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Best Beef Tenderloin
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Glazed Roast Chicken
Reviving Baked Ziti
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Rating Blenders
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Keeping Pantry
Staples Fresh
French Mashed
Potatoes
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Real vs. Fake Vanilla
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2 Notes from Readers
BY DAVID PAZMI NO AND F RANCI SCO J. ROBE RT
4 Quick Tips
Quick and easy ways to perorm everyday tasks, from
ridding the "eyes" from a whole pineapple to making
flavored salt.
BY YVONNE R UP E RTI AND F RANCISCO ]. ROBE RT
6 The Best Beef Tenderloin
The classic approach to roasting this prime cut sacrifices
juiciness for crust. Why settle for anything less than
perfection? BY CHARLES KE LSEY
8 Better Glazed Roast Chicken
Applying a glaze to a whole chicken can land you in a
sweet mess. To resolve this sticky situation, we brought an
outdoor method indoors. BY DAVI D PAZMI NO
I 0 Rethinking Thick-Cut
Pork Chops
Thick pork chops may boast a juicy interior or a nicely
caramelized exterior-but rarely both. We wanted it all,
in one recipe. BY F RANCI SCO J. ROBE RT
12 Fish en Papillote?
Unless you're a whiz at origami, parchment-baked fish
can be long on labor and short on flavor. Here's how we
foiled these problems. BY KE I TH DRESSE R
14 Rescuing Baked Ziti
Transforming this tired Italian-American classic into a dish
worth making took more than swapping out the ricotta.
BY DAVI D PAZMI NO
I 6 Keeping Kitchen Staples
Fresher Longer
Moving your olive oil, vinegar, and spices off the kitchen
counter is only the first step. Here's how to prolong the
life of essential kitchen ingredients.
BY CHARLES KE LSEY
CARROTS
18 Mashed Potatoes, French-Style
French cookery's intensely rich, cheesy take on mashed
potatoes flouts the rules. To Americanize it, we ignored a
few more. Vive Ia resistance' BY CHAR L ES KE LSEY
20 Easy Chicken Cutlets with
Porcini Sauce
Italians braise chicken for hours in a rich wine and
mushroom sauce. We wanted to keep the flavor but cut
the cooking time. BY J. KEN] I ALT
21 Dressing Up Brown Rice
We've already solved the cooking problems that plague
brown rice. Now, what to do about jazzing up its taste?
BY YVONNE RUP E RT!
22 Discovering Authentic
Ciabatta
This Italian loaf boasts a crisp, flavorful crust and a
chewy, open crumb-in the hands of a master. Where
does that leave the rest of us? BY KE I TH DR ESSE R
25 Emergency Chocolate Cake
This easy wartime cake made with mayonnaise has a lot
of good things going for it. Chocolate flavor isn't one of
them. BY KE I TH DRESSE R
26 What's the Real Deal
with Vanilla?
Still shocked by past results, we had to do another
tasting. In the battle between pure and imitation extracts,
could we declare a winner? BY LI SA McMANUS
28 In Search of a Better Blender
All we ask of a blender is that it can crush ice and pro
duce a smooth puree. So why can't more models deliver?
BY ME R EDITH BUTCHE R
30 Kitchen Notes
BY J. KENJI ALT
32 Equipment Corner
BY P EGGY CHUNG COL L I E R
The cultivation of new carrot varieties like Purple Haze and Cosmic Purple (both display purple
exteriors) demonstrates a renewed interest in this everyday vegetable. Lighter-skinned carrots,
such as Yellowstone and White Satin, tend to be sweeter and crisper than darker varieties.
Atomic Reds have a more assertive flavor than most carrots and intensif in color as they
cook. As their name implies, Sugar Snacks are quite sweet, making them ideal snacking carrots.
Tapered lmperators have enjoyed commercial success in North America as a good storage
root, one durable enough to be whittled into pseudo baby carrots. Young, tender, and squat
Chantenay carrots are the variety sold as true baby carrots. Cigar-shaped Nantes are preferred
in Europe for their sweet, mild taste. Kamaran carrots, used primarily by commercial food
manufacturers, fall between Nantes and lmperators in shape and sweetness. Round carrots are
dependable growers; their stout, bulbous roots make an attractive addition to plates.
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sion. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance.
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EDITORIAL
THE SKY COMES NOVEMBER
T
he president of the Old Rbbit Hunters
Association likes to take his time on a
dark morning in deer season. I pull up at
his garage at precisely 5: 15a.m., a snout
flof the unusually warm (for November), ripe air
(the thermometer read a balmy 35 degrees when I
lef the farm) and feeling better for it. On the frst
day of the season, every hunter imagines a stand of
pine in early light, a large rack emerging above the
undergrowth, the crosshairs of the Bushnell scope
sighting in, and then an echoing boom down and
out of the valley. So I'm in a hurry to get up the
mountain and into my stand, one that puts me
almost 20 feet up a tree, a stripped-down model
without arm or gun rests. You can feel the stand
shudder during a blast of wind, the tree dancing
with you helpless in its arms.
But, as I said, Mr. President is not one to be
rushed. He is puttering about, making cofee, laying
the cups neatly and upside down on a sheet of pat
tered paper towels, looking for his blue bottle of
liquid nondairy creamer in the small refigerator he
keeps i his well-stocked garage. The torpedo-shaped
kerosene heater is backwashing like a jet engine; tl1e
four-wheeler is aeady on his pickup bed and strapped
i; and Mr. President is about half-dressed, an old
fashioned men's hat squarely alof above his brow, a
strip of orange hunting tape festooning its circumfer
ence. "Now, just sit down and have a cup of cofee,"
he demands. "The deer can wait."
His son Nate shows up and we joke arow1d a bit
as I check my watch over a second cup of cofee. We
talk about the benefts of silk socks for keeping one's
feet warm, the pros and cons of lined hunting jack
ets, whether open sights are better than a scope, and
then, of course, where each of us is going to spend
the morg. Nate is headed for the top of the gut
behind our pond; Mr. President has a stand set up in
a small clearing where there were a few good bookigs
(where bucks have mbbed the bark of of saplings),
and I am headed for the top of it, a spot Nate has used
for years with a wide view of a hollow.
"Wel," says M. President, "I'm going to wnup
my truck and I'll see you boys in a few miutes." Then
he adds, "Leave the gate open for me." He isn't in
much of a rush as I eagerly head out to my pickup.
I start up the mountai, w1lock the gate, and
can spend a lifetime in te woods
and never come face to face with a
buck as fe as tlus. It is so stg
that you forget what you t
you know, as if the earth no longer
revolved around tl1e sw1.
move slowly through te darkness,
negotatg a road slick with wet
leaves and duck mud. I park, punch
the clip i my .308, turn on my
walkie-talkie, and take out a small
faslilight to fnd my way. I'd tapped
a few lightning bug-sized refec
tors into tees so I'll know where
to turn. I move through the damp
woods, cross a downed sheep fence,
and ten the laddered stand looms
mead. I'm up and seated, as if wait
ing for the start of a first-run movie. Chri stopher Ki mbal l
A poet ntight end tl1is story with
a stanza to the divie, wit tle
layg down of arms, but I disap
point. I stand, swvel, and sight in
the buck zigzaggg through the
woods, now 50 yards away i the
weak, early moming light. I fe
tl1ree tmes, chamberg new shells High up in a tree on a dark
November morg, I watch the details come i
focus. The trees grow bark, the patter of leaves on
the ground takes shape, the woods awaken wit the
mstling of a feld mouse just below te stand, and te
aggressive natterng of a small, red squirrel calls out an
alarm when he discovers the large, orange-vested tres
passer staring down at h. The big, old nes, veteras,
also start to show temselves, their shomlimbs choppy,
thei dead branches making sad, ragged profiles.
A rhc walking sow1d statts and stops bel1ind
the stand toward te road. I listen. Then silence. Then
a regular hoofbeat, a quick-footed, light padding
tlough the woods, and a coyote appears, loping
directly across the gray hollow. Then more rustlng,
something bigger than a squirrel, and a small flock
of turkeys emerges about 200 yards away. I watch
intently, altough te season is now over. They prance
about, moving forward in stops and statts, a few hens
in the lead wit tl1e small clucks close beltind.
Then I'm startled by a noise over my right shoul
der. I turn and there stands, to my great surprise, a
grand buck, tck-muscled tl1rough the shoulders.
He's just 20 feet away and almost directly behind
me. I stop breathing. I'm too excited to count the
points on te wde, forward-leaning rack, but I can see
he's big and doesn't see me looking down fom my
perch. Tlus buck is wild and powerfl, and for a split
second I wonder about Ius secret life of fnding does,
surviving te lean winters, knowing where te scrub
oaks are (the only ones producing acorns tl1is year),
and wluch swmy soutern slope he prefers on a cold
afernoon in January, where he can nestle down in
the tl1ick brush and stay warm and hdden. A hunter
wit a Winchester-style lever, and ten he stops f of,
behind a dticket of trees, taLg me wit te opart
visible, a white tail fickig casually. With one shot lef
I wait, but he takes ofin an explosion of forwrd move
ment, and I make a poor, halfeatted shot through the
trees. He wns te encow1ter hands down.
November had come again wit heavy, pewter
skies and dawns that develop toughtly, reluctantly;
with quick snow showers that crystallze the forest car
pet, making tl1e woods impressionable, wit gusts and
gamy scent from days spent in the woods, predawn
to sw1set, looking for tl1e object of our desire. Ad
I kept con1ing back to te stand at that wee hour, sit
tg and looking over my 1ight shoulder, to refesh my
memory. A hm1ter sits in a tree, a buck stands behnd
lum, and the world stops to consider.
If we meet again, I won't hesitate to shoot. I've
always been a hm1ter (but not a great one). The
woods are flof lfe and deat, of neighbors who stll
make it through the winter on a feezer flof venison
or moose meat. There is no reprieve in nature, no
intercession, just necessity. I can1e out of te woods
at sm1set that day wit an empty mk bed but with
something wid in my heart.
That eve1g, sitting i font of the fre, M.
President asked about the shots, and said, "Yup,
I thought it was you." Then he added, "You ought
to have moved over a bit in the stand-that old buck
might have climbed up and joined you for a visit!"
Then he sat back and closed Ius eyes, remembering,
I guess, all te proud-footed bucks that he has nssed
over the years, and a deep contented smile slowly took
shape, just at the corners of his mouth.
FOR INQUIRIES, ORDERS, OR MORE INFORMATION
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1A RC I I 6 A P RI L 2 0 0 9
`1` li` 11i11`
3 COMPILED BY DAVID PAZMINO b FRANCISCO J ROBERTE
White Anchovies?
I recently saw a package of white anchovies in the
refrigerator section of my supermarket. Is there any
diference between these and tl1e regular canned
variety?
AYA ALT
ITHACA, N.Y.
Anchovies of any type come from tl1e same variety
of small fish related to herring. The only diference is
in how they're cured. Tinned anchovies are normally
feted and packed in salt for up to 10 months before
being canned, usually in oil. During tl1e lengtl1y salt
ing, tl1e white fesh turns
brown. White anchovies
are only briefy salted
before being packed
in a pickling solution of
vinegar and oil. To eva
uate favor diferences,
VL tasted each variety
alone and in Caesar
salad. Afcionados pre
ferred tl1e fuller, more
intense flavor of canned
anchovies, while those
WHI TE FI SH
White anchovies taste
milder than ti nned.
less enthusiastic about tl1ese small, oily fish preferred
white anchovies for their milder, less fshy taste. If
you buy the white variety, make sure to keep tl1em
refigerated. Use the same amount to substitute
them for the canned.
Pitted versus Unpitted Olives
Are there any diferences in favor or texture among
pitted and unpitted brine-cured olives?
MELISSA REED
DURHAM, N.C.
To evaluate any difrences between pitted and
unpitted olives, we gatl1ered botl1 green and black
brine-cured olives fiom deli sections at supermarkets,
as well as olives packed in plastic and glass containers.
Afer tasting many samples, it became clear that the
pitted olives sufered t two counts: They tasted
saltier and their fesh was mushier. They also lacked
the complex, fruity favors of the unpitted kind.
Here's why: Before being packed for sale, fresh
picked olives are soaked in brine for periods of up
to a year to remove bitteress and develop favor.
Once pitted, the olives are retured to the brine for
packing, which can penetrate tl1e inside of the olive
and turn it mushy and pasty, as well as increase the
absorption of salt. That saltier taste can mask subtler
favors. If you have me time, it makes sense to buy
unpitted olives and pit them yourself
Vinegar Sediment
I have several jars of vinegar in my cabinet with
a cloudy, slimy sediment at the bottom. Should
I throw them away?
SHERI POWELL
ENCINITAS. CALIF.
Nearly all commercially made vinegar will last
indefinitely in an unopened bottle. Once opened
and exposed to air, however, harmless "vinegar
bacteria" may start to grow. This bacteria causes tl1e
formation of a cloudy sediment tl1at is notl1ing more
tl1an harmless cellulose, a complex carbohydrate tl1at
does not aAect tl1e quality of tl1e vinegar or its favor.
We confirmed this with a side-by-side comparison
of freshly opened bottles of vinegar and those with
sediment (strained before tasting).
The Vinegar Institute carried out storage stud
ies of vinegar and determined that the shelf life of
opened vinegar stored in a dark cabinet at room
temperature is "almost indefnite." To deal with
tl1e unsightly sediment, simply strain the vinegar
tl1rough a cofee filter set inside a fne-mesh strainer
before using it.
Shiitake Substitute
Fresh shiitake mushrooms often cost three to
four times as much as fresh cremini mushrooms.
Do I need to adjust tl1e cooking time if I make a
substitution?
CECELIA BAYLIS THOMAS
DALLAS, TEX.
.The goal of cooking mushrooms is to evaporate
tl1eir liquid so they can brown and their favor can
intensit. To identit any diference in water weight
between cremini and shiitake mushrooms tl1at
would afect cooking times, we chopped 8 ounces
of each and placed tl1em in separate pots witl1 no
liquid or oil. We covered tl1e pots and cooked each
batch for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. We
then removed the mushrooms from tl1e pans and
weighed them again. The shiitakes lost 1.1 ounces
of water, or about 14 percent of their weight, while
tl1c cremini mushrooms lost 4.8 ounces, or about 60
percent of their weight. The higher water content
of the creminis was confirmed when we sauteed a
batch of each mushroom. The creminis took nearly
fve minutes longer than the shiitakes to release tl1eir
liquid and begin to brown. Tn the end, we decided
tl1at it's fine to make a substitution, keeping in mind
that the creminis will have a slightly softer texture
and a bit less intense favor. Just remember to saute
or stir-fry creminis for a few extra minutes until their
excess liquid completely evaporates.
C! |J1^J.1!`
?
Swanson Cooking Stock
.
I follow your recommendations and buy your favorite
brand of chicken broth: Swanson Certifed Organic
Free Range Broth. I recently noticed that Swanson
has a new product called Cooking Stock. What is the
diference between tl1e brotl1 and the stock?
Technically speaking, home
made brotl1 is made fom meat,
bones, and vegetables, while
stock is made strictly from
bones and vegetables. In com
mercial products, however, the
distinction is less clear.
Swanson claims its new
chicken stock is best suited
for gravies and pan sauces in
which tle stock is reduced;
the brotl is intended for soup.
Its website says tl1e stock has a
"robust, less-seasoned, meaty"
favor while tl1e brotl1 has a
"fished, highly seasoned" fla
vor. Heated and tasted plain,
tl1e chicken broth was the
most seasoned (it contains 550
mg of sodium per cup versus
tl1e stock's 510 mg per cup),
but we also found it to have
"bolder" chicken favor tl1an
tl1e stock. However, when we
used both brotl1 and stock to
make gravy and pan sauce,
LARISA HULNICK
NEWTON. MASS.
BEST FOR
GRAVY
WELL- S UI TED
FOR S OUP
Swanson's new cook
ing stock fares best in
recipes that call for
reduci ng the stock.
For soup-making, stick
with brth.
Swanson's claims rang true: Tasters fOmd tl1e less
seasoned stock had tichcr chicken favor afer it was
reduced during cooking. If you tend to use a canned
product mainly to make pan sauces, gravies, risotto,
or other applications in which the liquid is reduced,
it makes sense to buy tl1e stock. If you are more likely
to use a commercial product to make soup, keep tl1e
original brotl1 in your cupboard.
Roux ReQlacements
I know that raux is ofen made with butter. Is it OK
to substintte oil tor the butter?
MICHAEL DISHAROOL
NORFOLK, VA.
>LarnsscGanrnmtncdefines raux as "a cooked
mixture of equal amounts of four and butter, used
to thicken sauces." Nevertheless, some recipes that
borrow fom classic French technique specifically call
for making roux with oil (gumbo, for example). To
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fnd out if oil can be successflly used in a roux that
calls for butter, we made a classic bechamel, or white
sauce, with butter and compared it to bechamel
made with neutral-tasting canola oil (we knew the
distinctiye favor of olive oil would prevent it fom
being a viable substitute).
Tasters found the texture of the sauces identical.
The sauces also tasted remarkably similar, though a
few astute tasters thought the sauce made with butter
was the richer of the two.
Next, we used these same sauces as part of a more
complex dish, lasagna Bolognese. Here the flavor
diferences faded away, with the meaty tomato sauce
overpowering the bechamel. Our recommendation:
If the roux w be used in a dish that involves mul
tiple favors, go ahead and substitute canola oil for
butter. If the roux will be used to thicken a simple
sauce, it's best to stick with butter.
Sorting Out Sea Salt
I am confsed by the variety of international sea
salts available at the supermarket. They vary in price,
color, and coarseness. Can you provide guidelines on
how to use them?
Natural sea salt
is simply sodium
chloride and in
its pure form is
no diferent from
everyday table salt.
However, depend
ing on where the salt
is harested (a t:rir
can be as exotic as
Hawaiian black lava
SUE KI LLION
ROTONDA WEST. FLA.
MAL DON S E A S ALT
Use regular table salt for cook
i ng and choose a flaky, coarse
sea salt for sprinkling.
or Australian red algae), trace mineral elements such
as potassium, magnesium, and calcium can be found.
These elements cause variaton in the favor and color
of the salt. And depending on how the salt crystals are
harvested, their texture can range fom sandlike and
powdery to crystalline and fa.
But can these characteristics be detected when the
salts are used for cooking? To fnd out, we bought
an array of salts: Fleur de Sel de Camargue ($17.27
per pound), Esprit du Sel de lie de Re ($35.68 per
pound), La Baleine ($2.15 per pound), Grey Celtic
($28 per pow1d), Morton's Coarse Kosher Salt
($.35 per pound), and Maldon Sea Salt ($12.24
per pound). We used the salts in simple applica
tions, including seasoning. chicken stock and salting
cooking water for pasta. The results were defitive:
Tasters couldn't tell one salt fom another in cooked
applcations. Only when the salts were sprinkled over
slices of beef tenderloin could tasters detect subtle
favor nuances. But it was the texture that really
distinguished some salts: Samples with large, faky
crystals such as Maldon Sea Salt had a crunch we
particularly enjoyed. Our advice? Save your money
and use fancy sea salts only for garnishing.
WHAT I S I T?
Thi s i mpl ement has been in my fami l y for years. It came from my
grandmother's kitchen, and now i t hangs as a decorative item i n mi ne.
I use most of my anti que kitchenware, but I've never known what
to do with thi s tool . Do you have any i deas?
KAREN HIEB
EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN.
This tool is handy for drai ni ng
l i qui d frm saucepans.
Afer some sl euthi ng, we found that your anti que i s a kettle-draining
device. Designed by Freda and Frank Hol mgren of Minneapol i s, Mi nn., in
1947 and mass-produced by a company cal l ed Fol ey, this tool was used to
drain l i qui d from a pot whi l e retaining its sol i d contents. Pl aced over the l i p
of a pot, thi s perforated half-moon pi ece of metal wi th a handl e acts as
a col ander for draining potatoes or pasta. We found that thi s i mpl ement
worked wel l on saucepans-as long as they weren't too big or heavy.
(Balancing a Dutch oven in one hand as you hol d the kettl e-drainer against
its l i p with the other, for exampl e, is an unwi el dy proposi ti on.) Whi l e we
wor't giv up our metal colander, if you need to drain some l i qui d from a
smal l or l ightei
g
ht pot, thi s tool makes the j ob easi er.
Cloudy Olive Oil
I ofen store oils in my refigerator to prevent them
fom going bad. Why is it tl1at certain oils (like olive)
become solid and others (like canola) don't?
ED PELLI CCIOTTI
ENDI COTT, N.Y.
Some oils become thick and viscous at cold tem
peratures due to fats and compounds called poly
phenols suspended in their midst. Because olive oil
is minimally processed, it contains more polyphenols
than other oils. ( Canola oil is usualy processed to the
point where very few of these compounds remain.)
Polyphenols are soluble in oil only at room tem
perature. A the temperature decreases, they begin to
separate out, making the oil cloudy. (For olive oil, ths
separation occurs at 43 degrees.) Returned to room
temperature, the polyphenols wldissolve once again
and the oil wlook normal. Even so, olive oil takes a
few hours to "melt" back into its liquid form once it
has been refigerated, so we recommend storing it at
room temperature in a cool, dark place. Once opened,
olive oil has a shelf lfe of about three montl1s.
Sleuthing Scallions
Some recipes call for using only the green or white
part of a scallion. Color aside, is there really a difer
ence between the two sections?
CAROLYN HERRON
GALLUP, N. MEX.
To answer your question, we started by tasting
raw scallions. Tasters described distinctly diferent
flavor profles for the white and green parts. The
white section has a delicate, sweet taste similar to
shallots, while the green portion has grassy notes
and a peppery bite. When we used tl1e raw scallions
in salsa, tasters were still able to identif tl1e same
distinguishing characteristics; which worked better
depended on individual taste. Finally, we cooked
M A R C H b A P R I L 2 0 0 9

scallions in a pork stir-f. Tasters didn't notice major

favor diferences, but t textures varied: The whites
sofened nicely while the greens wilted, taking on a
limp texture that some tasters didn't like.
So, if texture is an issue, cook only the white part
and reserve the green portion to use as a garnish.
When it comes to using the scallions raw, choose
the white part for mild favor and add the green for
a strong, peppery taste.
Rye Bread Choices
The rye bread for sale in my supermarket includes light,
dark, and pumpernickel. How do they difer?
ELLEN CAIN
AUBURN, NEB.
