1 ` 11

.
^
Foolproof c Flaky
Pie Dough
Easy to Make, Eas to Roll
Holiday Ham I\1
Test Kitchen Secrets
Turkey Taste-Test
Organic? Kosher? Butterball?
Mashed Potatoes
and Root Vegetables
Best Drop Biscuits
No Roll, No Hassle
French Pot Roast
Rating Baking Sheets
Does Brand Matter? You Bet'
Perfect Apple-Crnberr Pie
Eas Roast Turkey Breast
Troubleshooting Tirmisu
Essential Ingredients for Baking
Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fries
WWW. c ook s i l l u s t r a t ed . c o m
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CONTENTS
`OVCHDCi / LCcCDDCi ZOO
2 Notes from Readers |o The Best Drop Biscuits
Quick Tips
Drop biscuits are the no-nonsense alterative to
trditional rolled biscuits. Only one problem-they're
ofen not ver good. BY SANDRA WL
Modernizing French-Style
Pot Roast
2 Perfecting TiramisO
This new Italian classic has become a sad, sog, tired
excuse for a dessert. Could we inject new life into a
dessert whose name translates as "pick me up"?
d
This 17th-centur dish relies on lardons, pork trotter,
and a 48-hour marinade to create the ultimate pot roast.
It's time to bring this recipe into the 21st centur.
BY SAN DRA WU
mproving Mashed Potatoes
and Root Vegetables
Ading carrots, parsnips, tum ips, or celer root to mashed
potatoes sounds like a good idea-until the mash turns
out too water, too sweet. or too bitter.
BY REBECCA HAYS
BY DAWN YANAG I HARA
22 Foolproof Pie Dough
We wanted a recipe that is tender, favorful, and-most
important-consistent. BY J. KENJI ALT
2Apple-Cranberry Pie
Adding cranberries to an apple pie can result in
out-of-balance favor. BY J. KENJI ALT
| Holiday Ham \1
2' Seeking Pear Salad Perfection
Ham is appealingly simple but often comes out dr and
jerkike. Here's what you need to know to produce a
top-notch glazed ham that is always moist and tender.
BY DAVI D PAZM I NO
|2 Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fries
Home stovetops often yield water stir-fries with steamed
meat and underdone vegetables. But with the proper
technique, you can stir-fr like a pro. BY DAVI D PAZMI NO
| Easy Roast Turkey Breast
Achieving crisp skin without drying out the delicate white
meat is easier said than done when roasting a whole
turkey breast. BY CHARLES KE LSEY
| Stocking a Baking Pantry
Here's what you need to have within reach.
BY KE I TH DRESSER
COOK'S ONLI NE
Could we find a way to make lackluster pear shine in a
holiday salad? BY CHARLES KE LSEY
2 Should You Pay Top Dollar
for Turkey?
Turkey is prett bland, so why pay $100 for a mail-order
bird when supermarket options cost less than $2 per
pound? BY LI SA McMANUS
2o Why Don't You Own This
Pan?
The flims jellyroll pans sold in most stores are useless.
But a heav-dut rimmed baking sheet is an unheralded
workhorse ever cook should own. BY LI SA McMAN US
J Kitchen Notes
BY J. KE NJI ALT
J2 Equipment Corner
BY E LI ZABETH BOMZE WI TH LOI S WE I NB LATT
Go to www. cooksi l l ustrated.com to access all recipes from Cook's Illustrated since 1993 as well as updated tast
ings and testings. Wtch videos of all the recipes in this issue being prepared and a special report on the baking sheet testing.
HOLI DA Y BREADS St. Lucia Buns, or lussekatts, are sweet, risin- or currnt-studded
safron buns formed into "S" shapes for the Swedish festival of St. Lucia, which inau
gurates the Christmas season. The Finnish spice their brided, briochelike pulla loaves
with pepper cardamom. Golden-crusted challah is a rich Jewish eg bread sered for
everday meals as well as on the Sabbath and other ceremonial occasions. Italians accent
yeast bread with colorful candied or dried fruit to create the anise-enhanced panettone
for Christmas celebrtions. Stollen, Germany's oblong, sugar-dusted version of fruitcake,
was originally intended to resemble baby Jesus in swaddling clothes. Te Greek make
the cross-adorned Christopsomo, or Christ's bread-a rich, round loaf favored with
the licorice-like resin of the mastic tree. The Greek Easter bread tsoureki reflects the
significance of the holiday through the red egs. meant to represent new life, baked into
the wreath-shaped loaf. Eastern European potica is essentially a strudel with a nut or
poppy seed swirl. Babka is a traditional Polish Easter bread: the raisin-filled, rum-scented
spong yeast bread has become assimilated into Jewish holiday cooking, as well.
CCVEF. Pears by Robert Ppp BCK CCVEF. Holiday Ureads by John Buroyne
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Editorial Ofice: 17 Station St.. Brookline, MA 02445: 617-232-1000: fax 617-232-1572. Subscription inquiries, call 800-526-8442.
Postmaster: Send all new orders, subscription inquiries, and change-of-address notices to Cook's Illustrted. P.O. Box 7446, Red Oak, lA 5 I 591-0446.
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L11!i.!
NOT ONE THING BUT THE OTHER
M
y mothcr was a doctor o|sorts,
a school psychologistwho spcnt
mosto|hcrcarccrasapro|cssor,
both sobcr and rcspcctcd. n a
warm summcr cvcni ng, howcvcr, shc` d o|tcn
cnjoy a snort or two o||ack Danicl ` s, packmc
andmyyoungcrsistcrintothcbacko|anArmy
surplus {ccp, and shoot up Southcast Corncrs
Road likc shcwasrunningmoonshinc, thc bugs
whipping into our |accslikc hail, thc {ccp occa
sionally lihing up on two whccls likc a catama
ran sailing too closc to thc wind. Jhosc days
in Vcrmont wcrc mll o|crcosotc, rough-sawn
boards, homcmadc pcach icc crcam, micc ncst
inginwadcrs,andswimmingholcsso coldthcy
couldshrinkamllgrownsowdowntothcsizco|
awoodchuck.
IknowasucccssmlcwYorkbookagcntwho
tradcdinhcrU ats|ormuckbootsandnowmakcs
goatchccsc. Lawycrshavcbccomcpig|armcrs,a
lormcrlibrarianwaits vigilantly,a . 22inhand,to
shoot wcascls that havc acquircd a tastc |or hcr
turkcys,abackhocopcratorandnativcVcrmontcr
writcs his invoiccs in a nnc, |cmininc script, and
a no nonscnsc U atlandcr |rom Connccticut has
bccomc thc local dowscr. I wondcr i|thc only
thingsthatarcabsolutclytructothcirnaturcarc
rabbit dogs and cl cctric |cnccs, sincc both arc
singularinpurposc.
Many things in our bucol i c small town i n
thc Crccn Mountains o|\crmont arcn` t what
thcyappcarto bc. I hcarrumors o|girlsUagging
downtruckcrs|oragoodtimcandthcstoryo|an
othcrwisc upstanding citizcn who is a bit light
nngcrcdwhcnshoppingi nlocalstorcs. Ahundrcd
ycarsago,thclocalncwspapcrcarricdsimilarsto
rics. Inordcrtodctcrminci|a |cnccwas o|l cgal
construction, our town had a uniquc approach.
Oncpolicco|n ccrwcighcd3OOpounds,oncwas
six |cct cight, and thc thirdwas cxtrcmcly smal l .
Itwas rcccntly votcd that al l |cnccs on which
a |at man could sit, which thc tall man couldn`t
stcpovcr,nortl+clittlconccrawl
throughshouldbcdccmcdlcgal
|cnccs. "And, inl2o, thcpapcr
printcdthcnshstoryo|alltimc.
Clarcncc Hol dcnwhowon a
Mt. Antl+onyClubJournamcnt
in I I O hasrccovcrcdthcmcdal
awardcdhimattl+attimc. . . Itwas
rcturncdbyHcrbcrtBoothwho
said tl+at hc |ound thc mcdal in
thcstomacho|abigbrowntrout
caughta short distancc south ol
thc point whcrc thc mcdal was
losttcnycarsago. "
Christopher Kimball
vcrthcycars,atownismany
things . It is an accumulation o|
histori cs, barns, kitchcn danccs,
nsh stori cs, practical j okcs, n st
nghts, |amily grudgcs, tcachcrs,
ministcrs, loggcrs, huntcrs, and
schoolhouscsthathavclongsunk
downintothcwccds.\crmontcrs
arc not j ust cw Englandcrs or
Yankccs. Jhcy comc |rom Jidd
or Kcnt Hollow, |rom thc gcn
tlc lowcr slopcs o|Swcaring or
MinistcrHi l l , |rom thc oldIord
Cri mc, cspccially violcnt cri mc, was common
among our bustling community. Mrs . Ihilandcr
Mo|lat was arrcstcd on thc chargc o|attcmpt
ing to poison hcr husband. In l84, a woman
burncddowntl+c|amilybarnwitha cowi ni t. A
kitchcndanccin llI rcsultcd in a n stn ghtovcr
ayoungwomanthatcndcdintHc dcatho|and
dlcr. I nI 3o, {ohnIoxwas|oundhanging|rom
al argcclmdownonIincolnLanc,andthcrcarc
rumors to this day about |oul play. A man who
wasalivcwhcnIn rstmovcdintotownwassaidto
havcburicdmorcthanoncbodyupinBcartown,
apairo|cntwincddcadraccoonsloundononc` s
drivcwaywashis spccial cal l ingcard-awarning
tokccpyourdistancc .
Runinswithwild animalswcrc commonilnot
cxaggcratcd. A corrcspondcntwrotc to thc local
papcrinthcl atc l8OOs thattwomcn,longsincc
dcad,rodcabigbcardownthcsidco|thcmoun
tai n. Jhcygothimprcttytircd but. . . prcttysoon,
whilc thcy wcrc having grcat sport, thc bcar got
mad. "Jhcrcsultwasoncbadlyinjurcd\crmontcr
and a dcad bcar. IcroyFitch was coming homc
down thc wcstcrn slopc o|Birch Hill whcn hc
hcard, o||to thc lch, tlc quick trcad o|an ani
mal , "whichhcsupposcdtobcashccp. Jurning
intl+atdircction, hc bchcld, not ovcr 7 rods dis
tant,ananimalthathcdcclarcstobcapanthcr. "
|arm up past thc Bcntlcy placc.
You livc whcrc you wcrc born. Jhc dirt undcr
your boots tclls a story. Jhc saphousc may bc
whcrc you hadyour nrst kiss. And you rcmcm
bcrcvcryhuntingdogyou`vccvcrowncd,cvcry
drah horsc, and cvcry dccrthatyouhavcshotat
andmisscd.
Bythcturno|thc2O
th
ccntury,ourtownhad
startcd to cmpty out, sincc bcttcr soil had bccn
discovcrcd by\crmontcrs callcd out o|statc by
tl+c Civil War. Yct our scnsc o| placc rcmaincd
undiminishcd. A lcttcr submittcd to thc ncws
papcr i n I 82 rcad, Wc movcd on to what is
cal l cd thc Bowcn pl acc and. . . lrom thcrc you
can. . . sccthcvillagcsncstlcd among tl+c hillsand
thc long strctch o|thc Grccn Mountains losing
itscl|awayi nthc south bcyondBcnnington.Jhc
oncc com|ortablc |arm buildings arc a hcap o|
ruins and whcrcthcrcwcrconccsplcndidmcad
ows and waving grai n, now only shccp arc pas
turcd. Although thc gloryo|thc hillis. . . athing
o|thcpast,itstillholdslovi ngplaccsi nthchcarts
oI. . itschildrcn. "
Jhat`s thc thing. Wc arc i nlovc with a placc
thathas bccn manythings. It maychangc again,
i t mayhavc bccn somcthing clsc, but thc rocky
ground bcncath our |cct, thc nrst cold night in
August, and thc last run o|sap tcll us now and
|orcvcrthatwcarchomc.
IClllLlllLS, ClLLlS, CllClLllICll1lCl:
w. cooksi l l ustrated. com
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N 0 V E ^\ B E R c D E C E ,\\ ll E R 2 0 0 7
`1c 1` 11/i11c
Good White Bread
Somc o|your rccipcscall|or highqualitywhitc
sandwich brcad. "Whatdocs that mcan` Doyou
prc|cr aparticularbrand`
J UAN CARLOS R UAN
GAITHERSB URG. MD.
High qualitywhitc sandwi chbrcad" docs not
rc|cr to rustic artisanal loavcs |ound in a bak
cry, butrathcrthcclassicwhitcsandwichbrcad
|ound sliccd and packagcd in thc brcad aislc
ol thc supcrmarkct. I n thc tcst kitchcn, thc
rc|ri gcrator is always stockcd with Icppcridgc
Iarm Iarmhousc Hcarty Whitc Brcad and
Arnold Country Cl assics Whitc Brcad. Both
brcads havc a dcnsc crumb and slightly swcct
H avor that makc thcm suitablc |or a varicty o|
uscs . Most traditional sandwich brcads wcigh
bctwccn 12 ouncc and I ouncc pcr slicc, but
ourtwo|avoritcswcigh in at about I l+ ounccs
pcr slicc. Jhis makcs a dil|crcncc in rccipcs
that call lor making thc brcad into crumbs.
Whilc I slicc o|this largcr brcad yiclds about
a cup o| nncly proccsscd brcad crumbs, you
maynccd2 sliccsolsmallcr,thinncrvcrsionsol
classic whitc sandwich brcad to yicld thc samc
amount.
Chees Cousins
I rcad your Iarmcsan chccsc story ,Scptcmbcr/
ctobcr 2OO7) with intcrcst and I noticcd you
didn` t includc Grana Iadano or Rcggianito.
Howdothcscchccscscomparcwith Iarmigiano
Rcggianoinllavorandtcxturc`
JOANN SHERMAN
EASTCHESTER, N.Y.
Iarmigiano Rcggiano has two rclativcs that
bcar a |amily rcscmblancc. Italy produccs a
cow` s mi l k chccsc cal l cd Grana Iadano.
Grana" dcscribcsitshard, granulartcxturcand
Iadano" rclcrs to thc Io Rivcr Vallcy whcrc
thc chccsc originatcd, which is outsidc thc
govcrnmcntdcsignatcd rcgion |or Iarmigiano
Rcggi ano. Grana Iadano is l css cxpcnsivc than
Iarmigiano Rcggiano-S I I . pcrpoundvcrsus
Sl o. pcrpound |or thc tcstkitchcn`s|avoritc
groccry storc Iarmigiano-andagcd |or atlcast
months and up to 24 months. , Iarmigiano
Rcggiano is usually agcd |or 24 months . ) In
Argcntina, a chccsc callcd Rcggianito is madc
using mcthods brought in by northcrn Italian
dairy larmcrs . Rcggianito is agcd no morc than
I2 months and, at So. pcrpound, is signin
cantlychcapcrthanthcothcroptions .
3 COMPILED B Y SANDRA W U E
Wc comparcd small chunks o|Iarmigi ano
Rcggi ano wi th sampl cs o| Grana Iadano
and Rcggi ani to i n a bl i nd tast c t cs t . Jhc
Iarmigiano Rcggianowas praiscdlori tssharp,
compl cx, nutty" tastc and sl i ghtl y crunchy
crystallinc structurc. It had thc most di mcn
si onand dcpth ol llavor" o|thc thrcc sampl cs.
Convcrscly, thc Rcggianito was gi vcn a hrm
thumbs down |or its moist, rubbcrytcxturc and
bland Havor. Jhc Grana Iadano |cl l somcwhcrc
in bctwccn. a mildcr, lcss compl cx vcrsion o|
thc Iarmigiano Rcggi ano, wi th |cwcr granular
crystal s.
cxt, wctricdthcchccscsinacookcdapplica
tion. polcnta. Agai n, thc Iarmigiano Rcggiano
camc out on top, with thc Grana Iadano lol
lowingi naclosc sccond. Jhc Rcggianito,which
tastcrsdcscri bcdas bcing supcr bland, "rankcd
atthcbottomonccagain.
So thc cconomi cal pricc o| thc Rcggianito
docsn` t makc up |or its poor tcxturc and lack
o|llavor. Jhc GranaIadano, whilc acccptablc,
isn` tthat muchchcapcrthan tl+c rcal thing. Wc`ll
gladlypaya couplccxtra dollars|or Iarmigiano
Rcggiano.
RE G G I AN I TO G RANA PADAN O
These to relatives don't measure up to
Prmigiano-Reggi ano.
Make-Ahead Holiday Pies
Jhis holiday scason, I plan on making a numbcr
o|picswcllinadvancc. IsitKtoncczcpics`
JAYA HARIHAR
BASKING RIDGE, N.J.
It dcpcnds on thc pic . Applc pic ,wc tcstcd
our dccp-dish vcrsion, Scptcmbcr/ctobcr
2OO5 ) canbc hilly asscmblcd and |rozcn bclorc
baking, though thc crust will bc slightly lcss
crisp. Jo |rcczc, lollow tl+c rccipc all thc way
through scaling tl+c pic crust, but do not brush
witl+ cggwash. Ircczc tl+c pic |or two to tlircc
hours, thcnwrap it tightly i n a doublc l aycr o|
plastic wrap, lollowcd by a laycr ol |oi l , and
rcturnittothclrcczcr|oruptooncmonth. n
scrvingday,brushcggwashontotl+c|rozcnpi c,
sprinklcitwithsugar,andbakcitlor IO minutcs
longcrthanspccincdi nthc rccipc.
C O OK
'
s I L L US T R A rE I
.
Iccan pic , ovcmbcr/Dcccmbcr I 5 ) can
alsobclrozcn|oruptooncmonthbc|orcbaking.
Iillthcpi c, thcn wrap itand|rcczc itusi ngthc
samc mcthodasthcapplcpicandbakcitstraight
|romthc |rcczcr, adding 3O minutcs to thc bak
ing timc . , Jhis pic i s dcnscr than applc pic and
rcquircsmorc timc to cookthrough. )
Inlortunatcly, pumpkin pic cannot bc suc
ccss|ully lrozcn. Wc tricd baking and lrcczing
ourpumpkinpic , ovcmbcr/Dcccmbcr I 3) ,
butbccausci t hasacustardbasc, thctcxturcwas
altcrcd oncc thc pic was |rozcn and dc|rostcd.
Rathcr than maintaining a smooth crcamincss,
it took on an unappcaling grainy and scparatcd
consistcncy. Ircczi ng placcs strcss on thc pro
tcins in custards byconccntratingthcwatcrinto
icc crystal s, which pull away |rom thc protcins
andmakcthcmmorcsusccptibl ctocoagulation.
Yourbcstbct |ormakingthispicahcado|timc is
baking it a day bclorc it will bccatcn,cooling it
mly,wrappingit with plasticwrap, and storingit
in thc rc|rigcrator.
How to Use Rose Water
I `vc sccn rosc watcr listcd in rccipcs. Wat is it,
andhowisituscd`
JACQUELINE RODMAN
SAN JOSE. CALIF.
Rosc watcr is a Uoral , pcrmmclikc llavoring
madc by boiling crushcd rosc pcta|s and con
dcnsing thc stcam i n a still . I tis uscd inMiddlc
EastcrnandIndiandcsscrts,somc
timcs i n conjunctionwith orangc
blossomwatcr. In Middlc Iastcrn
cooking, rosc watcr is ohcn uscd
in cakcs, puddings, nuit salads,
con|cctions, and baklava. Itplays
a similar rolc i n swccts |rom
northcrn India, such as _u/u/
umun, which arc dccp |ricd
milk powdcr balls soakcd in
a cardamom and rosc lla
vorcd syrup. Ricc pudding is
anothcrcommonapplication.
Wc pur c ha s c d t hr c c
brandsol roscwatcr-Maya,
A wadiA Akhdar,andCcdar
Ihocnicia-and tastcd thcm
i naMiddlcEastcrnriccpud
di ng that cal l s |or 2 tabl c
spoonsolthcllavoring. Jastcrs
loundthcA wadibrand-
FLOWER POWE R
thc only onc containing A l ittle of thi s florl
naturalllavors"-tohavc
fl avori ng goes a long wy.
d
Z

D
i
Z
l
O
Z
O

thc subtlcstllavor, which thcylikcd. Jhc Maya

rosc watcrcamc in closc bchind, with a slightly
strongcr pronl c . n thc oppositc cnd ol thc
spcctrum,thcCcdarroscwatcrwasdcscribcdas
bcinglakc-tasting"andovcrwhclming. " Rosc
watcrcan bc lound i n thc intcrnational scction
olsomcsupcrmarkctsandatMiddlcEastcrnand
Indian groccrs . Ilyou`rc not uscd to its llavor,
start out by using sli ghtly lcss than thc rccipc
calls lor. A littlc gocs a long way, and you can
alwaysaddmorc.
Sweetening Whiped Cream
Iwas intrigucd whcn I sawtl+atyour basic rccipc
lorwhippcd crcam calls lor adding thc sugar at
uc bcginning ol whipping. I was always told
uc oldwivcs` talc thatyou had to add it at thc
cnd,bccauscodcrwiscdccrcamwouldn`twhip
propcrly. Canyouclari[`
ROSA HAND
OXFORD, OHIO
Iirst dings hrst. Jhc tcst kitchcn has lound
granulatcd sugar to bc dc bcst swcctcncr lor
whippcd crcam. It takcs twicc as much conlcc
tioncrs` sugar to cqual thc swcctncss ol granu
latcd sugar, and using so much incvitably lcnds
alaint chalkincss to tl+c cndproduct. Joanswcr
yourqucstion, wc madctwo batchcs olwhippcd
crcam wid dc sugar addcd at two dillcrcnt
points. at uc bcginning ol whipping and at tlc
cnd. Aldough both batchcs whippcd to tl+c
samc volumc, dcrc was a dillcrcncc in tcxturc.
Whcn uc sugar was addcd latcr in thc proccss,
uc whippcdcrcamhad a slightly grainy tcxturc.
Whcn addcd to dc crcam at thc bcginning ol
whipping,howcvcr,dcgranulcshaddissolvcdby
uctimcthccrcamwasmlywhippcd.
Whilc sugartimingdocsn`tallcctthc crcam`s
ability to whip up propcrly, thc tcmpcraturc ol
uc crcam docs. Whippingtl+c crcam introduccs
air bubblcs, whosc walls arc stabilizcd by tiny
globulcs ol lat. Jhcsc lat globulcs hold thc air
bubblcsinplaccasthcwhippingcontinucs,lorm
ingwhat cvcntuallybccomcslight,airywhippcd
crcam. Bccausc hcat will sohcn thc buttcrlat i n
thc crcam, thc l i qui dlat globulcs wi l l collapsc
complctclyradcrdanholdtogcdcrthcairbub
blcs, prcvcnting thc crcam lrom whipping up
propcrly. Jo kccptliislromhappcning,it iscru
cialtousccrcamstraightlromthcrclrigcrator.
Microwavable Rice
I`vc noticcdmllycookcdmicrowavablcriccattl+c
supcrmarkct. Would it work in rccipcs that call
lorcookcd ricc`
DAVE GODOWSKY
ARLINGTON, MASS.
Vous types ol instant whitc ricc havc bccn
arotad lor ycars to hclp timccru+chcd homc
cooksavoidmcproccssolcookingiicc. Inadd
WHAT IS IT?
I found thi s ol d tool i n d box of househol d
i tems. The word i ng on the handl e reads I rvi n
Ware and Made i n the U. S.A. I can' t i magi ne
what i t Wdb used for. Do you have any i deas?
STEPHANIE WOOD, PORTLAND, ORE.
The gadget you found i s a cast-al umi num ci trus squeezer about
6 i nches l ong and 3 ' 12 i nches wi de. To use i t, pl ace a quartered
l emon or hal ved l i me cut-si de down in the perforated cup.
Hol di ng the devi ce over a bowl , squeeze the handl es together
and al l ow the ci trus j ui ce to run through the hol es.
For fresh lemon juice,
just squeeze.
Whi l e thi s anti que contrapti on does what i t is supposed
to-the hol es are j ust l are enough to al l ow the j ui ce to run
through and j ust smal l enough to trap seeds-i t sti l l i sn ' t as easy
to use as our favorite modern reamers and j ui cers. The l i mited
capaci t of the hol di ng cup makes i t i mpossi bl e to accommo
date an enti re lemon half. Add i ti onal ly, i f the frui t i sn ' t properly
posi ti oned, wi th the peel touchi ng both si des of the cl amp, i t
runs the ri sk of sl i ppi ng out or bei ng j ui ced only hal fay.
toboil-in-bagricc andinstantricc,tlcrc isanodcr
product tlat has croppcd up morc rcccntly on
supcrmarkctshclvcs. hi|lycookcdi1cc. Jhisconvc
nicnccproductiscoatcdwithoilto kccp dcgrains
distinctandpackagcdinmicrowavablcpouchcs.
WctricdInclcBcn` sRcadyRiccplain,i nlricd
ricc, and wrappcd up in a burrito. Latcn on its
own, thc ricc had an oddlywaxy, supcrsmootl+
cxtcriorandslightlyartih cialllavor, and tl+c grains
wcrctooscparatc.Whilctl+cscsamcqualiticswcrc
stillprcscntintl+clricd
ri cc and burrito, thc
cllcctswcrclcssnoticc
ablc oncc thc othcr
r cc i pc componc nts
wcrc mi xcd i n. Di d
wc lovc i t` o, but it
can pass in a pinch il
combi ncd with othcr
ingrcdicnts.Ilyouplan
on scrving plain ricc,
howcvcr, wc strongly
rccommcnd lorgoi ng
thc baggcd stull and
maki ngityourscll
READY R I CE
Texture i s a bi t wa, but
acceptabl e i n a pi nch.
Cooling Cookie Sheets
Whcn making multiplc batchcs olcookics, can I
scoop cookic dough onto thc hot baki ngshccts,
ordo I nccdto lct dc bakingshccts cool alltl+c
waydown bclorc usingthcmagai n`
MAUREEN CONVERY
BROOKLINE, MASS.
Whilc it`s tcmpting .o savc timc by portion
ing cookic dough onto a baking shcct tl+at has
N | V E M B E R c7 D E C E I ll E R 2 0 0 7
3
j ust bccn rcmovcd lrom dc ovcn, wc don`t
rccommcnd it. Jhc dough bcgins to mclt and
sprcad bclorc it cvcn rcachcs dc ovcn, which
can advcrscly allcct dc tcxturc ol tlc cook
i cs. Wc bakcd two batchcs cach ol our Jhick
and Chcwy Chocolatc Chip Cookics , ]anuary/
Fcbruary I o) and Soh and Chcwy Sugar
Cookics , ovcmbcr/Dcccmbcr 2OO2) , thc hrst
using a cool baking shcct and tl+c sccond using
a hot baking shcct dat had j ust bccn rcmovcd
lrom tl+c ovcn. Bou baking shccts wcrc lincd
widparchmcntpapcr.Whilcdillcrcnccsbctccn
tl+ctwobatchcsolchocolatcchipcookicswcrcn`t
too noticcablc, dc samc couldn`t bc said ol thc
tl+inncr, morc dclicatc sugar cookics. Jhc sugar
cookics bakcd on tl+c hot cookic shcct sprcad
morc, had darkcr bottoms, and wcrc noticcably
mnncrand crispcr aroundtl+c cdgcs.
Hcrc` s our rccommcndati on. Altcr rcmov
i ng bakcd cookics lrom tl+c ovcn and allowing
tl+c baking shcct to cool lor a lcwminutcs until
warm but no longcr hot, simply run thc bak
ing shcct undcr cold tap watcr to cool it down
quickly, thcnwipc it dry. Jo makc thc opcration
cvcn morc cmcicnt, linc thc cookic shcct with
parchmcnt papcr. As tl+c nrst batch bakcs, load
a sccondpiccc olparchmcntwiu dough. Whcn
thc cooki cscomcoutolthc ovcn, rcmovcdcm,
parchmcntandall,ontoacoolingrack. nccthc
baking shcct is propcrly coolcd, thc ncxt batch
will bcrcadytogo.
SEND US YOUR QUESTI ONS We will provide a compli
mentar one-year subscription for each letter we print. Send your
inquiry. name. address. and daytime telephone number to Notes
from Readers, Cook's Illustrated. P.O. Box 470589, Brookline.
l02447, or to notesfromreader@americastestkitchen.com.
Quick Tips
. CO MPIL E D B Y DAVI D PA Z M I NO E
Rescui ng Dry Vani l l a Beans
Splitting dry, shriveled vanilla beans
and removing their seeds is nearly
impossible. Not wanting to waste
this expensive ingredient, Carina
Driscoll of Burlington, Vt., found a
way to revive over-the-hill vanilla
beans.
2.
I . Cut the vanilla beans in half
crosswise and place them in a
microwave-safe bowl or measur
ing cup. Add enough cream or
half-and-half to cover the beans.
2. Microwave the mixture on
medium power for I to 2 minutes
until the beans are soft and supple
(cream should not boil). Remove
the beans from the cream, split
them lengthwise, and scrpe out
the seeds. Don't discard the
vanilla-flavored cream: It can be
cooled and used in cofee.
Smoothi ng Out Lumpy Grav
Tryi ng to thi cken gravy by spri nkl i ng i n four often resul ts i n unsightl y l umps and a
consi stency that is sti l l too thi n because the starch is not di spersed. Dean Thomas
of San Di ego, Cal i f. , solved the probl em by comi ng up wi th the fol l owi ng pl an. (i s
techni que does not work wi th mushroom or gi bl et grv. )
I. Fi l l a bl ender no more than hal f f ul l with the l upy grv and process unti l the
grv i s smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. To thi cken the gravy, pour i t back i nto a saucepan and bri ng i t to a si mmer. Any
remai ni ng smal l l umps can be strai ned out with a fi ne-mesh stri ner.
No More Shri nki ng Pi za Dough
Even after allowing his piza dough to
rest, Robert Brandt of Tucson, Ariz.,
often had trouble rolling it out
into a circle without it shrink
ing back. He came up with a
clever remedy that uses
grvit to help the
process along.
I . Roll the dough into a 6-inch
disk and place it on an overturned
mixing bowl that has been lightly
dusted with flour.
2. Gently pull the edges of the
dough downward, stretching it
over the bowl until it is the desired
size.
Send Us Your Tip We wi l l provide a compl i mentary one-year subscri ption for each tip we pri nt. Send your ti p, name, and address
to Quick Ti ps, Cook's I l lustrated, P. O. Box 470589, Brookl i ne, MA 02447, or to qui ckti ps@americastestkitchen. com.
C OO K
'
s I L L US T R A T E D
4
Cleaning Microplane Grter
A Microplane grter is invaluable,
but food can get trpped in its holes,
making it a challenge to clean. Ave
Chuprevich of Monmouth, Maine,
uses a clean
toothbrush to
scrub its hard
to-reach
nooks and
crnnies.
Keepi ng Standi ng
Mi xers Cl ean
Batters and doughs can often fnd
thei r way down to the spot where the
bottom of the workbowl afixes to the
base of a standi ng mixer, whi ch i s a
difi cul t area to cl ean. To combat thi s
probl em, Erika Tayl or of Pittsburh,
P. , pl aces a pi ece of pl asti c wrp
between the base of the mixer and
the bowl . Thi s does not i nterfere with
attachi ng the bowl to the base and
provi des a layer of protecti on so that
food stays out of the crcks.
U
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Homemade Knife Protector

