.

' L' ,\ \ B E R I : E T Y S l X
JA: UARY c FEBRUARY 2 0 09
` 1 . 1
Chicken Noodle
Soup
Quick No-Bones Recipe
The Perfect
French Omelet
All-New Foolproof Method
Braised Short Ribs
Taking Out the Fat
Chewy Chocolate
Cookies
Testing I.-Inch
Skillets
Best Buy Saves bU7
Rating Maple Syrups

Tandoori Chicken at Home
Thin and Crisp Pork Cutlets
Best Swedish Meatballs
Better French Toast
Guide to Prepping Vegetables
.cook s i II Us t r a ted . com
$5 95 L.S./$6.95 L/!/
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January 6 February `ll'
2 Notes from Readers
BY DAV I D PAZMI
N
O
Quick Tips
Quick and easy ways to perform everyday tasks, from
keeping avocado green to dislodging just-baked mufins.
BY YVONNE RU P E RTI AND F RANCI S CO J. ROB E RT
b Tandoori Chicken, Reworked
We weren't going to let a 24-hour marinade or the lack
of a 900-degree oven keep us from turning this great
Indian cl assic into an easy weeknight dinner.
BY F RANCI S CO J. ROB E RT
o Rethinking Braised Short Ribs
Rich, fork-tender short ribs usual l y need an overnight
rest to get rid of the grease. We wanted the fat gone by
dinnertime-no bones about it.
BY DAVI D PAZMI
N
O
' Thin and Crisp Pork Cutlets
The hal l mark of wiener schnitzel is its light, puff bread
crumb coating. So why is it typical l y so soggy and greasy?
BY KE I TH DRE S S E R
|2 . Better French Omelet
Could we def I 00 years of French culinary tradition and
create an omel et you could get right the first time?
BY CHARL E S K ELS EY
| Real Swedish Meatba Us
Meatbal l s have to be Sweden's national dish for a reason.
What's the secret to making them light, springy, and
flavorful? BY J. K ENJ I ALT
|b Basic Vegetable Prep
You peel , slice, and chop common vegetables like garlic,
onions, and carrots every day. But are you doing it right?
BY CHARL E S KE L S EY
|o Pasta with Butternut Squash
and Sage
The blandness of butternut squash usual l y gets camoufiaged
inside ravioli. Our goal was to bump up its fiavor to bring it
out of hiding. BY F RANCI S CO J. ROB E RT
|' How to Cook Hearty Greens
We wanted a one-pot approach to turning meaty greens
like kal e and col l ards tender-without spending hours or
leaving them awash in liquid. BY YVONNE RU P E RTI
2 Updating Chicken
Noodle Soup
Why should any modern cook spend al l day eking out
flavorful stock from mere scraps and bones?
BY J. K ENJ I ALT
22 Chewy Chocolate Cookies
"Death-by-chocolate" cookies usual l y claim texture as
their first victim-but not ours. BY YVONNE RU P E RTI
2 Really Good French Toast
For French toast that's crisp on the outside and soft-not
soggy-on the inside, you need to do more than just
throw milk, eggs, and bread into a bowl .
BY DAV I D PAZM I
N
O
2b What Should You Put on
Your Pancakes?
Does it pay to buy the priciest syrup in the aisle-and
does it even need to be real maple?
BY L I S A McMANU S
2o The B st All-Purpose Skilet
A 12-inch skillet should last a lifetime and cook al most
anything. But does quality construction have to cost top
dol l ar? BY LI S A McMANUS
J Kitchen Notes
BY J. K ENJI ALT
J2 Equipment Corner
BY M E RE DI TH BUTCHE R AND PEGGY CHUNG
TI SANE HERBS AND FLOWERS
Tisanes are herbal infusions brewed from fresh or dried fruits, fiowers, seeds, or roots. These
aromatic beverages are ofen used as herbal remedies. Sedating chamomile can be blended
or steeped alone to maximize its sweet, apple notes. Lavender is potent, so the fiowers.
which are said to be calming, are ofen used as part of a blend. The intoxicating aroma of
jasmine fiowers has been captured in tea since the fifh century. Fragrant gardenia blossoms
are ofen used to scent black, green, and oolong teas. Nepeta, al so known as catnip, has
a minty fiavor once steeped. Pungent thyme is favored for addressing upper-respiratory
ailments. The rots of the purple conefiower, echinacea, are valued for their licorice-like,
caramel fiavors and are said to boost the immune system. Yel l ow and white chrysanthemums
are ofen fioating in the tea that is served with dim sum. Sweet ground fennel seeds are used
in brews meant to aid digestion. The menthol quality of spearmint tea makes it refreshing
served hot or cold. Tart, fruity rose hips are ofen combined with hibiscus fowers. Yarrow
fiowers produce a warm-fiavored tea that is recommended as a fever reducer.
COVER (l'illflJIJIIc): Robert Papp, BACK COVER (Tis1111c Hal>s mul FlonJ: John Burgoyne
Ame||cos est||tchenis a very real 2,SOOsquare-foot kitcn lOtejust outside of Boston. 1t is the home of Cooks |||ust|otedand
Cooks Count|
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Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best ver
sion. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance.
You can watch us work by tuning in to Ameocos es! ||tchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.
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J A N U A R Y c F E BR UA R Y 2 009
NOTES FROM READERS
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Freezing Ricotta
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J ILL RI CHLOVSKY
CLEVELAND. OHI O
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8O OHi 8H8iCiOH Wa8 !\a! liCCZiH_ WOHU CaH8C !\C
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!HC liOZCH iiCO!!a Wa8 8i_H!y HiHCi aHU HO! qHi!C
a8 HOi8! DH! L\C UiHCiCHCC Wa8 HC_igiDC. DH! !HC
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yOH aiC aC!Hay COOKIH_ UC iiCO!!a. /\OiU aiCa
LiOH8 iH WHiCH i! i8 8CiCU iaW Oi DaiCy COOKCU.
Sugar Substitutes
t !O a\OiU H8iH_ a !yC8 O! white and UiOWH
8H_ai iH Hy iCCiC8. Ha\C LiiCG H8iH_ 8HD8!i!H!C8
iKC HOHCy Oi iiCC DiaH 8yiH DH! !HC8C OHCH
CHaH_C !HC !CXHiC O! !HC iCCiC COHC!Cy. O
yOHKHOWO!aHyiH_iCUiCH!8!Ha!Hi_H!8WaCa8iy
Wi!H 8H_ai:
KRISTINA DRINKWINE
DENVER. COLO.
/HCi a Di! O! iC8CaiCH WC HaiiOWCU OHi !OCH8
!O !WO a!CiHa!i\C8 !Ha! H\iHiC !HC UIy Ciy8!aiZCU
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WOH HCaiHHi\Ci8a
aiO\a iH a !\iCC
iCCiC8.
MADE WI TH
DATE S UGAR
JHC iCa !C8! Wa8 !O 8CC
MADE WI TH
HOW !HC HaC 8H_ai WOHU
!aiC iH iCCiC8 !Ha! Ca !Oi
WHi!C 8H_ai. JO !C8! !\i8 WC
HaUCOHi \a88iCOHHU\aKC
[|Haf CDiHaj2/} aHU
MAP L E S UGAR
Brwn Sugar Cookies
made with date sugar
failed to spread duri ng
baking. Maple sugar
performed wel l .
H_ai \OOKIC8 [O\CHDCi/CCCHDCi 22}. JHC
HaC 8H_ai Ci!OiHCU H8! a8 WC a8 WHi!C 8H_ai
CiCaHiH_WCW!\ LHC DH!!Ciai\UHaKiH_aCI!CCLy
UOHCU OHHU CaKC JU Ca8aH!y CHCWy COOKiC8.
HCOHyUi8!iaC!iOHWa8!\a!!\CHajC8H_ai!HiHCU
!\C CaKC aHU COOKiC8 i_H! DiOWH. A !Oi Ha\Oi
8OHC !a8!Ci8 CHOyCU !\C HaC HO!C8 WHiC O!HCi8
!HOH_H! L1Cy WCiC a Di! !OO iH!CH8C. ! yOH UOH`!
HiHU !HC iH!CH8C !a8!C O! HaC 8H_ai i!`8 a _OOU
8HD8!i!H!C!Oi WHi!C aHU DiOWH 8H_ai.
Rosemar Overload
I recently made a recipe that called for one sprig of
rosemary. Not knowing what tl1at meant, I tossed
in a bushy 10-inch stem. The resulting dish tasted
like a pine forest. How long is one sprig?
PATRI CIA FRY
HARWICH, MASS.
When cooking with herbs that have a low essential
oi content (such as parsley), adding a litte extra won't
r a soup or stew. When it comes to stronger herbs
such as rosemar, however, using too much can r
a recipe, and tl1ere's no way to repair tlus nustake.
In the test kitchen, we consider an herb sprig to be
medium-sized (about 6 inches long)-neither a large,
bushy branch nor a wispy tendril.
To demonstate the efect of using large and mediw1
sprigs of rosemary in our Tuscan White Bean Soup
(Januar jFebmary 2001 ), we made l batches. The
ft soup was made with a bushy sprig measuring 12
inches. Aer the beans were soaked with this sprig, they
were nearly inedible. The strong oils in tl1e rosemary
overwhelmed all other favors. When using a less bushy
6-inch stem, the favors were just right. When in doubt,
use a small amount of rosemar and taste the dish.
You can always add a bit more of ths potent herb.
TOO B US HY
J UST R I GHT
A 6-inch sprig of rsemary wi l l add the right amount of
flavor, but a 12-i nch sprig wi l l be overwhel mi ng.
Sharpening Steels
I recently bought a set of good chefs knives. What
type of steel should I buy to sharpen tl1em? Stores
seem to stock three kinds: regular cut, fne cut, and
polished cut.
LARRY CASEY
SHELTON, CONN.
If the metal rod that goes by the name of sharening
steel were called a hmung steel, it would save a lot of
confsion. This tool does not acmally sharen knives
but merely readjusts te angle of the cuttng edge. A
a knife is used, the cuttng edge tends to bend and fold
slightly, gving the percepton of a less sharp knife. By
rn g the edge of a k across a steel, the small folds
.. and burrs tl1at form are straightened, or honed, mak-
ing the kne perform better. A knife sharpener, on the
other hand, acmally removes metal fom both sides of
the blade's edge, creatg a new surfce for cuttng.
The three types of steels on the market-regular,
Q
fne, and polished cut-a accomplish tl1e same task
~ to a lesser or greater degree. The rough, fled lines of
the regular-cut steel are best for home cooks who only
occasionally hone the edge of a k1e. For professional
chef and meat cutters who use their kiUves for hours
WHAJ l5 lJ!
I found two of these gadgets while sorting through my grand
mother's utensil drawer. It must have been important for her
to have two, but no one in the family can recall what she used
them for. Can you shed some light on the subject?
THOMAS SULLIVAN
RANGELEY, MAINE
Afer checking with several antiques dealers, we got some useful
information about this gadget. The tool your grandmother treasured is
a doughnut cutter made by the American Cutter Company of Milwaukee,
Wis. The 7 -inch-long device comprises a wooden handle attached to a rotary
ANTI QU E
DOU GH NUT CUTTE R
Thi s gadget makes fast work
of cutting doughnuts.
on end (and steel them dozens of times per day), tl1e
fne and polished cuts are a better choice, as constant
contact witl1 tl1e rougl1er surface of a regular-cut steel
could wear away their kiuves' edges.
Cornichon Substitute
I ofen see cornichons listed in recipes but have a
hard time fnding tlem in tl1e supermarket. Is tl1ere
sometling else I can use instead?
SHANNON PLANK
WATERTOWN, MASS.
Corichon is tl1e French word for a pickled gherkin
cucLber. They are most ofen served as a condiment
to rich foods such as pates and cured meats. Atl1ough
tl1ey look like tl1e sweet gherkins found i the super
market, tl1e sinUIarities end tl1ere. Conchons are
pickled in vinegar and flavored witl muons, mustard,
and aromatics. Sweet gherkins, on tl1e otl1er hand,
contain a fair an1ount of sugar or corn syrup along
wth spices such as cloves and aspice.
To fnd an acceptable substimte, we tasted plain
conuchons, sweet gherkins, and choiped dill pickles
straight up and in our French Potato Salad (July/
August 2002) and Tartar Sauce (JanuaryjFebmary
2005 ). In the end, tasters felt tl1at chopped dpickles
came tl1e closest to tl1e tart and briny favors of true
conuchons. Sweet gherkins tasted too "candylike,"
and meir spices upset the balance of flavors. There is
no substintte for te real tllg, but if you need some
thing in a pinch, a dpickle is a good stand-in.
J AN U AR Y c F E B R U AR Y 2 009
3
cutter. The cuter has
two cured blades and
a round center shaf. To cut doughnuts, the blades are
rolled across the surface of dough. As they roll, the blades
punch out successive doughnut shapes: large circles with
smaller circles in the center. The cutter can also be used
to cut cookie dough.
To see for ourselves how this antique device worked,
we made a few batches of our Buttermilk Doughnuts
(March/ April 1 997) and Glazed Butter Cookies
(November/December z003).The cutter made quick
work of stamping out circle-within-a-circle shapes in
both doughs. Compared with a contemporary doughnut
cutter (a circular biscuit-style cutter with a smaller hole in
the center), this antique device punched out the circles
much faster.
Cooking with Sherr
I ofen see recipes tlut cal for dry sherry. Is it OK
to substimte cream sheny?
JULIA GRIMALDI
EVERETT, MASS.
Sherry is a fortifed wine mat originated in the
Andalusia region of soutl1ern Spain. Dry sherry is
made fom Palon1ino grapes, and cream (also caed
sweet) sherry comes fom Pedro Ximenez grapes. To
find out if cream sherry could be a viable substitute
in recipes tlut ca for dry, we cooked up our Pan
Roasted Chicken Breasts wim Garlic-Sherry Sauce
(March/April 2003) and Stir-Fried Beef witl Snap
Peas and Red Peppers (November/December 2007)
with the sweet wine. To our surprise, only a few tasters
objected to me sweetness of the cream sherry in either
dish. In botl1 cases, we were able to address these
concerns with a squeeze of lemon juice that helped
balance out me favors.
One fnal note: While cream sherry may be a fne
stand-in for dry sherr in most instances, always
avoid cooking sherry. Loaded with salt and artifcial
caramel favoring, tl1is sherry will r me favor of
most dishes.
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mentary one-year subscription for each letter we print. Send
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to Notes from Readers, Cook's I l l ustrated, P.O. Box 470589,
Brookl ine, MA 02447, or to notesfromreaders@americastest
kitchen. com.
Quick Tips
3 COMPILED B Y YVON NE RUPER T! c FR A N C I SCO) ROBERT E
Neater Egg Slicing
Sl i ci ng hard-cooked egs can be
messy because the yolk tends to
crumbl e and sti ck to the bl ade of
the knife.
I .
Keeping Avocado Green
Avocado flesh turns brown very quickly once it is exposed to air Lauren Coroy
of Houston, Txas, has found a solution fr preserving the color of extra avocado
halves.
I . Rub I tablespoon of olive oil on all of the exposed avocado flesh.
2. Allow the excess oil to drip into a shallow bowl, then place the avocado half cut
side down in the center of the oil puddle, creating a "seal." Store the avocado in the
refrigerator.
Easier Zesting Rescuing Overwhipped Cream
Keeping Maple Syrup
Warm
There's nothing like pouring warm
maple synup over hot French toast
or pancakes. To keep the synup from
getting cold during breakfast, Holly
Hetherington of New York, N.Y.,
pours the freshly warmed synup into
an insulated thermos.
Licia Jaccard of Culver City, Calif.,
found that when she zested fnuit over
her Microplane grater onto a cutting
board, she couldn't see how much
zest was accumulating. She decided
to hold the fnuit in her hand and nun
the zester over the fnuit instead. This
method allows the zest to collect
When whi ppi ng cream, it's al ways wi se to pay careful attenti on so that
I . Casey O'Hearn of Norfolk, Va.,
solves the prbl em by spraying the
kni fe with nonsti ck cooki ng spray.
2. The egs can now be neatly
sl i ced. Respray the kni fe bl ade as
needed.
Disposable
Spoon Rest
For a quick, imprmptu
spoon rest, Ci ndy
Johnston of Lakewood,
Wash., uses recycl ed l i ds
frm pl astic containers
of sour cream, cottage
cheese, or yogurt.
Send Us Your Tip We will provide a complimentary one-year subscription for each
tip we print. Send your tip, name, and address to Quick Tips, Cook's Illustrated, PO.
Box 470589, Brookline, MA 02447, or to quicktips@americastestkitchen.com.
the cream doesn't become too stif. But if it's
been whi pped just a bit too much, Dartagnan
Brwn of Everett, Mass., has a tri ck
to ensure al l i s not lost.
I .
I . Add unwhi pped
cream into the over
whi pped mi xture I
tablespoon at a ti me.
2.
2. Gentl y fold the
mi xture, addi ng more
unwhi pped cream unti l
the desi red consi stency
is reached.
C O O K
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Mixing Small Quantities
jayashree Chava of San Jose, Cal i f. ,
found hersel f i n a bi nd when she
wanted to use her hand-hel d mi xer
to whi p just a few eg whi tes for
a reci pe. The vol ume of whi tes
was too shal l ow for the beaters to
work. She solved thi s di l emma by
transferring the whi tes to a smal l er
bowl and then removi ng one of the
beaters frm the mi xer. The single
beater was a perfect ft for the
smal l er bowl, and she was abl e to
whi p the whites easily.
-
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Easier Mufn Removal
Split and Freeze
When freezing English muf
fins or bagels, Michael Miller
of Tampa, Fla., finds that
they ofen fuse together,
becoming dificult to separate
when he is ready to toast
them. To expedite breakfast
preparation, he now uses this
method.
I . Split each English mufin or
bagel in half.
2. Place the halves back
together. Wrap with plastic
wrap and freeze.
A Clean Stream
I .
