The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (381 page)

BROWN SUGAR AND BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

TANGY WHIPPED CREAM

Beverages

CLASSIC LEMONADE

LEMONADE FOR ONE

LIMEADE

MINTED LEMONADE

GINGERED LEMONADE

RASPBERRY LEMONADE

SHANDY

QUICK, SIMPLE, FULL-FLAVORED ICED TEA

MINTED ICED TEA

GINGERED ICED TEA

MICROWAVE ICED TEA

BERRY SMOOTHIES

MELON SMOOTHIES

TROPICAL FRUIT SMOOTHIES

THE BEST FRESH MARGARITAS

FRESH PINEAPPLE MARGARITAS

FRESH RASPBERRY MARGARITAS

FRESH STRAWBERRY MARGARITAS

THE BEST SANGRIA

WHITE SANGRIA

MULLED RED WINE

MULLED RED WINE WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

HOLIDAY EGGNOG

HOT COCOA

HOT COCOA WITH ORANGE

IRISH COFFEE

Appetizers

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 1
A Good Way To Store Cheese

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 2
Keeping Mushrooms Fresh

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 3
Tired Herbs? Give ’Em A Soak

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 4
Tomatoes—Skip The Fridge, Please

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 5
Avocados—From Rock-Hard To Ripe

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 6
Keeping A Sharp Edge

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 7
Olives—What’s The Difference?

Salads

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 8
Vinaigrettes 1–2–3

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 9
Cleaning Salad Greens

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 10
Storing Salad Greens

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 11
Toasting Nuts

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 12
Storing Leftover Spinach

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 13
Feta Cheese

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 14
Keeping Potato Salad Safe

Soups

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 15
Storing And Reheating Soup

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 16
Canned Chipotle Chiles

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 17
Other Uses For Cornstarch

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 18
Chopping Onions Without Tears

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 19
Buying Leeks

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 20
Why Soups Taste Better The Next Day

Chilis, Stews, and Braises

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 21
How Hot Is That Chile?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 22
Cooking With Wine

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 23
Fresh Or Dried Bay Leaves?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 24
How Much Alcohol Is Cooked Off?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 25
When Seasonings Go Awry

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 26
Herbes De Provence

Curries, Stir-Fries, and Asian Noodle Dishes

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 27
Shopping For Garam Masala

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 28
Stir-Frying? Throw Out Your Wok!

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 29
Sesame Oil

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 30
About Tofu

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 31
Skillets—Size Matters

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 32
Storing Fresh Ginger

Pastas

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 33
A Fresh Crush Is Best

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 34
Parsley—Curly Versus Flat-Leaf

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 35
Key Tips To Perfect Pasta

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 36
Pregrate Your Own Parmesan?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 37
Matching Pasta Shapes With Sauce

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 38
When Cookware Turns Food Tinny

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 39
Pasta Gadgets? Save Your Money.

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 40
Improving Cheap Vodka For Cooking

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 41
Freezing Pasta Sauce

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 42
Boiling Water—What’s The Rush?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 43
Freezing Ricotta

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 44
Parmesan Vs. Pecorino Romano

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 45
Mushroom Prep

Rice, Grains, and Beans

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 46
Rice—No Soaking Required

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 47
True Versus Cultivated Wild Rice

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 48
Arborio Rice Swap

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 49
Buying Saffron

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 50
Cornmeal Varieties

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 51
Storing Dried Beans

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 52
Brining Beans

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 53
Rinsing Canned Beans

Vegetables

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 54
Artichokes—Determining Freshness

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 55
Storing Asparagus

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 56
Beating Beet Stains

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 57
Storing Strategy For Carrots

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 58
Produce Pointers

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 59
Frozen Peas, Please

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 60
Choose The Right Potato

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 61
Green Potatoes Can Make You Green

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 62
Can You Slice Onions Ahead?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 63
Be Picky About Picking Garlic

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 64
Avoiding Cold Dish Meltdown

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 65
Sweet Potato Or Yam?