Storing knives in a drawer not only is dangerous but can also damage the knives. Janet Van Uere of Boston, Mass.,
came up with a cheap way to protect her fingers and her knives.
I . Set a knife on a manila folder, placing the blade of the knife parallel to the bottom edge of the folder. Use a pen to
mark 11 inch beyond the tip and 11 inch above the spine.
2. Using these marks as guides, cut the folder into a rectangle. Staple the top edge and front of the rectangle at 11-inch
interals, leaving the back end open to slide in the knife.
Easi er Seed Removal
Splitti ng a pumpki n or wi nter squash
is eas enough, but removi ng the tan
gl ed mess of seeds and pulp i s another
matter. I nstead of usi ng a spoon, Katie
Grf of Uncoln, Neb. , reaches for a
round metal cooki e cutter. The sharp
edges conform to the cures of the
squash, maki ng i t easy to remove the
seeds and stri ng pul p.
Blanched Al monds
Fi xi ng a Broken Cake
After removing a finick cake from a pan,
Lena Giaser of NewYork, N.Y., found
repaired the fracture
by allowing the
cakes to cool,
then spreading
a thin layer of
soft butter
cream frosting
over the broken
suraces and reattaching
the pieces. She then set
the cake in the refrig
erator for about an hour to
allow the frosting to harden
before continuing to assemble
and frost it.
Mess-Free Broi l i ng
When broi l i ng greasy meats such as
ground beef. Tracey Frierson of Shaker
Hei ghts, Ohi o, always found that the
fat produced smoke and was hard to
clean up. Uni ng the broi ler pan with
al umi num foil helps, and she takes this
method one step further.
I. Une the bottom of the broiler pan
wi th foil and cover i t wi th a few slices
of bread to soak up the grease. Cover
with the perforted broiler pan top
and proceed to broil the meat.
2. When i t comes ti me to clean up,
si mply gather the foi l and grease
soaked bread together and di scard.
When maki ng a tart that cal l ed for blanched (ski nned) al monds, J eremy Turner of Brooklyn, N., could fi nd only whole, ski n- on almonds at the supermarket.
Here i s the si mple techni que he used to remove the ski ns.
2. 3.
I . Place I cup almonds in a medi um heatproof bowl and cover with 2 cups boi li ng water. Let the almonds stand for to mi nutes, then dri n and ri nse them under cold runni ng water.
2. Press each almond between your thumb and i ndex fi nger to sl i p of the ski n.
3. To dr and li ghtly toast the ski nned nuts, place them on a baki ng sheet i n a 3 50- degree oven for seven t o I 0 mi nutes.
N OV E M B E R c D E CE M B E R 2 0 0 7
'
Modernizing French-Style Pot Roast
Th i s 17th - centur d i sh rel i es on l ardons , pork trotters. and a 48- h ou r mari nade to
create the u l ti mate pot roast. I t' s ti me to bri ng th i s reci pe i n to the 21st cen tur.
B
cuja /u Hdc-bcc| in thc l atcst
|ashi on"-i s a cl assi c Frcnch rcci pc
thatdatcs to a ti mc whcn a multiday
rcci pc was thc rul c rathcr than thc
cxccption. Jhccarlicstrc|crcnccI |oundtothis
dish appcarcd i n Ic Cuisinicr Frunis , I o5 I ) ,
an cncyclopcdic book that systcmatically cata
logucd Frcnchcuisinc. Larding, inscrtingstrips
o|marinatcd |at ) and braising, scaringthc roast
andsimmcringitpartiallysubmcrgcdi nliquidi n
a scalcdpot) could trans|orm anothcrwisc dry
andchcwycutintoatcndcr,moist,andH avorIl
roast.A addcdbonuso|thiscookingtcchniquc
is that thc braising liquid itscl|-rcd winc and
bcc|stock-rcduccs into a thick, rich saucc to
accompanythcmcat.
Althoughbocu|a lamodcbcarssomcsimilar
ity to Amcrican pot roast, this cl cgant Frcnch
dish rclics hcavi l y on wi nc |or navor, adds
collagcnrichvcal and pork parts |or body, and
hasa scparatcly prcparcd mushroomonion gar
nish.Acrspcndingdays makingh vc classic rcn
ditionso|thisold|ashioncdrccipc, Iundcrstood
its allurc-and its challcngcs. It is to pot roast
whatcroissants arc to rc|rigcratcd crcsccnt rolls
and,assuch,rcquircdupto|ourdayso|prcpara
tion!Jobringbocu|a lamodcuptodatc|orthc
modcrn homc cook-thc mcats and timcs havc
changcd, ahcrall-somc o|thc mssytcchniqucs
and hardtoh nd ingrcdicnts would havc to go.
Still, I was willing to dojust about anything to
makcthisi mprcssivc dish, so longasitworkcd.
Bye, Bye Marinade
Jraditionally, this rccipc starts with thrcading
stripso|scasoncd,brandysoakcdsaltporkor|at
backthrough thcbcc|roastusi ngal ongnccdlc,
or/urdir. In additiontomakingup |or thclack
o|marblinginthcmcat,lardingaddsllavor. I cut
somc |atback into thin strips, marinatcd thcm
inbrandyand scasonings, and strugglcd to pull
thcmthroughthcroast. Forthcamounto|c||ort
thcscstcpstook, I wasdisappointcdwhcntastcrs
|clt thc payo||wasn`t that grcat. Joday`s grain
|cd bcc|gcts littlc cxcrcisc and has much morc
marbling than thc lcancr, grass|cd bcc| catcn
in Irancc whcn tlis rccipc was crcatcd. A long
as I chosc thc right cut , tastcrs likcd a bonclcss
chuckcyc roast bcst) , thcrc was plcnty o| |at
in thc mcat and larding was j ust ovcrkl . I was
happyto ax this stcp |rommyrccipc.
3 B Y SANDRA W U E
tastcrs wcrc much happicr. 1hc winc
tastcdcompIcx an truity, not sour and
astringcnt.
Most o|thc vcgctablc H avor i n this
dish comcs |rom thc garnish o|glazcd
pcarl oni ons and button mushrooms,
which i s traditionally cookcd scparatcly
and addcdj ustbc|orc scrving. Jospccd
upthcproccss,Iuscdnozcnrathcrthan
|rcshpcarl onions. Butthcsauccnccdcd
somcvcgctablcstobalanccthcwincand
mcat H avors . Sautccd onion and garlic
hclpcd build dcpthi nthc carlystagcso|
cooki ng, andtastcrs likcd thc swcctncss
contributcd by l argc chunks o|carrots
addcd to thc braising liquid latcr i nthc
cookingproccss.
The Sauce Matters
A concentrated red wi ne sauce is the hallmark of thi s elegant di s h.
I had thc winc and vcgctablcs undcr
control , but my rccipc didn`t sccm as
richandmcatyassomco|thc tcstrccipcs
I hadprcparcd. Myh rstthoughtwas to
salt thc mcat, somcthing wc do in thc
tcst kitchcn to i mprovc thc bcc[ llavor
In all o|thc classic rccipcs I uncovcrcd, thc
mcatwasmarinatcdinamixturco|rcdwincand
l argccut mircpoix , carrots, onions, and cclcry)
|or a signih campcriod o|timc,up to thrccdays
i n scvcral cascs. Jcstingvarious lcngths o|timc,
I |oundthcc||cctsupcrncial unlcssI waswilling
to invcst at lcast two htll days. Ivcn thcn, thc
wincllavorpcnctratcd onlythc outcrparto|thc
mcat, andtlcvcgctablcs didn`t rcallyaddmuch.
Frankly, thc mcatpickcdupso muchwi ncllavor
duringthchours longbraisingtimcthatmarinat
ingdidn` tsccmworthtlc c||ort.
In |act, somc tastcrs actuallycomplaincdthat
thc mcatwaspickinguptoo muchwincllavoras
it cookcd, thc bcc|tastcd a bit sour and harsh.
I rcvicwcd a {ulia Chi l d rcci pc thatcal l cd |or
marinating thc roast in a mixturc o| winc and
vcgctablcs and thcn rcducingthat marinadc by
hal|bc|orc adding bcc|brothandbcginningthc
braising proccss. I was intrigucd. Would cook
ing thc winc bc|orc braising tl+c bcc|i n it tamc
its unplcasant alcoholic punch? I put thc winc
i n a sauccpan andrcduccdit to 2 cups. WlcnI
combincd thc rcduccd winc with thc bcc|broth
and uscd this mi xturc as thc braising l i qui d,
C OOK
'
S I L L U STR A T E D
o
in thickcut stcaks. It works by drawing
moisturc out o|tlc mcat and |omng a shallow
bri nc. vcr timc, tlc salt migratcs back into tlc
mcat,scasoningittlroughoutratlcrtlanj uston
thccxtcrior.Jastcrslikcdthcc||cctso|saltingtlc
roastovcrnight, butI was rcluctantto makc this
a two day rccipc. Ivcntually, I discovcrcd tlat
salting thc mcat |or j ust an hour was wortl tlc
minimalc||ort. 1hc roastwasnicclyscasoncdand
tastcdbccncr.
Saltporkistraditionallyaddcdtothcsaucc|or
richncss,buttastcrsprc|crrcdthcsmokyllavoro|
One Roast Becomes Two
TOO FATTY G OOD TO GO
The chuck-eye roast has great flavor, but we found that the
interior fat i s best tri mmed before cooking. Si mply pull the
roast apar at the natural seam and trim away large knobs of
fat from each half.
SALTI NG I nstead of the usual
two-day mari nade, we i mprove the
flavor of the beef by sal ti ng i t for
j ust one hour.
REDUCI NG For concentrated
wi ne flavor wi thout harshness or
sour notes, we reduce an enti re
bottle of wi ne to j ust 2 cups.
GELTI N Soaked gel ati n gi ves
our sauce body and means that
you don' t need the trdi ti onal veal
bones, calves' feet, and pork ri nd.
bacon. I dccidcdt obrownthcmcatint hcbacon
drippingsandthcnaddthcbaconbitsbacktothc
braisingliquid. Mysauccwasimproving.
Comparcdwithrcgularpotroast braisi ngliq
uid,whichisllavormlbutrclativclythinandbro
thy, thcsauccthataccompanicsbocu|a lamodc
is richcrandmorcakin to asauccthatmightbc
|oundonastcakatanncrcstaurant. Addingsomc
Hourtothcsautccdonionandgarlichclpcdwith
thc ovcrallconsistcncy, butthc saucc still lackcd
body. I tricd adding pork rind, split calvcs` |cct,
andvcal boncs andlikcdthc c||cctthcyhad on
thc saucc-thc collagcn i n thcsc animal parts
brcaks down i n thc l ong cooking proccss and
rclcascs pl cnty o|gclati n. But what i |I wcnt
dircctlytothcsourccinstcad`
I tricdaddingatablcspoono|powdcrcdgcl a
ti n rchydratcd i n l+ cup o|col d watcr at thc
bcginning o|thc rccipc, but to no c||cct. Jhc
lcngthy cooking timc and high hcat rcndcrcd
thcgclatininc||cctivc . Idccidcdtotryagai n, add
ingthcgclatinduringthcsauccrcductionstagc.
Jhishclpcd, but not cnough. It wasn`tuntil I ` d
addcd thc gclatin a|tcr thc saucc had nnishcd
rcducingthatIgotthcrcsultsIhadbccnlooking
|or.Iinally,itbccamcrichandvclvcty,onparwitl+
thcbcstclassic rccipc I` dtricdatthcbcginningo|
myjourncy. Drizzlcdwitlthisintcnscsauccand
surroundcd by thc wcll browncd mushroom
onion garnish andtcndcr carrots, this ol d|ash
ioncdpotroastwasthcbcstI`dcvcrtastcd.
F RE N C H - STYLE POT ROAST
S ERVES 6 TO 8
Amcdium bodicd,|ruity rcd winc suchas Ctcs
du Rhnc or Iinot oir is bcst |or this rccipc.
I||rozcn pcarl onions arc unavailablc, uscncsh
pcclcd pcarl onions and |ollow tlc rccipc as
dircctcd. Jhc gclatin lcndsrichncss and body to
thcnnishcdsaucc, don`tomitit. Joprcparc this
dish in advancc, |ollow tl+c rccipc through stcp
7,skippingthc stcp o|sohcning andaddingthc
clatin Ilacc thc mcat back into thc rcduccd
saucc, cool it to room tcmpcraturc, covcr it,
andrc|rigcratc it|orupto2 days.Joscrvc, slicc
thc bcc|andarrangcit in a I 3 by inch baking
dish. Bring thc saucc to a simmcr and stir i n
thc gcl atin until complctcly dissolvcd. Iourthc
warm sauccovcrthc mcat, covcr itwi thal umi
num|oil , andbakcit ina 35O dcgrccovcnuntil
hcatcd through, about 3O minutcs. Scrvc this
dish with boilcd potatocs, buttcrcd noodlcs, or
stcamcdricc.
bonel ess chuck-eye roast ( 4 to 5 pounds) ,
pul l ed apart i nto 2 pi eces and fat tri mmed
(see page 6)
2 teaspoons kosher sal t
I bottl e (7 50 ml ) medi um-bodi ed red wi ne
(see note above)
I 0 sprigs fresh parsl ey, pl us 2 tabl espoons
mi nced l eaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay l eaves
Ground bl ack pepper
4 ounces bacon, preferabl y thi ck-cut,
cut crosswi se i nto 'I i nch pi eces
I medi um oni on, chopped fi ne (about I cup)
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
tabl espoon unbl eached al l - purpose fl our
2 cups beef broth
4 medi um carrots, peel ed and cut on bi as i nto
1 11- i nch pi eces
2 cups frozen pearl oni ons
3 tabl espoons unsal ted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
11 cup water, pl us 'I cup col d water to bl oom gel ati n
1 0 ounces white mushrooms, wi ped cl ean, stems
tri mmed, halved i f smal l and quartered i f l arge
Tabl e sal t
tabl espoon powdered unflavored gel ati n
I . Scason mcatwitl+ koshcrsalt,placcon wirc
rack sct in rimmcd baking shcct, and lct rcst at
roomtcmpcraturc|or 1 hour.
2. Mcanwhilc, bring winc to simmcr in largc
sauccpan ovcr mcdi um high hcat. Cook until
rcduccd to 2 cups, about I 5 minutcs. Ising
kitchcntwinc,ticparslcysprigs,t|+ymc sprigs,and
baylcavcsintobtmdl c.
` | \ | . \ | R 7 | | | l .\\ F R 2 0 0 7
/
3 . Iat bcc|dry wid papcr towcls and scason
gcncrouslywitlpcppcr.Jicdrccpicccso|kitchcn
twinc around cach piccc o|mcat to kccp itnom
|agapart.
4. Adjust ovcn rack to lowcr middlc position
and hcat ovcn to 3OO dcgrccs. Cook bacon in
largc Dutchovcnovcrmcdiumhighhcat,stirring
occasionally, until crisp, o to 8 minutcs. Ising
slottcdspoon,trans|crbacontopapcrtowcl-lincd
platc and rcscrvc. Iour o||all but 2 tablcspoons
|at,rcturn Dutch ovcn to mcdiumhigh hcatand
hcatuntil|atbcginstosmokc.Addbcc|topotand
brownonal sidcs, 8 to I O minutcstotal.Jrans|cr
bcc|tolargc platc and sctasidc.
5. Rcducchcattomcdium,addonionandcook,
stirringoccasiona|ly,untilbcginningtosohcn,2to
4 minutcs. Add garlic, llour, and rcscrvcd bacon,
cook, stirring constantly, u+til nagrant, about 3O
scconds. Add rcduccdvinc,brotl+,andhcrbbun
dlc,scrapingbottomo|panwidvoodcnspoonto
looscn browncd bits. Rcturn roast and any accu
mulatcd j uiccs to pot, incrcasc hcat to high and
bringliquidtosimmcr,thcnplacclargcshccto||oil
ovcrpotandcovcrtightlywitllid. Sctpotinovcn
andcook,usingtongstoturnbcc|cvcryhour,until
dinncr|orkslipscasilyinandouto|mcat,2l. to 3
hours,addingcarrots topot ahcr2 hours.
o.Whilcmcatcooks,bringpcarlonions,buttcr,
sugar, and l cup watcr to boil in largc skillct ovcr
mcdiunhighhcat. Rcducchcattomcditm,covcr,
and cookuntil onions arc tcndcr, 5 to 8 minutcs.
Incovcr,incrcaschcattomcdiumhigh,andcook
until all liquid cvaporatcs, 3 to 4 minutcs. Add
mushrooms and '/+ tcaspoon tablc salt, cook, stir
ringoccasionally,untilvcgctablcsarcbrowncdand
glazcd,8toI 2minutcs. Rcmovcnomhcatandsct
asidc. Ilacc rcmaining '/+ cup coldwatcr in small
bowlandsprinklcgclatinontop.
7. Jrans|cr bcc|to cutting board, tcnt with
|oil to kccp warm. Allow braising liquid to sct
tlc about 5 minutcs, thcn, using widc, shallow
spoon, skim|ato||sur|acc. Rcmovc hcrb bundlc
and stiri nonion mushroom mixturc. Bring liq
uid to simmcrovcrmcdium highhcat andcook
until mixturcisslightlythickcncdandrcduccdto
3 l+ cups, 2O to 3O minutcs. Scason saucc witl+
salt and pcppcr. Add sohcncd gclatin and stir
until complctclydissolvcd.
8. Rcmovckitchcntwincnommcatanddiscard.
Ising chc|`s or carving kni|c, cut mcat against
graininto inchthicksliccs. Dividcmcatamong
warmcdbowlsortrans|crto plattcr, arrangcvcgc
tablcsarotmdmcat,poursauccontop,andsprinklc
vitlminccdparslcy. Scrvc immcdiatcly.
W COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o k s i l l u s t r a t e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
French- Stle Pot Roast
VI DE O TI PS
How should I prepare the meat?
What tpe of wi ne opener i s best?
Improving Mashed Potatoes
and Root Vegetables
Add i ng carrots , parsn i ps . tu rn i ps , or cel er root to mashed potatoes sou n ds l i ke a good
i dea-u nti l th e mash tu rns ou t too watery, too sweet, or too bi tter.
B
ccausc mashcd potatocs arc rcl ativcly
simpl c, manycookbookauthorssuggcst
thatintroducingrootvcgctablcsto thc
mashrcquircslittlc|orcthought. In|act,
mosto|thc cookbooks I consultcd didn`t cvcn
dcvotcacomplctcrccipctothctopic,thcymcrcly
tackcd |ootnotcs onto mashcd potato rccipcs .
Jryboilingparsnipsalongwith tlcpotatocs"or
Substitutccclcryroot|orhal|o|thc potatocs. "
Jhcidcao| addingthccartl:y,intriguingHavoro|
carrots, parsnips, turnips, or cclcryroot to plain
mashcdpotatocsisccrtainlyappcaling,butmost
o|thcrccipcsI tricd|ailcdmiscrably.
Jhc troublc is that, dcspitc bcing ncighbors
in tlc root ccl|ar, root vcgctablcs and potatocs
, tubcrs ) arc quitc di||crcnt i n thrcc important
ways. Iirst, my prc|crrcdrootvcgctab|cs contain
morcwatcr( 80 pcrccntto2pcrccnt)thanrussct
potatocs, about7pcrccnt),thctcstkitchcn`shrst
choicc |or mashing. Sccond, my root vcgctablcs
havc l css starch , bctwccn 0. 2 pcrccnt and 6. 2
pcrccnt)thanpotatocs, about1 5 pcrccnt) . Iinally,
many root vcgctablcs arc cithcr noticcably swcct
orslightlybittcr-traits thatcanovcrwhclm mild
potatocs. I|you`rc not carcml, thcsc di||crcnccs
canadduptoawatcry,lcan,orsaccharincmash.
The Root of t he Problem
In carlyrounds o|rccipc tcsting, I`d concludcd
thatthc 1 -1 , or grcatcr)ratioo|rootvcgctablcs
topotatocsthatthcmajorityo|cookbooksadvo
catcwas muchtoohcavyonthc vcgctablc sidc. I
cxpcrimcntcdwith a 1 -2 ratio, boiling 1 2 ounccs
o|rootvcgctablcsand24 ounccs o|russctpota
tocs togcthcr in tl:c samc pot, draining thcm,
mashingtl:cmwith apotatomashcr, andstirring
in crcam and mcltcd buttcr. Jhis proportion
didn`t|arc muchbcttcr-thc tcxturcwasstilltoo
thi n. Ior optimal consistcncy, I had to go all thc
waydownto a 1-3 rati o. Butwithonly8 ounccs
MCOOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
WWW. cooksi l l ustrated . com
HOW TO MAKE
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetabl es
VI DEO TI PS
How shoul d I prepare parsni ps?
How shoul d I prepare cel ery root?
3 B Y R E B E C C A H A Y S E
convcnicnt onc burncr, oncpot rccipc`
Iagi ng through our archivcs, I camc
across thc tcst kitchcn` s unusual rccipc
|orMashcdSwcctIotatocs, ovcmbcr/
Dcccmbcr 2002) , in which swcct pota
tocsarcslowlycookcdinasma|lamount
o|liquid in a tightly covcrcd potrathcr
than boil cd. What i |I incorporatcd this
tcchniqucintomyrccipc bysautcingthc
root vcgctablcs nrst, thcn adding raw
potatocsandbraisingtl:cm`
A uni que two-step cooki ng method i s the key to a su peri or mash .
I rcturncd to thc kitchcn and quickly
sautccd somc parsnips i n a gcncrous
amount( 4 tablcspoons)o|buttcr. cxt,
I addcd pccl cd and sl i ccd potatocs to
thc pot, along witl V3 cup o|watcr and
adasho|sal t. Ahcr 30 minutcs o|gcntlc
cooking,thc potatocs andparsnipswcrc
complctcly tcndcr and al| o|thc watcr
had bccn absorbcd. I did somc quick
mashing, thcn |ol dcd i n warm crcam
and blackpcppcr. Jhc H avor was good,
but not rcmarkablc . n my ncxt try, I
o| root vcgctablcs to l Vz pounds o|potatocs,
tl:cdistinctivc H avor o|thcvcgctablcswasbarcly
rccognizablc.
I|I wantcd to maintain an agrccablc tcxturc,
I had to nnd awayto makc tlc mosto|a small
amount o|vcgctabl cs. Coul d I cnhancc thci r
charactcr by cooking thcm scparatcly and bol
stcringtl:cirllavor` Jhrcc possibilitics sprang to
mind. microwavingtlc rootvcgctablcsinchickcn
broth, sautcingthcminbuttcr,androastingthcm
in thc ovcnwith a coating o|olivc oil . I cookcd
onc batch o|vcgctablcs using cach tcchniquc,
tlcn mashcd tl:cm withboilcd potatocs . Al| o|
t|+c samplcs wcrc morc appca|ing tl+a tlc onc
madcwitl+ potatocs andvcgctablcs boilcdinthc
samc pot, but thc mashcs madc with sautccd
vcgctablcsoutshonc thc othcrs bccausc o|thcir
nutty,buttcryqualiti cs.
So cooki ng thc vcgctablcs scparatcly ampl i
ncdthcirllavor, andmyprobl cmwassolvcd. r
was i t` I cnvisioncd thc hccti c prcdinncr rush
that is typical o| holiday ccl cbrati ons. Boi l i ng
potatocs in onc pot and sautcing vcgctablcs i n
aiothcrmi ghtbc bcyondthcpal c|or a straight
|orwardsidcdish. CouldI comcupwit|+amorc
C O O K
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8
cookcdthcvcgctablcslongcr,allowingthc buttcr
tobrownandthcvcgctab|cstocaramclizc,which
acccntcdtl:ciruniquc H avors.Jhcllavorwasnow
spoton. rich, carthy,andwcllbalanccd. Swapping
chickcn broth , prc|crrcd to vcgctablc broth) |or
thc watcr a|lowcd thc potatocs to soak up cvcn
morc savory notcs. fu |or dairy options, tastcrs
didn`tdcviatc|romthctcstkitchcn`susualchoicc
Ri nsi ng peel ed. sl i ced potatoes in severl changes of
water removes excess starch and prevents gummi
ness once the potatoes are cooked and mashed.
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o|hal|and hal|, prc|crringit to milk and crcam.

