
der, baking soda, and sat in medium bowl.
2. In standing mixer fitted witl1 paddle attach
ment, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed
until j ust combined, about 20 seconds. Increase
speed to medium and continue to beat until light
and fu f, about 1 minute longer. Scrape down bowl
witl1 rubber spatul a. Add egg and vanilla and beat
on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30
seconds. Scrape down bowl agai n. Witl mi xer run
ning at low speed, add four mixture and mix until
K L L | L L b | M . The Right (and Wrong Oats
j ust incorporated and smootl1,
!0seconds. With mixer still nm
ning on low, gradually add oats
and mix Lmtil well incorporated,
20seconds. Give dough fi nal stir
witl1 rubber spant!a to ensure
tl1at no flour pockets remain
and ingredients are evenly dis
tributed.
TOO B LAND
Instant oats and qui ck-cooking
oats create dense. meal y cookies
l acki ng i n good oat flavor.
J UST R I GHT
Ol d-fashi oned oats produce
perfectly cri sp cooki es that
retain a nice. round shape.
3. Divide dough i nto 24
equal portions, each about 2
tablespoons (or use #30 cookie
scoop) , tl1en roll between palms
into ball s . Place cookies on pre
pared baking sheets, spacing
tl1em about 212 inches apart, 8
dough balls per sheet ( see note
above) . Using fngertips, gently
press each dough ball to %- inch
tlickness.
4. Bake l sheet at a time until
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
2 3
cookies are deep golden brown, edges are crisp, and
centers yield to slight pressure when pressed, ! 3 to
1 6 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfay through.
Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies
completely on sheet.
THI N AND CRI SPY
COCONUT- OATMEAL COOKI ES
Follow recipe for Thin and Crispy Oameal Cookies,
decreasing oats to 2 cups and adding 1 1/ cups sweet
ened flaked coconut to batter with oats in step 2.
THI N AND CRI S PY
ORANGE- ALMOND OATMEAL COOKI ES
Follow recipe for Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies,
creaming 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest with
butter and sugars in step 2. Decrease oats to 2 cups
and add 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds to
batter witl1 oats i step 2.
Cooki es wi th a Twi st:
Sweet and Sal ty
A dusti ng of sal t atop sweets such as chocol ate
and caramel is nothi ng new, but we recentl y
came across Kayak Cooki es, whi ch gi ves a di f
ferent i tem the sal t treatment: thei r Sal ty Oats
cooki es. Afer spri nkl i ng a few grai ns on our Thi n
and Cri spy Oatmeal Cooki es, we were hooked.
Si mi l ar to i ts efect on caramel , sal t' s contrasting
fl avor adds a new di mensi on to the cooki es and
accentuates thei r ri ch, buttery taste.
SALTY THI N AND CRI S PY
OATMEAL COOKI ES
MAKES2 4 CCCKl E S
We prefer the texture and flavor of a coarse-grained
sea salt, l i ke Mal don or fl eur de sel , but kosher salt
can be used. I f usi ng kosher sal t, reduce the amount
spri nkl ed over the cookies to ! teaspoon.
reci pe Thi n and Cri spy Oatmeal Cooki es
Y2 teaspoon coarse sea sal t
Fol l ow reci pe for Thi n and Cri spy Oatmeal Cookies,
reduci ng the amount of tabl e sal t i n dough to Y4 tea
spoon. Li ghtl y spri nkl e sea sal t evenl y over flattened
dough bal l s before baking.
Perfecting Spice Cake
Spice cakes can be bl and and l eaden. Cou l d we create a tender, airy cake with convincing
spice fl avor that stands up to a rich cream cheese frosting?
T
he spice cake I remember most vividly is
from my childhood. Though my grand
mother baked it i n a rectangular pan, this
cake was light and airy and more akin to
a layer cake than the heavy, dense snack cakes that
all too ofen defne the genre today. While it wasn' t
the fanciest dessert my grandmother served, it was
company cake, something too special to serve every
day. It was moist and substantial, with spices that
were warm and bold without being overpoweri ng,
and its layer of rich cream cheese frosting was the
perfect compl ement. I wanted to return to this
classic, but the recipe for my grandmother's spice
cake was never fxed in writing.
Idecided to do a little research in our library, where
Ifound as many variations on the spice cake theme as
there are cooks to make them. I foll1d BLmdt cakes
with raisins and nuts; squat, square versions that
resembled gngerbread or carrot cake; cakes calg for
everg fom apples and stewed figs to chocolate
chips and pumpkin puree. Some had spice overload,
tasting gritty and dusty. Others were so lacking in
spice flavor that it seemed as if a cir1an1on stick had
only been waved in their general direction. In fact,
other than a mixture of warm spices, there were few
common denominators linking any of these desserts.
And, unfortunately, not one had the old-1shioned
simplicit of the fosted spice cake fom my child
hood. I would have to begin fom scratch.
Bui l di ng Cake wi th the Ri ght Heft
The texture of my grandmother's cake resembled the
f, moist, melt-in-your-mouth lightness of our Rich
3 B Y K E I T I I D R E S S E R E
drier cake. Adding more yolks to the bat
ter increased the cake's tenderess; so did
Svitching fom milk to buttermilk, wllch
also enriched the cake's flavor. Doubling
d1e dair fom 11 cup to 1 cup was enough
to fx d1e dtness issue.
But d1e most important adjustment I
made involved d1e mig tecluique. We
make our yellow cake by reversing the usual
order of dungs and mixing buuer into d1e
dry ingredients before adding the liquids,
wllich yields a cake wid1 a very fi ne-grained
texture. I wanted a more open and substan
tial crumb, so I used d1e standard method of
beating de sofened butter vvid1 d1e sugar,
incorporating the eggs, and adding flour and
liquid alternately in small amounts.
Putti ng Spi ce i nto Spi ce Cake
Li ghtl y spi ced cream cheese frosti ng tops a moi st, tender cake.
I knew that simply adding more spice to
something does not lead to increased spici
ness. Most of what we experience when we
conswne a food containing spice is not
actually the spice's taste but its aroma.
These aromas are produced by volatle oils
found wthn the spice cells. When spices
are groll 1d, these aromatic oils are released,
and Tender Yellow Cake ( March/April l999) . But
simply adding spices t dlis recipe didn't work. The
cake crumbled under d1e heavy fostng, and the spice
fl avor was overwhelnling. To add volume and hef,
I replaced d1e cake flour used in that recipe wid1 all
purpose fl our. The swtch made for a slighdy tougher,
which is why freshly ground whole spices are much
"tastier" ( i . e. , more aromatic) than packaged ground
spices ( especially those that have been sitting on the
shelf awhile) . But i additon to being too much work,
individually grinding the five spices I' d chosen for the
recipe always imparted a f but discemible grittness
to the cake, no mauer how much time
they spent in the spice grinder.
AT A G LANC E I KEYS TO S P I C E FLAVOR
What about using techniques fom
the test kitchen to get the most out
of the spices already in my cupboard?
I knew fom preparing curries and chili
that heating spices (either through
dry-toasting them or blooming them
in hot oil ) intensifi es their aroma. This
is because heat drives moisture out of
d1e spice, carrying d1e aromatic oils
along with it. While both techniques
created a fer-favored cake, dry-
I . BROWNED BUTT ER 2. BLOOMED SPI CES 3. A HI NT OF MOLASSES 4. GRAT ED GI NGER
Browning the butter i mparts a Bl oomi ng the spi ces i n the Mol asses adds a bittersweet Fi nel y grated gi nger adds a
faint nutti ness that deepens the browned butter brings out thei r note that underscores the fresh, zesty qual ity to the cake
cake's spi ce flavor. volati l e oi l s, boostingtheir i mpact warm fl avor of the spi ces. that dri ed gi nger can' t provi de.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T F D
2 4
toasting d1e spices was not as success
ful as blooming d1em in oil . Toasting
allows more ofd1e piquant aromas to
escape into the air, but because d1e
aromatic oils are soluble in cooking
O
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J
O
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O
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C

TE C H N I Q U E I RE MOVI NG
TRAP P E D AI R B UB B L E S
I n cakes with a thi ck batter, such as spi ce cake
or carrot cake, trapped air bubbl es can lead to a
fi ni shed cake with unsi ghtl y hol es. Here's how we
got rid of them:
I . Run the tip of a metal spatul a through the batter i n
a zigzag moti on, pul l i ng i t to the edges of the pan.
