N U M B E R S E V E NTY-TH R E E

M A RCH b AP RIL 2005

STR ATE D
Stuffed Roast
Chicken
Novel Method, Perfect Results
Italian Pot Roast
Forget the $40 Barolo
Pasta with Cherry
Tomatoes
Tasting Swiss Cheese
Does It Have to Be Swiss?
Chocolate Cupcakes
Just Dump and Stir
Homemade
Sourdough
Authentic Flavor in Only 24 Hours
Rating
Measuring Cups
Can "Better" Designs Beat Pyrex?

Freezing Food I 0 I
Easy Quesadillas
Fish Fillets with Quick Sauces
Tortilla Soup
Pan-Roasted Apargus
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CONTENTS
March 6 April 2005
2 Notes from Readers
Readers ask questions and sugest solutions.
4 Quick Tips
Quick and eas wy to perfon everday tsks, from storing
ginger and cutting brownies to making mess-free tacos.
6 Reconstructing Stuffed
Roast Chicken
Could kitchen shears and some aluminum foil origami
eliminate overcooked meat, sting amounts of underdone
stufng, and the need for trussing? BY SANDRA WL
8 Pan-Roasted Asparagus
Is it possible to get great grilled favor from a simple
stovetop recipe? BY SEAN LAWLER
9 The Problem with Sauteed
Fish Fillets
A sauteed fish fillet needs a pan sauce to tum it into
a satisfing main coure. The problem is coordinating the
cooking so that both are done perfectly.
BY BRI DGET LANCASTER
12 Simplifying Tortilla Soup
A "authentic" tortilla soup requires a trip to a Ltin
market and an afernoon in the kitchen. We had just
one hour and limited our grocer shopping to the
local Price Chopper. BY REBECCA HAYS
14 Rescuing Pasta with
Cherry Tomatoes
Have you ever tried to make a great sauce with of-season
supennarket tomatoes? Cherr tomatoes are your best
bet, but even then the resulting sauce can be uninspired.
BY ERI KA BRUCE
I 6 Getting to Know Your Freezer
Is your freezer an overstocked warehouse for aging
myster meat? Leam to get more out of your icebox.
BY SEAN LAWLER
18 Beef in Barolo
Beef in Barolo can be the ultimate pot roast. Or it can be
an expensive mistake that wastes a $30 bottle of wine and
produces a tough, string roast. BY SANDRA WL
20 Quick and Easy Quesadillas
Sports bars have hijacked this modest Mexican grilled
cheese sandwich. Could we rescue it?
BY SEAN LAWLER
21 Sleuthing Sourdough
Could we take the most dificult bread recipe and tum
it into a foolproof, one-day afair? BY ERI KA BRUCE
24 Rediscovering Chocolate
Cupcakes
Why settle for faint flavor from a mix when homemade
cupcakes are not much more work?
BY DAWN YANAG I HARA
26 Is the Best Swiss Cheese
Swiss?
Genuine Swiss Emmenthaler should easily best supenaret
Swiss imposter, right? Aer weeks of testing, we discoverd
a few holes in that theor. BY J OLYON HELTERMAN
28 Disparate Measures
Te cookr aisle is crowded with souped-up variations on
the lowly liquid measuring cup. Is it time to trde in our
classic Prex?
BY JOLYON HELERMAN AND GARTH C LI NGI NGS MI TH
30 Kitchen Notes
Test results, buying tips, and advice related to stories past
and present, directly from the test kitchen.
BY DAWN YANAGI HARA
32 Equipment Corner
Reviews of new items. updates on past tests. and sources
for products used in this issue.
BY GARTH CLI NGI NGS MI TH
T1TT?" A1T
17!1T
TBERS AND RHIZOMES Tubers are starchy, bulbous sections of underround plant stems
whose function is food storage. The most common tubers are potatoes and seet potatoes. Taro
root, or dasheen, can be cooked like a potato. While fresh arrowroot, like other tuber. can be
cooked, it is most commonly dried and ground. This white powder becomes clear when cooked
and is used as a favorless thickener for sauces and fruit fillings. Wter chestnuts closely resemble
regular chestnuts on the outside but have a finn, white, juicy interior and add a crisp texture to
stir-fries. The lotus root fonns the underater tuberous root of the lotus water lily. Jerusalem
artichokes, commonly known as sunchokes. are not arichokes at all but rther the tuber of a
variet of sunfower. Rhizomes are similar to tubers, but they are not as starchy and grow hor
izontally underround. Ginger is used to favor both sweet and savor dishes. Its more pungent
cousin galangal is found primarily in Asian markets. Tunneric adds a brilliant yellow-ornge color
and a florl spiciness to Indian curries and is also a common ingredient in mustards.
