Innehållsförteckning för September - October 2017 från Cook's Illustrated

“. . . we did a side-by-side taste test of ragus prepared with and without anchovies and found that the minced fillets made a marked difference in the dish’s savoriness . . .” I have fond memories of my Italian nonna’s hearty meat ragu, or Sunday gravy. Made with sausages, meatballs, and braciole and served over a heaping pile of pasta, it was the backbone of a feast that fed a crowd— and it took her all day to prepare. With fall’s cool, crisp arrival, I usually look forward to making a big batch, but this year I wondered if there wasn’t an easier alternative. There are numerous versions of ragu from all over Italy, and some research turned up a particularly interesting version relying on just one type of…

Lamb is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking; roasted leg of lamb, shanks braised in heady spice mixtures, flavorful stews, and meatballs are all common. But I recently encountered a whole new application from the estimable Lebanese cookbook author Anissa Helou: ground meat sandwiches known as arayes. What makes these sandwiches—a popular street food found across the region—so intriguing is that the meat gets cooked inside the pita. In Helou’s version, she seasons ground lamb with parsley, onion, cumin, and cinnamon; spreads it over the pita; and places the sandwich on a hot grill (baking the sandwich is also common). As the lamb cooks, its flavorful juices and fat soak into the pita, which turns crisp and toasty. This sounded like a great alternative to plain grilled burgers; I had…

Salmon steaks have a lot going for them. Because neither side of a steak has skin, its fleshy surface area is greater than that of a fillet, promising plenty of crisp exterior to contrast with the silky interior. Also, whereas a fillet has a thick end and a tapered end, which can lead to uneven cooking, a steak is uniformly thick, which, with some creative tying, can deliver a more evenly cooked piece of fish. I set about forming a salmon steak into a shape that would not only promote even cooking but also make it structurally sound. Using a paring knife, I removed the spine bones and interior membrane, which made room to peel back the skin from one of the belly flaps and tuck the flap into the…

Sichuan peppercorns: These reddish-brown husks are neither peppercorns nor are they related to chiles. They’re the dried fruit rinds of the Chinese prickly ash tree. Sichuan peppercorns have a lemony tartness and a piney aroma, but they are best known for the unique tingling sensation they produce on the lips and tongue, thanks to a compound called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which acts on receptors that usually respond to touch. The peppercorns don’t actually vibrate our skin, but they send signals to the brain that we interpret as vibration; some people also mistakenly perceive these signals as heat. Substitute: None Sichuan chili powder: This product is made from the dried, crushed pods of “Facing Heaven” chile peppers (so named for their habit of pointing upward on plants as they grow, rather than hanging…

WHEN—AND WHEN NOT—TO RINSE Rinsing white rice removes excess surface starch that would otherwise absorb water and swell, causing the grains to stick together DO rinse for pilaf, steamed rice, and rice salad, where you want separate, distinct grains. DON’T rinse for applications such as risotto or rice pudding; we found that rinsing compromises the desirably sticky, creamy consistency. DON’T bother rinsing brown rice. With the bran layer intact, there is no exterior starch to wash away. Method: Rinse rice in fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until water runs clear. (To check if water is starchy, capture some in bowl. If water is cloudy, keep rinsing and check again.) ABOUT RICE Brown versus white: All rice starts out as brown rice, which is made up of the endosperm, germ,…

Everyone takes shortcuts in the kitchen, including buying aluminum foil–wrapped garlic bread from the supermarket. And yet once that steamy, squishy, greasy loaf is revealed, regret is inevitable. But even when you take the time to make garlic bread from scratch (most recipes call for slathering a halved loaf with garlic butter and placing it in the oven), success is far from guaranteed. The bread rarely gets perfectly crisp, and most recipes miss the mark with the garlic itself—it’s either muted or too in-your-face. I wanted a toasty, golden-brown loaf with a pleasantly crisp crust and a moist interior. There would be a generous amount of butter, and the garlic flavor would be prominent but not harsh. I decided to work with supermarket Italian bread. Its fine, plush crumb would…

Why You Should Weigh Confectioners’ Sugar Our Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake (page 21) is finished with an icing that drizzles smoothly in thin, delicate lines and turns matte but not brittle when it dries. But when some of our recipe testers made it, they found the icing thick and gloppy and reported that it fell off in chunks when the cake was sliced. What gives? The recipe calls for ¾ cup (3 ounces) of confectioners’ sugar, but if you measure by volume rather than weight, you could end up with an icing that’s too thick. Because powdered sugar is so fine and fluffy, the amount you can fit into a ¾-cup measuring cup can vary considerably depending on how compactly you fill the cup. When we tested various volume measuring…