2. Gentl y tap the pan against the counter three or
four ti mes to rel ease any ai r bubbl es that have ri sen
to the surface.
oil, blooming them was a more efective way of
making sure they made it into the cake.
Up to this point, I had been using ground cin
namon, cloves, cardamom, allspice, and nutmeg.
Willie the mLxnue contributed a respectable spiciness
to the cake, I wanted more complexity. A coworker
suggested steeping crushed fesh ginger in the butter
milk t extract maximum fl avor. This brought slightly
more deptl1 of favor to the cake but not enough to
justif the extra work. A tablespoon of grated fresh
gnger added directly to tl1e batter, on tl1e otler hand,
added noticeable zing. For yet another flavor dimen
sion, I replaced the oil I had been using to bloom my
spices with browned butter, which imparted a faint
nutness and fi lled out tl1e overall taste oftl1e cake. A
a finishing touch, I incororated a couple tablespoons
of molasses into the batter-just enough to balance
te spices with a slight bittersweet nuance witl1out
turning the cake into gingerbread.
Toppi ng It Off
Althat remained was to create just tl1e right fosting.
Almost every fosting recipe for spice cake I'd come
across i my initial research consisted of confectioners'
sugar, cream cheese, and butter in varing amounts.
To create a light, creamy fosting that would work
well witl1 the cake's tender crumb, I used a little less
butter tl1an called for in most of tl1ese recipes. When
I fosted tl1e cake, however, I was disappointed. The
two elements lacked harmony and needed sometlung
to pull them into balance. Why shouldn't tlut be spice?
I added lz teaspoon of the spice mixture fom the
cake to the frosti ng, which lent a subtle yet perceptble
fl avor tl1at made the two work beautiftlly together.
Maybe tl1is cake wil l be one tl1at my daughter will
remember from her childhood. But unlike me, she'll
have a recipe tlut will let her know exactly what to
do to get it tight.
S P I CE CAKE WI TH
CREAM CHE E S E F ROSTI NG
S E HVES l 2 TO l 4
To save time, let tl1e eggs, butternllik, and butter
come up to temperature wilie tl1e browned butter
and spice mixture cools. To prevent w1sightly a holes
in the fi nished cake, be sure to folow tl1e instructions
for removing air bubbles in tl1e batter ( see illustra
tions at l ef) . Lefover cake ca.1 be stored, covered
with plastic wrap, in tl1e refigerator for up to 2 days.
The cake shOLtld be brought to room temperarure
before serving.
Cake
2 V cups ( I I V ounces) unbl eached al l -purpose
fl our, pl us extra for dusti ng pans
tabl espoon grund ci nnamon
3 teaspoon grund cardamom
V2 teaspoon grund al l spi ce
V2 teaspoon grund cl oves
V4 teaspoon grund nutmeg
1 6 tabl espoons unsal ted butter (2 sti cks), softened
V2 teaspoon baki ng powder
V2 teaspoon baki ng soda
V2 teaspoon tabl e sal t
2 l arge eggs pl us 3 l arge yol ks, at rom
temperature
teaspoon vani l l a extract
1 3 cups ( 1 2 V ounces) granul ated sugar
2 tabl espoons l i ght or mi l d mol asses
tabl espoon grated fresh gi nger
cup buttermi l k, at rom temperature
Frosting
5 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, cut i nto 5 pi eces,
softened
I V cups (4 V> ounces) confecti oners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, cut i nto 4 pi eces,
softened
V2 teaspoon vani l l a extract
3 cup coarsel y chopped wal nuts, toasted
(opti onal )
1 . FOR TH CA: Adjust oven rack to middle
position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a.d
four 1 3- by 9-inch baking pan. Combine spices in
small bowl ; resere 1/2 teaspoon for fosting.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8- inch skillet over
l ` ` ` M ` c l | b M M | ` M ` 2 0 0 8
2 5
medium heat until melted, 1 to 2n1inutes. Continue
to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is light
brown and has faint nutty aroma, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly,
! 5 seconds. Remove fom heat and cool to room
temperanre, about 30 minutes.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and
salt in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk
eggs, yolks, and vala to combine. In standng
nuxer fitted with paddle attachment, crea. remain
ing 1 2 tablespoons butter with sugar a.1d molasses
at medium-high speed w1til pale and fuf, about 3
n1inutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl
twice witl1 rubber spatula. Reduce to mediwn speed
and add cooled butter a.d spice 1Lxture, ginger, and
half of egg n1ixture; n1ix until incorporated, about
! 5 seconds. Repeat with remaing egg 1Lxture;
scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add
about one-third four n1ixture, followed by half
of butterl, mixing until j ust incorporated afer
each addition, about 5 seconds. Repeat using half of
remaining fl our nture and all of remaining butter
nl. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mLxture;
m at medium speed until batter is thoroughly com
bined, about !5 seconds. Remove bowl fom mixer
and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to
incorporate any remaining fl our.
4. Tra.sfer batter to prepared pa.; following illus
trations at lef, zigzag tip of metal spatula through
batter, puling it to pa. edges. Lightly tap pan against
counter 3or 4 times to dislodge any large a bubbles;
smootl surface with spatula.
5. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake
comes out clean, 32to 3minutes. Cool cake to room
temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
o. FOR T FROSTIG: In bowl of standing
mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter,
sugar, and reserved lz teaspoon spice mixture at
medium-lugh speed until light and fluf, 1 to 2m
utes. Add crean1 cheese one piece at a time, beating
tl1oroughly afer each addition. Add vanilla and beat
until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds.
. Run paring k around edge of cake to loosen
fom pan. Using spanta, spread fosting evenly over
surface of cake. Sprinkle cake witl1 walnuts, if using.
Cut into squares a.1d serve.
S P I CE CAKE WI TH
ORANGE CREAM CHE E S E F ROSTI NG
Follow recipe for Spice Cake witl1 Cream Cheese
Frosting, adding 1 1/z teaspoons fiely grated orange
zest to frosting witl1 the vala in step o. Substitute
toasted slivered almonds or roughly chopped hazel
nuts for walnuts in step .
! COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o k s i l l u s t rat e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Spi ce Cake with Cream Cheese Frosti ng
VI DEO TIP
How do I know when the butter i s brown enough?
The
Truth About Dark Chocolate
Does s pend i ng more for "gou rmet" chocol ate buy r i cher,
more compl ex fl avor and yi el d better baki ng res u l ts?
J
ust a few years ago, selecting dark chocolate
for your dessert recipe seemed pretty simpl e:
You went to the supermarket and bought a
bar of baking chocolate. These days, there are
dozens of choices, and you can spend hours poring
over the cacao percentages and exotic provenances
on the label s. You can pay a lot more, too. But does
any of it really matter? Does spending more get
you better chocolate favor? And can your choice
of chocolate change your baking results?
Chocol ate Basi cs
First, we looked into the definition of "dark choco
late" and discovered it's a pretty loose term. The U. S.
Food and Drug Administration doesn't distinguish
between bittersweet and semisweet chocolate-it
simply requires that products by either name con
tain at least 35 percent cacao ( the cocoa solids and
cocoa butter fom the cacao bean) . Companies use
the nan1es cacao and cocoa interchangeably, but in
general, when there is more cacao in the chocolate,
there is less sugar, and bittersweet chocolate tends to
be less sweet and have more cacao than semisweet.
Even darker chocolates, with higher cacao percent
ages, w be correspondingly less sweet ( l 00 percent
cacao chocolate is completely unsweetened) .
Understandi ng Cacao
Percentages
In a reci pe speci fi ng a bittersweet or semi sweet
chocol ate, can you substitute a chocol ate with a
hi gher cacao percentage than the 60 percent gener
al l y used for cooki ng, maki ng no other adjustments?