Some l i qui d measuring cups have
itsy-bitsy pourer spouts that can
make a bi g mess i f you pour too
qui ckly-the l i qui d wi l l l eak and run
down the cup, not i nto your bowl.
For a mess-free pour, Maia Mi l l er of
Broklyn, N.Y., fol l ows this easy pr
cedure. As you pour, hol d a butter
kni fe (bl ade up) i n the spout and at
an angl e. The l i qui d wi l l follow the
kni fe and stay i n a steady stream.
Just-baked mufins can be tricky to dislodge from the pan; they can stick or, if they
are top heavy, break in half. Elizabeth Huritz of Brookline, Mass., recommends
tilting the mufin pan on its side and then slowly removing the mufins. They will
slide out more easily and in one piece.
Keeping Chives in Check
When preppi ng a bunch of
chi ves, the sl ender herbs can
rl l al l over the cutti ng board,
making them di fcul t to chop.
Angel a Hel man of Somervi l l e,
Mass., secures the chi ves wi th
a rubber band to keep the
leaves together.
No More Soggy Cheesecake
Most cheesecake reci pes cal l for
wrappi ng a spri ngform pan with foil
before pl aci ng the cake i n a water
bath. The foil is meant to keep the
water out, but someti mes water
leaks in anyway and you wi nd up
with an unappetizi ng, sog crust.
Arlene Gunter of Berkeley Lake,
Ga., ofers an easy solution. She si m
pl y pl aces the fl l ed spri ngform pan
i n a large oven bag (the ki nd used
for baki ng ham) and pul l s the bag up
the sides of the pan, l eavi ng the top
surace of the cake exposed. When
the pan i s pl aced i n a water bath, it
i s sure to stay dry.
I .\ N | A R \' [y 1 F ll R | .\ R \ 2 0 0 9
5
From Lumpy to Smooth
If a pudding or pastry cream has
become lumpy during cooking,
Patricia Williams of Houston, Texas,
uses this restaurant trick to whip it
back into shape.
I .
I . Using an immersion blender, quick
ly blend the pudding until smooth.
2. Pass the pudding through a fine
mesh strainer to remove any remain
ing solid bits.
Tandoori Chicken, Reworked
We weren't going to let a 24-hour marinade or the lack of a 900-degree oven
keep us from turning this great Indian classic into an easy weeknight dinner.
W
hen I' m craving the
taste of a good piece
of chicken and another
pl ai n, bori ng breast
or thigh just won't cut it, there's no
better balm than tandoori chicken. The
best renditions of this famous Indian
specialty feature lightly charred pieces of
juicy chicken infsed with smoke, garlic,
ginger, and spices for a dish that manages
to be exotic and homey at the same time.
Authentc versions call for a 24-hour
marinade and a tandoor, the traditional
beehive-shaped clay oven that fres up to 900
degrees-requirements that keep the dish
mainly in the realm of restaurants, even in
India. A much as I love the dish, I've ofen
wondered: Do you really need either of tl1ese
things to create great-tasting chicken fl of
tl1e same robust flavors?
3 B Y F R A N CI S CO J ROB ERT E
When meat encounters this fierce heat, tl1e
protein molecules on its surface cross-link
and contract, trapping moisture inside. Any
juices tl1at escape fall to the coals along witl1
rendered f<t, creating smoke tlut favors
tl1e food inside.
Oven Heat: The Highs and Lows
Since tle tandoor cooks tl1rough ambi
ent versus direct heat, my first tl10ught
was to simply crank my oven as high as it
would go. I took out my long-marinated
chicken pieces, placed them on a wire rack
set inside a baking sheet (to prevent the
chicken fiom braising in its own juices),
and slid them into a 500-degree oven.
The chicken tlut emerged 30 minutes
later was a big disappointment: pasty and
hopelessly dry.
I decided to take on tl1e challenge of
reinventing this Indian classic. But instead
of an adaptation geared for tl1e grill-tle
most obvious means to approximate tle
tandoor's fierce heat-! wanted a recipe I
Our chi cken gets its cri sp char from just a bri ef sti nt under the broi l er.
Maybe tl1e direct heat of the broiler
would work better. This approach proved
to be an even greater filure: The placement
of the broiler coils gave me some chicken
pieces tlat were browned, some that were
undercooked, and otl1ers that were dry
could make year-round. My tandoori-less chicken
would have to be cooked in tl1e oven.
Tandoori Pyrotechnics
Searching tl1rough Indian cookbooks, I found tl1at
traditional recipes for the dish are all fairly similar.
They start witl1 skinless pieces of bone-in chicken
marinated in yogurt favored with ginger, garlic, and
garam masala, a mix of spices that typically includes
ground cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon,
and black pepper. Many call for food coloring to give
the meat its characteristic orange cast. And almost
all call for a 24-hour soak.
Test-Driving a Tandoor
Before I started meddling witl1 tl1e marinating
time and the cooking metlod, I needed to get a bet
ter handle on how the traditional approach worked. I
prepped some chicken pieces according to a standard
recipe and placed them in tl1e refrigerator to mari
nate for a day. While I waited, I did some research
on tl1e tandoor. This simple clay vessel originated
tl1ousands of years ago as a means to bake bread. The
clay is capable of maintaining extraordinarily high
temperatures fom tl1e buring charcoal or wood
spread over its bottom, while
tle oblong shape ensures
tl1at heat radiates evenly.
How woul d our recipe for Tandoori Chi cken--which foroes the typical daylong mari nade and
searing heat for a low oven and a qui ck pass under the broi l er-stand up to the real thi ng?
To fnd out, I haul ed back a tandoor from an Indi an speci al ty store and fred i t up i n the
test kitchen's outdoor gri l l i ng area. When its temperature reached 780 degrees (the highest
readi ng my l aser thermometer woul d record), I skewered chi cken pi eces I 'd mari nated for 24
hours the tradi ti onal way and pl aced them i nsi de. Fifeen mi nutes l ater, I pul l ed them out and
tasted them al ongsi de a batch of chi cken baked i n the oven accordi ng to our reci pe. Other
than fndi ng the tandoor-cooked chi cken smoki er, tasters coul d detect few diferences. Gi ven
the conveni ence of cooki ng i n a conventi onal oven (not to menti on the fact that a 140-pound
tandoor wi l l set you back $600) , we're sti cki ng wi th our method. -F. J. R.
WHO NE E DS I T?
Thi s tandoor costs $600
and weighs 140 pounds.
We di d fne without i t.
CO O K
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to tl1e bone. Even worse, each broiler in the test

kitchen performed diferently. (See "When Older
Is Better: Oven Broilers," page 7.) I then tried
baking tl1e chicken frst at 500 degrees, switching
to tl1e broiler just at the end, but tl1e results were
still dry.
Maybe it was time to stop mimicking a tandoor
and go for sometl1ing radically diferent. In t1e test
kitchen, we've preserved the juiciness of tl1ick-cut
steaks by starting tl1em in a low oven and searing
tl1em at tl1e end. Following tl1is approach, I baked
the chicken until almost done in a 325-degree oven,
tl1en gave it a quick broil to char tl1e exterior.
This was the wim1ing metl1od-but only if I
treated tl1e chicken with extreme care. Afer several
tests, I fmmd it best to remove the chicken pieces
just before tley were ftlly cooked (an internal tem
perature of 125 degrees for the white meat and 130
for the dark meat). I let tl1em rest while tl1e broiler
reached temperature, tlen slid them back into the
oven to broil for 10 minutes. Success! The meat was
nicely charred on tl1e outside and succulent within.
But two problems remained: The dish took
more than 24 hours to make and tl10ugh tle meat
was juicy, some tasters thought its texture was too
tender, even mushy.
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Going for a Dip
Could the mushiness have
something to do with the
marinade? Not only did most
of the recipes I consulted call
for a 24-hour soak, many even
insisted that longer marinating
meant better favor. Testing
this advice, I marinated the
chicken for diferent lengths
of time, from 72 hours down
to just a brief dip. Surprisingly,
my colleagues strongly pre
ferred the chicken that had
been dipped versus soaked for
any length of time-even just
30 minutes. This outcome
5 TE P - Y- 5 TE P TAN D O O RI C H I C K E N WI THOUT TH E TAND O O R
I . SALT RUB Massage
chi cken pi eces with sal t-spi ce
rub to l ock i n j ui ces and i nfuse
2. YOGURT COATI NG
Toss chi cken i n spi ced yogurt
for another layer of flavor.
3 . LOW OVE N To ensure 4. BROI LER For smoky
j ui cy meat, bake chi cken sl owl y flavor, bri efl y broi l chi cken
in 325-degree oven unti l not until l ightl y charred and ful l y
flavor.
actually made sense. Yogurt
contains acid, which breaks down proteins to "ten
derize" meat. But the longer meat is exposed to
acid, the more its proteins break down, to the point
where they can actually become soluble. This leads
to a texture some might call tender, but my tasters
found mushy.
I didn't want to abandon the yogurt altogether,
as it adds a distinctive tang. To avoid mushiness, I
would stick with just a dip. But now I had a new
problem: Without a lengthy soak, how was I going
to get the other favors into the meat? I frst tried
brining the chicken in a solution of salt and spices,
but not enough of the spice favor made it into the
cooked meat. Then a fellow test cook suggested
trying a salt- spice rub. The idea seemed promis
ing: Salt draws juices out of the meat, then the
reverse happens and the salt, along with the spices
and moisture, fows back in, bringing favor deep
into the meat.
I created a rub with the same spices I'd used in
the marinade-garam masala, grow1d cumin, and
a little chili powder-then cooked them in oil with
ginger and garlic to an1plif their favor. I added a
couple of teaspoons of salt and some lime juice to the
mix, massaged the rub into the chicken pieces, and
then lef them to sit for half an hour. Afer a dunk
When Ol der I s Better:
Oven Broil ers
Snazy high-tech ovens are handy for a lot of
tasks, but we found them to be a hi ndrance in our
Tandoori Chi cken recipe, taki ng al most doubl e the
time to char the meat than the ol der ovens i n our
kitchen. To fnd out why, we flipped through the
manual for one of our so-cal l ed smart ovens and
found i t has an i nternal monitor that temporari l y
shuts of the broi l er el ement i f the temperature
climbs too high. The constantly rising and fal l i ng
temperature sl ows the oven down, maki ng it l ess
efective at broi l i ng than ol der appl i ances wi thout
the feature. To see if your broi l er has thi s safety
measure, check the manual . -F.J . R.
quite cooked through. cooked.
in yogurt flavored with the same spice mixture, the
chicken was ready for the oven. The results were
terrifc: juicy, lightly charred, well-seasoned meat
witl1 concentrated flavor and just tl1e right degree
of tenderess. That clay oven and 24-hour mari
nade were finally history. But for tl1e fact tl1at my
tandoori-less chicken wasn't orange (I opted not
to use food coloring), I'd be willing to bet that few
people would notice tl1e diference.
TANDOORI CHI CKE N
S E RVES 4
We prefer this dish witl1 whole- milk yogurt, but
low-fat yogurt can be substituted. If garam masala
is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons ground
coriander, l4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 11
teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 11 teaspoon
ground black pepper. It is important to remove
tl1e chicken from tl1e oven before switching to
tl1e broiler setting to allow the broiler element to
come up to temperature. Serve with basmati rice
and a few chutneys or relishes . Our free recipes for
Basmati Rce, Pilaf-Style; Cilantro-Mint Chutney;
Onion Relish; and Raita are available at M . cooks
illustrated. com/feb09.
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
6 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 tabl espoons)
2 tabl espoons grated fresh gi nger
I tabl espoon garam masal a (see note)
2 teaspoons grund cumi n
2 teaspoons chi l i powder
cup pl ai n whol e- mi l k yogurt (see note)
4 tabl espoons j ui ce frm 2 l i mes, pl us I l i me,
cut i nto wedges
2 teaspoons tabl e sal t
3 pounds bone- i n, ski n-on chi cken parts (breasts ,
thi ghs, drumsti cks , or mi x wi th breasts cut i n
half) , s ki n removed and tri mmed of excess fat
1 . Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat
until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook
J AN U AR Y c F E B R U AR Y 2 0 0 9
/
until fagrant, about 1 minute. Add garam masala,
cumin, and chili powder; continue to cook until
fagrant, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Transfer half of
garlic-spice mixture to medium bowl ; stir in yogurt
and 2 tablespoons lime juice and set aside.
2. In large bowl, combine remaining garlic-spice
mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and
salt. Using sharp knife, lightly score skinned side of
each piece of chicken, making 2 or 3 shallow cuts
about 1 inch apart and about 1/s inch deep; transfer
to bowl. Using hands, gently massage salt-spice mix
ture into chicken until all pieces are evenly coated;
let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position
(about 6 inches from heating element) and heat oven
to 325 degrees. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken
and toss until chicken is evenly coated witl1 tl1ick
layer. Arrange chicken pieces, scored-side down,
on wire rack set in foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet
or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixn1re. Bake
chicken until instant-read tl1ermometer inserted
into tl1ickest part of chicken registers 125 degrees
for breasts and 130 for legs and thighs, 15 to 25
minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger
pieces. Transfer chicken pieces to plate as they reach
correct temperature. )
4. Afer removing chicken from oven, turn oven
to broil and heat 10 minutes. Once broiler is heated,
flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is
lightly charred in spots and instant-read tllermom
eter inserted into thickest part of chicken registers
165 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs,
to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate,
tent loosely witl1 foil, and rest 5 minutes. Serve with
chutney or relish, passing lime wedges separately.
WCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i I I u s t r a t e d . co m/ fe b 09
HOW TO MAKE
Tandoori Chi cken
B E HI ND THE SCE N ES
How we devel oped our Tandoori Chi cken recipe
VI DEO TI P
Getti ng to know your broi l er
Rethinking Braised Short Ribs
Rich, fork-tender short ribs usual l y need an overnight rest to get rid of the grease.
We wanted the fat gone by dinnertime-no bones about it.
T
here may be no cut of meat
better suited for braising than
the rich, beef short rib. Thanks
to copious amounts of fat and
gnarly sinews of connective tissue, these
"short" portions cut from a cow's ribs
start out tough and chewy but are trans
formed into soft, succul ent morsels
through hours of braising.
I love eating short ribs in restaurants,
but I think long and hard before making
them at home. The cooking isn't a chal
lenge: Browning the ribs, then placing
them in the oven with plenty of liquid
until tender, is about as hands-of as it
gets. It's what happens next that can be
maddening. Since so much fat is rendered
during the ribs' three- or four-hour stint
in the oven, most recipes (including ours)
call for resting the ribs in the braising liquid
overnight, so that the fat solidifies into an
easy-to-remove layer.
3 B Y D A V I D PA Z M I N O E
behind in the kitchen. Calling around to
a few local chefs, I found out that most
restaurant kitchens cook the meat on the
bone, but since they cool the braising liquid
overnight, they don't have to worr about
removing all the fat on the meat. Wen
it's time to serve the ribs, they remove the
bones and excess connective tissue before
reheating the meat in the defatted and
reduced braising liquid.
What if I followed suit but in reverse,
removing the bones before cooking? For
my next batch, I simply lopped the meat
from the bone in one easy cut and then
trimmed the fat on both sides of the meat.
As an added beneft, I now had more
brownable surfce area.
Recognizing that most people don't
plan their dinners days in advance, those
same recipes usually ofer home cooks an
out: " . . . or just skim the fat with a spoon
and serve," they say. That method may
work fne for leaner cuts. But short ribs
simply give of too much fat, and the meat
and sauce come out greasy, no matter how
Don' t let the carrots decei ve you-our brai sed short ri bs have far more
fl avor than a pot roast.
Conducting a side-by-side test of this
boneless method versus bone-in, I was
shocked by the diference in te amount
of fat I ended up with. The bone-in batch
rendered nearly l lz cups of hardened fat.
The boneless? A mere l cup. Talk about
lean and mean! The results were so shock
ing that I repeated the test. The outcome
was the same. Removing the bones (and
the fat between the bones and meat) nearly
solved the greasy sauce problem.
To frther streamline the recipe, why
diligent one's spoon-wielding.
Was I in for either a greasy mess or a two-day
afair? There had to be a better way.
Bon(e) Voyage
My frst task was to choose the right rib. Butchers
typically civi de the ribs into sections about l 0 inches
square and 3 to 5 inches thick. Cutting the ribs
between the bones and into lengths between 2 and
6 inches yields what butchers call "English" style, a
cut typically found in European braises. Cutting the
meat across the bone yields the "flanken" cut, more
tpically found in Asian cuisines.
Since English-style short ribs are more widely
available, I focused my attention there. I quickly
discovered that the smallest, about 2 inches in
length, were too short; once braised, they shrank
into pieces resembling stew meat. At the other
extreme, the 6- to 8-inchers were firly unwieldy to
brown in the pan. I split the diference and settled
on 4-inch-long ribs.
The first step in most braises is browning the
meat. Searing adds color and flavor, but in this
case it also presents an opportunity to rid tl1e ribs
of some of tl1eir excess fat. But why not get rid of
tl1e fat before they even went into tl1e pan? I took
out my chefs knife and trimmed tl1e hard, waxy
surface fat fom each rib, leaving only a thin layer.
I tl1en browned tl1e meat and proceeded witl1 tle
usual protocol.
This fi rst test provided an important clue as to
how to reduce tl1e fat furtl1er. Short ribs contain a
layer of fat and connective tissue between the meat
and tl1e bone. Once fully cooked, tl1is layer shrinks
into a tough, chewy strip called "strap meat. " While
some short-rib fans in t kitchen loved tl1e strap
meat, most found it unsightly and, frankly, inecible.
To get rid of that suip would mean cutting tl1e meat
of tl1e bone and serving tl1e ribs boneless.
Come to think of it, every time I 'd ordered
braised short ribs in restaurant, the meat was served
of tl1e bone, leaving tl1e connective tissue and bones
CO O K
'
S I L L U S - 1 R A 'I | l
8
not just buy boneless short ribs? Boneless
short ribs generally cost about $1 more per pound
than bone-in ribs, but are actually cheaper i
the end. To get the 3 pOLmds of meat I wanted
required 7 pounds of bone-in ribs. With boneless,
I needed to buy just 31/ pounds of meat.
