Cook's Illustrated 070

8/13/2019 Cook's Illustrated 070

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N B V N P B b O O B 0 0 4

L U S T R A T E D

Griled BeefTnderloinSalt, Rest, and Grill

How to akeChicken Breasts

Juicy Meat and Crisp Skin

Tasting SpaghettiSauces

Utmate Sticy un

Rating Hand MixerCan They Handle Cookie Dough?

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Lasagna ologneseFaster and Simpler

Perfecting Mexican Rice

Stued Baked Potatoes

Chi Prp Illtrate

MicrowavingAcorn Squs

old Sesame Noodleswww c k l l t r a t e c m

55 5 AAA


2/36

September October

2 Notes from ReadersReaders ask questions and suest solutions.

4 Quick TpsQuick and ea ways o perorm eveday tass fromcleaning mushrooms o saving leftover ginger

6 Grill-Roasted Beef TenerloinWith a whoe eneron gong for as much as $8

uneven cooking, bandavor and a ough oue cus jus

don' cu it Could we do it cheaper and beer?

BY BRID GET LANCASTER

9 Buidng a Better Stuffedaked PotatoCoud we avoid the usua cunchy vegeabes and so

poto skin? BY BRID GET LANCASTER AND

E R I N C U R R E R

0 Solvng the Prolem ofaed Chcken BreastsNohing is worse (or more common) than baked chicken

breasts-cha sour meat topped wih ubbery, faccid

si. Could we make his simpe dinner item worh eating?

BY ELIZABETH GERAIN

1 How to Cook Acorn SquashTired of mealy, srin squash that takes an hour o

bae? We wned i faser and eer. BY REBECCA AYS

14 Lasagna Bolognese SilfedCould we adapt and simpi this norhen Iaian classic

for the American ktchen? BY SEAN LAWLER

16 Guide to Buying andPreparng ChcenWoe bids taste beer than pacged pars and cost

ess so it makes sense o cu up chicken at home Here's

al you need o know to maser his basic ski and to buy a

good chicken BY SEAN LAWLER

18 Perfectng Mexican Rcerz a a Mexicana" promises brigh favor and a piafse exture bu i rely delivers BY REBECCA HAYS

0 Sesame ooles withChckenWe set ou o eiminate stic noodes, gloppy sauce, and

acuseravors. BY J U L I A C O L L I N DAV I S O N

1 The Ultmte Stcky Bunsese bake favories are often too swee, too big,

too rich, and jus oo much. We wanted stic buns that

were impres sive, no excessive. BY DAWN YANAG 1 HARA

24 Pneaple sde-Don CakeThis simpe skie dessert desees beter than bland

favors and so cake. BY ERIKA BRUCE

6 Tomato Paste n a JarMany brands of tomato sauce are not much more thanreconstitued tomao paste Could we find a jarred

tomato sauce with fresh tste and a good baance of

avors? BY ARYELLEN DRISCOLL

8 Are Hand-Held Mxersistory?Is there any reason to purchase a handheld mixe in

his age of alpurpose (but expensive) sanding mixe?

BY A RY E L L E N DR S C O L L A N D G A RT H C L I N G I N G S I T H

30 Ktchen otesTest resuls, buying ips and advice relaed to sories past

and presen directy from the tes kichen.

BY DAWN YANAGI HARA

32 Equpment Cornereves of new items updaes on past tests, and sources

for producs used in this issue

BY GA RT H C L I N G I N G S M I T H

l

t r ts lumi is the word Iians use o abe heir ide vaie ofcured meas Prosciuto di a is a cured ham own for its balance of swee and slavo.

Culaello is aso made from he leg of a pig but is pressed ino a 2inch square and streaked ith

several lines of fat. Coppa is made fom pork shoulder and is more marled than prosciuoBresaola is made from eef loin and is extremely lean Salamis are mae from seasoned ground

mea tha is stued into casings (ike sausage) and hen aged Genoa and Toscano saamis ook

smilar and ae oth made fom ney ground pork but he latter is aer and avored ith garic

chiaccia saami isaened ino an oblong shape and comes doce (swee) or piccane (spi).

Cacciaorini are small ustic sami designed to fit easily in hunte pockets, where they see as a

porae lunch. ncetta, like acon, is made from the ely of the pig, bu it is not smoked. Aer

eing aged i is cooked and added to soups and pasa sauces as a seasoning. Guanciale is used in

a ver similar manner u it is made fom pig jows and has a sronger pork avor

COVER (qu) Elizabeth Brndon. CK COVER ( u john Buoyne

Fr list rental information, contact: Cientgic, 1200 Harbor Bvd 9th Floor Weehawken, NJ 07087; 20-865-5800 f 201-867-2450.Edtoral Oce: 17 Station St Brookine MA 02445; 617-232-1000 67-232-572. Subscription inquiries cal 800-526-8442stmaster Send ll new orde subscription inquries and change ofaddress notic es to Cook' s ustted, P.O Box 7446 Red Oak, lA 51591-0446

OOK'tL'STRAE!l.cooksilustratedco

Founder and Editor Christopher Kim

Executive Editor Jack BshopSenior Editors Maelen Drsco

Dawn Yanagiha

Eitoria Manager, Boos Eizabeth Cardu

Art Directo Amy Kee

Test Kitchen Director Erin McMurrerSenior Edito, Boos Jua Collin Daviso

Lori Gavin

Senior Writer Bridget ancasterManaging Editor Rebecca Hays

sociate Edto Matthew Card

Keith resser

Science Editor ohn OsonWeb Editor Keri Fisher

Copy Editor Inda Koopmanest Cooks Stephanie Aleyne

Erika Buce

Sean awer

Dane Unger-Mah

Assistant Test Cooks Garth Cngngsm

Chares Kelsey

Nna West

Editorial sistant Ezabeth yAssistant to the Publisher Messa Baldno

Kitchen sisants Nada DomeqMara Eena Deg

Ena Gudiel

itchen Ines Baa AnsKate Archambau

Lor Bulock Foyd

ua Humes

Cai Todd

Contributing Editor Eizabeth GermaConsulting Edito Shirley Corrher

asper hite

Robert okeProofreaer Jean Roge

Vice President Maketing David Mack

Sales Director ese yRetail Sales Director Jason Geer

Corpote Sponsohip Specialist u PhippsSaes Representative Sheknah Cohn

Marketing ssant Connie Fores

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Circuation Manager risa Grener

Products Director Steven Broal

Direct Mai Director a PerCustome Seice Manager Jacquene Vaerio

Customer Seice Representative ule ardnerE-Commerce Marketing Manager Hugh Buchan

Marketing Inte an Halpe

Vice President Opetions James McCoacSenor Production Manager Js ndhemer

Production Manager Ma Connely

Book Production Speciaist Ron BlodeauProdction istant ennfer MCre

Jennfer Power

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Systems Administor Rchard CassdyWebMaster r Shuman

Production Web Intes uren Fenbeuren Petapec

Chief Financial Oicer Shan ChabotController Mndy Shto

Oce Manager Sudah Abdul

Receptionist Henretta Mury

Pulici Deboh Brode


3/36

D

L DIS STER

he worst hailstorm on record forWashngton Count lasted an hour anda hal and cut a swat so violen that itscyted 200 acres of new hay brused

ws and le so much ice in one farmer's drivey tha he couldn't get out o the main roadthout sing a plow Aer e ensuing down-ur hail was washed down into the valleysving mounds of ozen slush more tha 3 feet

gh January thaws and heay rain took ou halfe culverts in town a few years ago and back ne early '90s a small twister worked its way downr moutain valley uprooting huge maples and

ks aong s pah There was a lot of rewooat year. a child I remember sanding high up ond ountan in the Bartett Lot looking down

e valey toward New York Sae and seeing age plue of smoke coming up om Colonelughn's farm. Some green hay had spontane-sly combusted ad he milking barn was

rned no ashes and blackened concrete inere hours Jus wo years ago e Wilco Dairyuth of Manchester went up in smoke and eest Farm on Tate Hill Road was burned toe foundation last fall once ran into a localan who was ecavating a cemetery back in e

oods claiming at he had discovered a massave He told me at a hundred years ago in ad iuenza epidemic e dead were laid oute cordwood by e road and were picked uphorsedrawn carts and buried ogeter The

me fate awaited many of those involved wihe Shays Rebellion in e 1780s They hid out

top of Egg Mountain (a short walk from ourm and many died of e u.Just recently the tow gossip included a

vorce; whispers about a bad trafc accidentvolving a teenage girl; a horse that fell onrider crushing her leg; and he deaths of

eorgie who as living up at Susy's place

in a convered barn and Roy ost two sons o sudden failure and a freak car accn e ne tow tat endeives of a moter and hecildre. It is bearaly but not reaeng as icould hear the distan ruof a gathering storm wiactually seeing t For noweaer report for our movaley remains suy.

McBride who had moved toFlorida some years back but hadkept hs small red house nx oe old Smit farm Of courseover e years one collecs heart-breaking stories of tracor accidents huntrs mistakg iendsfor deer logging ishaps andautomobiles hat collide withmoose. I can point ou morean a few crosses wi owerserected by the sde of road.

rtoer ballFamilies endure all so

other more minor trag

Tose of us who grew up nhe country oen regard our own childhoods asaccidents waitng o hapen as parents were lessproective back hen n the sumer as a youngfarmhand I was chased by a bull frequentlysepped on by a 1on dra horse and workedalongside corn choppers Farmall tractors andhay balers so dangerous at I'm surprised I stillhave bo arms My st horse was a Morganat had a nasty habit of stping cold on eedge of embankments (I kept going or lopingunder large lowhanging boughs (I soppdcold Oer days I would take off with my 22and a sandwch into e mounains to eplore

abandoned camps wi rotten oors and half-falen ceilings. Ae supper and a few doses ofJim Beam my moer oen took my sister and Ion wild rides up Soueas Corners oad in a sur-plus army Jeep at skidded and sluiced over egravel and loose . t's a wonder we survved.

My own kids seem to live a more protectedlife They've fallen off horses suvived an oerturned canoe in he Baenkil and ade eirshare of visits to the emergency room aer swallowing saples fracturing a leg drinkg a half-bottle of cough syrup and suffering a short listof other childhood injuies eal disasters seem

more distan. We recenly heard of a family at

hen ask Charlie f he to play wi his train set he looks at mea slghtly pitying look ad says "No it'Dad in an effor to soen e blow O I Caroline for losing control of her horse anspnds the rest of e day alone er prde hsuffered Many gs are natura enouglonging for a neighbor recently buried ortaken in had and measured out in smaover a lifetime. But it is also natral to be to sense a homecoming in e fant scwood smoke g u e valey and of e ture despite e present

On occasion Adrienne and I have the

sense to sit on e porch aer dner whof the good and bad add up to nog m

you call watching ngered shadows steal our loer meadow nog It's fr ceaend of a perfect day a day at w soon bo history as e cool ermot twilight down from e darkening woods. It's nto forget how good a day it was ntomorrow will be just as ne an easy reent if you w But being older and pjust a bit wiser we'll sit awhile and watlast minutes of ts day ebb into night ano commit it to memory. One jus never

what e ture may bring

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ton ure or chageofare notce call 26-844 the or -47 -77oute the or wrte u at ook llutrate Box 7446 e ak 9-044

b C 0 0 4


4/36

NOTES FROM READES

e Matter of Pa Sze

ur recipe for Lemon Pound Cake in therch/April 00 issue calls for a pan size of 9 inches oes this measurement refer to thetom of the pan or the top? The sides of loafs oen angle ouwar, so the top measure

nt is larger than the boom measuremenEIZABETH CCATHY

SAN ATE, CAIF.