Not if you expect i dentical resul ts. We tasted brown
i es and pots de creme made with our to top-ranked
dark chocol ates, by Cal l ebaut and Ghi rardel l i , whi ch
have 60 percent cacao, al ongsi de ones made wi th the
same brands' 70 percent cacao oferings.
Whi l e all four versi ons were acceptabl e, tasters
strongly preferred the 60 percent cacao chocol ates
i n these reci pes, compl ai ni ng of the 70 percent ver
sions' dryness and lack of sweetness (and in the case
of the pots de creme, a thi cker, stifer consi stency) ,
al though some tasters noted thei r "deeper" choco
late flavor. When chocol ate manufacturers i ncrease
cacao content, they correspondi ngl y decrease the
amount of sugar and usual l y add less cocoa butter.
With l ess sugar and fat, i t' s no wonder the resul ts
were di sti nctl y di ferent. -L. M.
B Y LIS A Mc MAN U S E
Any munber of variables-the type of bean, where
it's grown, and when it's harvested; the length and
conditons of fermentation; the roasting and grnding
methods; and the quality and quantty of any additives
( such dvanilla )-an contbute to drences in flavor
and texture. Chocolate makers claim that every detail is
critical-and are loath to share too many specifcs.
We'd heard a lot about the type of cacao bean
being extremely important. There are only three
types. The most prized ( and expensive) bean, the
criollo, grown mainly in the Caribbean and Central
Aerica, makes up l ess than 2 percent of the world's
cacao. Most chocolate is made from forastero beans,
generally fom Aica. These beans are harvested
fom hardier trees, which makes d1em cheaper. The
third, trnitario, is a hybrid ofd1e other two beans and
comprises about 5 percent of d1e total harest.
The Cook' s Chocol ate-60 Perent Cacao
To choose chocolate for our testng lineup, we ignored
"bittersweet" or "semisweet" nomenclature and con
cerned ourselves wd1 chocolate containing rougllly
60 percent cacao-the type d1at most recipes calling
for dark chocolate have been developed to use. ( Even
darker chocolates, wid1 70 percent or more cacao,
usually require recipe adjustments to get good results;
see "Understanding Cacao Percentages," lef) . Not
confining ourselves to baking chocolate, we included
chocolate fom d1e candy aisle in selecting 12 widely
available brands. Prices vared wldly: We spent fom44
cents per ounce to nearly four tmes as much.
Seeking a chocolate that would perfom well in var
ious applicatons, we held three blind tastngs: fst eat
ing the bars plain, d1en melting d1em into chocolate
pots de creme, and fnally bakg them into brownies.
ln each tasting, we rated d1e chocolate on sweetness,
intensity of fl avor, texture, and overall appeal . And
since many chocolate makers are secretive about their
proprietary methods and formulas, we sent samples of
each to an independent laboratory to confrm levels
of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar.
Chocol ate Myths and Chocol ate Truths
So which chocolates won fvor wid1 our tasters? The
results were smprising. The chocolate with the fnciest
pedigree in our lineup, El Rey, made exclusively fom
Venezuelan crollo beans, wow1d up in the lower half of
the rankings. The other single-orign sample, produced
by Lindt fom criollo and trinitario beans grown in
Madagascar, came in last. Our to top-rated choco
lates, Callebaut and Gldelli, came fom blends
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
2 6
relying prmarly on the inexpensive forastero bean.
Both were purchased at the supermarket, and they cost
just 53 cents and 5cents per ounce, respectvely.
Our second discovery also defed expectatons. We
assumed d1at if one brand of chocolate is 60 percent
cacao, it would be pretty similar in sweetness, choco
late intensity, and creaminess to anod1er brand's 60
percent cacao chocolate. Not so. When chocolate
makers grind shelled cacao beans, known as nibs,
to create the thick paste called chocol ate liquor, this
paste contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Most manufacturers d1en add even more cocoa but
ter, in varying amounts, to help create the texture of
d1e fnal chocolate. A few, like our winner, also add
extra cocoa solids to intensif the chocolate favor.
Ultimately, however, the cacao percentage on the
label of a chocolate bar is a total that includes both
cocoa solids and cocoa butter-meaning that difer
ent chocolates can have diferent proportions of each
and still share the 60 percent cacao designation. A
our lab tests showed, the cocoa solids in our lineup
ranged from about !percent of a bar's total weight
to more than 30 percent, while fat ranged fom a
durd of the weight to nearly half of it. Sugar levels
varied by nearly 20 percent as well .
So would the chocolate wth the most cocoa butter
make the biggest splash, bringng rimer, extra-creamy,
favor to your desserts? No. ln fact, our lab results
revealed that d1e chocolate with the lowest ft won
d1e day, while the one with the most fr can1e in dead
last. And would having the most cocoa solids make a
chocolate superior? Again, no. Our tasters preferred
chocolates with only a moderate an1ount. Sweetness
wasn't d1e explanaton, either: Chocolates in d1e
middle range of sugar levels were preferred over those
with the most sugar, thougl1 overall the top half of the
rankings had more sugar than the bottom haf
In the end, we preferred dark chocolate that
achieved the best balance of all three major com
ponents-ocoa butter, cocoa solids, and sugar.
Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV
was favored for its rich chocolate favor, moder
ate sugar and cocoa solids, and comparatively low
fat. Tasters appreciated its "intensely chocolaty,"
"rich, " "espresso" flavor and "caramel afertaste. "
I t excelled i n every applcation. San Francisco-based
Ghirardelli's Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
can1e in a close second, with praise for its "smoky,"
"fuity" notes. It also demonstrated that balanced
chocolate favor derived from moderate levels of
sugar, cocoa solids, and cocoa butter.
TASTI NG DARK CHOCOLATE
Twenty-four members of the Cook's Illustrated staf tasted 1 2 dark chocol ates, al l contai ni ng around 60 percent cacao.
We sampl ed them pl ai n, i n chocol ate pots de creme, and baked i nto browni es. Res ults were averaged, and the chocol ates
appear i n order of preference. We purchased the chocol ates at Boston stores or onl i ne (see page 32).
RECOMMENDED
CALLEBAUT Intense Dark Chocolate, L-60-40NV
60 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: Belgi um
Pri ce: 53 cents per ounce
GHI RARDELLI Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
60 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: USA
Pri ce: 75 cents per ounce
DAGOBA Organic Semisweet Dark Chocolate
59 perent cacao
Country of Origin: USA
Pri ce: $ 1 . 30 per ounce
MI CHEL CLUI ZEL Noi r de Cacao Dark Chocolate
60 percent cacao
Country of Origin: France
Pri ce: $ 1 . 43 per ounce
VALRHONA Le Noi r Semisweet Chocolate
56 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: France
Pri ce: $ 1 . 37 per ounce
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVTI ONS
E. GUI TTARD Tsaratana Pure Semisweet Dark Chocolate
6 1 perent cacao
Country of Origin: USA
Pri ce: $ 1 . 45 per ounce
HERSHEY'S All-Natural Extra Dark Pure Dark Chocolate
60 perent cacao
Country of Origin: USA
Pri ce: 63 cents per ounce
EL REY MIJAO Dark Chocolate, Venezuelan Si ngle Bean,
Carenero Superior
6 1 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: Venezuel a
Pri ce: 50 cents per ounce
SCHARFFEN BERGER Fi ne Artisan Semisweet Dark Chocolate
62 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: USA
Pri ce: $ 1 . 03 per ounce
NESTLE CHOCOLATI ER Premium Baking Chocolate
Bittersweet Chocolate Bar
62 perent cacao
Country of Origi n: USA
Pri ce: 56 cents per ounce
BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Squares (USA)
54 percent cacao
Country of Origin: USA
Pri ce: 44 cents per ounce
LI NDT Excellence Madagascar Extra Fi ne Mild Dark Chocolate
65 perent cacao Pri ce: $ 1 . 08 per ounce
Country of Origin: Switzerl and
!9. I.