Going Bonel ess
The good news about the bones i n short ri bs i s that they con
tai n marrow, which contributes flavor and body to a braise.
The bad news i s that they contain lots of fat. Bones also have
connective ti ssue attached

to them that l ooks unsightly

when the meat i s cooked.
We el i mi nated these prob-
lems by usi ng bonel ess short
ribs in our brai se. urpri si ngl y,
we di dn' t mi ss much flavor
from the bones, and addi ng
a half teaspoon of gel atin to
the sauce restored any mi ss-
B ONE
i ng suppl eness. R E P LACE ME NT
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A Real Mel ti ng Pot
Although we expected that bone-i n short ri bs woul d exude
more fat than thei r bonel ess counterparts, we were shocked
by the dramatic diference-a quarter-cup versus I Y2 cups
(six times as much) ! No wonder most short ri b recipes cal l
for letting the fat sol i dif overnight i n the fridge.
BONE - I N LOTS OF FAT
BONE L E S S = MANAGE ABL E FAT
Braised and I nfused
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possi bl e to the bone, careful l y
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S E RVES 6
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fat (see "Boni ng Short Ri bs," above) (see note)
Kosher sal t and grund bl ack pepper
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
2 l arge oni ons, peel ed and sl i ced thi n frm pol e to
pol e (about 4 cups)
I tabl espoon tomato paste
6 medi um garl i c cl oves, peel ed
2 cups red wi ne (see note)
cup beef brth (see note)
4 l arge carrts, peel ed and cut crsswi se i nto
2-i nch pi eces
4 sprigs fresh thyme
bay l eaf
! cup col d water
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COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o k s i I I u s t ra t e d . c om/ fe b09
HOW TO MAKE
Brai sed Beef Short Ri bs
VI DEO TI P
Choosi ng bonel ess short ri bs
Thin and Crisp Pork Cutlets
The hal l mark of wiener schnitzel is its light, puffy bread-crumb coating.
So why is it typical ly so soggy and greasy?
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TECHN| QUE C UTTI NG P OR K
TE ND E RL OI N F OR C UTLETS
Cutting pork tenderl oi n o n an angle yi el ds pounded
cutlets that ft easi l y i n the pan. Cut tie tenderl oi n
i n half at about a 20-degree angl e. Usi ng tie same
angle, cut each hal f i n half agai n, cutting the tapered
tail pieces sl ightly thi cker than the mi ddl e medal l i ons.
3 B Y K EI T H D RES S ER E
Properl y cooked, these cri sp cutl ets absorb very l i ttl e oi l .
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QCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
. cooks i I I u st rated . c o m/ fe b 09
HOW TO MAKE
Breaded Pork Cutl ets (Pork Schnitzel )
VI DEO TI P
Di sposi ng of used oi l
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I . MI CROWAVI NG dri es
bread cubes qui ckl y without
addi ng toasted flavor.
2. PROCESS I NG dri ed
bread i n food processor
creates ultra-fne crumbs.
3. ADDI NG oi l to eggs keeps
coating from fusi ng with meat.
4. F RYI NG in 2 cups of oi l
al l ows eg to set qui ckl y and
trap steam, creating puf.
5. SHAKI NG the pan bathes
each cutlet i n hot oi l , hel pi ng eg
to set faster, enhanci ng puf.
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R E C I P E T E s T I N G : The Real Schnitzel
AUTHE NTI CAL LY THI N AND P UF FY
When prperly cooked in an abundance of oi l , the thi n
schnitzel coating wi l l puf away frm the meat.
GREASY AND THI CK
Cooked i n a small amount of oi l , a traditional coating
becomes greasy, never pufs, and fuses to the meat.
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BREADED PORK CUTLETS
( PORK SCHNI TZE L)
S E RVES 4
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_OUCH U|OWu IhC Oi S|CJUy.
7 l arge sl i ces hi gh-qual ity whi te sandwi ch bread,
crusts removed, cut i nto %-i nch cubes
(about 4 cups)
V1 cup unbl eached al l -purpose fl our
2 l arge eggs
2 cups pl us I tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l (see note)
pork tenderl oi n ( I V pounds), tri mmed of fat
and si l ver ski n and cut on angl e i nto 4 equal
pi eces (see i l l ustrati on on page I 0)
Tabl e sal t and grund bl ack pepper
Garnishes
I l emon, cut i nto wedges
2 tabl espoons chopped fresh parsl ey l eaves
1 ^ ` | ^ H Y c | | b H l ^ H Y 2 0 0 9
I I
2 tabl espoons capers, ri nsed
large hard-cooked egg, yol k and white
separated and passed separately thrugh
fne-mesh strai ner (opti onal )
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T A s T I N G : Capers
Capers are the sun-dri ed, pi ckl ed flower
buds from the spiny shrub Capporis
spinosa. We tasted six supermarket
brands, eval uating them on sharpness,
sal ti ness, and overal l appeal . The wi nner,
Reese Non Pareil Capers ($2. 39 for 3. 5
ounces) , had i t al l : crunchy texture, an
aci di c punch, and a l i ngering sweetness.
For compl ete tasting results, go to . .
cooksi l l ustrated. com/feb09.
-Meredi th Butcher
CRUNCHY
AND
P UNCHY
A Better French Omelet
Coul d we defy I 00 years of French cul i nary tradition and
create an omel et you coul d get right the first time?
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Unl i ke di ner-styl e omel ets bursti ng with cheese, meat, and veggi es,
French omel ets are rol l ed, not fol ded, over mi ni mal fi l l i ng.
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C 0 ll b ' S I L L L l S I R i I I D
1 2
S C I E N C E :
Does Butter Make I t Better?
Most omel ets tend to be sl i ghtl y nubbery. Coul d
we prevent the probl em by addi ng col d butter to
the eggs before cooki ng, as one novel recipe we
found suggested?
EXPERI MENT
We cracked three egs
into each of to bowls
and beat each batch
unti l bl ended. We then
stirred I tabl espoon col d
di ced butter i nto one batch.
RESULTS
F ROZE N
BUTTE R
The eggs with butter cooked i nto a markedl y
creami er omel et than the egs wi thout buter and
tasted ri ch, not greasy.
EXPLANATI ON
As egs cook, the protei ns i n the whi tes form tight,
cross-l i nked bonds that turn their texture dense and
nubbery. Adding butter to the mi x coats the protei ns
wi th fat, i nhi bi ti ng them from formi ng bonds so the
eggs stay sof and creamy. Frozen butter works
even better because i t doesn' t mel t as qui ckl y and
di sperses more evenl y throughout the eg.
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c!cJny!!_!cU!cHIS!HSIcJU: Hn\HcxIIcSIS nJUc
OnClcIS W!l1 hcJVy t!CJn JHU HJ! JHU HJl hc
!cSu IS WC!c !icc! UuI IOu_c!.
!ccJlCU J !Hl!!gu!! !Cc![c U Om1U ! H n\
!cScJ!ch. I cJlcU O! JUU!H_ U!ccU UuIIc! [ JUOuI
IJUcS[OO!) IOIl1c UCJIcH c__S !!_I UcO!C cOOK!H_.
cJIcU u[J[JHJ!U! HWcHII1cUuIIc!SHUUCUc__
COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
. c ook s i I I u st r a t e d . c o m/ fe b 09
HOW TO MAKE
Perect French Omel ets
VI DEO TI PS
How we devel oped our omel et-fol di ng techni que
Why to preheat the pan sl owl y
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5 TE P - 8Y- 5 TE P F OOL PROOF F RE NC H OME L E T
I . Preheat ski l l et on low heat at
least I 0 mi nutes to heat i t thor
oughl y and evenly.
2. Stir frozen cubed butter i nto
beaten egs to ensure creami ness.
3. Add eggs to ski l l et and sti r wi th
chopsti cks to produce smal l curds
for si l ki er texture.
4. Turn of heat whi l e egs are sti l l
runny; smooth with spatul a i nto
even layer.
5. Spri nkl e with cheese and chi ves.
Cover so resi dual heat gentl y
fni shes cooki ng omel et.
6. Sl i de omel et onto paper
towel-l i ned plate. Use paper
towel to l i f omel et and rol l i t up.
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cOuU!I Uc!cVc !I SO nJUc J!OIhC!UOZc! OnccIS
uS!!_ Ihc Icc!!quc J!U IOSc Wc!c c!cJnyIOO. A
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hccZc! O! J cW n!!uICS UcO!c cOOK!!_) ncIcU
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IO U!S[c!Sc nO!c IO!Ou_y I!Ou_OuI Ic C__S
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J ul i a & Company:
Omel ets for Experts?
Jul i a Chi l d di d more to
make cl assic French cooking
accessi bl e to ordi nary
cooks than anyone. But.
l i ke the omel et advice of
the cul i nary gi ants that
preceded her her omel et
making instructions (though
marel ousl y thorough and
precise) aren't exactly for
the unski l l ed. They take up
I I pages of Mes/sr|n/hs
Ar ,Frsn:hC/|n.
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Heat of the Matter
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PERF ECT F RE NCH OME LETS
MAKES 2
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S[OO!. YJ!n I1c [ JIcS ! !J 2Uc_!cc OVc!.
2 tabl espoons unsalted butter, cut i nto 2 pi eces
6 large eggs, col d
Tabl e sal t and grund bl ack pepper
V2 teaspoon vegetabl e oi l
2 tabl espoons shredded Gruyere cheese
4 teaspoons mi nced fresh chives
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V!I1 I!_Ih lU!_ U JHU cI S!I l H1uIc lO! !uHHIc!
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4. !cJISiCIOVc!OWcJI 2 SccO!USu!cOVc!
J!U uS!!_ !uUUc! S[JIu J OOScH cU_cS OOnccI
HOn SK!l cI. JccOUcUSquJ!cO [JQc!IOWcO!IO
VJ!ncU [ JIc J!U S!Uc OnccI OuI O SK!cI O!IO
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and heat 2 minutes before repatng instuctons for
SccO!U OnccI SIJ!I!!_ W!I1 SIc[ 2. c!Vc.
Real Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs have to be Sweden's national dish for a reason. What's the secret
to making them light, springy, and flavorful ?
M
ost of us know Swedish meatballs
as l umps of favorl ess ground
beef or pork covered in heavy
gravy that congeals as it all sits,
untouched, on the bufet table. Mter countless
years enduring the sinkers that a relative inficts
on my family at reunions, I made a resolution:
Meatballs had to be Sweden' s national dish for a
reason, and I was going to fnd out why.
The answer came when I visited Aquavit, Swedish
chef Marcus Samuelsson's high-end New York res
taurant, where I found meatballs that tasted as they
were meant to taste. Unlike Italian meatballs, which
are melt-in-your-mouth tender, these main-course
meatballs were substantal yet delicate. Biting into
them, I notced the springess and satsfing snap
you get fom a good sausage or hot dog. Even better,
the heavy brown gravy had been replaced by a light
cream sauce. The meal was perfectly complemented
by a spoonfl of sweet and sour lingonberry preserves
and a dish of pickled cucunbers.
3 B Y J . K EN J I A LT E
As I reduced the amount of panade, the
meatballs gained substance, but they also
became progressively drier and tougher.
To understand why, I was going to have to
take a closer look at their structure.
Meat is made of long strands of protein
tl1at run parallel to each oter, producing
long fbers. When meat is ground and
mixed, these proteins get tangled up, pro
ducing a weblike matrix that gves meatballs
a cohesive structure. Without anything to
break up this web, however, the proteins
wrap together tightly and squeeze out
moisture, making the meatballs dry and
tough. A panade works in two ways: Its
liquid adds moisture, and the bread starch
gets in the way of the proteins, preventing
them from interconnecting too strongly.
But it can also take things too far, result
ing in meatballs that barely hold together.
I needed to fnd just the right balance.
I came back to the test kitchen with a lof goal:
discovering the secret to standout Swedish meatbals.
Sered simply with potatoes and some Swedish condi
ments for extra authentcity, these meatballs would be
the proud centerpiece of my meal. Our meatbal l s are good enough to serve as a mai n course,
Swedi sh-styl e.
Thinking of other ingredients used to
lighten food, I turned to baking powder.
Could it leaven a meatball the same way
it leavens bread? Indeed. Replacing the
panade with 2 teaspoons of baking powder
produced meatballs that were solid yet light.
Getting the Bal l Rol ling
A initial testing of fve meatball recipes quickly
revealed why tlus dish has such a bad reputation.
With little exception, these recipes produced
flavorless balls with thick, grainy sauces. The
most successfl used two Italian meatball tricks: a
combination of meats ( usually beef and pork) and
a panade (a paste of bread and liquid that is mixed
into the meat) . Although these tricks yielded a moist
fuushed product, the meatballs were too tender
they practically fell apart. While this trait is desirable
in Italian meatballs, I wanted springy, Swedish-style
Three Tri cks for Better Texture
meatballs to rival tl1ose at Aquavit.
My working recipe started with two slices ofbread
soaked in 1/ cup of cream and then mixed by hand
with % pound ground beef, l4 pound pork, an egg,
and a few basic favorings: onions, nutn1eg, and all
spice. The balls were cooked to a golden brown color
before being simmered in tl1e gravy. Thinking tl1at
less panade nught make my meatballs more cohesive,
I made three batches and compared them side by
side: my working recipe using two slices of bread,
one slice of bread, and no bread at all . The results?
ADD BAK I NG P OWDE R
Baking powder prvides l if to l ighten
texture.
US E A PANADE WH I P I T UP
Whi ppi ng the pork mi xture di strib
utes fat and creates spri ngi ness.
Mi xi ng i n a panade made wi th bread
and cream adds moi stness.
C | C b 5 I L L U S T R A T E D
1 4
But ;ithout the panade, the meatballs were
too dry. In the end, combining both approaches-a
single teaspoon of baking powder and a slice of bread
mixed witl1 cream-provided the ideal moistness,
substance, and lightness.
The next step in perfecting my meatballs was
adding a bit of sausagelike springiness. To figure
out how to do this, I scanned our library for books
on sausage- making, which turned up an interest
ing technique: When making a smooth sausage,
the meat, fat, salt, and favorings are whipped
together using a stand mixer \ith a paddle attach
ment w1til the mixture forms a homogeneous paste.
This accomplishes two things. First, it very fnely
distri butes the fat into the lean meat, trapping the
fat witlun tl1e structure of the sausage, thus guar
anteeing a j uicy fnished product. (Without this
QCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
. COOks i I I u s t rate d . COm/feb09
HOW TO MAKE
Swedi sh Meatbal l s
VI DEO TI P
Testi ng for seasoni ng i n a raw-meat mixture
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emulsifcation, fat tends to escape
from the sausage during cooking. )
Second, whipping causes the meat
proteins to stretch out and link up
end to end. This creates tension in
the sausage that breaks when you
bite into it-hence the snap.
What if I were to apply this
technique to my meatballs? I made
a new batch, this time dumping all
the ingredients directly into a stand
mixer and whipping them into a USE WET HANDS KEEP ORGANI ZE D
homogeneous mass. I t was a disas- Keep a bowl of water nearby and Starting near the ski l l et handl e,
arrange the meatbal l s i n a cl ockwi se
spiral to keep track of when each
one needs to be fl ipped.
ter. These meatballs were more like di p your fngers afer every two or
mini hot-dog nuggets than Swedish three meatbal l s to prevent the meat
meatballs. Since everg I read from sti cki ng as you form the bal l s.
about sausage-making indicated
that this technique worked best
with pork, which has a higher fat content and less
robust muscle structure t!ai beef, what if I were to
separate the meats? Starting witl1 a new meat ratio
of equal parts beef and pork, I whipped the pork
wth the salt, baking powder, and seasonings until
m emulsifed paste formed, added the panade, aild
then gently folded in the ground beef The results
were exactly what I wanted: The paiude and baking
powder kept the meatballs delicate md j uicy, the
whipped pork provided j ust enough spring, aild tl1e
barely mixed beef ofered heartiness.
Sugar and Spice
Now that I'd mastered texture, al the meatballs
needed was a little favor adjustment. Swedish meat
balls invariably contain some form of sweetener.
White sugar proved too one-dimensional, and tasters
didn't like the distinct flavor of honey, but a teaspoon
ofbrown sugar added complexity without being cloy
ing. Tasters liked pinches of nutmeg md allspice, but
felt that diced onions detracted fom tl1e meatballs'
otherwise smootl1 texture. Grated onions, however,
dispersed easily md evenly in tle meat mixture.
A for the cooking technique, baking turned
out meatballs tl1at overcooked before they had
browned properly, while sauteing in oil resulted
in spotty browning. My solution: shallow frying,
which browned the meatballs evenly and cooked
them through.
The fnal step was perfecting t gravy. Most
recipes call for a four-thickened blend of stock and
cream in roughly equal proportions, but this was
too rich for my taste. Using mostly stock and j ust a
touch of creaJ was a big improvement. I had already
added sugar to the meatballs, but adding more to
the sauce helped balance favors. Finally, a splash of
lemon j uice added just before serving contributed
brighmess.
Aer cooking more tl1an a thousand Swedish
meatballs, I fnally had my ideal recipe. I couldn't
avoid tl1e occasional lead ball at faJily reunions, but
in my own home I would serve Swedish meatballs as
they're memt to be-light and j uicy, bursting witl1
sweemess md meaty favor.
SWE DI S H MEATBALLS
S E RVE S 4 TO 6
The traditional accompmiments for Swedish meat
balls are lingonberry preserves and Swedish Pickl ed
Cucumbers ( recipe follows) . If you Cail ' t fnd ling
onberry preserves, crailberry preserves may be used.