All tl1ree types of bread are made fom four milled
fom rye grass. Light rye flour is produced by remov
ing tl1e coarse outer layer of the rye berr (like a
wheat berry, ths is the "fuit" of the grain), exposing
its relatvely light interior. Ths kernel is tl1en ground
to a fne powder that is tyically blended with whte
wheat four to produce light rye bread. Dark rye four
includes some of the outer layers of the re berry,
while pumpernickel four is ground fom the whole
rye berry and lef rather coarse instead of fne.
We tasted all three types of bread plain and in
Reuben sandwiches. There was no clear winner;
any preference boiled down to personal taste. Some
liked the mild taste of the lighter rye bread, while
others preferred the stronger favors of dark re
and pumpernickel. If you have trouble choosing,
consider marbled rye, the swirled bread made with
light rye dough and eitl1er dark rye or pumpernickel
dough.
SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS We will provide a compli
mentary one-year subscription for each letter we print. Send your
inquiry, name, address, and daytime telephone number to Notes
from Readers. Cook's Illustrated, PO. Box 470589. Brookline,
MA 02447, or to notesfromreaders@americastestkitchen.com.
Quick Tips
3 C O M P I L E D B Y YVO N N E R UP E R T! b FR A N C I S C O) R OB E R T E
Cool Decorating
Many frostings, such as buttercream
and ganache, sofen as they warm up.
Thi s means that when pi pi ng designs
with a pastry bag, warm hands can
cause sl oppy-l ooking decorati ons. To
keep her rosetes and borders perk,
Cathy Durso of Denver, Col o. ,
wears l atex gl oves whi l e pi pi ng. The
gloves hel p to i nsul ate her hands and
thereby prevent her body heat from
sofening the frosting.
Single-Serving Whipped
Cream
Fresh whipped cream i s an i deal
topping for a mug of hot chocol ate.
For just one serving, however, it's
too much hassle to drag out a hand
mixer to whi p the cream. I nstead,
Frank Barrett of Seattle, Wash. ,
empl oys a ti ny, hand-hel d
mi l k frther, the ki nd used
to whip mi l k for cappuc
ci no. Just pour 2 tabl e
spoons of col d heavy
cream into a mug,
add a pi nch of
sugar, and whi rl
unti l the cream
hol ds sof
peaks.
Easier Meat Defrosting
Freezi ng a large porti on of grund
meat i s prbl emati c when i t
comes ti me to cook and you only
need to use a smal l quanti ty. Jane
Wright of Weston, Conn. , sol ves thi s
prbl em by transferri ng the grund meat
to a large zi pper-l ock bag. Usi ng her fin
gers, she presses thrugh the bag to di vi de
the mass i nto 4 equal porti ons, and then pl ac
es the bag fl at i n the freezer. When i t' s ti me to
cook, she si mply breaks of the amount of meat
she needs.
Rice at the Ready
Whenever she makes rice, Donna Cl arke of Bartlett, Il l . , prepares a doubl e batch
and freezes the l efovers. Later, they can be reheated i n the microwave, used to
make fri ed ri ce, or added to soups and stews. Here's how she does it.
I . Spread the hot ri ce out on a baki ng sheet to cool. Break up any large cl umps.
2. Pl ace the cool ed ri ce i n a zi pper-l ock bag and freeze unti l needed.
Handy Temperature Guide
Tired of fumbl i ng thrugh reci pe books every ti me
she cooked fsh, meat, or poultry, Al i ce Pruce of
Edmonds, Wash. , created an i ndex card
with a list of fnal i nternal
cooki ng temperatures.
Encl osi ng the card i n a zi pper
l ock bag keeps it cl ean, and
stori ng the card with her
digital thermometer al l ows
her to reference i t qui ckly.
Send Us Your Ti p We wi l l provi de a compl i mentary one-year subscri pti on for each ti p we print. Send your ti p, name, and address
to Qui ck Ti ps, Cook's I l l ustrated, PO. Box 470589, Brookl i ne, MA 02447, or to qui ckti ps@ameri castestkitchen. com.
C O O K
'
S I L L US T R A T ED
4
A Long Reach
When making reci pes such as hum
mus i n a food processor, Gregory
Wel ch of Union, N.J . , found that it
was i mpracti cal to remove the l i d
every ti me he wanted to do a taste
test. I nstead, he takes out a long
handl ed iced-tea spoon, whi ch i s the
perfect length to reach down the
feed tube. (Be sure to turn of the
processor before tasting.)
Wafe Maker Double Duty
Kristofer Robert of Peachtree City,
Ga. , fnds that her wafle maker
comes in handy at l unch as wel l as
at breakfast: She uses it to make
gri l l ed cheese and pani ni sand
wi ches. A bonus i s that the deep
groves i n the wafl e
maker yi el d extra
crisp crusts.
Assembl e the sandwi ches wi th but
tered bread and then place them i n
a preheated wafl e maker, checki ng
ofen for doneness.
Disposable Ice Packs
Jul i a Huritz of Dunwoody, Ga., wanted to find a way to keep snacks destined for l unch boxes chi l l ed as l ong as possi bl e. She came up wi th thi s easy sol uti on.
I . Fold a paper towel i n thi rds, saturate i t wi th water, and then fit i t i nsi de the bottom of a storage container.
2. Put the container i n the freezer.
3. When it's ti me to pack l unch, pl ace the food in a zi pper-l ock bag, set the bag i n the frozen pl astic container and put on the l i d. The food wi l l stay cool until l unchti me.
Easy-Open Wine
Whenever she needs to open a
bottle of wi ne, Joan Worley of
Maryvi l l e, Tenn. , sets the bottl e on
a fol ded di sh towel pl aced in the
kitchen si nk. Havi ng the bottl e at
a lower l evel prvi des extra l ever
age for uncorki ng, maki ng the task
a snap.
Removing the "Eyes"
from Pineapple
Afer removi ng the ri nd
frm a pi neapple, the hard,
dark bits, or "eyes, " remai n
attached to the fl esh. Usi ng
a paring kni fe to tri m the
eyes i s ti me-consumi ng and can
resul t i n a good deal of waste.
I. Janet Meruri of North
Royalton, Ohi o, tri ms the
ri nd frm the fruit.
2. Then she uses a smal l mel on
bai l er to qui ckly and neatly
scoop out the "eyes. "
No More Fruit Flies
Many frui ts, such as tomatoes and
bananas, are best stored at room
temperature. During t he warmer
months, however, frui t fl i es find
ri peni ng produce i rresi sti bl e. Kendra
Grady of Newburgh, N.Y., entices
the pests with this trick. She pl aces 1
cup of orange j ui ce in a smal l dri nki ng
gl ass and then tops i t wi th a funnel.
Placed next to a frui t bowl, the j ui ce
l ures the ti ny fl i es i nto the funnel ,
where they are unabl e t o escape.
I .
Making Flavored Salt
Peter Thompson of Arl i ngton,
Mass., found a great use for smal l
amounts of fresh herbs or ci trus
zest: flavored sal t. To make ci trus
sal t, mi x 2 teaspoons of freshly
grated l emon, l i me, grapefruit, or
orange zest wi th Y2 cup of kosher
salt. For herb salt, mi x I tabl e
spoon chopped fresh rsemary,
thyme, or mi nt leaves wi th Y2 cup
of kosher salt. Transfer the sal t to
an ai rtight contai ner and store at
rom temperature. The ci trus salts
can be stored i ndefnitely, and
the herb salts can be
for up to 3 weeks.
2.
MARCil [ APRIL 2 0 0 9
5
Neater Lemon Wedges
The thi ck strand of white pith along
the center ri dge of a l emon wedge
can cause the j ui ce to squi rt out i n all
di recti ons during squeezing.
"
I . For j ui ce that l ands in her teacup
(and not i n her eye) , Loi s J acobson
of Memphi s, Tenn., uses a paring
knife to remove the tough pith from
wedges.
2. The resul ting wedges wi l l squeeze
neatl y into food and drinks.
The Best Beef Tenderloin
The cl assi c approach to roasti ng th i s pri me cut sacri fi ces j u i ci ness for crust.
Why settl e for anyth i ng l ess than perfecti on?
N
othi ng beats the extrava
gantly buttery texture of
beef tenderloin. It may not
be the most i ntensel y fa
vored cut, but that is easily overcome
by a rich sauce or accompani ment. The
challenge is in expertly cooking tl1e meat.
The moist, delicate texture of tenderloin
can easily be compromised by the oven' s
harsh heat . And consi deri ng its steep
price, overcooking thi s special- occasion
roast i s not an option ( my preferred cut
rings up at about $ 1 8 per pound) .
Yet when I tried a handfl of recipes and
techniques, all of which gave fairly vague
instructions, me tenderloins emerged fom
the oven wim one of two problems. Some
cooked evenly but didn't have me dark,
caramelized crust tl1at gives meat a deep
roasted flavor. Omers had optmal favor and
an appealing brown crust, but were marred
by a thick, gray band of overdone meat near
me edge. I wanted a technique mat pro
duced perfectly cooked and deeply favored
meat-ideally witl1out too much fss.
Getti ng Even
- B Y C H A R L E S K E L S E Y E
lower ( 400 degrees) , or tl1e reverse-me
meat would not brown adequately. My
best results came fom simply cooking me
tenderloin at 425 degrees for half an hour
and ntrning it afer 15 minutes. The roast
tl1at emerged fom me oven looked promis
ing, wim a somewhat dark crust. But any
hopes I had were dashed when I cut into
tl1e meat: The slices were a nice deep pink
at me center but marred by a pesky band of
gray, overcooked meat at me edge.
Witl1 only two options, whole and center
cut, choosing me style of tenderloin roast
was straightorward but critcal to my suc
For perfect tenderl oi n, sear l ast, not fi rst, and rub wi th fl avored butter.
Pan-searing it would have to be. I heated
a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over
medium- high heat in a large skillet and
men added my roast, browning it on al
sides before transferring it to me oven. This
time, with browning already done, I placed
it on a rack set inside a rimmed baking
sheet to promote air circulation and more
even cooking. I prepared several roasts this
way, and experimented witl1 diferent oven
temperatures, fom 500 degrees on down
to 350. Naturally, each of tl1ese roasts had
a good-looking crust, but each also had an
overdone "rng arOLmd the collar. " The best
of tl1e bunch was tl1e tenderloin roasted at
350, but there was still plenty of room for
inprovement. Tinkering around, I decided
to try reversing me cookng order, roasting
first, then searing, a technique we've used
cess. Whole tenderloin is huge-the typical roast
is 5 or 6 pOLmds, serving up to 16 people. It ofen
comes covered in a tl1ick layer of ft and sinew that
is time-consuming to t and peel. Plus its long,
tapered shape is a challenge to cook evenly. Over me
years, we've become fond of me smaller center-cut
roast, known in industry argot as the Chateaubriand,
Tenderl oi n Troubl es
CRUSTY BUT
OVE RCOOKE D
Tenderloin with a good fla
vorful crust is ofen marred
by a band of gray, over
cooked meat near the edge.
E VE NLY COOKE D
BUT NO C RUS T
Tenderl oi n that i s rsy
frm edge to edge
typi cal l y lacks a good crust
and meaty flavor.
afer the 19tl cenn French aumor and statesman
Fran.ois-Rne de Chateaubriand (who is said to have
particularly enjoyed this prized meat) . Some butchers
charge significantly more for center-cut versus whole
tenderloin, but it comes already trimmed ( so mere's no
waste) and its cylindrical shape practcally guarantees
mat bom ends cook to tl1e same degree of doneness.
What you're getting is me best of me best-me cen
teriece of me most exquisitely tender part of tl1e cow
( see "Locating me Chateaubriand," page 7).
To achieve a good crust on me meat, I could
eimer sear it frst in a skillet or simply crank up me
oven as high as it would go, at tle begirming or
end of cooking. A oven-searing wouldn' t require
splattering grease on my stovetop or dg an
extra pan, I started mere. I tied tl1e meat crosswise
wim twine at intervals to make it more compact and
help form an even crust, tl1en placed tl1e meat in a
roasting pan mat I' d preheated to f1rtler encourage
browning. But no matter what I tried-starting out
high ( at 500 degrees) and dropping down much
CO O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D

successflly i other meat recipes. The switch worked

wonders here as well . Because me roast started out
warm and dr, it could reach the 31 0 degrees neces
sary for browning to occur a lot faster than searing
when it was raw, cold, and wet. ( Until tl1e moisture
burns of, tl1e surtce oftl1e meat can't rise above 212
degrees, the boiling point of water. ) Less searing te,
in tur, minimized the overcooked layer of gray.
Could I get rid of the gray band altogetl1er by
takng the oven temperanrre down frtl1er? In me
past, t test kitchen has roasted meat at even lower
temperatures with great success, transforming tough,
inexpensive cuts into meltingly tender meat ( "Slow
Roasted Beef, " JanuarFebruar 2008). I hadn't
intially thought to tr slow roasting because tender
loi is so sof to begin wm. Now I reconsidered. Afer
tying several more roasts, I put mem in the oven and
began dialing back the temperature fom 350 degees.
A it turned out, I didn't have mat far to go: 300
degrees proved me magic temperanre for yielding
consistent ruby coloring fom edge to edge.
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Locati ng the Chateaubri and
CH
A
TEAU B RI AND
The center-cut tenderl oi n, o r Chateaubri and, comes
from the mi ddl e of the whol e tenderl oi n. The meat si ts
beneath the spi ne of the cow and gets no exeri se at al l ,
maki ng i t exceptional l y tender. Furthermore, its
cyl i ndri cal shape i s an advantage for even cooki ng.
Beefng Up Fl avor
Despite decent progress, I still hadn't coaxed deep
beef flavor fom my mild-mannered tenderloin.
The issue was the meat itself: With so little fat, it
was lacking ideal favor, even afer searing to cre
ate a crust and careflly calibrating the cooking.
I knew I could lean on a rich sauce like a bearnaise or
an intense wine reduction-indeed, I was planning
to add an accompaniment of some sort-but I was
also set on intensifing the fl avor of the meat itself.
First I was curious to explore some of the ofbeat
techniques I'd come across in my research. The most
appealing involved roasting the meat wrapped in a
couple slices of bacon, which then get discarded and
the meat seared. I had high hopes; afer all , what
doesn't taste better with bacon? Tenderloin, as it
turned out; the bacon caused the meat to steam and
didn't really add or detract favor. Shrouding the
tenderloin in butter-soaked cheesecloth produced
simarly uninspiring results. And soaking the meat in
a soy-Worcestershire mix-ingredients ofen used to
accenuate beef flavor-was j ust plain overpowering,
more teriyaki tl1an tenderloin.
In the end, a tried-and-true test kitchen method
proved best-sprinkling all sides of the meat with
salt, covering it with plastic wrap, and then letting
it sit at room temperature. Aer sitting for an hour,
tl1e roast cooked up with signifi cantly more flavor.
Here's why: The salt draws juices out of tl1e meat,
then the reverse happens and the salt and moisture
fl ow back in, drawing favor deep into the meat.
I got the best results of all when, afer salting the
meat, I rubbed it with a couple of tablespoons of
sofened butter before cooking, which added surpris
ingly satisfng richness. In fact, ths technique was so
efective that I decided against a rich, complex sauce
and instead created some easy compound butters,
combining shallot with parsley and chpotle chile
witl1 garlic and cilantro. The wafg aroma of the
fl avored butter melting into the crevices of the meat
proved irresistible to tasters. I had spent $1, 200 on
more tlun 25 tenderloins, but that satisfaction made
it worth every penny.
ROAST BEEF TENDERLOI N
S E RVES 4 TO 6
If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
Ask your butcher to prepare a trimmed, center-cut
Chateaubriand fom tl1e whole tenderloin, as this cut
is not usually available without special ordering. If you
are cooking for a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to
make two roasts. Sear the roasts one afer the other,
wiping out the pan and adding new oil afer searing
tl1e frst roast. Both pieces of meat can be roasted on
the same rack. For our free recipe for Blue Cheese
and Chive Butter, go to M .cooksillustrated.
com/ apr09.
beef tenderl oi n center-cut Chateaubri and
(about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat and si l ver ski n
(see note)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note)
I teaspoon coarsel y grund bl ack pepper
2 tabl espoons unsalted butter, sofened
tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l
reci pe fl avored butter (reci pes fol l ow)
l . Using 12-inch lengths of twine, tie roast
crosswise at 111-inch intervals. Sprinkle roast evenly
with salt, cover loosely witl1 plastic wrap, and let
stand at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile,
adj ust oven rack to middle position and heat oven
to 300 degrees.
2. Pat roast dry witl1 paper towels. Sprinkle roast
evenly with pepper and spread unsalted butter
evenly over surface. Transfer roast to wire rack set
in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until instant-read
tl1ermometer inserted into center of roast registers
5TE P- Y- 5TE P 1 A B ETTE R WAY TO ROAS T B E E F TE ND E RL OI N
125 degrees for medium-rare, 40 to 55 minutes, or
135 degrees for medium, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping
roast halfay through cooking.
3. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over
medium-high heat until j ust smoking. Place roast in
skillet and sear until well browned on four sides, 1 to
2 minutes per side (total of 4 to 8 minutes). Transfer
roast to carving board and spread 2 tablespoons
flavored butter evenly over top of roast; let rest 1 5
minutes. Remove twine and cut meat crosswise
into 11-inch-thick slices. Serve, passing remaining
favored butter separately.
SHALLOT AND PARSLEY BUTTER
MAKES ABOUT 8 TABLESPOONS
4 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, sofened
Y2 medi um shal l ot, mi nced (about 2 tabl espoons)
medi um garl i c cl ove, mi nced or pressed thrugh
garl i c press (about I teaspoon)
tabl espoon fi nel y chopped fresh parsl ey l eaves
! teaspoon tabl e sal t
! teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl.
CHI POTLE AND GARLIC BUTTER
WI TH L I ME AND CILANTRO
MAKE S ABOUT 8 TABLESPOONS
5 tabl espoons unsal ted
1
butter, sofened
medi um chi potl e chi l e i n adobo sauce, seeded
and mi nced, wi th I teaspoon adobo sauce
medi um garl i c cl ove, mi nced or pressed thrugh
garl i c press (about I teaspoon)
teaspoon honey
teaspoon grated zest frm I l ime
tabl espoon mi nced fresh ci l antr leaves
Y2 teaspoon tabl e sal t
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl.
g COOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
.c ook s i I I u s trate d . c om/ ap r 09
HOW TO MAKE
Roast Beef Tenderl oi n
I . SALT meat and l et stand
I hour to i ntensif flavor.
2. RUB roast with smal l
amount of sofened butter to
further boost flavor.
3. ROAST ON LOW to
ensure evenl y cooked meat
throughout.
4. SEAR ON STOVETOP
afer roasting to create wel l
caramel i zed crust wi th deep
meaty fl avor.
5 . TOP WI TH HERB
BUTTE R before meat rests
to bri ng C layer of bright, rch
flavor
M A RC i l b A P RI L 2 0 0 9
/
Better Glazed Roast Chicken
Appl yi ng a gl aze to a whol e chi cken can l and you i n a sweet mess. To resol ve th i s sti cky
s i tuati on, we brought an outdoor method i ndoors.
M
ost glazed roast chicken
recipes ofer some varia
tion on these instruc
tions: Roast a chicken as
you would normally, painting on a sweet
glaze 15 to 30 minutes before the bird
is done. It sounds simple, but following
these recipes actually turns up a host of
troubles, as the problems inherent in roast
ing chicken (dr breast meat, fabby skin,
big deposits of fat under the skin) are com
pounded by the problems of a glaze (won't
stick to the meat, burns in patches, intro
duces moisture to already fabby skin).
Yet I know that great glazed chicken
is possible. Barbecued rotisserie chicken
turns slowly as it cooks, making it a cinch
to apply sauce to every nook and cranny
while also ensuring even cooking. Likewise,
Chinese chefs glaze whole ducks that roast
while suspended from hooks, turning out
perfectly lacquered, crisp-skinned birds.
With these techniques as my inspiration,
I set out to develop a method for evenly
glazed roast chicken with crisp skin and
moist, tender meat.
B Y D A V I D P A Z M I N O E
Chi cken on a Rack
Roasti ng chi cken on a beer can i s the perfect way to achi eve
cri sp ski n and an even gl aze all over.
I chose a large roaster chcken ( 6 to 7
pounds) , enough to feed four to six people, and
started with an approach we developed for Crisp
Roast Chicken (March/ April 2008). I separated
the skin fom the meat and pricked holes in the fat
deposits (to allow rendering fat to escape, resulting
in crisper skin) , then rubbed it with salt and baking
soda (to dehydrate the skin and help it to crisp)
and let the chicken rest. I then roasted the chicken
T C H N | QU
breast-side down on a V-rack at 450 degrees for
30 minutes, fipped it over, and roasted it another
30 minutes. Then, with the chicken nearly done, I
brushed it with a simple glaze of maple syrup, mar
malade, vinegar, and Dijon mustard, and fnished it
with a blast of 500-degree heat.
While the meat was moist and evenly cooked, the
glaze was disappointing. The top of the bird was a
lacquered mahogany, while the bottom was merely
golden brown-a good color for roast chicken, but
not the deep, even tone I expected with a glaze. And
although the precautions I' d taken helped the fat
render fom beneath the ski, 15 minutes of steaming
under a moist glaze lef the ski woeflly sogg.
Chi cken on a Can
With one side of the chicken facing down durng the
entre glazing process, I could never hope to glaze
the whole bird evenly. Shor of instalng meat hooks
or a rotsserie i my oven, what coud I do? A vertcal
roaster, which cooks chicken standing up, was possible,
but did I really want yet another gadget i the kitchen?
(See ''Vertcal Roasters," page 9. ) Then I remembered
a simpler alteratve, foud right in my fdge: a beer
can. We've had great success placing a beer can in the
chicken cavity and stading it uprght on the gill,
which allows heat U circulate feely so that the bird
cooks evenly fom all sides. Why not bring t popular
technique fom the barbecue circuit into my oven?
I prepared the chicken and applied a rub as before.
Afer allowing the chicken to rest for an hour, I
grabbed a 16-ounce can of beer (the large bird didn't
ft on anyg smaller) , took a few sips to prevent
spills, and straddled the chicken on top. I then placed
it in a roasting pan (the helper handles on the pan
make it the best choice for transporting the bird) ,
and slid it into the oven. The technique seemed like
a winner-no awkward fipping, glazing every nook
and cranny was easy, and fat dripped feely out of
the bird. But cutting into the chicken revealed that
the breast, now exposed to t
h
e high oven heat for
the entire cooking time, was dry and tough. Scaling
back the oven temperature to a gentler 325 degrees
resolved this issue, but even without steaming under
a glaze, the skin was far from crisp.