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|L IN TE O
EDITORIAL
\L H/L |/1/ \L '/ L/1
0 ver the Thanksgiving table this year,
neighbors and family often traded
graces. Charl i e, our 1 0-year-old
Bart Simpson act-alike, is particularly
taken with "Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub. "
Emily likes to repeat the grace recited at school :
warmer montl1s. It is momentary
and reflective rather tl1an a wast
ing condition. I ndeed, a hunter is
hardly alone in the woods; a giant
crow lifts off of a stump with a
huge fl ap of wings and a sharp
"caw," the wind rattl es reddish
brown leaves still attached high up
in a red maple, and then tl1e fl ash
of a white tail startles as a deer
bounds tl1rough tl1e underbrush.
i s based on cl oser observation:
tl1e moist eye upon our leaving;
the children' s videos rented and
set out by the television; the
unsteady wal k, hand-in-hand,
with a four-year-old to show
her tl1e different breeds of hens
runni ng around the backyard;
and the proud countenance as
our family was enthusiastically
introduced to neighbors.
"For what we are about to receive, may our hearts
be truly tha. " Older, more traditional graces
followed, such as, "Bless 0 Lord this food to our
use and us to thy service . " But the one that I
found most compelling was Te Selkirk Grace fom
Robert Burns: "Some hae meat and canna eat and
some there are that want it; but we hae meat and
we can eat, so let the Lord be thanki t. " I guess I
fow1d the plain-spoken manner and lack of flour
ish appealing. Perhaps that is just the nature of a
people-be they Vermonters or Scotsmen-who
are used to scratching a living from stony soil .
Years ago, Adri enne and I
would drive with our two young
Christopher Kimball
This year, on our farm in the
The next day, I got up before dawn and headed
for my lower tree stand, the one that is set on the
edge of a recently cleared feld. Deer season runs
through Thanksgiving weekend, but by tl1is time
many hunters have moved over to New York State,
where the hunting is better, leaving Vermont to
the die-hards. I got into tl1e stand while the moon
was still a bright, perfect circle over the ridge,
refecting of of standing puddles in tl1e logging
road and the skimcoat of ice on the pond. As it
slowly sank out of sight, it soured yellow and sil
houetted a row of trees on the ridgeline that stood
out like a Marine's brushcut.
I went back for lunch and then headed out again,
this time past the hunting cabin and up tl1rough the
saddle to the top, where I looked down across tl1e
felds and rolling ridges ofNew York. All tl1e colors
of late fall were on display: gray oak, silver beech,
chesmut brown, russet timothy, birch white, green
moss, and the occasional sprinkle of brightly fosted
leaves in the cooler spots. I consider spring, sum
mer, and tl1e tawdry colors of a towist weekend no
match for the subtle palette oflate November.
It's a bit lonely this time of year, standing on
a gusty, cold mountaintop, but it is tl1e kind of
loneliness that a hunter yearns for duri ng the
daughters, Whimey and Caroline, to my motl1er's
house in rural Connecticut. It was a farm of sorts,
plenty of hens, a dog, and a large unkempt root cel
lar garden. My job upon arriving on Thanksgiving
moring was to secretly tr up tl1e stove; she
was fond of roasting a 20-pound local bird at 200
degrees, a cooki ng method espoused by 1 960s
healtl1 guru Adelle Davis that never got tl1e bird
cooked on time. ( On tl1e subject of food safety,
my mother justifi ed tlis cooking metl1od by point
ing out tl1at nobody in the family had yet died. I
simply regarded tl1is as unfnished business. ) My
motl1er lived alone by tl1en and had little patience
for small, unrul y children, a sharp rebuke likely to
explode into the fagile cease-fi re at any moment .
Or she would simply disappear up to her office
over the garage when it all became too much.
Around the Thanksgiving table, she had her
traditions: the beeswax candles, tl1e proper set
ting of tl1e table, the pillow on her chair, and, of
course, the behavior of the children. Offering an
opinion ( almost always negative) on whether one
liked a particul ar foodstuff was the height of bad
manners, and the offending urchin was quickly
set straight, almost to the point of tears. "Stop
squi rming'" was another common exclamation.
I am quite sure that an invited guest might have
sensed tl1at he had been transported into one of
the earlier scenes fom A Christmas Carol, per
haps tl1e moment when Bob Cratchit asked for a
bit more coal . My view is altogetl1er different and
FOR INQUIRIES, ORDERS, OR MORE INFORMATION:
Green Mountains, conversation
arow1d tl1e Thanksgiving table was of a diferent
sort. We told stories about Harry Skidmore, who
was known to put up a roadblock on tl1e town road,
stopping motorists who looked like hippies, espe
cially Karl Stuecklin, our resident artist. ( Harry's
wife, Jenny, however, was a kind soul, ofering a
fee turkey or a weekly sauna and river bath to
those in need. ) Jea, our neighbor across the valley,
brought her family's famous cream pie, tl1e one that
uses no eggs and takes half a day to bake. (This year,
it was a great success, although last year Jean said
that her aunt's pie did not set up properly. ) Emy
sang a Thanksgiving nme along the lines of "Frere
Jacques" that began, "Cornbread mufs, chesmut
stuffi ng, pudding and pie, tl1ree feet high . . . " The
kids went of to play Stratego, and tl1e rest of us
were much too ftll to get up.