For a slightly less sweet dish, omit the brown sugar
in tle meatballs and reduce tle brown sugar in the
sauce to 2 teaspoons. A 1 2-inch slope- sided skillet
can be used in place of tl1e saute pan-use 1 11 cups
of oil to f instead of l % cups. The meatballs can be
fried aild then frozen for up to 2 weeks. To continue
witl1 the recipe, thaw tl1e meatballs in tl1e refigerator
overnight and proceed from step 3, using a clean
pai. Serve tl1e meatballs with mashed potatoes,
boiled red potatoes, or egg noodles.
Meatballs
I l arge egg
\ cup heavy cream
l arge sl i ce hi gh-qual ity white sandwi ch bread,
crusts removed and bread torn i nto l -i nch
pi eces
8 ounces grund pork
smal l oni on, grated on l arge holes of box grater
(about \ cup)
Va teaspoon freshl y grated nutmeg
Va teaspoon grund al l spi ce
Va teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
teaspoon packed brwn sugar (see note)
I V2 teaspoons tabl e sal t
I teaspoon baki ng powder
8 ounces 85 perent l ean grund beef
I \ cups vegetabl e oi l
Sauce
I tabl espoon unsal ted butter
tabl espoon unbl eached al l -purpose fl our
I V2 cups l ow-sodi um chi cken brth
tabl espoon packed brwn sugar (see note)
V2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons j ui ce frm I l emon
Tabl e sal t and grund bl ack pepper
1 ^ ` l ^ H Y c l | b H l ^ H Y 2 0 0 9
1 5
l . FOR T MAL: Whisk egg md creaJ
togetl1er in medium bowl. Str in bread aid set aside.
Meaiwhile, in staild mixer fined wtl paddle attach
ment, beat pork, onion, num1eg, allspice, pepper,
brown sugar, salt, and baking powder on high speed
w1tl smooth aid pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl
as necessary. Using fork, mash bread miture w1t no
large dry bread chwls remain; add mixture to mixer
bowl aild beat on high speed w1tl smooth aid homo
geneous, about l miute, scraping bowl as nece.
Add beef aild m on medium-low speed unt just
incororated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl as neces
s. Using moistened hmds, fom1 generous tablespoon
of meat mixture into l -inch row1d meatball; repeat wt
remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs.
2. Heat oil in 1 0-inch straight-sided saute pm over
medium-high heat Lmtl edge of meatball dipped in oil
sizzles ( oil should regster 350 degrees on instant-read
therometer), 3 to 5 minutes. Add meatballs in single
layer and f, fipping once halhay througl1 cooking,
unti lightly browned all over md cooked througl, 7
to 1 0 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil siz
zling but not smoking. ) Using slotted spoon, traisfer
browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate.
3. FOR THE SAUCE: Pour of and discard oil
in pai, leaving aiY fond ( browned bits) behind.
Return pan to medium-high heat md add butter.
When foaming subsides, add four and cook, whisk
ing constantly, until four is light brown, about 30
seconds. Slowly whisk in brotl1, scraping pail bottom
to loosen browned bits. Add brown sugar and bring
to simmer. Reduce heat to medium md cook until
sauce is reduced to about l cup, about 5 minutes.
Stir in cream and return to simmer.
4. Add meatballs to sauce aild sier, tg occa
sionally, Lmtl heated d1rough, about 5 minutes. Str in
lemon juice, season witl salt aid pepper, and serve.
SWE DI S H PI CKLED CUCUMBE RS
MAKE S J CUPS
Krby cucumbers are also called pickling cucumbers.
If tlese small cucumbers are unavailable, substitute
l laige Americail cucumber. Serve the pickles chilled
or at room temperature.
pound Ki rby cucumbers (3 smal l ), sl iced i nto
Va - to V4 -i nch-thi ck runds (see note)
I V2 cups white vi negar
I V2 cups sugar
teaspoon tabl e sal t
1 2 whol e al l spi ce berri es
Place cucumber slices in medium heatproofbowl.
Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and allspice to simmer in
small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasion
ally to dissolve sugar. Pour vinegar mixture over
cucumbers and stir to separate slices. Cover bowl
witl1 plastic wrap aid let sit for 1 5 minutes. Uncover
and cool to room temperature, about 1 5 minutes .
Pickles can be refigerated in their liquid in airtight
container for up to 2 weeks.
Basic Vegetable Prep
!. cc , c, J vcgc! c <c g , , J !
cvcyJy :.!cy. J g ! g!. Y / . c 5 c . 5 c Y
The si x i ndi spensabl e vegetabl es i n any cook's arsenal are oni ons, garl i c, l eeks, carrots, cel ery, and shal l ots. These so-cal l ed
aromati cs provi de the fl avor base for vi rtual l y everythi ng you cook, from soups and stews to sauces and sal ad dressi ngs.
Here's how to avoi d common mi stakes i n buyi ng, stori ng, and preppi ng them to ensure you' re maki ng the most of these stapl es.
What' s the Yi el d?
Storing
DO store oni ons at cool room temperature and
away from l ight.
DON'T store oni ons i n the refri gerator, where
thei r odors can permeate other foods.
Dicing and Mincing
Slice It Right
The way in whi ch oni ons are sl i ced makes no diference to flavor,
but we fi nd i t does afect appearance, especi al l y in soups, stews,
and brai ses. Cooked i n l i qui d, oni ons sl i ced agai nst the grai n
(paral l el wi th the root end) turn l i fel ess and wormy-l ooki ng.
Sl i ced wi th the grai n (pol e to pol e), oni ons retain more shape and
become a more si gnifi cant component of a di sh.
A sharp knife and a good techni que make choppi ng oni ons qui ck, easy, and even tear-free.
M I NCE D GARL I C
Medi um head
(about 2 V2 i nches across)
Smal l cl ove
Medi um cl ove
Large cl ove
Extra-l arge cl ove
CHOP P E D ON I ON
Smal l
(about 2 i nches i n di ameter)
Medi um
( about 2 V2 to 3 i nches i n di ameter)
Large
(about 4 i nches in di ameter)
M I NC E D S HAL LOT
Medi um
CHOP P E D CARROT/ CE L E RY
I . Usi ng a chef 's kni fe, halve
the oni on pole to pol e. Lop
of the tops of each hal f,
l eavi ng the root end i ntact,
and peel the oni on.
2. Make horizontal cuts, start
ing with the heel of the bl ade
and careful l y pul l i ng the knife
toward you, without cutti ng
through the root end.
3. Usi ng the ti p of the kni fe,
make several verti cal cuts,
draggi ng the kni fe toward you
and maki ng sure to keep the
ti p agai nst the board.
4. Sl i ce across t he l engthwi se
cuts, usi ng your knuckl es as
Medi um
Buying
DO buy l oose garl i c, not the heads sol d packaged
i n l ittl e cel l ophane-wrapped boxes that don' t al l ow for
cl ose i nspecti on.
DONT buy heads that feel spongy or have ski ns
where cl oves used to resi de. Al so avoi d garl i c that
smel l s fermented or unusual l y fragrant or has spots of
mol d-al l signs of spoi l age.
Storing
DO keep unpeel ed garl i c heads and cl oves in a cool ,
dry, pantry space away from di rect sunl ight.
DON'T store garl i c i n the refrigerator. I n tests,
we've found this causes i t to sofen and deteri orate far
more qui ckl y.
NEVER store raw garl i c cl oves in oi l ; thi s can resul t
i n botul i sm.
a gui de for the kni fe whi l e
hol di ng the oni on wi th your
fi ngerti ps.
CHOP P E D L E E K
Medi um
Prepping
DO remove any green sprout from the center of
the cl ove before cooki ng. I t contai ns strong-tasti ng
compounds that can add bi tterness to food.
DO use a garl i c press to mi nce cl oves. I n the test
ki tchen, we've found that a good press can break down
the cl oves more
fi nel y and evenl y (and
far faster) than the
average cook wi el di ng
a knife, whi ch means
better di stri buti on
of garl i c fl avor
throughout a di sh.
C C | |
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The Onl y Way to Skin a Cl ove
Forget tryi ng to pai nstaki ngl y peel
ski n of garl i c. Crush the cl ove wi th
the si de of a chef' s kni fe.
The ski n wi l l l oosen for
easy removal .
Make (Gar lic) Paste
Here' s an easy way to turn
mi nced garl i c i nto a smooth
puree for appl i cati ons such
as ai ol i or pesto, where you
want the garl i c texture to be as
unobtrusi ve as possi bl e.
I . Spri nkl e mi nced garl i c wi th a
coarse sal t such as kosher.
2. Repeatedl y drag the
si de of a chef' s knife
over the mi xture unti l
al l the garl i c turns i nto
a smooth paste.
. ' `
2 Tbs.
V2 tsp.
I tsp.
2 tsp.
I Tbs.
V2 cup
I cup
2 cups
3 Tbs.
V2 cup
I V2 cups
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Know Your Cuts
MI NCE D Va -i nch pi eces or smal l er
CHOP P E D F I NE Va - to !-i nch pi eces
CHOPPE D ME DI UM !- to V2 -i nch pi eces
CHOPPE D COARS E V2 - to 31-i nch pi eces
CUT I NTO CH U NKS 3- i nch pi eces or l arger
S Ll C E D Cut i nto flat, thi n pi eces
DI CE D Cut i nto uni form cubes
CUT ON T H E BI AS Cut at an angl e
LLLK5
Buying
DO buy l eeks with spri ghtl y, unbl emi shed l eaves
and l ong white stems, as the whi te and l ight green
parts are the onl y edi bl e porti ons. I n tests, we found
the si ze of the l eek has no i mpact on taste or texture.
DON'T buy l eeks pretri mmed down to the l i ghter
base-the purpose of thi s procedure i s to tri m away
aging l eaves and make ol d l eeks l ook fresher.
When to Use
We turn to l eeks i n pl ace of oni ons when we want a
mi l der, sweeter flavor and a texture that turns tender
and si l ky when cooked. We l ove l eeks i n soups, but
they' re al so del i ci ous brai sed and served hot or col d
with a vi nai grette.
Storing
Store l eeks i n a parti al l y open pl asti c bag in your
refrigerator's cri sper. The cri sper provi des a humi d
envi ronment that hel ps keep the l eeks-whi ch have a
high water content--from shri vel i ng and rotti ng.
Cl eaning
LPKKLJ5
Buying
DO l ook for sturdy, hard carrots-a si gn of
freshness.
DON'T buy extra-l arge carrots, whi ch are often
woody and bi tter.
Storing
To prevent carrots from shri vel i ng, store them in the
cri sper, wrapped i n thei r ori gi nal pl asti c bag or i n a
parti al l y open pl asti c bag.
Dicing
Trying to cut wobbl y, tapered carrots can be a danger
ous proposi ti on. Start by creating a stabl e edge.
I . Remove a thi n sl i ce from one si de of the carrot to
form a flat edge.
2. Pl ace the carrot on that edge and sl i ce i t l engthwi se
`
i nto stri ps of even thi ckness.
3. Turn the stri ps 90 degrees and cut hori zontal l y to
compl ete the di ce.
Best Equi pment for the J ob
Fast, preci se sl i ci ng, choppi ng, and mi nci ng begi ns wi th the
ri ght tool s. Here are our test ki tchen wi nners:
Q
Because l eeks are
ofen qui te gri tty,
thorough cl eani ng i s
a must. Tri m of the
dark green l eaves
(di scard or save to
fiavor a stock) , then
tri m the root end,
keepi ng the base
i ntact. Hal ve l ength
wi se, sti l l keepi ng the
base i ntact, and ri nse
under cool runni ng
water, pul l i ng apart
the layers to expose
any cl i ngi ng di rt.
CHE F ' S KNI F E : Vi ctori nox Fi brox 8-i nch Chef 's Knife ($24. 95)
PARING KNI F E : Vi ctori nox 4-i nch Pari ng Kni fe ($ 1 2. 95)
P E E L E R: Prepara Tri o Three Bl ade Peel er ($ 1 4. 95)
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Slice It Right
Cut the l eek in hal f through the base, then
lay each cl eaned hal f cut-si de down on a
board and sl i ce crosswi se i nto thi n stri ps.
CUTTING BOARD: Total l y Bamboo Congo Board ($49. 99)
J A N U A R Y b F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9
I /
, LLLLK1
Buying
DO l ook for ti ghtl y packed, cri sp green stal ks.
DON'T buy bunches wi th brown spots or bl em
i shes or stal ks that have begun to shri vel from age.
Storing
Li ke carrots, cel ery shoul d be stored i n the cri sper i n
i ts ori gi nal pl asti c wrappi ng or a parti al l y open pl astic
bag. Note: In a pi nch, you can revi ve wayward cel ery
stal ks by tri mmi ng of an i nch from each end and
submergi ng the stal ks i n a bowl of i ce water for 30
mi nutes.
Dicing
To yi el d even di ce,
start by sl i ci ng a ri b of
cel ery i n hal f crosswi se.
Then, cut each hal f
l engthwi se i nto
stri ps of equal
wi dth. Cut across
the stri ps to form even di ce.
5HPLLLJ5
When to Use
` Shal l ots have a more mi l d and del i cate flavor than
: oni ons-a di ference accentuated by cooki ng. A fnel y
mi nced shal l ot wi l l al so mel t away duri ng cooki ng unti l
its texture is al l but i ndi scerni bl e. Choose shal l ots
when you want si l ky texture and oni on fl avor to mel d
` i nto the mi x.
' Substitutes
Scal l i ons (white part onl y) or red oni on
Mincing
I . Pl ace the
' peel ed shal l ot
` flat-si de down on
a work surface
and make cl osel y
spaced verti cal
cuts through
i t, l eavi ng
the root end
i ntact.
2. Make 2 or
3 hori zontal
cuts through
the shal l ot.
3. Thi nl y sl i ce
the shal l ot
crosswi se,
creati ng a fi ne
mi nce .
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
The bl andness of butternut squash usual ly gets camoufl aged inside ravioli.
Our goal was to bump up its fl avor to bring it out of hiding.
B
utternut squash needs heavy-duty coax
ing to draw out its inherent charms. Long
on silky texture, this watery vegetable is
woeflly short on favor. No wonder it's
usually pureed and hidden away inside ravioli, not
featured prominently in simpler pasta dishes. To
make butternut squash worthy of an "outside job"
(one that didn't require hours of rolling, then fling,
fresh pasta), I needed to amplif its mild favor.
First, I nied roastng the squash in the oven. The
high, dry heat did a nice job evaporatng the excess
water (the enemy of deep favor), but it took too long,
about 45 mnutes. Next, I tried sauteing peeled and
diced squash in a hot pan with olive oil. Strred con
stantly, the squash cooked consistently-but brg
was another story. I repeated the test, ths tme wthout
strg. Much better. Aer about fve minutes, enough
moisture had evaporated fom the squash to begn
brownig, producing nice, favorfl caramelizaton.
I tossed the cooked squash with boiled pasta
(choosing short, tubular penne ), along with some
chopped fresh sage and a little olive oil, hoping to
calit a day. Not so fast. The favor of the squash was
still too delicate-specially with so potent an herb as
sage-and it didn't really meld witl1 the pasta.
This dish clearly needed some sort of sauce,
but what? I tried making a basic broth by boiling
squash scraps ( the seeds and fbers) in a little water.
Though more favorfl, it wasn' t transformative
enough to j ustif the extra efort. Next, I tried
removing half the sauteed squash and making a
puree with chicken broth, then introducing this
back into the mix. Not bad, but-once again-too
many steps ( and too many pots) to j ustif the mod
est improvement.
The sauce idea was a step in the right direction,
however. That's when it hit me: a short braise. Too
much liquid-r too long a simmer-would surely
yield soggy squash. But if I used j ust enough to
deglaze the pan, and then simmered the squash
briefy, it might yield j ust the texture I was look
ing for. I sauteed the squash over high heat untl
caramelized, added two cups of chicken broth, then
braised it for a few minutes. Success: Not only did
@COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
www. c oo k s i I I u strate d . c om/fe b09
HOW TO MAKE
Pasta wi th Butternut Squash and Sage
VI DEO TI P
How to prepare and di ce squash
- B Y F R A N C I S C O J ROB E RT E
A short, tubul ar pasta works best in thi s reci pe.
this method produce silky squash, but the sauce was
just the right consistency to cling to the pe1me.
My pasta was coming along nicely, but I was
having herb issues. Too much sage yielded pockets
of shar, strident fl avor that some tasters called
"medicinal . " Too little and you could barely taste it
at all . Either way, it was hard to control. Takig a cue
fom countless test kitchen recipes that tame strong
flavors-garlic, herbs, chiles-by making an infsed
oil, I cooked some fesh sage leaves in olive oil, then
used the herb-infsed oil to saute the squash. Close,
but too subtle. I repeated t1e experiment, also adding
a tablespoon of minced fesh sage to the squash as it
cooked. Tlis time, tl1e sage infsed tle entre dish.
When some tasters stll weren't wowed by the over
al favor of tl1e dish, I knew it was tme to break out
the big guns: smoky bacon. A classic companion for
butterut squash and sage, bacon also adds hef to a
mea. Could I use bacon as my stg point, using tl1e
rendered fat instead of olive oil to cook the sage and
tl1e squash? Sure enough, it worked like a charm.
To fne- tune the sauce, I added a tablespoon
of butter and a teaspoon of sugar, wlich brought
out tl1e sweet, nutty notes of tle butternut squash.
Sauteing scallions in tle butter added brighmess and
a dash of nutmeg contributed ealess. Just before
serving, I tossed the squash and sauce wim me pasta
and me crisped bacon, tllen rounded out me dish
wim grated Parmesan and bracing lemon. Toasted
sliced almonds were tl1e fnal touch to a satisfg
meal-easily cooked in under an hour.
C O OK's I L L U S T R A T E D
1 8
PASTA WI TH BUTTE RNUT SQUASH
AND SAGE
SE RVES 4 TO 6
Don't be tempted to use dried sage in this recipe.