Shoppers often buy “raw” sugars such as Demerara and turbinado because they are less processed and offer a more complex, molasses-like flavor than granulated sugar. We wondered if they could be swapped into baked good recipes that call for granulated sugar. EXPERIMENT We baked muffins, sugar cookies, layer cakes, and shortbread with granulated sugar and Demerara and turbinado sugars and compared the texture, flavor, and appearance of each. RESULTS Across the board the raw sugars added a slight molasses-like flavor that most tasters preferred to the cleaner flavor of granulated sugar. But texture was another matter. Both raw-sugar layer cakes had a moist and uniform crumb and were fluffier than the cakes made with granulated sugar. But the other baked goods didn’t fare as well. The raw-sugar muffins were denser…

Save Stale Crackers for Breading Pamela Berube of Columbus, Ohio, collects stale plain crackers in a zipper-lock bag and stores them in the freezer. After a couple of months of adding to the bag, she has enough crackers to blitz in the food processor and combine with herbs or spices to make a flavorful breading for baked chicken, fish, or pork chops. Storing Zipper-Lock Bags Janis Mooney of Freehold, N.Y., sometimes reuses her lightly worn zipper-lock bags. To store them neatly, she rolls them up tightly and places them in an empty paper towel tube. The tube can hold five or six bags in a compact space. Recording Bowl Weights Sometimes Cindy Hoyt of Kennard, Texas, forgets to tare her kitchen scale after putting a bowl on it and adding…

Flavorful, easy-to-prep boneless short ribs aren’t actually cut from the rib section of the cow, as their name implies. They are cut from the chuck, or shoulder, of the animal. For that reason, chuck roast is the best substitute when boneless short ribs are unavailable. Purveyors can get away with this nomenclature because, as Boston-area butcher Joe Kinnealey explained, a boneless short rib “is actually the same muscle (serratus ventralis) as a true short rib . . . [however,] the muscle changes in texture as it gets up into the shoulder.” Why not just buy a less expensive chuck roast and cut it into chunks? When we purchased near-equal weights of boneless short ribs and chuck roast and then trimmed both, the former took half as much time to trim…

SINGLE-LEVEL FIRE This simple arrangement is suited to foods that you want to brown but that can also overcook quickly. Setup: Distribute lit coals in even layer across bottom of grill. Best for: Quick-cooking foods such as fish fillets, shrimp, and our Grilled Lamb-Stuffed Pitas with Yogurt Sauce HALF-GRILL FIRE With hotter and cooler sides, this versatile setup is ideal for quickly searing foods and then gently cooking them through. We also use it to cook different types of food in a single recipe. Setup: Distribute lit coals over half of grill in even layer. Best for: Chicken parts, thick steaks, recipes with different components CONCENTRATED FIRE Corralling the coals in a disposable pan concentrates the heat to create an intense fire ideal for quick-cooking foods that we want to…

With nothing more than heat and time, onions can undergo an extraordinary transformation. Sweet and complex caramelized onions can improve everything from soups, dips, and sandwiches to pizzas, casseroles, pastas, and salads. The traditional approach is long, careful cooking over a low flame for upwards of 1¼ hours. There are shortcut recipes that rely on cranking up the heat, but the results are never as richly flavored as the real deal. I’ve also found that when I cut one of these quick-caramelized strands in half, I reveal a pale, watery interior lurking beneath the brown exterior. I set myself the challenge of finding a way to shave off time and still produce exemplary caramelized onions. First, I reviewed the science behind the traditional approach: Cooking causes the onions to break…

Though they share a name, white potatoes and sweet potatoes couldn’t be more different. The most familiar sweet potato varieties in American supermarkets, which have rusty orange or red-purple skin and deep orange flesh, come from a different botanical family than white potatoes such as russets and contain far less starch and more sugar. As a result, they cook very differently—a fact that is never more apparent than when preparing a simple baked potato. Not long ago, we discovered that baking a russet potato in a 450-degree oven for about 45 minutes produced an ideally fluffy interior. But when I followed the same approach using a sweet potato, the interior was dense and watery. Meanwhile, I tried a handful of baked sweet potato recipes and came upon one from chef…