Loaf pans, like other bakeware and cooare,easured across he op, om one inside edgehe other epth is measured from the botomde of the pan to he op of he lip, with theasure held perpendicular to the pan bottom

According o the Cookware Manufacturersociaion, he generic term "loaf pan canly to pans measuring anywhere from 7 binches o 11 b 7 inches Our recipe as

eloped in the pan that won our September/tober 2000 rating of loaf pans, the Baker'sret, hich measures 9 b

For the results of our loaf pan ratings, visi at cooksillustratedcom andin code 04

Your question made us curous o see how ourmon Pound Cake would urn out if made inhtl larger or smaller pans Aer making hee in our standard pan as well as in an 8 bpan and a 10 b pan, we found the great

variation in oucome with the larger pan heal cake (see phoo below right), baked in ourndard pan, shows a nicely doed cake with aure running through the op-a telltale signa classic pound cake The cake baed in heller pan looked much the same; i ust rose a

higher, as ould be expected given the smallerume of he an The cake baked in he 10 ban, however, had a a top wth no ssure (seeoto below le) This larger, atter cake was

a bit dry Being a good inch shorter than the

N WAS TOO BIG PA WAS JUS RIGHT

cake at le, baed a pan too lae for the

e, dd't rse wel ad was d. e ae a rght,

ed n the oer pan se, rose well, developed a

c und cae fssure o top, ad was most.

C O M P L B I N A KO O P M A N

oher wo cakes, it needed less ime to cook andso was overdone when we took it out of the oven

at the suggested cooking ime of minutes

Lghter Fle PaakesI add soda water and powdered buttermilk to mypancake batter insead of liquid butermilk Ialways urns out l ight and uf ancakes Haveou ried i ?

N I N E E A E

We're familiar ith our suggestion of usingsarkling water (and even beer or ginger ale) inpancake recipes and thought we should nalgive i a r To do so, e made our recpe for

Light and Fluf Pancakes (Januar/Februar19 96) substituting he requise amouns ofsarking water and powdered buermilk forthe cu of liquid butermilk called for in herecipe We noiced sraight awa tha he batermade with sparklig water was much more bubbly, almost lively hie e ouldn't describe teresuling pancakes as lively, we d nd hem tobe lighter than those made according o the regular recipe, which are already pret ligh Readerslooking for the ultimate in light and uf pancakes should try a batch made wih sparklingwater For our recipe, ou'l need 3 ablespoonsof powdered buttermilk, which is available in hebaking ingredients aisle in most supermarkes

Bhamel ade Eve Easer

I jus read your test results on wheher or noti's important o scald milk (March/April 2004)enever I make a bchamel-or an other sauceor gra where liquid is added to a fa and ourmixture and hen sirred o thicken-! alwashea the liquid rs I o his in a measuring cupn the microwave-ereby eliminaing he exradiry pan-and the result is that the sauce comesogeer and thickens alost immediae whenhe lquid is added This saves los of sirring ime

and seems such an obvious hing to do question is whether tere's any reason not to do it

AN VAN

SA AN, TEXAS

In te test you menion, we learned that scalding m or not before using it to mae bchameldoesn't make a diference in the qua of the nished sauce tg w eier get you to hesame end point: a thickened whe sauce at mightbe used for ang om he base for a chowdero the sauce for spinach lasagna Bu what we realized aer tring your suggestion is tha heaing

C K

s L L U R D

2

the in he microwave does get ou toend poin wih less eort ad in less time Iin microwag he cups of milk requirthe bchamel our spnach lasagna recipe (ahe March/April 2004 issue), we shaved abminues o the 10minute cooking (and stiime you sa, heaing the in a meacuwhich ou need o use anywaysare need to dr anoher pan

Fis SklletI like to sear tuna and salmon in my castirole, but I don't like the sh avor that seearise when I cook somehing else in the samlaer Short of dedicating a an o sh, is he

wa to get rid of he sh aste and smel?BAN

CHMN

ter frying up more than pounsamon and ring at leas onehalf dozen weliminate the smell evidence-using koshebaking soda, lemon juice, and various comtions hereof-we were sumped Scrubbingbaking soda and rubbing with lemon uickosher salt helped to sh the smell, buenough o keep an egg subsequenly ied ipan from smelling like sh oil

Frusraed, we resorted to a method hoed o le lie: a scrub with ho waer asmall amount of dishwashing deergent cooks rese o use detergent on heir cascookware, arguing that scrubbing with dete remove he valuable seasoning ha taklong to build up Be hat as i ma-and ies kichen we have cooks on boh sides oargument-this mehod was eas and effec

One last hough we had was to heat soeeable oil in the an, reasoing tha a new hmight work bes to release-or a least maskodor of the old shy fat This techique-poenough oil in he an o coa he boto (

inch), heating unti it stared to smoke,taing e an o the heat ad letting it coroom temperatuewas almost completely ive, and we recommend it for hose cooksdon't want o use deergent on her cast io

Is this a lot of work? es So if yo oilequentl, we recommend that ou set asidskillet (a new 10inch costs on abou 1at purpose Eiher at, or the net mofr some bacon in your pan efore you usefr eggs The rendered bacon fat works juwell as vegetable oil, and the bacon has so avor hat we couldn't detect an sh avo


5/36

Better Bottle fo Water?

ond ro ha n or oled aerng (ulyAugu 2004 yo n adre qeion of ha or of plai i ome

opaqe (HDPE, like he onainer hak oe i or lear (ET. Personlly, I ihk sil ame i gla boles. I ear I an asei in mlk rom a plai onaner.

LYNN POWER

SOMERVIE. MASS

To elmnae ay posbi ha he pe osi ed o bole aer migh inene aor,or aig e ampled only aers boe ii ae om PET (olyehylene erephhal. Alough repreenaie o he bole aer

ry unformy lim ha boh plai piy e o boe aerPET and HDPE, orh deni olyehlee-are of eqal qali,

eoa repor a ell a a oed aer aingned nm R hae ndaed aer oe n HDPE oen oen eemae a goo a aer bole in PET. Curiouee if e oul ae a ierene, e eide on or on bin aig.In hi aing ere o o he bran i our/g aing, Arrohea an olaring, h ample of eah in HDPE ad PETle. The rel ere urou. Taer liked herohea PET and HDE aer eqaly ell, he dnly preerre e Poland Sprger om he PET bole, ih ome nng he

ple om he HDPE ole o ae "ale orhae "a rog pla aerae. Our aiguls, hen, are ionluie.There i, hoeer, a ery rong argume

ng ae for PET b one oiue, an boe aer inur i paying aenon.oring o Jane Lazgin o Nel Waer

orh Amera, hh o o he Arroheadd Poland Sprng brad, onumer preer her, lear PE pla raonall ued oraller bole ad hae been reqeing i in hegersze jug ad onaer, h hae uienly been ae om le expenie HDPE. Nel, for oe, w o be oerng iger gallonze jug oh PET and HDPE ore of i 13 ra. The a ha onl o oe nne ran e ampled n our nal ang

aae

HDPE onaner ao ae oro oular o .

una in a Pouch Ges Cheaperyor riep of ane ua erus ouh

na in he May/une 2003 ie, you ay i oore per one for he ouh una, hh yourer preerre. Bu you i aoun or he a half of he 6one an onis of heakng mei-aer or oil-hh moople I ko pour on he rain. The 7. 06e pouh, o he oher ha, i 00 pere

able. I yo reo he ah, youll ha he

This gadget belonged to my late gndmother. My gndpants owned a sunt fm the 1940s thugh1960s, and I assume t was orgnally used the. It appea to beused for poronng out some mte ngde

SLL OL

GEEN B,

Your unusual gadget-whch is used to porton out cbes of ice c

ther than the famla wellrounded scoops-has an interestng his

that nvolves none other than the entepreneural Ry Kroc, the man

came up wth the idea o fnchsing the hambuer stnd that we now kno

cDonald's The squre ce ream scoop, calle e Dp ws one of te mbusness schemes Kroc puued before strkng gold

wth McDonalds

Made of stanless steel, the Dp t has o arms

that measure about 4/2 nches each. Te suae end

of the devce is dpped into a contaner of ce cream,

the e cream packed n, and a stight edge used to

suare o the cube he handle, whch sits next to a

sprngloadng mechansm, is sueezed to release the ce ceam (see llustton

at rght). Accodng to the book d d by John Lve(Bantam, 1986) the sellng ponts of ths scoop wee more precse poron

control and ease of use The test ktchen, however, ddnt fnd the Dp It ea

to use. Ladng the scoop was award, and turnng out a perect cube was a

challenge Pctce mght eventually make perect, but the test ktchen found

the Dp It to be a gmmck-and certanly not a gold strke

D t r sos s tr t rosoos s o o y ror y y Kro str o t Do

pre ferene per oune eee he a ahe pouh pre mima.

MARK M DENTIS, CHEF INSTRUCTOR

JOHNSON & WALES UNVERSITYPROVDENCE RI

SarKi oid e alaore rig aer, ouraorie aed bran, o $ 1.3 9 for a 6ouea or, oud eem, 23 en per oue. arKihun he alaore, our hghe raed ua a poh, o $2.89 or a 7.06oune ouh, oraou 4 1 e per oune. Bu oe e raedo he aer om he aned ua, e fou haa 6oue a oaie ju 3 oune of ua.Tha rough he pre or he ane ua u oabou 40 e per oue. o e no reommehe arK pouh una ih no aea a l.Taer ou i eher aing ad more mohan ane, and i o i he ame.

For he reul of or ang o ua n a pouh, a .oolluaed.ma ke i ode 5 042.

Perplexed by exAer pulihing a quk ip in our May/Jue2004 iue ha all or miroaig bulk popor i a miroaeafe bol, e go eeralnoe from reaer aing o kno i hey oulue a Pyrex bol. he aner i no. Pyrex i ola "mroaesafe, a lis of reiio ohe Pyre Web sie inlues a arig agaisusing yrex o pop poporn in he miroae.

C 0 4

Thi applie o oh ul oporn a "ae poor urhaed i bag.

Aoher arg o he e aple aor uah reipe (ee age 13. The re he ook o "add a mal amon o l rexare eore "ag ood ha r

lqu hile ookig. We ook or qhe miroae, u hi arnng aple oo he ooed i eiher a onenonmiroae oen.