4 sl ices bacon, hal ved l engthwi se, then cut
crsswise i nto !-i nch pi eces
8 large fresh sage l eaves, pl us I tabl espoon
mi nced (see note)
medi um butternut squash (about 2 pounds),
peel ed, seeded, and cut i nto V2 -i nch di ce
tabl espoon unsalted butter
6 scal l i ons, sl i ced thi n (about I cup)
! teaspoon freshl y grated nutmeg
teaspoon sugar
Tabl e salt and grund bl ack pepper
2 cups l ow-sodi um chi cken brth
pound penne or other short, tubul ar pasta
2 tabl espoons grated Parmesan cheese, pl us extra
for servi ng
4 teaspoons juice frm I l emon
VJ cup sl i ced al monds, toasted
1 . Cook bacon in 12- inch skillet over medium heat
untl crisp, about o Iinutes. Add whole sage leaves and
cook Lmt fagrant, about 1 ninute.' Strain mixture
tl1rough fne-mesh strainer into small bowl, reserving
bacon fat and bacon-sage mixture separately.
2. Return skillet to high heat, add 2 tablespoons
resered bacon fat ( adding olive oil if necessary) and
heat until shimmering. Add squash in even layer and
cook, witlout stirring, until begng to caramelize,
4 to 5 ninutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasion
ally w1til spotty brown, o to 4 ninutes longer. Add
butter and allow to melt, about o seconds. Add scal
lions, nutmeg, sugar, 1/ teaspoon salt, % teaspoon
pepper, and minced sage; cook, stirring occasionally,
until scallions are sofened, about o minutes. Add
brotl and bring to simmer; continue to cook w1til
squash is tender, 1 to o minutes longer.
o. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in
large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon
salt and pasta. Cook until j ust a! dente, tlen drain
pasta, reserving l2 cup cooking water, and transfer
back to Dutch oven.
4. Add squash mixture to pasta; stir i n 2 table
spoons Parmesan cheese, lemon j uice, and reserved
bacon-sage mixture, adjusting consistency wim
reserved pasta liquid. Serve, passing almonds and
Parmesan separately.

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How to Cook Hearty Greens
We wanted a one-pot approach to turni ng meaty wi nter greens l i ke kale
and collards tender-wi thout spending hours or l eavi ng them awash in l i quid.
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I medi um oni on, mi nced (about I cup)
5 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 5 teaspoons)
Va teaspoon red pepper fl akes
2 pounds kal e or col l ard greens, ribs removed,
leaves chopped i nto 3-i nch pi eces and ri nsed
(about 24 l oosel y packed cups; see "Removi ng
the Stem frm Greens" on page 3 I )
cup l ow-sodi um chi cken brth
cup water
Tabl e salt
2-3 teaspoons j ui ce frm I l emon
Grund bl ack pepper
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gCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
. c ook s i I I u s t r at ed . c o m/fe b09
HOW TO MAKE
Brai sed Wi nter Greens
Updating Chicken Noodle Soup
Why shou l d any modern cook spend al l day eking out flavorfu l stock
from mere scraps and bones?
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noodl es-can be on the tabl e in j ust over an hour.
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CHI CKE N Saute ground
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deepen flavor.
2. POACH CHI CKE N
BREASTS Add water, broth,
and brast halves; poach breasts
about 30 mi nutes and remove.
3 . THI CKE N STOCK
Strai n stock and thi cken with
3 tabl espoons of cornstarch.
4. ADD CHI CKEN Shred
breasts and add to pot with
vegetabl es to create fast,
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Bag the Bones
Instead of waiting hours t o extract flavor from a chi cken
carcass, we short-cut the process usi ng ground chi cken
meat, whi ch rel eases flavor far more qui ckl y.
OL D- FAS HI ONE D APPROACH
MODE R N M ETHOD
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I tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l
pound ground chi cken
smal l oni on, chopped medi um (about I cup)
medi um carrot, peel ed and chopped medi um
(about V2 cup)
medi um cel ery ri b, chopped medi um
(about V2 cup)
I quart water
2 quarts l ow-sodi um chi cken brth
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons table sal t
2 bone-i n, ski n-on chi cken breast hal ves
(about I 2 ounces each), cut i n hal f crsswi se
Soup
3 tabl espoons cornstarh
V cup cold water
smal l oni on, hal ved and sl i ced thi n (about I cup)
2 medi um carrts, peel ed, hal ved l engthwi se, and
cut crsswi se i nto %-i nch pi eces (about I cup)
medi um cel ery ri b, hal ved l engthwi se and cut
crsswi se i nto V2 -i nch pi eces (about V2 cup)
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y ' 0 0 9
2 1
medi um russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled
and cut i nto %-i nch cubes (about I V2 cups)
4 ounces egg noodl es (about I cup)
4-6 Swi ss chard leaves, ri bs removed, torn i nto
l -i nch pi eces (about 2 cups) (opti onal )
tabl espoon mi nced fresh parsl ey leaves
Tabl e salt and grund bl ack pepper
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p COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ook s i I I u st rate d . c om/ feb09
HOW TO MAKE
Hearty Chi cken Noodl e Soup
Chew Chocolate Cookies
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Keys to Chewy Cookies
E LI MI NATE THE YOL K
Reduci ng the eg t o a si ngl e white
cuts down on excess fat, whi ch can
make cooki es too tender.
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keeps tenderness in check.
US E L E S S WHI TE S UGAR
Repl aci ng some white sugar with dark
corn syrup and dark brwn sugar
boosts chewi ness.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
2 2
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CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKI ES
MAKES 1 6 COOKI E S
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' cup (3 ounces) Dutch-prcessed cocoa powder
V2 teaspoon baki ng soda
V teaspoon pl us Yo teaspoon tabl e sal t
V2 cup dark corn syrup (see note)
l arge egg whi te
teaspoon vani l l a extract
12 tabl espoons ( I V2 sti cks) unsal ted butter,
sofened (70 degrees)
y, cup (about 2 V2 ounces) packed dark brwn
sugar (see note)
4 ounces bi ttersweet chocol ate, chopped i nto
V2 -i nch pi eces (see note)
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I A N U A R Y c F E il R U A R Y 2 009
2 3
TEC H N| QUE WH E N ARE
C OOK I E S C OOK E D?
When the cooki es have cracked but sti l l l ook wet
between the fi ssures, take them out of the oven.
This ensures a moi st, chewy texture.
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E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
Chocol ate Chi ppers
We hate cl ogi ng our kitchen drawers with unnec
essary equi pment, but chi ppi ng chocol ate into the
right-sized pi eces with a chef' s knife i s so tiresome
that we wondered: Coul d a tool designed for the
task make thi ngs easi er? We found two model s,
both shaped l i ke mi ni pitchforks with tiny tines. The
top chi pper, Lehman's Porcel ai n-Handl ed Chocolate
Chi pper ($6. 95), was comfortable to hol d, di dn't
damage our cutting board, and broke uniform
pieces of chocol ate without excess fore.
Given its modest price tag, we'r
happy to add this handy tool
to our drawer For com
plete testing results, go
to www.cooksi l l ustrated.
com/feb09.
-Meredith Butcher
CHOI CE
C H I PP E R
gCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Videos
. c ooks i I I u s t rated . c o m/ fe b09
HOW TO MAKE
Chewy Chocol ate Cooki es
Realy Good French Toast
For French toast that's crisp on the outside and soft-not soggy-on the inside,
you need to do more than j ust throw mi l k, eggs, and bread into a bowl .
A
s breakfast foods go, French
toast falls in the same categor
as scrambled eggs-why bother
with a recipe for something so
simple? Most people merely whisk together
milk and eggs, dunk in the bread, then
throw the slices into the skillet. The results
are rarely wor the trouble. The bread is
soggy, too eggy, or just plain bland. Wt
just a little extra efort, I fgured I could
solve tl1ese problems and come up witl1 a
really good French toast that's crisp on the
outside, sof and puf on the inside, witl1
rich, custardike favor every time.
Since Sliced Bread
3 B Y D AV I D PA Z M I N O E
People all arotmd tl1e world soak and cook
bread and have done so for centuries, all
the way back to the Romans. Whatever the
name or natonal origin, battering has always
been a way to transform old bread into
something new and flavorfl. The French
version is pain perdu, tle Germans have
arme ritter, and in Spain the dish is torrijas.
American cookbooks in the 19th century
typically called battered bread arme ritter,
but afer World War I tl1e Ge111an name lost
Our French toast reci pe works j ust as wel l with chal l ah as it
does with whi te sandwi ch bread.
fvor and the dish went Gallic-which explains why
we call it French toast.
Reviewing American and European recipes, I saw
many mat called for rich breads such as French bri
oche or Jewish challah, made witl1 eggs and butter.
I woul d defnitely test tlse richer styles, but frst I
wanted to try ordinary bread from tl1e supermarket,
the kind I would more likely have on hand on any
given morning. I garnered a dozen brands of white
presliced sandwich breads, along wim loaves of
French and Italian bread tlt are also widely available
at grocery stores. Which would f1re best in a typical
batter made with l part milk and 3 parts eggs?
Though meir tougher crust and more substantial
crumb seemed promising, tasters quickly eliminated
the French and Italian bread for being chewy. I tl1e
turned my attention to sandwich breads, which come
in two kinds: regular and hearty. The regular bread
was hopelessly gloppy both inside and out, triggering
memories of the mediocre French toast of my youtl1.
The hearty bread crisped up nicely on me outside,
but still had more mushiness inside man I wanted,
even when I dipped it just long enough to soak it
through.
What coul d I do to make tl1at last bit of sogginess
go away? Turing to a pain perdu tecluuque, I tried
soaking tl1e bread in milk before dipping it separately
in beaten eggs. This tecluuque produced a light, puf
intetior, but the exterior was overpoweringly eggy-a
defiite deal-breaker. Some recipes called for letting
the bread go stale ovenught, but tl1ese days, i s such a
tl1ing even possible? Normally, exposing bread to air
causes its starch molecules to bond and reoystallize,
leading to a harder texture, but most breads now
include stabilizers in tl1e form of mono- and diglyc
etides tl1at slow down tiUs process. In tl1e test kitchen,
we've determined tl1at l eaving bread out to stale isn't
nearly as efective as dryg it in me oven, wluch
hardens it by acn1ally removing moisntre. I checked
tl1is conclusion, testing French toast made witl1 hear
white bread dtied in a low oven side by side witl1 tl1e
same bread lef out overnight. I soaked the bread
i n each batch for about 2 seconds per side to help
ensure thorough saturation without contributing to
soggy texture. At last, success! The oven-dried version
won hands-down, producing French toast mat was
browned and crisp on me outside and tender and
velvety on me inside, with no trace of sogginess.
C O O K
"
S I L L U S T R A T E D
2 4
White-Out For mul a
Though I had nailed me texture, tasters complained
mat me toast sti l l tasted more like scrambled eggs
man buttety fried bread. I tried reducing tl1e eggs
from three to two and increasing tl1e milk, only to
have the sogginess retur. At a loss for anytl1ing else
to try, I remembered a recipe mat called for dipping
tle bread i n nlmixed wim just yolks, versus whole
eggs. Though I wasn' t sure how tlus would help, I
decided to give it a shot. I stirred l l2 cups of milk
( increased from l cup to compensate for tl1e lack of
wlutes) togetl1er witl1 mree egg yolks and dipped in
tl1e bread. To my surprise, me yolks-only soaking
liquid made a huge difterence, turning tle taste fom
eggy rich and custardlike.
So why would eliminating tl1e whites-the bland
part of tl1e egg by anyone' s standards-reduce an
Lmpl easantly strong egg fl avor? Research revealed
mat most of me flavor i n eggs comes not from
tl1e yolk but from the sul fr compounds in the
whites. These are the same compounds mat lead
to the ofensive odors of an overdone hard-cooked
egg. With French toast, tle more me egg whites
i nteract witl1 heat, tl1e more sul fur compounds are
released, which in turn leads to eggier-tasting toast.
The whites can also contribute an unappealing ropy
texture, especially if they're not wel l -combined
wim tl1e milk, giving the toast a speckled wlute
appearance.
Soaking Sol ution
With texture and egginess resolved, it was time
to do some fne- tuni ng. Dunki ng mul tipl e bread
sl i ces i n a bowl of soaking l i qui d someti mes l ed to
uneven saturati on, resul ti ng i n the occasional slice
that stil l cooked up soggy or even dry i n pl aces.
The si mpl e sol ution: Switchi ng to a 1 3- by 9- i nch
baking di sh i n which up to three slices could ft
fat and soak up l i qui d evenl y.
A for favmings, I settled on 11 teaspoon of cin
namon and l tablespoon of vani l l a, and a little light
brown sugar for sweetness . To bump up me nutty
favor of butter tlroughout me toast, I borrowed
a trick fom pancake recipes, incorporating melted
butter right into me soaking liquid, warming the
milk frst to prevent tl1e butter from solidif,ing.
One question remained: Would my metl1od work
equally wel l with challah (a little more available
than brioche) ? I cooked up anotl1er batch to fnd
out-and tasters polished it of faster than I could
say maple syrup.
KEYS TO P E RFE CT F RE NC H TOAS T
I . START WI TH DRY BREAD
Drying bread i n 300-degree oven
before soaking and frying leads to
toast that's sof, not sogy.
2. HOLD THE WHI TES
Usi ng yol ks, not whi tes, i n soaki ng
l i qui d cuts down on egy flavor.
3 . SOAK PROPERLY
Soaki ng bread in flat baki ng pan for
j ust 20 seconds per si de ensures
even saturati on and no sogi ness.
F RENCH TOAST
SERVES 4
For best results, choose a good challah or a firm,
high-quality sandwich bread, such as Arnold Country
Classics Wte or Pepperidge Farm Famiouse Hear
White. Thomas' English Mufn Toasting Bread also
works well. If you purchase an w1sliced loaf, cut the
bread into 11-inch-thick slices. To prevent the butter
fom clwnping during mixing, warm the m in a
microwave or small saucepan untl warm to the touch
(about 80 degrees). The French toast can be cooked
a at once on an electric giddle, but may take an extra
2 to 3 minutes per side. Set the griddle temperamre U
350 degrees and use the entire an1ow1t of butter for
cooking. For orr fee recipe for Pecan-Rum French
Toast, go to ww .cooksillustrated.com/feb09.
8 large sl i ces hearty white sandwi ch bread or
good-qual ity chal l ah (see note)
I V2 cups whole mi l k, warmed (see note)
3 large egg yol ks
3 tabl espoons l i ght brwn sugar
V2 teaspoon grund ci nnamon
2 tabl espoons unsalted butter, melted, pl us 2
tabl espoons for cooki ng
\ teaspoon tabl e salt
tabl espoon vani l l a extract
Mapl e syrup
I . Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat
oven to 300 degrees. Place bread on wire rack set in
rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread until almost dr
throughout (center should remain slightly moist),
about 1 6 minutes, fipping slices halfay tl1rough
cooking. Remove bread from rack and let cool 5
minutes. Return baking sheet with wire rack to oven
and reduce temperamre to 200 degrees.
2. Wsk mil, yolks, sugar, citmamon, 2 table
spoons melted butter, salt, and vl a it1 large bowl
untl well blended. Transfer mixture to 1 3- by 9-it1Ch
baking pan.
3. Soak bread in milk mixture 1mtl saturated but
not falling apart, 20 seconds per side. Using firm
slotted spatula, pick up bread slice and allow excess
milk mixture to drip of; repeat witl1 remammg
slices. Place soaked bread on another bakit1g sheet
or platter.
4. Heat 11 tablespoon butter it 1 2-inch skillet
over medium-low heat. When foalg subsides, use
slotted spamla to transfer 2 slices soaked bread to
skillet and cook w1til golden brown, 3 to 4 mitutes.
Flip and continue to cook untiJ second side is golden
brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. ( If toast is cooking
too quickly, reduce temperature slightly.) Transfer to
bakitg sheet in oven. Wipe out skillet with paper tow
els. Repeat cookit1g with remalg bread, 2 pieces at
a time, adding 11 tablespoon of butter for each batch.
Sere warm, passing maple syrup separately.
EXTRA- CRI SP F RE NCH TOAST
Process l slice hearty white sandwich bread or
challah, torn into l -inch pieces, l tablespoon light
brown sugar, and V4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
in food processor until fnely grmmd, 8 to 12
one-second pulses (you should have about 11 cup
crumbs). Follow recipe for French Toast, sprinklit1g
l tablespoon bread crumb mixtt1re over one side of
each slice of soaked bread. Cook as directed in step
4, starting witl1 crumb mixn1re-side down.
ALMOND- CRUSTED F RE NCH TOAST
Process V2 cup slivered almonds and l tablespoon
light brown sugar in food processor 1mtil coarsely
grow1d, 1 2 to 1 5 one-second pulses (you should
have about 11 cup crumbs). Follow recipe for French
Toast, additg l tablespoon Triple Sec and l teaspoon
grated orange zest to milk mixture in step 2. Sprinkle
l tablespoon nut mixture over one side of each slice
of soaked bread. Cook as directed in step 4, starting
witl1 nut mixture-side down.
g COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
. c ook s i I I u s t rat ed . c o m/ fe b09
HOW TO MAKE
French Toast
E QUI P ME NT TESTI NG
El ectri c Gri ddl es
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9
2 5
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
El ectri c Gri ddl es
We want a n electric gri ddl e to b e roomy and easy
to handl e, heat up qui ckl y and evenly, channel grease
efectively, and cl ean up efortl essly. We tested seven
nonstick model s, usi ng them to cook French toast,
bacon, and pancakes. Our wi nni ng model had it al l :
plenty of space to make l are batches; a thi ck, cast
al umi num cooking surface that heated steadily without
scorching; a good grease trap; and a nonstick coating
that was a snap to clean up. For compl ete testing
results, go to www.cooksi l l ustrated. com/feb09.
-Meredith Butcher
A G R EAT G R I DDL E
BROI LKI NG Prfessi onal Gri ddl e
Pri ce: $99. 99
Comments: Thi s heavy-duty cast-al umi num
gri ddl e aced every test, evenl y di stri buti ng heat
for perect, crisp browni ng. Its large surface area
comfortabl y ft eight pieces of French toast at
once. A removabl e backspl ash protects wal l s from
spl attering grease, and the nonsti ck surface was
easy to cl ean.