MOSTLY SHEEP’S MILK Greek feta must be at least 70 percent sheep’s milk (which has twice as much fat as cow’s milk), with any remainder made up of goat’s milk. Both sheep’s and goat’s milks contain fatty acids that give them slightly gamy, savory flavors not found in cow’s milk. FLAVORED BY GREEK FLORA Greek sheep (and goats) eat a uniquely diverse diet—at least 6,000 different types of plants, including many that grow only in Greece. Since flavor compounds in feed make it into milk, that translates into milk with uniquely complex flavor. DRY-SALTED Unlike commercial producers of feta in the United States, Greek manufacturers dry-salt their cheese (cut first into blocks) before brining it, a step that allows flavorful bacteria to grow on its surface, which the cheese readily…

Tahini is a potent paste made from toasted sesame seeds. Apart from being a core ingredient in hummus, tahini is often thinned with water or lemon juice and drizzled over falafel, kebabs, pilaf, and roasted or raw vegetables. Sesame seeds are generally the sole ingredient, so how different could competing tahinis be? To find out, we tasted seven products, priced from $6.44 to $11.99 and sold in 15- to 16-ounce containers, plain and in hummus. Our tasters noticed big flavor differences in the plain tasting, calling our preferred tahinis “toasty” and “nutty” and lower-scoring tahinis “bitter” and “sour.” Although tahini can be made with sesame seeds that have their seed coats (hulls) intact, most manufacturers remove the hulls before grinding because they contain compounds that can cause unpleasant bitter flavors.…

RECOMMENDED OXO Good Grips Classic Tea Kettle in Brushed Stainless Steel MODEL: 1479500V1 PRICE: $39.95 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED STRETCH-TITE Wrap’n Snap 7500 Dispenser MODEL: WNS7500 PRICE: $22.00 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WÜSTHOF Gourmet 4¾ -inch Cheese Plane MODEL: 2483832 PRICE: $19.95 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS OXO Good Grips 3-Blade Handheld Spiralizer MODEL: 11194200 PRICE: $24.99 RECOMMENDED EXO Polymer Sealed Super Peel MODEL: 2414-AP PRICE: $54.95 Stovetop Kettles Using a kettle is simple: Fill it with water, place it on a stovetop burner, and wait for the whistle. But the sad truth is that many models are poorly designed—they’re too small or too heavy, their handles get too hot to comfortably touch, or they pour awkwardly (just some of the many potential faults). We set out to find the best stovetop kettle, testing six models…

Chicken cutlets coated in bread crumbs and pan-fried are a quick-cooking crowd-pleaser. But I’ve always thought that the dish’s shortcomings—an uneven crust that’s often soggy, greasy, and insufficiently browned—get a bit of a hall pass. Plus, the three-step breading process of flour, egg, and bread crumbs is messy and fussy. I set out to make a version with a perfectly even, golden-brown crust. In the process, I hoped to streamline things. I began by cutting four breasts in half horizontally, pounding the fatter ends when needed to create a uniform 1/4-inch thickness. I seasoned both sides of the cutlets with salt; lined up three bowls with flour, egg, and homemade toasted bread crumbs; and proceeded with the process cooks have used for generations: Blot the cutlets dry to ensure that…

Splatter screens—mesh rounds with handles— promise to minimize stovetop mess during searing and sautéing. Our winning splatter screen from Amco Houseworks was recently discontinued, and since we weren’t crazy about our runner-up, we decided to revisit the market to see if there was a better option available. We knew we wanted 13-inch models (which fit snugly over the most pans) with fine-mesh metal screens. We found two new options, one by HIC ($9.99) and one by Lodge ($8.99), and tested them against the runner-up. We cooked bacon and chicken thighs, tracking splatter on brown butcher paper set around the pan, and tried them on pots and pans of all sizes to check compatibility. The two new models performed well, but they still suffered from the catch-22 of splatter screens: Steam…

SERVES 6 TO 8 Coarse-ground degerminated cornmeal such as yellow grits (with grains the size of couscous) works best in this recipe. Avoid instant and quick-cooking products, as well as whole-grain, stone-ground, and regular cornmeal. Do not omit the baking soda—it reduces the cooking time and makes for a creamier polenta. The polenta should do little more than release wisps of steam. If it bubbles or sputters even slightly after the first 10 minutes, the heat is too high and you may need a flame tamer, available at most kitchen supply stores. 7 1/2 cups water Salt and pepper Pinch baking soda 1 1/2 cups coarse-ground cornmeal 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups), plus extra for serving 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1. Bring water to boil in heavy-bottomed large…