I . CUT CHANNE LS in the ski n
al ong the chi cken's back to create
openi ngs for fat to escape.
2. LOOSEN THE SKI N from the
thighs and breast to al l ow renderi ng fat
to tri ckl e out.
3. POKE HOLES i n the ski n of the
breast and thi ghs to create addi ti onal
channel s for fat and j ui ces to escape.
4. APPLY A RUB of sal t and bak
i ng powder; ai r-dry i n the refrigerator
before roasting for cri sper ski n.
C O O K
'
S I L L US T R A T ED
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9 C| P E 5 HORTHAND I KEYS TO PE RF E CT G LAZ E D ROAST C H I C KE N

(32'il
(32Sl
(soo
I. Start i n l ow oven. 2. Reduce glaze on
stovetop.
3. Remove chi cken,
i ncrease oven heat.
4. Retum rsted chicken
to 500-degree oven.
5. Brush with glaze
(twice) .
A Gl aze of Gl ory
To develop a crisp skin, the chicken needs to fiish
roasting at a very high heat (around 500 degrees) for
about 30 minutes. But in the tme it takes the oven
to heat fom 325 to 500 degrees, the delicate breast
meat overcooks. With regular roast chicken, we've
solved this problem by letting it rest at room tem
perature for about 20 minutes while the oven heats
up for its fnal blast. Would that work with a vertically
roasted chicken? Though the rested-before-blasted
chicken cae out much crisper than before and the
breast meat was perfectly cooked, the glaze was still
robbing my chicken of optimum skin quality.
This was the problem: Most recipes call for a
water glaze that slowly reduces and thickens as the
bird cooks-a hindrance when you're tring to crisp
the skin. What ifl reduced tl1e glaze on the stovetop
before I applied it? That way, I could wait to brush
on the glaze only at the very end, when it wouldn' t
r the texture of the skin. I made another glaze,
this time thickening it with cornstarch. I reduced it
to a syrupy consistency and applied it before the fnal
5 minutes of roasting. This chicken emerged from
the oven with a burnished sheen of deep brown, and
its rendered skin crackled as I cut into it, revealing
moist, tender meat. For good measure, I brushed
more glaze on the chicken and made extra to pass
tableside. Now when I hanker for perfect glazed
chicken, I' ll forget about the rotisserie-all I need
is a beer can to get the job done right.
GLAZED ROAST CHICKEN
S E RVES 4 TO 6
If using table salt, reduce t amount to 2l2 tea
spoons. For best results, use a 1 6-ounce can ofbeer. A
larger can wlwork, but avoid using a 12-ounce Ld
it wlnot support the weight of the chicken. A vertcal
roaster can be used in place of the beer can, but we
recommend only using a model that can be placed in
a roastg pan. Taste your marmalade before using it;
if it is overly sweet, reduce the an1ount of maple syrup
i the glaze by 2 tablespoons. Trappist Seville Orange
Maralade is the test kitchen's prefered brand.
MCCCk' 8V| DC8 Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www . cooks i II u strated . c o m/ apr09
HOW TO MAKE
Gl azed Roast Chi cken
Chicken
I whol e chi cken (6 to Ipounds), gi bl ets
removed and di scarded
5 teaspoons kosher salt (see note)
teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
( 1 6-ounce) can beer (see note)
Glaze
I teaspoon cornstarh
tablespoon water
V2 cup maple syrup
V2 cup orange marmal ade (see note)
! cup cider vi negar
2 tabl espoons unsalted butter
2 tabl espoons Di j on mustard
teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
l . FOR THE CHICKEN: Place chicken breast
side down on work surface. Following illustrations
on page 8, use tip of sharp knife to make l -inch
incisions below each tlgh and breast along back
of chicken ( four incisions total ) . Using fngers or
handle of wooden spoon, careflly separate skin fom
tllighs and breast. Using metal skewer, poke 1 5 to
20 holes in fat deposits on top of breasts and tlighs.
Tuck wingtips underneatl1 chicken.
2. Combine salt, baking powder, and pepper in
small bowl . Pat clicken dry with paper towels and
sprinkle evenly all over with salt mixture. Rub in
mixture witl1 hands, coating entire surface evenly.
Set clcken, breast- side up, on rimmed baking
sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 to 60 nlinutes.
Meanwllie, adj ust oven rack to lowest position and
heat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Open beer can and pour out ( or d|w) about
half of liquid. Spray can lightly with nonstick cook
ing spray and place in middle of roasting pan. Slide
chicken over can so drw1stick reach down to bottom
of can, cllicken stands upright, and breast is peren
dicul ar bottom of pan. Roast w1t skin starts to
turn golden and instant-read tlermometer inserted in
tllickest part of breast registers 1 40 degrees, 75 to 90
mutes. Caref y remove cllicken and pan fom oven
and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
4. FOR THE GLE: While chicken cooks, stir
cornstarch and water togetl1er in small bowl until
no lumps remain; set aside. Bring remaining glaze
ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over
M A R C i l { A P R I L 2 0 0 9
9
Verti cal Roasters
When it comes to cost, it's hard to beat a beer can as
a tool for vertical roasting. But is the real deal worth
having on hand? Like a beer can, vertical roasters can
support poul try to cri sp the ski n all over-and you
don' t have to turn the bird the way you woul d on
a V-rack. To fnd the best brand, we prepared our
Gl azed Roast Chicken wi th fve model s priced from
$ 1 1 . 99 to $ 1 I 0. Some seemed so fl i msy, we worried
the chi cken might tip over; we also di dn't l i ke designs
that allowed the chi cken to sit in its own rendered
fat. Our top perormers excelled in even
roasting and sturdi ness. For compl ete test
i ng results, go to www. cooksi l l ustrated.
com/apr9. -Meredith Butcher
NORPRO Vertical Roaster
with Infuser
Price: $27. 95
Comments: With the l ongest
cone i n the l i neup, this first-pl ace
wi nner makes the chi cken si t tal l .
1 6- 0UNCE BEER CAN
Comments: Though l ifing a large
bi rd on and of a large beer can
i sn' t as easy as from a poi nted cone,
there's no arui ng wi th i ts cost.

medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until

reduced to % cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Slowly whisk
cornstarch nixnre into glaze. Return to sinmer and
cook l 1nute. Remove pan from heat.
5. When oven is heated to 500 degrees, place 1 11
cups water in bottom of roasting pan and return to
oven. Roast until entire chicken skin is browned and
crisp and instant-read tlermometer registers 1 60
degrees inserted in thickest part of breast and 1 75
degrees in thickest part of thigh, 24 to 30 minutes.
Check chicken halfay through roasting; if top is
becoming too dark, place 7 -inch square piece offoil
over neck and wingtips of chicken and continue to
roast (if pan begins to smoke and sizzle, add addi
tional l2 cup water to roasting pan) .
6. Brush clcken with l4 cup glaze and continue
to roast until browned and stick, about 5 minutes.
( If glaze has become stif, return to low heat to
sofen. ) Careflly remove chicken fom oven, trans
fer chicken, still on can, to carving board and brush
with anotl1er l4 cup glaze. Let rest 20 minutes.
7. Wle chicken rests, strain j uices fom pan
through fne-mesh strainer into fat separator; allow
liquid to settle 5 minutes. Wllsk 11 cup j uices into
remailling 1/4 cup glaze in saucepan and set over low
heat. Using kitchen towel, careflly l chicken of
can and onto platter or cutting board. Care chicken,
adding any accumulated j uices to sauce. Serve, pass
ing sauce separately.
Rethinking Thick-Cut Pork Chops
Th i ck pork chops may boast a j u i cy i nteri or or a n i cel y caramel i zed exeri or
but rarel y both. We wanted it al l , i n one reci pe.
M
ost recipes ofer one of
two scenarios for cook
ing thick, bone-in pork
chops: searing them in a
smoking skill et or roasting them in a blaz-
ing hot oven. Both methods are woef1 ily
outdated. Thanks to genetic manipul a
tion, today' s pork has about 30 percent
less fat than it did j ust a few decades ago,
and less fat means bl ander, drier meat.
The exposure to high heat required to
cook thi ck chops through-recipes cal l
for up to 475 degrees-can help form a
nice crust, but also turns already dry meat
into pork j erky. Pork chop perfection, by
contrast, means not only a ri ch, brown
crust but also pl ump, j uicy meat that's
fi of favor down to the last gnaw of
the bone.
Sal t ' Em Up
B Y F R A N C I S C O J R O B E R T E
You can generally find four diferent cuts of
pork chops: sirloin, blade, center-cut, and rib
loin. I immediately ruled out sirloin. These
chops, cut from the hip end of the pig, are
tough, dry, and bland. I also decided against
These chops are cooked in the oven-and then on the stovetop.
blade chops ( cut fom near the shoulder), which con
tain a portion of the loin muscle and some shoulder
muscle as wel l as a fair amount of c01mective tissue
and fat. Although the fat promises a juicy, fl avorfl
chop, the connective tissue requires a long, moist
cooking method to become tender. Afer comparing
center-cut chops ( cut fom the center of the loin) and
rib loin chops ( cut fom the rib section) , I decided on
the latter, preferring their meaty texture and slighdy
higher ft content. I opted to leave d1e bone in, know
ing mat it acts d an insulator and helps d1e chops cook
gendy; fat in me nooks and Lies of a bone also
helps to baste me meat as it cooks.
Many of the test kitchen's pork chop recipes call
for brining-a soak in a saltwater solution before
cooking. Brining tenderizes d1e meat and increases
me muscle cells' capacity to hold water, yielding
j uicier chops. ( While you can buy "enhanced" pork
mat's been injected with saltwater and sodium phos
phate, we prefer the clean favor of natural pork. ) I
went ahead and brined a couple of bone-in, 1 12 -
inch-mick chops for an hour. Knowing mat an oven
or stovetop-only technique wouldn' t work, I uied
an approach popular in restaurant kitchens: starti ng
the chops in a skillet and d1en fnishing d1in a hot
oven. A5 I expected, the meat was pleasingly juicy.
But d1ere wasn' t much browning, and many tasters
complained mat d1ese chops lacked d1e roasted qual
i ty mat gives meat deep favor. I suspected dlat d1e
moisture in the brine had hindered browning.
What if l skipped d1e liquid part of d1e brine and
simply salted dle chops? Ald1ough salt initially draws
moisture out of protei n, the reverse happens soon
aferward, as salt and j uices flow back in. I got out
a box of kosher salt, sprinkled d1e chops ( about 12
teaspoon per side) , and let them sit for 45 minutes.
(Any less and d1e salt would not have enough ti me
to penetrate dle meat. ) Afer 45 minutes, I seared
dle chops and fnished d1em in a 475-degree oven.
These chops were wonderfully j uicy-d1e salt had
done its j ob-but d1ey were also on d1e tough side,
and d1e crust was still meager.
Fl i p- Fl oppi ng Tradi ti on
For my next test, I seared the chops and d1en
transferred d1em to a much cooler oven (a mere
275 degrees) to fi nish cooking. Forty mi nutes later,
d1e chops were cooked throuh and notably more
tender than chops cooked in a hot oven . Evidendy,
I was on to something. Our science editor explained
| ! > | l | l ' > | H ^ 1 l |
1 0
dut enzymes called cathepsins break down proteins
such as collagen, helping to tenderize meat, but
d1ese enzymes are only active at temperatures below
1 22 degrees. I f l wanted optimally tender chops, it
woul d be in my i nterest to keep dle pork at a low
temperature for as long as possible.
Bolcly, I decided to nrrn my medlod upside down:
I would begin by cooking me salted chops in a gende
275- degree oven until dleir internal temperature
reached 1 20 degrees, and dlen sear dlem in a smoking
pan, until dley reached an ideal serving temperanre
of 1 45 to 1 50 degrees. How did my topsy-nlf tech
nique pan out, so to speak? Like a charm. The chops
were supremely tender and beautl y caramelized,
simply because I had kept d1em below 1 22 degrees
for about 20 minutes longer dlan d1e conventional
475-degree medlod could do. The advantages of this
were twofold: First, d1e meat cooked slowly, allowing
an1ple time for de enzymes to do their work; second,
d1e gende roasting dried the exterior of de meat,
creating a dlin, arid layer. When the chop was seared,
dlis layer 111fned into a gratifingly crisp crust. Aa
bon us, if you can't fnd anyd1ing od1er than enhanced
pork, d1e med1od will help to ensure dlat mis salt
water-injected meat also dries out in dle oven before
searing and can actually brown in d1e pan. )
While de chops rested, I created a quick white
wine pan sauce. A an alternative, I also developed a
Thai -inspired sauce made with coconut milk, ginger,
cilantro, and lin1e. f I cut into the perfecdy cooked
meat, I knew it was time to say so long to tradition.
TE C H N | QUE I
AVOI D I NG B UC KL E D C HOP S
Meat ofen comes covered i n a thi n membrane called
si lver ski n. This membrane contracts faster than the
rest of the meat, causi ng buckl i ng and l eadi ng to
unevenl y cooked chops.
Cutti ng sl its i n the si l ver
ski n prevents the
probl em.
Cut sl i ts about 2 i nches apart i nto the fat and under
l yi ng si lver ski n, opposi te the bone of the chop.
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PAN- SEARED THICK-CUT PORK CHOPS
S E RVES 4
Buy chops of similar thickness so that they cook
at the same rate. If using table salt, sprinkle each
chop with 11 teaspoon salt. We prefer the favor of
natural chops over that of enhanced chops (which
have been injected with a salt solution and socium
phosphate to increase moismess and favor) , but if
processed pork is all you can fnd, skip the salting
step below. Serve the chops with one of our sauces
or with applesauce.
4 bone-i n rib l oi n pork chops, I z: i nches thi ck
(about 1 2 ounces each) (see note)
Kosher salt and grund black pepper (see note)
1 -2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
reci pe sauce (reci pes fol l ow)
l . Adjust oven rack to middle pos1t1on and
heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat chops d with
paper towels. Using sharp knife, cut 2 slits, about
2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silver
skin ( see "Avoicing Buckled Chops, " page 1 0) .
Sprinkle entire surface of each chop with 1 tea
spoon salt. Place chops on wire rack set in rimmed
baking sheet and let stand at room temperature
45 minutes.
2. Season chops liberally with pepper; transfer
baking sheet to oven. Cook until instant-read ther
mometer inserted into centers of chops and away
fom bones registers 120 to 1 25 degrees, 30 to 45
minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oi in 12- inch heavy
bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place
2 chops in skillet and sear until well browned and
crusty, 1 lz to 3 minutes, lg once halfay through
to recistribute fat undereath each chop. ( Reduce
heat if browned bits in pan bottom start to burn. )
Using tongs, chops and cook until well browned
on second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chops to
plate and repeat wth remaining 2 chops, adding extra
tablespoon oil if pan is dry.
4. Reduce heat to mecium. Use tongs to stand 2
pork chops on their sides. Holding chops together
with tongs, return to skil l et and sear sides of chops
(with exception of bone side) until browned and
instant-read thermometer inserted into center of
chop and away from bone registers 1 40 to 1 45
degrees, about 1 11 minutes. Repeat with remaining
2 chops. Let chops rest, loosely tented with foi l , for
10 minutes while preparing sauce.
GARLIC AND THYME PAN SAUCE
MAKES y, CUP
large shal l ot, mi nced (about cup)
2 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 teaspoons)
z: cup dry white wi ne
3 cup low-sodi um chi cken brth
teaspoon mi nced fresh thyme leaves
V teaspoon white wine vi negar
l . SAL Tl N G pork chops draws
out moi sture that, 45 mi nutes later,
i s pul l ed back in, produci ng j ui cy,
wel l -seasoned meat.
2. SLOW- ROASTI NG
i ncreases enzymatic activity that
breaks down connective tissue,
l eadi ng to more tender chops.
3. SEARI NG the chops afer
roasting them at a l ow tempera
ture ensures a cri sp crust, as the
meat now has a dri er surface.
3 tabl espoons col d unsalted butter, cut i nto
3 pi eces
Tabl e salt and grund bl ack pepper
Pour of all but 1 teaspoon oil fom pan used to cook
chops and return pan to mecium heat. Add shallot
and garlic and cook, strring constantly, untl sofened,
about 1 minute. Add wine and broth, scraping pan
bottom to loosen browned bits. Simmer Lmtl reduced
to lz cup, 6 to 7 minutes. Of heat, stir in thyme and
vinegar, then whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Season with salt and pepper and serve with chops.
CI LANTRO AND COCONUT PAN SAUCE
MAKES y, CUP
I l arge shal l ot, mi nced (about cup)
2 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 teaspoons)
tabl espoon grated fresh gi nger
cup low-sodi um chi cken brth
3 cup coconut mi l k
teaspoon sugar
cup chopped fresh ci l antr leaves
2 teaspoons j ui ce frm I l i me
tabl espoon unsal ted butter
Tabl e salt and grund black pepper
Pour of all but 1 teaspoon oil from pan used to cook
chops and return pan to mecium heat. Add shallot,
garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, w1til
sofened, about 1 minute. Add broth, coconut milk,
and sugar, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned
bits. Simmer Lmtil reduced to l2 cup, 6 to 7 minutes.
Of heat, stir in cilantro and lime juice, then whisk
in butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve
witl chops.
WCOOk' 8V| DO8 Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i I I u s t r at ed . c o m/ ap r 09
HOW TO MAKE
Pan-Seared Thi ck-Cut Pork .Chops
VIDEO TIPS
How do I check the temperature of a bone-i n chop?
Why do I score the fat?
M A R C i l b A P R I L 2 0 0 9
1 1
r A s r 1 N G : Appl esauce
Few thi ngs seem more whol esome than appl esauce.
So i magi ne our surpri se when we tasted seven
brands-and found that our runaway favorite con
tai ns sucral ose, the very same artifci al sweetener
found in Spl enda. A mi nute amount was enough
to boost the appl esauce's sweetness wi thout over
powering its fresh, bright appl e flavor. An artifcial
sweetener with 600 times the potency of sugar,
sucral ose turned out to have another beneft: It
doesn' t contri bute to the sl i my consistency our tast
ers noticed in appl esauce sweetened with corn syrup
(the preferred sweetener in appl esauce) . According
to an expert in appl esauce processi ng at Cornel l
Uni versity, a thi ck but somewhat muci l agi nous tex
ture can be created when the sugars in corn syrup
bond with the pecti n and fructose in appl es. Sti l l , the
absence of added sugars was not a good thi ng: With
one excepti on, these unsweetened renditions tasted
bl and and washed-up with a watery consi stency. The
other key i ngredi ent i n our top appl esauce? A pi nch
of flavor-boosti ng sal t. For compl ete tasting results,
go to www. cooksi l l ustrated. com/apr9.
-Meredith Butcher
F R E S H ' N' L I TE
MUSSELMAN' S Lite Appl e Sauce
Pri ce: $2. 35 for 23 ounces
Comments: Much to our surpri se,
tasters raved about the "fresh, "
"bright, " even "excel l ent" appl e flavor
of thi s sucral ose-sweetened appl e
sauce, preferring i t by a wi de margi n
to al l the other brands.
S UGAR BOOS T
MUSSELMAN' S Appl e Sauce,
Home Style
Pri ce: $2. 35 for 24 ounces
Comments: Though it i s one of the
better opti ons out there, thi s corn
syrup-sweetened appl esauce came
i n a di stant second.
Fish en Papilote?
Un l ess you 're a whi z at ori gami , parchment-baked fi s h can be l ong on l abor
and short on fl avor. Here's how we foi l ed these probl ems.
C
ooking tHpapilote-where the
food i s baked i n a tightly sealed,
artful l y fol ded par chment
package t o essentially steam i n
its own J Uices-may s eem as outdated
as Beef Wel l i ngton and Pheasant under
Gl ass. But there ' s a reason the tech
nique has hel d its own through countless
cul inary fads and fashions . It's an easy,
mess-free way to enhance delicate favor,
particul arly that of fsh, leaving no odors
to linger in the kitchen. The fsh cooks
quickly in such a moist environment, and
because there' s no water added to dilute
fl avors, it's a more favorful metl10d than
ordinary poachi ng. It requi res little addi
tional fat and, i f you throw in vegetables,
adds up to a l ight but satisfing "one
pouch" meal .
3 B Y K E I T H D R E S S E R E
to tl1e heat source, helped concentrate the
exuded liquid and deepen its flavor.
Veggi n' Out
Witl1 the cooking time and temperature
nailed down, I could now tum my atten
tion to selecting the vegetables. I quickly
winnowed my options. Dense vegetables
like potatoes, even when parcooked, filed
to cook evenly in the foil packets. Vegetables
with an absorbent structure, like eggplant,
simply cooked into mush in all the moismre.
Otl1ers, such as broccoli, overpowered the
delicate fish flavor. Beyond these consider
ations, the most important aspect was how
the vegetables were prepared before they
went into the packets. I found that carrots
and leeks could be added to the packets raw,
provided they were cut into matchstcks.
Fetmel was anotl1er vegetable that paired
well with fi sh, but it needed to be wilted
slightly in the nlicrowave to become tender
within the brief cooking time. The zucchni
was much in1proved-and the juices in the
packet less diluted-if ! salted it frst to get
rid of excess moisture.
When done correctly, that is. Without
the right blend of fl avorings, tl1e fsh can
taste so lean and bland, you might as well
be dining on diet food. Not all vegetables
pair well with fsh, and carefl consideration
must be given to their size and whether
precooking is necessary, or you can wind
up with overcooked fsh surrounded by
undercooked vegetables. I wanted to cre
ate an approach worthy oftllis technique's
We use foi l , not parchment paper, and the ri ght bl end of fl avori ngs to
create a sati sfyi ng one-pouch meal .
While tasters liked tl1ese fsh and vegeta
ble pags, many felt tl1at the components
Jacked harmony and overall the dish tasted
a little too lean. A dash of vermouth, which was
absorbed by the fi sh and vegetables, boosted favor
haute roots, with moist, flaky fsh and tender-frm
vegetables fl avored by the rich, aromatic goodness
of their mingled j uices.
Foi l ed Agai n
AU the classic recipes call for cuttng parchment paper
into attractive shapes such as teardrops, hearts, and
butteres, then creasing the sean1s into painstakingly
precise little folds. But j ust looking at the illustratons
made my thumbs throb. I wanted to get dinner on
the table as quickly as possible-not create origami. I
went directly to JH foil, sandwiching tl1e fsh
between two 1 2-inch squares, then crimping the edges
to create JJ airtight seal tl1at would lock in steam.