Poultry

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 66
Why We’re Fond Of Fond

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 67
Selecting Dried Porcini

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 68
Chicken—One Size Doesn’t Fit All

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 69
High Seasoning

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 70
Freezing And Thawing Chicken

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 71
Marsala

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 72
White Wine For Cooking

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 73
Salt Content After Brining

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 74
Sweet And Hot Paprika

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 75
How Brining Saved Thanksgiving

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 76
Turkey—Pretty In Pink?

Meat

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 77
A More Affordable Dry-Aged Steak

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 78
Reduction Deduction

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 79
Shallot Shopping

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 80
The Searing Truth

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 81
Beef—Getting A Good Grade

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 82
Thawing Meat

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 83
The Importance Of Resting Meat

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 84
Salting—The Secret To Juicy Roasts

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 85
Why Is That Pork Still Pink?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 86
Buying Lamb

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 87
Flip Tracker

Fish & Shellfish

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 88
Shimmer And Smoke

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 89
Sautéing Delicate Fish Fillets

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 90
Thawing Frozen Fish

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 91
Fish: Buying And Storing Basics

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 92
Judging Doneness Of Fish

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 93
Buying Scallops

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 94
Sizing Up Shrimp

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 95
Fresh Or Frozen Shrimp?

Grilling

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 96
Light My Fire

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 97
No Chimney Starter? No Problem.

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 98
Better Charcoal Grilling

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 99
Better Gas Grilling

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 100
Preventing Puffy Burgers

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 101
The Magic Of Brinerating

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 102
Good Wood

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 103
Kosher? Yes. Enhanced? No.

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 104
Fighting Flare-Ups

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 105
Low-Tech Grill Champ

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 106
How To Avoid A Sticky Situation

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 107
Superior Skewers

Eggs and Breakfast

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 108
A Shell Game

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 109
Buying And Storing Eggs

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 110
Egg Substitutions

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 111
Omelet Filling—Ready And Hot

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 112
Bacon By The Slice

Quick Breads and Coffee Cakes

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 113
When Baking Powder Loses Its Punch

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 114
Storing Biscuits, Quick Breads, And Muffins

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 115
Best Way To Ripen Bananas

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 116
Cornmeal—Chill It

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 117
Reviving Crystallized Honey

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 118
Seasoning Cast Iron

Yeast Breads and Rolls

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 119
Hand-Mixing Method For Dough

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 120
Achieving The Proper Rise

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 121
Weighing In On Weights And Measures

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 122
No Pizza Peel? No Problem.

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 123
Gauging When Bread Is Done

Pizza, Calzones, and Flatbreads

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 124
The Beauty Of Baking Stones

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 125
Cleaning A Baking Stone

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 126
Stick-Resistant Semolina Flour

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 127
Pizza Dough At The Ready

Cookies, Brownies, and Bars

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 128
Softening Butter In A Hurry

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 129
Reviving Brown Sugar

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 130
Clean Release For Cookies

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 131
Make-Ahead Cookies

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 132
Cookie Storage

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 133
Salted Versus Unsalted Butter

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 134
Keeping Baking Staples Fresher Longer

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 135
For Good Measure

Cakes

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 136
Baking With Farm-Fresh Eggs

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 137
Baking Even Layer Cakes

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 138
Making Layer Cakes Ahead

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 139
Locating The Middle Rack

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 140
Chocolate Meltdown

Pies and Tarts

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 141
Roll It Right

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 142
Hand Mixing Pie Dough

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 143
Crisp Pie Crust Pointers

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 144
Shrinking Pie Crust Precaution

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 145
Pie Storage

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 146
Are Key Limes Really Key?