I he ae o oh he poporn anuah, he arig ree Pyrex lnero haering he exoe o exreme hi emperaure (he seam from he oad he eargl ho lui rom he ouah oul e he ulri. More nio o he afe ue o Prex an e ahrough World he, o he oner yrex rad. Go o .orldhen.o

or our quik p on oporn, ee ha u an ael ue a ron aer lun

iea of a bo. A up bul popoe ag a o e bag oer seer tmloe. Deeig o e poer o your ae, he poporn w ake beeen o amue o pop. Chek is progre equen

SEND US YOUR QUEONS e will provide aplen one-year subscrpton for each letter we pri

your inqui name address and daye t l phon nto otes fro eade ook's ustted x rooklne , or to notesfromreade@bcpress


6/36

Quick Tipsasie ake Remval en tuptd whl rying tok t ktch, a OlsPalo lto, Calf, som tms

ws h caks to cool whl stlth gasd pas, ad s ths toub l gttg thm out Byful ly ug th cak pa low hat o th stotop, mlts th gas that wastally spad o th pa bottom

h cak po ps ou t asly wh than s fl ppd o Jam Kalakay

Natuckt, M ass , foud thats tchqu also woks wll fosg stubbo Baaas,as, ad cm caamls

icke ingr Sro of Mn napol, Mnn ,

n d a ratv for pzzattr D rng braat wn ng gnd l drn ar wat ngpatntl for thr F rn toatna, or wa, a pattr to t t nat and qlo bt-z p.

Kitchen OganizatiW ar a lwa lookng or ttr wto oaniz or kitn H r rfor tp fr radr that w fondv fl

A o avod a lanp wnng r tand ng xr Ma akof S nb , xa, pt a patiing t ( k t knd fond inaftra) ndr t ixr Nton t ar to lid th ixr t ontrtop, bt an can b

al land p wit a q k rnof t t.

. arroll M Ni of rin,alf ti iz r dp ktn dw b takng tr t on to ofa otr or a a, th top tra for t t tat ot oftn (vda tni a an opn patla, andl poon) a nd t botto tfor l frqn tl ndd t( a pradr, kwr, tw,and opt). It a p attr

to grap t top tra and l ft t a dwhn a t th botto l ar dird

. rd f plang hidan dkwth p tord n i ktnabnt, Mk E lnfdt ofartown N . H, fond a implwa to k p th onizd Barrangng t p n lab ld rngar bakt aphabta ll oraording to p n q kldnt tr o aton and rtrvwatvr nd b p l ng downt approprat bakt

D. n N l on of gl aif,kp r rfrgtor nat and oanzd b png a prannt arand akng p and Ev t anw bo or ar opnd or lova pagd p, wrt t dat ona p of p and t t to t d of t onn r n a gl vibl pot

A

D.

n U Yur Tip e will pvide mpliment nee ssiptin f eh tip we pint en tip ne nd ddess t Tops. 's Illstte x 478 line 447 t qitips@pess.

I L L U S R

Nae heese GraigDonna MadrrofQn, Ma., a an plat bag (a la zppr- lobag or a gro tor oppng bato od bot gratr and Bpla ng t bag aro nd t gtr at , an gt wlan and and l m nat awa bLovr gratd rad fortorag n a a nd bag

avig Fesh GingeFsh gg s o sod apc s that may ot b usd up o c p No watg ayto go to wast, usa Bow ofGatau, Qubc, fgd out asy way to xtd ts shl f f

I . Cut fto gg to cpcs ad plac thm a zpplock bag2 to th bag th fz fo moth o log Whfsh gg s dd, smp ly pa pc fom th fz, alow to taw, pl t, ad th gat c _h _o _p _ _s _ re_ q_ _ i _re_ d_ .


7/36

cn Ds pee uhly a

pa hele, ae f

a M h ., wp a lea wea

a au he mle f he

le f l ah p he

e ba be me , he

ea he wah mahe

eaely, a ba f fle

pe wel a be ee aue ble wh a bbe ba a

mply hw away whe .

icng

itsWn r FatorMar of Mald n

a . n d t a l ttl lon or l not nog to warnt ofrh plo t followngtod.

Sl t frt n alf and po t a fw wt a for St t for n t tr and

t t a o wold wth a rar

peey g RsnLynn Mc Hugh of Roanoke, Va. waslooking for an eaway to spee up the bread-makingprocess. She hit pay d it with a microwavable neck wrap, the ki nd normallyused to relieve stress. Wen wrapped around a bowl of dough, it provides justen oug ext eat to gently nu ge te doug into rising in abouthalf the time.

.

I Hat t n warr n t roav for I to 2 nt.2 Ft t warr n gl arond t owl of og.

eabg tnInsTw eade leaed ho w maage que ely wthu a ball eedesged t aptue lse tea by pug a pa pe ee fle o ue

B.

A Rachel Plae f Chcago, l l., places he tea ( a hebal bledcham m le flwes m t, ad s fth) the cete f he fl e, the gath-e the edges a e hem wh kg e. Whe tm mg he e,she l eaes a lttle exa legth use p ul lg the ba u f he up eapt whe de eepg

Fas Lm f Elm hu s, N.Y., ha a aleae methd f makg juse mu f ea: e he m u wh a eshaped cee fle lae euht exted e the m f the m ug Fld the flte e the m t ecue,the fll wth lse tea ad add ht wate. Whe fshed eepg, jus ullo th e flte ad squee ze getly, as yu wul d a egula tea bag

en ssSan anov of Wton C onn fond t prt tool for lanngall of tho harto-rah pot onroo o n for tho lttl pal ra an oft-rtld tootrprovid a oforta han dland t al l had l p a lnr t g l l to aptr vt t of d rt. A rn throgh tdwahr lan t old r .

P M a R 0 0 4

incing hilesea Kelly of Bst, Mas., fua qu ck way easo he dp sad sauces wth ch potle peppe pk led jalape ch les. hs mply pu ts a small a mout of ct the well f a galc pes aqueezs.

Nnsk i ng adsn akesA tr ln ng r nw tn ant wt non d lf l nr trBaa of Dalla xa a p w

good wa to t lftovr atSh t t nto p ta t f prn dr r ttng oar t tot fro lp png an l ng Wt aft at ar not n t roll p and tor tnatl n a tn dwr

Catln Cap ll of ondCal f. nond lf ln r to tnport a arol and ola ng d S l n t to of t a arrr ox or oton nr wt a all to t ontnt fro ld ng nto tof t arrr wl n tnt.


8/36

Grill-Roasted Beef TenderoiWith a whole tenderloin going for as much as $180, uneven cooking, bland flavor, a

a tough outer crst just don't cut it. Coul we o t cheaper an eter?

'm not one to part easily wit money,but I on occasion break the bankand buy a couple of beef tenderloinseaks to tow n the gil . The ender,

ery interior is the big draw for me, ande combination of healty seasonig ane avo om the chacoal grill is a pefection o a the mild-asing (boring)ce of meat. Recently, a the prospec ofding a large crowd (and not crazy abot

e idea of standing over a hot gril, ipping a

zen steaks), I rdered a whole beef endern om my lcal supemarke. Sx pondspefectly trimed tendeloin late, I had

elled out a jaw-dropping $167.9 (tha's7.99 per pound), questioned my sani,d headed fo home.

B B L A N A

I heaed p he grill nd gingerly placedy new, most valuable possession over he coals. Even though I wached i ike awk, I cold't get he endeoin to cookenly. The exteior was chared and ogh;e interior of the fa butt end was pi ande thinner end ws beyond wel-dne.ost of all, because I ws able to season onlye exteior of the tenderloin, he inteo wsnd and avorless. Maybe I should haveck to steaks er all.

A rft tn dr oi n fro t gri tart wit at o in g andfini wit a twovl fir

Cying ino my can of Coos, I wonderedhere ws a way to ake this mammot h andanely expe nsive cut of beef and grill i toole pefection My expectaons wee high:even, osy pin hr ough o; a bow ne,

s exterior; and well-seasoned, glled vo.oting less would do. And, aer having spenarly $170 on a complee op, I was deerminedd a cheape alternative.

cke Shocklocal spemakets, I leaned, whole eefndeloin isn't a meat caseready item. Mostchers I talked to sid they keep the tenderns in the back to be cu for les, so if yont one, you've got to ask fo i. When youask fo whole enerloin, it sually come

eele, which means h te ouer laye of fatd silve skn (tough muscle sheath) has beenmoved. These peeled tendelois an anwhere

m $13.99 per pond fo Choice grade metan even me asunding $3 2.99 pe poundPime grade at a high-end bchertha's

$200 dolls fo a 6-pond oas. At ha price, Iexpected the buche to come o my house, gillthe meat fo me, wash te dishes, and thow ina back ub.

A few days lae, I wen shopping at a wholesaleclub. No longe jus a place o by giant cans ofbeans, mos wholesae clbs sel mea as wel. I

soon found myself eye-o-eye wit a case ofCyovac'ed, Choice grade, whole enderloins. Ife mountain of mea hadn' caugh my attenton,

the pice sue woud have. Weighing in at about $9pe pound, ese tendeloins wee one-thrd hecost of he oast I ad boug om my butche.I grabbed as many as I could pack into the giant

shopping cart and headed back to the kichen.I soon discovered the one downsie of sing

the who les ale clu ene lins Te y came"unpeeled, s a fai amoun of ting, tugging, and ping was necessay o id he mea ofis fa and silve skn. B I had o be jdcious, asI found my gs could weigh moe than 1pounds, including te loss of some valable mea.The best way o m one of these endeloins was

C K ' S L L S D

to rs peel o as mch fa as possible whands; e fa cae away clea and oolitle of the pcey meat wih i (see eations on page 7). Nex I go o my bong kne (a sha paring nfe wok

in a pinch) ad emved te silve skmscle sheat tat woud otewise cateneloin o cur p on e gill. Las,he adce of many cookbooks an ucknarow tip end of he endeloin ndied it secuely. This tuck-and-tie ste

the tendeloin more consistent thta would alow it to gill more eveyWas this exta 20 minutes f pepa

wok woth te eot? Yo'd bee eTendeloin is by no means a "ceap pmea, bu ths ie i didn' emp my (See te Tasting box on page 8 fo

infomation on price vesus qali.)

Beef SeonWhile some love eef endeloin f"mild beef avo, ohes scoff a

exacy he same eason. I fond myte late cap and fel tha the tend

could use a avor boos. Many ecipegested mainades, spice ubs, o eb Tastes ejected the marinaed ende

f their wed, spong textue. Spice she beef aste too much lie babece ( if wBBQ, 'd by a cheap ack of ibs), whilubs were too powel fo sch a tame mea. I was ooking fo a way to enhance avo, no mask i.

Then a colleague uned me n to a eheralded tecqei which the tendelo iand le to s ovenigh in he idge. Te ges tht the sa penetates the mea l

to te cene, seasoning te tendeloin tou. Sue enough, te sate-oveng eseasoned though and thogh, bt a quieThe meat had turned a sicly bown-gaywhen the cener was cooked o meium-ae exte was wey, ike ta of an undec

po os (see phoo on page ).Fo my ex ound, I saled two mo

deloins. I wapped bo in plastc and eaed one fo fou hous, he oher fo oneAthough both wee makely bee haovernight-saled endeloin, the e wbeef that ad een saed fo only one ho.


9/36

c , E c E Wh S hu d Yu Sa t MatSalng a s nohng nw; was usd nus bfo fgon as ahod of saon. Rnly hough h has bn a nwd housof os sngng h ss of h sml sal ub soms ald h nghbfo ookng. Is no so had o s why sa mgh mak a ough u oalaab bu would hs hnqu y nd lon ?