This was admittedly not as glamorous as an intricately
folded parchment packet, but defnitely serviceable.
My next step was to figure out what type of fsh
worked best in tlis dish and how long it would take
to cook. Afer tring a variety of fish fllets, I quickly
determined that tasters favored faky, mild fsh like
haddock and cod over more assertively flavored fi sh
l i ke salmon or tuna. In the moist atmosphere of tl1e
foil pouch, these oilier fsh had a tendency to over
power the favors of the vegetables ( for tl1e moment
I was simply placing the fsh on a bed of sliced zuc
chini ); better to save them for sauteing or searing.
Since tl1e goal of cooking en papillote is to create
enough steam from tl1e food's own juices, most
recipes recommended cranking tl1e heat way up,
even as high as 500 degrees. Though a wet method
like tl1is one is more forgiving than a dry approach
l i ke roasting, 500 degrees seemed excessive. And it
was. When I opened tl1e foi l afer j ust 15 minutes
for a "nick and peek, " my l - inch fllets were chalky
white and well- done ( and the zucchini was slightly
underdone ) . Cooking at tlis temperature for less
time didn't work eitl1er-the food was barely in the
oven long enough for steam to form, leaving both
fsh and vegetable undercooked. Mer more experi
mentation, I arrived at 450 degrees for 15 minutes
as tl1e ideal temperature and cooking time-hot
enough to produce steam rel atively quickly but
not so hot that tl1e food overcooked. Placing tle
packets on tl1e lower- middle rack of the oven, close
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
l ?
TE C HN| QUE I EVE NLY
C OOKI NG UNEVE N F I LLETS
If your fi sh has a thi n tai l pi ece, tuck it under s o it
cooks at the same rate as the rest of the fl l et: Cut
halfay through the fl esh crosswi se, 2 to 3 i nches
from the tai l end, then fol d the tai l end under the
cut seam to create a fi l l et of even thi ckness.
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I . Arrange vegetabl es on foi l frst
so they wi l l be cl osest to heat
source; drizle with vermouth to
deepen flavor.
2. Top vegetabl es wi th fi sh and
spread compound butter or
toppi ng over i t for i ncreased
ri chness.
3. Top wi th second pi ece of foi l
and cri mp edges together i n Vz-i nch
fol d, then fol d over three more
ti mes to create ai rti ght packet.
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COD BAKED IN FOIL
WITH LEEKS AND CARROTS
S E RVES 4
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4 tabl espoons unsalted butter, sofened
I \ teaspoons fi nel y grated zest frm I l emon;
l emon cut i nto wedges (see note)
2 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 teaspoons)
teaspoon mi nced fresh thyme leaves
Tabl e sal t and grund black pepper
2 tabl espoons mi nced fresh parsl ey leaves
2 medi um carrts, peel ed and cut i nto match
sticks (about I Vz cups) (see note)
2 medi um l eeks, white and l i ght green parts
hal ved l engthwi se, washed, and cut i nto match
sticks (about 2 cups) (see note)
4 tabl espoons vermouth or dry white wi ne
4 ski nl ess cod fl l ets, I to I \ i nches thi ck (about
6 ounces each) (see note and i l l ustrati on on
page 1 2)
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COD BAKED IN FOI L
WI TH ZUCCHI NI AND TOMATOES
S E RVES 4
pound zucchi ni (2 medi um), ends tri mmed and
sl i ced crsswi se i nto V4 -i nch-thi ck runds
Tabl e sal t
V2 pound pl um tomatoes (2 medi um), cored,
seeded, and chopped i nto Vz -i nch pi eces
(about I cup)
2 tabl espoons extra-vi rgi n ol ive oi l
2 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 teaspoons)
teaspoon mi nced fresh oregano l eaves
Va teaspoon red pepper fl akes
Grund bl ack pepper
4 tabl espoons vermouth or dry whi te wi ne
4 ski nl ess cod fi l l ets, I to I \ i nches thi ck (about
6 ounces each)
\ cup mi nced fresh basi l l eaves
l emon, cut i nto wedges
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COD BAKED I N FOIL
WITH F E NNEL AND SHALLOTS
S E RVES 4
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l arge fennel bul b (about I pound), tri mmed,
hal ved, cored, and sl i ced i nto \-i nch stri ps
(about 4 cups)
2 medi um shal l ots, sl i ced thi n (about Vz cup)
4 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, sofened
2 medi um oranges, \ teaspoon fi nel y grated zest
removed frm one; both peel ed, quartered, and
cut crsswi se i nto \-i nch-thi ck pi eces
(see note)
medi um garl i c cl ove, mi nced or pressed thrugh
garl i c press (about I teaspoon)
2 teaspoons mi nced fresh tarragon leaves
Tabl e sal t and grund bl ack pepper
4 tabl espoons vermouth or dry whi te wi ne
4 ski nl ess cod fi l l ets, I to I \ i nches thi ck (about
6 ounces each)
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WCOOk' 8V| DO8 Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i l l u s t rated . c om/ apr 09
HOW TO MAKE
Cod Baked in Foi l with Leeks and Carrots
VIDEO TIP
How do I make a parchment pouch?
Rescuing Baked Ziti
Transformi ng th i s ti red I tal i an-Ameri can cl assi c i nto a di sh
worth maki ng took more than swappi ng out the ri cota.
M
any c ooks , mys el f
i ncl uded, don' t mi nd
lavishing time and tender
loving care on lasagna or
stufed manicotti-the outcome speaks
for itself Baked ziti, however, is another
matter. It's supposed to be simple: just
pasta and a robust tomato sauce baked
under a cover of bubbling, gooey cheese.
But over time the dish has devolved from
simple to merely lazy. Most versions seem
like they went directly from the pantry
into the oven, calling for little more tlan
cooked pasta, j arred tomato sauce, a con
tainer of ricotta, and some preshredded
cheese. The results-overcooked ziti in a
dull, grainy sauce topped witl a rubbery
mass of mozzarella-more than earn the
dish its reputation as mediocre church
supper fare.
Without turning baked ziti into a week
end project, I wanted to get the same
rewardig outcome fom ziti that I've come
to expect from any otl1er baked pasta.
The Speci al Sauce
3 B Y D A V I D P A Z M I N O E
The frst problem to tackle was tl1e sauce. I
didn't want U spend all day hovering over a
pot of stewing tomatoes, so I needed a sauce
Our baked zi ti boasts fl avorful sauce and cheese in every bi te.
that was big on flavor and light on prep. Most "quick"
tomato sauces call for sweatg garlic in olive oil before
adding some type of tomato product. ( I'd deal witl1
the dairy queston later; for now, I'd fish my sauce
by mg in ricotta cheese. ) Whole cared tomatoes
and crushed tomatoes both had good favor but took
a long te to cook dow. To speed things up, what
if I used a tomato product tl1at was already concen
trated? Cared sauce provided the viscous te:ture I
wanted but lacked bright tomato flavor. Doctoring
the sauce with a little tomato paste wasn't the answer;
it merely reinforced the cooked flavor of the sauce.
Ultmately, I struck an ideal balance by adding a can
of diced tomatoes.
R E C I P E D I A G N O S I S : Baked Zi ti Gone Bad
RUBBERY CHE ESE
Preshredded mozzarel l a mel ts i nto an
unappeti zi ng rubbery crust.
DRY, GRAI NY SAUCE
Ziti absorbs l i qui d as i t cooks, l eavi ng the sauce dry
and the ricotta grai ny and broken.
MUSHY PASTA
Starting the casserole with al dente pasta l eads to over
cooked, mushy ziti by the time it emeres from the oven.
CO O K
'
s I L L U S T A T E D
l 4
Now it was time to layer favors. Fresh basil added
rich, aromatic savor, but more herbs were essential.
In the test kitchen, we usually opt for fesh herbs, but
afer simmering my sauce \tl1 botl1 fresh and dried
oregano, tasters were divided. This is not as odd as
it might sound. Some herbs that grow in hot, arid
environments, including oregano, bay leaves, and
rosemary, contain exceptionally stable favor com
pounds that survive dting quite well-leaving plenty
of favor to release when siered. For convenience,
I chose dried oregano.
I ntroduci ng Secret Weapons
Just when my tomato sauce seemed perfect, I added
the ricotta, and a familiar problem reared its head:
Rather than bakig up creamy and rich, tl1e ricotta
was grainy and dulled tl1e sauce . Maybe a diferent
dai product was in order? Straight-up heavy crean1
added lushness but dulled the flavor j ust as much as
ricotta. I needed something creamy yet bright.
/ colleague suggested I tr her mother's baked
ziti recipe, which called for two w10rtl1odox ingre
dients: cottage cheese and j arred Alfredo sauce. I
was skeptical, but I tried the cottage cheese. To my
surprise, it was a smashing success. Its pillmvy curds
have a texture similar to ricotta, but it possesses a
much crean1ier consistency and a more distinct,
tangy flavor. And since cottage curds are bigger, it
bakes up with none of ricotta's graininess .
Alfredo sauce sounded intriguing-what could be
wrong with takng a rich sauce made of reduced cream
and Parmesan cheese and pouring it over ziti, even if
it was meant for fettuccine? But why go \ith jarred? /
quick scan of the jar's label revealed that commercial
Alfedo sauce also contains eggs and thickener. Plain
heavy cream cdn' t work in my previous tests, but
maybe thickening it and enriching it wit eggs would
help. For my next batch, I combined cottage cheese
with eggs, Parmesan, and heavy cream thickened
with a bit of cornstarch. Combining this mill, tang
mixture with the bright tomato sauce won instant
converts. I now had a sauce that was bright, rich, and
creamy-all at the sane time.
Di ced for Success
The pasta presented i ts own challenges. Most recipes
cook me ziti in boiling water until al dente before
tossing it witl1 me sauce and baking. But pasta
continues to absorb sauce as it bakes, wim two
unfortunate consequences: overcooked pasta and
sauce that has been robbed of moisture. Covering
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Keys to Better Fl avor and Texture
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NOT RI COTTA TWO S AUCE S DI CEY S OL UTI ON
Di ced mozzarel l a, sti rred i nto the
sauce and spri nkl ed on top of the
di sh, l eads to mel ted cheese i n
every bi te.
Our recipe swaps ricotta for cottage
cheese, whi ch mai ntai ns its creamy
texture even when hot.
We combi ne tradi ti onal tomato
sauce with nontradi ti onal Alfredo
sauce to achi eve a perfect balance of
brightness and ri chness.
the casserole with aluminum foil as it baked helped
to retain moisture and keep the top from drying out,
but I needed more drastic measures. I ran a series of
tests, finding that cooking the pasta for roughly fve
minutes and usig more than 8 cups of sauce-about
half the cooking time that most recipes call for and
nearly tice the amow1t of sauce-yielded perfctly
al dente pasta in the baked dish with plenty of sauce
lef to keep tl1e whole thing moist.
The only remaining question was how to deal witl1
the cheese. Grated cheese congeals into a mass that
makes the dish not only w1appetzing but difcult to
porton, as some pieces get more than their share of
cheese while others get none. Instead of shredding tle
mozzarella, I tried cuttg it into small cubes-reason
ing that they would melt into distnct but delectable
little pockets of cheese-but they ended up flowng
into each other and, like the shredded cheese, form
ing a heavy crust on top. Using only half of the cheese
worked-sort of; the cubes stayed separate fom each
other, but now the dsh lacked richess. What if I
mixed hal of the cheese with the sauce just before add
ing it to the pasta, and tl1en sprined the rest over the
top? This strategy yielded a hot, bubbly success. The
cubes on top remained perfectly distrbuted, and the
casserole below was dotted with gooey bits of cheese.
T C HN| QU I T HE RI GHT
DE GRE E OF AL DE NTE
To ensure perfectly a l dente pasta i n the fni shed di sh,
we boi l ziti j ust unti l i t begi ns to sofen but i s not yet
cooked through, 5 to 7 mi nutes-half the ti me most
recipes cal l for. The pasta conti nues to cook i n the
oven, where it absorbs me flavorful sauce. To com
pensate, we add nearl y twi ce the amount of sauce
as i n most recipes.
While second-rate red-sauce restaurants continue
to make "lazy-man's" baked ziti, my fanlliy w have
tl1is dish tl1e way it's meant to be-with perfectly al
dente pasta, a rich and favorfl sauce, and melted
cheese in every bite.
BAKED ZI TI
S E RVES 8 TO I 0
The test kitchen prefers baked zit made with heavy
cream, but whole m can be substtuted by increasing
the ammmt of corstarch to 2 teaspoons and increas
ing tl1e cooking time in step 3 by l to 2 minutes. Our
preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole M
Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but
avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt wel. For
tips on cooking witl1 cottage cheese, see page 31 .
pound whol e mi l k or I perent cottage cheese
(see note)
2 large eggs, l i ghtl y beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan (about I V2 cups)
Tabl e sal t
pound zi ti or other short, tubul ar pasta
2 tabl espoons extra-virgin ol ive oi l
5 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 5 teaspoons)
(28-ounce) can tomato sauce
( 1 4. 5-ounce) can di ced tomatoes
teaspoon dried oregano
V2 cup pl us 2 tabl espoons chopped fresh basi l
leaves
teaspoon sugar
Grund bl ack pepper
1. teaspoon cornstarh
cup heavy cream (see note)
8 ounces l ow-moi sture mozzarel l a cheese, cut
i nto -i nch pi eces (about I V2 cups) (see note)
l . Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat
oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs,
and l cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set
aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch
oven over high heat. Stir in l tablespoon salt and
pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins
to sofen but is not yet cooked tl1rough, 5 to 7
minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not
wash Dutch oven) .
M A R C i l b A P R I L 2 0 0 9
1 5
T A s T 1 N G : Cottage Cheese
Ameri cans have enjoyed cottage cheese si nce
Col oni al ti mes. Today, vi rtual l y no refrigerator i s
without a contai ner. Textures range from wet to dry,
al though you woul d never know it from the marlket
ing l i ngo. "Cal ifornia-style" refers to a dri er cottage
cheese, whi l e "country-style" refers to a creami er,
wetter mixture. Whi ch tastes best? We tasted three
nati onal brands of smal l -curd cottage cheese with 4
percent fat, pl ai n and in baked ziti . Our favorite was
a country-style cottage cheese. Most tasters praised
its creamy flavor and texture, whi l e some hol douts
preferred a dri er texture and tangy taste. For com
pl ete tasting results, go to www. cooksi l l ustrated.
com/apr09. -Meredi th Butcher
C R E AM I N G T H E COMP E TI TI ON
HOOD Country Style
Cottage Cheese
Price: $2. 66 per pound
Comments: Thi s country-style
cheese took top honors wit1
its "pi l l owy" texture and a taste
so ri ch, it was al most "buttery."
C RU M B LY C U R D S
F RI E NDS HI P Californi a
Style Cottage Cheese
Price: $2. 89 per pound
Comments: Some tasters
preferred this cottage cheese,
whi ch came i n second, for its dri er, more crumbl y
texture and sl ightly salty taste.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skil
let over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not
brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced
tomatoes, and oregano; simmer unti thickened,
about l O minutes. Of heat, stir in lz cup basil and
sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl;
transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over
mediwn heat. Brg to si er and cook ut thickened,
3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cot
tage cheese mixture, l cup tomato sauce, and % cup
mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir
to coat thoroughly with sauce.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13 - by 9-inch baking
dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over
pasta. Sprinkle remaining % cup mozzarella and
remaining lz cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking
dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5 . Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese
is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30
minutes longer. Cool for 2 0 minutes. Sprinkle with
remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.
WCCCk' 8V| DC8 Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
. c ooks i I I u s t r at ed . c om/ap r09
HOW TO MAKE
Baked Ziti
Keeping Kitchen Staples Fresher Longer
Movi ng your ol i ve oi l , vi negar, and s pi ces off the ki tchen cou nter i s on l y the fi rst step.
Here's how to prol ong the l i fe of essenti al ki tchen i ngred i ents. oY '/. c : c .5 c Y
Few thi ngs l ast forever-i ncl udi ng some of the pantry stapl es you mi ght thi nk are fne to squi rrel away for years. And even if you do observe
expi rati on and sel l -by dates, we've found they can' t al ways be trusted. Here' s how to preserve the freshness of pantry i tems-and how to
know when i t' s time to restock.
SPI CES & DRI ED HERBS
SHELF LI FE:
Whol e Spi ces: 2 years
Grund Spi ces and Dried Herbs: I year
DO buy spi ces whol e, versus ground, whenever
possi bl e and gri nd them j ust before usi ng. Gri ndi ng
rel eases the vol ati l e compounds that give a spi ce its
flavor and aroma. The l onger the spi ce sits around (or
i s stored) , the more compounds di sappear.
DON'T store spi ces and herbs on the counter
cl ose to the stove. Heat, l ight, and moi sture shorten
thei r shel f l ife.
CHE CKI NG F OR
F RE S H NE S S
Crumbl e a smal l
amount of the dri ed
herb between your
fngers and take a
whi f. If i t rel eases a
l i vel y aroma, i t's sti l l
good t o go. I f t he aroma and col or of a spi ce have
faded, i t' s ti me to restock.
Other Oi l s
Here's a qui ck gui de to stori ng open bottl es of oi l i n your
kitchen. For opti mal fl avor, repl ace these oi l s 6 months
afer openi ng.
STORE I N PANTRY
Canola
Corn
Peanut
Vegetabl e
Sesame
Wal nut
SHELF LI FE: Long-l asti ng
DON' T toss ol d vi negar. Most
vi negars contai n about 5 percent ace
ti c aci d, whi ch (al ong wi th pasteuriza
tion) prevents the growth of harmful
bacteri a, and wi l l l ast i ndefni tel y.
DO i gnore any sedi ment in your
vi negar. The sedi ment i s a harml ess
cel l ul ose that our testi ng has
shown doesn' t afect
taste; i t can be
easi l y strai ned out
(see "Vi negar
Sedi ment, "
page 2) .
SHELF LI FE:
Unopened: I year
Open: 3 months
DO check the harvest
date pri nted on the l abel
of hi gh-end oi l s to ensure
the freshest bottl e pos
si bl e. (Some l abel s ci te an
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expi rati on date, whi ch producers typi cal l y cal cul ate
as 1 8 months from harvesti ng. We thi nk unopened
ol i ve oi l can go ranci d I year afer the harvest date. )
DO move ol i ve oi l from the
countertop or wi ndowsi l l to a dark
pantry or cupboard. Strong sunl i ght
wi l l oxi dize the chl orophyl l i n the
oi l , produci ng stal e, harsh flavors.
DON' T buy ol i ve oi l i n bul k.
Once opened, i t has a very short
shelf l ife.
C H E CK I NG F OR
F R E S HNE S S
Heat a l i ttl e ol i ve oi l i n a ski l l et.
I f i t smel l s ranci d, throw out the
bottl e. (Thi s test works for al l
vegetabl e oi l s. )
L L L

5 l L L L 5 J K A L |

Beyond the Pantry
Whi l e not pantry stapl es per se, eggs and butter are
essenti al to everyday cooki ng.
up of-fl avors and
-/11:
WOB 7M3P |/ Cu 7A&65Fu5
turn ranci d if kept
i n the refrigerator for l onger than a month. I f you don' t
use a l ot, store butter i n the freezer for up to 4 months i n
a zi pper-l ock bag and thaw sti cks as needed.
LLLS
NEVER put eggs i n the eg tray on the refrigerator
door, whi ch i s too warm. Keep them in the carton,
whi ch hol ds i n moi sture and protects
agai nst odor absorpti on.
CHE CKI NG
F OR
F RE S HNES S
Legally, egs may
al ready be up to
two months ol d
by the end of the
"sel l by" date, so i t' s best to check
for freshness yourself. I f an eg has an unpl easant odor,
di scard it. Store egs in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 weeks.
SHELF LI FE: I year
DO store pasteuri zed soy
sauce (the most common type)
i n the pantry and save room
i n the fridge for i tems that are
more peri shabl e.
DON' T store unpasteur
ized soy sauce in the pantry;
put i t i n the fridge. Though the
high l evel s of sal t, sugar, and
aci d i n thi s fermented soybean
l i qui d protect agai nst rapi d
spoi l age, i n tests we found i t
took on a fshy fl avor afer a
few months in the cupboard.
Granul ated Sugar, Honey, and
Molasses: Long-l asti ng
Maple Syrup: 2 years un
opened, I year open
DO store granul ated sugar i n an ai rtight contai ner
to protect i t from heat, moi sture, and critters.
DO keep mol asses and honey i n the pantry ( i n
the fridge, mol asses temporari l y turns i nto a thi ck,
unpourabl e sl udge, and honey crystal l izes) .
DO store unopened mapl e syrup in the pantry,
but move the opened syrup to the refrigerator. Be
cause of its high moi sture level and lack of preserva
tives, maple syrup i s suscepti bl e to the growth of
yeast, mol d, and bacteri a.
REVI VI NG
CRYSTALLI ZED
HONEY
To remove the
crystals, open a
glass honey jar,
put i t in a sauce
pan fl l ed with
I i nch of water,
and heat unti l it
reaches I 60 degrees.
SOFTE NI NG BROWN SUGAR
When brown sugar comes i nto contact with ai r, the
moi sture i n the sugar evaporates, and the sugar turns
rock-hard. Here are two easy methods to sofen i t.
Qui ck Fi x: Pl ace the
hardened brown sugar
i n a bowl with a sl i ce of
sandwi ch bread. Cover
with pl astic wrap and
mi crowave for I 0 to 20
seconds.
Chi l l Out
Ongoi ng Remedy: Store
brown sugar i n a seal ed
contai ner with a terra
cotta Brown Sugar Bear
($3. 25), whi ch gets a
brief soak in water before
bei ng added to the sugar.
These i tems stay fresher in the freezer:
Bay leaves
Fl ours wi th heavy germ content
(such as whol e wheat) and cornmeal
Nuts and seeds
Yeast
LEAVENERS
SHELF LI FE:
Baki ng Powder and
Baki ng Soda: 6 months
I nstant or Active Dry Yeast: 4 months (i n freezer)
DON' T keep yeast in the pantry-put i t in the
freezer to sl ow deteri orati on. And because yeast i s a
l i vi ng organi sm, the
expi rati on date on
the package shoul d
be observed.