I |ct thcpotatocsdrink upasmuchas thcycould,
cvcntuallyscttlingon3/4 cup.
No Starc h, Pl ease
Jhc llavor o|my rccipc was nnally just right, but
thctcxturchadbccn throwno||intl+cmcantimc.
Whcn potatocs arc boilcd, somc o|thcir starch
lcachcsoutintothccookingwatcr, ncvcrmaking
itintothc mshcd dish. Withmy unusualprocc
durc, howcvcr, thc starch could not cscapc and
cndcdup bcingincorporatcdintotl+c mash. Jhc
rcsultwasanovcrlystarchy, almostglucytcxturc.
Wouldswitchingto alowcrstarch potato hclp` A
batch madc witl+ Yukon Golds o||crcd a modcst
improvcmcnt, but tastcrs still complaincd about
cxccssstarchincss.Jhinkingtlungsovcr,I rcalizcd
Inccdcdtogctrido|somcstarchbc|orcI cookcd
thcpotatocs.Irinscdsomcpcclcd,sliccdpotatocs
inscvcralchangcso|watcr, thistookjustaminutc
ortwo)andwatchcdthccloudy, starchmcdrins
ingliquidrundownthcdrain. nccthcpotatocs
wcrccookcd and mashcd, I kncwtl+at I` dhmd
my solution-thc starchincss was gonc. Rinsing
cvcnmadcstarchicrrussctsanacccptablcchoicc.
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
Vegetabl e Peel ers
When we crowned the OXO 1 - Series Swivel Peeler
( $9. 99) our favorite a few year ago for its com
forably narrow gri p and rzor-sharp. replaceable
stainless steel blade. we had one caveat: I t wei ghed
nearly four ounces. Thi s i sn ' t a problem when peel
i ng a carrot or two, but when potatoes and apples
are peeled i n bulk, hand stri n can become an i ssue.
Hopi ng to fi nd a lighter peeler that was j ust as sharp,
we tested four new models.
The Zi ss Smoothgli de Peeler ( $6. 99) si mply
wasn' t sharp enough, and the stainless steel handle
on the Gi anni ni Swivel Peeler ( $7. 50) was sli p
per when wet. However, the Kocer Cermi c
Perfect Peeler ( $ 1 7. 9 5) and Messerei ster Pro
Touch Swivel Peeler ( $5. 95) passed ever peeli ng
test with flyi ng col or, i ncludi ng the toughest of all:
tomatoes. Although we li ke the adjustable blade
on the Kyocer (whi ch weighs j ust 2.2 ounces) ,
tester preferred the slightly smoother moti on of the
I. 5-ounce Messerei ster peeler, which they found
comfortable even afer peeling pi les of apples and
potatoes. I t' s our new favorite. Fr the complete
results of this testing, go to ww .cooksillustrted.
com/ december. -Elizabeth Bomze
A CUT ABOVE TH E REST
Te Messermei ster Pro-Touch Swivel Peel er i s
remarkably sharp and so l ight that hand strai n i s
never a probl em.
STE P - BY- STE P MA | l U P O1A1Ol ANU kOO1 Vl C l1Ab ll
I . SAUT
E
root vegetables 2. ADD well-ri nsed pot- 3. GENTLY MAS H when 4. FOLD i n warm half
in butter unti l butter browns toes, chi cken brth, and salt. l i qui d has been absorbed and- half and chives.
and vegetbles carmelize. Cover and si mmer gently.
Jo nnishthcpotatocso||, asprinklingo||rcsh
hcrbs was in ordcr. Jhc dclicatc onion llavor o|
minccdchivcso||crcdanicccountcrpointtothc
carthyvcgctablcs. Atlast,I hadastandoutrccipc
|ormashcdpotatocsandrootvcgctablcstl+atwas
morc thanj ustanahcrthought.
MAS H E D POTATO E S
AN D RO OT VE G ETAB L E S
SERVES 4
Russct potatocs will yicld a slightly llumcr, lcss
crcamymash,buttl+cycanbcuscdinplacco|thc
YukonGoldpotatocsi|dcsircd. Rnsingthcpota-
tocs in scvcral changcs o|watcr rcduccs starch
and prcvcnts thc mashcd potatocs nom bccom
ingglucy. Itisimportanttocuttl+c potatocsand
root vcgctablcs into cvcnsizcd picccs so thcy
cookatthcsamcratc .Jhisrccipccanbcdoublcd
and cookcd in a largc Dutch ovcn. I |doubling,
incrcasc tl+c cooking timc in stcp 2 to 40 min-
utcs. Scc pagc 30 |or in|ormation on prcparing
root vcgctablcs. Rccipcs |or Mashcd Iotatocs
andRoot\cgctablcs|orJwoarc avai lablc|rccat
Vcooksillustratcd. com/ dcccmbcr.
4 tabl espoons unsal ted butter
8 ounces ei ther carrots, parsni ps, turni ps, or cel ery
root, peel ed; carrots or parsni ps cut i nto
'! i nch-thi ck hal f- moons; turni ps or cel ery root
cut i nto 11- i nch di ce (about 1 11 cups)
1 11 pounds Yukon Gol d potatoes, peel ed, quartered
l engthwi se, and cut crosswi se i nto '! i nch-thi ck
sl i ces; ri nsed wel l i n 3 or 4 changes of col d water
and drai ned wel l (see note above)
'h cup l ow-sodi um chi cken broth
Tabl e sal t
3 cup hal f- and- hal f, warmed
3 tabl espoons mi nced fresh chives
Ground bl ack pepper
l . Mcltbuttcrin largc sauccpanovcrmcdium
hcat. Whcn |oaming subsidcs, add rootvcgcta-
blcs and cook, stirring occasional ly, until buttcr
is browncd and vcgctablcs arc dark brown and
caramclizcd, 10 to 12 minutcs ., I|a|tcr4 minutcs
N OV E , ll E R c D E CE M B E R 2 0 0 7
9
and vegetables are tender.
vcgctablcs havc not startcd to brown, incrcasc
hcattomcdiumhigh. )
2. Add potatocs, broth, and 3/4 tcaspoon salt
and stir to combi nc. Cook, covcrcd, ovcr low
hcat , broth should simmcrgcntly, do not boil ) ,
stirringoccasionally, untilpotatocs|allapartcas
ilywhcnpokcdwith|orkand all liquidhas bccn
absorbcd, 25 to 30 minutcs . , I|liquid docs not
gcntly simmcr ahcra |cw minutcs,incrcasc hcat
tomcdiumlow. ) Rcmovcpan|romhcat,rcmovc
lid and allow stcamtocscapc|or2 minutcs.
3. Gcntly mash potatocs and rootvcgctablcs
i n sauccpan with potato mashcr , do not mash
vigorously) . Gcntly |ol d i n warm hal|andhal|
andchivcs. Scason widsaltandpcppcrto tastc,
scrvcimmcdiatcly.
MAS H E D POTATO E S A N D ROOT
VE G ETAB L E S WI TH BAC O N AN D THYM E
Jhisvariationisparticularlyniccwith turnips.
Cook4 sliccs, about4 ounccs ) bacon,cutinto
'/inch picccs, i n l argc sauccpan ovcr mcdium
hcat until browncd and crisp, about 8 minutcs.
Isi ng sl ottcd spoon, trans|cr bacon to papcr
towcl-lincd platc, sct asidc. Rcmovc all but 2
tablcspoons bacon |at |rom pan. Add 2 tablc
spoons buttcr to pan and continuc with rccipc
|orMashcd Iotatocs andRootVcgctablcs,cook
ing root vcgctablcs i n bacon |at-buttcr mixturc
i nstcad o|buttcr. Substitutc 1 tcaspoon minccd
|rcsh tl+ymc lcavcs |or chivcs and |old rcscrvcd
baconintopotatocsalongwith thymc.
MAS H E D POTATO E S AN D RO OT
VE G ETAB L E S WI T H PAP R I KA AN D PARS L E Y
Jhisvariationi s particularlyniccwithcarrots.
Joast 1 12 tcaspoonssmokcdorrcgularpaprika
i n small skil|ct ovcr mcdium hcat until |ragrant,
about 30 scconds . Fol l ow rcci pc |or Mashcd
Iotatocsand Root\cgctablcs,substitutingpars
lcy |or chivcs and |olding toastcd paprika into
potatocs alongwithparslcy.
Holday Ham 1 01
Ham i s appeal i ngl y si mpl e bu t often comes ou t d r an d j erkl i ke . Here ' s what you n eed
to kn ow to prod u ce a top - n otch gl azed ham that i s al ways moi st and ten der.
I
sn't cooking a ham remarkably simple? You
just throw it in the oven, slather on some
glaze, and wait. But this approach can ofen
yield inferior results-dri ed- out, leathery
meat that tastes like salty j erk with a sticky, saccha
rine exterior. Ideally, ham is moist and tender and
the glaze complements but doesn't overwhelm
the meat. We've cooked hundreds of hams in the
test kitchen over the years and have had our share
of disasters. We decided to reexamine this topic to
learn what really works-and what doesn't.
Which ki nd of ham-and how much-shoul d I buy?
In most supermarkets, cured hams come in fve
forms: boneless, semiboneless, bone-in, whole,
and half Each of these types is available unsliced
or presliced ( ofen labeled "spiral - sliced") . Afer
cookng up each in the test kitchen, we clearly
favored bone-in hams that had been spiral -sliced,
since they offered the best favor with the least
amount of postcooking carving. A a rule of
thumb, you should allow about l pound of ham
per person. This takes into consideration any
weight lost during cooking as well as the weight
of the bone. Unless you are feeding a very large
crowd, we recommend a half ham.
Are al l spi rl -sl iced hams the same?
With all hams, it is important to read the label .
Typically, supermarket hams are wet-cured, a
process that involves soaking the ham in brine.
During this process, the ham will absorb water
and gain weight. Not surprisingly, we found
hams that gained the least water weight ( labeled
"ham with natural j uices") taste the best. Avoid
labels that read "ham with water added" or "ham
and water products. " See page l l for the results
of our tasting of specifc brands.
s H o p p 1 N G Meat or Eas to Care?
S I RLO I N E ND
Meatier opti on, but bones
make it harder to care.
S HAN K E ND
Eas-to-care. but
not q uite as meat.
3 B Y D AV I D P A Z M I N O E
If a spirl -sl iced ham is alrady cooked,
why do I have to cook it?
There is nothing you have to
do to serve a cured and cooked
ham other than cut it off the bone.
When ham is the centerpiece of a
holiday dinner, however, most peo
ple prefer to have it served warm,
and ofen with a glaze. Afer roast
ing many hams to temperatures
ranging fom 1 00 to 1 60 degrees,
we found the ideal temperature to
be between l l O and 120 degrees.
This was enough to take the chill
off the meat without drying it out.
Cooking the ham to a higher inter
nal temperature ( as many sources
suggest) guarantees dry meat.
A l ate bl ast of heat creates a gl azed exteri or wi thout dryi ng out the ham.
My ham ofen dri es out. What' s the
best way to keep ham moist?
Most recipes cook the han1 at 350
degrees, so by the tine the center
fnally comes up to temperature, the
exterior is parched. We roast ham in
a 250-degree oven, which lessens
the temperanre diferental between
the exterior and the interior. Also,
rather than starting with an ice-cold
ham, we fmmd that we could cut
oven tin1e ( and thus drying) by leav
ing the han1 at room temperature
The hams in the market come in vari ous shapes.
What is the diference?
Whole ham is the entire leg of the animal .
Half hams are available in two distinct cuts :
shank end ( the bottom part of the l eg) and
sirloin end ( the portion of the leg closer to the
rump) . If labeling is unclear, it's easy to identif
half hams by their shape-shank hams have a
pointed end much smaller than the larger end,
whereas the sirloin ( or butt) end is rounded. In
the past, we have recommended the shank end
for ease of carving, since the bone is relatively
straight compared with the odder-shaped bones
in the sirloin end. However, in our most recent
round of tastings, we found the sirloin end to be
meatier and less fatty. I f you're up for a slightly
more challenging carving job, the larger sirloin
end will not disappoint.
C O O K
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for 90 minutes prior to cooking.
But could we do even better? Soaking the ham in
warm water for 90 minutes raises the temperature
considerably and cuts oven tin1e by a f hour.
Finally, we've discovered that roasting the ham in
an oven bag reduces roasting tin1e even frther.
(The bag speeds cooking by providing insulaton. )
Compared with a cold ham shoved into a 350-
degree oven, om method reduces moisnrre loss in
a 1 0-pow1d ham by 50 percent.
Do I real ly have to use an oven bag?
We've found that oven bags produce tl1e mois
est ham in the least amount of time. If unavail
able, aluminum foil will work, but you will have
to add tlree to four minutes of cooking time per
pound of meat ( between 2 1 and 40 minutes for a
7 to 1 0-pound ham) . Remember, less oven time
means a moister ham.
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When shoul d I apply a glaze?

Almost all spiral hams come with a packet of
premixed glaze and instructions to brush it on
the ham while cooking. Glaze is a good idea,
but the stuf in the packets tastes awfl . Take 1 0
minutes to make your own glaze. Since we cook
ham inside an oven bag, we needed to fgure out
a new approach to glazing. Once the internal
temperature of the ham reaches 1 00 degrees, cut
open the bag and increase the oven temperature
to 350 degrees. Apply the glaze and bake the
ham for 10 minutes. Remove the ham fom the
oven, apply more glaze, and then make a quick
sauce with the remaining glaze and the drippings
in the oven bag.
Should I l et ham rest before caring it?
We've found that a 1 5-mnute rest allows the
internal temperature to increase by 5 to 1 5 degrees,
whch alows us to bake the ham less in order to
reach the ideal serving temperature of 1 10 to 120
degrees. ( Cover the ham with foil as i t rests. )
R E C I P E D I A G N O S I S :
How to Keep a Ham Moi st
A big ham can take hour to heat through in the
oven. by whi ch ti me the meat becomes ver dr. We
found to tricks for reduci ng oven ti me and i ncreas
ing moi sture retenti on.
SOAKI NG: Placi ng the wrpped ham i n warm
water for 90 mi nutes rises its i nternal temperture
and decreases the cooki ng time by over an hour.
WRAPPING: Cooki ng the ham i n an oven bag
reduces the oven ti me by another half hour or so.
T A s T 1 N G Sp| ml Sl | CCdHams
At thei r best, spi rl -sl i ced hams bal ance sweet, smok. and salt
flavors with a fi rm, moist texture. Asumi ng you buy the same cut,
does brnd matter? To fi nd out, we prepared three nati onally avai l
able brnds of honey- or brown sugarcured hams.
Taster' preferences approached unani mit. Fal l i ng hard to the
bottom, the Hi llshi re Farm Bone- I n Brown Sugar Cured Ham
($2. 99 per pound) lost poi nts on two accou nts: Tasters descri bed
the meat as "utterly devoi d of smoke flavor" and "spong and cot
tony. " and no one l i ked the "sweet, gummy" glaze appl i ed at the
factor. The thi ckly sl i ced Carando Honey-Cured Spi ral Sli ced Ham
( $2. 99 per pound) earned high marks for i ts "deep, smok flavor, "
but tasters cri ti ci zed the meat as "too wet" and "too sweet. " Nearly
every taster prai sed the "ni ce balance of smoke and salt" and "genu
i ne ham flavor" i n the Cook' s Spi rl Sli ced Hi ckor Smoked Bone- I n
PRE M I U M P I G
Praised for its bal ance of sweetness, salt,
and smoke, the Cook's Spi ral Sl iced Hi ckory
Smoked Bone- I n Honey Ham is the test
kitchen' s cl ear favorite.
Honey Ham ( $ 3 . 29 per pound) . (The Cook' s brand is unrelated to cees's |||cstted. ) For complete tasting
results, go to w. cooksi llustrated. com/ december. -Eli zabeth Bomze
G LAZE D S P I RAL - S L I C E O HAM
S E RVES 1 2 TO 1 4 , WI TH LE FTOVERS
You can bypass the 90-minute soaking time,
but the heating time will increase to 18 to 20
minutes per pound for a cold ham. If there is a
tear or hole in the ham' s inner covering, wrap
it in several layers of plastic wrap before soaking
it in hot water. Instead of using the plastic oven
bag, the ham may be placed cut-side down in the
roasting pan and covered tightly with foil, but
you will need to add 3 to 4 minutes per pound to
the heating time. If using an oven bag, be sure to
cut slits in the bag so it does not burst. Our recipe
for Apple- Ginger Glaze is available free at Y .
cooksillusuated . com/ december.
spi ral - sl i ced bone- i n half ham (7 to I 0 pounds}
l arge pl asti c oven bag
reci pe gl aze (reci pes fol l ow)
l . Leaving ham's inner plastic or foil covering
intact, place ham in large container and cover
with hot tap water; set aside for 45 minutes .
Drain and cover again with hot tap water; set
aside for another 45 minutes.
2. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat
oven to 250 degrees. Unwrap ham; remove and
discard plastic disk covering bone. Place ham in
oven bag. Gather top of bag tightly so bag fits
snugly around ham, tie bag, and trim excess plas
tic. Set ham cut- side down in large roasting pan
and cut 4 slits in top of bag witl1 paring knife.
3. Bake ham until center registers 1 00 degrees
on instant-read thermometer, I to I l. hours
( about 10 minutes per pound) .
4. Remove ham from oven and increase oven
temperature to 350 degrees. Cut open oven bag
and roll back sides to expose ham. Brush ham
with one- third of glaze and return to oven until
glaze becomes sticky, about 1 0 minutes ( if glaze
is too thick to brush, return to heat to loosen) .
5 . Remove ham from oven, transfer t o cutting
N O V E M B E R & D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
1 1
board, and brush entire ham with another third
of glaze. Let ham rest, loosely tented with foil,
for 1 5 minutes. While ham rests, heat remaining
third of glaze with 4 to 6 tablespoons of ham
j uices until it forms thick but fl uid sauce. Carve
and serve ham, passing sauce at table.
MAP L E - O RAN G E G LAZE
MAKES I C UP, E NOUGH TO G LAZE I HAM
3/4 cup mapl e syrup
11 cup orange marmal ade
2 tabl espoons unsal ted butter
tabl espoon Di jon mustard
teaspoon ground bl ack pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ci nnamon
Combine al l ingredients in small saucepan. Cook
over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until
mixture is thick, syrupy, and reduced to I cup, 5
to 1 0 minutes; set aside.
C H E R RY- P ORT G LAZE
MAKES I C UP, E NOUGH TO GLAZE I HAM
11 cup ruby port
11 cup cherry preserves
cup packed dark brown sugar
teaspoon ground bl ack pepper
Simmer port in small saucepan over medium heat
until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring
occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture
is thick, syrupy, and reduced to I cup, 5 to 1 0
minutes; set aside.
COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c oo ks i I I u s t rat ed . c om
HOW T O MAKE
Glazed Spiral-Sli ced Ham
VI DE O TI P
What' s the best way to care a ham?
Beef and Vegetable Stir- Fries
Home stovetops often yi el d water sti r- fri es wi th steamed meat an d u n derdon e
vegetabl es . Bu t wi th th e proper tech n i q u e , you can sti r- fr l i ke a pro.
S
tir- fryi ng requi res bl azi ng
heat to cook food quickly. In
kitchen tests on several stoves,
I found that the bottom of a
traditional round wok reached an aver
age of564 degrees (a temperature suf
fi cient to brown meat and vegetables) ,
but when I moved the thermometer
halfay up the side of the wok, I saw
that the temperature dropped more
than 1 00 degrees. At the top edge of
the wok, the temperature averaged
just 336 degrees-perfect for steam
ing beef but useless for searing it.
3 B Y DA V I D PA Z M I NO E
For years, the test kitchen has
advocated using a large nonstick pan
for stir-fies. Because the pan is basi
cally flat, its usable cooking surface is
much larger than a wok's. In my tests, I
found that temperature was remarkably
consistent-it averaged 560 degrees in
the center of the pan, 555 degrees half
way between the center and the edge
of the pan, and 5 54 degrees at the edge
of the cooking surface. So a nonstick
skillet is a must, but so is the right tech
Better than takeout and easy to execute. i f you fol l ow key steps.
nique. To fi nd out what you need to know when i t
comes to beef stir-fies, see the box at right.
TE RI YAKI STI R - F R I E D B E E F WI TH G RE E N
BE AN S AN D S H I I TAKE S
S E RVES 4 A S MAI N D I S H WI TH RI CE
You can substitute l tablespoon white wine or sake
mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar for the m. Recipes
for Stir-Fried Red Curry Beef with Eggplant,
Korean Stir-Fried Beef wth K chi, and Beef and
Vegetable Stir-Fries for Two are available fee at
V .cooksillustrated. com/ december.
4 tabl espoons soy sauce
I teaspoon pl us 2 tabl espoons sugar
1 2 ounces fl ank steak, cut i nto 2- i nch-wi de stri ps
with grai n, then sl i ced across grai n i nto
11s- i nch-thi ck sl i ces
11 cup l ow-sodi um chi cken broth
tabl espoon mi ri n
'I teaspoon red pepper flakes
teaspoon cornstarch
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
I tabl espoon mi nced fresh gi nger
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
8 ounces shi i take mushrooms, wi ped cl ean ,
stemmed, and cut i nto l - i nch pi eces
1 2 ounces green beans, ends tri mmed and halved
'I cup water
3 scal l i ons, cut i nto I 11 - i nch pi eces, white and l i ght
green pi eces quartered l engthwise
l . Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and l tea
spoon sugar in medium bowl . Add beef, toss well,
and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to l
hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining
2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons
sugar, broth, mirin, pepper flakes, and cornstarch
in medium bowl . Combine garlic, ginger, and 1
teaspoon oil in small bowl .
2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 tea
spoon oil in 1 2-inch nonstick skillet over high
heat until j ust smoking. Add half of beef in single
layer, breaking up clumps. Cook, without stirring,
for I minute, then stir and cook until browned, I
to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl . Heat 1
teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining
beef Rinse skillet and dry with paper towel s.
C O OK
'
S I L L US T R A T E D
l .
Beef Sti r- Fri es I 0 I
.START WI TH T HE RI GHT CUT. Fl ank steak
i s the obvi ous choi ce, but we al so l i ke si rl oi n ti p
steak and bl ade steak. You wi l l need to remove
excess fat and gristl e from bl ade steaks, so start
with I pound to compensate for tri mmi ngs.
.CHI LL, T HE N SLI CE. To make sl i ci ng easi er,
freeze the meat for 20 to 30 mi nutes. Cut across
the grai n so meat won ' t be tough .
.MARI NAT E FOR MOI ST URE. A 1 0- mi nute
soy mari nade adds flavor and hel ps the meat retain
moisture. (The soy acts l i ke a bri ne. ) Dri n the
meat before seari ng to remove excess l i qui d.
.USE A BI G PAN. Pn si zes are measured
across the top. Make sure your pan measures at
l east 1 2 i nches.
.COOK I N BATCHES. You want the meat to
brown , so give i t some space (see photos, page
1 3) . Once the meat i s browned, empt the pan
and add the sl ow-cooki ng vegetabl es fi rst so they
get a head start on softer vegetabl es.
.ADD GARLI C AND GI NGE R LST. Add
aromati cs l ate i n the game so they don ' t burn.
3. Add remaining tablespoon oi l to now-empty
skillet and heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms
and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 min
utes. Add green beans and cook, stirring fequently,
until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and
cover pan; continue to cook w1til green beans are
crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Uncover skillet
and push vegetables to sides to clear center; add
garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mash
ing witl1 spatula, until fagrant, 1 5 to 20 seconds.
Combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables.
Return beef and any j uices to skillet, add scalions,
and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine,
tl1en add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until
tluckened, about 30 seconds. Serve.
S TI R - F RI E D B E E F
WI TH S N AP PE AS A N D R E D P E P P E RS
S E RVES 4 AS MAI N DI S H WI TH RI CE
2 tabl espoons soy sauce
teaspoon pl us I tabl espoon sugar
1 2 ounces fl ank steak, cut i nto 2- i nch-wi de stri ps
with grai n, then sl i ced across grai n i nto
11s - i nch-thi ck sl i ces
2 tabl espoons dry sherry
11 cup l ow-sodi um chi cken broth
1/4 cup oyster sauce
teaspoon cornstarch
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
tabl espoon mi nced fresh gi nger
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
1 2 ounces sugar snap peas, ends tri mmed and stri ngs
removed (about 4 cups)
medi um red bel l pepper, seeded and cut i nto
1/4- i nch sl i ces
2 tabl espoons water
1 . Combine soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in
medium bowl . Add beef, toss wel l , and marinate
for at least 1 0 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring
once. Meanwhil e, whisk remaining tablespoon
sugar, sherry, broth, oyster sauce, and corn
starch in medi um bowl . Combi ne garlic, ginger,
and 1 teaspoon oil i n small bowl .
2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 tea
spoon oil i n 1 2-inch nonstick skillet over high
heat until j ust smoki ng. Add half of beef in
single layer, breaking up clumps. Cook, without
stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until
browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean
bowl . Heat 1 teaspoon oil i n skillet and repeat
with remaining beef. Rinse skillet and dry with
paper towels .
3 . Add remai ni ng tabl espoon oi l to now
empty skillet and heat unti l j ust smoki ng. Add
snap peas and bell pepper; cook, stirring fre
quently, until vegetables begin t o brown, 3 to
5 minutes . Add water and continue to cook
until vegetables are crisp- tender, 1 to 2 minutes
longer. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add
garl i c- gi nger mi xture to cl eari ng and cook,
mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 1 5 to 20
seconds . Combine garl i c- ginger mixture with
vegetables. Return beef and any j uices to skillet
and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine,
then add to skillet; cook, stirri ng constantly,
until thickened, about 30 seconds . Serve.
R E C I P E D I A G N O S I S :
Browni ng Meat for Sti r- Fri es
TAN G E RI N E STI R - F R I E D B E E F
WI TH O N I O N S AN D S N OW PE AS
S E RVES 4 AS MAI N DI S H WI TH RI CE
Two t o 3 oranges can be substituted for tl1e
tangerines. If available, substitute 1 teaspoon
toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns for the
red pepper flakes.
4 tabl espoons soy sauce
I teaspoon pl us I tabl espoon l i ght brown sugar
1 2 ounces fl ank steak, cut i nto 2- i nch-wi de stri ps
wi th grai n, then sl i ced across grai n i nto
1/a - i nch-thi ck sl i ces
3/4 cup j ui ce pl us I teaspoon grated zest from
3 to 4 tangeri nes
teaspoon sesame oi l
I teaspoon cornstarch
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed
through garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
tabl espoon mi nced fresh gi nger
tabl espoon Chi nese bl ack bean sauce
1/4
-
1 1 teaspoon red pepper fl akes (see note above)
2 tabl espoons vegetabl e oi l
I l arge oni on, hal ved and cut i nto 11- i nch wedges
I 0 ounces snow peas, ends tri mmed and stri ngs
removed (about 4 cups)
2 tabl espoons water
1 . Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tea
spoon sugar in medium bowl . Add beef, toss wel l ,
and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1
hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining
2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining tablespoon
sugar, tangerine j uice, sesame oil, and cornstarch
i n medium bowl . Combine tangerine zest, garlic,
ginger, black bean sauce, pepper fakes, and 1
teaspoon vegetable oil in small bowl .
2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 tea
spoon vegetable oil in 1 2-inch nonstick skillet
over high heat until j ust smoking. Add half of
beef i n single layer, breakng up clumps. Cook,
without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook
until browned, 1 to 2 minutes . Transfer beef to
clean bowl . Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil i n skil
let and repeat with remaining beef Rinse skillet
and dry with paper towels .
SO LUTI 0 N: Cooki ng the meat
3 . Add remaining tablespoon
vegetable oil to now-empty skillet
and heat until just smoking. Add
onion and cook, stirring fequently,
until beginning to brown, 3 to 5
minutes. Add snow peas and con
tinue to cook until spotty brown,
about 2 minutes longer. Add water
and cook until vegetables are crisp
tender, about 1 mi nute . Push
vegetables to sides of skillet; add
zest-garlic mixture to clearing and
cook, mashing with spatula, until
fragrant, 1 5 to 20 seconds. Combine i n two smal l er batches al l ows i t to
PROBLE M: Cooki ng the meat i n
one l are batch causes i t to steam
i n its own l i qui d. Te meat wi l l be
chew, dr, and gry.
brown qui ckly without dri ng out or zest- garlic mixture with vegetables.
becomi ng tough. Return beef and any j uices to skillet
N O V E M B E R b D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
l 3
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
Are Wok-Stl e Pns Any Better?
Over the years, we have tested tradi ti onal wok
several ti mes and reached the same concl u
si on: Thei r rou nded, wobbl y desi gn i s not sui ted
for conventi onal . fl at- topped Ameri can stoves.
You ' re better off usi rg a large nonsti ck ski l l et. But
recentl y we' ve noti ced wok-stl e pans that spl i t
the desi gn di fferences between a ski l l et and a wok
and wondered how they compare. To fi nd out, we
sti r-fri ed beef and vegetabl es in three di fferent
wok descendants and measured the resul ts agai nst
sti r-fri es cooked in a 1 2- i nch nonsti ck ski l l et.
Al though al l three of the wok-stl e pans we
tested performed ably, we' re not wi l l i ng to i nvest
in a new pan j ust for sti r-fri ng. The actual cooki ng
surface on these pans measured l ess than 7 i nches
across-a ful l 2 i nches smal l er than the cooki ng
surface on a standard 1 2- i nch ski l l et. Whi l e these
wok- stl e pans are better sui ted to a fl at burner
than i s a tradi ti onal round wok, they can' t beat
the ski l l et for sti r-fri ng. For the compl ete resul ts
of thi s testi ng, go to V. cooksi l l ustrated. com/
december. -El i zabeth Bomze
F LAT- BOTTOME D WOK
Thi s 1 4- i nch pan from
JOYCE CHEN ( $ 54. 95)
actual ly ofers l ess than 7
i nches of cooki ng surface,
but i t heated qui ckly and
seared meat respectably.
Shal l ower than a flat
bottomed wok, thi s sti r
fr pan from ANOLON
( $ 3 9. 99) has a nonsti ck
coati ng (whi ch we l i ke) but
not enough cooki ng space.
Thi s stai nl ess steel
beaut from ALL- CLD
( $ I 5 9. 95 ) performed
wel l (al though we used
a bi t more oi l to prevent
sti cki ng) , but i ts surface
area can ' t match a ski l l et' s.
and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine,
then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until
thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.
COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i I I u s t r at e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Beef and Vegetabl e Sti r- Fries
VI DE O TI PS
What' s the best way to sti r-fr meat?
How do I know when my pan i s hot enough?
How do you make steamed ri ce?
Easy Roast Turkey Breast
Achi evi ng cri sp ski n wi th ou t d ryi ng ou t th e del i cate wh i te meat i s
easi er sai d than done wh en roasti ng a wh ol e tu rkey breast.
R
oasting a whole turkey breast should
be easy. The biggest challenge with the
holiday bird is that the dark meat takes
longer to cook than the white meat; this
is neatly avoided by the all -white breast. And the
stufng, which slows down the whole process and
makes it much more cumbersome, is a nonissue.
You have no choice but to bake the holiday dress
ing separately. So why have I had such trouble
with this seemingly easy recipe?
I like turkey and roast a whole breast several
times a year. Sometimes the meat is moist and
juicy, but more ofen than not the lean white
meat comes out chalky and dry. The layers closest
to the skin get especially parched as the meat near
the bone takes its time coming up to tempera
ture, and the skin is never as crisp as I'd like.
Back to Basics
Over the years, the test kitchen has discovered that
brning (soaking i a saltwater solution for several
hours) makes turkey moister. The salt changes the
protein structure in the meat and helps it hold
on to more moisture. Brining is especially helpfl
with delicate white meat, so it came as no surrise
that brined turkey breasts were clearly juicier than
unbrined turkey breasts. But brining is not enough.
The right roasting technique is a must, too.
Thinking that a turkey breast is little more
than a giant chicken breast, I looked to a method
the test kitchen developed several years ago for
roasting whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.
For this recipe, the skin on the whole chicken
breasts is loosened and the meat is rubbed with
sofened butter. Loosening the skin helps it to
How to Bri ne a Turkey Breast
A naturl turkey breast works j ust fi ne for thi s reci pe;
however, to ensure that the meat turns out moi st
and wel l - seasoned, we sugest that you bri ne a natu
rl turkey breast fol l owi ng the di recti ons bel ow. Do
not bri ne a kosher or self- basti ng turkey breast.
Di ssolve '2 cup of tabl e sal t (or 3 cup of kosher
sal t) i n 4 quarts of col d water i n a large contai ner;
submere the turkey breast i n bri ne, cover i t wi th
pl astic wrap, and refrigerte i t for three to si x
hour. (Do not bri ne the turkey breast any l onger,
or i t wi l l be too salt. ) Ri nse the turkey breast under
col d water and dr i t thoroughl y with paper towel s.
3 B Y CH A R L E S K E L S E Y E
I brined a turkey breast, loosened the
skin, rubbed the meat wth butter, and set
the breast skin-side up in a V-rack placed
inside a roasting pan. ( While chicken
breasts can be roasted on a broiler-pan
top, larger cuts like a bone-in turkey breast
do better in a V- rack, which promotes
better air circulation. ) At 450 degrees,
the skin scorched and the meat was much
too dry. I tried the opposite approach
and reduced the oven temperature to
325 degrees. Afer a couple of hours in
the oven, my turkey breast emerged with
fabby, straw-colored skin-certaly not
the look I was going for. The meat, how
ever, was a diferent story: It was tender
and flavorfl .
Looseni ng the ski n and rubbi ng butter underneath hel p ensure
flavorful , j uicy resul ts.
Desiring browner, crisper skin meant
trying hi gher oven temperatures . I
hoped that starting the turkey breast out
at 325 degrees would conserve moisture
in the meat and that a last- minute blast
of heat would crisp the skin. But it was
difcult to know when to crank up the
lif and separate from the meat, which promotes
even browning and creates crisper skin. The fat in
the butter also keeps the breast meat moist and
adds much-needed flavor. We found that roasting
the chicken breasts skin-side up in a 450- degree
oven delivered excellent results. Could I apply
the same technique to a whole turkey breast that
weighed four times as much?
heat. More worrisome, I found it hard
to control the amount of browni ng, and the
meat had a slightly leathery exterior. Not the best
results, but I felt like I was getting somewhere
using dual oven temperatures.
Afer testing several more oven temperature
combinations, I fnally found the best method:
Starting the turkey breast in a 425 - degree
oven for the frst half hour of cooking and then
STE P - BY- STE P Pkl PAk| NC A 1URKlY kl A1 l Ok kOA1| NC
I . Usi ng hands, separate ski n from
meat, tking LHto not tar membrane
around peri meter of breast; release
ski n on ei ther side of breastbone.
2. Usi ng spoon , work hal f of soft- 3. Usi ng hands, gentl y rub turkey
ened butter under ski n on one si de ski n to evenly di stri bute butter over
of breast. Repeat with remai ni ng enti re breast.
butter on other side of breast.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
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T E C H N I Q U E CARVI NG A
TURKEY B REAST
To ensure that the j ui ces i n the meat have ti me to
redi stri bute, let the roasted turkey breast rest for
20 mi nutes before attempti ng to care it. Ski ppi ng
thi s step wi l l resul t i n a fl ood of turkey j ui ces on
I . Run cari ng or chefs kni fe al ong one si de of
breastbone. Use other hand (wi th towel to protect
i t from heat) to pry enti re breast half from bone
whi l e cutti ng, bei ng mi ndful to keep ski n i ntact.
2. Sl i ce breast meat on bi as. Repeat process wi th
meat on other si de of breastbone.
reducing the heat to 325 degrees for the remai n
i ng hour. The initial blast of heat kick-starts the
browning, ensuring the skin is beautiflly golden
by the end of the cooking time. Ad the low ter
perature gently fnishes the turkey meat, helping
it stay moist and tender.
One mi nor probl em, though: Duri ng the
high-heat roasting, the minimal drippings i n the
pan burned, smoking up tl1e oven and, eventu
ally, the test kitchen. A quick solution was to add
water to the roasting pan before cooki ng. A cup
was the perfect amount; any more and too much
steam formed, prohibiting parts of the skin from
browning properly.
Buter Goodness
I had one last round of tests to conduct. I was
adding salt and pepper to the 4 tablespoons
of butter I was rubbing over the turkey meat,
and I wondered what other flavors might work.
Fresh herbs, citrus zest, garlic, and even ground
spices were easy to incorporate into the sofened
butter mixture and gave the turkey a signifcant
flavor boost. In order to make sure these flavors
didn't overwhelm small patches of the turkey
breast, I found it imperative to massage the
butter evenly into the meat. Dividing the butter
mixture i n half and working each portion over
one side of the breast guaranteed that the butter
and seasonings were evenly applied.
My fnal recipe isn't any harder than the failed
recipes I tried. But the butter and dual oven tem
peratures ensure that the skin is really crisp and
the meat is favorfl and moist. I now have a rec
ipe I look forward to making several times a year.
EASY ROAST TU RKEY B REAST
S E RVES 8 TO I 0
This recipe works equally well with any type
of turkey breast. We recommend brining ( see
page I 4) if using a natural turkey breast ( no salt
added) . Using a kosher turkey breast ( soaked
i n salt water during processing) or self- basting
turkey breast ( inj ected witl1 salt and water) elimi
nates the need for brining. The ingredient list
on the turkey breast's package will say whetl1er
it's been treated witl salt. If brining the turkey,
omit tl1e salt from the recipe. If the breast has
a pop- up timer, do not remove it. Just ignore it
( they pop too late) and follow tle times and tem
peratures i n the recipe. A turkey breast doesn't
yield much i n the way of drippings, so a classic
pan gravy recipe is not an option. Instead, try our
All -Purpose Gravy, available fee at www. cooks
illustrated. com/december, which doesn't require
any drippings. Our Oven- Baked Holiday Stufng
recipes are also available free at . cooks
illustrated. com/december.
4 tabl espoons ( 11 stick) unsal ted butter, softened
'I teaspoon tabl e sal t
'I teaspoon ground bl ack pepper
whol e bone- i n, ski n- on turkey breast
(6 to 7 pounds) , tri mmed of excess fat and
patted dry wi th paper towel s (see note above)
cup water
l . Adj ust oven rack to middle position and
heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix butter, salt, and
pepper i n medium bowl with rubber spatula until
thoroughly combined. Following illustrati on l
on page 1 4, carefully separate turkey skin from
meat over breast; avoid breaking ski n.
2. Following illustrations 2 and 3, work butter
mixture under skin on both sides of breast and
rub skin of turkey to evenly distri bute butter over
breast. Spray V-rack with nonstick cooking spray
and set inside large roasting pan. Place turkey
i n rack witl1 skin side facing up; pour water into
roasting pan.
3 . Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce oven
temperature to 325 degrees. Continue to roast
turkey until thickest part of breast registers I oO
degrees on i nstant- read thermometer, about I
hour longer. Transfer turkey to carving board and
let rest for 20 minutes. Carve ( see illustrations
above) and serve.
N 0 \' E B E R c l l | l M B E R 2 0 0 7
I S
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
Refrigerator Thermometers
Hol i day cooki ng means constantly openi ng your
refrigerator and freezer, whi ch can cause the tem
pertures to rise. To monitor the safet of our col d
storge, we use refrigertor and freezer themlom
eters. We recently tested six model s and rnked the
Maveri ck Col d Check Di gi tal Refrigertor/Freezer
Them1ometer ( $34. 95) fi rst. Though relatively
pri cey, i t i s the only model that si mul taneously
moni tors the temperture in both the freezer
and refrigertor, thanks to a 7 5 - i nch wi re probe
that runs from the di spl ay (whi ch you keep in the
refrigertor) to the freezer. For compl ete
resul ts of thi s testi ng,
go to www. cooksi l l us
trate d . com/ d ec ember.
-El izabeth Bomze

