September/October 2018

Cook's Illustrated

Your go-to source for foolproof recipes that work.

Cook's Illustrated2 min read
French Breads
BACK COVER ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN BURGOYNE France lays claim to many of the world’s great breads, most notably the lean, chewy, deeply browned BAGUETTE. Variations include PAIN D’EPI, in which the dough is cut into pointy lobes to resemble a wheat stalk
Cook's Illustrated2 min readCooking, Food & Wine
The Summer Of Jaws
The summer after my sophomore year of college, I got braces—and my jaw broken. On purpose. My doctor called it preventive surgery, which made it sound prudent. My jaw had been growing out of alignment for years, and his description of a pain- and hea
Cook's Illustrated3 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Quick Tips
Whenever Elise Darrow of Denver, Colo., gets to the end of a stick of butter, she stores it in a clean, lidded plastic dairy container. (If the pieces are exact tablespoons, she leaves the measurement-marked wrapper on so that she can use them for co
Cook's Illustrated7 min read
One-Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Roast chicken and potatoes are near-universal favorites. Add a superflavorful pan sauce and you’ve got a slam dunk. A terrific example of this combination is chicken Vesuvio, a dish beloved in the Italian American restaurants of Chicago: Chicken and
Cook's Illustrated7 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Real Carne Adovada
Before I take you on a deep dive into carne adovada, one of New Mexico’s most celebrated dishes and quite possibly the easiest braise you will ever make, I need to back up and explain how hugely significant chiles are in New Mexican cuisine. For one
Cook's Illustrated7 min readRegional & Ethnic
Next-Level Grilled Steak
When was the last time you hosted a summer cookout and made a dish that your guests snapped up in minutes and raved about for the rest of the night? If you can’t recall, consider this recipe—a popular Japanese preparation called negimaki—an opportuni
Cook's Illustrated7 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Fish for Meat Lovers
It seems funny to admit that a fish was once my nemesis, but there was a spell back when I was a line cook when that was exactly the case. For five straight nights, I carefully prepared what appeared to be pristine swordfish steaks and began to plate
Cook's Illustrated6 min read
Really Good Falafel
Rather than insert myself into the age-old debate over the origins of falafel—Egypt, Palestine, and Israel each claim it as a national dish—I prefer to think of it as a preparation with ancient roots and timeless universal appeal. But my recipe may p
Cook's Illustrated7 min read
Why You Should Make Pita Bread
If your only experiences of pita have been the dry, flavorless rounds from the supermarket, you might wonder how this ancient bread—which dates back thousands of years—has persisted. But I can think of several reasons. The first being that good, fres
Cook's Illustrated6 min readDiet & Nutrition
Applesauce for Everyone
As I began this project, I was often asked the question “Do adults actually eat applesauce?” My response: If they don’t, they should, because applesauce is easy to make and it packs all the sweet-tart character of orchard-fresh apples into a deliciou
Cook's Illustrated4 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Pasta Salad Rehab
Mention pasta salad and most folks think of a hodgepodge of overly firm noodles, raw broccoli florets, and spongy canned black olives, all drenched in bottled Italian dressing. That’s why my colleagues looked gleeful when I—not one of them—got the as
Cook's Illustrated4 min read
Burn Your Beans
Sichuan cooks have a method for preparing green beans called “dry frying.” It’s a two-step approach in which the beans are deep-fried, and then stir-fried with aromatics and maybe a little ground pork. There’s not much sauce because the beans are the
Cook's Illustrated7 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Belgian Spice Cookies (Speculoos)
There is a story floating around the internet about a grandmother who gobbled up her grandson’s cookies as he slept beside her during a long flight. The motive for the 30,000-foot crime? Biscoff, the signature onboard snack of Delta Air Lines. The te
Cook's Illustrated7 min read
Tasting Basmati Rice
Basmati rice is our go-to choice for pilaf, biryani, and the classic Persian dish called chelow and as a base for curry. In India, where basmati originated, it is considered part of the national heritage; in 2016 it was granted Geographical Indicatio
Cook's Illustrated2 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Tasting White Miso Paste
Miso paste is a powerhouse Japanese ingredient that adds complex, savory flavor to a variety of recipes, from soups and sauces to braised vegetables and grilled chicken. It starts with the cultivation of koji, a mold that is typically sprinkled over
Cook's Illustrated4 min read
Ingredient Notes
It’s easy to confuse raw jasmine and basmati rices: They’re both long-grain varieties, and both contain a compound that can give them a popcorn-like aroma. We prepared a batch of each and, once they were cooked, their differences became apparent. The
Cook's Illustrated6 min read
Kitchen Notes
First introduced in Edwardian England around 1910, this lidded vessel was used to cook meat stews and steamed puddings. (Not to be confused with American custard-based puddings, British steamed puddings are most similar to cakes and can be sweet or s
Cook's Illustrated4 min read
Equipment Corner
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS FORNO MAGNIFICO Electric Pizza Oven MODEL: FM-FB512 PRICE: $80.99 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WILLIAMS SONOMA Junior Chef Oven Mitt MODEL: 1701544 PRICE: $7.95 per mitt ($15.90 for 2) RECOMMENDED ZWILLING PRO 5.5" Flexible Boning

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