tfark 'o
Comments: "Compl ex fl avor, creamy and thi ck, " " dark and earthy, " wi th a " ri ch cocoa flavor" and "a
ni ce bal ance of sweetness and bi tterness. " Tasters pi cked up "caramel , smoke, and espresso" i n the pl ai n
tasting. I t baked i nto "what a browni e shoul d be. "
Comments: Tasters di scerned "cofee, smoke, and dri ed frui t" i n thi s "creamy, ri ch, gl ossy" chocol ate,
wi th a "sl i ght sour aftertaste. " I n browni es, i t had " qui ntessenti al browni e fl avor" that was "asserti ve, "
"l i ke dark chocol ate but not cocoa-y or bi tter l i ke some others; a real l y good bl end of tastes. "
Comments: "Fai rl y sweet" (a few sai d "cl oyi ngl y" so), with "great chocol ate flavor," it had "hi nts of frui t"
and "apri cot and al mond. " I n pots de creme, i t was "very buttery and chocol aty, with a si l ky texture" and a
flavor that was "smooth yet strong." In browni es: "a good one al l -around, " "malty, sweet, ri ch, sl ightly floral . "
Comments: "Creamy, not bitter. Ni ce for an eating chocol ate, " "compl ex and earthy," but tasters were
remi nded of "ol ive oi l " or "mayonnai se. " In browni es, i t was "very smooth and wel l bal anced, " if a bit "bl and";
i n pots de creme, it was "supercreamy," "l i ke mi l k chocol ate. "
Comments: "A nondark-chocol ate-l over' s dark chocol ate, " thi s was "wel l bal anced" and "creamy, "
wi th "a sharp chocol ate fl avor" and " not much aftertaste. " In pots de creme, i t was "supersmooth and
cushi ony' ' and "al most too creamy" ; "fudgy" browni es were "very sweet. "

Comments: " Fruity, spi cy, " "sweet and smoky, " thi s "very creamy" chocol ate had sl i ghtl y "odd " flavors,
i ncl udi ng banana, tobacco, beef, and l eather, al ong wi th caramel and honey. Whi l e i t had some fans,
others observed that i t made dri er, caki er browni es and sl i ghtl y "chal ky" pots de creme.
Comments: A "chal k" texture was decri ed by many tasters, both when eaten pl ai n and i n browni es, though
the brownies were praised for " ri ch, roasted chocol ate flavor." In pots de creme, it was "dark and glossy," but
"very gl oppy" and "too gummy and dense-flavor i s good, though. "
Comments: " Not very compl ex" and " mi l d, " wi th a sl i ghtl y "sour" aftertaste, i t was "sweet and but
tery" in pots de creme and "ki nda fl at" and " dul l " in browni es, where it was al so deemed "tooth
achi ngl y sweet. " "Sol i d, i f unspectacul ar. "
Comments: " Lots of frui t" here: Tasters noted cherry (some sai d "cough syrup") , grape, raspberry,
rai si ns, and prunes. "Compl ex, but I di dn' t care for i t, " sai d one. " Gl uey" in pots de creme, i t had a
" roasty' ' qual ity in browni es, but " l acked choco-oomph. "
Comments: " Dry and chal ky, " "grai ny, " and "gri tty, " agreed tasters when i t was sampl ed pl ai n and i n
pots de creme. I n browni es, i t was " ri ch" and "fudgy, " but agai n "a bi t grai ny, " wi th an "al most sour mi l k
taste. " Others noted of-flavors that were "metal l i c, " "tanni c, " "bi tter, " or "chemi cal . "
Comments: "Very sweet, you can al most taste the sugar granul es, " with a "bitter cofee flavor." "Very
cocoa-y, but otherwise pretty bori ng. " "Tastes l i ke cheap chocolate. " I t rated poorl y when tasted pl ai n and i n
pots de creme due to i ts granul ar texture, but shone i n browni es as "very moist, chewy," and "fudgy."
Comments: Lab tests showed i t had the hi ghest fat content of the l i neup by far, and also the l owest cocoa
sol i ds. Tasters noted a "very creamy" but "waxy" texture and a "one-di mensi onal " flavor with "very
vani l l a" notes. In pots de creme, i t was "creamy, but strange and aci di c. " In browni es, i t was "funky. "
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
2 7
A Cut Above
Cutti ng boards made from bamboo an d wood composi te are fi ood i ng the market. I s
there any reason to choose th ese n ew- fangl ed materi al s over trdi ti onal wood a n d pl asti c?
B
uying a cutting board starts with deciding
on its material . Until recently, there were
just two good options: wood and plasti c.
Wood boards appeal to cooks who love
how tley feel and don't mind tl1at tl1ey need to
be hand-washed. Fans of plastic rate a dishwasher
safe, mai ntenance- free board over everythi ng
else-even if it means a surface that will never feel
as cushiony as wood. Recently, eco-friendly bam
boo boards clai ming to match and even surpass
the benefi ts of wood have appeared i n kitch
enware stores everywhere. Alongside mem are
li ghtweight composite boards, fashioned from
laminated wood fi ber, which l ook like wood but
clean up like plasti c. Do these newcomers offer
anything better than the old standbys?
To fnd out, we garnered a lineup made fom all
four materials ( plus a glass board; we haven't liked
glass in tl1e past, but we know many people do) .
We whacked at them witl a cleaver, subjected tlen1
to hundreds of cuts wii a new, factory-sharpened
knife, and repeatedly knocked iem off the cowl
ter. When we were done, we chopped chipotle
chiles in brick-red adobo sauce to see how easily
iey would clean up. Our ultimate goal was to fnd
me ideal surface: sof enough to keep your knife
and hands in good shape but sturdy enough to take
on any cutting job witl10ut undue damage.
The Tri ed and True
At the outset, we were impressed by what many
consider ie king of cutting boards: a l O-pOLmd
maple butcher block fom John Boos. Heavy and
s c E N c E . Bacteria on Board
I n 2004, we asked an i ndependent l aboratory
to compare wood and pl asti c cutti ng boards to
see whi ch harbors more harmful bacteri a. The
answer? There' s no diference-both are equal l y
safe as l ong as you scrub them i n hot, soapy water.
We repeated the tests on bamboo and composite
boards, which are new to the market since we
conducted the earl i er tests. J ust as with wood
and pl asti c, i f you wash these boards wi th soap
and water, the bacteria wi l l di e. I nteresti ngl y, even
before bei ng washed, the bamboo board 's natural
antimicrobi al properti es hel ped kill of much of the
bacteri a. You shoul dn' t ski p washi ng bamboo
but i t' s ni ce to have a bui l t-i n head start. -L. M.
3 B Y L I S A M c M A N U S E
solid (witl1 a S5 ptice tag to match), tlus board's
end-grain wood took cleaver sttikes and repetitive
cuts wiiout showing any damage to its surface
or me klufe. But tl1e board's virtues were also its
w1doing: its hef made it uncomfortable to set up,
wash, and put away. And despite being oiled, it split
along a glue line afer routine use. We preferred a
liglter yet still substantial maple board fom J . K.
Adams, wluch had a conve11ient size-roomy but
not w1wieldy or heavy-that felt great under tl1e
k and took al me abuse we could dish out.
In the plastic category, two didn' t measure
up-a folding board mat proved more gimmicky
tl1an usefu and a pl ain plastic board tl1at was too
slick, making the kJife, food, and board itself skid
around as we worked. This board's sof surface also
became deeply stained and cut up. But tl1e Arcl1itec
Gripper board we've loved i n the past remains
highly recommended for its durable surface and
hundreds of rubber feet, thermally bonded to me
plastic, wluch make tl1e board a pleasure to cut on
by keeping it rock-solid on tl1e counter. Any stains
on iis board were blasted clean i n tl1e dishwasher,
but we weren' t influenced by its saniti zed appear
ance. Our lab tests have shown tl1at, contrary to
popular belief, bacteria doesn't wash off plastic
boards any more easily than it does off wood ones
( see "Bacteria on Board, " lef) .
Composed of Composi te
We were most skeptical about wood-composite
boards. Despite their purported resemblance to
real wood, tl1e two fi rst boards we tested looked
like the thin, hard particleboard they were. The
Epicurean model ( a product we see everywhere)
i mmediately lived down to our low expectations,
making a nasty clack under tl1e knife and giving
off sawdust under repeated cuts.