DOU BL E - DUTY TH E RM O M ETER

EASY ROAST TU RKE Y B R EAST WI TH
L E M O N AN D THYM E
Follow recipe for Easy Roast Turkey Breast, adding
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed tl1rough
garlic press ( about I tablespoon) , 2 tablespoons
minced fesh thyme leaves, and I teaspoon grated
zest fom I lemon to butter mixture in step l .
EASY ROAST TU RKE Y B REAST WI TH
O RAN G E AN D ROS E MARY
Follow recipe for Easy Roast Turkey Breast, add
ing 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
tl1rough garlic press ( about I tablespoon), I
tablespoon minced fesh rosemary, I teaspoon
grated zest from I orange, and l4 teaspoon red
pepper flakes to butter mixture in step I .
EASY ROAST TU RKEY B REAST WI TH
S O UTHWE ST E RN F LAVO RS
Follow recipe for Easy Roast Turkey Breast, add
ing 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
through garlic press ( about I tablespoon), I
tablespoon minced fesh oregano leaves, 2 tea
spoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder,
3 teaspoon cocoa powder, and v. teaspoon cay
enne pepper to butter mixture in step l .
li COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t ra t e d . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Easy Roast Turkey Breast
VI DE O TI PS
Whi ch V- rack shoul d I buy?
How do you make Al l - Purpose Grav7
Stockin a Baki Pantr
Here' s what y3. need to have wi th i n reach . BY K E I TH D RE s s E R
Baki ng demands attenti on to detai l , whi ch begi ns wi th the sel ecti on of the ri ght i ngredi ents .
Here are the i tems we us e most often i n the test ki tchen. al ong wi th common su bsti tutes and
ti ps for stori ng these stapl es.
GRANULTED SUGAR:
Whi te, or granul ated, sugar
i s commonly derived from
ei ther sugarcane or sugar
beets, though fl avor d i ffer
ences are i mpercepti bl e.
We have not detected di f
ferences among brands of
granulated sugar.
SUPERFI NE SUGAR: Thi s fi nel y
processed sugar has extra-smal l
crystal s that di ssol ve qui ckly.
A must for dri nks (such as i ced
tea) , superi ne sugar promotes
a mel t- i n- the- mouth texture i n
_ del i cate cooki es such as short
bread and butter cooki es.
TO REPLACE : I cup superine sugar
I cup granul ated sugar pulverized
i n food processor for 30 seconds
CONFECTI ONERS' SUGAR: To
prevent cl umpi ng. thi s pul veri zed
sugar contai ns a smal l amount of
cornstarch, maki ng i t i deal for dust
ing over cakes or di ssol vi ng in a
qui ck glaze.
TO REPLACE : I cup confectioners' sugar
I cup granul ated sugar + I teaspoon cornstarch
ground in bl ender (not food processor)
MOLSSES: For most baki ng
appl i cati ons, we prefer to use
l i ght (or mi l d) mol asses i nstead
of dark (or robust) . But if you
want a ful l er fl avor, opt for the
latter. Stay away from bl ackstrap,
though : i t can l eave a bi tter
aftertaste.
HOW TO SORE: To keep
the l i ds on mol asses or honey
jars from sti cki ng, di p a smal l
pi ece of paper towel i nto a bi t
of vegetabl e oi l and wi pe the
threads of the j ar. The bare fi l m of oi l prevents the l i d
from sti cki ng.
BROWN SUGAR: When we
want cooki es wi th a seri ous
chew. we get the best resul ts
from brown sugar, whi ch i s
whi te sugar combi ned wi th
mol asses. Dark brown sugar
contai ns 6 . 5 percent mol asses
as compared wi th l i ght brown ' s
3 . 5 percent. Use l i ght brown sugar un l ess a reci pe
speci fi cal l y cal l s for dark brown .
HOW TO SORE: Ai rti ght contai ners keep moi sture
at bay and make scoopi ng and measuri ng easi er. but
brown sugar can sti l l dr out, especi al ly after several
months. To revive hardened brown sugar, pl ace i t i n a
bowl wi th a sl i ce of bread. Cover the bowl wi th pl asti c
wrap and mi crowave i t on hi gh power for I 0 to 20
seconds. Thi s shoul d soften the sugar enough so i t can
be measured (i t wi l l harden once cool ed ) .
TO REPLACE : I cup light brown sugar
I cup granul ated sugar + I tabl espoon mol asses
TO RE PLACE : I cup dark brown sugar
I cup granul ated sugar + 2 tabl espoons mol asses
MAPLE SYRUP: For most baki ng,
the test ki tchen prefers to use darker.
grade B mapl e syrup because of i ts
assertive flavor. Grade A dark amber i s
a cl ose second.
HOW TO SORE: Because of its high
moi sture l evel and l ack of presera
tives, mapl e syrup i s suscepti bl e to the growth of yeasts,
mol ds, and bacteri a. Once opened, store i t i n the refrig
erator, where i t wi l l keep for six months to a year.
HONEY: In baki ng. we prefer a
mi l d-flavored honey, such as ornge
bl ossom or clover, whi ch doesn' t
overpower other flavors.
HOW TO SORE: Al l honey wi l l
harden and crstal l ize over ti me,
but that doesn ' t mean you have
to throw i t away. Place the open
contai ner of honey i n a saucepan
fi l l ed wi th I i nch of water and sti r
over l ow heat unti l l i quefi ed.
L l | l 5 I L L U S T R A T E D
I o
Why SOMany |l Ours
I f you bake, you real l y shoul d keep three fl ours (al l
purpose, cake, and bread) on hand. Why? The protei n
content i n fl our vari es si gni fi cantly based on the tpe of
wheat and the ti me of year the wheat was grown. Cake
fl our general ly contai ns j ust 6 percent to 8 percent
protei n, whereas al l - purpose fl our has I 0 percent to
1 2 percent protei n and bread fl our has 1 2 percent to
1 4 percent protei n . Because of the variati on i n protei n,
these fl ours wi l l absorb water di ferently-the same
amount of water mi ght make a soupy batter wi th a
cup of cake fl our but a ni ce, firm dough with bread
fl our. Protei n content al so afects gl uten devel opment.
More protei n l eads to more gl uten, whi ch, i n turn, can
translate to coarseness, chewi ness, toughness. or cri sp
ness. Dependi ng on the reci pe, these traits might be
desi rabl e or not.
ALL- PURPOSE FLOUR: We prefer
u n bl eached to bl eached fl our, as
we fi nd bl eachi ng i mparts a sl i ght
chemi cal flavor that i s detectabl e i n
ver si mpl e reci pes such as bi scui ts .
However, you ' l l never be abl e to tel l
the difference i n reci pes wi th a l ot
of sugar and/ or fat, i ncl udi ng cakes
and cooki es.
CAKE FLOUR: This l ow- protei n
fl our i s sol d i n boxes and yi el ds cakes
with an especi al ly fi ne, del i cate
crumb. I t' s our firt choi ce for angel
food, pound, and yel l ow layer cakes,
al though al l - purpose fl our can be
used i n a pi nch if you' re wi l l i ng to
accept a sl ightly coarer. dri er crumb.
TO RE PLACE : I cup cake flour
7/a cup al l - purpose fl our +
2 tabl espoons cornstarch
BREAD FLOUR: Thi s h igh- protei n
fl our (someti mes l abel ed "made
for bread machi nes" ) i s a must for
rustic breads with a chewy crumb
and cri sp crust. However, we prefer
al l - purpose fl our for Ameri can- stl e
sandwi ch l oaves, where a tender crumb i s desi rabl e.
HOW TO SORE: Don ' t keep fl our i n paper bags.
I t' s messy, and the fl our can pi ck u p moi sture, espe
ci al ly if your ki tchen i s humi d. Fl our bel ongs i n an
ai rti ght contai ner wi th an openi ng l arge enough to
accommodate a 1 - cup measure.
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Al though both are chemi cal l eaveners. they react under

diferent condi ti ons and are not
i nterchangeabl e.
I n our experi ence,
there is no detect
abl e diference
among brnds of
baki ng soda or
brands of baki ng
powder.
HOW TO SORE: Moisture i s the enemy of baki ng pow
der and baki ng soda. so ke
e
p them seal ed i n a cool , dr
pl ace. Baki ng powder wi l l l ose i ts effecti veness wi thi n a
year, so i t' s wi se to date the can when you open i t.
| '
TO REPLACE : I teaspoon baking powder
' I teaspoon baki ng soda + v, teaspoon cream of tartar
We use i nstant
yeast (al so cal l ed
rapi d- rise yeast)
excl usively in the
test kitchen . as it
is faster-acti ng and easi er to use than active dry yeast. I n
stant yeast doesn ' t need to be proofed (mixed wi th warm
water) and can be added di rectly to the dr i ngredi ents.
We've detected l i
t
tl e di fference among brands.
HOW TO SORE: Yeast shoul d be stored i n a cool
envi ronment, ei ther i n the refrigerator or the freezer.
Because yeast i s a l ivi ng organi sm, the expi rati on date on
the package shoul d be observed.
TO REPLACE : I teaspoon instant yeast
I 'I teaspoons active dry yeast soaked i n
I 05- degree l i qui d from reci pe for 5 mi nutes
We use tabl e sal t i n baki ng reci pes. I ts
fi ne grai ns di ssolve and di stri bute more
readi ly than kosher or sea sal t. There
are no real flavor diferences among
brnds of tabl e or kosher sal t.
TO REPLACE: I teaspoon table salt
I '12 teaspoons Morton' s kosher sal t or 2 teaspoons
Di amond Crstal kosher sal t
OI L: We rarely use oi l i n
baki ng (butter adds much
more flavor) , but when we
dq, we cal l for neutral - tast
i n,canol a or vegetabl e
oi l , whi ch can be used
i nterchangeably.
sol d as unsweetened or bak-
ing chocolate and packs the
bol dest chocol ate punch. Most
bi tterweet and semi seet
chocolates contai n 50 percent
to 70 percent chocolate; the
rest i s mostly sugar. We rely on
both chocolates in many reci pes.
We generl ly use mi l k chocol ate
for snacki ng. For i nformati on
on cocoa, chocol ate chi ps. and
everthi ng el se you need to know about chocolate, go
to w . cooksi l l ustrted. com/ december to read our
Chocolate I 0 I stor.
HOW TO SORE: Never store chocol ate in the
refrigertor or freezer. as rpi d changes i n temperature
or humi di t can cause the exteri or of the chocol ate to
bl oom. a cosmeti c defect that doesn' t afect the flavor
of the chocolate but i s nonethel ess undesi rabl e. To
extend the l i fe of chocol ate, wrap i t ti ghtly i n pl astic and
store i t i n a cool .
dr pl ace. Mi l k and
whi te chocolates
wi l l keep for at l east
six months; dark
chocol ates wi l l be
fi ne for a few years.
TO REPLACE : I ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 1/, ounces bi ttersweet or semisweet chocol ate
I tabl espoon sugar from reci pe
TO RE PLACE : I ounce bittersweet or
semisweet chocolate
I
2
/, ounces unsweetened chocol ate +
2 teaspoons sugar
i mi tati on extracts si de by si de i n nu
merous baked goods and have been
shocked to fi nd that we coul dn' t tel l
the di fference between the two.
( Custards are an excepti on; i mi ta
ti on extract wi l l taste a bi t of. ) That sai d, i mi tati on
extract i sn ' t al l that cheap. and we prefer to buy the
real thi ng: i mi tati on vani l l a i s deri ved from wood pul p.
SHORTENI NG: We frequently use shorteni ng
in pi e crust for extra fl aki ness. Because shorteni ng
doesn ' t contai n water. it can add a desi rabl e cri sp
ness to some cooki es,
such as sn i ckerdoodl es.
Avoi d butter-fl avored
shorteni ng. whi ch wi l l
give baked goods an u n
pl easant chemi cal flavor.
N O V E M B E R b D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
l /
T| nk|ngOuts|dethePntq
Whi l e not necessaril y pantr stapl es. there are a handful
of i ngredi ents i n the test kitchen refri gertor that are
cruci al for baki ng.
BUTER:
-
When bak-

1 ng, we use
_ .. . ._

unsal ted butter

excl usively. I n our experi ence, we have found the
amount of sal t i n sal ted butter to be i nconsi stent. But
ter can pi ck up off-flavors and turn ranci d if kept i n the
refrigerator for more than a month . If you don' t use a
l ot of butter, freeze it and thaw it as needed .
I stick unsalted butter
I sti ck sal ted butter - '12 teaspoon sal t from reci pe
EGGS: For consi stency. we use
l arge eggs in the test kitchen .
To ensure freshness. store eggs
in thei r ori gi nal contai ner in the
col dest part of the fridge (not the
egg tray in the door. where the
eggs can easi l y pi ck up odors) .
Organi c eggs performed sl i ghtly better than standard
supermarket eggs in scrambl ed egg tests, but there is
no detectabl e di fference in baked goods.
BUTERMI LK: We fi nd that but-

t
.k.

.
f
f
don' t use a l ot of buttermi l k, there
are some opti ons You can use
powdered buttermi l k (whi ch can be
stored in the pantr and reconsti
tuted wi th water) or make cl abbered
or soured mi l k.
I cup buttermilk
I cup mi l k + I tabl espoon l emon
I

'

j ui ce al l owed to thi cken for I 0 mi nutes

MI LK: Unl ess speci fi ed. we always
bake with whol e mi l k. Most reci
pes wi l l turn out fi ne wi th l ow-fat
mi l k, but ski m mi l k wi l l l eave baked
goods dry and tough .
I cup whole milk
5/a cup ski m mi l k+ ' cup
hal f- and- hal f
BAKI NG SPRAY: Baki ng spray-non
sti ck cooki ng spray wi th fl our-creates
an i mpenetrabl e nonsti ck surface wi th
out the mess of butteri ng and fl ouri ng
pans. And baki ng sprays don' t pool i n
pan corners l i ke regul ar sprays.
The Best Drop Biscuits
Drop bi scu i ts are th e n o- n on sense al ternati ve to trad i ti onal rol l ed bi scu i ts .
On l y one probl em-th ey' re often n ot very good .
0 |thc countlcss stylcs o|biscuit out
thcrc, my |avoritc is thc simplc but
o|tcn |orgottcn drop biscuit. Jhis
rustic biscuit o||crs a uniquc dual
ityo|tcxturcs. acrispand craggy goldcn brown
cxtcriormllo|hillsandvallcysandatcndcr,llu|[
intcrior. It` s thc savory, stand alonc cousin o|
shortcakc or cobblcrtopping. Inlikc |airlypalc,
Uattoppcd, uni |ormly tcndcr baking powdcr
biscuits thatarc split in hal|and buttcrcd, drop
biscuits arc mcant to bc brokcn apart and catcn
asis,picccbybuttcrypiccc.
Whilcboth typcs o|biscuitusc thc samc hand
ml o|ingrcdicntsandarcquicktoprcparc, drop
biscuits don`t rcly on any o|thc nnicky stcps
rollcd biscuits rcquirc to gct thcm just ri ght.
Jhcrc`s no nccd to cut supcrcold buttcr into
thc dry ingrcdicnts . Kncading and rolling arc
notncccssary, soyou don` thavc toworryabout
ovcrworking thc dough. Ad thcrc`s no mssy
biscuitcuttcrorrcrollingo|thcscraps. Dropbis
cuitsbarclyrcquirc a rccipc. llour, lcavcncr, and
saltarc combincd ina bowl , thcwctingrcdicnts
, milk or buttcrmilk and citl+crmcltcd buttcr or
vcgctablcoil ) arcstirrcdtogctl+crinamcasuring
cup, thc wct ingrcdicnts arc stirrcd into thc dry
ingrcdi cnts, and thc rcsulting battcr , which is
wcttcrthantraditionalbiscuitdough) isscoopcd
upanddroppcdontoabakingshcct.
I hcadcdi ntothckitchcntotryasamplingo|
dropbiscuitrccipcs. Jhctcchniqucswcrcassim
plcasI` dcxpcctcd,butthctcxturco|thcbiscuits
ohcn|cllshort,andthcllavorwasuninspiring. I|
thcywcrcn`tdcnsc,gummy,anddoughy,mytcst
biscuitswcrclcananddry.Jhcgcncrousamounts
o|lcavcncr in most rccipcs gavc thc biscuits a
bittcr, mctallic llavor. Butthc rccipcs that callcd
|orlcssthanl tablcspoono|bakingpowdcrwcrc
hcavyandsquat. Evidcntly,younccdaloto|lcav
cncrtocompcnsatc|orthclacko|coldchunkso|
buttcrthatproduccstcamandassistwiththcrisc
inclassicrollcdbiscuits.
Back to Basi cs
Still, I hadmadc somc progrcss during this nrst
round o|tcsting. il bascd biscuits wcrc casy to
workwith but lackcd tl+c mostimportantclcmcnt.
buttcryllavor. Sobuttcrwasamust. I`dalsocomc
tosomcconclusionsaboutthcllour.
Whilc somc rollcd biscuits usc so|tcr, low
protcin Southcrn brands o|llour or a mixturc
3 B Y S A N D R A W U E
was tcmptcd to try othcr dairy
products i n its placc. Yogurt pro
vidcd a tangy complcxity, but at
thcpricco|unwantcdgummincss.
Sourcrcam madc thc biscuitsway
too rich. Buttcrmilk o||crcd thc
bcst o|botl+ worl ds. biscuits that
had a rich, buttcry tang and wcrc
also tcxturally appcaling-crispcr
ontl+ccxtcrior and Uumcron thc
intcrior. I ncrcasingthc amounto|
buttcrmilk to a hll cup amplihcd
thcsc c||ccts.
A fi nal brush wi th butter adds fl avor to these crag but tender bi scui ts.
Al though onc mi ght thi nk
that morc liquid would makc thc
bi scui ts hcavi cr and l css cri sp,
just tl+c oppositc was happcning.
Discussions with scvcral scicntists
cl carcd up thc con|usi on. Jhc
morcliquidI addcdtothcdough,
thc morc stcamwascrcatcdinthc
hotovcn. Jhisstcamactsasapow
crml lcavcncr, which, in conj unc
tion with thc chcmical lcavcncrs,
lightcnsthctcxturco|thcbiscuits.
Ad justaswatcrspraycdonrustic
brcad dough hclps crisp its crust,
o|cakc and all purposc llours to achicvc a light,
cottonysoh tcxturc, ncithcr o|tl+csc improvcd
thctcxturco|tl+cdrop biscuits. Instcad, bccausc
thc dough i sn` t kncadcd-and thcrc|orc not
much glutcn dcvclopmcnt occurs-thcsc sohcr
llours madc thc biscuits too dclicatc and unablc
to |orm a substantial crust. I stuck with rcgular
al l purposc llour, which providcd tHc structurc
thcdropbiscuitsnccdcd.
My working rccipc containcd 2 cups o|llour,
l tablcspoon o|baking powdcr, 4 tcaspoon o|
salt, % cup o|milk, and o tablcspoons o|mcltcd
buttcr.ncctlcwctanddryingrcdicntswcrcj ust
combincd, I uscd a !cup dry mcasurc to scoop
tl+c battcr onto a parchmcntlincd baking shcct
andbakcdthcbiscuitsina475-dcgrccovcn. Whilc
diswas dcnnitcly bcttcrthan somc o|thc rccipcs
I`d tricdcarlyon,tl+cscbiscuitswcrc still |ar hom
pcr|cct. Jhcy wcrcn`t quitc buttcry cnough and
stilltastcdo|lcavcncr.
I ncrcasi ng thc buttcr to 8 tabl cspoons
answcrcd my tastcrs` dcmand |or dccpcr but
tcrllavor, butsomcthingwas still missing. Sincc
milk didn` t sccm to bc adding much Uavor, I
C O O K ' S I L L U S T R A T E D
1 8
tlc additionaI stcam was makingthc cxtcrioro|
mybiscuitsscriouslycraggy, almostcrunchy.
Switchingtobuttcrmilkmcantthatbakingsoda
, not j ust baking powdcr) was now an option, as
thc soda would rcact with thc acid in tlc buttcr
milk. Ahcrtryingvariouscombi nationso|baking
sodaandbaki ngpowdcr, I scttlcdonwhatcndcd
up bci ng a |airly standard ratio |or traditional
rollcd buttcrmilkbiscuits. 2 tcaspoonso|baking
powdcrtol. tcaspoono|bakingsoda. IkncwI `d
succccdcd whcn thc biscuits rosc propcrly and I
could no longcr tastc any mctallic bittcrncss. A
anaddcdbonus,thc baki ngsodaaidcdbrowning,
givingthc biscuits adarkcr, morcattractivccrust.
A mcrc tcaspoon o|sugar brought all tl+c llavors
into balanccwithoutmakingtl+cbiscuitsswcct.
Keeping It Cl umpy
Jhcrcwasjustoncaspccto|myrccipcthatcontin
ucdtobothcrmc. thcnccdtogcttl+ctcmpcraturcs
o| tl+cbuttcrmilkand mcltcd buttcrj ustright. Ior
a quick and simplc rccipc,having to wait |or two
tlrngs to happcn-|or thc buttcrmilk to comc
to room tcmpcraturc and |or tl+c mcltcd buttcr