WHEN BAKI NG POWDER
LOSES PUNCH
Over ti me, baki ng powder (compri sed of baki ng
soda, aci d sal t, and cornstarch) l oses i ts abi l ity to
produce carbon di oxi de and gi ve baked goods thei r
l i ft-sooner than many producers cl ai m. We com
pared bi scuits made wi th a newl y opened can of bak
i ng powder to bi scuits made with cans opened and
stored for I month al l the way up to a year. The ri se
of the bi scuits began to decrease wi th the 6-month
ol d powder and conti nued to decl i ne to hal f the
hei ght of fresh at the 1 0-month-ol d mark. For best
resul ts, repl ace your baki ng pow
der (and soda) every 6 months.
SHELF LI FE:
Al l -Purpose Fl our: I year
Whol e Wheat Fl our and
Cornmeal : I year (in freezer)
DO transfer al l -purpose fl our
out of i ts paper bag and i nto an
ai rti ght contai ner to protect i t
from humi dity.
DON' T l eave whol e
wheat fl our or cornmeal
i n the pantry; they contai n
natural oi l s that wi l l go
ranci d i n as l i ttl e as 3
months.
DO encl ose
whol e wheat fl our
and cornmeal i n
zi pper-l ock bags
and store them
i n the freezer.
^ A K L M c l K | L 2 0 0 9
l `
|
, -(
'
'
Dry Storage Contai ners
Ai rti ght contai ners keep moi sture at bay and make
scoopi ng and measuri ng easi er. Our preferred storage
choi ce for fl our and
sugar i s a contai ner
that easi l y accom
modates an enti re
5-pound bag, with
an openi ng wi de
enough to di p i n a
measuri ng cup and
l evel of the excess
ri ght back i nto the
contai ner. Our
OUR WI NNI NG
CONTAI NE R
favori te, the Rubbermai d 4-Quart Carb-X Commercial
Food Stoage contai ner ($5. 78) , stands out because
|
of the measurement marks al ong the si des, its sturdy
handl es, and its cl ear pl asti c for vi si bi l ity.
tHOCOLATE
SHELF LI FE:
Unsweetened and Dark
Chocolate: 2 years
Mi l k and White
Chocolate: 6 months
DO wrap open bars
of chocol ate ti ghtl y in pl asti c and store in a cool
pantry to ensure opti mum freshness. I f chocol ate i s
'
exposed to rapi d changes i n humi dity
or temperature, sugar or fat may
sofen. and mi grate, di scol ori ng
the surface. Thi s cosmeti c
condi ti on, cal l ed bl oom,
doesn' t afect the fl a-
vor of the chocol ate.
DON' T store
chocol ate in the re
frigerator or freezer,
as cocoa butter
easi l y absorbs of-flavors from other foods and
changes i ts crystal structure.
DO keep i n mi nd that the mi l k sol i ds i n mi l k and
whi te chocol ate gi ve them a shorter shel f l i fe than
unsweetened and dark chocol ate.
SHELF LI FE: Long-l asti ng
DO keep vani l l a i n a ti ghtl y seal ed
contai ner away from l ight and heat.
DON' T get rid of ol d vani l l a. Vani l l a's
hi gh al cohol content makes i t extremel y shelf-stabl e.
I n tests, we' ve found that even I 0-year-ol d vani l l a i s
i ndi sti ngui shabl e from fresh.
Mashed Potatoes, French-Style
French cookery's i ntensel y ri ch, cheesy take on mas hed potatoes fl outs the ru l es.
To Ameri can i ze the di s h, we i gnored a few more. Vi ve I a res i stance!
L
eave it to the French to take a con
cept as simple as throwing cheese
and garlic into mashed potatoes
and elevate i t into something
far more interesting than, well, mashed
potatoes with cheese and garlic. The dish,
called a/pt, comes from the Auvergne
region of south-central France, where it is
so revered, an entire festival is devoted each
year to celebrating it.
I frst encountered aligot at a Boston
bistro, where the tacitur waiter billed it
merely as "French" mashed potatoes. That
didn't prepare me for the dish that arrived
at my table. Instead of a fuf mound of
spuds, this mash pooled on the plate. And
when I lifed my fork to take a bite, the
potatoes stretched and pulled like taf.
Was that a good thing? One intensely
garlicky, cheesy bite and I knew it was a
superb thing.
I did a little research when I got home
and learned that aligot gets this uniquely
elastic, satiny texture through prolonged,
vigorous strg. Now I was really intrgued.
Here in the test kitchen, we've confrmed
time and again that a light touch is the
secret to great mashed potatoes. How could
a heavy-handed technique create such a
velvety puree without any trace of glueyness
or stickiness?
Goi ng for Gol d
3 B Y C H A R L E S K E L S E Y E
enemy of light and fuf; in aligot, their
density was still apparent. Furthermore,
tasters fow1d the favor of Red Bliss all but
undetectabl e. Russets did far better on
favor, lending a nice earthiness, but their
high starch content produced a palate
sticking tackiness that surfaced through the
cheese. The medium- starch Yukon Golds
were the clear winer, yielding a puree wt
a mild, buttety favor and a light, creany
consistency.
Li ft and Stretch
Now I was ready to consider cooking tech
Iique. In the test kitchen, we've found that
how you cook the potatoes for a regular
mash is critical to their fnal texture. To
avoid glueyness, we've gone so far as to
steam as well as rinse the spuds nudway
through cooking to rid them of excess
amylose, the "bad" starch in potatoes that
turns them tacky. But if the potatoes were
to be stirred so vigorously later (rough
handling also bursts the granules d1at con
tain amylose, releasing d1e starch into the
mix) , would such treatment even matter?
A it turned out, no. When I compared
a batch of aligot made with stean1ed and
rinsed potatoes to one made \ith simple
boiled potatoes ( the method advocated by
virtually evety recipe I came across) , tasters
could detect no diference.
In the test kitchen's cookbook library,
I learned that most aligot recipes combine
pureed boiled potatoes with butter and
creme frakhe (a matured, thickened cream
with tangy favor) , then energetically beat
in handfls of cheese until the mixture
Two ki nds of cheese ( both nontradi ti onal ) and vi gorous sti rri ng give our
mas h the s ame creamy stretch as t he French ori gi nal .
Now what about mashing? The French
nrn to a tool called a tamis, a metal sieve
mounted over a shallow d. Food is
pressed through the screen to create a super
smooth puree fee of even the tiest lumps.
Bod1 a ricer and a food ml seemed like
achieves its signature stretch and lifs in long, elastic
ribbons. This hearty side dish is traditionally served
with equally ri b- sticking fare such as sausages or
grilled meat.
When I looked closely at a few of the recipes, two
things became clear. First, aligot calls for so much
butter, cheese, and creme fraiche that if I plam1ed
to serve it for anything but a really special meal , a
little lightening up would be in order. Second, I
was going to have to improvise with the cheese.
The traditional choice is tmm:atb:, a sof,
mild cheese made from fresh curds. Given the U. S.
government ban on the sale of raw ( unpasteurized)
cow's nulk cheese aged less than 60 days, dus cheese
would be out of reach for most Americans. For d1e
time being I setded on Cantal, an aged, semihard
version of tomme fraiche wid1 a flavor similar to
n1i1d cheddar.
The next pressing issue: choosing a potato. The
drree obvious contenders were russet, Yukon Gold,
and Red Bliss. I mixed up batches of aligot with
each kind and then tasted them side by side . The
Red Bliss were ruled out on two counts. In regular
mashed potatoes, we've found that they are the
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A r F D
1 8
close cousins to the tas, but neither gave
me the velvety texture I was lookg for. Normally
I wouldn't dream of "mashing" potatoes in a food
processor-its metal blade would surely burst every
starch granule in the m.. But since glueyness wasn't
an issue in aligot, I brought de processor out, and
fow1d it worked beaut y.
Next up: creaminess. Traditional aligot uses
butter and creme fraiche to add favor and loosen
the potato puree's texture before mixing in the
cheese. Since creme fraiche isn' t always easy to
fnd, I decided to try making aligot with sour
cream (a common substinite) as well as heavy cream
Tuber Testi ng
RED POTATO
Red Bl i ss potatoes were
overly dense.
RUS S E T
Russet potatoes yielded
a tacky texture.
YUKON GOL D
Yukon Gol ds had wi nni ng flavor
and a lighter, creamier texture.
and milk. Sour cream produced results that were
certainly creamy but also way too rich. Ditto on
the version made with cream, which sated tasters
with a single bite. In the end, whole milk proved
best, providing depth without going overboard.
I found that the amount of milk it took to loosen
the texture varied from batch to batch, depending
on the moisture content of the potatoes. As for
butter, afer testing various amounts, I settled on
6 tablespoons for 2 pounds of potatoes . ( Some
recipes called for as much as two sticks for tl1e same
quantity of spuds, but with the cheese still to come,
that was overkill . )
At last, I could concentrate on selecting the
cheese. For testing purposes, I'd been using
Cantal-which seemed like a good bet, given tl1at
it's an older cousin of the autl1entic choice, tomme
frakhe. But adding handfls of tl1e shredded cheese
thickened my potatoes so much that I needed
brute force to stir them. Plus, the dish lacked the
stretchiness I remembered from my bistro meal .
Searching for a more elastic substitute, I tried
cheddar and then Swiss, with similarly unsatisfac
tory results . Grabbing a quick piece of pizza one
day and watching how ribbons of gooey mozza
rella stretched between two slices, it came to me:
Wy not try typical pizza cheese, the prepackaged
mozzarella from the supermarket dairy section? If
it worked, who would care tl1at tl1is cheese was
about as far as you could get from aligot's French
farmhouse origins?
This was a stretch in the very best way-afer
adding a generous 3 cups, I could lift my wooden
spoon and entertain my colleagues with the
aligot's incredible expansion. Yet its taste fell
fat: The mozzarella was j ust too mild. Stirring
and lifing, I tested versions in which I replaced
some of tl1e mozzarella with slightly stronger tast
ing Cantal (in smaller portions, it didn' t lessen
elasticity) , sharp cheddar, and nutty Gruyere.
Gruyere turned out to be the top choice. Still
tlere were complaints: With 3 cups of cheese and
2 pounds of potatoes ( a lesser proportion of cheese
than most recipes called for) , tasters thought tl1e
aligot was still overly rich. Cutting back to j ust a
cup of mozzarella and a cup of Gruyere reduced tl1e
stretch slightly, but kept richness in check.
As for the stirring, at tl1is point my arm was
going around in circles in my sleep. Testing proved
tl1at stirring was key to tl1e aligot equation: Too
much and the aligot turned so rubbery that it
reminded me of chewing gum; too little and tl1e
cheese didn't truly marry witl1 the potatoes for tl1at
essential elasticity. I eventually surmised tl1at fve
minutes was tl1e right workout. But I still didn' t
understand why the stirring worked so wel l , since
the vigorous motion ( l ike that of the food proces
sor) releases amylose, tl1e pesky starch molecule
that turns good potatoes gluey. Afer consulting
with our science editor, I learned that in this case,
amylose was an asset-tl1e sticky molecules were
binding with tle proteins from tl1e melted cheese,
The Sci ence of Stretch: Rough ' Em Up
Normal l y we woul dn' t dream of mashi ng potatoes i n a food proces
sor, l et al one whi ppi ng them by hand for a protracted peri od-two
techni ques cal l ed for in our al igot reci pe. Such rough handl i ng causes
the release of amyl ose, the tacky gel -l i ke starch found i n potatoes
that spel l s the end of l ight, fl uf texture. But i n these cheesy, garl i cky
French mashed potatoes. the release of amylose is actual l y a good thi ng.
When combi ned with the cheese i n the reci pe. i t hel ps produce al igot's
signature stretch.
Here's how it works: When cheese i s stirred vigorousl y i nto the hot
boiled potatoes. this rough treatment causes the waterloged starch gran
ules i n the spuds to burst, releasing stick, gluey amylose. At the same ti me,
the protein mol ecul es i n the mel ting cheese are uncoi l i ng and stretchi ng
WH I P I NTO S HAP E
For smooth, elastic texture, stir
potatoes three to fve mi nutes.
out l i ke curly hair straightened by a flat iron. When amylose released from the potatoes comes i nto contact with the
uncoi l ed protei ns. it l i nks them together into l ong. el asti c fbers that give al i got its stretch. -C. K.
,\\ A R C I I b A P R I | 2 0 0 9
1 9
enhancing its stretch without causing glueyness
(see "The Science of Stretch: Rough 'Em Up,"
below) .
Thus informed, I could focus on the remaining
element: garlic. Adding two minced cloves to tl1e
potatoes as I pureed them in the food processor
yielded j ust the right amount of garlic punch.
At last my J got was so rich, garlicky, and stretchy,
I was wiling to bet it would even pass muster i
Auvergne.
FRE NCH MASHED POTATOES
WITH CHE ESE AND GARLI C (ALIGOT)
S E RVE S 6
The fnished potatoes should have a smootl1 and
slightly elastic texture. White cheddar can be substi
tuted for tl1e Gruyere. For richer, stretchier aligot,
double tl1e mozzarella.
2 pounds Yukon Gol d potatoes (4 to 6
medi um), peel ed, cut i nto V2 -i nch-thi ck sl i ces,
ri nsed wel l , and drai ned
Tabl e sal t
6 tabl espoons unsal ted butter
2 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
thrugh garl i c press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 -1 V2 cups whol e mi l k
4 ounces mozzarel l a cheese, shredded
(about I cup) (see note)
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about
I cup) (see note)
Grund bl ack pepper
l . Place potatoes in large saucepan; add water to
cover by l inch and add 1 tablespoon salt. Partially
cover saucepan witl1 lid and bring potatoes to boil
over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and
sinler until potatoes are tender and j ust break apart
when poked with fork, 1 2 to 1 7 minutes . Drain
potatoes and dr saucepan.
2 . Transfer potatoes to food processor; add
butter, garlic, and 1 1/ teaspoons salt. Pulse until
butter is melted and incorporated into potatoes,
about ten l - second pulses. Add 1 cup milk and
continue to process until potatoes are smootl1 and
creamy, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides
halfay tl1rough.
3. Return potato mixture to saucepan and set over
medium heat. Stir in cheeses, 1 cup at a time, until
incorporated. Continue to cook potatoes, stirring
vigorously, until cheese is flly melted and mixture
is smootl1 and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. If mixture is
difcult to stir and seems thick, stir in Z tablespoons
milk at a time ( up to 11 cup) until potatoes are loose
and creamy. Season witl1 salt and pepper. Serve
i mmediately.
CCCk' 8V| DC8 Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c oo k s i I I U5 t r at e d . c o m/ ap r 09
HOW TO MAKE
French Mashed Potatoes with Cheese and Garl i c (Aiigot)
Easy Chicken Cutlets wth Porcini Sauce
I tal i ans brai se ch i cken for hou rs i n a ri ch wi ne and mus h room sauce.
We wanted to keep the fl avor but cut the cooki ng ti me.
0 n the surface, // aiun_bir
tinii sn' t the likeliest candidate for a
quick weeknight dinner. This classic
Northern Italian dish simmers fresh
porcini, white wine, tomato, and a whole chicken
until the chicken i s fall - of- the- bone tender and the
broth rich and satisfing. But with deeply favored
porcini mushrooms on my side, maybe I could
distill the essence of this braise into a complex- tast
ing pan sauce served over simple sauteed chicken
cutlets. My goal was dinner on the table in no more
than 30 minutes, start to fnish.
I started tl1e countdown by sauteing eight thinly
pounded cutlets in two speedy batches ( each batch
only required 2l2 minutes) . I transferred the chicken
to a plate and added fresh porcini and a minced
shallot to the pan, sauteing tl1em briefl y. Then I
deglazed tl1e pan with white wine, tomato paste, and
chicken stock, fnishing witl1 butter. Even with tl1e
earthy savor of porcini in the m,t11e sauce tasted
weak; plus its consistency was dun, barely clinging
to the chicken. Clearly I needed to bump up flavor.
But fi rst, I had to get the sauce to coat the chicken.
Adding flour as I sauteed the mushrooms and the
shallot made the sauce thicker, but it still slid of tl1e
cutlets. The solution was to also dredge the cutlets
in four before sauteing, which not only improved
browning but also added a rough surface to capture
the sauce.
Now, what to do about favor? When a wine
based liquid simmers for a long time, favor com
pounds in tl1e wine break down and recombine to
form new compow1ds known as esters, which bring
fuit depth to the mix. A pan sauce reduced for 5
minutes doesn't cook long enough for this reac
tion to happen. But what if I were to swap wine
for vermouth-which has many of the qualities
of a good dry white wine but more concentrated
fl avor? While vermouth helped, tasters still missed
the subtle sweetness contributed by long-simmered
wine. The answer proved as simple as adding half a
teaspoon of sugar.
It was time to take a step back and consider my
choice of fresh porcini . Their rich, woodsy favor is
superior to tl1e dried kind, but as they're so hard to
fd, I knew I had to at least try substituting dried.
A half-ounce of dried porcini soaked in chicken
stock, then strained and chopped, was all my tast
ers could handle before protesting about too many
soggy mushroom bits in the sauce. Yet this wasn't
enough to deliver the same degree of flavor as 4
3 B Y J K E N J I A L T E
ounces of fresh. Trying to add favor by browning
tl1e reconstituted porcini was fuitless-tl1ey were
too wet to caramelize properly. Then I remembered
a test kitchen trick to increase savor fl avor: adding
a dash of soy sauce. The natural glutamates found
in soy sauce ( tle compound that gives food umami,
or savory favor) are the same compOLmds that make
mushrooms taste meaty. I was afraid tasters might
complain about an Asian condiment in an Italian
inspired dish, but all tl1ey noticed was deeper porcini
flavor-exactly what I wanted.
To perfect the sauce, al I needed was fresh tl1yme
and a shot of lemon j uice stirred in before serving.
Ready in j ust 30 minutes, I had a new chicken dish
tl1at was so fll of fl avor, it tasted like it had been
slow-cooked in a traditional Italian kitchen.
SAUT
E
ED CHI CKEN CUTLETS
WI TH PORCI NI SAUCE
S E RVE S 4
For even more intense mushroom flavor, grind an
additional half-ounce of dried porcini mushrooms in
a spice grinder until it is reduced to fi ne dust. Sif tl1e
dust through a fne- mesh strainer and then stir it into
tl1e four before dredging the chicken. Lok for d1ied
mushrooms tl1at are smooth and have small pores;
shriveled porcini with large holes will retain dirt and
grit even afer rinsing ( see page 31 for more informa
tion) . The chicken breasts wlbe easier to slice in half
if you feeze them for 1 5 minutes. To slice a breast in
half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it,
hold a chefs knife parallel to the cutting board, and
slice through tl1e middle of the breast horizontally.
V2 ounce (about 3 cup) dri ed pori ni mushroms
(see note)
cup low-sodi um chi cken brth
! cup pl us I teaspoon unbl eached al l -purpose
fl our
Tabl e sal t and grund bl ack pepper
4 bonel ess, ski nl ess chi cken breasts (6 to 8
ounces each), tenderl oi ns removed and breasts
tri mmed of excess fat, halved hori zontal ly, and
pounded V i nch thi ck (see note)
2 tabl espoons pl us I teaspoon vegetabl e oi l
smal l shal lot, mi nced (about 2 tabl espoons)
V4 cup dry vermouth
teaspoon tomato paste
teaspoon soy sauce
V2 teaspoon sugar
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
?|
2 tabl espoons col d unsalted butter
V2 teaspoon mi nced fresh thyme leaves
V2 teaspoon j ui ce frm I l emon
l . Rse porcini in large bowl of cold water, agtat
ing tl1em witl1 hands to release d and sand. Allow
dirt and sand to settle to bottom of bowl, then l
porcini from water and transfer to microwave-safe
2-cup measuring cup. Add chicken broth, submerg
ing porcini beneatl1 surface of liquid. Microwave on
high power 1 minute, until broth is steaning. Let
stand 1 0 minutes. Using tongs, gently l porcini
out of broth and transfer to cutting board, reservig
broth. Chop porcini into %- inch pieces and transfer
to medium bowl. Strain broth through fi ne-mesh
strainer led wtl large cofee flter into bowl with
chopped porcini .
2. Combine 1/4 cup fl our, 1 teaspoon salt, and l2
teaspoon pepper in pie plate. Working one piece at
a time, dredge chicken in four, shaking gently to
remove excess . Set aside on plate.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 1 2- inch skillet over
medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 cutlets
in skillet and cook without moving until browned,
about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook
until second sides are opaque, 1 5 to 20 seconds.
Transfer to large plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now
empty skillet and repeat to cook remag cutlets.
Tent plate loosely with foi l .
4. Add remaining teaspoon oil to now-empty
skillet and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot
and cook, stirring ofen, until sofened, about 30
seconds. Add remailling teaspoon four and cook,
whisking constantly, 30 seconds. Increase heat to
medium-high and whisk in vermouth, soaked porcini
and their liquid, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar.
Simmer Lmtil reduced to 1 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Transfer cutlets and any accumulated juices to
skillet. Cover and siner until cutlets are heated
through, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat
and transfer cutlets to serving platter. Whisk butter,
tl1yme, and lemon j uice into sauce and season with
salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve
immediately.
WCOOK' S VI DEOS Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos
www. c oo ks i I I u s t rat ed . c o m/ apr 09
HOW TO MAKE
Sauteed Chi cken Cutl ets with Porci ni Sauce
VIDEO TIP
Buyi ng and cooki ng with dri ed porci ni mushrooms
Dressing Up Brown Rice
We've al ready sol ved the cooki ng probl ems that pl ague brown ri ce.
Now, what to do about j azzi ng u p i ts taste?
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BROWN RICE WITH ONIONS
AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS
S E RVE S 4 TO 6
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2 medi um oni ons, chopped fne (about 2 cups)
cup low-sodi um chi cken brth
2 V cups water
I V2 cups l ong-grain brwn rice (see note)
I teaspoon tabl e salt
3 cup rasted red peppers, chopped
V2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
V teaspoon grund bl ack pepper
ounce Parmesan, grated ( V2 cup)
l emon, cut i nto wedges
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M A R C i l b A P R I L 2 0 0 9
2 1
A few si mpl e addi ti ons dress up thi s pl ai n grai n.
BROWN RICE WITH PEAS, FETA, AND MINT
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CCCk' 8V| DC8 Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
. c ook s i I I u s t rated . c o m/ apr09
HOW TO MAKE
Brown Ri ce with Oni ons and Roasted Red Peppers
Discovering Authentic Ciabatta
Th i s I tal i an l oaf boasts a cri sp, fl avorfu l crust and a chewy, open cru mb
i n the hands of a master. Where does that l eave the rest of us?