However, the Snow River composite board
took us by surprise, wi nni ng some of our hi ghest
accolades. An i nnovative twi st to its design
sofer layers of maple veneer surrounding a hard
inner core-made it almost as comfortable to cut
on as wood. This board held up extremely well
under abuse. When we checked wim the manu
facturer, we found out why: The board' s maple
veneer is not simply glued onto the core, but
bonded witl1 i t from tl1e begi nning irough the
appl i cation of resin, high heat, and iousands of
pounds of compression. The fact tl1at the board
can go in tl1e dishwasher, like all boards of tlus
l | | b I L L U S T R A T E D
2 8
type, made u s appreciate i t all the more.
The Bamboo Advantage
Bamboo boards are light\veight and attractive,
but we wondered about their endurance. This
material is ofen misunderstood to be a type of
hardwood; i t' s actually a kind of grass. Bamboo
does have defi nite advantages over wood: It
grows i n poor soil and i n almost any climate,
and i t renews itself i n years rather than decades .
Like our fvorite composite board, the butcher
block- style Totally Bamboo Congo Board mrned
out to be a pleasant surprise. In test afer test, it
matched me outstanding comfort and ease of cut
ting on a classic maple butcher block-and it was
so impervious to abuse mat i t looked new afer
hundreds of cuts. Like wood, mis board can' t
go i nto tl1e dishwasher and woul d benefi t from
occasional oiling, but we were more tl1an wil l
ing to trade those inconveniences for i ts superior
feel . An unexpected bonus: Lab tests confi rmed
bamboo has natural antin1icrobial properties tl1at
help kill bacteria even before you wash it.
But not all bamboo boards are created equal .
The other bamboo boards' surfaces were not as
durable or forgiving as the Congo' s, due i n part
to ieir construction and possi bly also to the age
of tile bamboo at harvest-the younger it i s, me
softer me cane and me cheaper tie board.
The Fi nal Cut
So are the new materials any better man wood
and plasti c? If you choose overall design and con
suuction careflly, tl1e answer is yes-but only by
a hair. In me fnal analysis, our top-rated boards
cut across material distinctions, displaying similar
features of comfort, durability, and solid con
structi on. If you' re willing to wash by hand and
do occasional maintenance to keep your board in
peak form, tl1e top-performi ng Totally Bamboo
Congo board and J . K. Adams' s Takes Two maple
board are good choices. If me dishwasher is the
only way you'll go, you have two fne options:
the composite Snow River Utility board and the
plastic Architec Gripper Nonslip board.
M COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
VVV.c o o ks i l l u s t r ated . c o m
Behi nd the Scenes: Cutti ng Board Testi ng
Vl L L l
What' s the best way to cl ean a cutti ng board?
KEY
GOOD: ***
FAIR: **
POOR: *
DISHWASHER-
8 SAFE:
We tested 1 3 cutti ng boards by
eval uati ng thei r desi gn, durabi l
ity, wear on a chef ' s kni fe, and
sui tabi l ity for a vari ety of ki tchen
tasks. Boards appear i n order
of preference. Sources for the
wi nni ng boards are on page 32.
Mai ntai ni ng Your
Cutti ng Board
Over the years, we have conducted
many l ab and kitchen tests to deter
mine the best methods for cl eani ng
and deodori zi ng cutti ng boards.
Here are our recommendati ons.
ROUTI NE CLEANI NG
Afer each use, scrub your board
thoroughl y in hot, soapy water
(or put i t through the di shwasher
i f i t' s di shwasher-safe). Thi s ki l l s
nearl y al l harmful bacteri a on any
type of cutti ng board. Ri nse wel l
and dry thoroughl y.
TO REMOVE FOOD ODORS
(SUCH AS GARLI C)
Scrub wi th a paste of I tabl espoon
of baki ng soda and I teaspoon of
water, fol l owed by routi ne washi ng
with hot, soapy water.
TO REMOVE STAI NS FROM
PLASTI C BOARDS
An overnight bl each bath leaves
stai ned pl asti c boards pri sti ne
and sani tized. Put I tabl espoon
of bl each per quart of water i n
the si nk and i mmerse the board,
foul ed-si de up. When the board
rises to the surface, drape a cl ean
white ki tchen towel or two over its
surface and spl ash the towel with
about ! cup of addi ti onal bl each.
TO MAI NTAI N A WOOD OR
BAMBOO BOARD
Appl y food-grade mi neral oi l
every few weeks when the board
i s new and a few ti mes a year
thereafter. The oi l soaks i nto the
fi bers, creati ng a barri er to excess
moi sture. ( Don' t use ol i ve or
vegetabl e oi l , whi ch can become
ranci d. ) Avoi d l eavi ng wood or
bamboo boards resti ng i n water,
or they wi l l eventual l y spl i t.
TESTI NG CUTTI NG BOARDS
(HI G HLY RECOMM E NDE D
Totally Bamboo Congo
P RI CE : $39. 99
MATERI AL Butcher-block-style bamboo
WE I G HT: 5 pounds
Snow River Uti l ity
P RI CE : $ 1 6. 99
MATERI AL: Wood-laminate composite
with maple surface
WE I G HT: 1 . 7 pounds
J. K. Adams Takes Two
PRI CE : $22
MATERI AL: Hard rock sugar maple
WE I G HT: 3.7 pounds
Architec Gri pper Nonsl i p
PRI CE : $ 1 4. 99
MATERI AL: Polypropylene (plastic)
WE I G HT: 0.9 pounds
RECOMME N DE D
Totally Bamboo Kauai
PRI CE : $28
MATERI AL: Vertical-grain bamboo
WE I G HT: 2. 7 pounds
John Boos Choppi ng Bl ock
P RI CE : $74. 95
MATERI AL: Northern hard rock maple
WE I G HT: 1 0. 4 pounds
TruBamboo Pal m Beach
PRI CE : $39. 99
MATERI AL: Flat-grain bamboo
WE I G HT: 5. 2 pounds
(RECOMME NDE D WI TH RE S E RVATI ONS
The Cutti ng Board Company
PRI CE : $ 1 1 . 35
8
8
PE RF ORMANCE
CUTTI NG: ***
D U RABI LI TY: ***
CLEAN UP : ***
US E R F RI E NDLI NES S : ***
CUTTI NG : ***
D U RABI LI TY: ***
CLEANUP : ***
US E R- F RI E NDLI NES S : ***
CUTTI NG : ***
D U RABI LI TY: ***
CLEANUP : **
U S E R- F RI E NDLI NES S : ***
CUTTI NG : **
D U RABI LI TY: ***
CLEANUP : ***
US E R F RI E N DL I NE S S : ***
PERF ORMANCE
CUTTI NG : ***
D U RABI L I TY: **
CLEANUP : ***
US E R F RI E N DL I NE S S : ***
CUTTI NG : ***
D U RABI LI TY: **
CLEAN UP : *
US E R- F RI E NDLI NES S : ***
CUTI NG : ***
DURABI LI TY: **
CLEANUP : **
US E R - F R I E N OL I N ES S : **
PERF ORMANCE
CUTTI N G :
D U RABI LI TY:
MATERI AL: Polypropylene (pl astic)
WE I G HT: 3. 7 pounds
CLEANUP :
U> < R F RI E NDL I N ESS :
**
**
**
**
Epi curean Cutti ng Surfaces, Kitchen Series
P RI CE : $24. 95
MATE RI AL: Wood-laminate composite
WE I G HT: 1 . 9 pounds
Architec Gri pper Bamboo
PRI CE : $ 1 4. 99
MATE RI AL: Vertical-grain bamboo
WE I G HT: 2. 4 pounds
NOT RECOMME NDE D
OXO Good Gri ps Fol di ng Uti l ity
P RI CE : $24. 99
MATERI AL: Polypropylene (pl astic)
WE I G HT: 3. 8 pounds
CUTTI NG : **
D U RABI LI TY: **
CLEAN UP : **
US E R F RI E NDL I NES S : **
CUTTI NG : **
D U RABI LI TY: **
CLEANUP : *
US E R F RI EN DLI NES S : **
PERFORMANCE
CUTTI NG : **
DURABI LI TY: *
CLEANUP : ***
US E R- F RI E NDLI N ES S : *
CUTTI NG : **
DURABI LI TY: *
TESTERS ' COMME NTS
Sol i d and cushy surface of a wooden
butcher block, but l i ghtweight, with nicely
rounded edges that are easy to grasp.