W found ha sang h ma an hou bfo ookng ga h oas abf ao. A fou- hou sa odud mu h h sa sul s b u salng hoas h n gh bfo ookng was no dsab . h on un d bown a h

sua and los som of s lgnda xu. Bu why?Anyon who ls n a od ma knows ha h sang of oadways

auss as o us. hs s du o sas abl o omo oxdaon (hmoa of ons) fom on. Sa an also hl o oxd myoglob n anonoan ng on ha gs a s d olo . h bown oo of hndon ha had bn sad ongh nd ad ha a sgnfan amoun of h myoglobn had b n oxdd and s d o o los.

Pas h oo olo ould b xusd f h odu had odudhnomnal ao. I n fa h oos was u; h ma was sn and hao was d. In add on o oxdng h myoglob n h sa had dwn fom h ma aus ng o look hady as f had b n oookd . Moosom of h m d bu ju bf ao noa lly assoad wh nd on waslos; a nw du as had dlod . In h as of ndo n whh s baufully

xud and d l ay laod ou of h aag h s al y no good asono sa fo xndd ods. ohn O son S n d o

oos ovooo os

ONE-HOURSALING

y vo os

st enough time to season the meat withoutompromising the texture, the salt brought outeciedly beeer avor. Even better was lettinge salted tenerloin sit on the countertop ratheran refrigerating it. The big tenerloin lost some

f its chill, an it grille at a more even rate.

exterior was no longer scorched, but the outerinch of meat was approaching welldone beforethe interior cooked.

Up to this point, I had been grilling the tenerloin directly over the hot re, an approach thaturne the crust before the interior had cookedrough. I trie a more moderate heat. Now the

In a foreheaslapping moment, it struck methat I was grilling the tenderloin as if it were asteak and not what it was-a roast. So I set upe gril for grillroasing, in which indirect heat isused to cook the meat. I pile he coals up on oneside the gril, leaving the other sie emp, thenplace te tenderloin over the emp side, covered

I T R I N G T H E T E N D E R L O I Nhough wholsa u bs o whol bf ndo ns a an aodab os om "u nld wh h faand s skn (a ough mbn) na. Hs how o m a ndon fo h gll. x o los bwn and ou nds du ng h mm ng oss. A bonng kn f s h bs ool fo hs ask.

I Pul l ay ou lay of fa oxos a han of ma.

Trim sl skn by slng und and ung uwad.

2 Pull han of fa away fom oas o and dsad ha .

Rmo man ng s skn nass a hk nd.

3 Sa s skn a ass nhk nd o xos los.

u ndlo n o ad mofa fom un dsd.

S b C 0 0 4

he g, and le it alone. About 45 mnutI knew that I was on to someing. The heat had cooke the tenderloin eveny omtip (OK so the very ends were more eland the meat had taken on a mild, smoom sening so much time expose to coals. But I missed the crust that came ththe meat. The solution was to sear te tenover the hot coals before switching to the

(coalfree side to ish grilling. This wremarkable, wellbrowne crust an a rointerior. To impart more smoky avor, adding soake wood chunks to the re. was just what I got; there was no enying meat had been grilled.

When I cut into a tenderloin right grill, it gave off a lot of uicenot a go

with such a lean piece of meat. The eation was to let the meat rest for 10 to 1utes before cutting, but uring this restthe meat rose from medium rare (abodegrees to mediumwell (over 15 0 eg

next removed e tenderloin from the grithe meat was still rare. Aer resting, th

was increibly uicy, with a rosy pink ia beauti dark brown crust, and a smosoned avorall of which was worth eveI had paid for it.

G R I L L R O AST E B E E F T E N E R LO I

S R V S I 0 O 1

One trimmed, and th the butt tenerlolobe at the large end of the roast still atthe roast should weigh 4 to 5 pouns.urchase an alreadytrimmed tenderloin

the butt tenderloin attached, begin checkdoneness about 5 minutes early. If youyour tenderloin wihout a smoky avor, yopt not to use wood chips or chunks. Seror th either of the sauces on age 8.

eeftenerln (aut pu n) trmman iler kn (ee llutrat I thru

tal en tucke a n te at -nch nte

1 talepn kher alt

talepn le l

talepn ru lack pe pper

About 1 hour before g g, set tenon rimme baing sheet ad rub ih saltloosely with plasic wrap and let stan atemperature. over wo 2inch woo

with cold water and soak 1 hour drain.2. About 15 minutes before g g, op

tom grill vents. sing large chimey starteabout 6 quarts ( 1 large chimney, or 2 harcoal briquettes and burn uil coverlayer of light gray ash, about 15 minutes.oals into grill; uild modied wo levelarranging coals to over one half of gllthem about 3 biquettes high. Set oo


10/36

r 1 N G h u d Yu Buy Mat at a Wah s C u bWen omes o buyng a seal u o bee lke enderlo more and more cooks are byassng e su er

arke and e e seekng baan res a wolesae ubs or ayng a remu m for e sea l bee aala bleroug ma lo rder soures s ere a deree beween roass a s $9 ad $49 e o d ?

n a b l nd asng we ealuaed a broad seleon of ederlon sne from a oca s ermarke ree omareouse l ubs and ree rom wel l know mal order soures Ts las gro cl ded seea Prme oass

e roass fom e su ermarke and wareose lu bs wee e er C oce or Selec e nex grades dowe qual an and ose ommo nly fond n su ermarkes G en e rce dferees as wel as e arou srades o beef n e sng we were soked by e ess

a woe our ane l foun d only suble derees n aor and exre among e see endelo ns No ee ma ode ende rlons m anaged o sand ou om e crowd Te o o ce ame fom e su ermare d ou anel s send e was a Sele roas from a wareouse cl b O ly e eusly roen Om aaeas enderl on faled o lease asers and s o emme ded So wen omes o ed ero n y d ae o ay a kng s ransom or a rnely oas Gar C nggsm

Wat e Yo Reay ying r?

s a sows e re we ad e ound fo seenendelons Beuse some ende lons requred mu morermmng an oers weve ndaed e edble oronas a erenage o e n al weg) We en ealulaede res o ndae wa ea o ud of edb le mea ealyos e endero ns are l sed ode o refeece basedn ase sores xe for e Omaa roas all samles

re reommended Pes for roass om obels N man and Omaa nlude s ng ad adl ng.

I \ '.O N E EXP EN S I VE R OAST

s a orr roas arrv rsooa, r a B

oy ay or s rv W sa a, s 3 o , 4o roas

os s 6

(PR POND) (AFR TR N) (PR POND)

top & Sop $ 1 4 9 9 64% $ 2 3 3 4j's $8 89 67% $ 1 3 24

be's $487 1 100% $487 1Niman nc $ 4 3 76% $ 5 7 5 0

ostco $8 79 70% $ 1 2 6 0

am's Cb $8 7 64% $ 1 3 8 7Omaa $360 80% $4094

coas osition gri grate over as vr and heat grate unti hot about 10 miuese gri grate cean with gri brush

Coa tenderoin with oi and srik as with eer Gri enderoin on ho ide directy over coas cook unt we broned

ut 2 minutes then rotate one quarer turnrepeat unti sides are we browed totaminutes Move tenderoin to oer side ofand cover ositioning id vents over en-

oin Cook unti instanread thrmometrrtd into thickest art o tenderoi rgistrs

degrees for rare 16 to 20 miutes or 125rees for medumrare 20 to 25 minues

Transfer tndroin to cutting board andoosey with foi et rs 10 to 5 minuesinto inchthick sices ad serve

G R I L L R O A ST E B E E F T E N E R O I N

ON A GA S GRI L L

ou're using a gas gri wood his are a btron than wood chunks

oow ste 1 o rei or Grioadf Tenderoin substuting 2 cus wood his

A GO OD BU T C EAP R OASTs 5 roas ro a aro s a o o tr B ar 5

s, as ray o oo a asav ao

r ood chk ad ag hs 20 iutDrai chis ae i ma dissab foi aand or w eadut i 6 hoes ifi and t aside

2 bou 20 mi br grii awod hi a o rimar ber bur ai reain o durig riig) oit ooggrate Tu brs t ih r gri adeat uti vr abou 20 miu rae grira a i gri brush

3 Unvr tedroi oa i oie oi andsrik a id wi r Pa droio ide o ra sie rimar ber Gritederin r brners) iu wod chist we browd 2 o minues en roaeo quarer u ad rea a id ar brod o a o 8 2 mi urn oa bur rimar br deroioud b iod r tuid bur)over ad ok isarad tromterisrtd in k ar o ederoi rgisters 20 dgrs r rar 6 20 u or 25dgree r mdi rar 2 25 mi

4 Tranr droi ui oard ad i i r 0 mie ut io ik i ad sere

' >

R O M E S C O S AU C E

AKE S A BO U T C S

sl cs ht sach bra

tablspoos slvr alm os , toast s

ry sk l l ovr m m at t l bg

bro, aot mtsjar ( oc) roast r ppprs, ra

(ab ot cps)

small rp tomato ( ocs) , cor sa chopp m

larg garc clov, m c or prss trog

garlc prss (aot gros tasoo)

tablspoos travrg olv ol

1 tablspoos shrry vgar

' taspoo cay

Tabl salt

Tas bread i toaster a t se sura is dr bu no brod emov cand u brad ito ru i i houd a ab / u)

2 rss brad and amod i od ssor uni uts ar n grud 0 ods dd rd eers toao gariingar aene ad a a Psraig do side o bo as cssar umixr has ur inar t maonais 20 seond dut seasoin wit sat tranixture to bw and sere a rrigratairtig naier u to 2 das rturn auroom tmrature br ervi )

C I LA N RO PA RS E S AUC E I H

P I C K L E J A P E O S

AKE S A B O ' / l C S

This sauc dir if e t sit for o i's bs sred ithi 4 hour o making i

sl cs t sach bra

cp travrg olv o l

' cp j c from to lmo s

cps ghtly pack frsh cla tro av

cps lghtly pack frsh flatlaf arsly la

1/ cp ra pckl jala po slc s, chopp

m (abot tablspoos)

larg garlc clov, m c or prss trog

garlc prss (abot g ros tapoo)

Tabl salt

1 Toa brad in oar a urfa i dr but t brod emv ad u brad io rouh i c ies oud have about 1 u)

2 Proes bread i and e uic in frosor uni smot 10 to 15 sonds iaro are aao ari and 4 n sa u t hd nxsud o b ) ab scu raing dn b a ear deaon wi sat ranser o ad ser


11/36

l a etter Sue ak Potoul voi th usul runhy vgtls n soggy potto skin?

B Y B R I D G E T L A N C A S T R A N R I N M M U R R R

Packed wh cheese , vegetables, and savormeats , a stued baked potato waks a neline beween being a big snack and a onesh mea. Although found everwhere

om drive-hro dows to chain restaurants,ese spuds have resisted our eorts to make themccessll at home, ening up sogg bottomed

nd stued ith heav, greas gs.Starting from the bottom up, we learned

hat an extra stepscooing out th e pulp of theaked potatoes and drng he empied skins inhe ovenmade for a crisp shell to house our l

gs. When it came to te ings, however, the

roblems were not as easil solved . We found tatw vegetables exuded too much liquid. Crunchroccoli and crisp cabbage soened and becameore avorl when cooked rst. Smo baconso had to be cooked to a crisp to shed most ofs heav fat before going into the potato.