In the vegetable world, cauliflower is like Superman. Well, maybe it’s more like his alter ego, Clark Kent. Initially, you might think it mild-mannered or bland. But when thrown into a hot oven, the vegetable is transformed, gaining a crisp, browned exterior; a tender interior; and sweet, nutty flavor. In the summer, though, I spend most of my time outside by the grill. Could I get the same results there? Since small florets would be likely to fall through the cooking grate, I tried prepping the cauliflower other ways. The simplest treatment was to leave the head whole, but it took more than an hour to cook through. And without exposure to direct heat, the interior tasted sulfurous and steamed. Cutting the cauliflower head crosswise gave me uniform slabs with…

Meat as a Flavoring, Not the Main Event Unlike Western sauces such as ragu, in which meat is the primary component, mapo tofu uses only a small amount of meat as a seasoning. Ground beef provides savory background flavor and appealing texture to contrast with the neutral, delicate tofu. Spicy, rich, and savory, mapo tofu is the most renowned dish from China’s Sichuan province and serves as comfort food for chili fans everywhere. But even die-hard fans tend to order it in restaurants rather than make it at home. Perhaps they imagine that making something so deeply flavorful would take a long time and many steps. But in fact, mapo tofu—soft cubes of tofu and a modest amount of ground beef or pork swimming in a glossy red sauce with…

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS We prefer yellow or Spanish onions in this recipe for their complex flavor. Slicing the onions through their root end prevents them from breaking down too much during cooking. Caramelized onions are easily added to most any meal. Try them in an omelet, in a frittata, or with scrambled eggs. They taste fantastic on grilled cheese sandwiches, BLTs, and burgers or thrown into pasta dishes and green salads. Try sprinkling them over bruschetta, focaccia, or pizza. They also can be used to spiff up baked and mashed potatoes, rice, risotto, and polenta. 3 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end ¼ inch thick ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ¾ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 1. Bring onions, ¾ cup…

If you’re making an apple cake, there are some very good reasons to bake it in a Bundt pan. For starters, the generous size and graceful, undulating ring shape of a Bundt cake looks impressive—especially considering that Bundt cakes come together fairly easily. What’s more, instead of making a buttercream, ganache, or other frosting that requires cooking or mixing in a large appliance, Bundt cakes are adorned with a stir-together icing that’s either drizzled or poured over the top of the cake so that it drips attractively down the sides. But the most compelling reason to make an apple cake in a Bundt pan? Enhanced energy transfer. I know that sounds hopelessly nerdy, but bear with me. Apple flavor is relatively mellow, so if you want a cake with robust…

RECOMMENDED REAL GREEK FETA Feta Cheese PRICE: $13.99 per lb ($0.87 per oz) ORIGIN: Greece SODIUM: 260 mg MILK: Sheep FAT: 7 g TESTERS’ COMMENTS This superb sheep’s-milk feta was complex yet balanced. It was “buttery” and “savory” with a “milky,” “clean dairy flavor” but also “tart” and “lemony,” with a gutsy funk and a “perfect” salt level. Texture-wise, it was “silky,” “luxurious,” and “tender” but “firm” enough to maintain its presence when stirred into salads or baked. DODONI Feta Cheese PRICE: $9.49 per lb ($0.59 per oz) ORIGIN: Greece SODIUM: 310 mg MILK: Sheep and goat FAT: 6 g This Greek feta was sharper than our winner: “bracingly tangy” and “pungent,” with “lots of personality.” Tasters also called it “grassy,” “intense,” and “gamy.” A few found it too strong,…

Most store-bought pickled jalapeños are preserved in a vinegar brine and seasoned with bay leaf and onion. Their flavor is not complex. To add deeper flavors, we ferment our jalapeños and add shallot and garlic. Cumin seeds lend earthiness while lime zest adds brightness. Over time, we found that the jalapeños took on complex floral notes and also increased in spiciness since the cell walls of the chiles continued to break down, releasing more of the spicy capsaicinoid compounds. –Anne Wolf PICKLED JALAPEÑOS MAKES 10 JALAPEÑOS For spicier results, don’t remove the jalapeño seeds. For a balanced flavor, we prefer fermenting at a cool room temperature of 65 degrees (consider locations such as a basement, a den, or a cabinet in an air-conditioned room). We don’t recommend fermenting above 70…