Perfect score i n every test.
Looks and feels l i ke wood but can go in
the di shwasher. Cleaver cut deeply. but
cuts closed up after washing. Softer veneer
mi ti gated the core's hardness and made it
very enjoyable to use.
Classic plank board i s solid but l i ght enough
to be convenient for frequent use. Knife
felt cushioned during use; board showed
few marks of cuts; blade stayed sharp after
750 cuts. Chipotle stain hung on.
Nonsl i p "gri pper" underside keeps board
extremel y stable but makes it one-sided.
Pl easant cutti ng surface. but i t sl i ghtl y
dul l ed a new knife.
TESTE RS ' COM M E NTS
Thi s pretty board was easy to handl e.
fel t sol i d and wel l cushioned under the
knife, and was tough enough to handle the
cleaver. Surface became deepl y incised in
one area after 750 cuts, but i t di dn't stain.
Thi s deluxe cutting board i s mighty heavy
to hoist around the kitchen. Feels great
under the knife. keeping blade sharp afer
750 cuts; definitely needs oi l ing and careful
drying to keep its good looks and avoid
spl i tting, as our first sample did.
Board di d the job but was unremarkable.
Surface showed faint cuts and became
increasingl y fuzzy, with tiny raised fibers.
as we used and cleaned i t.
TESTE RS ' COM ME NTS
Surface was too sl i ck when new-onion
ski dded as we cut. Cleaver made deep
cuts, raised ridges on surface. This board
sl i pped around i f we di dn' t use a mat
underneath, and it stained deeply.
Hard board clacked loudly under the knife;
surface gave of sawdust afer repeated
cuts. Board smel l s l i ke a wet dog when
washed (i t's the glue).
Four rubber feet trapped wetness and
gave board a hollow feel. More dificult to
cut across planks than along them. Showed
every cut, and stains hung on.
TESTE RS ' COM M E NTS
Rubbery surface of board felt pl easant.
but center-fold ri dge got i n the way of
cutting. Board ri pped in two at fold when
swept off counter.
Wood fel t l i ghtweight but cheap; made
hollow sound when knife struck. Soft sur-
Pyrex Gl ass
P RI CE : $ 1 7. 99
MATERI AL: Tempered glass
WE I G HT: 3. 2 pounds
-
r U
CUTT I NG:
;
D U RABI LI TY:

CLEANUP :

US E R F RI E NDLI N ES S :
Clacked with every cut; dul l ed new knife
*** after I 0 cuts. Di dn' t break (even when
* * * knocked off counter and whacked with a
cleaver), but horrible as a cutting board.
J A N U A R Y b F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
2 9
l l 1 ' l I '1 I :
Cl ean Break for Eggs
When recipes for baked goods, such as
our Spice Cake ( page 25 ), call for yolks
at room temperature, most cooks wait
to separate them until the eggs have
already warmed up. We find te process
is easier if you do it when the eggs are
still cold. Just out of the refigerator,
the membranes surrounding the white
and the yolk are much firmer and sepa
rate more cleanly and easily.
Hot or Col d Water for
Washi ng?
We've always believed the conventonal
wsdom that cold water works better
than hot when washing four of bowls
and boards. The teory is that hot
water hydrates the starch, causing it to
become sticky, whle cold water simply
dilutes the four. Washing hundreds of
d bowls for our Almost No-Knead
Bread (page 20) recipe gave us the
perfect opportunity to test this. Our
fdg: When it comes to removing
four, water temperature makes no df
ference at all . Both hot and cold water
work equally well .
Broccol i Resurrecti on
We recently tried reviving limp broc
coli by soaking forets and whole heads
overght in three diferent liquids: plain
water, sugar water, and salt water. The
sugar, we thought, might provide food
that would revve the vegetable, while
the salt might work like a brine, addg
moisture and seasoning. The next day,
we examined the broccoli raw and then
pan-roasted it.
In both the
cooked ad
raw states,
the broccoli
lef standing
PLU MP I T UP
mplain water
was the clea
winner. The
broccoli placed
in sugar water
was nearly as
limp as before,
and te brocoli
To revive l i mp
brccol i , trim the stalk,
fom salty water
stand it in an i nch of
was even more
water, and refrigerate
dehydrated. i t overnight.
3 B Y J K E N J I A L T E
Breathabl e Bags
Spinach used to come H perforated
plastic bags tl1at allowed the greens to
breathe and stay fresh longer. These
days, the bags of greens we buy no
longer have te holes. Why the change?
Plastic bag technolog has come a long
way over me years. Thoug mey appear
solid, te bags in which spinach and
otl1er greens are now sold are made of
a polymer mat allows the ripening gases
mat all produce emits to pass through
feely. Because of ths, lefover pack
aged spinach or greens w do much
better stored in their original bags than
in ordinary plastic ones. To ensure
feshness for as long as possible, fold
me bag over and tape it shut.
S P I C E A D V I C E : TOaSt, then Gri nd
S TI L L F RE S H
Baged spi nach stored i n its original
breathable pl astic bag is sti l l fresh one
week later.
STARTI NG TO S POI L
Thi s spi nach was stored i n a sealed
airtight bag, rather than its original
packaging, causi ng it to spoil prematurely.
Oven Cal i brati on
A properly calibrated oven i s essential
for ensuring consistent cooking results.
Because many people don't have an
oven thermometer, we developed an
easy method to test for accuracy using
an instant-read thermometer. Here's
how to do it.
Set an oven rack to the middle
position and heat your oven to 350
degrees for at least 30 minutes. Fill an
ovenproof glass 2-cup measure witl1
1 cup of water. Using an instant-read
mermometer, check that tl1e water
is exactly 70 degrees, adjusting tl1e
I t' s best to toast whol e
spi ces before gri ndi ng
them. Here' s why:
STAY I NG PUT
Toasti ng a spi ce whol e bri ngs its
armatic oi l s to the surface, contrib
uting to a strnger, more compl ex
arma when grund.
temperature with hot or cold water as
necessary. Place the cup in the center of
tle rack and close tl1e oven door. Aer
1 5 minutes, remove tl1e cup and insert
tl1e instant-read thermometer, making
sure to swirl the termometer around
in the water to even out any hot spots.
If your oven is properly calibrated, the
water should be at 1 50 degrees ( plus
or minus 2 degrees) . If the water is not
at 1 50 degrees, then your oven is run
rung too hot or too cold and needs to
be adjusted accordingly. We tested this
method in multple ovens, both gas and
electric, and all worked well. ( Note: To
avoid shattering the glass cup, alow te
water to cool before pouring it out. )
Garl i c Gui de
Sometimes when we're shopping for a
recipe that cals for a large amount of
T E C H N I Q U E
i n cooked oni ons with a life
less, stringy texture. Oni ons
that are cut pol e to pol e mai n
tain thei r shape duri ng our Best
French Oni on Soup's (page
1 3) long cook1 ng process.
C O OK
'
S I L L U S T R ATED
30
CAR R I E D AWAY
Gri ndi ng a spice releases moi sture and
armatic oi l s i nto the ai r, subsequently
leavi ng the spi ce with l ess to give
when toasted.
minced garlic, we wonder how many
heads we'll need to buy to complete
me recipe. We bought heads of garlic
fom several diferent stores. While the
size and number of cloves in a single
head ranged from 1 5 large to 25 small,
the total amount of minced garlic fom
each head was very sinllar across the
board. A medium head of garlic (about
2l2 inches across) wyield a little over
2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
Hol ey Foi l
We don't recommend covering acidic
foods stored in open metal contain
ers ( like baking pans) directly with
foi l . Recently, rushing to refrigerate
a batch of our Skillet Apple Brown
Betry ( January/February 2004) at
the end of the day, we forgot and
covered me pan wim foil. When we
removed the foil the next morning, it
was riddled with holes, and the top of
the dessert was discolored. What was
going on here?