Just a few tablespoons of butter were necessaro crisp he vegetables and saut the lingsanore added heaviness to the ix To bind theling, we turned to sour cream and half-andaf, which together provided a luxurious textureithout mang the g too greas. for the cheese (we wouldn't think of bakg potatoes twice without it), our attempts at

n kind of restraint led us to dissatisfacton. Wetted on about 2 cups (about cu er potatoalf), but the ke here was to mix half of theheese in wth the lling, sprinkle the oter halfn top, and brown the potatoes under the broilerntil golden and crisp.

AKD POTATOS FOR IC BAKD POTATOS

djust oven rack to middle position; heat oveno 400 degrees. Scrub, dr, and lightl rub 4 rust potatoes (8 to 9 ounces each) with vegetableil. Bake potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet until

kewer can be inserted into and removed omotaoes wh lile resistance, 60 to 70 minutesdo not turn oven of. Cool potatoes on bakingeet aout mnutes.

TI C BA K D POTA TO S I T H BROC C OL I ,C H D D A R , A N S C A LL I O N S

S E RV E S 4 A S A A N C O R S E O R 8 A S A S D E D I S H

recie Baked Potatoe

tableoon unalted butter (melt 2 tableoon) cup broccoli floret {from 2-pou nd bu nch) cut

into 1 to l -inch piece tem dicarded

Table al t

teaoon ju ice rom I lemon

' tea o on powdered mu tard

ounce har cheddar cheee hredded (2 cu) cal l ion l iced thin (about cu)

' cu ou r cream1/ cu half-and half

Ground black eper

1 e ptatoes are baking, heat 2 tablespoonsbutter in 12-inch skilet over meumgh heatunti foam subsides; add broccoli and teaspoonsalt and cok, stirring occasional, until lightl

brwned, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoonswater; cver and co til crisp-tende, about 1minute . Uncover and continue to ck until waterevarates, abot 1 minute. Transfer to bowl andstir in lemn juice.

2. Have each potato lengthwise Using soupspoon, scop esh from each half into bowl,leaving about / inch thickness of esh. Placeshe ll s cut-sides up on baking sheet and return tooven unl dr and sihtl crsp, abut 1 0 nutes.

3. Meanwhie, mash potato esh with forkuntil smooth; stir in melted butter, / teaspoonsalt, powdered mustard, 1 cup cheese, scains,sour cream, half-andhalf, and pepper to taste,then stir in broccoli

4 Remove shells from oven; heat broiler.Mund lling into shells; sprinke ith remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until spo brown, 6t 1 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve.

T I C BA K D POTAT O S I T H BA C ON ,C AB B AG , AN D C H D D A R

S E R V E S 4 A S A A N C O R S E O R 8 A S A S D E D S H

Tender sav cabbage is our rst choice , but theso outer leaves frm a head of regular green cabbage can als be used.

rece Baked Poatoe

ou nce bacon ( trip) cut into -i nch piece

tabepoon unated butter (melt 2 tableoon) cup ao cabbage (about ound) cored and

liced into 1 b -inc h iece

Table alt

2 teaoon red wine negar

ounce har chedar cheee hredded (2 cu) cal l ion l iced thin {about cu)

cup our cream

1/ cup halfand -half

Ground black peper

( C T 0 0 4

9

1 . Wile potatoes are baking , fr b12-inch skillet over meium heat until cri1 0 minutes . Using slotted spoon, transfeto paper towellined plate; our off altablespoon bacon fat. Add tablespoon bbacon fat; heat over meium-high untl then add cabbage and teaspoon salt anstirring occasionall, unil cabbage beginsand is lightl brwned, about 2 minutes. cup water, cover, and cook unil crisp-teto 7 minutes; uncover and continue to coowater evaporates, about 30 seconds. Tranbowl and stir in vinegar.

2. Follow step 2 of Twice -B aked PotatoBroccoli, Cheddar, and Scallions.

3. Meanwhile, mash potato esh wth fosmooth; stir in melted butter, cabbage, tsalt, V cup bacon, 1 cup cheese, scaioncrea, haf-andhalf, and pepper to taste.

4. Folow step 4 of Twce Baked PotatoBroccol, Cheddar, and Scalions, sping with both remaning cheese and rembacon.

TI C BA K D POTAT O S I T H HAP AS , A N D G R U R

S E R V E S 4 AS A A N C O R S E O R 8 A S A S DE

I recie Baked Potatoe

tableoon un alted bu tter (melt 2 tabl oun d baked del i ham liced / inch th

cut into 1/-i nch cube

cu froen ea

ounce Grure cheee hreded ( 2 cu cup our cream

' cu half-an -half

2 tableoon whole-g rain mu tard

Salt and ground black eer

1 While potatoes are baking, heat 1 tab

butter in 12-inch skilet over meium-hiuntil foag; add ha in even laer anwithout stirrin until lihtl browned, aminutes. Sir and cook 3 seconds longheat, sir in peas; transfer mxture to large

2 . Follow ste 2 of Twice- Baked PotatBroccoli, Cheddar, and Scallions.

3. Meanwhile, mash otato esh witunil smooth; stir in melted butter, ham m1 cup cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, mand salt and peper to taste.

4. Follow step 4 of Twce-Baked Potatoroccoli, Cheddar, and Sllions.


12/36

Svig Prbm fBad Cic Brass

Nng s rs (r r cmmn) n bk cckn brss-chl, sur mpp rubbr, lcc skn. ul mk s smpl dnnr m r ng

t teir best, roasted boei, skio cicke breasts oght to proidemoist, teder, seasoed meat ad crispbrow ski Bt wte meat loers

p a leg for a breast ay day, ee we lessideal espite te demad, recipes for plai

ted chicke breasts are i sort spply Idered why Research sowed that ee the

plest recipes iclded aorig igredietsiasts add herbs, lemo, or mstard; othersace ith olies, capers, sesame, or hoeytested a halfdoze recipes Not ee thet potet of igrediets cold disgise the

sistetly blad ad dry meat "Like eatigboard, said oe taster Te sk i o all of thests proed eqally disappoitig Hits ofess were oversadowed by mostly fatty, rbski My goal was to create a simple recipe for

roasted chicke breasts that wold yield pery cooked meat ad ski I eisioed a qickeasy recipe, perfect for a weekight meal

Steld trip to local spermarkets cormedt as coclded before: Boei,o cicke breasts are best boght wholecasig already split breasts presets prob

worth aoidig These prect, prepackagedsts vary widely i size ad ofte cotaiies with tor ad missig ski or meater to take cotrol ad ct the breas t yorself-ad-a-half-pod whole breasts proedTey are readily aailable, te portio size

od, ad they are arge eog for te ski to whe the meat is cooked trogh

y otime reader of tis maazie alows that likes to brie chicke A gth qick brie ( 30 mites worked bestte roasted meat, bt the ski was sogg Toe ts problem, I wold ave to ar-dry tests o a rack i the refrigerator, somehingade o sese or a Tesday-ight spper

r codctig a mber of additioal failedicldig remoig te ski before bristetcg it oer a rack, ad eezig itIed te otio of briig ad air-dryiggether ad directed my efforts toward apler, qicker soltio (Stretcig the ski

B Y L Z A B A N

Fo s sn and ju y a oas whol h nbass and a h a off h bon a sn g

ad freezig it was a sasig sccess"teski is almost like crackli' pork rids, sai d oetasterbt it's too mch troble for what oghtto be a simple dier

Fh SttI started oer, ts time askig myself if ctting

te wole breasts before roastig tem, as I hadbee doig, was a good idea I splt two rawbreasts ad roasted tem alog wit two splitbreasts I was shocked by te reslts This simpleoioroasting whole iste ad of split breaststred ot to be a major discoery, oe tat dramatically improed the jiciess of te meat Theexplaatio? hole breasts retai more of theirjices ta ct breasts, wich ae more aeesfor moistre loss Bt waiig to ct rough thebreastboe t i aer cookig ( te cicke mstbe ct for serig preseted problems eeales, attractive pieces, ad chicke hat was

C I L L U R E D

ot easy to eat Carig the meat eirely ofboes and serig it faed o the plate wsimper, more attactie ateraie

I terms of oe temperare, I tested heatels om 35 0 degrees p to 50 degree s The differece was glarig whe he breasts emeom he oe The ski o the breasts roaat 350 was pae yellow ad rbbery lookig

ski roasted at 500 was brt Neither tagreat, thogh breasts om the hotter oes better I the ed, 450 degrees proed best meat was sti jicy ad the ski color improbt te ski still was't as crisp as desired occas ioaly, fat rpped om e chicke itobag pa, smoking p the kitche

Ging CloTo sole he problem of smoking, I switched my 3 by 9ich Pyrex pa to a stailess roapa tted wi a rack Still, a shallow layer oformed, casig some smoke The good was tat I had witigly discoered aosecret of perecty baked chicke By gettingbreasts p of te pa bottom, the rack alloheat to circlate dereath them Te rwas more ee, qicker cookig ad jicier mIspired by the rack , I ied crea rby llig ot te rib cage o each side ofwhole breast so that it cod stad p o its oIt worked! Istead of crig der he brte edges of te breast ow faed otwardallowed for better air circuatio Bt the smesed I tried oe more ime, ts ime

a broiler pa Bigothe fat dripped belowrack, which shielded it om he heat Roas

was ow smokefree, the meat was juicier, adbroler pa was easy to clea p as lo as Iered he bottom with foil

Oe probem, howeer, remaied mediski I knew from earlier tests that separathe sk om te meat alows hot to cicmore eely der te skin, reders more fat,prodces cspier skin I tred seeral approaiclg slasng te skin ad seering it ewhere bt alog the breastboe, b eore deterig hat a oe-sided pocket opening worked sig my gers, I getly plled apat te boedge d sed a spoo to ope p a cait


13/36

P R E PA RI N G T E C I C K E N F O R R O AS T I N G

I Gety ft k at botto of 2 Ug teapoo plae butte beat to eate a poket fo ete of eat. Peg o k

3 Getly pul out b age foeah de of beat to eate aable baebutte pead bue eely oe eat

etd zed skin shrinage and allowed ten t roast t a deep glden brwn Nw thelr f the skin was appealing, but a rispy textureained elus iveI had been rubbing il n the skin, as it hepedth brwning and risping Nw I tried rub

ng sme under the skin as well "Yes! The skinnally blistering and risp, said my leagesext I tried butter instead f il T e respnse ?