B E S T B UY
WEST B E ND Cool -Touch Nonsti ck
El ectric Gri ddl e
Pri ce: $5 1 . 95
Comments: Though i ts smal l er surface area made
cooki ng a l i ttle cramped, this easy-to-cl ean gri ddl e
was qui ck to heat up; its consi stent heat output
produced evenl y cooked food at every tempera
ture setti ng; and the deep wel l drai ned grease
efectively.
B UR N I N G I S S UE
BLACK & DECKER Fami ly-Size El ectric
Nonsti ck Gri ddl e
Pri ce: $29. 99
Comments: Thi s gri ddl e burned every pi ece of
bacon and cooked French toast and pancakes
unevenl y. I t's no wonder: Temperature read
i ngs at di ferent poi nts on its surface revealed as
much as a I 00-degree di ference from the set
temperature, sendi ng thi s model to the bottom
of the l i neup.
What Should You Put
on Your Pancakes?
Does it pay to buy the priciest syrup in the aisl e-. and does it even need to be real mapl e?
T
he syrup area of the supermarket is fII of
evocative names. You can breakfast with
motherl y Mrs . Butterworth or manl y
Hungry Jack or escape into nature with
Maple Grove Farms, Spring Tree, or Log Cabin.
Sold side by side, genuine maple syrup and so
cal l ed pancake syrup ( made with hi gh-fructose
corn syrup) can range from more than $ 1 per
ounce for the real deal to a mere 14 cents per
ounce for an imitation. But, price and product
names aside, which tastes best? To find out, we
pitted four top-sel l ing national brands of mapl e
syrup against fve popul ar pancake syrups, hoping
to fnd the best one for pouring over pancakes
or using in recipes such as our Mapl e- Pecan Pie
( November/December 1 995 ) . For good measure,
we also threw in the winning mail - order mapl e
syrup from a previous tasting.
Americans love syrup, spending more than $450
million a year on it in supermarkets alone, with
pancake syrup vastly outselling real maple syrup.
While the two types look alike, and both taste sweet,
the similarity ends there. Maple syrup is simply tree
sap that has been boiled to reduce its water content
Mapl e Grade School : Where Al l
Syrup I s Above Average
Grade i nflati on has tri ckl ed down from school to syrup:
Although there are four grades of mapl e syrup set by the
U. S. government accordi ng to col or, three of them are A
and the lowest i s B. Vermont used to have grades A, B, and
C but got rid of C and added a new grade cal l ed Fancy.
Keeping a maple syrup report card can be confusing because
i ndi vi dual states have their own standards and Canada bucks
the trend with grades as l ow as D. -L.M.
THE FEDERAL GRADES ARE:
GRADE A Very l ight gol d, with mi l d mapl e
LI GHT AMBER flavor; i n Vermont, al so known
as Fancy.
GRADE A Sl i ghtl y darker, with more mapl e
MEDI UM AMBER flavor.
GRADE A Even darker, with a stronger
DARK AMBER mapl e flavor.
GRADE B Someti mes cal l ed "cooki ng
syrup, " very dark, with i ntense
mapl e flavor.
3 B Y L I S A M c M A N U S E
and concentrate its sugar. A the sap boils down, it
caramelizes and develops a characteristic maple fa
vor and gol den brown cofor. Pancake syrup, on the
other hand, is a manufactured mix of high- fructose
corn symp and other ingredients engineered to taste
like mapl e.
These maple wannabes have tl1eir work cut out for
them, as it's not easy to replicate tl1e taste of genuine
maple syrup. Its fl avors vary enormously-some
syrups are rich and complex, witl1 hints of honey,
wood, cofee, smoke, caramel , chocolate, and even
rm-otl1ers are light, bright, and remarkably clean
tasting for something so sweet. Indeed, scientists
have identifed nearly 300 fl avor compounds in
maple syrup ( though not in every one) ; tl1ese are
produced as the various amino acids, phenolic com
pounds, minerals, salts, and sugars contained in sap
interact during boiling.
Stil l Tapped by Hand
Maple syrup costs much more than pancake symp
for some very good reasons: Its production is labor
intensive, with a short season and limited supply.
Sap only nms for about a montl1 at the end of
winter, when freezing nights and warmer days turn
starch stored in the tree roots into sugar and start it
circulating tl1rough tl1e tree to fel spring growtl1 .
Workers set taps by hand and move tl1em each year
so that tl1e trees can heal . We've all seen pictures of
buckets on trees and horse-drawn wagons carrying
sap to the sugarhouse; farmers today use miles of
pl astic tubing, which is laid by hand throughout
the woods to convey sap. The maple trees grow in
a limited area: Quebec produces about 79 percent
of tl1e world' s mapl e syrup, followed by Vermont,
witl1 tl1e remainder from otl1er states.
It takes a lot of mapl e sap to make syrup: Forty
gallons boil down to aroud 1 gallon of symp. When
i t reaches the right density, the syrup is fi ltered and
poured hot into conainers. To develop a consistent
product year afer year, large manufacturers start
witl1 a specifi c tmderstanding of their preferred flavor
profi l e, then careft l ly blend syrup in batches before
repasteurizing and bottling it.
The U. S. goverment enforces standards for
maple syrup, requiring a minimum of 66 percent
density (a measure of sugar content) and grading
the syrup by color ( see "Maple Grade School , "
l ef) . The lightest-colored, most delicate- favored
syrup, tapped at the beginning of the season when
C O OK
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
.
the sap fi rst begins fowing, i s usually the most
expensive-more tlan $ 1 per ounce. As the sea
son progresses and the weather warms, the syrup
becomes darker and more intensely favored.
Certain infuences, such as insect infestations in
trees or tapping sap too late i n the season, when
buds are forming, can produce of- favors.
Although maple syrup has been poured since
Native Aericans frst discovered the sweetness of
maple sap, pancake syrup is a modern invention.
The frst brand, Log Cabin, concocted i n 1 887 as a
cheaper alternative, originally contained 45 percent
maple syrup supplemented by inexpensive corn
syrup. As more brands came along, the real maple
content shrank; Aunt Jemima, for instance, made
its debut in 1 966 with j ust 1 5 percent maple symp.
By the 1 970s, most brands-claiming customers
didn' t mind-had eliminated mapl e syrup from
their products, replacing i t with a slew of artifcial
favorings and additives.
Cl oying and Candylike
As soon as we tabulated the results of our tastiJ1gs,
it became clear tl1at the pancake symps would not
do: Whether tasted on wafes or baked i n Maple
Pecan Pie, they got the thumbs-down. Not only did
most of these products not taste like maple, tasters
complained of overpowering butterscotch, vanilla,
or caramel notes and an artifi cial butter favor that
gave the pancake syrups a cloying, "ca.dylike" taste.
Most also had dJ "unnaturally" tluck, viscous texture
that tasters disliked.
A for the mapl e syrups, in a tasting a decade ago,
we preferred dark syrups witl1 intense maple favor
to tlle delicate fl avor of pricey Grade A Light Amber
syrup. Over tl1e years, we have confi rmed tl1is prefer
ence and do not recommend paying top dollar for
the highest- grade syrup. In tlus tasting, four of the
five symps we sampled were Grade A Dark Amber,
mea.ung each should have had a similar, moderately
deep fl avor-but some lost points for having less
maple favor than others. Overly intense flavor didn't
w tlle day, either: Our former winner, a dark Grade
B syrup, ranked second overall ( tlough it won tlle
pie tasting-Grade B is ofen called "cooking syrup"
for good reason) .
Overwhelming sweetness was also a turnof, a.d
lab tests confi rmed tlat tl1e lowest- ranked maple
symps had tl1e highest sugar level s. Tasters preferred
a good balance of sweetness and maple favor. Our
TASTI NG MAPLE AND PANCAKE SYRUPS
Twenty-two C/`sP us/re/s4staf members tasted ni ne top-sel l i ng nati onal brands i denti fed by the Chi cago-based market research fi rm I nformati on Resources, I nc. : four
genui ne maple syrups and fve pancake syrups made from corn syrup. We also i ncl uded our favorite mai l -order mapl e syrup from a previ ous tasting. We sampl ed the syrups
with waffes and i n our Mapl e-Pecan Pie (November/December 1 995) i n bl i nd tastings and rated them on mapl e flavor, compl exity, sweetness, texture, and overal l appeal .
The results were averaged, and the syrups are l i sted in order of preference. Pri ces were pai d at Boston-area supermarkets.
RECOMME NDE D
-
MAPLE GROVE FARMS Pure Mapl e Syrup
Grade A Dark Amber (Prduct of U. S. and Canada)
Pri ce: $5.29 for 8. 5 ounces (62 cents per ounce)
Sugar Content: 62.9g/ l OOg
Comments: "A good bal ance of mapl e and sweetness, " "potent, "
"cl ean, " and "i ntense, " wi th "good earthy, mapl ey notes." " Lovel y, "
"very sweet and natural , " wi th a "perfect consi stency, not too thi ck
or thi n" and "a ri ch, mapl ey aftertaste. " In pi e, i t was "very mi l d,
but tasted real and satisfi ng. "
HI GHLAND SUGARWORKS
Grade B Cooki ng Mapl e (Prduct of Vermont)
Price: $16.95 per pint ($1. 06 per ounce)
by mai l order pl us shi ppi ng
Sugar Content: 63 .3g/ l OOg
Comments: Whi l e tasters agreed on our favorite mai l -order
syrup's "excel l ent mapl e fiavor," described as "i ntense and com
plex, well-bal anced, " wi th notes of "whi skey" or "molasses, " a few
found it "a bit much" when tasted plain. But this dark syrup shone
in pi e, earning prai se for "very ri ch, deep" mapl e flavor.
CAMP Mapl e Syrup
Grade A Dark Amber (Prduct of Canada)
Pri ce: $ 1 2.49 for 12.5 ounces ($1 per ounce)
Sugar Content: 61 .8g/ l OOg
Comments: Tasters found this syrup "cl ean" and "mi l d, " wi th
"l i ght mapl e fl avor" that was "pl easantly thi n and sweet. " Some
descri bed notes of "wood and cofee"; one sai d i t "tastes l i ke trees
and mountai ns. " In pie, i t was "mi l d" and "barel y there. "
RECOMME NDE D WI TH RESE RVATI ONS
SPRI NG TREE Pure Mapl e Syrup
Grade A Dark Amber (Prduct of Canada)
Pri ce: $9.49 for 1 2. 5 ounces (76 cents per ounce)
Sugar Content: 65. 4g/ l OOg
Comments: "A good mapl e fiavor, wi th thi n consistency, " al most
"l i ke it wasn' t reduced," this syrup had a "l i ght body and a sl i ght
burned taste," though it was al so deemed "sweet, natural , " and
"clearl y mapl e. " A few tasters detected a "sl i ghtly aci di c" off-note.
MAPLE GOLD Syrup
Grade A Dark Amber (Prduct of Canada)
Pri ce: $5.29 for 8.5 ounces (62 cents per ounce)
Sugar Content: 64.9g/ l OOg
Comments: Tasters enjoyed the "sol i d mapl e fiavor" of this con
tender, but also noted that it was "thi n, " "achingl y sweet," and "sl ightl y
of-tasting," with an "astrngent" i nitial fiavor and "citrusy" afertaste.
NOT RE COMME NDE D
KELLOGG' S EGGO Ori gi nal Syrup
Pri ce: $3. 49 for 23 ounces ( I S cents per ounce)
Comments: "Very sugary. Sl i ghtl y plastic. Mapl e aftertaste, but
weak." I n pi e, whi l e a mi nority of tasters li ked its "ni ce, toasted
sweetness, " many compl ai ned: "Where's the mapl e? " and "Yuck.
I can taste the chemicals. " In sum: "What' s the poi nt of bei ng the
best of the worst?"
AUNT J EMI MA Ori gi nal Syrup
Pri ce: $3.59 for 24 ounces ( 1 5 cents per ounce)
Comments: A few tasters l i ked thi s syrup's "honey and
vani l l a" notes: one fondl y qui pped: "The taste I grew up with.
Straightforward corn syrup laced with mapl e. " But most comments
were l ess forgivi ng: " Fake, viscous corn syrup, " wi th a "fake maple
smell" and "fake butter flavor. "
MRS. BUTTERWORTH' S Origi nal Syrup
Pri ce: $3.49 for 24 ounces ( 15 cents per ounce)
Comments: Tasters l i kened thi s syrup to "melted candy, " "cheap
butterscotch, " and "what a mapl e-fiavored Life Saver would taste
like. " One summed it up: "Sweet, thi ck, vile. " In pi e, i t was "saccha
rine sweet, " wi th "no off-fiavors, but not very mapley ei ther. "
LOG CABI N Pancake Syrup
Pri ce: $3.59 for 24 ounces ( 1 5 cents per ounce)
Comments: The "smooth, " "melted caramel" sweetness of thi s
syrup was i nofensi ve, but tasters found its "sal ty, strong artificial
butter fiavor-like movie-theater popcorn" thoroughly of-putting. In
pi e, it fared better, but most agreed it was "cloyi ngly sweet."
HUNGRY JACK Origi nal Syrup
Pri ce: $3 .99 for 27. 6 ounces ( 14 cents per ounce)
Comments: Tasters described thi s syrup as "super sweet and
sloppy, with a vani l l a flavor." They al so said i t was "thi ck and but
tery, but tastes l i ke corn syrup" and "more sweet than maple." Its
texture was decried as "so thick you coul d stand a spoon in it, "
" l i ke tar," and "gl oppy."
least favorite syrup had a high level of sugar and
weak maple favor, while our winner embodied a
balance of the two.
Any number of environmental factors, including
changes in soil, weather, and growing conditions,
can account for variations i n mapl e fl avor. But
why are some maple syrups sweeter than others,
when all must fall within a few percentage points of
federal standards for sugar density? Density refl ects
the percentage of all dissolved solids i n the syrup;
these are mai nl y sugars, but al so i ncl ude trace
amounts of mineral s. Experts told us that mi nute
di ferences in manufacturing-such as boiling the
syrup too l ong, not long enough, or at too high
a temperature-can affect the amount of sugar i n
the fi nal product. The sugar content onl y needed
to vary by a percentage point or two for our tasters
to notice the diference.
Low Price, Top Taste
In the end, tasters agreed that one real maple syrup
stood out. The Maple Grove Farms Grade A Dark
Amber syrup-- one of the lowest-priced, at 62 cents
per ounce-had everything we sought: "potent,
cl ean, intense" maple favor, moderate sweetness, a
consistency that was neither too thick nor too thin,
and no of-flavors. We'U be happy to pour it over our
next batch of pancakes and cook with it, too.
I / N ll , R Y { | | |\ H | .\ H Y 2 0 0 9
. `
The Best AU-Purpose Skilet
/ 1 2-inch ski l l et shoul d l ast a l ifetime and cook al most anything.
:.!Jcq. !y!.! vc! !! J .
I
f I were goi ng to be stranded on that
proverbial desert island with j ust one pan, I' d
grab my 1 2- inch ski l l et. I can cook al most
anythi ng i n i t, whether I want to saute,
shal l ow-fry, pan- roast, or even sti r-fry. I n the
test kitchen, we prefer a ski l l et with a traditional ,
rather than nonsti ck, surface precisely because we
want the food to adhere slightly, in order to create
the caramel i zed, browned bi ts called fond that
are the foundation for great favor. What's more,
while even the best nonstick surface will wear of
eventually, a wel l - made traditional skillet shoul d
last a l ifetime.
Skillets are simply fying pans with low, fared
sides. Their shape encourages evaporation, which
is why skillets excel at searing, browning, and sauce
reduction. Traditional versions come i n tluee main
materi als: stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and
cast iron. We're not big fans of the dark surfce of
anodized aluminum, as it makes it hard to j udge
the color of fond. And while cast-iron skillets have
their uses, they are cumbersome and can react with
acidic sauces.
We prefer tradi tiona! sklets made of stainless steel
sandwiched arow1d a core of aluminum. Aluminum
is one of the fastest conductors of heat, but it reacts
with acidic foods and i s overly responsive to tempera
ture fuctuations, making cooking harder to conuol.
Stainess steel is nonreactive, but it's a poor conductor
of heat ( indeed, handles made of stainless generally
won't get hot on the stovetop ). But a marriage ofthe
two metals makes the ideal composition for a skillet.
One of the most common stainless-aluminum
formulations is a style known as "clad," where the
entire pan is made of three or more layers ( "tri -ply" )
of metal . Manufacturers also sell skillets composed
of up to seven layers, or with copper cores ( the best
heat conductor used in cookware) , but these high
quality pans usually cost well over $200-more than
most of us want to spend on a single pan. We chose
seven sklets fom leading manufacturers with a price
range of $49 to $ 1 35. Four were tri -ply; one was a
fve-ply pan that ofered extra layers of aluminum.
The last l the least expensive of the lot, had disk
bottoms, where the aluminum core i s confined to a
thick plate attached to the bottom of an othervise
COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
WW. c ooks i I I u s t rated . c o m/fe b 09
BE HI ND THE SCE NES
Testing Tradi ti onal Ski l l ets
3 B Y L I S A M c M A N U S E
stainless steel pan. From prior testi ng, we knew that
disk- bottom pans can sometimes petfrm as well as
flly clad pans. Which style is best, and how much do
you need to spend to get a top-notch skillet?
Required El ements
A great skillet will transmit heat evenly across its cook
ing smace. This helps you produce uniformly cooked
food, with no tmder- or overcooked spots. It should
never leave you struggling with tle heat suddenly
surging out of control and scorching your dirmer
or stall out instead of sizzling when food is added.
To test our lineup, we seared steaks, made pan
sauces, pan-roasted chicken pieces, sauteed onions,
and fl ipped crepes. With steaks, it was immediately
clear which pans transmit heat steadily and evenly
across tl1eir surface, allowing them easily achieve
a deeply seared crust on both sides, and which ones
didn' t. (Ad all this time you d1ought it was your
cooking skills. ) One pan browned t1e first side of d1e
steaks well-but afer we fipped tl1em, tl1e pan tem
perantre continued to surge, blackeni ng d1e second
side i n j ust over a minute. Anotl1er pan lost its heat
when we added the steaks, leaving tl1e meat witl1 a
sof "steamed" exterior i nstead of a fl avorfl crust.