Al uminum is what' s called an
"active metal"-a material that read
ily sheds electrons. Because of this,
when aluminum is in contact with an
acidic medium and a nonaluminum
metal like the skillet in which our
brown betty was stored, it will steadily
lose electrons and change into a form
that's dissolvable by the acid in the
food. We found that even in nonmetal
containers, afer several days of storage,
the foil wound up discoloring where it
was in contact with the acidic food, as
d1e aluminum had shed electrons to
d1e electron-hungry acids .
To prevent ds, we recommend d1at
you store acidic lefovers in nonmetal
containers and make sure the foil doesn't
come i diect contact wid1 d1e food.
CONTACT B UR N
An electrlytic reaction causes holes to appear i n foi l pl aced di rectly
on aci di c food stored i n a metal contai ner.
T A s T M G : Dri ed Chi l es
Though chi l es are avai l abl e i n a wi der variety than ever, most stores sti l l don' t carry
an exhaustive sel ecti on. So what to do when you can' t fnd the speci fc dri ed chi l e
a reci pe cal l s for? Afer hol di ng a bl i nd tasting of several of the most commonl y
avai l abl e chi l es, we found that each fel l i nto one of four broad flavor categori es.
Wi del y avai l abl e chi l es for each flavor category are l i sted bel ow. The substitute chi l es
have subtl e flavor variati ons but can successful l y repl ace any other i n the groupi ng.
CHILE TYPE DESCRIPTI ON
SWEE
These chi l es share fresh,
New Mexi co (Cal i forni a,
sweet flavors remi ni s-
Anahei m, or chi l e Col orado)
cent of roasted red
peppers and tomatoes.
ERHY Deep, rich flavors that
Ancho (dri ed pobl ano)
bri ng to mi nd choco
HOT
Arbol
late, cofee, rai si ns, and
l i corice characterize
these chi l es.
These chi l es have charned
wood, tobacco, and bar-
becue flavors balanced by
subtle sweetness.
The overhel mi ng heat
of these chi l e varieties
masks thei r other flavors.
SUBSTI TUTES
Cascabel (chi l e bol a)
Chori cero
Costefo
Mul ato
Pas i l i a (chi l e negro)
Guaj i l l o
Nora
Cayenne
Gui ndi l l a
Pequeno
Thai (bi rd's beak)
RE CI P E U P DATE
Garlicky Scallops wi th Bread Crumbs
For a di ferent spi n on our one-ski l l et reci pe for Garl i cky Shri mp wi th Bread
Crumbs ( March/ Apri l 2007) , we substituted sea scal l ops. We qui ckl y di scovered
the swap produced a sauce that was too watery, because scal l ops shed more l i qui d
than shri mp. Addressi ng the i ssue woul d mean reduci ng the cl am j ui ce cal l ed for i n
the ori gi nal reci pe. But by how much? The moi sture content vari es from scal l op to
scal l op. Our sol uti on: We pl aced the seared scal l ops in a strai ner set over a bowl
to col l ect the j ui ce, then poured i t i nto a measuri ng cup and added enough clam
j ui ce (i f needed) to equal 2/ cup. Si nce scal l ops are natural l y sweeter than shri mp,
we omitted the sugar in the reci pe. Go to V. cooksi l l ustrated. com/february
for our fnee reci pe for Garl i cky Scal l ops with Bread Cnumbs.
Si mpl e Turkey Chi l i wi th Ki dney Beans
Readers wanted to know the best way to use ground turkey in pl ace of the
ground beef i n our Si mpl e Beef Chi l i wi th Ki dney Beans ( March/ Apri l 2003).
Si nce the key to the reci pe i s i ts l ong si mmeri ng process, we avoi ded extra
lean ground turkey, whi ch we knew woul d turn meal y and flavorl ess with
prol onged cooki ng. We used 93 percent l ean i nstead. Neverthel ess, after
two hours of s i mmeri ng, the turkey had di si ntegrated and the chi l i resembl ed
Bol ognese sauce. We sol ved thi s probl em by di vi di ng the meat i n hal f and add
i ng one i nstal l ment at the begi nni ng of cooki ng and the second an hour l ater,
pi nchi ng of teaspoon-si zed l umps of turkey for a chunki er texture. Our fnal
adj ustment was to reduce the total cooki ng ti me by 20 mi nutes. Go to www.
cooksi l l ustrated. com/february for our free reci pe for Si mpl e Turkey Chi l i wi th
Ki dney Beans.
TOO F I NE J UST R I GHT
Grund turkey brke down too much when si mmered for hours i n our chi l i
recipe (lef). But when we added the deli cate meat at diferent stages duri ng
cooking (and i n larger pieces), we achieved the perfect texture (right).
New York-Styl e Crumb Cake Mufins
Transformi ng our New York-Style Cnumb Cake ( May/j une 2007) i nto mufns
seemed l i ke a doabl e task, and i t was. The batter from the exi sti ng reci pe was
j ust enough to apporti on ! cup to each of the 1 2 cups in a standard-si zed mufn
ti n. Afer experi menti ng wi th vari ous baki ng ti mes, we arri ved at 20 mi nutes as
the ri ght amount to turn out tender, l i ght i nteri ors. But al though the i nsi des of
the mufns were baki ng up perfectly, the exteri ors were dry, tough, and overl y
brown. When l oweri ng the oven temperature di dn' t solve the probl em, we tried
l i ni ng the mufn tin with parchment baking cups. This did the tri ck. The l i ners
prohi bi ted browni ng and kept the outsi de of the mufns i nsul ated, tender, and
moi st. Go to V. cooksi l l ustrated. com/febnuary for our free reci pe for New
York-Style Crumb Cake Mufns.
-Charl es Kelsey
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTI ON about a reci pe, l et us know. Send your i nqui ry,
name, address, and dayti me tel ephone number to Reci pe Update, Cook's
I l l ustrated, P.O. Box 470589, Brookl i ne, MA 02447, or write to reci peupdate@
ameri castestkitchen. com.
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 8
3 1
I l l l ^I `` '1`11
NEW PRODUCT:
Spi n' n Stor Produce Bags
In smaller kitchens, it
can be hard to fi nd space
for bulky salad spinners.
Ageecorp Spin' n Stor
Produce Spinning Bags
( $3.49 for four reusable
bags) condense the dring
and storing of greens into
one bag. You put washed
produce into the 1 1 - by
6-inch bag and spin it
dd in the a; te water
pools into a reservoir and
feeds into drainable
BAG THE S PI NNER?
Spin'n Stor prduce bags
a
dried salad greens just as
channel along d1e bag's wel l as our preferred salad
spinner-and stored them to
side. Once drained, the
boot. They're a great alterna-
bag of greens can be
tive if you're shor on space.
sealed and stored in the
refigerator. To test d1e bag's efectiveness against our
preferred OXO Salad Spinner, we divided a head of
romaine, washed d1e leaves, and put half in d1e bag
and the oder half in the spinner. Both methods dried
the leaves equally wel l .
EQUIPME NT TESTING :
Universal Kni fe Bl ocks
Do "universal" knife blocks hold knives of every
shape, size, and make? We tested d1ree model s.
The Viva Terra Bamboo Box Knife Hol der ( $89)
is a simple wooden box of tightly packed bamboo
skewers meant to cradle tl1e knives. It holds kives
at an awkward 90-degree angle, and
when you pull them out, unattached
skewers pop up, too. It's also fimsily
constructed: Three of d1e four we
ordered arrived broken. A bit
better, the Bisbell Magna-
bloc ( $ 1 43. 50) I5 a mag-
netized wooden block that
grips up to 10 knives ( but
not ceramic ones) al ong its
surfce. Unfortunately, its
grasp is almost too strong:
Knives release only with a
UNI VE RSAL
vigorous tug that makes PROTECTI ON
the tall, narrow structure
The !go Home Kapoosh
wobble. The best ( and
Universal Knife Bl ock
cheapest) of d1e lot, d1e
contains thousands of fne
plastic rds that easily
oak-framed I go Home
accommodate up to I 0
Kapoosh Universal Knife knives and tool s.