The skin is utra-risp, and "The meat seemstter avred and juiier The butter helped tep the deliate breast meat juiy while addingvr I tried rubbing sened butter n tp fe skin as well, but te old skin ased the but r t seize up, making spreading diflt S Iaed with the il n tp f the skin inally, I turned t the sat Having rejetedining, had been seasning the uter breastserally with salt and pepper I nw tied sating

der the skin "Yes, said tasters, "the meat istter seasned and uiier As I was alreadybbing on butter, I tried adding the salt t te

utter t ake the seasning easier It workedAt last I had perfetly rasted plain hikeneasts And my reipe was just as easy asanden quiker thansme f the siplest I hadsted Here was the seret frua: Rast ahle breast, use a very hot ven, allw air t irlate under the breastbone and under te skin,d use dest aunts f il, buter, sat, and

peper This tehniue as made it easy t addavors by simply avring te butteras long as avoided sugar and hney, whih made the skinburn, r t muh grund spie (mre than ateasn), whih reated a gritt textre estf a, nw have a simpe reipe tat prdues

white meat s gd that even lvers f dark meatmay take ntie

ROA S T ED C HI C K EN BREA S T S

ERVE 4

T make sure tat the breasts k at the saerate, purhase tw simiary sized whle breasts(nt spit breasts) wth skins y intat oehiken breasts weighing abut 1 onds workbest beause tey reqire a king time ngenugh t ensure that the skin wil brwn andrisp niey Ifyu d nt wn a brier pan, use a

rasting pan tted with a at wire rak Tis reipean easiy be inreased by 5 r perent Ifyu d inrease it, just make ertain not t rwdthe hiken breasts n the briler pan, whih animpede he brwng and risping f the skin

2 tableoon unalted butter room teme rature

2 whole bone-i n kinon chicken breat

(about ound each) atted dr with

aer towel a nd trimme d of ece fat

Table alt

I C A RV I N G T E B R E A S T S

I o eoe eat ut taghtdow alog oe de of beatboe

2 Ru kfe dow a og b age toeoe ete beat half

3 Se eah beat haf oweo ba akg th le

S R [ C R 4

Ground black eer

tableoon egetable oil

1 Adjust ven rak t midde positinven t 45 degrees Line bttm f briwith fi, plae briler an rak n tp seIn small bwl, mix teaspon salt anduntil mbined Sprinkle underside f

breasts liberaly with salt and pepper lillustratins 1 tugh 3 at le, gently bttm prtin f skin vering eah Using sma spoon, ae a qarter f sbutter under skin, diretly n meat in of eah breast hal Using soon, spread evenly ver breast meat Rub skin f eahbreast with 1 teasons il and sprinklally with pepper Set hiken breasts n pan rak, prpping up breasts on rib bne

2. Rast until thikest part of breast r16 degrees n instant-read ermmeter4 minutes Transfer hiken t uttingand let rest 5 minutes T arve, flw

tins 1 trugh 3 belw Serve immediate

ROA S T E C HI C K EN BREA S T S H GA

R O S E M A R , A N D L E M O N

Fllw reipe fr Rasted Chiken reasts,2 mined meium garli oves, 2 teaspns esh rsemary eaves, and 1 teaspon gratedzest it sened butter alng wth salt

ROAS T ED H I C K EN BREA S TS IT H

C H I P O T LE , C U M I N , A N D C I LA N TR

Follw reipe fr Rasted Chiken Breasing 2 teaspn mined hiptle hiles in 1 teaspn ground umin, and 2 teahopped fresh ilantr leaves int senter ang with salt

ROA ST ED C H I C K EN BREA S TS IT H OL

PA RS L E , A ND L EM ON

Folw reipe fr Rasted Chiken reasing 1 tablespn hpped pitted kalaata1 teaspn grated lemn zest, and 2 teahpped fresh parsley leaves int senedalong with salt

ROAS T ED C H C K E N B REA ST S I T H

H E R B S A N D P O R C N I M U S H R O O M

In s mall bwl, over 2 tablespons driedmushrms with biing water; et stanmushrms sften, abut 5 minutesfork, mushrooms frm iquid and (you shuld have abut 4 teasns) reipe fr Rasted Ciken reasts, mixinini, 1 teaspon mined esh thyme leav1 teaspn mined fresh rsemary eavsoened butter ang with sat


14/36

w Acr Squshd maly y qua a ak a u bake? wad a ad b

The puarity f cor squ sh asalways mystied me Aer whatseems like ens in he ven, iinevitably lands n the table with

e avr ad a dry, grainy texture Perhasaeal resides in its sherical shaethewed-ut haves are perfect recetaesmeted butter and sugarbu his fea desn't make u fr he dry, cttny

h Yet acrn squash can be quite gd, ifutright deliius, when repared r At its rare best, it is characterized by aet, mst nuy aste and mist, smth

h Culd I slve this culiary challenged it relativey uicky?

h-Tch ( niqu )

3 C C A H A Y S

ht t slly heat fd frm he uin, causing dehyain and a ess destexre, esecialy n he uter edges

Swt SuThe ne imprta issue I had e was te tpig, r avrig, fr the sqMy cleagues were ud and cear awhat they wae: a cassic buter and glaze Drk brwn suga is he ms mn chice ad as naed he best sener, ih maple syrup a ruer-u Optins (hney, graated suar ad

brwn sugar) were either nt swee enr didnt prvide he famiiar avrwe wanted ted he amunt f bsugr t 3 ablespnsnugh t rample sweetess but nt s much tha Itempted t serve te suash th a scvania ice cream equal aunt f bmade the best cmpemen

st ckbk authrs remmend bakingrn suash in a vered dish, while a fewges smewhat uncnveninal meth, including seaming, biling, braising,baking Steamed and bied chunks fed suash ked uickly bu turned

mushy and waterlgged Braisingulted in a sggy, strigy texture that was

he mre disapinting given the ardu

task f peeling the suash befre ck-

A 20-m in ute recipe yields creamy squash with a golden brown glaze.

One prblem remined The sqashsti lacking the stic, crameized glazefrms when i is ven-baked Passig hetered ad sugred sash under he bfr a few miues aer micrwavig wa

it The baked suash were just as exeted:very drywas rung ut f he until I fud a reciee Internet tha suggested micrwaving, aJg methd we avid at al csts ere in thekitchen because f is nicy natue ad isr wers f avr enhancement Nneteless,ved aside my cncerns abut cmmittingnary heresy and nuked a cuple f suashen I tasted a frk, I became a believer It wasder and siy smh, ith nay a trae f dry

r strigiess I was s surprised (and eased)h the resuts hat I repeated the test nce, and

n again en subsequent ies rduced idenutcmes, I seemed have n chice but t

the micrwave t ck the squashHammering ut he detais was easy: icr

e n high pwer fr 20 minutes ( give r takew, deending n the mde usedsee AreMicrwaves Created Equal?" n page 13,he squash is erfectly cked It was best

halve and seed the squash befre cking;e pierced squash cked uneveny Last, Ined that when added befre cking, sat

med t better ermeae he squash Nw I had minue recipe and vastly imrved results!

y was the mirwave such a success? Oursience editr exlained that as micrwaves(which, like radi waves, are electrmagnetic),enter fd, water mlecules in te fd begint vibrate, and this activity generate s heat evenyand eciently fr uick king In eect, hemicrwave was steaming the squash in its wnjuices In cntrast, a cnventina ven uses dry,

way t g Many cks, myself incuhave he habit f simpy placing a pa f butte cavi f the squash ad then adg a cf suga A better ehd, fund , as metw ingrediens, ang ith a pch f sat, stvep fr a smth chesive miue

By using he micrwave nd brier, I wasabe t rduce squash ih grea texureavr Nt bad fr 20 minutes wrk

1 N G Hw t By an d St Acn S qas

I halved, sede d, an d cooked mo ta 50 suas fo ts sto, I notced sgcat deeces i a , dee

ing on where I pucased the squas ow I stord t, ad how ong I kept it. Some were chl avod, wit degolden ong esh while othrs were spon and pale Hre's what leaed R H.

SEASON Ao suash is domestically sason from Ju l through ovmber. Whe prcased i o-seas

the squash , whic d urng those monts is usua l imoted frm Mexico, is li kel to b mor exensv. Squash thad spent wees in tnsit cooked u dehdtd , rous ad pas i the test kitchWEIGHT quash sho uld be h ard ad hea or its sie, a n in dcatio that it contains a lot o moisture an has been siting o the supermarket produce shel fo weekC O L O The most opular varie o aco suash is gren, though gol an d white varities ar e sotily availaGold or onge tinges on the rnd o gre squash ar ot nd icato o ipeness but te a ma rk o whe th ftoched the ground du ring growing (and was tereore n touched y su light .STOGE co squash should e stored at cool room tempeture, not n th refrigerator en I stosquas h or a ew wee i the rrigrator ch il l amage st in cau sig the laor and txture to detrio te

C K'

S L L U S T R D


15/36

ttg Squah Rad ticav

you m icowa is spaci ous oug to accom mod at

a by 9ic micowasaf bakig dis woksl fo cotaiig t squas als. Othis a

wid micowasaf bowl ca b usd. f usig

bo positio t squas wit cut sids facig out.

A C ORN S QUA S H T H BRON S UGA R

ERVE 4

quash smaller han pounds likely cooklile faser han he recipe indicaes, so begin

hecking for doneness a few minues earlyonversely, larger squash ake slighy longer

o cook However, keep in mind ha he cookingme is largely dependen on he icrowave Ificrowaving he squash in Pyrex, he anufac

urer recomends adding waer o he dish (orowl) prior o cooking See Noes om Readers,age 3, for an explanaion To avoid a seam burnhen uncovering he cooked squash, peel backe plasic wrap very carelly, saring om he

e ha is farhes away om you

2 aco suas about 1 pouds ac

ad pol to po ad sddab sat

tabspoos usaltd butt tabspoos dak bow suga

1 Sprinkle squash haves wih sal and placealves cu-sides down in 13 by 9-inch microave-safe baking dish or arrange halves in large

(abou 4-quar) microwavesafe bowl so ha cusides face ou (see phoo a le) If using Pyrex,ad cup waer o dish or bowl Cover ighlywi plasc wrap, using muliple shees, if neces sary ; wih paring knife, poke abo u 4 sea vensin plasic wrap Microwave on high power unilsquash is very ender and offers no resisancewhen pierced wih paring knie, 1 5 o 25 in

ues Using poholders, remove bakng dish orbowl from oven ad se on clean, dry surface(avoid damp or cold surfaces)

2 . e squash is cooking, adjus oven rack ouppermos posiion (abou 6 inches from heaingeleen ); hea broier Mel buer, brown sugar,and easpoon sal in small saucepan over lowhea, whisking occasionally, unl cobine

3 en squash is cooked, carelly pull backplasic wrap from sde farhes fro you Usingongs, ransfer cooked squash cu-sie up oried baking shee Spoon porion of buer/sugar ixure ono each squash hal Broil unilbrown and caramelized, 5 o 8 minues, roaing

baking shee as necessary and removing squashhalves as hey are done Se squash halves onindvidual plaes and serve immediaely

A C ORN S QUA S H T H

R O S E M A R R E F G C O M O T E

1 Follow recipe for Acorn Squash wih BrownSugar, omg brow sugar/buer mixuree squash is cooking, combine 1 cup orangejuice; 4 dried black gs, chopped mediu (scan cup) ; easpoon minced fresh roseary;1 ablespoon ark brown sugar; /4 easpoon

groun black pepper; and easpoon sal insmall saucepan Simer rapidly over ediumhigh hea, sirring occasionally, unil syrupy andliquid is reduced o abou 3 ablespoons, 1 5 o 20minues Sir in 1 ablespoon buer

2 . Coninue wi recipe o an broil squashhalves, subsiuing g compoe for brownsugar/buer mixure

Q TWO WAYS TO CUT SQUASH SAFELY

A A M c avCatd EqaBecause every cook's microwave oven varsize, watage pe a nd age, was conc eed writing a recipe using equ ipmet whose podiicult to quanti. Would m icrowaving on power produce consistent resuls among dimachines? was doubul .