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 147
Making The Most Of Lemons

Fruit Desserts

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 148
Tips For Fearless Flambéing

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 149
Mimicking Aged Balsamic

Pastry

No Test Kitchen Tips

Puddings, Custards, and Frozen Desserts

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 150
Preventing Dairy Disaster

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 151
Making Vanilla Extract

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 152
Adding Mix-Ins To Homemade Ice Cream

Beverages

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 153
Quick-Chilling Wine

TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 154
Secrets To Making Great Coffee

Appetizers

Assembling Spring Rolls

Forming The Tart Shell

Preparing A Salmon Fillet For Gravlax

Straightening Out Shrimp

Wrapping Potstickers

Assembling Shu Mai

Rolling And Forming Scallion Pancakes

Slicing Onions Pole To Pole

Filling Deviled Eggs

Salads

Cutting Oranges

Two Ways To Shred Cabbage

Soups

Preparing Clams For Chowder

Cutting Corn Kernels From The Cob

Smashing Ginger

Bruising Lemon Grass

Cleaning Fish Frames For Stock

Chilis, Stews, And Braises

Boning Short Ribs

Tying Meat For Pot Roast

Trimming Blade Steaks

Mincing Anchovies

Trimming A Chuck-Eye Roast

Curries, Stir-Fries, And Asian Noodle Dishes

Slicing Pork Tenderloin For Stir-Fries

Slicing Flank Steak For Stir-Fries

Preparing Chicken Breasts For Stir-Fries

Pastas

Making Tortellini

Making Ravioli

Trimming Asparagus

Rolling Out Pasta Dough

Debearding Mussels

Rice, Grains, And Beans

No Illustrated Steps

Vegetables

Making Potato Roesti

Shredding Semisoft Cheese Neatly

Preparing Bell Peppers For Roasting

Cutting Cauliflower For Roasting

Preparing Broccoli

Assembling Vegetable Torta

Tips For Taming Phyllo

Keeping Stuffed Peppers Upright

Assembling Vegetable Gratin

Making Simplified Potato Galette

Two Ways To Prepare Fennel

Preparing Greens For Braising

Peeling Tomatoes

Grating And Milking Corn

Preparing Artichoke Hearts For Steaming

Poultry

Preparing Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Salting A Turkey

Butterflying A Chicken Or Turkey

Applying Butter Under Skin

Achieving Herb Flavor

Preparing Roast Duck

Preparing Turkey Wings

Carving An Herbed Roast Turkey

Carving A Whole Roasted Turkey

Preparing A Turkey Breast For Roasting

Arranging Dough On A Pot Pie

Preparing Crisp Roast Chicken

Carving A Whole Roasted Chicken

Cutting Up A Whole Chicken

Preparing Chicken Breasts For Roasting

Trimming Split Chicken Breasts

Assembling Chicken Kiev

Stuffing Chicken Breasts

Boning Chicken Thighs For Teriyaki

Simplified Saltimbocca

Slicing Chicken Breasts Into Cutlets

Meat

Browning Racks Of Lamb

Trimming And Frenching Racks Of Lamb

Carving Two Cuts Of Ham

Boning A Pork Loin

Turning The Tenderloin End Piece Into A Medallion

Slicing Flank Steak

Carving Prime Rib

Preparing A Roast Boneless Leg Of Lamb

Preparing The Lamb

Butchering Pork Butt

Removing The Membrane From The Rib Rack

Preparing Herb-Crusted Pork Roast

Butterflying, Seasoning, And Tying A Pork Loin

Stuffing A Boneless Pork Loin

Tying Pork Medallions

Cutting Pork Tenderloin For Cutlets

Cutting A Pork Chop Pocket

No-Curl Pork Chops

Butterflying, Stuffing, And Tying A Tenderloin

Gauging Steak Doneness

Fish & Shellfish

Approximate Steaming Times And Meat Yields For Lobster

Removing Meat From Steamed Lobsters

Trimming Cartilage From Halibut

Wrapping Salmon For Oven-Poaching