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TE C H N I Q U E .|txr\
B UTTE R I S GOOD B UTTE R
When you stir sl ightly cool ed melted butter i nto
cold buttermi l k, the butter wi l l cl ump. Al though thi s
might l ook l i ke a mi stake, i t' s one of the secrets to
thi s reci pe. Te cl umps of butter are si mi l ar to the
smal l bi ts of col d butter i n bi scui ts prepared accord
ing to the trdi ti onal method and hel p guarntee a
l ight and fl uf i nteri or.
to cool-in ordcr |or thcm to cmulsi[ propcrly
sccmcdlikcahassl c. ButwhcncvcrIwasimpaticnt
andtricd to gctawaywith combining thc mcltcd
buttcr with straightnomthcrcnigcrator buttcr
m, thc buttcrwould start to |orm clumps. o
mattcrhowhardIwhiskcducmixturc,thcbitso|
buttcrwouldstubborn|yrcmain.
Inmostcascs,lumpy buttcrmilkisconsidcrcda
mistakc, but I wondcrcd what would happcn i|I
actuallytricdtousc thismixturc.Maybcthcchccts
wouldn`t bc too noticcablc. Jonnd out, I madc
onc batch o|biscuits with a complctcly smooth
buttcrmiIk mixturc and anothcrwith lumpy but
tcrmilk. Comparcdsidc bysidc,thc biscuitsmadc
withthc|umpybuttcrmilkroscslightlyhighcrand
hadamorcdistincttcxturalcontrastbctwccnintc
riorandcxtcriorthan didthc batch madcwith thc
smoothbuttcrmilkmixturc.
Amistakc"turncdouttobcthcnnalsccrctto
myrccipc. Jhclumpso|buttcrturncdtostcamin
T E C H N I Q U E
S COOP, DROP, AND BAKE
A grased 'cup measure i s a grat tool for scoopi ng
dough onto a parchment- l i ned baking sheet.
thcovcnandhc|pcdcrcatcmorcrisc.Jhcc|umpy
buttcrmilk sccmcd to mimic thc positivc c||ccts
o|making biscuits thc old|ashioncd way-with
bits o|cold buttcr lch in thc dough-but this
mcthod was bcttcr on twocounts . I twas morc
rcliablc and lcss mcssy. Jhc only hard part was
havingthcpaticncctowait|orthcbiscuitstocoo|
downbc|orcgrabbingonctocat.
B E ST D RO P B I S C U I TS
MAKE S 1 2 BI S CU I TS
I| buttcrmilk isn`t availabl c, powdcrcd buttcr-
milk addcd according to packagc instructions
or clabbcrcd milk can bc uscd instcad. Jo makc
clabbcrcdmilk,mix I cupmilkwith I tablcspoon
lcmon juicc and lct stand IO minutcs. A '+cup
, #I o) portion scoop , scc pagc 3 I ) can bc uscd
to portionthcbattcr.Jorc|rcsh dayo|dbiscuits,
hcatthcmin a 3OO dcgrccovcn|or I O minutcs.
2 cups ( I 0 ounces) unbl eached al l - purpose fl our
2 teaspoons baki ng powder
1 1 teaspoon baki ng soda
teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoon tabl e sal t
I cup col d buttermi l k
8 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, mel ted and cool ed
sl i ghtl y (about 5 mi nutes) , pl us 2 tabl espoons
mel ted butter for brushi ng bi scui ts
l . Adj ust ovcn rack to middlc osition and
hcat ovcn to 475 dcgrccs. Whisk l|our, baking
powdcr, baking soda, sugar, and sal t i n largc
bow| . Combinc buttcrmilk and 8 tablcspoons
mc|tcdbuttcrinmcdiumbowl ,stirri nguntilbut
tcr|ormssmal |cl umps, sccphotoabovc ) .
2 . Add buttcrmi|k mixturc to dryingrcdicnts
andstirwithrubbcrspatulauntiljustincorporatcd
and battcr pulls away|rom sidcs o|bow| . Ising
grcascd l/+ cupdrymcasurc,scooplcvclamount
o|battcranddropontoparchmcntlincdrimmcd
bakingshcct, biscuitsshouldmcasurc about2 l+
inchcs in diamctcr and I l+ inchcs high) . Rcpcat
with rcmainingbattcr,spacingbiscuitsabout I l.
inchcs apart. Bakc until tops arc goldcn brown
andcrisp, I2 to I4 minutcs.
3. Brushbiscuit tops with rcmaining 2 tablc
spoons mcltcd buttcr. Jrans|cr towircrackand
lctcool5 minutcsbc|orcscrving.
B LACK P E P P E R AN D BAC O N
D RO P B I S C U I TS
Cut o strips bacon i n hal|lcngthwisc and thcn
crosswisc imo '+inchpicccs,nyin I Oinchnon
stickskillctovcrmcdium hcatunti|crisp, 5 to 7
minutcs. Ising slottcd spoon, trans|cr bacon to
papcr towcl-lincd platc and cool to room tcm-
pcranrc. Iollow rccipc |or Bcst Drop Bi scuits,
adding crisp bacon and I tcaspoon coarscly
groundblackpcppcrtol|ourmixnrcinstcp I .
N O V E M B E R c D E C E I B E R 2 0 0 7
l v
E Q U I P M E N T T E S T I N G :
KCusaDl C|an L| nCrs
Reusabl e nonsti ck baki ng-pan l i ners are relatively
new and the choi ces are growi ng. We baked bi s
cui ts, ul trathi n l ace cooki es, and berry-fi l l ed tarts
on five nonsti ck l i ners made from vari ous grades of
si l i cone, si l i cone- rei nforced woven fi bergl ass. and
nonsti ck fi bergl ass to see if any coul d i mpress us
more than a sheet of basi c parchment paper.
The l i ners fel l i nto two cl asses: l ightwei ghts and
heavywei ghts. Baked goods made on l i ghter l i ners,
l i ke those produced by Wil ton ( $ I I ) and Regency
Wrps ( $ 1 2) , had bottoms with spott browni ng.
These l i ners can be cut to fi t any pan, a defi ni te
pl us, but the fl i msy materi al s creased easi l y when
washed by hand.
Mats made by Si l i coneZone ( $ 1 4. 75) and
Ki tchenAid ( $ 1 4. 99) were heavi er but i mparted
pl asti c and chemi cal flavors to the cooki es and
bi scui ts. DeMarl e' s Si l pat ($ 1 6. 99) was cl early
the best reusabl e l i ner we tested. However, these
mats stai n over ti me and can transfer flavors from
previ ous uses. Al so, unl i ke parchment, Si l pat mats
cannot be cut to fit speci fi c pan si zes. Bottom l i ne:
We prefer parchment. For the compl ete resul ts
of thi s testi ng, go to w. cooksi l l ustrated. com/
december. -Meredi th Smi th
I N EXPE NS I VE AN D VE RSATI LE
CAN TRANS F E R OF F F LAVORS
We prefer ordi nary parchment paper to reusable
si l i cone baking pan l i ners.
C H E D DAR AN D S CAL L I O N D RO P B I S C U I TS
Iollowrccipc|orBcstDropBiscuits,adding|. cup
,2 oucs) shrcddcd chcddar chccsc and |+ cup
thin|y s|iccd scamons tol|ourmixturc instcp l .
ROS E MARY A N D PAR ME SAN
D RO P B I S C U I TS
Io|low rccipc |or Bcst Drop Biscuits, adding

/+
cup ,I '. ounccs ) gratcd Iarmcsanchccsc and |.
tcaspoon nncly minccd |rcsh roscmary lcavcs to
l|ourmixturcin stcp I .
COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. cooksi l l ustrated. com
HOW TO MAKE
Best Drop Bi scui ts
VI DE O TI P
How do I know i f my baki ng powder is sti l l good?
Perfecting TiramisU
Th i s new I tal i an cl assi c has become a sad , soggy, ti red excu se for a dessert.
Cou l d we i nj ect new l i fe i n to a d i sh whose name transl ates as " pi ck me u p" ?
L
i kc bal s ami c vi ncgar and
polcnta, tiramis was virtually
unhcard o|i nthcInitcdStatcs
until about 2O ycars ago. ow
it`s cvcrywhcrc |rom pi zza parlors to
chain rcstaurants . Inlikc many I talian
rccipcs,tiramishasn` tbccnbastardizcd,
but that`s not to say it`s gcncrally wcl|
madc. Dcspitc tiramis` s simplici ty , it
rcquircsj ustahandm|o|ingrcdicntsand
no cooking) , thcrc is a lot that can go
wrong. I|it`s soggyorparchcd, pondcr-
ously dcnsc, sickly swcct, or ncry with
alcohol ,it`snotworththccaloriccost.
3 B Y DA W N Y A N A G I H A R A E
Jiramisrccipcs|al l intothrcccamps.
thoscthatcall|orthcadditiono| whippcd
cggwhitcs to thc nlling, thosc that call
|or thc addi ti on o| whi ppcd crcam,
andthosc thatcal l |or ncithcr. Without
whippcd whitcs or whippcd crcam, thc
nllingwastoohcavy.Wippcdcggwhitcs
watcrcd down thc llavor o|thc nlling
and madc it too airy. Whippcd crcam
lightcncd thc tcxturc without a||ccting
thcmascarponc`sdclicatcllavor. I |ound
that/+ cupo|crcam, hal|thcamountin
manyothcrrccipcs) wassumcicnt.
Stop, Drop, and Rol l Jhc word tiramis mcans pick mc
up, " a rc|crcncc to thc invi gorati ng
qualitics o|thc dish` s csprcsso, sugar,
and alcohol . It`s not an oldworld dcs
scrt, but rathcr a 2Othccntury rcstau
rant crcation. Storc bought l adynngcrs
, spongccakcl i kc cookics ) arc di ppcd
i nto alcohol spikcd csprcsso and thcn
laycrcd into a dish along with buttcry
mascarponc ,a thi ck crcam) that has
bccncnrichcdwith sugarandcggs . Jhc
dish is dustcd with cocoa or sprinklcd
withchocolatcandscrvcdchil| cd.
A wel l - made, wel l - chi l l ed ti rami su wi l l cut i nto neat pi eces for easy servi ng.
Jomakctiranus,ladynngcrsarcdippcd
intocsprcsso spikcdwith alcohol sothat
thc rathcrdry, bland cookics arc moist
cncd and llavorcd. Brcwcd csprcsso is
not practical |or many homc cooks, so
I tricd thrcc things in its stcad. strong
co||cc madc nom csprcsso roast bcans,
csprcsso madc |rom instant csprcsso
granulcs, and a rathcr wickcd potion
madc by dissolving instant csprcsso in
strong brcwcd co||cc. Jhough it wasn`t
palatablc straight nom a cup, this last
Agood tiramis is a scamlcss union o|llavors
and tcxturcs-it`s dimcult to tcll whcrc cookic
cndsandcrcambcgins,whcrcbittcrcsprcssogivcs
ovcrtothcbitco|alcohol,andwhcthcrunctuous
or uplihing isthc bcttcradj cctivc to dcscribc i t.
Rathcr than lamcnt all thc unworthy tiramiss
outthcrc,Idccidcdtomakcabatch. . . ortwo. . . or
4O. . . togcttothcbottomo|agoodonc.
Fil l ing First
I sortcd through thc dozcns o| rccipcs I had
gathcrcd. Jhc most complicatcd oncs involvcd
makingacu/u_/ inc, anothycustard,asthcbasc
o|thcmascarponc nlling. Jhisrcquircda doublc
boilcr, vigilancc, and a lot o|whisking. I madc
sixrccipcsanddctcrmincdthatazabag|ioncbasc
wasnotworththctroublc.
A such,thc mcchanicso|makingthc mascar
poncnlling bccamc quitcsimplc. Icombincdraw
cggyo|ksandsugar,mixcdinthcspirits,andnn
ishcdwiththcmascarponc. Mycarlytcststaught
mcthata I 3 by inchdishwasthcrightsizcand
thatthc poundo|mascarponc callcd |orin most
rccipcswasinadcquatc-thcladyh ngcrtocrcam
ratiowas o||, and thctiramiswas slighti nstat
urc.Anothcrl. poundmadctl:chllinggcncrous
butnotm|somc.
With too |cw yolks, thc nlling wasn` t as rich
astastcrslikcd,aproblcmthatplagucdscvcralo|
tl+c rccipcs I i nitial|y tcstcd. Sixyolks madc thc
nlling silky and suavc, with a round, rich H avor.
, Iorthoscwaryo|dcsscrtsmadcwithrawcggs,I
concoctiontastcdbcstin tiranis.
Jiramisrccipcsdon`tbothcrto givc dctailcd
instructionsabouthowtodipthcladynngcrs,but
I |ound that thc dipping or soaking tcchniquc
grcatly a||ccts thc outcomc . A quicki n andout
dip wasn`tadcquatc |or moistcning thc cookics,
andthcrcsultwasadrytiramis. Iullysubmcrg-
ingorothcrwiscsaturatingthcladynngcrsyicldcd
a|so crcatcda slightly morc
i nvol vcd vari ati on that
cooksthcyolks. )
T E C H N I Q U E D I P, D ON' T S UB ME RGE
cxt , I tcstcd di ||cr-
cnt amounts o|sugar and
dcci dcd that
.
/ cup pro
vidcd thc pcr|cct amount
o|swcctncss . I al so addcd
an i ngrcdi cnt-salt-that
isn` t|oundinmosttiramis
rccipcs. , I sawonlyoncthat
calls|orsa|t,anditwasj usta
pinch. ) Salt grcatly hcight
cncd al l thc navors and
madc thc most rcmarkablc
di||crcncc.
Both of the l adyfi ngers bel ow were in the cofee mi xture for the same amount of
ti me, but diferent soaki ng techni ques yi el ded very d iferent resul ts.
P E RF E CTLY S OAKE D
Ti s ladyfinger was dropped i nto the cof
fee mi xture, rol l ed, and removed withi n
2 to 3 seconds. Te cofee mi xture has
not completely saturated this cooki e.
OVERS OAKE D
Thi s ladyfinger was ful ly submerged i n the
cofee mi xture for 2 to 3 seconds. Te
cofee mi xture has penetrated al l the way
to the center of the cooki e.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
.

.

Z
U

<
\
>
1

O
C
-
C
1

a wct, squishy tiramisti . Evcntually, I |ound a

mcthod that workcd rcliably. nc at a ti mc, I
droppcdcachladynngcrinto thc liquidso that it
lloatcdonthcsur|acc,thcnwithoutmrthcradoI
rollcditovcrtomoistcn thc othcrsidc.
Jhc only thing lch to dctcrmincwas thc bcst
spirit with which to spikc thc hlling and thc
co||cc soakingmixturc.Marsalagavcthctiramistt
a syrupy, citrusy ovcrtonc without apprcciabl c
alcohol charactcr. Brandy gavc it a lightly |ruity
Havorand good kick. Darkrum,with its caramcl
notcs,complcmcntcdthcrich, dccp,toastyquali
ticso|thc co||cc, itwas thc undisputcd |avoritc.
I startcd with a modcst 4 tablcspoons , dividcd
bctwccntl+cnllingandthc co||cc ) , butthatwas
|artoowcak.Iratchctcdupthcrumscvcraltimcs
bc|orchittingthcidcalamount- tablcspoons.
My tiramis was asscmblcd l i kcany othcr. I
arrangcdhal|o|thcdippcdladynngcrsinthcdish
andcovcrcdthcmwithhal|o|thcmascarponc. I
|ollowcd tl:c lcado|otl+crs and dustcd thc mas-
carponc with cocoa. Jhc laycringwas rcpcatcd,
and cocoannishcdthctiramis. , Asprinklingo|
gratcd chocolatc was a ni cc addition. ) Jhc last
dctail . Jiramisrcquircs at lcastsix hoursi nthc
|ridgc|orthcl|avorsandtcxturcstomcld.
Simplc to prcparc but grand cnough to scrvc
thc most disccrning jump/ iu, this tiramis i s
an idcal holiday dcsscrt. Jhis pick mcup is no
longcr a l ctdown-i t` s worth cvcry crcamy,
cohccllavorcd,rumspikcdcaloric.
TI RAM I S O
S E RVES I O TO | 2
Brandyandcvcnwhiskcycanstandin|orthcdark
rum. Jhc tcst kitchcn prc|crs a uis with a
pronounccd rum llavor, |oralcsspotcntrtm+ lla
vor,halvcthcamounto|rumaddcdto tl+cco||cc
mixturcinstcp I . Donotallowthcmascarponcto
warmtoroomtcmpcraturcbc|orcusingit,ithasa
tcndcncy to brcak i|allowcdtodoso. Rccipcs|or
JiramistrwithSambucaand ImonandJiramis
wiu Irangclico and rangc arc availablc ncc at
V .cooksillustratcd. com/ dcccmbcr.
I s Mascarpone a Must?
Mascarpone, someti mes cal l ed mascarpone cheese
because of its texture, i s a ri ch cream thi ckened
by aci dificati on . I n my ti rami su research, I came
across suggesti ons for substi tutes if mascarpone
i sn ' t avai l abl e. Cream cheese was the base for al l
substituti ons. To it, I added sour cream. heavy
>

cream. pureed ricotta cheese, and softened butter

in ever combi nati on and quantit. Though I came
O

cl ose to approxi mati ng the texture of mascarpone,

C
the assertively tang, sal t flavor of the cream
c
cheese (even when cut wi th other dai ry products)

made for a dastardl y dessert. The l esson: There is no

substitute for mascarpone. -DY

STE P - BY- STE P A l M l | NC 1| kAM| U

I . ARRNGE soaked l adyi ngers 2. SPREAD hal f of mascarpone 3. DUS hal f of cocoa over mas-
snugl y in si ngl e layer in baking di sh. mi xture over l adyi ngers. carpone mi xture. Repeat layeri ng.
2 11 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature
I 11 tabl espoons i nstant espresso granul es
9 tabl espoons dark rum
6 l arge egg yo I ks
2h cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon tabl e sal t
I 11 pounds mascarpone
3/4 cup col d heavy cream
1 4 ounces (42 to 60, dependi ng on si ze) dri ed
l adyfi ngers (savoi ardi ) (see page 30)
3 11 tabl espoons cocoa, preferabl y Dutch- processed
1/4 cup grated semi sweet or bi ttersweet chocol ate
(opti onal )
I . Sti r co||cc, csprcsso, and 5 tabl cspoons
ruminwi dcbowl orbaking dish until csprcsso
dissolvcs,sctasidc .
2 . I n bowl o| standi ng mi xcr httcd wi th
whi skattachmcnt, bcatyolks at l owspccd until
j ust combincd. Add sugar and salt and bcat at
mcdi um hi gh spccd until palc ycl l ow, I '/ to
2 mi nutcs, scrapi ng down bowl with rubbcr
spatula oncc or twicc . Add rcmaining 4 tablc
spoonsrum and bcatat mcdiumspccduntilj ust
combi ncd, 2Oto 3Oscconds, scrapc bowl . Add
mascarponc and bcat at mcdium spccd until no
l umpsrcmai n, 3Oto 45scconds, scrapi ngdown
bowl oncc or twicc . Jrans|cr mixturc to l argc
bowl andsctasidc.
3 . In nowcmptymixcrbowl , nonccdtoclcan
bowl ) , bcat crcamat mcdium spccduntil |rotl:y,
I to I '. minutcs. I ncrcasc spccd to high and
continucto bcatuntil crcamhol dssti||pcaks, I
to I l. minutcslongcr. Isingrubbcrspatul a, |ol d
onc third o|whi ppcd crcam into mascarponc
mixturctolightcn, thcngcntly|oldi nrcmaining
whippcdcrcamuntilnowhitcstrcaksrcmai n. Sct
mascarponcmixturcasidc.
4. Worki ng onc at a timc, drop hal|o|l ady
nngcrs into co||cc mixturc, rol l , rcmovc, and
trans|crto I 3 by inch glass or ccramic baking
dish. , Donotsubmcrgcl adynngcrsinco||ccmi x
turc, cnti rc proccss shoul d takc no l ongcr than
2 to 3 scconds |or cachcookic. ) Arrangc soakcd
cookics i n singlc laycr in baking dish, brcaking
or trimming ladynngcrs as nccdcd to nt ncatly
intodish.
N O V E M B E R c D E CE M B E R 2 0 0 7
. l
5 . Sprcad hal |o|mascarponc mixturc ovcr
l adynngcrs,usc rubbcrspatula tosprcad mixturc
to sidcs and into corncrs o|dish and smooth
sur|acc. Ilacc 2 tablcspoons cocoa in nnc mcsh
straincranddust cocoaovcrmascarponc.
o. Rcpcatdippingandarrangcmcnto|ladynn
gcrs, sprcad rcmainingmascarponcmixturcovcr
l adynngcrs and dust with rcmaining I '/ tabl c
spoonscocoa.Wi pccdgcso|dishwi ddrypapcr
towcl . Covcrwith plastic wrap and rc|rigcratc o
to 24 hours . Sprinklc witl+ gratcd chocolatc, i|
using,cut intopicccsand scrvcchillcd.
TI RAM I S O WI TH OU T RAW E G G S
Jhisrccipcinvo|vcscookingthcyolksinadoublc
boilcr, which rcquircs a littlc morc chort and
makcs |or a slightly thrckcr mascarponc h lling,
but dc rcsults arcj ustas goodaswith ourtradi
tionalmcthod.Youwillnccdanadditional lcup
o|hcavycrcam.
Iollow rccipc|orJiramisti through stcp I . In
stcp2, addl cupcrcamtoyolksahcrsugarand
salt, do not whisk i n rum. Sct bowl with yolks
ovcr mcdium sauccpan containing I inch gcntly
simmcringwatcr,cook,constantlyscrapingalong
bottom and sidcs o|bowlwithhcatproo|rubbcr
spatul a, until mixturc coats back o|spoon and
rcgistcrs I oO dcgrccs on instantrcad thcrmom
ctcr,4 to 7 minutcs. Rcmovc|romhcatand stir
vigorouslyto cool slightly, thcn sctasidc to cool
to room tcmpcraturc, about I 5 minutcs. Whisk
in rcmaining4 tablcspoons rum unti l combincd.
Jrans|crbowltostandingmixcrnttcdwidwhisk
attachmcnt,addmascarponc,andbcatatmcdium
spccd until nolumpsrcmain, 3O to 45 scconds.
Jrans|cr mixturc to l argc bowl and sct asidc .
Continuc with rccipc |romstcp 3, using thc mll
amounto|crcam spccincd,