The amout of microwave ene absorb

a food is a funcion of he cooking time, pwas) porton size and the amount of win the food to be cooked the ener prodby the m icrowave is abs orbed p rima rily by wRoughly speaking the more wats, the faster

will cook. Theoretically a microwave with wats of power would cook he same voof food ice as quickly as a machine withwas.

To gauge reallife dierences, sent armfaco squash and bags of microwave popcoeasy gauge of cookin g power) hom e with mleagues o cook i n their microaves. When

reported back found hat dieences in coimes correlaed roughlythough not reliabhe power of the microwave used. For exapopcorn ook hree min utes and 45 seconds only 700-wat microwave ese, while the

bnd of popco was ready in ust two min sevel 1 , 1 00-wat models . The same thingtrue for squash , wih cooking imes runn ing flow of 1 5 m in ues in sevel poeul m icroo a high of 27 mi nu tes in he sam e weak 700microwave.

Wha to do, the, when cooking the sin your microave? Check he label insidmachine or your owner's ma nual to dete

its watage. f your m ic rowave rn s on fewe900 watts of power, you wil l l ikely need to inche cooking ime by a few miues. f you ohighwatage machine more than 1, 00 wyou may need o decrease the cooking ime.said i always pays o use your sense s not a to ju dge when food is ready. R. .

Knife and Rubber Mallet: I Set squash o da mp kitchen toel to hold i t in place.Position knife on rind of squash. 2 Srike back of knife with rubber mallet o driveknife ino squash. Continue o hi knife with mallet until knife cts through squash.

Mel Bench Scper and Hammer: I Set squash on damp kitchen towel . Posbench scper on rind. 2 Strike hand le of bench scper wih hammer to drive bladsquash. Coninu e to hit bench scper with hammer ntil blade cuts hrough squash

E P T E M E R ( C E R 0 0 4


16/36

Lasagna Bgns Sdu we aapt ad mpf t nrter Itala clasc fr te Aerca ktce?

n most merican lasagnas, the meatis merel an aerthoughtbits ofsausage or hambrger lost in gooelaers of cheese and tomato sauce . In

utentic lasagna Bolognese, howeer,t is the main idea . Three kinds of meat,ct: beef, ork, and eal simmered until

der and delicatel sweet in a slowlucing sauce of milk, wine, and toma. This ric sauce is bound betweenseets of asta with a cream bchasauce and armesan cheese. Hold thezarella and ricotta, lease.

B Y A L A W L R

noodles absorbed even more water butroceeed to turn abb and mus oven. So a vemnute o was ellI would ae to make oter austmen

Kp You (Suc) CooI no w turned back to te rearation orag, which traditionall is simmeredhours to eaorate excess moisture andduce a tick, rich sauce. Because I neextra moisture in this lasagna, this lastseemed counterroductive. bbreiathis nal ste not onl would sae

but also would leae me with a wetter sThinking along the same lines, I thin

out the bchamel b dobling the uaof milk.

e unrialed richness of ths norternan classic ma elicit objections omers, but certainl not from the oork who slaed oer it. He or she has been u since dawn rolling out esha seets and tending an all-a meate, and thus feels entitled to indulge.

his case, te oor cook was me. maderal of tese monsters, using our existrecies for fresh asta dogh, bcha and the meat sauce, or g andaged to get them on te table in juster . . . six hours. I was told the werecious. I was too tired to taste them.asagna Bolognese w as never going toquick Tuesdanight suer, but tere

Noboil noods and a quick mat sauce turn an al-day Italian rcip

into a managab p rojc that yilds xc nt resu ts.

To sa that ths idea didn't work oulanned would be an understatement.boil noodles xpand during cooking, wmeans tat wen e lasagna is assembthere is quite a bit of sace aroundedges of the an. The thin sauce ran of

noodles and uddled in this sace, cing chunks of meat with it. This roworsened in the oen, and the rest, toit mildl, was an unattractve lasagna wsunken center and blown-out edges ering th ground meat .

to be a wa to make it something less tanll-a aair. Te rag was a time-consuminglargel unattended labor. It was the kneading,ng, cuttng, blanching, shocking, and dring

e lasagna noodles tat was the most arduousThe test ktcen had alread deeloed se

recies tat ut no-boil noodles to good use,tough urists might consider it a sacrilege,

uld not resist ter conenience.

You No od

kin close to our existing sauce recies for, I reared a lasagna wit ve laers of nonoodles. I followed the assembl guidelinestraditional lasagna Bolognese recie , sead cu of rag over each laer, followed bral tablesoons of armesan and bcamel,our-thickened cream sauce that "glues thers togeter. Te to laer of noodles was thened with a tin laer of bchamel and morese to revent te noodles om drng out in

oven. I followed the instructions on the ackof noodles, bakng for 50 minutes, coveredfoil for all but the last 10 minutes.

M worries about te asta ad beenunfounded. The taste and texture of e noodleswere ne. (Lasagna Bolognese with omemadeasta is indeed betterand traditionalbut theextra labor ut tis recie into te "once in a lifetime categor.) ooles aside, toug, the disad come out r as a bone, and wen I eeledback te laers I discovered noting but driedout bts of meat and te calk wite remains ofa bchamel. The noboil noodles ad absorbedmost of the moisre, leaing none behind in te

sauce. Increasing te quanti of te meat saucedidn't make te dish an saucier ere was silmore dried-out meat between the noodles.

While deeloing a recie for sinach lasa

gna (March/ril 2004), te test kitcen hadresoaked noboil noodles in hot ta water.Thinkg tat this technique migt hel to solvethe dr sauce roblem ( te noodes might absorbless liquid durng coong), I tested it. Tis lasagna, made wit noodles tat had been soakedfor e minutes, was slightl saucier but stillnowere close to sauc enouga few dros ina drought. During 10 and 1 5- minute soaks, the

C K

s U S D

What I neeed was a sace tat was enoug to sta ut between the noodles duassembl but at also had enough moisturredrate te noodles in te oen. One anoon, as I was reheating a batch of the revdas rag, I noticed that te cold sauce seequite thicktoo tick, in fact, to be sread eacross the noodles. Bt wen gentl warmejust above room temerature, the textre ofsauce was much closer to wat 'd been loofor. s for the bcamel, it also thickened co

erabl as it cooled, and I found that it erforits adesive duties more readil in ts state.

s te rag cooled, however, some ofexcess liuid searated out om the sace, ing i t looking water and greas What i f I to use a sma ortion of te cooled bcamthicken the rag, then assemble e lasagnbefore? Een before the lasagna went intooven, I knew I was onto something. djust / cu of e cooled bchamel to e rket the water and fat in emlsion. Tickebut eas to sread, the sace now staed in between the noodles as the exanded, et i


17/36

ontained enough moisture to cook the nooles.nally, I had made a erfecty respectable lasa

na Bolognese in about two hours using no-oiloodles, far om the usual al-day aair.lmost as good as the authentic northern Italianshand I wasn't too tired to eat it!

A S A G N A B O O G N S S I M P F

ERVE 8

or assembly, both the meat sauce and te bchael sould be jus t warm to the touch, not piping

o Both sauces can e made, cooled, and reigrate up to 2 days ahead, hen gently reheatedntil war In terms of avor and texture, we d

hat Barilla no-boi noodes are the closest to esh,ut ts recipe work with all major brands ofoboil noodles

Meat Sauce (Rag) medi um carrt peeled ad rughl chpped

medium celer ri rughl chpped

mall i rughl chppedI can (2 u ce) whle tmate with ju ice

2 talep ualted utter

uce grud ee peeral percet lea uce grud prk

uce grud veal

cup whle milk cup dr white wie2 talep tmat pate

teap tale alt

teap gru d lack pepper

chaml talep ualted tter

cup all purpe lur cup whle milk

teap tale alt

Noodles and Cheese heet uce) il laaga dle uce Parmea grated ( 2 cup)

. OR U: Process carrot,elery, and onion in food processor until nelyhopped, about ten -second pulses, scrapngown bowl as necessary; transfer mixture to

all owl. Wie out food processor workbowl;

rocess tomatoes and juice until nely copped,x to eight second pulses. Heat utter ineavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heatntil foaming; add arrot, celer, and on andook, stirring occasionally, until soened but notrowned, about 4 minutes. Add ground meatsnd cook, breaking meat into -inch pieces wit

wooden spoon, about inute. Add mil andr, breaking meat into -i nch bits; bring to sim

er ad cook, stirring to break meat into smallieces, until almost all liquid has evaporated, 20o 30 inutes. Using potato maser or wooenpoon, break up any remainng clumps of meat

Tw C n sagna b m s

T H E E N T ER DO E N OT H O LD

f he eat auce i t thi it wil l pl at the ee

reult i i a laan with a ue ce ter ice ni

the ra wit e chael le thi prle

(no lage pieces should reain) Add wine andbring to simer; cook, stirring occasionally, untilliquid has evaporated, 20 to 0 mnutes Stir intomato paste until combined, about minute;add chopped tomatoes, salt, and pepper Bring

to simmer, ten reduce heat to medium-low andcook unti sauce is slightly t1icened, about 5minutes (You should have about 6 cups meatsauce.) Transfer meat sauce to bowl and cooluntil just warm to touch, about 0 minutes

2 . OR : e meat saucesimmers, melt butter in edium saucepan overmeum heat til foaming; add our and cook,whisking constantly, untl t1oroghly combined,about mnutes; mixture shoud not bownGradually wsk n milk; increase eat to mediumgh and bring to boil, whisking frequently.dd salt, redce heat to ediu-ow, and si1mer0 minutes, string occasionally wt heatproofrube spatla or wooden spoon, aking sureto scrape bottom and corners of saucepan (Youshould have about 3 cups) Transfer bchamelto bowl and cool til just warm to touch, aout0 utes

3. O K: Adjust oven racto ddle postion; heat oven to 425 degrees Placenoodles in by 9-inch baking dish and coverit very hot tap water; soak 5 minutes, agitating

T H E D H TOO D RY

Ue p le f auce a cer he i h wit

ai a r laaa aki the il

ht water efre ui the al hel

noodles occasionally to prevent sticking Rnoodes om water, place in single layer ontowel, ad pat dry Wipe out bag ish anlightly ith nonstick cookng spray. Stir bto recombine; 1ix cup warm bcham

warm meat sauce unil t1orougy combin4. Distribute cup bchamel-enriche

sauce in baking dish. Place three noosingle layer on top of sauce, arranging etogether, but not touching, at center Spread cups bchamelenriched meaeveny over nooles, spreadng sauce to noodes but not to edge of ish (see illustbelow) Drizzle cup bchael evenly ovsauce (illustraton 2) Sprinkle cup Pevey over bcamel Repeat layering of chamelenriched meat sauce, bchacheese 3 more imes Place 3 noodleand cover comletey wit1 remang bspreadg bcamel i rubber spaa aning it to spil over nooles (ilustation 3 ) evey it1 remaing Parmesan