What made good steak go bad? The worst
performers i n d1is test were the disk- bottom pans.
The pan d1at lacked sizzle when we added steaks had
tl1e dlickest cooking sudace in the lineup, witl1 a 5. 5-
mm bottom-but only 0. 5mm was heat-conducting
alumi num. Witl1 so much slow-responding stainless
steel , no wonder it was sluggi sh. And how about
d1e pan tl1at raced ahead, scorching our steaks? Its
construction was just the opposite-a full 3mm of
its 4-mm-tllick bottom was composed of aluminum,
witl1 j ust a d1in layer of steel to temper heat. A few
of the flly clad pans sufered fom similar problems,
but d1ey weren' t nearly as severe.
A great skillet has a steady, moderate saute speed
and will not require endless fi ddling wim the tem
perature dial to balance any shortcomings . To test
tl1is, we sauteed chopped onions in each pan for 1 5
minutes over medium heat. Some skillets turned
out sof, uniformly golden onions witl1out us ever
touching d1e dial, others cooked pieces tl1at were
too light and too dark in d1e same pan, while still
others forced us to constantly tur the heat down
to prevent tl1e onions from burning.
To confrm how quickly each skillet came up to
temperantre, we tested witl1 solder, choosing a tin
lead alloy 'tl1 a melting point of exactly 361 degrees.
C O O K
'
s I I I. LI S I' R A I I' D
. d
We placed six small rings of solder wire in a circle an
inch from the edge of each pan, placed d1e pan on a
bmner set to medium, and recorded tle time it took
for tle solder to melt. Times ranged fom j ust tmder
tlree minutes to j ust over six. Our top two pans fn
ished at a moderate pace of just over four nlinutes.
A great skillet will have a generous cooking sur
face. Almost all the pans were advertised as 12 inches
( measured across the top) , but actual cooking sur
faces were ofen two or tl1ree inches smaller, depend
ing on how the sides were angled. We preferred
roomy pans; pans that crowded steaks or crammed
togetl1er chicken pieces steamed the food i nstead of
browning it. Top performers had lower sides, wllich
made it easier to tur a crepe \tl10Ut tearing. They
had a wel l-calibrated distribution of weight between
handle and pan for easy maneuveri ng.
Winning Styl e
Six years ago, we chose me All - Clad Stainless 1 2-
Inch Fry Pan ( $ 1 35 ) as our fworite. Afer going
up against six new rivals, i t is still our top choice.
One of me lightest pans in tl1e l i neup, it also ofers
one of tle tlickest bottoms of me fIlly clad pans,
which made i t easy to maneuver while providing
steady heat and even browning. I ts wel l - balanced
weight made it comfortable to lif wllile spreading
crepe batter or spooning out sauce, and its nearly
1 0 inches of cookir1g surfce gave it an edge over
smaller competitors .
At $ 1 35, our favorite is not cheap, but it is built
to last. Perhaps not coincidentally, d1e two cheap
est pans i n tl1e lineup, bod1 with disk bottoms-the
MIU Stainless Steel 1 2-I nch Open Fry Pan ( $48. 99)
and tl1e Cuisinart Chefs Classic Stainless 1 2- Inch
Skillet ( $49. 95 )-rated tl1e worst.
Don't Buy Thi s
Manufacturers ofen use l abel s l i ke "omel et pan, " "fry pan, "
"saute pan, " and "ski l l et" interchangeably, but there are
i mportant difernces. We defi ne a ski l let as having low,
flared si des and cured corners, whi l e a saute pan
has hi gh. L-shaped sides to
keep l i qui ds from evapo
rating. Saute pans are
best for brai si ng, and
ski l lets are used for
everything el se. Buy
your ski l l et by its
shape, not its name. NOT A S K I L L E T
KEY
GOOD: ***
FAI R: **
POOR: *
TESTI NG TRADI TI ONAL SKI LLETS
We tested seven tradi ti onal ski l l ets; five were ful l y cl ad wi th layers of al umi num and stai nl ess steel coveri ng the enti re pan, whi l e two had al umi num-steel di sk bottoms. With
one excepti on, we chose 1 2-i nch ski l l ets (measured across the top; the di ameter of the actual cooki ng surface i s i ndi cated bel ow) . The pans are l i sted i n order of preference.
Sources for the wi nner and Best Buy appear on page 32.
PERFORMANCE: Usi ng a
KitchenAid stove with 1 5,000-
BTU-per-hour gas burners,
we seared steaks, made pan
sauce, and cooked crepes to
look for hot and cool spots.
We also pan-roasted chi cken
pieces, starting on the stovetop
and fni shi ng i n the oven.
Additi onal l y, we measured
the ti me for rings of sol der
(with a mel ti ng poi nt of 36 1
degrees) to melt in each pan.
Scores of good, fair, or poor
were assi gned i n each test, and
a composi te of these scores
constitutes the overall perfor
mance rating for each pan.
SAUTSPEED: We sauteed
chopped oni ons i n vegetabl e
oi l over medi um heat for I S
mi nutes, rating pans hi ghl y if
the oni ons turned sof and uni
forml y gol den. Pans that pro
duced oni ons that were overl y
dark or cooked unevenl y
rated fair; pans that burned or
cri sped oni ons rated poor.
USER-FRI ENDLI NESS: We
evaluated factors i ncl udi ng
whether the pan accommo
dates ei ght pi eces of chi cken
without overlap, how the
weight and handl e shape i nfl u
enced maneuverabi l i ty, and
whether the handl e remai ned
cool and comfortabl e.
DURABI LITY: To see if pans
warped when exposed to
thermal shock, we heated
them to 500 degrees on the
stovetop, then pl unged each
into i ce water. We al so hel d
each pan by the handl e and
whacked i t three ti mes on a
towel-covered concrete pl at
form to check sol i dity of con
structi on. Pans that showed
the least damage rated hi ghest.
(See " I nsi de Story: Getti ng
Whacked, " page 30. )
HI GHLY RE COMME ND E D
ALL-CLAD Stai nl ess
1 2- l nch Fry Pan Model 5 I 1 2
Pri ce: $ 1 35 Wei ght: 2. 75 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 3 . 1 8mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: 93, inches
Hei ght of si des: I 'a inches
RE COMME NDE D
GOURMET Standard Tri - Pl y
1 2- l nch Ski l l et Model AS I I 1 35
Pri ce: $64. 99 Weight: 3 . 25 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 2. 59mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: 9 inches
Hei ght of si des: 2 Y inches
CALPHALON Contemporary
Stai nl ess 1 2- l nch Omel ette Pan
Model LR 1 392
Pri ce: $1 1 9. 95 Wei ght: 2. 9 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 2. 44mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: 9 3, inches
Hei ght of si des: 2 V inches
WEl l by Spri ng, The Heal thy
Ki tchen I 2-l nch Fry Pan
Model 1 8 1 2
Pri ce: $ 1 20 Wei ght: 3. 95 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 3. 5mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: 9 inches
Hei ght of si des: I 'a inches
ALL-CLAD 1 3- l nch Stai nl ess
French Ski l l et Model 5 1 1 3
Pri ce: $99. 95 Weight: 3. 6 1 bs
Bottom thi ckness: 3. 42mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: I I inches
Height of si des: 2 Ya inches
MI U Stai nl ess Steel 1 2- l nch
Open Fry Pan Model 95039
Pri ce: $48. 99 Weight: 2. 65 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 5. 5mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: 9 inches
Height of si des: 2 Ya inches
CUI SI NART Chefs Cl assi c
Stai nl ess 1 2- l nch Ski l l et
Model 722-30H
Pri ce: $49. 95 Weight: 3 . 05 l bs
Bottom thi ckness: 4. 0mm
Cooki ng surface di ameter: I O Y2 inches
Hei ght of si des: 2 inches
RATI NGS
Performance: ***
Saute Speed: ***
User-Fri endl i ness: ***
Durabi l ity: ***
RATI NGS
Performance: ***
Saute Speed: ***
User-Fri endl i ness: **
Durabi l ity: **
Performance: ***
Saute Speed: **
User-Fri endl i ness: ***
Durabi l ity: **
Performance: **
Saute Speed: ***
User-Fri endl i ness: **
Durabi l ity: **
Performance: **
Saute Speed: **
User-Fri endl i ness: **
Durabi l ity: **
Performance: *
Saute Speed: **
User-Fri endl i ness: ***
Durabi l ity: *
Performance: *
Saute Speed: *
User-Fri endl i ness: **
Durabi l ity: *
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9
? '
TESTE RS' COMME NTS
Testers praised this pan for having ""everything you
need i n a skillet and nothing you don't." with enough
cooking surface for sauteing eight chicken pieces with
out crowdi ng; steady, controlled heat for excellent
browning; and a good shape with low sides. The weight
balance was outstanding; it was easy to manipulate and
lif. In the durability test, it sustained the least damage.
with barely visible dents.
TESTE RS' COMME NTS
At half the price of our wi nner, this ski l l et browned
foods ""perfectly wel l ""-though the crepe test revealed
a slightly uneven heat pattern. While its cooking surace
is smaller. testers obsered that the gentle slope of the
sides let food spread out nicely. The balance was slightly
of. with weight overly concentrated i n the pan. When
whacked, the body dented.
Thi s handl e-heavy ski l l et struck testers as ""light
weight. almost fi imsy." Thi s pan i s the thi nnest of the
li neup, which made it hard to control: We had to keep
reducing the fiame, but once we did. the results were
excel l ent. In our solder test, the heat distribution was
especially fast and even. The pan's handle loosened
duri ng the durability test, and the body dented.
Thi s "five-pl y" pan with extra layers of al umi num
alloy around an al umi num core (manufactured under
the name of healthy li vi ng guru Dr. Andrew Weil)
had slow and steady heat. Its smal l er cooking surface
left steaks sli ghtl y crowded and chi cken unevenl y
browned. It i s heavier than we prefer but handled well
despite its weight, though it dented when whacked.
Testers loved the generous I l -i nch span of this pan's
cooking surface, but i t was heavy and awkward to
manipulate, with a fast saute speed that required vigi
lance. The pan's corners are not as sloped as we l i ke.
making it harder to blend pan sauce. It dented and the
handle loosened in our abuse test. (We asked All-Clad
what made i t ""French." The reply! It's just a name.)
While comfortable and easy to maneuver this disk
bottom pan i s smal l-two steaks were a tight fit,
and they steamed rather than browned. Mostly thick
stainless steel, i t had trouble recovering lost heat, and
tal l sides i ncreased the potential for steaming. In the
durability test, the handle tore partly away, and the
body warped.
This di sk-bottom pan ofers a generous cooking sur
face, but testers cal l ed i t ""fi i ghty. " Heat built up i n
the thick al umi num di sk and transmitted abundantly
through the cooki ng surface, maki ng the tempera
ture cl i mb precipi tously. Steaks browned well on the
first side, but got too dark on the second. Onions
scorched and smoked. even when we lowered the
heat. In the durabi l ity test, the di sk bottom fell of.
K I TC HEN NOTES
- B Y J K E N J I A L T E
T A s T I N G : A Good Egg
Here's the l atest from the henhouse: egs wi th a hi gh l evel of
omega-3 fatty aci ds. This unsaturated fat, also found i n fi sh oi l , is
said to reduce bl ood pressure and the risk of coronary di sease
as wel l as rel i eve stress and depressi on. That's al l wel l and good,
but how do the egs taste? We set up a bl i nd tasti ng of egs
contai ni ng l evel s of omega-3 from around 50 mg per egg (the
standard amount i n ordi nary supermarket egs) up to 3 1 0 mg
per eg. Our fi ndi ng: The more omega-3's, the ri cher the eg
flavor and the deeper the yol k col or Why? Commerci al l y raised
chi ckens usual l y peck on corn and soy, whi l e chi ckens on the
OMEGA 3 PER EGG
SEE NUITION INFO
RE AD CLOS E LY
A good dose of omega-
3' s i s 200 mg per eg.
omega-3-enri ched di et have suppl ements of greens, flax seed, and al gae, whi ch al so add
flavor, compl exi ty, and col or.
When shoppi ng for a good egg, buyer beware: Brands may cl ai m a hi gh l evel of
omega- 3's, but the fi ne pri nt sometimes reveals that the number refers to the l evel present
i n two egs, not one. Look for brands that guarantee at l east 200 mg per eg.
T E s T K I T C H E N T I P : Avoi d Advance Prep for Garl i c
We're always l ooki ng for ways t o make our kitchen work more efci ent and wi l l ofen
prep recipes a day in advance i f we know we'r goi ng to be busy. But noti ci ng that garl i c
can devel op a parti cul arl y strong odor i f mi nced too far i n advance, we deci ded to run a
qui ck test. We used garl i c in three diferent appl i cati ons: l ightl y cooked in Spaghetti with
Garl i c and Ol i ve Oil ( March/ April 1 999), raw i n a garlicky Aiol i (Jul y/ August 2005), and
as a more subtl e flavoring i n our Best Caesar Sal ad (September/October 1 997). For each
recipe, we used freshl y mi nced garl i c, garl i c that had been mi nced 6 hours i n advance, and
garl i c that had been mi nced the day before. Both the
6-hour- and 1 -day-ol d mi nced garl i c were so power
ful , they overhel med the other flavors i n the di sh.
Turns out, garl i c flavor comes from a compound
cal l ed al l i ci n, whi ch i s not formed unti l afer the
garl i c's cel l s are ruptured. As soon as you cut i nto
garl i c, the al l i ci n wi l l start to bui l d and bui l d unti l its
flavor becomes overhel mi ngl y strong. So if you're
going to prep a reci pe in advance, make sure to leave
the garl i c cl oves whol e unti l the l ast mi nute.
F RE S H CRUS H
Garl i c mi nced too early can
devel op an overly powerful flavor
and arma. Keep your cloves
whole unti l j ust before usi ng.
I N S I D E s T o R v : Getti ng Whacked
A great ski l l et shoul d l ast a l i feti me, wi thstandi ng decades of normal wear and tear i n the
kitchen. To eval uate the durabi l ity of the seven tradi ti onal stai nl ess-steel ski l lets we tested
i n "The Best Al l -Purpose Ski l l et, " page 28, we heated the pans to 500 degrees on the
stovetop, then pl unged them i nto a bucket of i ce water to see i f they warped. Thermal
shock can cause metal to di stort-si mi l ar to
when you ri nse a very hot pan under
col d water-but i n thi s case, none di d.
We then whacked each ski l l et three
ti mes on a di sh towel-covered
concrete pl atform, tryi ng to use
the same moderate amount of
force wi th each. Whi l e our
top-rated ski l l et, the Al l
Cl ad Stai nl ess 1 2- l nch Fry
Pan, survi ved with barel y a
di ng, most of the other pans
sustai ned pronounced dents and
damage. The handl e on one pan
l oosened; another nearl y came
of. The worst of the bunch was
NOT SO DURABLE
The Cui si nart Chefs Classi c Stai nl ess
1 2-l nch Ski l l et col lapsed under abuse.
the Cui si nart Chef 's Cl assi c Stai nl ess 1 2- l nch Ski l l et: After onl y two whacks, i t crumpl ed
l i ke a tin can and compl etel y fel l apart, with the di sk bottom separati ng from the rest of
the pan. -Li sa McManus

I
I
i
Whi ppi ng Egg Whi tes
When whi ppi ng eg whi tes i nto a foamy meri ngue, the usual approach i s to star sl ow and
bui l d up speed for better vol ume. But does vol ume al ways matter? We wanted to fnd reci
pes in whi ch you can si mpl y fl i p the switch to hi gh.
EXPERI MENT

We made meri ngue cooki es, meri ngue frosti ng,
chocol ate mousse, and chifon cakes, each with two
di ferent batches of whi pped eg whi tes. In one
batch, we whi pped the whites sl owl y unti l foamy,
about one mi nute, and fni shed on hi gh. In another,
we beat the whi tes at hi gh speed the enti re ti me.
s H o p p N G : Si zi ng Up Squash
Maki ng batch upon batch of our Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage (page
1 8) , we noticed a l ot of i nconsi stency: Someti mes the cooked squash
tasted sl ightly sweet, other ti mes i t tasted muddy or dul l . Coul d the size
of the squash infl uence flavor? We bought squash ranging from smal l
I V2 pounders al l the way up to 5 pound-pl us
behemoths and tasted them sauteed i n bacon
fat per our reci pe, as wel l as boi l ed and pureed.
Tasters overhel mi ngl y found that the smal l er
the squash, the more concentrated the flavor and
the fner the texture. Larger squash not onl y had a
more washed-out, "di rty" flavor, but also tended
to be more fbrus and spongy when cooked. So
when a recipe calls for a lare amount of squash,
it's better to buy a few smal l er squashes
S MAL L S I ZE , B I G F LAVOR
than one big one. We recommend avoi di ng
squash weighi ng more than 2 V2 pounds.
Our bl i nd tasting showed that the smal l er
the squash, the bi ger the flavor.
C O O K
'
s

|
|
RESULTS
The eg whites wi th the sl ow start produced a
meri ngue that was about I 0 percent more vol umi
nous than the hi gh-speed-onl y whites, resul ti ng i n
meri ngue cooki es and frosti ng that were l ighter and
ai ri er (the cooki es were al so larger) . Both batches of
mousse and chifon cake, on the other hand, were
i ndisti ngui shabl e from one another.
EXPLANATI ON
^
`' "'
"""
S LOW START
Eg whites whipped fr at low
speed until frthy and then at high
speed prduce au I 0 perent
more meringue than eg whites
whipped only at high speed.