Block ($29. 99) , comfort-
ably shelters up to 1 0 tools in its dishwasher-safe nest
of spaghetti-like plastic rods, and the sturdy box's
opening is at an accessible angl e. Though we wish it
B Y E L I Z A B E T ! ! B O M Z E E
were deeper-handles of blades over 8 inches stuck
out-it makes a practical home for most knives.
EQUIPMENT UPDATE:
Toaster Oven/Toaster Combo
Our favorite toaster oven, the Krups 6-Slice Digtal
Convecton Toaster Oven FBC4- 1 2 ( $1 99. 99) , is
handy for small-scale cooking and makes decent toast,
but it takes a toll on both your counter space and your
wallet. That's why we were hopefl when we found
the Hamilton Beach Toastaton Toaster & Oven
22708H ( $49. 99) , which combines a regular toaster
and toaster oven. A wide toaster slot runs across its top,
and a min-oven opens fom d1e font. Unfommately,
d1e two can't operate simultaneously, and d1e appli-
ance is too sm all d to accommo ate dJ average-sized
spud or slice of pizza.
EQUIPMENT TESTING:
Dry Storage Contai ners
When it comes to storing four and sugar, we like
an airtight contai ner d1at can easily accommodate
an entire fve-pound bag, wid1 an opening wide
enough to dip in a measuring cup and level of the
excess right back into the container. Aer testing six
models, we found d1at all ft d1e bill . Each container
locked tighdy enough to keep a slice of white sand-
wich bread sof and mold- free for over two weeks.
That said, a few exaa features caught our attention:
clear plastic for easy visibility, measurement markers
along the sides, and sturdy handles. Our favorite,
tle Rubbermaid 4 Qt. Carb-X Commercial Food
Storage ( $8. 99) , includes d1ese; plus it also comes
in an 8- quart size.
bources
The fol l owi ng are sources for i tems recommended i n
thi s i ssue. Prices were current at press ti me and do not
i ncl ude shi ppi ng. Contact compani es to confirm i nforma-
ti on or vi si t www. cooksi l l ustrated. com for updates.
Page MEAT-PROBE THERMOMETER
e Thermo Works Original Cooking Thermometer/Timer: $ 1 9,
item #TW362A, Thermo Works (800-393-6434,
ww.thermoworks.com).
Page Z DUTCH OVEN
e Tramontina 6.5 Quart Cast Irn Dutch Oven: $39. 86,
item #80 1 3 1 /504, Wai-Mart (800-966-6546,
ww .walmart.com).
Page Z DARK CHOCOLATE
e Callebaut Intense Dark Chocolate L-60-40NV: $ 1 7. 95
for 2. 2 pounds of callets (chocolate bits), World Wide
Chocolate (800-664-94 1 0, www.worldwidechocolate.
com). Also available at Whole Foods Market in smaller portions.
e Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar:
$2.99 for 4 ounces, World Wide Chocolate.
C OOK b I L L U S I" R A T E D
3 2
Page Z CUTTING BOARDS
Totally Bamboo Congo Parquet End Grain Cutting Board:
$39.99, item # BOOOA389GE, www.amazon.com.
Snow River Utility Board: $ 1 6. 99, item # B0006FRAGQ
ww . amazon.com.
Page JZ PRODUCE BAGS
Spin'n Stor 0uce bptt_ a_S. $3.49 for four bags,
item # 1 7764, Camping World (888-626-7576,
www.campingworld.com).
Page JZ UNIVERSAL KNIFE BLOCK
lgo Home Kapoosh Universal Knife Block: $29.99,
Bed Bath Beyond (800-462-3966,
ww .bedbathandbeyond.com).
Page JZ DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS
Rubbermaid 4-Qt. Carb-X Commerial Food Storage: $8.99,
item #576440, The Container Store (888-266-8246,
www.containerstore.com).
II P!i;t;b;tx:;:::;::rn:u1t!:0s
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I NDE X
)anJa, 6 lc|Ja, 2 008
RE
MAI N DISHES
Crunchy Baked Pork Chops I I
with Prosci utto and Asi ago Cheese I I
French Chi cken in a Pot 9
Sl ow-Roasted Beef 7
SIDE DISHES
Roasted Broccol i 2 1
wi th Garl i c 2 1
wi th Ol i ves. Garl i c, Oregano, and
Lemon 2 1
wi th Shal l ot, Fennel Seeds. and
Parmesan 2 1
B READ
Al most No- Knead Bread 20
Cranberry- Pecan 20
wi th Ol i ves. Rosemary. and
Parmesan 20
Seeded Rye 20
Whol e Wheat 20
SOUP AND APPETIZER
Best French Oni on Soup 1 3
Qui cker 1 3
Spani sh-Styl e Garl i c Shri mp I S
SAUCE AND GARNIS H
F OR S LOW- ROAS TE D B E E F :
Horseradi sh Cream Sauce 7
F OR F R E NCH ON I ON S OUP :
Cheese Croutons 1 3
DESSERTS
Spi ce Cake wi th Cream Cheese
Frosti ng 25
wi th Orange Cream Cheese
Frosti ng 25
Thi n and Cri spy Oatmeal Cooki es 23
Coconut 23
Orange-Al mond 23
Sal ty 23
ONLINE EXTRAS
(AVA| LAL F 8 FOR 6 HOHTH5)
Garl i cky Scal l ops wi th Bread Crumbs
New York-Styl e Crumb Cake Muffi ns
Roasted Broccol i wi th Garl i c and
Anchovi es
Roasted Broccol i for T wo
Si mpl e Turkey Chi l i wi th Ki dney Beans
l COOK'S LI VE nal Test Ki tchen Videos www. cooksi l l ustrated. com
MAIN DISHES
How to Make Crunchy Baked Pork
Chops
How do I mi nce a shal l ot?
How do I mi nce parsl eyl
How to Make French Chi cken i n
a Pot
Whi ch Dutch oven shoul d I buy?
How can I separate fat wi thout a fat
separator?
How to Make Sl ow- Roasted Beef
Whi ch cut of meat shoul d I buy?
How do I care roast beef?
Do I real l y need an i nstant-read
thermometer?
Can I check the temperature of my
oven wi thout an oven thermometer?
SIDE DISH
How to Make Roasted Brccol i
BREAD
How to Make Al most No-Knead
Bread
Behi nd the Scenes: Devel opi ng
the reci pe
How does bread ri se?
SOUP AND AP PETIZER
How to Make Best French Oni on
Soup
How do I peel and sl i ce an oni on?
What si ze oni ons shoul d I buy?
How to Make Spani sh-Style Garl i c
Shri mp
How do I peel and sl i ce garl i c?
DESSERTS
How to Make Thi n and Cri spy
Oatmeal Cooki es
Can I use qui ck or i nstant oats?
Why does the test ki tchen l i ke
parchment paper?
Do I have to bake the cooki es one
sheet at a ti me?
How to Make Spi ce Cake wi th
Cream Cheese Frsti ng
How do I know when the butter i s
brown enough?
TESTI NG
Buyi ng Gui de t o Cutti ng Boards
Behi nd the Scenes: Cutti ng Board
Testi ng
What' s the best way to cl ean a
cutti ng board?
AMERI CA'S TEST KI TCHEN
Publ i c tel evi si on' s most popul ar cooki ng show
J oi n the mi l l i ons of home cooks who watch our show.
America's Test Kitchen, on publ i c tel evi si on every week. For
more i nformati on, i ncl udi ng reci pes and program ti mes.
vi si t www. ameri castestki tchen. com.
Slow- Roaste d Beef, Frenc h Chi c ken i n a Pot,
Best Frenc h Onion So up, l J
Almost No- Knea d Brea d , Z
Roaste d Broccol i , Z |
Spi ce Ca ke wi t h Cream Cheese Frosti ng, Zb Thin an d Cri spy Oatmeal Coo ki es, ZJ
| |C1CCHA||Y. CAHL1HE MBLAY, S1YL | MC. MAH| E | | HA| MC
L . .

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