5 Spray large sheet foil with nonsticing spray and cover asagna; bake until buabout 0 minutes Remove foil, increase450 degrees, and continue to bake untl is spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Cooutes; cut into pieces and serve

S T E P - B Y - S E P A S S E M L N G H E L S G N

I . Coer noodes with cups of 2 Drizze cup of bchaerag spreading sauce to edge of eeny oer ragnoodes but not edge o pan

S E P T E M B E R [ O C T H E R 4

3 Coer top ayer o noode s reaini ng bchae spreasauce to c opletey coer noo


18/36

Gud t Byg b rpag hickenWhole birs ase beer han package pars an cosless, so makes sense o cu up chcken a ome.Here's all you nee o know o maser his basic skill

an O buy a goo hicken. W

B YI N G T E R I G T - S I Z E B I R DProducers reed chic kens to "p ump out an i ndu stry term ind icating that the reast meat i s thick andplump at dierent ages, depen ding on t he desi red weight of the sau ghtered ird We have foun d thatcertain sizes u sua ly descried y producers with the terms eowwork etter for certai n recipes

P O U S S N O N S H G A M EH E N

B O L E F Y E OASTER

Poussins are ay chickens ha weigh aout pound e nerally availale o nly at special stores orutchers, hey are idea l for on e peon

Com ish Gae He ns are slighty older than poussins an d weigh beeen an d pounds er game henswill see o people, ut these irds are usualy mass-marke nds that lack the avor of the sma er poussi ns

Broiler/fe are the standard su permarket chickenan d our favorite hey generally weigh etween3 and 4 1 pounds and wil l see four people Al l recipes usi ng whole irds are developed withchickens from tis categor

Roaste genelly weigh eeen 5 a nd 8 pou nds Despite their name, we do not recommend roastingirds his ae as the ouer layers of meat tend o overcook efore the meat nea r the one reaches a safeinternal tempeture When feedi ng a crowd, we prefer to uy o roi erfryers

STINGasted 3 - to 4-po und ch ickens from nine widely availa leuce Sup ermaket cickens nge from udget irds ise dcto farms to prici er fowl with amiguou s lae ls "oranic ,nge, all natural proclaiming the virtues oftheir diet and

le hese erms mea n dierent hings to dierent producers as our tasting demonstted, they are not reliale indicatovor or texture eithe r is priceson, a mass-produced ird, came in third, ahead of irds

ng twice as mu ch Perdue he other mass-produced n dr tasting, came in dead last e best-tasting chicken was aer ird from Empi re Taste foun d it to e he most jicy an dseasoned of the un ch During the koshering process there chi cken is covered with sat to dw out impu rities Thisto a juici er, mo re avorul ird hat never needs to e rin edmp p flavor or juici ness f your su permarket doesn't carer chi ckens, ri nin g can imp rove the quali of just aout anyen, even lastplace Perdue

he full results of our asting of chicken, visi Cook's atcoosilu stratedcom and key in code 5 043

H G H L Y R C O M MJN D DEMPIRE KOSHER Bro!r Cicke

$2.29/lb.

Tastes found t hs ird to e the mostavorful of the tasting, cal li ng it "pe rectyseasoned, with meat that was "mois tand "tender

E O M M N D E D

BE& ANS Fres oug Cicke

$2.69/.ised on an a lvegeae, antiiotic-freediet this c hicken was pised for meatthat asted "cean and "fresh

ON Fres oug C icke

$ 1 .29/ l b.Some taste li ked the " textureothers found it s ightly "meayevertheess , Tyson outscored chic kensthat cost twice as much

C K'

S I L L U S T R A E D

6

B R I N I N Gn nu mel e tests have shown tha soakng chicken in asalater soluti on pr ior to cooking produc es juic, wellseasoned meat he exception to this rule i s a kosherird o rin e, a dd sat to cold ater stir to dissolve the

salt then im mee the chicken in the rine and refrigetfor the allotted time

Forulating te Brine

Either of te two readily availale nds o f koser saltcan e sustituted for the tale salt i n the ormulas eloBecause kosher salt is less sal than tale salt, an d ecauone nd of kosher salt is ess sal than the othe r, theformuas must e adjusted Sstitute cup of Diamo ndCrystal Kosher Salt or cup of Moton Kosher Salt f1 cup of tae salt

Whol chck 1 cup

Chck pa(bo)

cu p

1 gaon

I hur

gan 3 mi

Rinsing and Drying Brined Cic ken

Once the chicken has ee n rined , it m ust e rinsed to away any excess t that might remain on the sn Bri ningdoes have one negtive eect: e added moistur canprevent the skin from cisping wen cooked ting rinedchicken d uncoved i n te refrigetor rmedies this prlem r est results, aird whoe rned irds oveightBrined chcken pars shoul d e air-d ried for sevel houAlthough this step is optiona , if crisp sn is a goa it's worthe ext time

I . To rinsechicken, paceon wire rack setrack in empsink, and use sinkspray hose to washo chicken Botchicken dry withpaper towels

2 To ai rd chicken set rack with toweldried chic kenon rimmed aking sheet and pace in refrigerator


19/36

C TT I N G P W H O L E C H I C K E N

Even when a recipe cal s or chicken parts here are many advanages o purchasi ng a whole ch icken an d cuing i up yourself.ckage e as are gene y mass-produc ed an d are o a ower qual i so buying a whoe c hicken gives you he ch anceo buy a beter bird n addi ion packages o chicken pars oen c ome rom dierent chi ckens of dieren sizes as a resu lthe p ieces may cook uneveny To op i o whole chickens generaly cos less per pound and provide rim mings ha areperec or reezing o make homemade sock.

The Lgs

I Cu hrough skin aroun d leg where

i aaches o breas U sin g bothhands bend leg back o pop leg joinou o i s socke

The Wings

I end wing ou rom breas and cuhrough join o sepae

The reast

I To separae whole breas rombackbone cu hrough ri bs wihkchen shea olowing vertica lineo a rom apered e nd o breas up osocke where wing was aache d

2 Cu hrough b roken jo in o

separae leg. C u vey close o back soha end er mea oyser is removedalong wih leg

2 Cu hrough carilage around wingip o remove i Freeze ips and use omake you r nex bach o home madechicken sock.

on c uing board cener knife onbreasbone then a ppy pressure ocu hrough and separae breas inohalves

3 . oe li ne o fa separaing high

and drum sick Cu hrough jon ahis ine.

3 A riangular lap o ski n conn ecingwo halves o chicken wing can make iaward o ea Cu sigh hroughcener join wo smaller pieces wil lcook up crispier and be easier o ea

you purchase one whoe bon e- inchicken breas you ma y need o rimrib secions wh kichen shears

S P T M { C T 0 0 41 7

TIPS OR HNDLINGCHICKEN

Containing w Chicken

Avoid ing crossconaminaion whenwashin g and di ng raw chi cken can a chal enge To conai n he chickenwash i in a colander he n pa dwhle i 's s i l i n he colander Whendone simply ranser he chi cken toyour cooking vessel hen wash yourhands an d he co ande r wih ho sowaer.

Saving Your ack

Don' sop bucherin g once you veremoved he egs wings a nd breasthack he back ino 2 i nch pieces wicleaver and hen reeze i (a ong wiwing ips o make hom emade soc

Getting a Grip on w Chicken

w chicken is slippery which makecung i up hazardou s Ge a irmegrip by usi ng a old ed wad o paperowels o hold he chic ken in place

Seasoning w ChickenTouch ing he sal shake or pepper maer you' ve hand led w chic ken cao cross-conamnaon o avi thmix he nece ssa sa and pep per inramekin beore handling he chicke


20/36

ri xia Rirz a Ia Mexcaa prmses brg fav a a plafsye exure, but raey evers

cusoy oo at Mexcan iceeveas a s impe pia pepaedby sauting aw white ice inoi, hen sowy cooing the

ns in chicen both avoed withed tomatoes, onion, and gaic.e coos nish the dsh ith a spie

esh chies and cianto. In Mexico,pia, o (dy soup), oenes as a sepaate couse, in he manneItaians seve pasta; on the eican, it makes a uique side dish.

et o a basic dish wih a emak

shot ingedien ist, I ound itng. Vaiabe ingedient quantitiescooing techniques poduced diste esuts when I put a seection opes om espected Mexican cook authos to he test. wo o thesees uned out soupy and geasy,

ing tastes to cack jokes about myotto a a Mexicana" and Mexicanidge." hese desciptions, aongmy own taste buds, tod me thatsupesoggy, oiy vesions wee o

k. Othe ecipes seemed misguidedms o ingedient amounts. Some

ust a hint o gaic, othes tasted oato and nothing ese, and one wastaken by pungent cianto .

? B B A A

appeas washed out, and the tomato pgave it an appeaing hue whie addinitte avo to boot.

e iceThe usua method o makng Mexice is to saut insed, ong-gain wice (tastes ejected ess taditioshot- and medium-gain ice) inbeoe adding the cookng iquid. that was insed indeed poduced mdistinct, sepaate gains when compwith uninsed ice. hie some ec

ca o ony a quick saut, cookngice unti it was goden bown pocucia in poviding a mid , toasted and sasing textue. As o the amoo oi, I expeimented with a de aspanning om 3 tabespoons to l cWhen I essentay deep-ied the iccopious amounts o oi, as moe than ecipe suggested, the ice was much oiy; even staining o excess oi omice, as diected, didn't hep, and it a messy pocess. Insubstantia amouo oi made ice that was dy and acichness. Onetd o a cup seemed

ightthis ice was ich but not geCanoa oi was avoed ove the comptivey pungent oive oi.

o my way o thining, the peecton o this dish woud exh ibit cean,nced avos and tende, peectyed ice. It woud be ich but not

The oven is key to perectly cooked Mex can rice an d a n al garn sh ofmin ced chil es c lantro and lim e completes the avor o the dish

I had questions about whethe to sothe components o the ecipe, sucthe aomatcs and the tomato pup. I tmutipe pemutations and anded o

moist but not watey. In seach o this idea,uned to the test kitchen with some basictons in mind: hat is the pope ato od to ice o a moist but not bothy dish?d canned tomatoes povide moe baanced than esh? Cod I sip the sauting step

ti end up ith an ageeabe textue ? Coudd any ingedients that woud impove theecipe?

ooking ediumiuid tadtonay used in this dish is a mixo chicken both and pueed esh tomatoesa itte sat); expeiments with a vaie o

OKS XT gves you fee ecpes onne o aato n of excan rce wth ch ared vegeta e s vstwcookslusttedcom and key n code 044 hspe w e avalae unt ctoer 004

atos heped me to sette on equa pats o each .ith too much tomato puee, the ice tasted ikewam gapacho; wit too itte, its avo waned.hough past ecipes o pia have caedo ess iquid , I ound tat when pupy tomatoesmake up a potion o the uid, a 2 : 1 atio o

iquid to ice poduces just the ight textue.Each and evey ecipe I consuted caed oesh tomatoes, and when I pitted ice made withcanned tomatoes against ice made with e

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