/+ cup) .
COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i I I u st r a t ed . c o m
HOW T O MAKE
Ti rami su
VI DE O TI P
What' s the best way to separate an egg?
CC|rCCllC CU_l
We wanted a reci pe that i s ten der, fl avorfu l , and -most i mportant-consi sten t.
P
ie crust in a nutshel l : Mix four, salt, and
sugar together, cut in some fat, add water
just until the dough sticks together, roll
it out, and bake it. A study in simplicity.
Yet it can all go wrong so easily. The dough is
almost always too dry and crumbly to roll out
successflly. The crust is either faky but leathery
or tender with no flakes. And the results are seem
ingly random: The recipe that gave you a perfect
crust last month resulted in a tough-as-nails crust
when you followed it this week.
I wanted t o fgure out exactly where a crust
goes south, so I set out to sort through all the
dubious science, purported secret ingredients,
and perennial pie crust theories to separate fact
from fction and create a recipe that not only
bakes up tender and flaky every single time, but
also rolls out easily.
The Theory of Pie
The fi rst question was what type of fat to use. The
test kitchen likes the rich flavor of an all-butter
crust. Problem: Butter starts to sofen at around
5Odegrees and flly melts at around I O0 degrees,
which means the crust has to be worked very
quickly. Also, butter's high water content ( about
2O percent; the rest is fat) can lead to leathery
crusts, as too much water wlstimulate the forma
tion of gluten, the protein matrix that provides
structure in baked goods. Enter hydrogenated
vegetable shortening, a sof fat that doesn't melt
until a relatively high temperature and contains
no water, just fat. But although crusts made wth
shortening are very tender, they have virtually no
flavor. I ultimately found that a combination of
butter and shortening provided the best balance
of flavor and tenderness.
I moved on to the next step: cutting the fat into
the flour. Of all the methods I tried ( food processor,
standing mixer, pastry blender, and by hand) , the
food processor was the fastest and most consistent.
Even so, I ran into my frst major hurdle-some
recipes call for cutting the butter into walnut-sized
pieces, and others say to incorporate the fat until
it resembles wet sand. Which approach is better?
Ad once you determine which method to use, is
it possible to produce same-sized pieces of butter
time afer time?
What if I ran the food processor until the flour
and fat were completely combined? This is simple
to repeat every time, and there's no way to over
process it. But dough is supposed to have pockets
offat in it, which melt upon baking to leave behind
3 B Y J K E NJ I A L T E
Our dough is wel l hydrated , so i t rol l s out easi ly.
tl1e gaps that create flaky layers. By flly incorpo
rating the fat, I was lef with no pockets, and sure
enough, my dough baked up with no flakes. My
next attempt was to process only a portion of the
fat completely into tl1e flour, feeze the rest of tl1e
fat, and grate it into the mixed dough to create
those fat pockets. Consistent? Yes. But despite the
fact that there were plenty of pockets of unmixed
fat, my crust still came out flake-fee.
While I was testing methods for incorporating
the fat into the four, I had been dealing witl1 the
frustrating issue of how much water to add to
the dough. Some recipes call for a range of water
that can vary by as much as I OO percent, claim-
ing that a hot or humid day can throw
measurements of. This excuse seemed a
little suspicious, and I was eventually able
to dismiss the theory by measuring the
efects of humidity on four ( see page 3 I ) .
I t was time to step back and examine the
structure of a pie crust.
Fat and Fl our
When fat is being cut into flour, the flour
is separated into two groups; some of the
flour is coated with a layer of fat, which
protects it fom absorbing any water,
while the uncoated four wl absorb water
and form gluten. When the dough is
rolled out, this gluten stretches into sheets
separated by pockets of unmixed fat that
melt upon baking, leaving behind crisp,
separated sheets. The problem is that
depending on who's making the crust,
the exact temperature of the fat, and even
the tpe of food processor being used,
the ratio of fat-coated flour to w1coated
flour can change drastcally fom batch to batch.
This means a pie crust recipe that barely absorbed
V4 cup of water one time might readily absorb l
cup the next. It also explains why the same recipe is
faky one day but not the next: For consistent faki
ness, you need the same ratio of fat-coated flour to
uncoated flour.
It's not just the chunks of fat that create faki
ness. It' s also the uncoated flour that mixes with
water and forms gluten that guarantees a faky
crust. This explained the failure of the test in
which I combined all the flour witl1 some of the
butter, tl1en added grated butter to the dough.
You need at l east some flour tlut hasn' t been
R E c 1 P E o 1 A G N o s 1 s : Why Tradi ti onal Pie Dough Fai l s
Trdi ti onal pi e dough i s col d and dr, maki ng i t di ffi cul t to handl e and l eadi ng to i mperect resul ts .
esostt D OU G H CRACKS
Too much water makes crust tough, so most reci pes cal l for
the bare mi ni mum. A a resul t, the dough cracks at the edges.
_
esostt DOUGH ROLLS OUT U N EVE NLY
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
. .
Dough must be chi l l ed (so the butter won' t mel t) , but col d
dough i s hard to rol l out i nto an even ci rcl e.
esostt DOUG H STI CKS AN D TEARS
Most reci pes cal l for usi ng as l i ttl e fl our on the work surface
as possi bl e. A a resul t, butter sti cks to the work surface and
the dough sti cks and tears.
STE P- BY- ST E P KEY STE P S TO F OOL P ROOF P I E DOUGH
I . MAKE A FAT AND FLOUR
PASTE : Compl etely bl endi ng part
of the four with all of the butter
ensures a consi stent amount of fat
coated fl our in the fi nal dough.
2. ADD MORE FLOUR: Pul si ng
i n the fi nal cup of fl our ensures
a consi stent amount of uncoated
fl our in the fi nal dough.
3. ADD WATER AND VODKA:
Spri nkl i ng wi th water and vodka
ensures even di stri buti on . No need
to ski mp-unl i ke water, vodka
won' t make the dough tough.
coated with butter in the dough in order to create
the gluten layers that form fakes. When process
ing the fat in a traditional crust, leaving some
chunks of butter in the dough is a good sign that
the dough hasn' t been overprocessed ( that is,
chunks of butter in the dough are an indication
that there is enough uncoated four lef to com
bine with water and create a faky crust) .
Wat if I measured out the two types of flour
the portion I wanted coated with fat and the por
tion I wanted to remain uncoated-separately?
Rather than starting with all the flour in the pro
cessor, I put aside l cup of flour, then placed the
remaining l l cups of flour in the food processor
with all of the fat and processed it until it formed
a unified paste. I then added the cup of reserved
flour back to the bowl and pulsed it just w1til it was
eveny distributed around the bowl. This would
guarantee the dough had a constant an1otmt of
uncoated flour to mix with the water. Afer mix-
> c 1 E N c E : Vodk i n Pie Dough?
Pie dough gets i ts structure from gl uten, l ong
chai ns of protei n that form when fl our mi xes wi th
water. But too much gl uten wi l l make pi e dough
tough. That' s why tradi ti onal pi e doughs are so
sti ng wi th the water. I di scovered that
vodka l ets you add more l i qui d (so
the dough i s easy to rol l out) wi thout
tougheni ng the crust. Why?
Ei ght- proof vodka consi sts of 60
percent water and 40 percent ethanol .
Whi l e gl uten forms readi ly in water. it
does not form in ethanol . Thus, my
reci pe. whi ch contai ns 4 tabl espoons
each of col d water and vodka, gets
the benefits of 8 tabl espoons of l i qui d
(suppl e. eas-to-rol l dough) but actu
al ly has the equival ent of about 6 12
tabl espoons of water-an amount that
YODK

W
l i mits gl uten formati on and ensures
Mf'fH
tenderess. A for the al cohol ? It
D OU G H
vaporizes i n the oven. -J . K.A.
TE N D E RI ZE R
ing in the water and rolling out the dough, I now
theoretically had a dough with two distinct parts:
long sheets of gluten separated by a flour-fat paste.
The dough baked up as flaky as could be. And
since the stage in which the fat gets processed
into the flour was no longer ambiguous, my new
crusts came out identically, time and agai n.
Hitting t he Sauce
I had guaranteed flakiness, but tenderness was still
a crapshoot. Most recipes wth 2l cups of flour
call for o to 8 tablespoons of ice water. If I kept
the water at the lower end of this range, the dough
baked up very tender but was dry and hard to
roll out. When I used the f 8 tablespoons, the
dough was smooth and easy to roll out but baked
up tough-too much gluten was forming. I had
to fgure out a way to tenderize the fnished crust
without reducing the amount of water I used.
Scanning through recipes turned up a common
"miracle ingredient"-acid. Many recipes say that
a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice can tenderize
dough, claiming that gluten formation is inhibited
at lower pH values. But afer consulting our science
editor, I learned that gluten formation is acnally
increased in slightly acidic envirornents (a pH of
between 5 and o) and doesn't begin to decrease
w1til the pH drops below 5. This required replac
ing nearly half the water witl1 lemon j uice, by which
point the crust was inedibly sour.
What about using lower-protein cake or pastry
flour? No good. The crusts baked up sandy and
too short. What about adding crean1 cheese or sour
cream? Altl10ugh tlus made tl1e crust more tender,
it had a strange, sof chewiness.
Lt's review: In order to roll easily, dough needs
more water, but more water makes crusts tough.
Therefore, I needed sometlung tl1at's not water
but is still wet. A the aromas fom a nearby pan of
reducing wine reached my nose, the answer lut me
like a bottle to the head: alcohol.
Eighty-proof vodka is essentially 40 percent
ethanol and oO percent water. As it happens,
gluten cannot form in alcohol, which means tl1at
for every tablespoon of vodka I added, only oO
N O V E M B E R c D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
.
percent of it contributed to gluten development.
I made a batch of pie dough with 4 tablespoons
each of cold vodka and water. The resulting dough
was as smooth as Play-Doh, and I couldn't have
made it crack even if I' d wanted to. I was tempted
to toss it, thinking it would bake up tough as
leather, but giving good science the beneft of the
doubt, I baked it anyway. It was an unparalleled
success. The dough baked up every bit as tender
and faky as any crust I' d ever had, without a hint
of booziness to give away its secret. One hundred
forty-eight pie crusts later, I'd fnally come up with
a recipe that is 1 00 percent reliable.
F O O L P RO O F P I E D O U G H
F OR ONE 9 - I NCH DOUB L E - CRUST PI E
Vodka i s essential t o the texture of the crust and
imparts no favor-do not substitute. This dough
will be moister and more supple than most stan
dard pie doughs and wl require more flour to
roll out ( up to l/4 cup) . Our recipe for Foolproof
Pie Dough for a Single- Crust Pie is available fee
at . cooksillustrated. com/ december.
2 11 cups ( 1 2 11 ounces) unbl eached al l - purpose
flour
teaspoon tabl e sal t
2 tabl espoons sugar
1 2 tabl espoons ( I 11 sti cks) col d unsal ted butter,
cut i nto 1/- i nch sl i ces
11 cup col d vegetabl e shorteni ng, cut i nto 4 pi eces
If cup col d vodka
1/ cup col d water
l . Process l l cups flour, salt, and sugar in food
processor until combined, about 2 one- second
pulses. Add butter and shortening and process
until homogenous dough just starts to collect in
uneven clumps, about I 5 seconds ( dough will
resemble cottage cheese curds and tlere should
be no uncoated flour) . Scrape bowl witl1 rubber
spatula and redistribute dough evenly around pro
cessor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse
tmtil mixntre is evenly distributed around bowl and
mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to o quick
pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
2 . Sprinke vodka and water over mixture. Witl1
rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, press
ing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky
and sticks together. Divide dough into two even
balls and fl atten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each
in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes
or up to 2 days.
@ COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www_ c o o ks i I I u s t ra te d . c o m
HOW T O MAKE
Fool proof Pi e Dough
VI DE O TI PS
How can I rol l the dough i nto a perfect ci rcl e?
Can I make thi s reci pe wi thout a food processor?
Apple-Cranberry Pie
Add i ng cran berri es to an a ppl e pi e can resu l t i n ou t- of- bal ance fl avors .
To prevent the tart cranberri es from overpoweri ng the
subtl e appl es, we keep the fi l l i ngs separate.
A
pplc pic i s a balancc bctwccn swcct
and tart, tcndcr and crisp. Addi ng
cranbcrri cs upscts that dcl i cat c
balancc-thc tart bcrrics ovcrwhclm
thcsubtlc pcrmmc o|thc applcs and shcd a lot
o|liquidtl+atmakcsthcbottomcrustsoggy. My
goalwastonndawaytocombincthcsctwoclassic
|allnuitsinsuchawaythatthcmllllavoro|both
camcthroughandthccrustrcmaincdcrisp.
At hrst Ithoughtitmight bcasimplc mattcro|
htctuningthcproportiono|cranbcrricstoapplcs.
I was wrong. o mattcr how |cw cranbcrrics I
uscd,addingthcmwholcincvitablylcdtowincing
whcncranbcrricsburstintastcrs`mouths.
Jhinkinghowcookingtrans|ormswholccran
bcrrics into a sti||, swcct j cl ly, I assumcd that
prccookingwould at lcast solvc thc problcm o|
cxccssj uicc|romthccranbcrrics. Jruc, butitdid
littlc|orthcirmouthpuckcringllavor.
Most traditional applc pic rccipcs call |or a
balanccd mix o|swcctand tart applcs. Instcad,I
tricd using only swcctapplcs, nguring thc cran
bcrrics would add plcnty o|tartncss to this pic.
Likcwisc,rcplacingthc standardlcmonjuiccwith
orangc juicc hc|pcd,butnotcnough. o mattcr
whatItricd,itsccmcdimpossiblctogctthcmorc
subtlcH avoro|thcapplcstocomcthroughwhcn
combincd with thc cranbcrri cs. Jhc solution`
Don` t combi nc thcm. I arrangcd thc cookcd
cranbcrrics and tl+c applcsi ntwodistinct laycrs
within thc pic. Jhis timc, thc Havoro|bothcl c
mcntscamcthroughclcarly.
I had onc lasttcsttorun. Jhc applc laycrwas
3 B Y J K E NJ I AL T E
mushicrthan I wantcd, cspccially in comparison
tothcthickcranbcrrylaycr.WhcnmakingDccp-
DishAppl cIic , Scptcmbcr/ctobcr2OO5) , wc
discovcrcd that prccooking thc applcs actually
madc thcm h rmcr in thc nnishcd pic. It turns
out that cooking applcs ovcr low hcat convcrts
thcpcctinwithinthcirccllstoamorchcat stablc
|orm.Asarcsu|t,thcapplcscantolcratcncarlyan
hour i n thc ovcnwithout bccoming cxccssivcly
soh. nly onc probl cm. Hcating tl+c applcs on
thcstovctop rclcascd aloto|juicc thatmadcdc
crustsoggy,andstrainingthcapplcsandrcducing
thcirj uiccwcrccxtrastcpsIwantcdtoavoid.
I wondcrcd i|thc microwavc would bc casicr.
Surc cnough, I O minutcs in thc microwavc did
thctrick, making thc applcs hrm but not soupy,
with niccly tl:ickcncd j uiccs , tl+anks to a tabl c
spoono|cornstarch) . With distinct laycrs o|palc
ycllowapplcsanddccp rcdcranbcrrics,Ihadapic
datlookcdgoodandtastcdcvcnbcttcr.
AP P L E - C RANB E RRY P I E
MAKES O N E 9 - I NCH P I E
Isc swcct, crisp appl cs, s uch as Gol dcn
Dclicious,{onagold,Iuj i , orBracburn. Jhctwo
hllings can bc madc ahcad, coolcd, and storcd
scparatclyinthcrc|rigcrator|or up to2 days.
2 cups frozen or fresh cranberri es
'I cup orange j ui ce
cup (7 ounces) granul ated sugar pl us
I tabl espoon for top of pi e
11 teaspoon ground ci nnamon
11 teaspoon tabl e sal t
'I cup water
tabl espoon cornstarch
3 11 pounds sweet appl es (6 to 7 medi um) , peel ed,
cored, and cut i nto '!- i nch-thi ck sl i ces
(see note above)
reci pe Fool proof Pie Dough ( page 23 )
egg whi te, beaten l i ghtly
I . Bringcranbcrrics,juicc,11 cupsugar,l+ tca
spoon cinnamon,and l4 tcaspoon saltto boil in
mcdiumsauccpanovcrmcdium highhcat.Cook,
stirri ngoccasionally and prcssi ng bcrrics against
sidco|pot, until bcrricshavccomplctclybrokcn
down and juiccs havc thickcncd to j amlikc con
sistcncy , woodcn spoon scrapcd across bottom
shouldlcavc clcartrailtl+atdocsn` tnllin) , I O to
I 2 minutcs. Rcmovc|romhcat,stirinwatcr,and
cooltoroomtcmpcraturc,about3Ominutcs.
C O O K
'
s l L L L 5 J H ^ J | |
. 4
2. Mcanwhilc, mix ' cup sugar, rcmaining 1
tcaspoon cinnamon, rcmaining '+ tcaspoon salt,
and cornstarch in largc microwavcsa|c bowl, add
applcs and toss to combinc. Microwavc on high
powcr, stirring wiu rubbcr spahtla cvcry 3 min
utcs,until applcs arc j uststartingto turn translu
ccntaroundcdgcsandliquidisthickandglossy, I O
to I 4minutcs. Cool to room tcmpcraturc, about
3Ominutcs.
3. Wch!lingscoo| ,adjustovcnracktolowcst
position,placc rimmcdbaking shcct onovcnrack,
and hcat ovcn to 425 dcgrccs. Rcmovc I disk o|
dough |rom rc|rigcrator and roll out on gcncr
ously Uourcd , up to 1 cup) work sur|acc to I 2
inchcirc|c about ' inchuick. Roll doughlooscly
aroundrollingpinandunrollintopicplatc,lcaving
atlcast I inchovcrhang. Eascdoughintoplatcby
gcntlylihing cdgc o|doughwith onc handwhilc
prcssingintoplatcbottomwitl+otl+crhand. Lcavc
dough dat ovcrhangs platc in placc, rc|rigcratc
untildoughishrm, about 3O minutcs.
4. Jras|crcoolcdcranbcrrymixturctodough
lincdpicplatcandsprcadintocvcnlaycr.Ilaccapplc
mixturcontopo|cranbcrrics,moundingslightlyin
ccntcr,pushdownanysharpapplccdgcs.
5. Roll scconddi sk o|dough on gcncrously
llourcdworksur|acc , uptol4 cup)to I 2inchcir
clcaboutls inchthick.Rolldoughloosclyaround
rollingpin and unroll ovcr pic, lcaving atlcast I
inchovcrhangoncachsidc.
o. Ising kitchcn shcars, cut cvcnly through
bodlaycrso|ovcrhangingdough,lcaving7 inch
ovcrhang. Iold dough undcr itscl|so dat cdgc
o||old is llushwith outcr rim o|pic platc. Ilutc
cdgcs using thumb and |orchtgcr or prcss with
tincs o||ork to scal . Brush top and cdgcs o|pic
withcggwhitcandsprinklcwithrcmainingtablc
spoon sugar. Ising sharp paring kni|c, cut |our
I l: inchslitsintopo|doughi ncrosspattcrn.
7. Ilaccpiconprchcatcdbakingshcctandbakc
untiltopislightgoldcnbrown,2Oto25 minutcs.
Rcducc ovcn tcmpcraturc to 375dcgrccs,rotatc
bakingshcct,andcontinuc to bakc until crust is
dccp goldcn brown, 25 to 3O mi nutcs longcr.
Jrans|crpictowircracktocoolat lcast2 hours.
Cut intowcdgcsand scrvc.
@ COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c oo ks i l l u s t ra t ed . c o m
HOW TO MAKE
Appl e- Cranberr Pi e
VI DE O TI P
When shoul d I take the appl es ou t of the mi crowave?
Seeking Pear Salad Perfection
Cou l d we fi nd a way to make l ackl uster pears sh i n e i n a h ol i day sal ad ?
A
dding sl i ccs o|pcr|cctly ripc , j uicy
pcar to a salad i s a hit whcn using
pcak scason |ruit. But what arc you
supposcdto do thcothcr I I months
o|thcycar`Cookingmcdiocrcsupcrmarkctpcars
until thcir cxtcriors caramclizc is a grcat way to
boostthcirllavor.Whcthcrroastcdinthcovcnor
scarcdonthcstovctop, hcathcightcnsthcpcars`
subtlccomplcxityandintcnsincsthcirswcctncss.
Mostpcarsaladrccipcso||crcomplicatcdroast
inginstructionsthatyicldovcrlysohpcarsbcttcr
suitcd|or a dcsscrt. I wantcda simplctcchniquc
|or caramclizing pcars that woul dn` t ovcrcook
thc|ruit. Ianroastingdcpcarsonthcstovctop,
whcrc I could casily control thc hcat and chcck
thcpcarsconstantly,sccmcdlikcthcwaytogo.
I hcatcd a largc skillct witl: oil ovcr mcdium
high hcat, addcd an cvcn laycr o| inchtl:ick
pcar sliccs, and cookcd thcm on cach sidc until
brown. Jhc cookcdpcarswcrc OK whcn tosscd
witl:spicygrccns,chccsc,toastcdnuts,anddrcss-
ing. Howcvcr, thc sliccs continually turncd out
limp,nomattcrhowIadjustcdtl:chcat.
Jhc tcxturc improvcd whcn I cut thc pcars
biggcr-into quartcrs. Jhc cxtcriors st browncd,
butnowtl:cintcriorswcrcn`tovcrcookcd.Jossing
thc pcars with sugar bc|orc cooking cncouragcd
cvcnbcttcrbrowning.Acrthcpcarscoolcd,Isliccd
cachquartcrcrosswiscto|ormbitcsizcdpicccs.
As bcautiml as thc pcars turncd out, tastcrs
complaincd that thc |ruit was still lacking prcs
cnccindcsalad.Jotl:ispoint,I hadbccnusing
balsamic vincgar i n my vinaigrcttc . I ts mcllow,
|ruity Uavor workcd pcr|cctly to acccntuatc thc
pcrmmcd csscncc o|thc pcars . I wondcrcd i|
thcvincgarhadarolcoutsidcthcdrcssing. Ahcr
caramclizing anothcr batch o|pcars, I addcd a
couplccxtratablcspoonso|straightbalsamicvin
cgartothchotpan. Almostimmcdiatcly,dcvin
cgarrcduccdto|ormaglazycoatingontl:cpcars.
Whcn coolcd, sliccd, and tosscd wid thc otl:cr
Watch Out for Too- Ri pe Pears
MUS HY PE RF E CT
We found that compl etely ripe pears fel l apar when pan
rasted (left) . I nstead, use ripe but firm pears, whi ch wi l l
hol d their shape when cooked (right) . Even underri pe pears
wi l l work-they' l l j ust be fi rmer and l ess sweet.
3 B Y C I I A R L E S K E L S E Y E
salad ingrcdicnts, thcrc was no doubt. Jhcsc
pcarsdcscrvcdtopbillinginthcrccipctitlc.
PAN - ROAST E D P E AR SALAD WI T H
WAT E RC RE S S , PAR ME SAN , AN D P E CAN S
S E RvES 4 TO 6
Jhc tcst kitchcn prc|crs Bartlctt pcars |or this
rccipc, but Bosc pcars can also bc uscd. Wid
citl:crvaricty, tl:c pcars should bc ripc but nrm,
chcckthcllcsh attl:c nccko|tl:c pcar-itshould
givcslightlywhcnprcsscdgcntlywitl:a nngcr. I|
using Bartlctts, look|orpcars tl:atarcstartingto
turn |rom grccn to ycllow. Romainc lcttucc may
bc substitutcd |or grccn lca|. Rccipcs |or Ian
Roastcd IcarSalads |or Jwo arcavailablc |rccat
Y . cooksillustratcd. com/dcccmbcr.
3 ri pe but firm pears (about 1 11 pounds) ,
quartered and cored (see note above)
2 11 teaspoons sugar
Tabl e sal t and ground bl ack pepper
2 teaspoons pl us 2 tabl espoons ol ive oi l
4 tabl espoons bal sami c vi negar
smal l shal l ot, mi nced (about I tabl espoon)
' h medi um head green l eaf l ettuce, washed, dri ed,
and torn i nto l - i nch pi eces (about 4 cups)
2 smal l bunches watercress, washed, dri ed, and
stemmed (about 4 cups)
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved i nto thi n sl i ces
wi th vegetabl e peel er
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
I . Josspcars, 2 tcaspoonssugar, '+ tcaspoon
salt, and 's tcaspoon pcppcr in mcdium bowl .
Hcat2 tcaspoonsoil in largc skillctovcrmcdium
high hcatuntil j ust smoki ng. Addpcarscutsidc
downi nsingl claycrandcookuntil gol dcnbrown,
2 to 4 minutcs. Ising small spatula or |ork, tip
cach pcarontosccondcutsidc,continuctocook
until sccond sidc is light brown, 2 to 4 minutcs
l ongcr. Jurn o|| hcat, l cavc skillct on burncr,
and add 2 tablcspoonsvincgar,gcntly stir until
vincgarbccomcsglazyandcoatspcars, about 3O
scconds . Jrans|crpcarstolargcplatcandcoolto
room tcmpcraturc, about 45 minutcs. Cut cach
pcarquartcrcrosswiscinto '. inchpicccs.
2. Whiskrcmaining2 tablcspoonsoi l , rcmai n
ing2 tablcspoonsvincgar,rcmaining'. tcaspoon
sugar, andshallottogcthcrin largc bowl , scason
totastcwitl:saltandpcppcr.Addlcttucc,watcr
crcss, and coolcd pcars to bowl , toss and adj ust
scasoni ngs wi th salt and pcppcr. Dividc sal ad
N O V E M B E R 0 D E C F i B I R 2 0 0 7
. '
among individual platcs, top cach with portions
o|chccscandnuts. Scrvc immcdiatcly.
PAN - ROAST E D P E AR SALAD WI TH
RAD I CC H I O , B L U E C H E E S E , A N D WAL N UTS
Follow rccipc |or Ian Roastcd Icar Salad wit|:
Watcrcrcss, Iarmcsan, and Iccans, substituting
I largc hcad radi cchio,quartcrcd, corcd, and cut
crosswisc into '/. inch picccs , about 4 cups) |or
watcrcrcss, 4 ounccs crumblcd Gorgonzola or
Stilton chccsc ,l cup) |or Iarmcsan, and