: B Y K E I T H D R E S S E R E
A secret i ngredi ent and a few good turns gi ve thi s bread j ust the ri ght amount of ai r and l i ft.
I
'm an armchair baker. I love looking at a gor
geous, perfectly formed loaf and imagining
all the artistry that went into it-but when
it comes to actually baking one, I ' ll usually
leave it to tl1e masters. Especially when tl1e bread
is ciabatta.
In me rght hands, iis low-rising, rustic Italian loaf
boasts a flour-streaked crust and tangy, open crumb
witl so much favor, you can eat it straight up witl1out
any toppings ( iough just as ofen me bread is cut
horizontally, stufd, and grilled for panini ) . A much
as I admire ciabatta's taste and form, it's me need to
set aside time for the starter mat keeps me fom roll
ing up my sleeves and baking it myself Most bread
starters need at least 12 hours to ferment, and at an
ideal temperamre for best flavor, before you even get
to me f part of mixing and kneading.
Wil ciabatta available everywhere these days
even Blimpie sandwich outlets-why would anyone
botl1er to make it? Because unless your source is an
artisanal bakery, most of the loaves you fnd j ust
aren't any good. Some l ack favor, others are too flat,
still others have holes so big mere's hardly any bread.
Uninterested in yet another lackluster loaf fom tle
supermarket, I decided get out of my armchair and
head into me kitchen to learn how it's done.
Bread Basi cs
A a frst step, I reviewed tl1e mechanics of making
bread. Reduced to its essence, all bread making is
simpl e. First you create dough out of four, water,
yeast, and salt. Then you knead me dough, let it rise,
and bake it into bread. The catalyst for te transfor
mation from dough to risen loaf
,
is fermentation, the
process whereby me starches and sugars in tl1e flour
break down to feed me yeast, which tlen releases
carbon dioxide. A the carbon dioxide bubbles up
and attempts to escape, this gas gets trapped by elas-
C O O K ' s I L L U S T R A T E D
? ?
tic gluten (me network of proteins mat gives bread
strucntre and chew) , and the dough rises.
Ciabatta follows tlus basic formula, witl1 some
twists. First, instead of nlg al of me ingredients
together at once, it begins wit mat inconvenient
bread starter, also known as a sponge, or in Italian as
a /qa. Like stock in soup, the biga provides a strong
fmdation for favor. The biga is made wtl1 a lttle
flour and water along witl1 a scant amOLmt of yeast.
The mixture ferments for several hours before being
added tO more of me san1e ingredients.
Second, wUi ke most bread dough, ciabatta dough
is extremely wet. Its hydration is a whopping 80
percent, which means mere are 8 owes of water for
every l 0 ounces offour ( compared to the hydraton
of standard sandwich bread, which can be as low as
60 percent) . So much water was certain to make me
dough unwieldy, but it's essential for me fnal tex
ntre. Not only does water reinforce gluten develop
ment, it also develops me bread's signature holes . A
me water mrs to steam during baking, me moismre
rushes out, flling the existing bubbles created by me
carbon dioxide and men enlarging iem.
Bi ga Deal
The frst thing to decide on was the four-bread or
all-purpose? By name alone, bread four seemed me
obvious choice, but I found I preferred all-purpose.
Bread four is made from hard wheat, which has
a !ugh protein content mat leads to lots of gluten
development, but in ciabatta it proved too much of
a good thing: These loaves were tough and overly
chewy. All-purpose four, on tl1e other hand, is
made from botl1 hard and sof wheat and has slightly
less protein. I t produced loaves witl1 a more open,
springy texmre. ( They were still a bit fat, but I
would deal witl1 that later. )
The next step was to build favor irough the
biga. A it ferments, the yeast in me biga produces
a byproduct oflactic and acetc acids, which gve me
bread its characteristic sourness. Most recipes called
for a ratio of 25 percent biga to 75 percent doug,
but afer trying mis and fnding it lacked character, I
changed me proportions to halfbiga and half dough.
Bad move-me bread becane boozy-tastng fom me
yeast. Cutting back, I settled on 30 percent sponge
and 70 percent dough as d1e ideal proportion for
nonalcoholic tang.
Following standard protocol, I combined me biga
ingredients in a bowl, covered the bowl, and lef it
Out on me counter ovenught. About 1 2 hours later,
E Q U I P M E N T T E s T I N G : Bowl Scrapers
The best way to remove sticky bread dough or runny batter from a bowl i s with a bowl scraper-a hand-hel d spatul a
that fts i n your pal m. We tested five model s to fnd a curved scraper wi th enough gri p to scrape the bowl cl ean and
enough rigidity to move heavy dough easi l y. We tri ed scrapers made of pl asti c, metal , si l i cone, and combi nati ons of these
material s, zeroing i n on contoured si l icone covering a metal i nsert as our favorite. For compl ete testing results, go to V .
cooksi l l ustrated. com/apr9. -Pegy Chung Col l i er
CLEAN CONTOURS
i Si BASI CS Si l i cone Scraper
Spatula
L I MI TE D F L E XI B I L I TY
ATECO Bowl Scraper
Price: 80 cents
T H I CK AND F L I MS Y
TRUDEAU Si l i cone Bowl Scraper
Price: $6.9 5
Price: $5. 99
Comments: The rigidity and gener
ous surface area of thi s wi nni ng
scraper lef no dough or batter
behi nd. Another pl us: a straight edge
that doubl es as a bench scraper
Comments: This rectangul ar pl astic
scraper (the cheapest of the lot) was
stif enough to efci entl y move large
quantities of dough. but it coul dn' t
match the i Si scraper when it came
to sweepi ng up batter trai l s.
Comments: Thi s thi ck, fl oppy si l i
cone scraper lacked the metal i nsert
that made our wi nner so efective.
I t l ef trai l s of batter behi nd and was
awkward to hol d.
it bubbled and had a pleasant, sour aroma. Some
recipes were very particular about the temperature of
the room where the biga ferments, but I fOLmd that
as long as it was between 60 and 70 degrees-rypical
ambient room temperature-the biga turned out fne.
(At higher room temperatures, however, the biga
overfermented and produced bread that was too sour
and poorly leavened, while biga lef in a chilly room
fermented too slowly and yielded bland loaves. )
After combining the biga with the dough ingre
dients, the next step was kneading. The dough
was simply too wet to knead by hand, so I turned
to a stand mixer. Most of the recipes I consulted
kneaded the dough for only a few minutes-j ust
long enough to activate the gluten in the flour. But
when I put these loaves in the oven, they spread
out instead of rising. Clearly, I needed better
gluten development, so I increased the kneading
time to 10 minutes at medium speed. Alas, the
bread baked from this dough still barely rose. But
anything beyond l 0 minutes of kneading and the
loaves turned out tough.
In our recipe for Rustic Ditmer Rolls (November/
December 2008 ) , we used a gentler approach to
coaxing out gluten: turning. This involves using a
rubber spatula or bowl scraper to fold the dough
over itself several times in movements similar to
foldi.g egg whites i.1to batter, and then letting it rest
to rise. Ten minutes of kneading augmented by one
series ofntrns was helpfl, but repeating tl1e process
for a total of 1 6 turns was the perfct pick-me- up,
producing loaves that rose about 2 inches.
Mi l ky Way
A it stood, my recipe now yielded ciabatta with
good flavor and just the right domed shape, but
when I cut into it, I got lost in its gigantic holes. My
keading and turning had encouraged strong strands
of gluten, which are good for strucntre but also sup-
port oversized holes. I retraced my kneading times,
four choice, sponge and water ratios, and turing
steps, but every time I altered the recipe, I upset
t delicate balance and the dough eitl1er lacked
structure or lost fl avor. I wondered if olive oil, an
optional ingredient in one of tl1e original recipes I
consulted, would weaken tl1e gluten strands enough
to yield smaller holes. I tried my recipe witl1 varying
amounts, but tl1e oil had no impact until I reached
3 tablespoons . At tl1at point the bread's sour flavor
was overwhelmed by the oil's taste-better to save
it for dipping.
Anotl1er ingredient mentioned in a few recipes
I found was milk. I initially tl10ught the milk was
added solely for flavor, but when I tried it i n my
recipe, the results surprised me. Cutting into tl1is
ciabatta revealed a uniform crumb pockmarked with
medi um- sized bubbles. Success at l ast! Curious
about why tl1is addition worked, I did a little
digging and leared that milk contains a protein
fragment called glutathione, which acts to slightly
weaken the gluten strands. A mere 1/4 cup of milk
was enough to moderately reduce the size of the
bubbles. ( For more information, see "Ridding
Bread of Oversized Air Holes," above. )
With the crumb issues resolved, I could turn to
shapi.g. I hoped to use tle simplest metl1od: stretch
ing portions of dough into loaves. Unfortunately,
tllis produced homely, unevenly baked bread. Tring
another common approach, I shaped a portion of
dough into a rectangle, then folded tl1e shorter
ends over each otl1er like a business letter to form a
stubby rectangl e. Much better. To avoid extra han
dling of the dough, I simply formed tl1e loaves on
parchment paper and tlen slid tl1e parchment onto
tl1e baking surface.
Now it was time to refne the actual baking of
tle bread. Most reci pes I consulted recommended
using a baking stone set in a 500-degree oven. Afer
M A R C i l [y A P R I L 2 0 0 9
?
S C I E N C E E X P E R I M E N T :
Ri ddi ng Bread of Oversi zed
Ai r Hol es
Whi l e devel opi ng our reci pe for ci abatta, we kept
encountering a vexing probl em: l oaves pitted with
air hol es so big. there was hardl y any bread. Woul d
addi ng a smal l amount of mi l k-a techni que ofen
used by commerci al bakers-fix the probl em?
E XP E R I M E NT
We repl aced V cup of water in the ci abatta dough
with an equal amount of mi l k and compared the
baked l oaf to one prepared without mi l k.
R E S ULTS
The ci abatta with mi l k sported ai r pockets deci dedl y
smal l er than those i n the no-mi l k l oaf
E XP LANAT I ON
Mi l k contai ns a protei n fragment cal l ed glutathi one
that sl ightly weakens gl uten, the network of proteins
that give bread its structure and chew. When the
bonds i n gl uten weaken. more steam i s able to
escape from the dough, l eadi ng to -
smal l er bubbl es. -K. D.
TOO AI RY
The air holes in thi s
bread are so big,
there's almost no
bread.
SI M P L E
S OL UTI ON
Adding mi l k helps keep
the size of ai r pockets
under contrl.
some testing, I found that while the baking stone
was key to developing a good crust (a preheated,
overturned baking sheet was also an option) , bak
ing the bread at 500 degrees was excessive. At this
temperature, the crust became too dark before
the inside was flly cooked. Reducing the oven
temperature to 450 degrees and baking the bread
for a little longer solved the probl em. My fi nal
enhancement was to spray the loaves witl water in
the first minutes of baking. This produced a crisper
crust and loaves tl1at rose a bit higher ( steam delays
crust formation and promotes a higher spring in
the oven) .
Finally, I had ciabatta witl1 such airy texture, fll ,
tangy flavor, and perfect lif, you might even say I' d
mastered tl1e form.
COOk' 8V| DO8 Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ook s i I I Us t rated . c om/ ap r 09
HOW TO MAKE
Ci abatta
VIDEO TI P
How to handl e a wet dough
CIABATTA
MAKES 2 LOAVES
Two tablespoons of nonft m powder can be used
in place of the liquid m; increase the amount of
water in the dough to 1 cup. Ayou make this bread,
keep in mind that the dough is wet and very stick.
The key to manpulatg it is working quickly and
gently; rough handling wlresult i flat, tough loaves.
When possible, use a large rubber spatua or bowl
scraper to move the dough. If you have to use your
hands, make sure they are well foured. Because the
5 TE P - Y- 5 TE P I HOW TO MAKE CI ABATTA
dough is so stck, it must be prepared i a stand mixer. I . MAKE BI GA Combi ne yeast 2. MAKE DOUGH, KNEAD 3 . LET RI SE Al l ow dough to rise
at room temperature unti l doubl ed,
about I hour.
If you don't have a baking stone, bake tl1e bread on with smal l amounts of fl our and Add biga to remai ni ng dough
an overed and preheated rmed baking sheet set water; let rst overnight to bui l d flavor i ngredi ents; knead in stand mi xer.
on the lowest oven rack. The bread wlkeep for up to
2 days, well wrapped and stored at room temperature.
To recrisp the crust, place the Uapped bread in a
450-degee oven for 6 to 8 miutes. The bread wlkeep
fozen for sevecl months wrapped in foil and placed in
a large zipper-lock bag. Thaw the bread at room tem
perature and recrisp using tle instructions above.
Big H
I cup (5 ounces) unbl eached al l -purpose fl our
Vs teaspoon i nstant or rapi d-ri se yeast
V2 cup (4 ounces) water, at rom temperature
Dough
2 cups ( I 0 ounces) unbl eached al l -purpose fl our
V2 teaspoon i nstant or rapi d-ri se yeast
I V2 teaspoons tabl e sal t
3 cup (6 ounces) water, at rom temperature
! cup (2 ounces) mi l k, at rom temperature
(see note)
l . FOR T BIGA: Combine fl our, yeast, and
water in medium bowl and stir with wooden spoon
w1til wliform mass forms, about 1 minute. Cover
bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room
temperature ( about 70 degrees) overnight (at least
8 hours and up to 24 hours) .
2. FOR TH DOUGH: Place biga and dough
ingredients in bowl of stand mixer ftted with paddle
attachment. M on lowest speed w1til roughly com
bined and shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute;
scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Continue
mixing on mediun-low speed until dough becomes
Wiform mass that collects on paddle and pulls away
fom sides of bowl, 4 to 6 minutes. Change to dough
hook and knead bread on mediwn speed w1t smootl
and shiny ( dough will be ver stcky), about 10 min
utes. Transfer dough to large bowl and cover tightly
with plastc wrap. Lt dough rise at room temperature
w1til doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Spray rubber spatula or bowl scraper with non
stick cooking spray; fold partially risen dough over
itself by gently lifing and folding edge of dough
toward middl e. Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again.
Turn bowl and fol d dough six more times ( total of
eight turns) . Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for
30 minutes. Repeat folding, replace plastic wrap, and
4. TURN 8 TI MES Turn parti al l y
ri sen dough by fol di ng i t i n on itself
to gentl y encourage more gl uten
devel opment. Let rise 30 mi nutes.
5. REPEAT STEP 4 More turn
i ng and ri si ng ensure a l oaf with just
enough lif.
6. DI VI DE DOUGH Transfer
dough to fl oured surface and halve
with bench scraper.
I. PRESS Press each half i nto
rough 1 2- by 6-i nch rectangl e.
8. SHAPE Fol d each dough half
l i ke busi ness letter i nto 7- by 4-i nch
l oaf and l et rest 30 mi nutes.
9. PRESS, SPRAY, BAKE
Press out dough i nto I 0- by 6-inch
rectangles, spray with water and bake.
let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes
longer. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle
position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven
to 450 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking.
4. Cut two 1 2- by 6- inch pieces of parchment
paper and liberally dust with flour. Transfer dough
to liberally foured counter, being carefl not to
defate completely. Following photos 6 through
9 above, liberally fl our top of dough and divide in
half. Turn 1 piece of dough so cut side is facing up
and dust witl1 fl our. Witl1 wel l - fl oured hands, press
dough into rough 1 2- by 6-inch shape. Fold shorter
sides of dough toward center, overlapping them like
business letter to form 7- by 4-inch loaf. Repeat with
second dough piece. Gently transfer each loaf seam
side down to parchment sheets, dust with fl our,
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
? 4
and cover witl1 plastic wrap. Let loaves sit at room
temperature for 30 minutes ( surfaces of loaves will
develop small bubbles) .
5 . Slide parchment witl1 loaves onto inverted,
rimmed baking sheet or pizza peel . Using foured
fu1gertips, evenly poke entire surface of each loaf to
form 10- by 6-inch rectangle; spray loaves lightly
with water. Careflly slide parchment with loaves
onto bakng stone using jerking motion. Bake,
spraying loaves with water twice more during frst 5
minutes of baking time, until crust is deep golden
brown and instant-read tl1ermometer inserted into
centers of loaves registers 2 1 0 degrees, 22 to 27
minutes. Transfer to wire rack, discard parchment,
and cool loaves to room temperature, about 1 hour,
before slicing and serving.
Emergency Chocolate Cake
Th i s easy warti me cake made wi th mayonnai se has a l ot of good th i ngs goi ng for i t.
Chocol ate fl avor i s n't one of them.
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THE BEST EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE
MAKES ONE 8- I NCH- SQUARE CAKE
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cup hot cofee
:
/s cup mayonnai se
large egg
2 teaspoons vani l l a extract
Confecti oners' sugar (for servi ng; opti onal )
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What's the Real Deal with Vanilla?
Sti I I shocked by past resu I ts, we had to do another tasti ng. I n the batl e
between pure and i mi tati on exracts, cou l d we decl are a wi nner?
I
n two past tastings of vanilla extract, we
reached a conclusion that still amazes us: It
matters not a whit whether you use real or
imitation vanill a, because you can't tell the
diference when you bake. But at a recent editorial
meeting, we took a poll : Did that mean anyone
had stopped buying the real thing? No. Our test
cooks held frmly to the belief that natural vanilla
is the best choice. So we returned to the test
kitchen for a defnitive tasting.
In our newest quest for great vanilla, we sampled
12 of the country's top- selling supermarket brands
of vanilla extract, both fake and pure, this time stir
ring them into m and pudding before trying a few
choices in cake and cookies. Searching broadly for
the best vanilla favor, we also compared extract to
vanilla beans, vanilla paste, and vanilla powder (see
"Beans, Paste, and Powder" at right) .
The Real Deal
Vanilla is a powerfl "favor potentiator," meaning it
enhances our ability to taste other foods, including
chocolate, cofee, fruit, and nuts, and boosts our
perception of sweetness. While this is true for both
pure and imitation vanilla, the two choices are far
from identical . Scientists have identifed around 250
favor and aroma compounds i real vanilla, while the
artifcial version has j ust one: vanillin, the predomi
nant favor in natural vanilla. Pure vanilla is made
by steeping vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol,
with the exact proportions of each mandated by the
government. The beans are expensive, grown on
fowering orchid vines in only a handfl of tropical
countries. They take much time and painstaking
labor to grow, process, and ship, even before they
are converted to extract.
Imitation vanilla, on the other hand, is a byprod
uct of paper production or a derivative of coal tar,
chemically manufactured through fairly simple and
inexpensive processes. Because it's so cheap, arumal
global demand for imitation vastly outstrips that
for natural vanilla, at 1 6,000 metric tons to just 40
metric tons for natural vanilla.
In our supermarket lineup, imitation vanillas cost
as little as 18 cents per ounce, compared with up to
$4. 50 per ounce for natural. In another strike agaist
natural vanilla, most of those 250 favor and aroma
compounds are driven of by high heat during bak
ing or cooking. So if that complex, natural vanilla
favor really can't be detected, what's the point of
ever buying it?
3 B Y L I S A M c M A N U S <
v A N 1 L L A v A R I A T I o N s : Beans, Paste, and Powder
Grabbi ng vani l l a extract i n the baking ai sl e i s far cheaper and easi er than speci al -orderi ng vani l l a beans, paste, or powder.
But do these other opti ons del i ver better flavor?
Vani l l a beans are the origi nal source of the extract we all know, whi l e vani l l a paste i s actual l y a sugar syrup flavored with
vani l l a extract, ground vani l l a beans, and tiny seeds from the beans. As for vani l l a powder, i t's dri ed pure vani l l a extract on
a cornstarch base. To determi ne whi ch we l i ked best, we hel d a bl i nd four-way tasting, pi tti ng desserts made with beans,
paste, and powder against those made with our wi nni ng pure vani l l a extract.
In creme angl ai se, a velvety custard, vani l l a beans won by a l andsl i de. Tasters preferred the beans' "ri ch, " "natural , " "big
vani l l a" flavor over any other form-and nearl y 2 to I over vani l l a extract, whi ch came in thi rd afer vani l l a paste. Powder,
whi ch was cl umpy and di fcul t to bl end i nto the mi l k, l acked flavor and trai l ed in a di stant last pl ace. Because thi s custard
i s cooked at a low temperature, never exceedi ng I BO degrees, the beans' flavor remai ned intact.
But when we baked these four
forms of vani l l a i nto yel l ow cake,
vani l l a extract shone. Tasters found
i t sweeter, wi th more vani l l a fl avor,
whi l e beans l anded in l ast pl ace i n
thi s appl i cati on. The onl y form of
vani l l a that did wel l i n both tests
was vani l l a paste, our tasters' sec
ond choi ce.
Our concl usi on: When you' re
baki ng cake or cooki es, extract i s the
top choi ce. In creamy puddi ngs and
sauces, beans are best. -L. M.
WORTH BUYI NG
Vani l l a beans add com
plex flavor to custards
and ice cream, but stick
with extract for baki ng.
PASTE PAL E S
Vani l l a paste is a sl ightly
less flavorful stand-i n
for beans or extract.
DON' T BOTHE R
Vani l l a powder has
weak flavor no matter
how you use it.
To answer tl1ese questions, we tested vanilla in a
variety of cooked and uncooked preparations . First,
we stripped away competing favors to taste tl1e
extracts tlemselves. Vanilla experts do tlus by mixing
them in milk; we usea an 8-1 ratio of milk to vaUila.
Tasted this way, real vanilla extracts clearly won the
day. Their greater complexity shone tl1rough, with
testers detecting everyng fom notes of honey a11d
maple to licorice and prune.
In tl1is case, imitation vanillas all fell to the bot
tom half of the rankings . Tasters said they had a
strong, pleasing aroma, "like va11illa cooki es tlut
have already been baked, " but little vanilla favor
and a taste that was bitter and medicinal . More
research revealed that imitation vanilla is known to
taste harsh if too much is used-which helps explain
our tasters' reaction.
But you would never use vaJUila extract in such a
heavy concentration. So we sampled tl1em again, in
va11illa pudding. Now tl1e ratio of dairy to vaUila was
a whopping 56 to 1 . Our recipe adds vaUlla extract
at tle end of cooking, of the stove, to help preserve
its favor. Despite tlus precaution, ma11y of those
distinctions we had noted among vanillas in the
milk tasting were dimmed. Some aroma a1d favor
CO O K ' s I L L U S T R A T E D
?
still may have been driven of by the warmth of the
cooked pudding and muted by the eggs, butter, and
sugar. Our results shufed, but only slightly-xcept
for one imitation extract that shot fom seventh place
up to tle top of the ranking.