Assembling Foil Packets

How To Cut Carrots And Leeks Into Matchsticks

Tucking The Fillet Tail

Removing Skin From Fish Fillets

Cleaning A Soft Shell Crab

Preparing A Lobster For Roasting

Deveining Shrimp

Serving Halibut Steaks

Removing Pinbones From Salmon

Butterflying Salmon

Preparing Potatoes For Fish And Chips

Grilling

How To Butterfly And Stuff Flank Steak

Skewering Potatoes For The Grill

Skewering Onions

Skewering Shrimp

How To Stuff A Pork Loin

Grill-Smoking Barbecued Pork Chops

Getting English-Style Ribs Ready To Grill

Trimming A Beef Tenderloin

Slicing T-Bone And Porterhouse Steaks

Avoiding Cross-Contamination

Cutting Sirloin Steak Tips

Turning Bone-In Turkey Breast Into Boneless Turkey Roast

Butterflying And Skewering Game Hens

Setting Up Beer Can Chicken

Trimming Leg Quarters

Assembling Stuffed Chicken Breasts For Grilling

Improvised Grill Brush

Preventing Propane Tank Panic

Eggs And Breakfast

Making Fried Eggs

Making A Filled Omelet

Making A French Omelet

Making A Classic Frittata

Assembling Breakfast Strata

Making German Apple Pancake

Rough Dicing Potatoes For Home Fries

Making Hash Browns

Quick Breads And Coffee Cakes

Shaping Cream Biscuits

Giving Flaky Biscuits The Layered Look

Folding And Shaping Blueberry Scones

Preparing Quick Cinnamon Buns

Assembling Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Shingling The Loaf

Yeast Breads And Rolls

Folding Bread Dough

Shaping Sandwich Bread

Making Sticky Buns

Making Almost No-Knead Bread

Shaping A Baguette

Shaping Rustic Italian Bread

Shaping Ciabatta

Shaping Dinner Rolls

Shaping Crescent Rolls

Pizza, Calzones, And Flatbreads

Shaping Pizza Dough

Making Flaky Chicago-Style Pizza Crust

Assembling Calzones

Shaping Pissaladière

Cookies, Brownies, And Bars

Forming And Baking Shortbread

Forming Pretzel Sablés

Forming Spiral Sablés

Making Jam Sandwiches

Making Chocolate-Cherry Bar Cookies With Hazelnuts

Shaping Crescent Cookies

Filling A Pastry Bag And Piping Spritz Cookies

Shaping Lace Cookies

Decorating Lace Cookies With Chocolate

Shaping Biscotti

Forming Coconut Macaroons

Making A Foil Sling

Making Cream Cheese Brownies

Cakes

Frosting A Layer Cake

Assembling A Four-Layer Cake

Building A Strawberry Cream Cake

Assembling Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Slicing A Soft Cake

Assembling A Jelly Roll Cake

Assembling Chocolate Roulade

Pies And Tarts

Fitting Pie Dough

Making A Decorative Edge On A Single-Crust Pie

Making A Graham Cracker Or Cookie Crust

Assembling Double-Crust Pies

Preparing Top Crust For Blueberry Pie

Weaving A Lattice Top

Applying A Meringue Topping

Assembling Tarte Tatin

Preparing Apple Galette

Fitting Tart Dough Into The Pan

Assembling Pear Tart

Assembling A Linzertorte

Fraisage Or Mixing Flaky Tart Dough

Making A Free-Form Tart

Fruit Desserts

Mashing Strawberries For Shortcakes

Shaping Pavlovas

Transferring Baked Crumble Topping

Scoring Pandowdy Crust

Coring Pears For Pear Crisp

Key Steps To Better Baked Apples

Pastry

Piping Profiteroles

Making Puff Pastry Dough

Crimping The Turnovers

Glazing And Assembling Napoleons

Assembling Apple Strudel

Shaping A Danish Braid

Shaping Individual Danish

Making A Butter Block For Croissants

Laminating The Dough For Croissants

Shaping The Croissants

Puddings, Custards, And Frozen Desserts

Removing Crème Caramel From A Water Bath

Caramelizing Crème Brûlée

Assembling Individual Summer Berry Puddings

Assembling A Large Summer Berry Pudding

Cutting Ice-Cream Rounds

Beverages

Best Brewing Practices