/+ cup
toastcdandchoppcdwalnuts|orpccans.
PAN - ROAST E D P EAR SALAD WI TH F R I S E E ,
G OAT C H E E S E , A N D AL M O N DS
Follow rccipc |or Ian Roastcd Icar Salad with
Watcrcrcss, Iarmcsan, and Iccans,substituting l
hcad |riscc, washcd, dricd, and torn into I inch
picccs , about 4 cups) |or watcrcrcss, 4 ounccs
crumblcdgoat chccsc , I cup) |or Iarmcsan,and
+ cup toastcd sliccdalmonds|orpccans.
!i COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i I I u s t r ate d . c o m
HOW T O MAKE
Pan- Roasted Pear Sal ads
VI DEO TI PS
How do I cook pears for sal ad?
What' s the best way to wash and store sal ad greens?
TE C H N I Q U E
PAN- ROAS TI NG P E ARS
To maxi mize caramel izati on, arrange the pear quar
ters so that one of the cut si des is fl ush wi th the hot
ski l l et. Once the fi rst si de i s l i ghtl y browned, si mply
use a fork or smal l spatul a to ti p the pears over onto
thei r uncooked cut si de.
Should You Pay Top Dolar for Turkey?
Tu rkey i s prett bl and , so why pay $ I 00 for a mai l - order bi rd
when su permarket opti ons cost l ess than $ 2 a pou n d ?
0 vcr thcycars,wc`vc o||crcd a loto|
advicc about thc bcstway to cook
yourholidayturkcy. Butdocsroast
ing a bcttcr bird start bc|orc you
cvcn gct into thc kitchcn` Docs it dcpcnd on
which birdyou buy` Ad is it cvcrworthwhilc
to mai|ordcr a |ancicrturkcy,which can run as
much as S I OO plus ovcrnight shipping chargcs`
Jo nndout,wcsclcctcdci ghtturkcys, including
common supcrmarkct brands as wcll as koshcr,
organic,pasturcraiscd,andhcritagcbirds.
Tal ki ng Turkey
A grcattasting roast turkcy is not j ust about
turkcy llavor, thc tcxturc and moisturc o| thc
mcat arc important, too, as anyonc who has
catcn a mouthml o|dry,chcwyturkcycan attcst.
Wondcringhowbigarolc|at playcd,wcscntthc
turkcys in our lincup to an indcpcndcnt labora
tory to tcst samplcs nom thc skin, whitc mcat,
anddarkmcat,wca|sohad thc labmcasurc thcir
saltcontcnt. A wcawaitcdrcsults,wc talkcdwith
turkcycxpcrts aboutthc|actorsthatcontributcto
aturkcy`squality,whichincludcits brccd,howit`s
raiscdand|cd,andhowit`sproccsscd|orsa| c.
In a scnsc, modcrn commcrcial turkcys havc
bccn brcd to havc vcry littlc llavor, saidMichacl
Fresh or Frozen?
When orani zi ng our tasti ng, we deci ded to buy fresh
tureys wherever possi bl e, assumi ng they woul d be
better. But as we tal l i ed the results of the tasting. we
leared that most of our higher- rnked bi rds were, in
fact, frozen. Our tster consi stently found the frozen
bi rds to be moi ster than the fresh. Thi s puzl ed us
unti l Professor An expl ai ned that a "fresh" bi rd can
actually be tougher and dri er than a frozen one.
Turkeys may be l abel ed as "fresh" i f they have
been chi l l ed to as l ow as 26 degrees. But at thi s
temperature, ti ny i ce crystals can fonm i n the meat.
I f the temperature fl uctuates ( duri ng storage or
trnsport, at the supenmarket, or on the way to
your home) . these crystal s can mel t, combi ne with
nei ghbori ng crystal s, and then refreeze. Accordi ng
to Ahn, " Eventual ly. i rregul arly shaped i ce crstals
wi l l start to poke the cell membranes in the meat.
They make hol es and the cel l ti ssues i n the muscl es
wi l l start to l ose thei r i nternal contents. Then when
they are cooked, those bi rds wi l l be dr. " -L. M.
3 B Y L I S A M c M A N U S E
Lil burn, a pro|cssor o|animal scicnccs at hio
Statc Inivcrsity. In thc Initcd Statcs, wc`rc a
whitc mcatmarkct. Jhiscrcatcdahcavycmphasis
ongcncticsclcction|orbrcastmusclcgrowth. "
Jhc most common commcrcial turkcy, thc
BroadBrcastcdWhitc,hasbccnbrcdtogrowbig
gcrin lcss timc and on |css |ccd , to rcducc costs)
andtoproduccthcmaximumpossiblcwhitc mcat,
Lilbunsai d. Joday`snirkcysarcupto 7Opcrccnt
whitc mcat, and tl+cygrow|ast. Most Amcricans
cata hcn , |cmalc) turkcyon Jhanksgivi ng. Jhcsc
birds arc rcady|ormarkctin j ust I4 wccks,whcn
tl:cy wcigh I o to 22 pounds, which yiclds pro
ccsscd birds in thc I2 to I 8pound rangc. , By
contrast, oldcr brccds o|turkcy, callcd hcritagc
birds, nccdscvcn to cightmontl+stogrowto mll
sizc-roughlytwiccaslongasmodcnturkcys. )
Rapidgrowtl+maybc good|or|armcrs,butit`s
notsogrcat|orcooks. Modcrnturkcyshavclcss
|atwhcnmllygrown,saidDongAhn, apro|cssor
o|animalscicnccatIowaStatcInivcrsity, and|at
i s what providcs mcat with j uicincss and havor.
Iatscontainmorcllavorcompoundsovcrtimc, "
Ahnsaid. Commcrcial birds grow so |ast, thcy
don`thavctimcto accumulatcmuchUavor. "
I n Good Taste
Jurkcy growcrs havc rcsortcd to othcr mcans to
rcturn llavor-and |at-to tl+c turkcy, including
injccting basting" solutions dtinng proccssing.
Jhcsc so|utions can contn salt, turkcy brotl:,
oil, sugar, and sodium phosphatc , which raiscs
tl:c mcat`s pH, binding watcr to tl+c cclls) , all o|
whichworkto scason tl:c mcatandkccp it moist.
Jurkcys sold thrswayarc oncn callcd prcbastcd"
andcanbcidcntincdbythcingrcdicntlabcl . Whilc
our tasting pancl gcncrally likcd Buttcrball and
|cnni c birds in tlrs fa splc, somc |ound
d+cmblandand''wct"ratHcrthanactuallymoist.
Anothcr way turkcy gains llavor is through
koshcri ng. Koshcrbirdsstartas thc samc brccd
o|commcrcial largc brcastcd turkcys, but tl+cy
arc proccsscd according to {cwish dictary law
and undcr rabbinical supcrvisi on. Jhc carcasscs
arc covcrcd i n koshcr salt and thcn rinscd mul -
ti pl cti mcsi ncol dwatcr, which works to scason
thc mcat, improvc its tcxturc, and hclp itrctain
moisturc . Rubashki n` sAaron` s Bcst and Empirc
Koshcrwcrc thctwokoshcr birds in ourlincup.
Whi|c Aaron` s Bcst rankcd highly, tastcrs |ound
tl:c Empirc to bc dccidcdly bland. What madc
| | | | ' I L L l' S T R A T I. f)
. o
tl+c di||crcncc` Jhclabtcstswcrcrcvcaling. Jhc
Aaron`s Bcst turkcy had slightly morc |at and
ncarlytwiccasmuchsaltas thc Empircturkcy.
So what about thc unconvcntional turkcys`
Jhcorgamc,pasturcraiscdbirdnomGoodEarth
IarmsinMilladorc,Wis. , purchascdonlincthrough
thc indcpcndcnt|arm coopcrativc Local Harvcst)
wastl:csamc brccd as commcrcial turkcys, butit
had bccn ncc to roam and cat |oragcd grass and
insccts. Italsoatcorgai1icvcrsions o|tl:c usua|soy
and cornmcal |ccd most turkcys consumc, a|ong
witl+whcat. Whrlcallthrssoundsgrcat,ourtastcrs
didn`tnoticcabigimprovcmcntinllavor.Indccd,
AhnnotcdthatunlcssthcbirdwascatingI OOpcr-
ccnt|oragcd|ood,mostconsumcrscouldnottastc
a dihcrcncc in tl+c mcat. Jhc tcxuirc o|this bird
wasslightlystringicrandtoughcrthanmosttastcrs
prc|crrcd,probablybccauscitgotmorccxcrcisc. It
nnishcdsccond tolastinourlincup.
Anothcr uvonvcntional turkcy, nom Dicstcl
FamilyJurkcyRchi nSonora,Calit,wasraiscd
onavcgctariandict-mcaningthc birdatcnonc
o|tl+canimalbyproductsthatcanbcparto|com
mcrcial turkcy dicts-and was rangc grown,"
anotl+cr tcrm |or pasturc raiscd. Jhc company
claims its birds arc al|owcd to grow longcr than
avcragc-in this casc, about six months-|or
bcttcr llavor, howcvcr, tastcrs |ound that l|avor
gamy"and nshy, "particularlyin thc darkmcat.
Itnnishcdlastinthcrankings.
Inlikc thc othcr two unconvcntional birds,
thcsinglchcritagcturkcyi nourlincupwon|avor,
witl: tastcrs rcmarking on its robust turkcy lla
vor" that was swcct" and complcx. " Hcritagc
turkcys arc dircctly dcsccndcd nom wild turkcys
andncarlydisappcarcdi nthcmid2Othccnturyas
commcrcial Broad BrcastcdWlitcswcrc crcatcd
by thc poultry industry. Hcritagc turkcys havc
colorm| |cathcrs, a morc c|ongatcd namc, and a
narrowcrbrcast.
Jhchcritagcturkcyinourlincup,soldtl:rough
Dcan & Dcluca|or S I OO plusshipping,hadthc
most |at by |ar o|thc turkcys wc tastcd-l ab
rcsultsshowcdithadncarlythrccti mcstl:c|ato|
thclcancstbi rd. Acal l toitsgrowcr,Mi kcWaltcrs
o|Waltcrs Hatchcry i n Stilwcl l , kla. , rcvcalcd
his sccrct|or a swcctcrbird. Whilc mostturkcys
catarationo|cornandsoybcanmcalthroughout
thcir livcs, Waltcrs cl iminatcs soy |rom his tur-
kcys` dict i n thc nnal wccks, |ccding thcm only
swcctcorn. Itgivcsthcbirdsal aycro||atundcr
1/1 `| 1KI`
A panel of 24 taster from the cees's|||cstctedstaf sampl ed ei ght turkeys, each wei ghi ng 1 2 to 1 4 pounds. We prepared them al l accordi ng to our reci pe for Roasted Bri ned
Turkey (November/December 2004) . However, we di d not bri ne the two kosher bi rds (whi ch are sal ted as part of thei r kosheri ng) or the two supermarket turkeys sol d as
"prebasted" with sal t and other flavori ngs. Tasters rted the roasted bi rds on turkey flavor, texture, moi stness, and overl l appeal , taki ng i nto account both whi te and dark meat
for each sampl e. Tey are l i sted bel ow in order of preference. Pri ces were pai d at Boston-area supermarkets or at onl i ne sources. Fat and sal t content were determi ned by an
i ndependent l abortor. Rubashki n' s Aron' s Best turkeys are di stri buted nati onal ly in supermarkets. A source for the Wal ter Poul tr turkey is on page 32.
H| GHLKLCOMMLNDLD
RUBSHKI N' S ARON' S BES
Frozen kosher
Pri ce: $ 1 . 99 per pound
Comments: Lb tests reveal ed that thi s bi rd had the most
salt and one of the highest l evel s of fat among the bi rds i n our
l i neup; tasters noti ced, fi ndi ng thi s kosher turkey "very moi st,
wi th excel l ent texture" and boasti ng " both whi te and dark meat
that are moist and flavorful . "
WALTERS HATCHERY HERITAGE BREED
Frozen
Pri ce: $7. 1 4 per pound (pl us shi ppi ng)
Comments: Virtual ly ti ed for first place, this heri tage bi rd had
nearly three ti mes as much fat as the l eanest turkeys. I t ofered
"robust turkey flavor" and was "very tender. " "What I expect
a turkey to be: mi l d, sweet, flavorul . " Both the l i ght and dark
meat were j ui cy.
KLCOMMLNDLD
BUTERBLL
Frozen basted
Price: $ 1 . 49 per pound
Comments: Tasters general ly l i ked thi s self- basti ng turkey,
cal l i ng it "ni ce and moi st, with fai rly good, unremarkabl e fla
vor." though some found i t "too salt, " "almost wet rather than
moist, " and "rather bl and. " Lb tests showed i t had the second
highest salt level i n the l i neup.
J ENNI E-0
Fresh basted
Pri ce: $ 1 . 49 per pound
Comments: Tasters dubbed thi s self-basting turkey "mi ddl e
of-the- road, " wi th "mi l d flavor, but i t' s good. " A few described i t
as tasting "more l i ke chi cken, " cal l i ng the white meat "a bi t dry and
chewy. " I ts sal t l evel was qui te low, cl oser to the natural bi rds than
to the self-basti ng Butterbal l .
Fresh kosher
Pri ce: $2. 69 per pound
Comments: "A good consi stency, wi th good moi sture and
texture, but l acki ng flavor" was the consensus on thi s kosher
turkey. "Whi te meat tastes l i ke nothi ng: What am I eati ng? "
A few noted a "metal l i c, " "al most bi tter" aftertaste. Lb tests
reveal ed that thi s kosher bi rd had j ust over hal f the salt of the top
rated Aron' s bi rd.
SHADY BROOK FARMS
Fresh
Pri ce: $ 1 . 29 per pound
Comments: " Bi and-o- rama" whi te meat, wi th a "chewy"
texture that was "too dry. " " Uke my mother used to make,
unfortunately. " Tasters were divi ded on the dark meat, with
some fi ndi ng i t good and others compl ai ni ng of a "gamy" taste
and "string" texture.
GOOD ERH FARMS ORGANI C PURE-RI SED
Shi pped frozen from Wi sconsi n farm
Pri ce: $2. 49 per pound (pl us shi ppi ng)
Comments: Tasters found thi s orani c bi rd "tough, " wi th
a "dense, chewy qual i t. " They noted i ts "cl ear turkey flavor,"
whi ch was "ver good, " but felt i t "needs grvy! " " Not a good
stand-al one turkey." I t had the lowest sal t level i n the l i neup.
DI ESEL FAMI LY TURKEY RNCH
Frozen
Pri ce: $ 1 . 99 per pound
Comments: " Even the dark meat is dry, " tasters sai d of
thi s Cal iforni a-rai sed bi rd. noti ng the dark meat was "rub
bery, dark, and funk, " wi th a "fi shy flavor. " The l ight meat
fared better, with "great turkey flavor," but agai n, i t was "too
chewy."
thc skin," Waltcrs said. Hc also tastcs thc |ccd
himscl|bc|orchcgivcsittothcturkcys. I n gurc
vhatcvcr rcsidual Uavor i s in my mouth is thc
rcsidualllavorthatyou will havc ahcrcatingmy
turkcy," hcsai d. I|youcvcratcaplainsoybcan,
youknowit`sbittcr.Why|ccdyourbirdsallavor
that is bittcr` " Waltcrs said that hc bclicvcs any
brccd o|turkcywould bcncnt |rom this |ccding
systcm,thoughhcadmitstohavingnoscicnccto
backupthisasscrtion,andthc|oodscicntistswc
spokctowcrcabitskcptical .
bcl ow our top choi ccs, but thcy arc consi s
tcnt and also don` t rcqui rc bri ni ng. Although
unrcmarkabl c, thc |rozcn prcbastcd birds arc
ccrtainly acccptablc .
i t` s a gambl c. What` s morc, thc smallcrproduc
crs can undcrgo somc uphcaval, as wc |ound
withour|avorcdhcritagc bird. Ahcrourtasting,
wc l carncd that thc Waltcrs lamily was moving
thci r turkcy busi ncss to Mi ssouri and rcnam
i ng i t Waltcrs Ioultry, and whilc thcy plan to
usc thc samc brccdcr stock, growing condi
tions, and |ccd, thcrc is no guarantcc that this
Jhanksgiving`sbirdswillbc thc samcasthconcs
wctastcd. Wcwi l l bctastingthisbrandagainjust
bc|orc thc holidays,look|or thc rcsults atY`.
cooksillustratcd. com.
Pecking Order
Sovhatshouldyou buy` It` s hard togowrong
vith thc |rozcnkoshcrbird|romAaron` sBcst.
It` s moist, llavor|ul , and rcady to cook, sincc
no brining is nccdcd. Jhc prcbastcd birds
|rom Buttcrball and {cnnic nnishcd a notch
It`s hardcrtogivcdcnnitivc advi ccaboutthc
lcss convcnti onal choi ccs . Wc di dn` t likc thc
two pasturc raiscdbirdsvc tastcd,andhcritagc
turkcys tcnd to bc morc variablc i n llavor than
commcrcialoptions. Althoughthchcritagcbird
|rom Waltcrs Hatchcry nnishcd in thc top ticr,
i n a prcvious tasting o|scvcral hcritagc turkcys
, ovcmbcr/Dcccmbcr 2OO5 ), tastcrs com
pl aincdthatmanyo|thcbirdswcrct oogamy.
Fi nal ly, thcrc` s thc cost issuc . A I 4pound
supcrmarkct turkcy scl l s |or about S2O. rdcr
thcsamcsizcbirdbymailandthcpricctagcould
top S I OO oncc you pay |or ovcrnight shippi ng.
You might cnd up wi th a supcrior turkcy, but
N 0 I' E M ll | H [ D E C E ^ ll | H 2 0 0 7
. /
.. COOK' S LI VE Origi nai Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t r at ed . c o m
V I D E O TI PS
What' s the best way to carve a turkey?
How do you make turkey gravy?
Vly Don't You Own This Pan?
Th e f l i msy j el l yrol l pans sol d i n most stores are u sel ess . But a h eavy- d u t ri mmed baki ng
sh eet i s an u n h eral ded workh orse ever cook sh ou l d own .
M
any timcs a day, our tcst cooks
rcach|orarimmcdbakingshcct.
Wc usc thcm |or bakingcook
ics, biscuits, sconcs, and j clly
rollcakcs, as vcll as |or roastingovcn|rics and
asparagus. With a virc cooling rack sct insidc,
thcy`rc good |or broilingorroastingmcatsand
in prcp vork such as holding brcadcd cutlcts
bc|orc |rying. ur baki ngshccts arcn` tj ust|or
baking-thcyarc truckitchcnvorkhorscs.
Butyou` dbchardprcsscdtonndthcsccsscn
tial pans in most cookvarc storcs. Knovn as a
hal|shcctpan in rcstaurantsupplystorcs,thc rcal
thingismadco|hcavygaugcmctalandmcasurcs
I 8 byI 3 inchcsvitha I inchrimallaround. Jhc
closcstthingyou`llusuallynndinrctailstorcsisa
llimsy,too small I 5 by I Oinchjcllyrollpan. "
I |you happcn t oscc a roomy rimmcd baking
shcct,stopandtakcalook.Youvantthispan. But
arc somc modclsmorc uscml and durablc than
othcrs`Acrsomcdigging,vc|oundcighthcavy
duty, mllsizcd rimmcd baking shccts , traditional
nnish, nonstickcan scratch or ovcrbrovn), priccd
nomS. 5toS5. 5, andputthcmtothctcst.
Hi dden Differences
I|you glanccd at thc pans vc gathcrcd |or this
tcsting, you vould bc |orgivcn |or vondcring
i|it rcay mattcrs vhich onc you usc. ur vcry
nrst tcstconvnccd us that it docs. Wcprcparcd a
R E C I P E T E S T I N G :
Burni ng Cooki es and Pool i ng Oi l
B U RNT COOKI E S
Pns with thi n bottoms produced batches of burnt cookies.
POOLI N G O I L
Fl i msy pans buckled during our oven- fry test.
? B Y L I S A M c M A N U S E
batcho|ourshccandbakc Glazcd LmonCookics
, March/ April 2OO3) in cach o|tl:c cight baking
shccts. Somc pans gavc us cookics that rosc high
andturncdancvcnlylightgoldcnbrovnacrossthc
baking shcct, othcrs turncd out burnt cookics-
cvcnvhcnvc rcpcatcdthctcstscvcralumcs.
A closcr look rcvcalcd that thcsc pans arc not
idcntical . Rimmcd baking shccts arc |ormcd by
a machinc that prcsscs a llat mctal shcct into a
prcdctcrmincdshapc,maintainingconsistcntprcs
surc so tl:c mctal vill llov in vitl+out wng
or cracking, said Campbcll Buchanan, tcchnical
managcr|or InitcdAluminum in orth Havcn,
Conn.Jhcycanbcmadcnomdihcrcntalloysand
gaugcso|alunum,aluminizcdstccl , athincoat
o|aluminum ovcr stccl ) , or a tri ply sandwich o|
shinystainlcssstcclvithanalmumcorc.
Wc |ound that sol i d constructi on is morc
important than thc choicc o|matcrial s. A too
llimsypan varps undcrhi ghhcat. Wcobscrvcd
thisvhcnthcoilpoolcdatonccndo|thcvarp
i ng Chicago Mctallic baking shcct as vc madc
|ricsi nthc475 dcgrccovcn, rcsultingi nuncvcn
brovningo|tl+cpotatocs.
Al umi num shcct pans vi l l so|tcn sl i ghtl y
bcginningattcmpcraturcso|4OOto5OOdcgrccs,
Buchanan said, and thc mctal vil l cxpand and
contract. Whilc stccl von` t sohcn signincantly
bclov 5OO dcgrccs, thc combination o|mctals
i naluminizcd stcclcanbchavcdi||crcntlyathigh
hcat,lcadingtothcvarpingvccxpcricnccd. Jhc
thinncr pans also sccmcd much morc pronc to
varpi ng. Buchanan cchocd our nndings. Jhc
thrckcrthcpan,thcbcttcr,"hctoldus.
Apanthatistoolightvcightal socantrans|cr
hcat too intcnscly. Wc sav this vith thc light
cst pan i n our lincup , vhi ch vas also onc o|
thc thinncst ) , by Wi l ton, vhi ch burncd batch
ahcrbatcho|cookics . I ntl+ispan,ovcn|ricsalso
brovncd bc|orc thcyvcrccookcd through, and
thcj cl lyrollcakcnnishcdbc|orc thc rccipc` srcc
ommcndcd timc. thcrpans thatovcrbrovncd
cooki cs, Anol on and ordicWarc, vcrc al so
amongthctl+inncstinourtcsting.
Warped View
Acr all thc cooking vas donc, vc placcd thc
pans on a countcrtop and pushcd dovn on onc
corncro|thcrim. Somcpansrcmaincdrcsolutcly
llat, othcrs rockcd-having bccn varpcd by our
tcsting. Wc graspcd thc short sidcs o|cach pan
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
. d
and tvistcd. Again, somc pans could bc llcxcd
casily, othcrs could not. In gcncral , thc lcss llcx
iblc,Uattcrpanspcr|ormcd bcttcr in thc kitchcn.
Sovhatshouldyoubuy`Wclovcdalmostcvcry
thingaboutthcGoumctStandardpan. Itvasonc
o|thc thickcst pans in thc lincup and pcr|ormcd
admirablyin our kitchcn tcsts. But onc llaw kcpt
thispan nom claiming thc top spot. Jhc pan is2
inchcsshortcrthantl+ccompctition,soparchmcnt
papcrandstandardcoolingracksvon`tnt. Andat
SoO, thisllavishardtoovcrlook.
Jhcbcstrimmcdbakingshcctturncdouttobc
arcstaurantsupplyitcmavailablctorctailconsum
crsonlinc.LincolnFoodscrviccIroductshasbccn
making cookvarc sincc ! O3. Jhcir Hal|Sizc
HcavyOutyShcctIan, S I 5 . 4O) , pcr|ormcdllaw
lcssly,isonco|thctl+ickcstpansvctcstcd,sclls at
arcasonablcpricc, and is our ncv |avoritc.
A RackAbove
A good rck shoul d be sturdy. abl e to wi thstand a
hot broi l er, and cl ean up wi thout warpi ng or dam
age. I t shoul d al so fit i nsi de a standard 1 8 by 1 3- i nch
baki ng pan. whi ch el i mi nated four of the six brnds
we purchased. Both the CIA Bakeware 1 2 x 1 7 I nch
Cool i ng Rck ( $ 1 4. 95) and the Ubertare Cross
Wire Cool i ng Rck Half Sheet Pn Size ( $4. 35)
performed wel l . The CIA rck ofered extr support.
with a centrl brce and six feet, rther than four. and
took top honor. But the i nexpensive Ubertare
rck is al most as good, and at one-thi rd the pri ce, i t' s
our Best Buy. For compl ete results of the testing. go
to w . cooksi l l ustrted. comjdecember. -LM.
ON TH E G RI D
A gri d-stle cool i ng rck turs a ri mmed baking sheet
i nto the perfect pan for broi l i ng and roasting.
WCOOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos
www. c o o ks i l l u s t ra t ed . c o m
Behi nd the Scenes: Baki ng Sheet Testi ng
VI DE O TI P
Buyi ng Gui de to Baki ng Sheets
RTI NGS
GOOD: ***
FAI R: **
POOR: *
We tested ei ght brands of ri mmed
baking sheets accordi ng to the cri te
ria l i sted bel ow. The pans are l i sted
i n order of preference. The source
for the wi nni ng pan i s on page 32.
PRI CE: Price pai d i n Boston- area
retai l stores or onl i ne cookare
sites.
MATERI AL: Composi ti on of pan.
SI ZE: Outer di mensi ons of pan.
WEI GHT AND THI CKNESS:
Wei ght of pan, measured i n the
test ki tchen: thi ckness of bottom,
as reported by manufacturers.
COOKI ES: We preferred pans
that produced evenly gol den brown
cookies with a domed shape.
J ELLYROLL: We preferred pans
that made moi st, evenly gol den
cake of a l evel thi ckness; rel eased
the cake easi l y; and produced a
cake that rol l ed without cracki ng.
OVEN FRI ES: Made wi th hi gh
heat in the oven, the fries were
a good test of the pans' abi l i t to
cook without warpi ng and evenly
brown the potatoes.
PORK: Chi nese Barbecued Pork
was roasted on a wi re rck set i nto
the baki ng sheet. We preferred
pans that hel d a standard wi re rack:
coul d be easily maneuvered i nto
and out of the hot oven; and coul d
be carri ed across the kitchen with
out bendi ng and spl ashi ng or dump
i ng hot dri ppi ngs on the cook.
WI GGLE AND WARP: We
attempted to twist the pans whi l e
graspi ng them al ong the short ends,
preferri ng pans that coul d not be
twisted or wigl ed. After cooki ng
tests were compl eted, we pl aced
the pans on a l evel surface and
tapped them hard on one comer
to see if they rocked; if so, the pan
had warped .
DESI GN: We preferred pans
whose i nteri or di mensi ons were
a standard hal f-sheet size, so wi re
racks and parchment paper fit wi th
out gappi ng or adjustment: had a
rol l ed edge that di d not trap water;
and had a durabl e fi ni sh.
COMMENTS: Testers'
obserati ons.
1I1 `| / `| II1
HI G HLY RE COMME NDE D
Li ncol n Foodserice Half
Size Heavy Dut Sheet Pan
PRI CE : $ 1 5.40
MATERI AL: Al umi num al l oy
( 1 3 -gauge)
S I ZE: 1 8" x l 3 " x l "
WE I GHT AND TH I CKNE S S :
l i b. , 1 4 oz. ; 1 . 8 mm
RECOMME NDE D
Norpro Heav Gauge
Al umi num Jel ly Rol l Pn
PRI CE : $ 1 7.99
MATERI AL: Al umi num
SI ZE: 1 8" X 1 2" XI "
WE I GHT AND TH I CKNE S S :
l ib., 1 5 oz. : I. O mm
Gourmet Standard Tri - Ply
Stai nl ess Steel Jel ly Rol l
Pn
PRI CE : $59. 95
MATERI AL: Two layer of stai nless
steel sandwi chi ng a layer of al umi num
SI ZE: 1 6" x 1 3 " x I "
WE I GHT AND THI CKNE S S :
3 1 b. , 5 oz. ; 1 . 8 mm
Anol on Commerci al
Bakeware Jel ly Rol l Pn
PRI CE : $ 1 4. 95
MATERI AL: Al umi nized steel
S I ZE : 1 8" x 1 3 " x l "
WE I GHT AND THI CKNE S S :
2 1 b. , 6 oz. : 0.5 mm
Vol l rath Jel ly Rol l Pan
PRI CE : $9.95
MATERI AL: Al umi num al l oy
S I ZE : I B" x 1 3 " x I "
WE I GHT AN D TH I CKNE S S :
I l b. , I I oz. ; 1 . 02 mm
NordicWare Natural
Commercial Bakeware
Baker' s Hal f Sheet
PRI CE : $ 1 4. 99
MATERI AL: Al umi num
SI ZE: I B" x 1 3 " x I "
WE I GHT AND THI CKN E S S :
l i b. , I O oz. ; O. B mm
RECOMME NDE D WI TH RE S E RVATI ONS
Chi cago Metal l i c
Commercial Cookie/
Jel ly Rol l Pan
PRI CE : $ 1 5. 25
MATERI AL: Al umi nized steel
S I ZE : 1 8 " x 1 3 " x I "
WE I GHT AND THI CKNE S S :
2 1b., 7 oz.: 0.5 mm
Wilton Jel ly Rol l and
Cookie Pn
PRI CE : $ 1 3. 99
MATE RI Al: Al umi num
SI ZE: I B" x 1 2" x I "
WE I GHT AND TH I CKNE S S :
I l b . . O.B mm
PE RF ORMANCE
COOKI E S : ***
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVEN F RI E S : ***
PORK: ***
WI GGLE AND WARP: ***
DE S I G N : ***
PE RF ORMANCE
COOKI E S : ***
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVE N FRI E S : ***
PORK: ***
**
***
COOKI E S : ***
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVE N F RI E S : ***
P ORK: ***
**
DE S I G N : **
COOK I E S : **
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVE N F RI E S : ***
P ORK: ***
WI GGLE AND WARP: ***
DE S I G N : **
COOKI E S : ***
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVEN FRI E S : **
P ORK: **
**
DE S I G N : ***
COOKI E S : **
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVE N FRI E S : **
PORK: ***
***
DE S I G N : **
PE RF ORMANCE
COOKI E S : **
J E LLYROLL: ***
OVEN F RI E S : **
PORK: **
WI GGLE AND WARP: **
DE S I G N : *
COOKI E S : *
J E LLYROLL: **
OVE N FRI E S : *
PORK: **
WI GGLE AND WARP: *
DE S I G N : *
N O V E M B E R E: D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7
Z v
TESTERS ' COMME NTS
Perfect" cooki es, oven fries, and j el lyroll
i n this "flawless" pan. Pork produced " l ots
of fat but no worri es about spi l l i ng-pan
i s sol i d as a rock. " jel lyrol l browned and
released perectly. Pn can' t be tisted, di d
not warp. "Te search i s over."
TESTE RS ' COMME NTS
Oven fries were evenly browned, as were
cookies and j el lyroll cake, and pan felt sol i d
when we barbecued pork. However, whi l e
i t felt sturdy, pan coul d be wi gl ed and had
warped slightly by end of testing.
Performed all cooki ng tests wel l , but this
"prett but pricey" pan' s nonstandard size
was a handi cap: At j ust 1 6 i nches l ong (I 5
i nches once rims are di scounted) , i t' s too
short for standard wire rck to fit i nsi de, and
parchment sheets must be tri mmed.
"Sturdy" pan produced crisp, evenly cooked
fries, released j el lyroll easily, and was steady
with hot pan ful l of barbecued pork and
dri ppi ngs. However, cooki es baked up too
dark, due to thi nness of pan.
Cookies baked wel l , a s di d j el lyrol l , but fries
were "a l i ttl e uneven and not ver crisp. "
Pn bent when ful l of hot barbecued pork,
but di d not spi l l . Ws slightly warped after
testing.
Whi l e cooki es baked evenly, they were
too dark. Oven fries i n mi ddl e of pan were
"sog, wi mpy, and underdone, but those
around edges of pan were too dark. Pan
was stable with hot dri ppi ngs. Soft surface
scrtched too easily: Butter knife used to
l oosen cake left deep hatches al l around
the pan.
TESTE RS ' COMME NTS
Cooki es and fries browned unevenly. Oi l
pool ed at one end of pan after i t warped
under high heat whi l e maki ng fri es; pan
buckl ed a bit with pork, causi ng some hot
fat to splash out as we moved pan. Rol l ed
rim trpped dishwter.
Ught and "flims, bendy" ( "It' s fapping like
a sai l " ) pan transferred heat too rapi dly:
Cookies bured: j el lyroll baked ver quickly:
oven fries were sti l l uncooked i nsi de when
exteri ors were deepl y brown . Pan was
"qui te warped" by end of testing.
l ' 1` `11c
Shoppi ng for Ldyfi ngers
Ladynngcrs, also callcd suviurdi,
arc spongccakclikc cookics and an
csscntial ingrcdicnt in tiramis. Jhc
crisp, dry cookics can normally bc
|ound inthcintcrnationalorcookic
aislc o| thc supcrmarkct. Somc
supcrmarkct bakcrics also sc|l |rcsh
ladynngcrsvitha soh, cakclikc tcx
turc. Frcsh ladyn ngcrs will bccomc
mushy vhcn soakcd and arcn`t an
option in our rccipc |or Jiramis
,pagc 2 I ) .