Beating eg whites sl owl y at the begi nni ng causes their protei ns to l oosen up. Like stretchi ng
a bal l oon before trying to inflate it, the i mproved el asticity al l ows the protei ns to take on ai r
more easi l y and eventual l y gai n more vol ume. Thi s extra vol ume makes a di ference when
meri ngue i s the mai n el ement i n a reci pe, such as i n meri ngue cooki es or frosting. But when
meri ngue i s j ust a mi nor pl ayer that gets fol ded i nto a heavi er batter or mousse, you can
save ti me by whi ppi ng ful l speed ahead-tasters won' t noti ce the diference.
I L L U S T R A T E D
30
L
Z
>
L
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o
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m
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1
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Z
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o
T A S T I N G : Regul ar versus Peti te Peas
We've always been bi g fans of frozen peas. I ndi vi dual l y frozen right afer bei ng shucked from
the pod, they are ofen sweeter and fresher-tasting than the shuck-' em-yoursel f "fresh"
peas that may have spent days i n storage, sl owl y l osi ng sweetness and gai ni ng starchi ness.
We've seen two varieties i n the freezer ai sl e: regul ar frozen peas, and bags l abel ed "petite
peas" (or someti mes "petit pais" or "baby sweet peas"). To see if there i s a di ference,
we tasted each type with butter. Tasters unani mousl y favored the smal l er peas for thei r
sweeter flavor and creami er texture. Regul ar peas were by no means unacceptabl e but had
tougher ski ns and meal i er i nteriors. Si nce both varieties are avai l abl e for the same pri ce,
we're going with the peti te peas from now on.
S WEET AND PE TI TE
Petite peas are less starhy with a sweeter flavor than thei r "regular" counterparts.
s c E N L E : Boosti ng Soup Fl avor
The usual method for maki ng chi cken soup is to cover chi cken parts with water and
bri ng it to a boi l . I n our Heart Chi cken Noodl e Soup reci pe (page 2 1 ) we found that
usi ng ground chi cken rather than parts gave our soup si gni fcantl y more flavor. Coul d
we back up these subjective results wi th empi ri cal evi dence?
EXPERI MENT
We made two stocks: one wi th chi cken parts a n d water a n d on e wi th ground chi cken
and water. We sent these stocks to a l aboratory to measure the total amount of di s
sol ved sol i ds-an i ndi cati on of how much fl avor was extracted from the chi cken-i n
each.
RESULTS
The stock made with chi cken parts and tap water had 3. 32 grams of di ssol ved sol i ds
per I 00 grams of stock. The stock made wi th ground chi cken and tap water had 5. 6
grams-an i ncrease of nearl y 70 percent.
EXPLANATI ON
Smal l pi eces of chi cken give up flavor much more readi l y than large pi eces of chi cken.
Usi ng ground chi cken maxi mi zes the amount of flavor extraction i n the shortest peri od
of ti me.
TCHN| QU RE MOVI NG TH E S TE M F ROM G RE E N S
When preppi ng hearty greens l i ke col l ards or kal e for our Brai sed Wi nter Greens (page 1 9) ,
cutting out the central ri b from each leaf i ndi vi dual l y can be tedi ous and ti me-consumi ng.
Here's a way to speed up the process.
I . STACK three or four leaves on top
!;
3_ of each other, large to smal l , al igni ng thei r
central ri bs.
2. FOLD the stack of greens i n hal f
al ong the central ri b.
T E s T K I T C H E N T I P : Tender Ti me Li mi t for Chi cken
According to the May 2008 i ssue of the accc'a(|aad!cecce,storing chi cken breasts i n
the freezer for l onger than to months negatively afects tenderness. Ever the skeptics,
we wanted to doubl e-check the results. So we bought si x whole chi cken breasts and spl i t
each one down the center. We i mmediately tested one breast from each chi cken usi ng a
Warner-Bratler shear devi ce that measurs tenderness by quantifing the force required
to cut meat. We wrapped and froze the other breasts at 0 degrees (the temperature of
the average home freezer). We tested three of the previ ousl y frozen brasts for tender
ness afer two months and the rmai ni ng thre afer three months. Our results confirmed
the study's fndi ngs: Two-month-ol d chi cken was nearly as tender as frsh chi cken, whi l e
three-month-ol d chi cken was about I S percent tougher We recommend freezing chicken
wrapped and sealed i n an airtight zi pper-l ock bag for no l onger than two months.
T E s T K T c H E N T p : Preheat Your Omel et Pan Sl owl y
Whi l e devel opi ng the reci pe for our Perfect French Omel ets (page 1 3) , we found that the
way we preheated the pan before addi ng the egs was critical to achi evi ng a perfectly creamy
omel et with a uniforml y gol den exterior. I nstead of preheating over medi um-high for 2 or
3 mi nutes (the most common approach) , we preheated the pan over l ow heat for a ful l I 0
mi nutes.
On a gas stove, a hi gh fl ame l i cks up the si des of the pan, creati ng hot spots at the
outer edges of the pan bottom. These hot spots, i n turn, can l ead to brown spl otches
on your omel et. Preheati ng the low-and-sl ow way ensures that the heat i s more evenl y
di stri buted.
Preheating over low heat has another advantage: I t gi ves you a wi der wi ndow for adding
your egs. Over high heat, it takes just 30 seconds for the pan to go from an acceptable 250
degrees to an eg-tougheni ng 350 degrees. (Note: Preheating an omel et pan i s one situation
i n whi ch electric stoves show an edge over gas. Because of their wi de, flat heating element,
electric stoves did not prduce hot spots i n the pan, even over a high setting. However, we still
recommend preheating over low heat to al l ow plenty of time for adding your egs.)
ME DI UM- H I GH = S P OTTY LOW = U N I FORM
To demonstrate the i mportance of preheating over the correct (low)
temperature, we spread a layer of grated Parmesan cheese over the bottoms
of two pans, then heated one over medi um-high heat and the other over low
heat. Cheese heated over medi um-high heat brwned on the edges, whi l e the
cheese heated over low heat melted to an even, uniform color.
3 . TRI M the central ri b usi ng one knife
stroke. Repeat wi th the remai ni ng l eaves.
4. CHOP the l eaves crosswise i nto
3-i nch pi eces.
J A N U A R Y c F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 9
3 1
EQU I P MENT CORNER
3 B Y M E R E D I T H B U T C H E R A N D PE G G Y C HUN G E
NEW PRODUCT Cut-Kes| stant O| ove
Cut-resistant gloves are designed to protect fn
gers when you grate, sl i ce, or chop, but do they
really work? We bought four brands and asked for
volunteers-but wary test cooks made themselves
scarce. So we ft hot dogs into the fngers and ran
a sharp knife fve times over each one. Afer ever
dog emerged unscathed, our testers came back and
agreed to wear the gloves to grate and
slice carrots and onions on a box
grater and mandoline. With
the glove ( sold one per
package; the fabric
molds to ft either
hand) , we coul d
comfortably change
the mandoline blades
and grip its hand
guard. (We don't rec
ommend skipping the
hand guard; the gloves
BYE- BYE BAND- AI DS
The Mi crpl ane Specialty
Series Cut Resistant Gl ove
hel ps keep your hands safe.
are not infalli ble . ) While aU four brands are made
of Spectra fber, a material used in bullet-resistant
vests, the tightness of the weave made a diference:
Looser-woven fi bers on two brands began to shred
and puU apart as we worked. In the end, we preferred
the snug weave and stretchy fabric of the Microplane
Specialty Series Cut Resistant Glove ( $24. 95 ), which
proved both comfortable and durabl e.
EQUI P ME NT TESTI NG
Ome| et Pans
What's the best pan for making an omelet? Most
brands of cookware ofer an 8- Inch nonstick
"omelet" pan, but these are usually j ust small
versions of their ski l lets, with upright sides that
make it difcult to turn and rol l out a perfect
omelet. The Al - Clad 8- Inch Stainless Nonstick
Fry Pan i s an exception-its shallow-sloped sides
make turning a breeze-but it costs a hef $90. We
tested four other pans with gently sloped sides, all
under $25, and found a great buy: the KitchenAid
Gourmet Essentials Hard Anodized Nonstick Open
LUXE MODEL
Designed by Jul i a Chi l d,
thi s Original French Chef
Omel ette Pan's hi gh-grade
performance has a price
to match.
BARGAI N
PE RFORME R
Thi s omelet pan frm
Ki tchenAi d' s Gourmet
Essenti al s l i ne i s efective
and i nexpensi ve.
French Skillet ( $1 9. 99) . Although this pan does not
have quite the steady, l ong-l asti ng heat of heavier
pans, its hard anodized material heated qui ckly and
evenly, and the gently sloped sides allowed easy
rol l i ng. For fun, we also tested a deluxe model ,
the Original French Chef Omel ette Pan, designed
by Jul i a Child. Its thick, heavy cast al umi num,
curving shape, and gently sloped si des churned
out perfect omelets, but the pri ce ( $ 1 39. 9 5 ) made
us bal k. For compl ete testing results, go to M .
cooksi l l ustrated. com/feb09.
NE W P RODUCT
5patu| aM| xer | ade
Stopping your stand mixer evet few minutes to
scrape down tl1e sides of tl1e bowl can be tedious,
but two new products promise U do i t for you ( and
mix ingredients at the same time) : the SideSwipe
Spatula Mixer Blade ($24. 95) and tl1e Beater Blade+
( $24. 95 ) . The Beater Blade+ ofers
a single beating-and-scraping
"wing"; the SideSwipe has
several angled silicone
fns that beat, scrape,
and push batter down
in tl1e bowl . Willie
botl1 models blended
cake batters well and
creamed butter in half
the time of a traditional
GETTI NG OUT
paddle (you may need
OF SCRAPES
t o adjust recipes ) , it With the Si deSwipe paddl e,
wasn't until we mixed
you won't have to stop and
Spritz Cookies t]
1at
scrape when mi xi ng.
we noticed the major advantage of tl1e SideSwi pe:
Our recipe recommends stopping tl1ree ti mes
to scrape tl1e bowl , but witl1 tl1e SideSwipe, we
could add i ngredients wiiout stopping until the
dough came togetl1er, leavi ng completely cl ean
si des in tl1e bowl . Meanwhile, tl1e Beater Blade+ l ef
smears behind. SideSwipe makes attachments to ft
KitchenAid stand mixers and a few otl1er brands
( check M . sideswipeblade. com to match your
model to a specific blade before buying) .
E QUI P ME NT TESTI NG
M| | kFrother
For making purees and soups, we \l t o our trusty
handl1eld immersion blender ( Ki tchenAi d, $49 . 99) .
But for smaller tasks, such as froiing milk for cof
fee drinks or whippi ng up hot chocolate, cream, or
salad dressing for two, we found me Aerolatte Mil k
Frotl1er ( $ 1 2. 99) quite handy. The l ightweight
8 14- inch battery-operated wand works like a mini
i mmersion blender, and it's a snap to use, clean,
and store.
C O OK
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
3 2
Sources
The following are sources for i tems recommended i n this
issue. Prices were current at press ti me and do not i ncl ude
shi ppi ng. Contact compani es to confrm information or visit
www. cooksi l l ustrated. com for updates.
Page ZJ CHOCOLATE CHI PPER
Lehman' s I ce Pick/Chocolate Chi pper: $6.95, item #I 065405,
Lehman' s (877-438-5346, ww. l ehmans.com).
Page Zb ELECTRIC GRI DDLES
Bri i Ki ng Prfessi onal Gri ddl e: $99.99, item #RP780-3006FB,
JCPenney (800-222-6 1 6 1 , www.jcpenney.com).
West Bend Cool-Touch Nonstick Electric Griddle: $5 1 .95,
item #2 1 6390, Cooking.com (800-663-88 1 0, w .cooking.com).
Page Z TRADITIONAL SKI LLETS
All-Clad Stainless 1 2" Fry Pan: $ 1 35, item #I QCooking.com.
Gourmet Standard 1 2" Ski l l et: $64.99, item #GST I 1 52,
Cookware.com (888-478-4606, w .cookware.com).
Page JZ CUTRESISTANT GLOVE
Mi crplane Specialty Series Cut Resistant Glove: $24.95, item
#34007, Mi crpl ane (866-968-6665, www. mi crplane.com).
Page JZ OMELET PAN
KitchenAid Gourmet Essentials Hard Anodi zed Nonstick
Open French Ski l l et, $ 1 9.99, item #75820, KitchenAid,
(800-54 1 -6390, ww.shopki tchenai d.com).
PAGE JZ SPATULA MIXER BLADE
Si deSwipe Spatula Mixer Blade: $24. 95, Fruit LLC
(www. si deswi pebl ade.com).
Page JZ MI LK FROTHER
Aerlatte Mi l k Frther: $ 1 2.99, item #B0002KZUNK,
Amazon.com.
U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHI P,
MANAGEMENT AND CI RCULATI ON
I . Publication Title: Cook's I l l ustrated; 2. Publication No. I 068-282 1 ; 3. Filing
Date: 9128/08: 4. I ssue Frequency: jan/Feb. Mar/Apr. May/jun. jui/Aug,
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of Publication: 17 Station Street. Brokline. MA 02445; 8. Complete Mailing
Address O Headquarters or General Business Ofce of Publisher. 1 7 Station
Street. Brookline, MA 02445; 9. Full Names and Complete Mail i ng Address
of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor. Publisher. Christopher Ki mball , 1 7
Station Street. Brookline. MA 02445: Editor: Christopher Kimball, 1 7 Station
Street. Brookline, MA 02445; Managing Editor. Jack Bishop, 1 7 Station Street,
Brookline, MA 02445; I 0. Owner: Boston Common Press Umited Partnership,
Christopher Kimball, 17 Station Street. Brockline, MA 02445: I I . 6
Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Securities: None; 1 2. Tax Status: Has Not
Changed During Prceding 1 2 Months; 1 3. Publication Title: Cook's I l l ustrated;
1 4. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September /October 208; I S a. Total
Number of Copies: 1 , 1 90.487 (Sep/Oct 208: 1 . 1 85.827): b. Paid Cirulation:
( I ) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 354 1 : 9 1 5,035
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Form 354 1 : 0 (Sep/Oct 2008: 0): (3) Paid Disoibution OutsKJe UMails Including
Sales Through Dealers and Caniers, Stret Vendor. Counter Sales. and Other
Paid Disoibution Outside the USPS: 1 05, 2 1 3 (Sep/Oct 2008: 99. 1 27): (4) Paid
Disoibution by Other Classes of Mail Thrugh m USPS: 0 (Sep/Oct 208:
0): c. Total Paid Disoibution: 1 ,025,268 (Sep/Oct 2008: 1 .01 1 .67 1 ), d. Fre or
Nominal Rate Distribution: ( I ) Fre or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies
Included on PS Form 354 1 : 4.955 (Sep/Oct 208: 4.857): (2) Fre or Nominal
Rate In-County Copies Included on Form P 354 1 : 0 (Sep/Oct 208: 0): (3) Fre
or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through UUSPS: 0 (Sep/Oct
2008: 0); (4) Free or Nomi nal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 65 (Sep/Oct
2008: 65); e. Total Fre or Nominal Rate Distribution: 5,020 (Sep/Oct 208:
4,922): f. Total Disoibution: 1 .025,268 (Sep/Oct 2008: 1 .0 1 1 .67 1 ): g. Copies
Not Disoibuted: 1 65, 2 1 9 (Sep/Oct 2008: 1 74, 1 56): h. Total: 1 , 1 90.487 (Sep/
Oct 2008: 1 , 1 85,827): i . Pr<ent Paid: 99.5 1 % (Sep/Oct 2008: 99.5 1 %).
lL `
Ja nuary / February `||'
MAI N DI SHES
Brai sed Beef Short Ri bs 9
with Gui nness and Prunes 9
Breaded Pork Cutl ets ( Pork Schni tzel ) I I
Hearty Chi cken Noodl e Soup 2 1
Pasta wi th Butternut Squash and Sage 1 8
Swedi sh Meatbal l s I S
Tandoori Chi cken 7
SI DE DI S HES
Brai sed Wi nter Greens 1 9
wi th Bacon and Oni on 1 9
wi th Chori zo 1 9
wi th Coconut and Curry 1 9
BREAKFAST
French Toast 2S
Al mond-Crusted 2S
Extra-Cri sp 2S
Perfect French Omel ets 1 3
DESS E RT
Chewy Chocol ate Cooki es 23
GARNI SH
F OR S WE DI S H M EATBAL L S :
Swedi sh Pi ckl ed Cucumbers I S
N EW RE CI P ES O N T H E WE B
( AVA| LALF F 8F E F O 8 6 HONTH5)
Basmati Ri ce, Pi l af-Styl e
Ci l antro- Mi nt Chutney
Oni on Rel i sh
Pecan-Rum French Toast
Rai ta
COOK
'
S V& D OS Origi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos www. cooksi l l ustrated. com
MAI N DI SHES
How to Make Brai sed Beef
Short Ri bs
Choosi ng bonel ess short ri bs
How to Make Breaded Pork
Cutl ets (Pork Schnitzel )
Di sposi ng of used oi l
How to Make Hearty Chi cken
Noodl e Soup
How to Make Pasta wi th Butternut
Squash and Sage
How to prepare and di ce squash
How to Make Swedi sh Meatbal l s
Testi ng for seasoni ng i n a raw- meat
mi xture
How to Make Tandoori Chi cken
Behi nd the Scenes: How we devel
oped our Tandoori Chi cken reci pe
Getti ng to know your broi l er
S I DE DI SH
How t o Make Brai sed Wi nter
Greens
BRE AKFAST
How to Make French Toast
Testi ng El ectri c Gri ddl es
How to Make Perfect French
Omel ets
How we devel oped our omel et
fol di ng techni que
Why to preheat the pan sl owl y
DESS E RT
How to Make Chewy Chocol ate
Cooki es
TESTI NG
Behi nd the Scenes: Testi ng
Tradi ti onal Ski l l ets
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,
Aecc's |est|tc|ec, 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.
Brai sed Beef Short Ri bs , Y
Pasta wi th Butternut Squash and Sage, 1 8 French Toast, 2>
Breaded Pork Cutl ets, I I Swedi s h Meatbal l s , I S
Tan doori Ch i cken,
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