I'm going to assume we've all had it up to our masks hearing about Covid cooking. Sourdough starter, banana bread, air-frying, everyone's done it, blogged about it, made a Tik-Tok, and written a New York Times think piece. Whatever you're going to get out of this...
If Milano cookies had babies they would be these impish little bundles. Actually it would have to be a Milano and a bag of hazelnuts and I'm not sure how that would work but love is love, I don't judge. Cookies really don't get any cuter and in addition these are...
Remember when it seemed like people were throwing browned butter in everything? Suddenly it was bringing new life to old favorites like Rice Krispie Treats, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and every butter-based sauce imaginable. And this is not just a theory, I...
I had you at "parmesan dumplings," didn't I? You're not wrong, they are amazing. I felt the urge to make soup even though we are experiencing freakishly warm temperatures in Chicago lately. Like, 55 and sunny. In Chicago. The place they make tedious,...
Tomatoes get the lion's share of attention this time of year, and rightly so, but let's not forget how insanely delicious blueberries and peaches are right now. I've been a tad obsessed with blueberries in particular, eating half a pint every morning with...
There's something about Israeli couscous that I'm infatuated with. I don't know if it's the toothsome, pasta-like texture, the neutral palette that makes it the perfect canvas for any ingredient, or the versatility. Perhaps it just reminds me of Israel? ...
My most-requested cake. My Strawberry Letter 22. My best shot at the Nobel Prize in Baking.
Of course we all know that a boneless, skinless chicken breasts are an excellent source of low-fat, healthy protein, but the thought of eating one is about as enticing as doing your taxes. It's very tricky to cook them all the way through without completely drying...
You know how I get all excited when a recipe turns out to be way more delicious than the ingredients suggest? That happened. It happend when nothing more than 2 lbs of sweet potatoes, a shallot, a little butter, and water for crying out loud, came together. You'd...
Please wipe that skeptical look off your face when I tell you that these are not that difficult to make. The dough is much easier to work with than pie dough; it shapes easily and doesn't stick like crazy to the counter. And it doesn't fall helplessly apart when...
I appreciate that Cook's Illustrated has a scientific explanation for why its recipes are superior to others, but most of the time I'm content to take it at face value and not read their lengthy dissertation. I don't dislike science, I just feel like it's doing...
What did Cook's Illustrated want? "A juicy cutlet that kept its crunch." When did they want it? "Twenty years ago would have been nice but now works." As with many popular dishes there are many bad ways to make chicken parmesan and many points where you can go...
What is it with the Spanish food lately? Must be the weather. Because it's officially cold outside. Here in Chicago we've had some freakishly mild weather and a disconcerting lack of snow. Until this past week when we got those character-building below-zero wind...
Readers, I have to disabuse of something right now: living at my house is not like an endless and much less disturbing visit to the Wonka factory. Yes, wonderful things are made regularly BUT, more often than not, they are carried out the door to work or a party or...
Be warned: this is a project. It probably took me three hours start to finish but it was so worth it. If you've ever wanted to eat pie for dinner but just could not come up with a way to justify it, I think I can help you. Make it out of vegetables. You're...
This has been a favorite of ours for a long time. The brilliant thing about the recipe is that it understands that chicken breasts are about as exciting as a Steven Raichlen marathon and one needs a pretty creative trick to overcome that. And the trick is this:...
I need to buy a ricer. Because I hate my food mill and I am going to want to make gnocchi more often. This is from the September/October issue of Cook's Illustrated. I did not use one of the yummy-sounding sauces because I've always wanted to try Marcella...
Although this dish takes a little time to throw together, most of that is the meat simmering so it's pretty easy. I made it even easier (and slightly more healthy) by baking the tortillas vs. frying them. I used a pork shoulder instead of a butt because...
This has been one of our favorite grilling recipes for a long time and it's always one of the first things I make when the weather gets warm. Although Cook's Illustrated categorizes it as an appetizer (as do most Thai restaurants) I didn't see why it couldn't be...
Spring. In Chicago. Sigh. Some people say we don't really have spring here. Just a bitter arm-wresting match between winter and summer. On days like last Sunday, when it reached 85, summer seems just about to push winter's fist into the table. Today, April...
Raise your hand if you think croissants are hard to make. Wow, that's a lot of hands. And last week, I would have been right there with you. But guess what? They're not! Yay, now we can have them every day! In fact, Tom Petty must have had...
I had never made Spanakopita before despite the fact that everything about it sounds good: feta, phyllo, pecorino-romano, butter. And I was even able to get phyllo dough, in the correct size, at my local Jewel; a store committed to the idea that all people want to...
This is from the most recent (Jan/Feb 2011) Cook's Illustrated. With a vegetarian among us I'm always looking for something meat-free that will appeal to all three of us. And quick recipes are never unwelcome. Tonight cooking was hastily wedged between work and...
It's hard to say what I love most about this dish. We are very partial to Mexican food, especially my husband to the point where I suspect he might be a Mexican trapped in the body of an ancestral German. Although he doesn't cook much he has embraced Rick Bayless'...
For the last 18 years we have spent Thanksgiving with my husband's family in Ohio, so I have not made a Thanksgiving dinner since 1992. And, truth be told, I wouldn't have been very good at it back then anyway. To make up for not getting to make this classic meal...
I feel like I owe you some fish. I was hoping you wouldn't noticed that I don't make it often. I blame growing up in the Midwest in the 60s and 70s where fish, with few exceptions, came in the form of frozen sticks upholstered in bread crumbs from some crazy place...
Earlier this year (May, 2010) Cook's Illustrated featured a recipe for "Almost Hands-Free Risotto." Got my attention. I'd been tinkering with risotto and had some success but hadn't yet found the perfect recipe. The game-changer in this one is the cooking...
This is one of our favorite stir-fry dishes and if I can only convey one thing to you about this recipe it is this: do NOT fear the fish sauce. Believe me, I'm as adverse to the stuff, in its undiluted form, as anyone. When I'm pouring it out I actually hold my...
Like you and your parents and Andy Warhol, I grew up on Campbell's Tomato Soup and it will always hold a special place in my heart (and that place is with its fist firmly around my arteries). But after finding this Cook's Illustrated recipe for Ultimate Cream of...
This is one of my favorite recent recipes from Cook's Illustrated and one of its most talented (former) employees, Kenji Alt. The familiarity and simplicity of the ingredients belie how incredibly scrumptious this dish is. It's elegant enough to serve at a dinner...
Tonight I made a dish from the November/December 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated. As per usual, the fine people at Cook's have solved one of our nation's most urgent and intractable problems: poor coating adhesion on our pork chops. Turns out using a little...
This is an excellent recipe with three variations; in addition to the Garlic-Ginger-Sesame there is a Garlic-Shallot-Rosemary and a Garlic-Chile. Because this one has an Asian profile I serve Asian side dishes with it (like the stir-fried green beans below). The...
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