One of the most striking diferences between
pure and fake vanilla involved alcohol favor. While
federal guidelines demand 35 percent alcohol
in pure vanilla extract, there's no minimum for
alcohol in imitation vanilla, and manufacturers
have an incentive to use as little as possible to
make synthetic vanillin soluble: If they use more,
it costs more to make. This explains why tasters
kept describing real vanilla as "boozy, " an adjective
rarely applied to fake vanill a. But they also found
the real stuf nutty, spicy, and more complex.
The Heat Is On
Ral vanla's good performance i milk and pudding
was clear, but the vast majority of te, we're usig
vana extract in cookies and cakes. To help our tasters
focus, we limited our baked-goods tastg to just three
samples. Aer averagg the scores fom the m and
pudding tastngs, we cl1ose the top-ranked pure vanilla,
tl1e highest-ranked imitaton, and the bottom-ranked
TASTI NG VANI LLA EXTRACT
Twenty-one members of the Cook's Ilustated staf tasted 1 2 vani l l a extracts, both i mitation and pure, from top-sel l i ng supermarket brands compi l ed by the Chi cago
based market research frm I nformation Resources, I nc. We sampl ed them mi xed i n whol e mi l k usi ng an 8-1 ratio of mi l k to extract) and vani l l a puddi ng. Resul ts were
averaged, and brands appear bel ow i n order of preference. We also tested three of the vani l l a extracts i n baked goods: our top-ranked real vani l l a, McCormi ck Pure Vani l l a
Extract; the highest-ranked i mitati on, Gol d Medal ; and the bottom-ranked performer, Durkee I mitati on Vani l l a Fl avor. Here, the results were spl i t: McCormi ck Pure Vani l l a
ranked highest i n cakes, whi l e Gol d Medal was the wi nner i n cooki es.
(RECOMME NDE D
McCORMI CK Pure Vani l l a Extract
Price: $7.99 for 2 ounces ($4 per ounce)
Comments: Thi s vani l l a won top prai se for bei ng "strong," " ri ch, " and
"spi cy," wi th a "sweet undertone. " I t had "cl ear vani l l a fl avor wi th ni ce
bal ance" and notes of "dri ed fruit," "caramel , " and "chocol ate, " "l i ke Kahl ua
or Bai l ey' s. " I n puddi ng, i t was deemed "a step above, " wi th an extremel y
"pl easi ng fi ni sh. "
RODELLE Pure Vani l l a Extract
Price: $7.99 for 4 ounces ($2 per ounce)
Comments: "Smoky" and "earthy," wi th "caramel , " " prune, " and
"chocol ate" notes, i t was prai sed for oferi ng "deeper, ri cher ' bass tones'
of fl avor. " Prepared i n puddi ng, i t was "subtl e, " a "gentl emanl y vani l l a: wel l
bal anced, mature, a suggesti on of al cohol and smoke. "
NI ELSEN-MASSEY Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vani l l a Extract
Pri ce: $9.99 for 4 ounces ($2. 50 per ounce)
Comments: "Sweeter and more pl easant" than other vani l l as, i t l acked
the "boozy burn" of some of the pure extracts and offered a " sweet fl oral
flavor," wi th " honey" and "mapl e" notes. I n puddi ng, i t was " l i ke burnt
marshmal l ows, " wi th a " nutty" fi ni sh.
GOLD MEDAL I mitati on Vani l l a Extract
Price: $2. 25 for 8 ounces (28 cents per ounce)
Comments: Tasters fel t that thi s i mi tati on vani l l a ranked wi th the pure
extracts. " Lovel y, seemed l i ke pure vani l l a, " sai d one; another descri bed it
as " mi l d and gentl e; maybe i t' s not real , but it tastes good. " Others sai d it
was "perfumy, " wi th notes of "toasted ri ce" and " buttered popcorn. "
SAUER'S Pure Vani l l a Extract
Price: $5.25 for 2 ounces ($2. 62 per ounce)
Comments: "Sweet, " wi th "a ni ce depth" was a common reacti on to thi s
extract. Some noted that i t had "el ements of tea, " " chocol ate, " and "a l i ttl e
caramel " and was "cl ovey," wi th "asserti ve vani l l a" fl avor. But the al cohol
struck many as "overpoweri ng. "
SPI CE I SLANDS Pure Vani l l a Extract
Price: $7. 43 for 2 ounces ($3. 72 per ounce)
Comments: "Sweet, " but wi th a " harsh, boozy fi ni s h" and a "peaty,
al most smoky fl avor, " it "smel l s great, but tastes bl ah. " In puddi ng, i t
was "much too smoky and heavy, " though some found i t " potent" and
"compl ex. "
(RE COMME NDE D (co11i1wed)
DURKEE Pure Vani l l a Extract
Price: $27.87 for 1 6 ounces ($ 1 . 74 per ounce)
Comments: The i ngredi ent l i st shows "vani l l a bean extracti ves" i n l ast pl ace,
after corn syrup. "Good aroma, but fl avor i s strai ghtforward and somewhat
l acki ng, " said one taster; others cal l ed i t " mi l d, " wi th a "mal ted fl avor. " I n
puddi ng, i t was "subtl e. " I n s um: "decent but unremarkabl e. "
MORTON & BASSETT Pure Vani l l a Extract
Pri ce: $9. 09 for 4 ounces ($2. 27 per ounce)
Comments: Has a " sharp scent, fol l owed by a sharp and unforgi vi ng
fl avor"; " heavy on the al cohol , " i t was "sl i ghtl y herbaceous, a mi x of fl oral
and earthy. " I n puddi ng, tastes " l i ke mel ted Breyers vani l l a i ce cream, "
but wi th a " hars h" aftertaste that " hi ts sharpl y in the back of the throat, "
l eavi ng "a l i ttl e burn. "
McCORMI CK Premi um I mitati on Vani l l a Extract
Price: $3 . 69 for 2 ounces ($ 1 .85 per ounce)
Comments: I ncl udes cocoa and tea extractives "and other artifi ci al fl avorings"
to mi mi c the compl exity of pure vani l l a. Tasters detected "some vani l l a,
but that di ssi pates, and tastes al most fruity," wi th " nuts, " "cherry col a, " and
"cofee" notes. I n puddi ng, i t was "bri ght," l i ke a "gi rl y cocktai l . "
McCORMI CK Gourmet Col l ecti on Organi c Pure Madagascar
Vani l l a Extract
Price: $ 1 0. 55 for 2 ounces ($5. 28 per ounce)
Comments: Wi th a "barel y there aroma and flavor" that came across as "faint,
but otherise fi ne," this gourmet l i ne from McCormi ck i s not worth its hi gh
price. In puddi ng, tasters sai d there was "not much vani l l a comi ng through. "
ADAMS Pure Vani l l a Extract
Pri ce: $7.88 for 4 ounces ($ 1 . 97 per ounce)
Comments: "Mi l d, " "thi n, " "sharp," and "weak," thi s came across as "al l
nose, no flavor," wi th an afertaste of " bitterness at the back of the throat l i ke
Robi tussi n. " In puddi ng, it was "bl and" and "medi ci nal ," though a few tasters
found i t "floral . "
DURKEE I mitati on Vani l l a Fl avor
Pri ce: $2. 84 for 1 6 ounces ( 1 8 cents per ounce)
Comments: Tasters l i ked i ts " sweet" aroma, but compl ai ned that thi s
i mi tati on had "vi rtual l y no" vani l l a taste, and what there was seemed "way
too mi l d, " l i ke "Carnati on I nstant Breakfast. " In puddi ng, tasters descri bed
i t as " soft-serve vani l l a" and "commerci al -tasti ng. "
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In Search Oa Better Blender
Al l we ask of a bl ender i s that i t can crus h i ce and produce a smooth puree.
So why can't more model s del i ver?
W
e ' ve l ong been skepti cal of
souped-up blenders with dizzy
ingly high horsepower, a slew of
buttons promising minute gra
dations in speed, and functions for grating cheese,
pulverizing nuts into butter, and other special
ized tasks . When you come right down to it, a
blender has one basic j ob-to blend food into a
uniform consistency, whether it' s crushing ice or
producing lump- free purees for smoothies, soups,
or hummus. (We leave other ingredient- altering
tasks, like grinding, shredding, and chopping,
to our food processor. ) Past testing has taught
us that just two things matter for success at this
basic j ob: the confguration of the blender blades
and a V-shaped j ar that keeps food close to the
blade edges.
Still, with the latest generation of blenders claim
ing such i.ovations in blade design as "dual wave
action," "reversible motion, " and serrated edges, we
couldn't help but take notice. Would any of these
enhanced models ofer blendii1g that was fast and
efective enough to make them worth price tags that
are ofen well over $ 1 00? To fi nd out, we gathered
10 models, ilcluding basic machilles as well as those
that boasted fancy new features.
Crushi ng Concerns
We began by testing a fnction that no food pro
cessor can duplicate-crushilg ice. There's no way
to sugarcoat the results: Faced with the challenge
of pulverizii1g 1 5 ice cubes, most blenders failed
miserably, breakng down only some of the ice
before the blade wedged the remainder against the
side of the jar. We some models boasted an "ice
crushlg" button, unless there was enough power
to keep the ice cubes moving, this fnction worked
no better than a pulse button or a simple on/of
setting. As for innovative design, the reversible
blade model , which whirled frst in one direction
and then the other, couldn' t free trapped ice to
pulverize it. On the other hand, our top performer
in this area was the "dual wave" model, which has
twin blades set side by side. With the ice bouncing
fom blade to blade in a game of toss, it was quickly
chipped down.
When it comes to turning solids ii1to liquids,
blenders have a natural edge over food processors.
A tall j ar and short, rotating blades allow a blender
to swirl food illto a vortex, potentially making swif
work of purees, soups, and icy cocktails. To test this
B Y M E R E D I T I I B U T C H E R E
fnction, we made smoothies with rock-hard frozen
berries and fi brous mango, then poured each one
d1rough a sieve to exanune texture. While most
blenders performed reasonably well ill this test ( liq
uid kept d1e food movii1g), lots of pulp and frozen
fruit nuggets did turn up il our sieve, and only a few
models achieved the perfecdy smood1, fothy texture
we wanted. We noticed that futes, or vertical ribs
ilside the blender j ar, helped make the diference.
These provide "push back," preventii1g food from
being plastered to the jar walls by centrifgal force.
Yet a litde fl uting goes a long way-some models
had big fl utes that bulged illward and got in the way
of overall circulation.
Next test: whirling chickpeas, olive oil, and talUi
iito hummus. Here we confi rmed that tapered, V
shaped jars are best at keepillg food in contact with
the whirling blades. Wide- based jars lef food too far
from the cutting action, resulting ill grainy, greasy
hummus. The blender with t side- by-side blades,
which excelled at blending smoothies and cruslung
ice, actually did poorly in this test. It was j ust too
powerfl for more-solid food preparation; even at
the lowest setg, we wound up with hummus so
fothy it was more smoodue than dip.
Goi ng Green
From past testing, we knew that manufacturers'
listings of horsepower and wattage have litde bear
ing on performance. ( The data measure only the
power consumed. ) Similarly, when we used a laser
tachometer a few years ago to record the revolu
tions per minute ( rpm) of each blender blade, we
found that a high rpm had litde or no cmection to
kitchen success. Tlus time, we measured speed and
efciency by putting plain yogurt in each blender
and adding drops of yellow and blue food coloring
to opposite sides of the j ar. To get a good look at
the action, we turned each blender on at its low
est speed, set a timer, and watched. Wlule all the
blenders took less than 2 minutes to turn d1e yogurt
bright green, two blenders proved their superior
efciency by managing it in under 30 seconds .
All of this testing took place in a corner of d1e
test kitchen, where we had been banished for
making a ruckus. The noise piqued our interest
in fnding the quietest blender. Using a computer
program, we compared the sound output of each
blender on high speed. The scores varied widely.
Not surprisingly, d1e blender with twin side- by
side blades was the loudest. The quietest blenders
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
? d
turned out to be our overall winners, perhaps a
testament to the efciency of their motors.
We considered other characteristics: mate
rial ( one thick polycarbonate j ar was incredibly
tough) , weight ( too-light models ratded across
the countertop) , capacity (we prefer larger jars) ,
buttons ( we prefer dial s, but touch pads are a close
second) , and cleanup ( we like blenders that come
apart for easy washing) . While these characteristics
are important, we valued perfrmance above all-if
a blender couldn' t crush and puree, none of the
other features mattered.
Cutti ng Edges
Wondering what, exacdy, about the blade design
resulted in such dramatic diferences in perfor
mance, we detached the blades from each machine
(in one case literally sawing ofd1e blades from the
base) and examined them closely. Models with
blades that merely reached up or down like a pair
of matching arms-two up, two straight out-had
a much harder time moving and choppilg food
than blenders with asymmetrical blades il varyillg
positions. Among the better blenders, some blades
curved upward, acting as an escalator, lifing and
rotating foods into a vortex, while other blades
leaned down to skim the foor of the j ar. We also
noticed that the blades that tapered the most or
were serrated performed better overal l .
I n d1e end, we recommended only two blenders
out of the 1 0 we tested. Our top performer was
the KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender ( $1 49. 99) , which
impressed us with its brute strength and efciency.
Each of its four blades was positioned at a diferent
angle, maximizing its ability to pulverize food. Ice
was demolished in j ust fve bursts of power, smoot
ies were quickly lump- fee, and hummus came out
perfecdy consistent.
For a less expensive alternative, consider our Best
Buy, d1e Kalorik BL Blender ( $49. 99) . Althoug
noticeably slower than our top performer, dUs
model' s six blades ( including two that were ser
rated) were positoned at diferent angles (see "Sharp
Diferences, " page 29) , allowing it to excel at crush
illg ice and making hummus. It was also the quietest
blender overall.
CCCk' 8V| OC8 Ori gi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c ooks i l l u strated . c om/ apr09
BEHIND THE SCENES
Testing Bl enders
KEY
GOOD: ***
FAI R: **
POOR: *
Prices for the I 0 bl enders we tested
were paid in Boston-area retail stores
or onl i ne. Bl enders are l i sted i n order
of preference. Sources for the wi nner
and Best Buy appear on page 32.
I CE CRUSHI NG: We pul sed I S i ce
cubes. Model s that produced uniform
"snow" rated highest.
SMOOTH IE: We blended frozen fruit,
juice, and yogurt for I mi nute on high
(or on the "puree" or "l i quef" setting).
Bl enders that produced a l ump-free
puree won top marks.
HUMMUS: We processed chi ck
peas, ol ive oi l , and tahi ni on high for
I mi nute. Bl enders that emul sifed to
smoothness ranked highest.
SPEED: We added three drops of yel
low and blue food col ori ng to either
side of the jar atop 16 ounces of pl ai n
yogurt and ti med how l ong i t took with
the bl ender on low until the yogurt
turned uniforml y green.
SOUND LEVEL: Usi ng ProLogi c 8
sofware, we recorded sound l evel s
wi th each bl ender on hi gh. Bl enders
that made the least noi se ranked
hi ghest.
Sharp Di fferences
A blender i s onl y dgood as its bl ades.
Our Best Buy, the Kal ori k BL (l ef) .
excelled thanks to an i nnovative six
bl ade design that hi t food at difering
angles. A losing design, the Hami l ton
Beach Li qui d Bl u 5-Speed (ri ght), has
four bl ades divided into pairs that onl y
hi t food verti cal l y and horizontal l y,
making it far l ess efective at crushi ng
and pureeing.
SMASHI NG
SUCCESS
P OOR
P E RF OR ME R
TESTI NG BLENDERS
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
KI TCHENAI D 5-Speed Bl ender
Model : KSB580
Pri ce: $ 1 49. 99
Jar material and capacity:
Pol ycarbonate, 56 ounces
RECOMMENDED

KALORI K BL Bl ender

Model : 1 6909
Pri ce: $49. 99
Jar material and capacity:
Gl ass, 50 ounces
(RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
L' EQUI P RPM Bl ender
Model : 228
Pri ce: $ 1 65. 99
Jar materi al and capacity:
Pl asti c, 56 ounces
HAMI LTON BEACH
Dual Wave Bl ender
Model : 52 1 47H
Pri ce: $69. 99
Jar materi al and capacity:
Pl asti c, 80 ounces
WARI NG Prfessi onal Bar Bl ender
Model : MBBS I 8
Pri ce: $ 1 29. 95
Jar material and capacity:
Gl ass, 40 ounces
CUI SI NART SmartPower Premi ere
600-Watt Bl ender
Model : CBT-500
Price: $99.95
Jar materi al and capacity:
Gl ass, 50 ounces
VI KI NG Prfessi onal Bl ender
Model : VBLGO I
Pri ce: $ 1 49. 95
Jar material and capacity:
Gl ass, 40 ounces
(NOT RECOMMENDED
HAMI LTON BEACH Li qui d Bl u
5-Speed Bl ender
Model : 59207
Price: $59. 99
Jar material and capacity:
Gl ass, 48 ounces
OSTER Counterforms
2-i n- 1 Appl i ance
Model : BVLB07-L
Pri ce: $89. 99
Jar materi al and capacity:
Gl ass, 48 ounces
BLACK & DECKER
Cycl one 1 2-Speed Bl ender
Model : BLC 1 2650HB
Pri ce: $29.88
Jar materi al and capacity:
Gl ass, 48 ounces

^ A K L l c ^ I K l L 2 0 0 9
Z 7
PERFORMANCE
I ce crushi ng: ***
Smoothi e: ***
Hummus: ***
Speed: ***
Sound l evel : ***
PERFORMANCE
I ce crushi ng: ***
Smoothi e: **
Hummus: ***
Speed: **
Sound l evel : ***
PERFORMANCE
I ce crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: ***
Hummus: ***
Speed: ***
Sound l evel : *
I ce crushi ng: ***
Smoothi e: ***
Hummus: *
Speed: **
Sound l evel : *
Ice crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: **
Hummus: **
Speed: **
Sound l evel : ***
I ce crushi ng: ***
Smoothi e: **
Hummus: *
Speed: **
Sound l evel : **
Ice crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: **
Hummus: **
Speed: **
Sound l evel : **
PERFORMANCE
Ice crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: **
Hummus: *
Speed: **
Sound level : **
Ice crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: *
Hummus: **
Speed: *
Sound l evel : **
Ice crushi ng: *
Smoothi e: *
Hummus: **
Speed: *
Sound l evel : **
TESTERS' COMMENTS
A large, powerful machine that aced our three key
performance tests. Ice was quickly pulverized i nto
snow, smoothies were lump-free, and hummus was
perfectly consistent. Although the blades could not
be removed, the entire jar is dishwasher-safe.
TESTERS' COMMENTS
Excelled at ice crushing and hummus mi xi ng but lef
pulp in the smoothie. This ultra-quiet blender had six
blades-two serrated-and a steeply tapered glass
jar that helped keep the contents moving. The remov
able base and blades made cleani ng a breeze.
TESTERS' COMMENTS
Our past wi nner sailed through the smoothie and
hummus tests but fell seriously short when it came
to crushing ice, leaving lots of solid chunks stuck to
the wal l s beyond reach of the blades. Thi s model also
lost points for noise.
A huge jar and side-by-side "dual acti on" blades.
With ice and smoothies, the two blades tag-teamed
to pulverize ingredients, but they turned hummus
into a frothy dri nk instead of a puree. Excel lent for
frozen drinks, but not a good al l -purpose blender.
Struggled to crush ice efi ci entl y; onl y a middli ng
performer wi th smoothies and hummus. The clover
leaf-shaped jar was extremely narrow, which made it
dificult to remove the hummus.
Crushed ice with ease. but its bulky, square jar didn't
push food to the center, leavi ng hummus grai ny.
Unl ike standard blenders, to remove this jar you
must l i ft wi thout twi sti ng. If you twist, as some
testers mistakenl y did. the jar's contents pour out
the bottom.
Not powerful enough to crush ice, and it lef small
chunks of mango in the smoothies. The base stands
so tal l that the model felt unsteady duri ng blending.
Jar comes apart for easy cl eani ng.
TESTERS' COMMENTS
Looked more like a spaceship than a bl ender
but fai l ed l i ftoff, performi ng poorl y in both our
ice-crushi ng and hummus tests. Did better wi th
smoothies, but took extra time to ful l y break down
the fruit.
The only blender in the l i neup with reversible blades
designed to draw food back down i nto the base.
Unfortunately, this feature was i neffective at ice
crushing, and testers had to run the cycle twice to
get fruit to break down into smoothies.
Ice jammed the blades, leaving lare chunks on top;
fruit fibers and seeds clogged the smoothie, and the
hummus was grai ny. Has 12 push buttons, which
were fiimsy and dificult to clean, and there W
much diference among the speeds.
N '1` `'11`
3 B Y J K E N J I A L T E
s c i E N c E : Testi ng Ol ive Oi l ' s Bi tter End
Over the years, we've noticed that when we bl end mayonnai se o r vi naigrette with extra
virgin ol i ve oil in a food processor or bl ender, they end up tasting bitter. Did we use
over-the-hi l l ol i ve oi l i n these cases, or was somethi ng el se goi ng on?
To verif our observati ons, we made two batches of aiol i usi ng ol ive oi l from the same
freshl y opened bottl e. We emul sifed one batch i n a food processor, adding the oi l i n a
slow stream to mi nced garl i c. egg yol ks, and l emon j uice and processi ng unti l creamy. I n
the second batch, we whi sked the ol i ve oi l i nto the other i ngredi ents i n a bowl by hand.
RESULTS
Tasters found the batch emul si fed i n the food processor to be markedl y bi tter.
EXPLANATI ON
Extra-vi rgi n ol i ve oi l contai ns bitter-tasting compounds cal l ed pol yphenol s that are nor
mal l y coated by fatty aci ds, whi ch prevent them from di spersi ng in the presence of l i qui d.