~
Humi dit and Fl our
Many baking cxpcrts claim that
baking on vcry dry or vcry humid
days can a||cct llour. Wc vcrc a
littlc skcptical but thought vc` d
run somc tcsts vhilc dcvcl op
i ng our rccipc |or Foolproo| Iic
Dough , pagc 23) . Wc constructcd
a scalcd humiditycontrollcdcham
bcr i n vhich vc could simulatc
various typcs o|vcathcr. Wc madc
pic crusts at rclativc humiditics o|
at lcast 85 pcrccnt , morc humid
tlan cv rlcans in thc vct sca
STE P - BY- STE P
PARSNI PS
Di vi de tapered end from bul k top
and halve top end l engthwi se. Remove
fi brous core by careful ly cutti ng V-shaped
channel down center of parni p.
3 B Y J K E N J I A L T E
s c , E N c E : What Happens to Al cohol i n Stews?
Our reci pe for French- Styl e Pot Roast ( page 7) cal l s for both wi ne and beef broth . I n an earl y versi on of the reci pe, rather
than reduci ng the wi ne on i ts own , we s i mpl y added al l the l i qui d together at the begi nni ng of the brai se. We fi gured that
2 11 hours i n the oven woul d be pl enty of ti me for the al cohol to cook off. We were s urpri sed when the pot roast emerged
from the oven wi th a strong boozi ness that di dn' t di sappear even after the sauce was reduced on the stovetop.
When al cohol and water mi x, they form a sol uti on cal l ed an azeotrope-a mi xture of two di fferent l i qui ds that behaves
as i f i t were a si ngl e compound. Even though al cohol evaporates at a l ower temperature than water, the vapors comi ng off
of an al cohol -water azeotrope wi l l contai n both al cohol and water. Whi l e usi ng a wi der pan hastens the reducti on process
( si mpl y swi tchi ng from a I 0- i nch to a 1 2- i nch pan can speed thi ngs up by 25 percent to SO percent) , as l ong as a l i qui d starts
with an al cohol content hi gher than 5 percent, the fi nal al cohol content wi l l remai n at about 5 percent. Theoreti cal ly, to
l ower the al cohol content we woul d need to fi rst reduce the wi ne on i ts own before di l uti ng it wi th broth .
To test thi s theor, we made two sauces. For the fi rst, we reduced 2 cups of wi ne to 12 cup, added 2 cups of broth,
and reduced everthi ng to a fi nal vol ume of I cup. For the second , we combi ned 2 cups of wi ne and 2 cups of broth and then
reduced the mixture to I cup. Al though
they started wi th i denti cal i ngredi ents
and ended up at the same fi nal vol
ume, our theory suggested that our sec
ond sauce woul d have about twi ce as
much al cohol as our fi rst. Our tasti ng
confi rmed thi s theor. The fi rst had a
smooth, cl ean flavor, and the second was
overshadowed by boozi ness.
Thi s fact i s of parti cul ar i mportance
i n reci pes wi th a l ot of wi ne. I f you
want a strong wi ne fl avor wi thout the
u n pl easant hi t of al cohol , don' t be
tempted to cheat by addi ng i n your
other l i qui ds before t he al cohol i s fu l l y
reduced.
son) and bclov 25 pcrccnt , dricr
than Ihocnix in midsummcr and
thc avcragc airconditioncd omcc) ,
lcavingthclidt othcllourcontaincr
opcn |or cight hours bc|orchand.
Wc |ound that ovcr uc coursc o|
thctcst,thcllour`svcigHtvaricdby
TURNI PS
Usi ng chefs knife, tri m top and bottom,
then use vegetabl e peel er to remove
thi n ski n.
WI N E RE D U C E D BY I TS E LF,
TH E N WI TH B ROTH
WI N E AN D BROTH
RE D U C E D TOG ETH E R
I n the test kitchen, we reduced 2 cups of wine and 2 cups of broth to a fi nal vol ume of
I cup using to diferent methods. In the cup on the left, we reduced the wine first,
then added broth, and reduced the mi xture. I n the cup on the right, we reduced the
wine and broth together.
lcss than O. 5 pcrccnt bctvccn thc
tvosamplcs,and ahcr bcingbakcd,
tl+c crustsvcrcindistinguishablc .
I|anoccasionalhumiddaydocsn`t
makcadi||crcncc,vhataboutlong
tcrm cxposurc to cxccss humidity`
AccordingtothcKingArthurFlour
CELE RY ROOT
Usi ng chef' s kni fe, tri m top and bottom
so vegetabl e rests fl at on work surface,
then cut away thi ck, knobby ski n in wi de
swaths.
KEY: Water 0 Alcohol
Company, hour hcl d in its papcr
packi ng bag , cvcn unopcncd) can
gai nupto 5 pcrccnto|i tsvcightin
vatcrahcrscvcral mondsin avcry
humid cnvironmcnt. At this lcvcl ,
humiditymi ghta||cctbakcdgoods.
Butthisproblcmiscasilyavoidcdby
trans|crringllour toanairtightcon
tai ncr, prc|crablyoncvidc cnough
to accommodatc a I cup mcasurc )
assoonasyou gct ithomc.
Aged Balsami c for Less
Jraditionally produccd balsamic
vincgar , l abclcd trudicinu/c) is
uscd sparingly |or drizzling or lla
voring-ncvcr in salad drcssings or
vinaigrcttcs. Itcan also takc ovcr25
ycarstoproducc and costuptoSoO
pcromvc. Wcwantcd to nnd a way
to rcproducc somc o| uc drizzlc
vorthy qualitics o| traditional
balsamrc viuout having to visit a
spccialty|oodstorc ora loan omccr.
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D

Wc startcd with a dcccnt supcr

markct balsamic vincgar and tricd
rcducing it with sugar and Havor
ings ranging |rom bl ack currant
j uicc to co||cc. I n thc cnd, wc
|ound that a straight rcduction or
13 cupo|vincgarand l tablcspoon
o|sugarworkcd wcll cnough, but
thcadditiono|l tablcspoono|port
addcdthc complcxitywcwcrcanc
Vigorous boilingdcstroycdnuanc. s
inthcvincgar`sllavor,thcbcstrcsn' ts
camc|romrcducingthis mixtur ' or
3Oto4Ominutcsovcrcxtrcmclv| ow
hcat, barclysimmcring)toabouthal|
o|its origina| volumc. Whilc most
tastcrs could distinguishthis |cduc
tion |rom a traditional, l 2ycarold
balsamic, our homcmadc drizzling
vincgar was surprisingly gooo. Jhc
Navorisvcrystrong,souscsparingly
ovcrncshnuit,icccrcam,o|grillcd
mcatsandnsh.
Freezi ng Enhanced Meat
Wc know that ncczing mcat can
rcducc its moisturc contcnt, but
somctimcsthosc porkchopsonsalc
arctoochcap to pass up. Couldwc
nnd an acccptablc way l| |rcczc
ourchopstominimizcthismoisnrc
loss` Wc wrappcdup a dozcn chops
usingvariouscombinationso|plastic
wrap, |oil, and ncczcr bags, thcn
|rozc thcm |or six wccks. Wc|ound
thatonlyoncmcthod-multiplclay
crs o|plastic |ollowcd by a ncczcr
bagwith all thc air squcczcd out
kcpt moisturc loss bclow I pcrccnt.
Acrthawing, brining, andcooking
thc chopsnozcnthisway, thcywcrc
indistinguishablc|rom|rcshchops.
Wc thcn wondcrcd i|cnhanccd
ops, inj cctcdwithwatcr,sa| t,and
-odi um phosphatc) coul d bc |ro
zcn with cqual succcss . Wc |ound
thatwiththc cxactsamc trcatmcnt,
thcsc chops lost ncarly six timcs as
much moi sturc as natural chops .
Aothcr rcason why wc`ll stick to
buying natural chops and brining
thcmoursclvcs.
Measuri ng Matters
\ariationsin mcasurcmcnt can havc
a signincant c||cct on bakcd goods .
Jo provc this point, wc askcd l O
mcmbcrs o| thc kitchcn sta|| to
mcasurc out l cup o|H our and 3
tablcspoons o| watcr. Jhc wcights
o|thcmcasurcdllourandwatcrvar
icdbyas much as2O pcrccnt.
From thcsc nndings, wc rccom
mcnd thrcc thi ngs to guarantcc
morc consi stcntrcsul ts |rom your
bakcdgoods .
WEI GH FLOUR Don' t rel y on cup
measurements al one. (One cup al l
purpose or bread flour weighs 5 ounces;
I cup cake fl our weighs 4 ounces. )
USE THE RI GHT MEAS URI NG CUP
Uqui d measurements 1/4 cup or
greater shoul d be made i n a l i qui d cup
measure (not a dr cup measure) . To
measure accurately, pl ace the cup on
a level surface and bri ng your eyes down
to the level of the measurement
markings. Add l i qui d unti l the bottom
of the cured top surface of the l i qui d
(cal l ed the meni scus) -not the edges
of the surface, which can cl i ng and ride
up the wal l s of the measuring cup-i s
l evel wi th the measurement marki ng.
BE PRECI SE When measuri ng tabl e
spoon or teaspoon amounts of l i qui d,
make sure that the teaspoon i s com
pl etely fi l l ed and that there i s no excess
l i qui d cl i ngi ng to the bottom of the
spoon after pouri ng.
E o u 1 P M E N T E > 1 N G : What' s the Scoop?
Portion scoops-essential ly i ce-cream di pper made i n specific sizes-are popul ar i n the
hospital i t i ndustr for thei r abi l i t to easi l y porti on l are quanti ti es of foods such as cooki e
dough, tuna salad, or mashed potatoes. I n the test kitchen, we fi nd them ver useful for
neatly and evenly measuri ng batter-based baked goods l i ke our Drop Bi scui ts (page 1 9) .
Scoop number stamped o n the handl e or spri ng-l oaded triger correspond
to the number of level scoops i t takes to equal I quart (32 fl ui d ounces;
d fl ui d ounce is a uni t of vol ume equal to 2 tabl espoons) . The # 1 6
scoop we use for our Best Drop Biscuits, for
exampl e, equal s 2 fl ui d ounces; the #8
scoop equal s 4 fl ui d ounces. Handl e
colors ofen correspond to the number
as wel l , but they var from brand to
brnd. Te test kitchen' s preferred scoop
is the Fntes # 1 6 Sti nl ess Steel I ce Cream
Scoop ($ I I . 99) , an i ndustrial - tpe model that's eas
tosqueeze with ei ther hand.
S UR E S COOP
Clear size marki ng and an
easy-squeeze handl e that's fri endly
to both l ef- and right-handers make
the Fantes Stai nl ess Steel lee
Cream Scoop our favorite.
Kc L | | c O | DP1c
|dK6P06dd L| 0 0 6| b0| | S
Readers requested a freezer make-ahead versi on of o u r Rich and Tender
American Di nner Rol l s ( November/December 1 999) . The questi on was:
At what poi nt in the reci pe' s process do you freeze the rol l s? Our reci pe begi ns
wi th mi xi ng and kneadi ng the dough , and then proofi ng i t, after whi ch the rol l s
are shaped, al l owed to ri se agai n, and then baked . Freezi ng the rol l s after thei r
second proofi ng worked best, but when we tri ed baki ng them right from the
freezer, they turned out squatter and denser than usual . By the time the frozen
center of the rol l s started to bake, the exteri or was al ready cooked and set,
whi ch prohi bi ted the rol l s from achi evi ng thei r maxi mum oven rise. Thawi ng the
rol l s for 30 to 45 mi nutes al l owed them to bake up l i ght and fl uff. Go to w .
cooksi l l ustrted . com/december for our free reci pe for Make-Ahead Ri ch and
Tender Ameri can Di nner Rol l s.
THAWE D N OT THAWE D
Al l owi ng the di nner rol l s to thaw and soften for hal f a n hour o r so
ensures they rise properly (left) i n the oven. Baking them straight
from the freezer results i n a dense, squat rol l (right) .
O|0CC0| | L|d!| 0
Usi ng broccol i in pl ace of cau l ifl ower in our Caul iflower Grati n reci pe
( March/ Apri l 2002) seemed worth a try. Our reci pe starts by bl anchi ng caul i
fl ower and bui l di ng a creamy sauce i n a separate ski l l et. The two are combi ned
i n a casserol e d i s h, topped wi th cheese and buttery bread crumbs , and fi ni shed
i n the oven. Si mpl y su bsti tuti ng broccol i for caul i fl ower resul ted i n overcooked
fl orets, and the ri ch sauce overwhel med the flavor of the broccol i . Reduci ng
the broccol i ' s bl anchi ng ti me by a mi nute or so guarded agai nst overcooked
fl orets, and usi ng equal parts chi cken broth and heavy cream ( i nstead of al l
heavy cream) l i ghtened the sauce j ust enough to al l ow the broccol i ' s flavor
to shi ne through . Tasters strongl y preferred sharp cheddar to Parmesan in thi s
grati n . Go to ww. cooksi l l ustrated . com/december for our free reci pe for
Broccol i and Cheddar Grati n .
L|| | | 6d b0|| 0bK6W6|S | 0d00|S
We wanted to fi nd a way to make our Charcoal - Gri l l ed Shri mp Skewers
Uuly/August 2006) i ndoors under the broi l er. The reci pe' s pregri l l i ng pre
parati on-skewers packed wi th peel ed shri mp brushed wi th oi l and seasoned
wi th sal t, pepper, and sugar (to promote better browni ng) -worked great for
broi l i ng as wel l . But cooki ng the skewers on a broi l er pan or ri mmed baki ng sheet
produced pal e, wet shri mp. Broi l i ng the skewers on a wi re rack set i n a ri mmed
baking sheet solves the probl em. The rack el evates the shri mp and al l ows for
maxi mum air ci rcul ati on , whi ch means better browni ng and charri ng. Go to w .
cooksi l l ustrated . com/ december for our free reci pe for Broi l ed Shri mp Skewers.
-Charl es Kelsey
IF YOU HAVE A QUESI ON about a reci pe, let us know. Send your i nqui r,
name, address, and dayti me tel ephone number to Reci pe Update, Cook' s
I l l ustrated, P. O. Box 4705 89, Brookl i ne, MA 02447 or wri te to reci peupdate@
ameri castestki tchen . com.
N O V E M B E R c D E CE , Il E R 2 0 0 7
3 1
I l I l ^I 1 ' 'K I K
- B Y E L I Z A B E T H B O M Z E W I T H L O I S W E I N B L A T T E
E Q U I PM E NT U P DATE : Mi ni Torches
Si xycars ago, wc chosc a mi ni kitchcn torch by
Bcrnzomatic asour|avoritc |or prcparing dishcs
likccrcmc brl cc. Jhccompanyrcccntlyrcplaccd
itwiththcncwmodclSJ22OOJ, S28. ) . Joscci|
itstiIIpasscdmustcr,wcsprinklcdturbinadosugar
on a bakingdish o|custardandtorchcd hal|witl
thcoldmodclandhal|with tl+c ncw. Bothdccply
caramclizcd thc sugar, but tlc ncw modcl was
cvcn casicr to usc. Jhc ncw modcl rcquircs only
onchandtoopcratcandistriggcrcdbythcthumb
rathcrthanthc|orcmgcr,whichwc|ound|armorc
com|ortablc. Also,tl+c sa|ctyswitchcan bcHickcd
o||with thc thumb,
which is much casicr
than thc twohandcd
pul l push tri ck rc
quircd bythc old torch. It`s our
ncwwinncr. , Butancissoldscpa
ratcly and i s availablc at most
hardwarcstorcs. )
F I RE D UP
The remodel ed Bemzomatic S2200T
i mproves on our former favorite with
a more comforabl e design, sturdi er
base, and si mpl er safet switch.
E QU I PM E NT TE STI N G :
Si l i cone Pot Handl e Covers
Wcn soup boils ovcr, it`s all too casyto grab a
hotpanhandlcand burnyourscl|.Siliconchandlc
slccvcs promisc a no scar solution. Wc tcstcd
two modcl s, |romLcCrcusctandHotSpot,and
whcnthcygrippcdahandlcsnugly,wclikcdthcir
pcr|ormancc. Jhcproblcm` cithcrntsallpans.
Jhc hourgl ass hgurcd Lc Crcusct Cool Jool
Siliconc HandlcSlccvc , S8. 5 ) wasdcsigncd|or
thc brand`s own cookwarc andwastooslimand
stumpy |or longcr, bulkicr handl cs. Convcrscly,
thc HotSpotHotHandlcHandlcHoldcr, S7. 5 )
nt niccly ovcr only |attcr handl cs. ur advi cc`
Bc|orcyoubuy,trythcminthcstorconyourl i nc
o|cookwarc.otcthatncithcrmodclisdcsigncd
togointothcovcn.
N EW PRO D U CT: Chestnutter
Jhc Chcstnuttcr , S24. 5) , a gadgctshapcdlikc
an ovcrsi zcd garl i c prcss, claims to strcamlinc
thc chorc o|prcparing chcstnuts |or roasti ng
by cutting thci rtough shcl l s to makc a stcam
vcnt. Wc took 2 pounds o|chcstnuts into thc
tcst kitchcn and pittcd thc dcvicc against thc
traditionalmcthodo|scoringthcnutswithapar-
ing kni|c. Jcn nuts in, onc tcst cook cut hcrscl|
withtl+ckni|c, butcvcncollcagucswhocmcrgcd
unscathcdhadtoadmitthatdrivingasharpkni|c
into a round, slippcry nut madc thcm a littlc
ncrvous. Jhc Chcstnuttcrworkcd as advcrtiscd,
punchi ng consistcnt Xshapcd cuts rcgardl css
o|a chcstnut`s shapc or sizc. Whilc thc dcvicc
docs rcquirc a strong squcczc, it lcnournngcrs
unharmcd and shavcdthrcc minutcso||a scvcn
minutctask.
N UTCRACKE R
Although a bi t pri cey for a
si ngl e-use gadget, the Chestnutter
does score nuts qui ckly and safely.
N EW P RO D U CT: AeroGarden
Wintcr can bc a gloomy ti mc |or cooki ng with
|rcsh hcrbs. You can pay upward o|S5 a bunch
|orhcrbsthatdon`tlastmorcthanawcck,which
can bc hard to j usti| whcn you nccd onl y a
tablcspoon or two. Entcr thc AcroGardcn |rom
AcroGrow. Jhi s producc sprouti ng appl i ancc
claims to bri ng |rcshly grown hcrbs into your
kitchcn without bugs, dirt, or scasonal limita
tions. You drop in prcmadc sccd pods and add
watcr and timc rclcasc nutricnt tablcts to thc
basc. A grow lamp cyclcs on and o||automati
cally,nosunlight, orcvcnwindow) rcquircd.
Wc wcrc prctty skcpti cal , cspcci al l y o|thc
S I 4. 5 pricc, which also gcts you a Gourmct
Hcr b Ki t o| scvcn hcrbs . Howcvcr, t hc
AcroGardcn pcr|ormcdas advcrtiscd. Sctup and
maintcnanccwcrccasy,andwithintwowccks,six
o|thc scvcn pods sproutcd. , Cilantro rcmaincd
dormant, but a call to AcroGrow customcr scr
vicc brought a |rcc rcplaccmcnt, which grcw as
promiscd. ) As wc clippcd and uscd sprigs |rom
thcplants,thcycontinucdtogrow.
So isit worth it` It` spriccy, and i|youwantcd
tomakcabatcho|pcsto,you` dstillhavctogoto
thcstorc|orcnough |rcshbasil . But|orthccook
who wants to kccp a varicty o||rcsh hcrbs , i n
small amounts only) on hand, tl+c AcroGardcn
docsdclivcr.
H I G H -TE CH
H E RB GARD E N
Thi s self-suffi ci ent,
hydroponi c green
house i s no barai n,
but the AeroGarden
offers fresh herbs
without the hassle
of di rt, bugs, or bad
weather.
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
.
D O YO U RE AL LY N E E D TH I S ? Stufi ng Cage
Jhc Stumng Cagc , S. ) promiscs to climinatc
thchasslco|scoopingstumngouto|aturkcy.You
packshimnginto tlc hingcdcagc,latch it,andput
itinthcbird. But this gadgctrcquircdsomcwrcs
tling. Jhcnrstunitwctricdwouldn`tlatchcloscd.
Wc wcrc ablc to clamp a sccond cagc shut, but
not witl+out a strugglc. c rccommcnd cooking
stumngscparatcly, it`scasicrandsa|cr) . Buti|you
insist on having thc turkcy juiccs bastc thc stuh
ing as it cooks, wrap thc stumng in a homcmadc
chccsccloth sack cinchcd at onc cnd with twinc.
B I RD CAG E
The metal Stufing Cage
goes i nsi de the bi rd to
hol d stufing in pl ace
but ofers no advantages
over cheesecl oth.
b0ufCCS
The fol l owi ng are sources for i tems recommended i n
thi s i ssue. Prices were current at press ti me and do not
i ncl ude shi ppi ng. Contact compani es to confi rm i nforma
tion or visit w . cooksi l l ustrated. com for updates.
Page 9: VEGEABLE PEELER
Messermeister Pro-Touch Swivel Peel er: $ 5 . 9 5 ,
item #800- 58, CutterAdMor.com (800-650-9866,
w .cutlerandmor.com).
Page 1 5 : REFRI GERTOR/FREEZER THERMOMEER
Maveri ck RF-02 Col d Check Digital Refrigerator/
Freezer Thermometer: S 34. 9 5 , item #BOOOOAQL26,
Aaon.com.
Page 27: TURKEY
Walters Poul try 1 4- l b. turkey: $ I 00, Dean & Deluca
(800- 221 -77 1 4, w .deandeluca.com) .
Page 28: COOLI NG RCKS
CIA Bakeware 1 2 x 1 7 I nch Cool i ng Rack: $ 1 4. 9 5 , item
#CIA- 23 304, MetroKitchen ( 888- 892- 99 1 1 , ww .
metrokitchen. com) .
Ubertware Cross Wire Cool i ng Rack Hal f Sheet Pn
Size: $4. 3 5 , Rm Kitchen Supplies (800-6 1 7- 1 1 87,
w .rmkitchen.com).
Page 29: BAKI NG SHEE
Uncol n Foodserice Half-Size Heav Dut Sheet Pn:
S 1 5 . 40, i tem #8000 1 MS3P6, Aaon.com.
Page 3 I : PORTI ON SCOOP
Fantes I ce Cream Pori oni ng Scoop # 1 6: $ I I . 99,
item # 1 73 3 , Fntes (800-443- 2683, w .fntes.com) .
Page 3 2 : MI NI TORCH
Bernzomati c S2200T: $ 28. 99, item #20- 3 76 1 1 1 , US
Harar (763-41 7-0094, w .usaharar.com).
Page 3 2 : CHESNUTER
Chestnutter: $ 24. 9 5 , item #67- 73 1 4909, Williams
Sonoma (877-8 1 2-623 5 , w .williams-sonoma.com) .
Page 3 2: AEROGARDEN
AeroGarden: $ 1 49. 95 , item # 6968 3 5 , Cooking.com
(800-663-88 1 0, w .cooking. com) .
I NDEX
`OVCHDCi c lCcCHDCi ZOO
RECI PE S
MAI N DI S HE S
Beef and Vegetabl e Sti r- Fries
with Snap Peas and Red Peppers 1 2
Tangeri ne, with Oni ons and Snow Peas 1 3
Teriyaki . with Green Beans and
Shi i takes 1 2
Easy Roast T urkey Breast I S
with Lmon and Tyme I S
with Ornge and Rsemar I S
with Southwester Ravor I 5
French-Stl e Pot Roast 7
Glazed Spi rl -Sl i ced Ham I I
SALADS AND S I DE DI S HE S
Best Drop Bi scui ts 1 9
Black Pepper and Bacon 1 9
Cheddar and Scal l i on 1 9
Rosemar and Prmesan 1 9
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetabl es 9
with Bacon and Thyme 9
with Ppri ka and Prsley 9
Pn- Roasted Pear Salads
with Frisee. Goat Cheese, and Amonds 25
with Rdi cchi o, Blue Cheese. and
Wal nuts 25
with Watercress, Prmesan. and
Pecans 25
G LAZES
F OR SPIRAL -SLI CED HAM :
Cherr- Port Gl aze I I
Mapl e-Orange Gl aze I I
DE S S E RTS
Appl e-Cranberr Pi e 24
Fool proof Pi e Dough 23
Ti rami su 2 1
wi thout Raw Egs 2 1
NEW RECI PES ON THE WEB
(AVA | |AB | E | RE E | OR 6 N ONT HS )
Appl e- Gi nger Gl aze for Spi ral -Sl i ced Ham
Beef and Vegetabl e Sti r- Fries
for Two
Korean . wi th Ki mchi
Red Curry. wi th Egpl ant
Broccol i and Cheddar Grati n
Broi l ed Shri mp Skewers
Fool proof Pi e Dough for Si ngl e- Crust Pie
Make-Ahead Ri ch and Tender Ameri can
Di nner Rol l s
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetabl es
for Two
Pn- Roasted Pear Sal ads for Two
Ti rmi su with Frangel i co and Orange
wi th Sambuca and Lemon
COOK' S LI VE Origi nal Test Ki tchen Vi deos www. cooks i l l ustrated. com
MAI N DI S HE S
How to Make Beef and Vegetabl e
Sti r- Fries
What' s the best way to stir-fr meat?
How do I know when my pan i s hot enough?
How do you make steamed rice?
How to Make Easy Roast Turkey Breast
Which V-rck shoul d I buy?
How do you make AI I PUrlOSe Grv?
How to Make French-Stle Pot Roast
How should I prepare the meatl
What tpe of wi ne opener i s best?
How to Make Glazed Spi rl -Sl iced Ham
What' s the best way to care a ham?
SALADS AN D S I DE DI S HE S
How to Make Best Drop Bi scuits
How do I know if my baking powder i s
sti l l good?
How to Make Mashed Potatoes and
Root Vegetabl es
How shoul d I prepare parsni ps?
How shoul d I prepare celer root?
How to Make Pan- Roasted Pear Sal ads
How do I cook pears for salad?
What' s the best way to wash and store
salad greens?
DE S S E RTS
How to Make Appl e-Cranberr Pi e
When shoul d I take the appl es out of the
mi crowave?
How to Make Fool proof Pie Dough
How can I rol l the dough i nto a perfect
ci rcl e?
Can I make thi s reci pe wi thout a food
processor?
How to Make Ti rami su
What' s the best way to separate an eg?
TASTI NG AN D TESTI NG
What's the best way to care a turkeyl
How do you make turkey grav?
Behi nd the Scenes: Baking Sheet Testi ng
Buyi ng Gui de to Baki ng Sheets
AMERI C' S TES KITHEN
Publ i c televi si on' s most popul ar cooki ng show
J oi n the mi l l i ons of home cook who watch our show,
America's Test Kitchen, on publ i c tel evi si on ever week.
For more i nformati on. i ncl udi ng reci pes and progrm ti mes,
vi si t w . ameri castestkitchen. com.
Pan - Roasted Pear Sal ads, 2 5 Easy Roast Turkey Breast, 1 5
Appl e- Cranberry Pi e, 24 Gl azed Spi ral - Sl i ced Ham.
Mashed Potatoes and Root Vegetabl es, 9
Best Drop Bi scui ts, 1 9 Beef and Vegetabl e Sti r- Fri es. 1 2
PH OTOGRAPHY: CARL TRE MB LAY, KELLE R + KELLER: STYLI N G : MARI E P I RAI NO, MARY J ANE SAWYER
)+ol l eu
. . . .