When ol i ve oi l i s broken i nto dropl ets i n an emul si on, the pol yphenol s get squeezed out
and wi l l di sperse i n any l i qui d i n the mi x, so that thei r flavor becomes evi dent. The bl ades
of a food processor break ol ive oi l i nto much smal l er droplets than those created from
whi ski ng. The smal l er the dropl ets, the more pol yphenol s that break free and di sperse,
and the more bi tter an emul si on wi l l taste. (Note: I n reci pes such as pesto, whi ch contain
lots of other robust flavors from herbs, nuts, and cheese. we found that any bitter taste
went unnoticed. )
BOTTOM LI NE
You can whi sk your mayo or dressi ng entirely by hand-but i t's hard to whi sk fast enough
to form a stable emul si on. To capitalize on the conveni ence of a food processor, you have
two opti ons: Use pure, versus extra-virgi n, ol ive oi l , as it has fewer pol yphenol s (but you' l l
l ose some flavor) . Or. process your aiol i or vi nai grette i ngredi ents with vegetabl e oi l j ust
unti l an emul si on forms, then whi sk in extra-virgin ol i ve oi l by hand.
I
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s u s s T I T U T i o N : Better Bean Soup frm a Can
We fnd there's a real diference i n flavor and texture between dri ed beans you cook
yourself and those out of a can. Dried beans can tke on the flavor of the garl i c, bay
leaves, and other flavorings you add to the water, whi l e canned beans tste of salt and not
much else. We al l need to take shortcuts sometimes-but when it comes to substituting
canned beans for dried in soup, don't be tempted to merely dump them in the pot and
think you're done.
We prepared Tuscan whi te bean soup and bl ack bean soup wi th canned beans, add
i ng them to the sauteed aromatics and cooki ng l i qui d i n each reci pe and si mmeri ng j ust
unti l they were heated through, about 5 mi nutes. Not surpri si ngl y, both soups had flat,
di sappoi nting flavor. Next, we made another batch of
each soup, this ti me si mmeri ng the canned beans for
30 mi nutes (any l onger and the beans began to di s
i ntegrate and fal l apart). Although these soups coul d
not compare with the ri ch flavor of soups made with
dri ed beans si mmered for hours, they were worl ds
apart from the frst batches.
The bottom line: I f you'r going to substitute canned
beans for dried i n soup, make sure you simmer them
for 30 mi nutes so they have enough ti me to tke on
the flavor of the other i ngrdients. I f a recipe cal l s
for a pound of dried beans, you' l l need 58 ounces of
drai ned, ri nsed, canned beans-ependi ng on can size,
that's three or four cans.
CANN E D S OL UTI ON
To substitute canned beans
for dried in soup, make sure
to simmer for 30 mi nutes.
|
T E s T K 1 T c H e N T 1 P : Extra-Ol d Extract
Some peopl e bake enough cookies and cakes to bl ow through
a whole bottle of vani l l a extract in just a month, whi l e less
enthusiastic bakers may keep the same bottle for years. Does
vani l l a extract ever go bad or lose potency?
We located 3-year-old and I 0-year-old botles of vani l l a
extract and compared them with a fsh bottle of te same brand
i n three of our recipes: yellow cupcakes, vani l l a frsting. and choc
olate chip cookies. Although the older bottles took a bit of efort
to open, once the extract was i ncorporated into rci pes, tsters
coul d detect no diference beteen the old and the new.
Vani l l a extract has a mi ni mum alcohol content of 35 per
cent, whi ch, accordi ng to Matt Ni el sen of vani l l a manu
WELL- PRE S E RVE D
facturer Ni el sen-Massey, makes it the most shelf-stabl e
Thi s bottle may look old
form of vani l l a (beans and paste can lose flavor qui ckl y) .
on the oustide, but the
I t wi l l l ast i ndefi ni tel y if stored in a seal ed contai ner away
from heat and l i ght.
extract i nside wi l l stay
fresh i ndefnitely.
T E c H N I Q u e : Two Ways to Mel t Chocol ate
Mel ti ng chocol ate can be a dangerous game-let it get too hot and i t wi l l break, becom
i ng irretri evabl y grainy. A heavy-bottomed ski l l et over a very l ow fl ame does the trick,
but not every burner i s capabl e of mai ntai ni ng a l ow enough heat. Here are two melting
techni ques we've tested again and again and found to be fool proof.
DOU B L E - BOI L E R M E THOD
I . Bri ng a pot of water to a near si mmer
over l ow heat; set a large heatproof bowl
(the edges shoul d overhang the pot for
easier removal) over it, making sure that
the water does not touch the bottom
of the bowl (to avoi d overheating the
chocol ate) .
2. Add 8 ounces chocol ate chi ps (or bar
chocol ate chopped i nto V2 -i nch pi eces)
and heat, stirring occasi onal l y with a
rubber spatul a, unti l uniforml y smooth
and gl ossy, about I 0 mi nutes (adj ust the
cooki ng time as necessary for larger or
smal l er amounts of chocol ate) . I f the
reci pe cal l s for mel ti ng the chocol ate
with butter, add both to the bowl at the
same ti me.
MI CROWAVE ME THOD
I . Put 8 ounces chocol ate chi ps (or bar
chocolate chopped into V2 -i nch pieces) in
a lare mi crowave-safe bowl. Mi crowave
at high power for 45 seconds.
2. Sti r wi th a rubber spatul a, scrapi ng
down the si des of the bowl , then heat
30 seconds more. Conti nue heati ng and
sti rring for I S-second i nterals until the
chocol ate i s uniforml y smooth and gl ossy.
(To mel t smal l er or l arer amounts,
decrease or i ncrease the i nitial mi cro
wavi ng time by I 0 seconds for every 2
ounces of chocol ate.) I f the reci pe cal l s
for mel ti ng the chocol ate with butter, do
not add the butter unti l the chocol ate i s
al most compl etel y mel ted. (Addi ng the
buter earl i er wi l l cause i t to spl atter.)
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
30
T E s T K 1 T c H e N T 1 P : Best Vani l l a Practi ces
Does i t matter when you add vani l l a extract as you make
baked goods and other sweets? As we researched vani l l a
for our tasting (see page 26) , manufacturers tol d us that to
maximize flavor, the extract shoul d be added whi l e creaming
the butter and sugar for cakes and cookies. Thei r theory: If
you add vani l l a with butter, much of its flavor gets captured
by the butterfat instead of evaporating during baking. We
tested this claim by comparing two batches of sugar cookies
and yellow layer cake, one made with the vani l l a added afer
creaming the butter and sugar and the other with the extract
added as the butter and sugar cramed. As much as we love
small teaks that lead to big diferences, tasters coul d detect
no difernce between the fi ni shed baked goods.
On the other hand, when we rpeated a si mi lar experiment
with pudding, creme brGi ee, and fl an, ti mi ng di d make a dif
ference: Stirring the extract into the col d custard base before
cooking not onl y gave the volatile vani l l a compounds too
much time to evaporate, the prlonged exposure to heat al so
drve of flavor. Adding the extract afer the custard base was
removed from the heat yi el ded more i ntense vani l l a flavor.
Pre- vs. Fresh-Grated Parmesan
ADD VAN I LLA
ANYT I ME
When you add vani l l a to
cookie or cake batter
doesn't impact flavor.
SAVE VAN I LLA
F OR LAST
For more i ntense vani l l a
flavor i n custard-based
desserts, add it afer
cooking.
We've never been tempted by the tasteless powderd Parmesan that comes i n a green
canand i n tests, we've found that the higher-grde prgrated cheese i n the rfigerator
section of the supermarket i s uneven in qual ity. But what about prgrting or grndi ng your
own Prmesan to always have at the rady? Do you sacrfce any flavor for convenience? To
fnd out, we divided a block of Parigiano-Regiano i n to, rducing one half to a powder i n
a food prcessor and leaving the other whole. We stord bot the sol id and grated cheese i n
the rfigertor for to week, then compard them si de by si de mixed into polenta, added
Ubrading for chicken Milanese, and on teir own. Afer to week of storge, tter wer
har-prssed to detect a diference beteen the cheeses, even i n the side-by-side tasting.
But afer a full month of storage, tsters found a noticeable drp-of i n flavor.
The bottom l i ne: Pregrating i s fne, as l ong as you don' t store the cheese l onger than
to to thre weeks. To grind Parmesan, cut a bl ock into l -i nch chunks. Place the chunks in
a food processor (no more than I pound at a time) and process unti l ground i nto coare
paricles, about 20 seconds. Refrigerate i n an airtight contai ner until ready to use.
T A S T I N G : Brown Ri ce Vari eti es
Brown rice i s nothi ng more than whi te rice with the bran layer l ef i ntact. Li ke whi te ri ce,
it comes i n di ferent vari eti es. Afer cooki ng our way through the four most common
types (see the chart bel ow) , we di scovered that the cooki ng ti mes and l i qui d-to-rice
ratios were comparabl e for each-they cooked i n about 65 mi nutes, usi ng our oven
baked method and 3 ! cups of l i qui d per I V2 cups of ri ce. Texture and fl avor, however,
varied considerably.
BROWN RI CE TYPE TEXTURE F LAVOR
Di stinctl y separate Mi l dl y sweet with
Basmati grai ns with an el asti c, cl ean nut and barl ey
almost spongy texture flavors
Sof and cramy with a Very sweet and
Short Grai n starhiness si mi l ar to that malty-tasting
of risotto
Ver firm, separate Earthy-tasting wi th
Long Grain grai ns wit al most no a sl i ghtl y chal ky
elasticit fni sh
Moderately firm, Nutty, buttery, and
Jasmi ne separate grins ri ch-tasting
s H o P P I N G : Pi cki ng Proper Porci ni
Our recipe for Sauteed Chi cken Cutl ets with Porcini Sauce (page 20) sered as a remi nder
that, l i ke fresh fruits and vegetabl es, the qual ity of dri ed porci ni mushrooms can vary dra
mati cal l y from package to package and brand to brand. Always i nspect the mushrooms
before you buy.
P RE VI OUS LY OCCUP I E D
Smal l holes i ndi cate that the mushrom
was maybe home to pi nworms.
C L E AN & CL EAR
Look for large, smooth pori ni , free
of worm holes, dust, and grit.
TE C H N | QUE I
HOW TO J UL I E NNE CARROTS AND L E E K S
Our recipe for Cod Baked i n Foi l wi th Leeks and Carrots (page 1 3) rel i es on vegetabl es cut
i nto thin matchsti cks that are just the right size-too thick and they won' t cook through;
too thi n and they' l l turn mushy. Here's an easy way to achi eve uniform Va -i nch pi eces.
CARROTS
I . Peel , then cut carrot
i nto 2-i nch segments. Cut
thin sl i ce from each seg
ment to create flat base.
LEEKS
I . Trim dark green top
and bottom V4 inch of
root end from l eek, then
cut i nto 2-i nch segments.
2. Using knuckl es of non
knife hand to steady car
rot, cut each segment i nto
Va -i nch-thi ck pl anks.
2. Halve each segment
l engthwi se and ri nse
under col d water to
remove sedi ment.
3. Worki ng with 3 pl anks
at a ti me, stack pl anks
and cut i nto Va -i nch-thi ck
matchsticks.
3. Worki ng with 3 to 4
layers at a ti me, stack
layers, then fold i n half
crosswi se and cut i nto
Va -i nch-thi ck matchsticks.
_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
Cooki ng wi th Cottage Cheese
Our Baked Zi ti reci pe (page I S) cal l s for whol e- mi l k cottage cheese, whi ch tast
ers preferred over the more tradi ti onal choi ce, ricotta. I f al l you have on hand is
I percent or nonfat cottage cheese, does i t make a diference in thi s or other cooked
appl i cati ons?
We prpared three diferent batches of three recipes--our Baked Ziti; spi nach lasagna
bound with a cottage cheese-and-eg mixture; and low-fat cheesecake made with a bl end
of cream cheese and cottage cheese-usi ng whol e-mi l k, I percent, and nonfat cottage
cheese. Tasters detected al most no difernce in the cheesecakes, though the lower-fat
cakes tended to set a l i ttle more frml y. Ziti and lasagna were a diferent story. Both the
whol e-mi l k and I perent cotage cheeses produced acceptable results, but the nonfat
cottage cheese broke as the pasta baked, l eavi ng a grainy, watery sl i ck at the bottom of
the di sh. Our advi ce? When coo
k
i ng with cotage cheese, ski p the nonfat variety.
M A R C i l { A P R I L 2 0 0 9
l
L ! L `1 ''K ` L K
EQUIPMENT U PDATE Oar| | c Press
Last year, we named K Rikon's Epicurean
Garlic Press ( $34. 95) our favorite for producing
uorm minced garlic with minimal efort and an
easy-to- clean hopper. Since then, the company has
introduced its Easy-Squeeze Garlic Press ( $20) ,
which claims to require 60 percent less efort than
the original model . Taking the challenge, we pressed
peeled and unpeeled garlic in new and old models.
The new model came out the chanp. Simple physics
explains why: A longer handle and a shorter distance
between the pivot point
and the plunger help make
pressing less work. The
curing plastic handles
are also much easier to
squeeze together than the
straighter metal handles of
the old model. One faw:
Garlic sometimes oozed
out of the sides, whereas
the old model pushed
through perfectly minced
GARLI C' S NEW
MAI N SQUEEZE
The Kuhn Rikon Easy
Squeeze Garl i c Press is
cheaper and easi er to
use than its predecessor.
garlic every time. Nevertheless, we like the Easy
Squeeze's ergonomic features and fiendly price
enough to name it our new favorite.
E QUIPMENT TESTING
E| ectr| c Egg Cookers
It doesn't take an expert to boil or poach eggs, but it
does take good tg. Like rice cookers, electric egg
cookers eliminate the need to watch the clock by con
trolling the heat and turning of automatically. The
amount of water added determines the consistency
of the egg-hard- , medium- ,
sof-boiled, or poached.
We tested six mod
els. Al boiled eggs
without creating a
green ring around
the yolk (a sign of
overcooking) . But
the similarites ended
there. One model
could boil j ust four
eggs at a tme-and
leaked; two others
boiled perfectly, but
EGGS- PRESS
The West Bend Automatic
Eg Cooker qui ckly poaches
and hard-cooks egs to
perfecti on.
poached eggs came out spongy or overcooked; a
fourth had a too-tight lid that nearly burned our
tester as she tried to remove it; tle fih cooked too
slowly. Our favorite was the West Bend Automatic
Egg Cooker ( $24. 99) . It produces a ma of
either seven perfectly boiled eggs in 17 mnutes or
four perfectly poached eggs in 7.5 minutes, has a
pleasantly audible timer, and is easy to use.
3 B Y P E G G Y C H U G C O L L I E R "
E QUIP MENT TESTI NG Funne| s
I n the test kitchen, we use fels t o transfer liquids
and oils, fll pepper mills, and refll spice bottles.
But poorly designed fnnels can back up or wobble
when fled, and tl1ey are ofen bulk to store.
We tested seven brands,
including fm1el sets,
collapsible and flexible
silicone models, and
one that ofers a spout
tl1at opens and closes.
Our fvorite was the
Progressive Collapsible
Fuu1el ($6.49) . It has a
generous 1 -cup capacity,
smootl1 and snirdy walls to
let liquid and dried herbs
slide down easily, and a
! -centmeter-wide spout
that is narrow enough to
F UNNE L I NG
I NNOVATI ON
The Prgressive Col l apsi bl e
Funnel transfers l i qui ds and
spi ces wi thout mess, then
col lapses to ft i n a drawer.
ft into most small-necked bottles, yet wide enough to
prevent backup of tlicker liquids. It collapses fom 5
inches to l % inches, making storage easy.
EQU I PMENT TESTI NG
I nnovat|ve Teapots
We tested four small teapots with unusual strainers
and dispensing mechanisms that promsed to make
dealing with loose tea mess-fee. In each case, we
used tl1e same tea and a four-minute steeping time.
The glass Bodw1 Assan Teapot ( $24. 95) , which
makes 2 cups per pot, presses tea le a French cofee
press-but it traps the strongest tea inside tl1e solid,
closed bottom of the press insert, producing weaker
tea than tl1e other pots. The BonJour Smart Brewer
( $1 9. 95 ) was fssy; if tl1e lid of tl-tis 1 -cup brewer
didn't click perfectly into place, tea leaked out the
bottom valve. The Easy Pot by
Northwest Glass Designs
( $1 6. 50) couldn't brew
even l fl cup and didn't
contain loose leaves well .
Our favorite, tl1e inge
nuiTEA by Adagio Teas
( $14. 95) , met all criteria.
It brewed 2 cups of good,
strong tea and kept loose
leaves in check with its
ultra-fne-mesh strainer.
To use, add tea leaves
and water, let steep, and
NOT YOUR
GRANDMOTHER' S
TEAPOT
then place the pot over a
cup to automatically open
a bottom valve-brewed
The i ngenui TEA by Adagio
tea w fl ow into tl1e cup Teas makes tea dregs a
below.
thing of the past.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
?
E QUIPMENT TESTI NG
CounterProtectors
Do you really need an extra piece of equipment to
protect your countertop, or w a heavy cloth suf
fice? Using a hot Dutch oven, a large r1ed baking
sheet, and a 1 2-inch skillet, we tested eight counter
protectors ( some were raised trivets, others had a fat
design) in materials that ranged from old-fashioned
braided clotl1 to wood, cast iron, and silicone. Our
fnding: Models made witl1 silicone perform best.
They resisted skidding and kept the pan fom slidng,
cleaned up easily, prevented a buildup of condensa
tion on the cow1ter ( a problem with braided cloth),
and even doubled as potholders. Magnetic counter
protectors were our least favorite, as they stuck to
cookware too well-a tester nearly burned her hand
trying to remove one that had attached itself to the
edge of the pan instead of the bottom. Our favorite
was tle Big HotSpot Silicone Cow1ter Cover ( $1 5 ),
a large silicone pad that withstood the heat of a
500-degree pot.
Sources
The fol l owi ng are mai l -order sources for items recom
mended in this i ssue. Prices were current at press time and
do not i ncl ude shi ppi ng and handl i ng. Contact companies
to confrm i nformati on or visit www. cooksi l l ustrated. com
for updates.
PAGE 9: VERTICALROASTER
Norpr Vertical Roaster with Infuser. $27.9S, item #303876,
Cooking. com (800-663-88 1 0, www.cooki ng.com).
PAGE 23: BOWLSCRAPER
i Si Basics Si l i cone Scraper Spatula: $S.99, item #BI 0002,
iSi Store (800-2 1 1 -9608, www. i si -store.com)
PAGE 29: BLENDERS
KitchenAid S-Speed Bl ender: $ 1 49.99, item #23244,
Chefs Catalog (800-338-3232, www.chefscatalog.com).
Kal ori k BL Bl ender. $49.99, item #rik I 027, Cookware.com
(888-478-4606, www.cookware.com).
PAGE 32: GARLIC PRESS
Kuhn Ri kon Easy-Squeeze Garl i c Press: $20, item #S92S27,
Sur La Table (800-243-08S2, www.surlatabl e.com).
PAGE 32: EGG COOKER
West Bend Automatic Egg Cooker. $24.99, item #86628,
Target.com (800-S9 1 -3869, www.target.com).
PAGE 32: FUNNEL
Prgressive Col l apsi bl e Funnel : $6.49, item #7930 I I ,
Cooking.com.
PAGE 32: TEAPOT
Adagio Teas ingenui TEA Dispensing Teapot: $ 1 4.9S,
item #S0026 1 , Cooking.com.
PAGE 32: COUNTER PROTECTOR
Big HotSpot Si l icone Counter Cover: $ 1 5, item #07088,
Lamson Goodnow (800-872-6564, www. lamsonsharp.com).
I NDE X
`JrC 6 .|r Z ||'
MAI N DISHES
Baked Zi ti I S
Cod Baked i n Foi l wi th Leeks and
Carrots 1 3
wi th Fennel and Shal l ots 1 3
wi th Zucchi ni and Tomatoes 1 3
Gl azed Roast Chi cken 9
Pan-Seared Thi ck-Cut Pork Chops I I
Roast Beef Tenderl oi n 7
Sauteed Chi cken Cutl ets wi th Porci ni
Sauce 20
SI DE DISHES
Brown Ri ce wi th Oni ons and Roasted
Red Peppers 2 1
with Bl ack Beans and Ci l antro 2 1
wi th Peas, Feta, and Mi nt 2 1
French Mashed Potatoes wi th Cheese
and Garl i c (Ai igot) 1 9
BREAD
Ci abatta 24
DESSERT
The Best Easy Chocol ate Cake 25
SAUCES AND BUTTERS
FOR ROAST B E E F TE NDE RLOI N :
Chi potl e and Garl i c Butter wi th
Li me and Ci l antro 7
Shal l ot and Parsl ey Butter 7
FOR PAN-SEARED THI CK-CUT PORK CHOPS:
Ci l antro and Coconut Pan Sauce I I
Garl i c and Thyme Pan Sauce I I
RECIPES ON THE WEB
(AVAI LALE F REE FOR 6 HOHTH5}
Bl ue Cheese and Chi ve Butter
Brown Ri ce wi th Andoui l l e, Corn,
and Red Peppers
Q COOK' LI VE Ori gi nal Test Kitchen Vi deos www. cooksi l l ustrated. com
MAI N DISHES SIDE DISHES
P How to Make Baked Zi ti
P How to Make Cod Baked i n Foi l
wi th Leeks and Carrots
How do I make a parchment pouch?
P How to Make Gl azed Roast
Chi cken
P How to Make Pan-Seared
Thi ck-Cut Pork Chops
How do I check the temperature of
a bone-i n chop?
Why do I score the fat?
P How to Make Roast Beef
Tenderl oi n
P How to Make Sauteed Chi cken
Cutl ets wi th Pori ni Sauce
Buyi ng and cooki ng wi th dri ed
porci ni mushrooms
How to Make Brwn Ri ce wi th
Oni ons and Roasted Red Peppers
How to Make French Mashed
Potatoes wi th Cheese and Garl i c
[Ai igot)
BREAD
How to Make Ci abatta
How to handl e a wet dough
DESSERT
How to Make The Best Easy
Chocol ate Cake
TESTI NG
P Behi nd the Scenes: Testi ng Bl enders
AMERI CAS TEST KI TCHEN
Publ i c tel evi si on' s most popul ar cooki ng show
J oi n the mi l l i ons of home cooks who watch our show,
America's Test Kitchen, on publ i c tel evi si on every week.
For more i nformati on, i ncl udi ng reci pes and program
ti mes, vi si t www. ameri castestki tchen. com.
Fr ench Mas hed Potatoes, | Y Roast Beef Tenderl oi n,
Pan-Seared Th i ck- Cut Pork Chops , I I Sauteed Chi cken Cutl ets wi th Porci ni Sauce, 20
Cod Baked in Foi l , | J Brown Ri ce wi th Oni ons and Red Peppers, 2 1
PHOTOGRAPHY: CARL TRE MBLAY. STYL I NG: MARI E PI RAI NO