The fre reduces to embers. I fnish of my last
piece of maple pecan pie, and tl1en Jack, a veteran
fghter pilot fom tl1e North Alican can1paign, sits
up straight and states to nobody in particular, "This
was tl1e fnest Thanksgiving dinner I have ever
eaten. " Then I remember what a neighbor once
said about tl1e old-time farmers, the ones who had
to live off their wts and hands. A hard life brings
out faith in otl1ers, while ready-made success is apt
to encourage a bit too much self-reliance. In the
words of Robert Burns, "We hae meat and we can
eat. " Simple enough to say, but tl1e meaning is clea.
For tl1e food, tl1e company, and for no more than a
seat at tl1e table, may our hearts be truly tat!.
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J1 A R (I I b A I' R I L ' 0 0 5
NOTES FROM READERS
3COJ P I LED BY I N D I A KOOP M A N A N D S A N D R A WUE
Decoding Produce Stickers
Are the numbers printed on the stickers of fruits
and vegetables at the supermarket j ust an easy
way for cashiers to scan i n produce prices, or is
there something more to them?
CASSIE KUO
ATLANTA, GA.
The four- and fve-digit numbers you see on
the stickers of bulk produce items are known as
PLU (price look-up) codes. These codes, assigned
by the Produce Marketing Association through
the Produce El ectronic Identifcation Board, are
indeed used by checkout clerks to identit and
price fresh fruits and vegetables. But in addition
to being used for inventory purposes, these sticky
tags also indicate how the produce was grown:
conventionally, organical ly, or through genetic
modifcation.
Here's how to read the stickers : Items that are
conventionally grown have four-digit PLU codes
that begin with the number 3 or 4, whi l e their
organically grown counterparts have codes that
are fi ve digits long and begin with the number 9.
For instance, a conventionally grown banana is
labeled 40 1 1 , while an organic banana is labeled
9401 1. Genetically modifed fruits and vegetables
are rare fnds but can be identifed by fi ve-
digit PLU codes that begi n with
the number 8 . For i nstance,
genetical l y modi fied
bananas woul d be
labeled 8401 1 .
#011
The PLU code wi l l tel l you if an item has been grown
organical l y or conventi onal ly.
Don't Be Foiled
Recently, I found a recipe that read, "Cover tlc
pan with foil , shiny side down. " Does it really
matter which side faces up or down?
ANN DOLYNI UK
SAN FRANCISCO, CALI F.
A few people in the test kitchen admitted to
wondering the same thing, so we contacted Erin
Grifftl1 at tl1e Reynolds Kitchens News Bureau in
Richmond, Va. , for some clarifi cation. According
to Griffi tl1, the foi l - manufacturing process creates
the dull and shiny sides. In the fnal rolling step,
two l ayers of aluminum foil are passed through
tle rolling mil l at the same ti me. The side com
i ng in contact witl1 tl1e mi l l ' s highly polished steel
rolls becomes shi ny. The otl1er side, not coming
in contact with the heavy roll s, comes out with a
dull fnish. Griffi th says tl1ere is little difference
between the tvvo sides when tl1e foil is used to
cook, freeze, or store food.
To confrm thi s statement, we conducted
tl1ree tests . First, we baked two potatoes, each of
exactly tl1e same weight, in a 350- degree oven,
one wrapped in foil with the shiny side facing
out, and the otl1er with tl1e shiny side facing in.
Altl1ough we don't recommend baking potatoes
in foi l , we wanted to see i f the heat conduction
was the same . After one hour, both potatoes
reached an interal temperature of 198 degrees.
Next, we fll ed two ovensafe beakers wi th 7 1 -
degree water and wrapped each in foi l . Afer 30
minutes in a 350- degree oven, tl1e water in the
beaker wrapped in foil wi th tl1e shiny si de fac
ing in was 2 degrees hotter. For tl1e fi nal test, we
baked cold mashed potatoes for 45 minutes in
two 8 by 8- inch gl ass baki ng pans covered with
foi l . The result? The same negligible 2- degree
difference . So when it comes to foi l , don' t
worry about tl1e shiny and dul l sides.
Substance
Why does my salmon sometimes ooze a white
substance when I cook it? Am I under- or
overcooking it?
MARl E CLAIRE TRAN
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF.
We occasionally encounter tl1is problem in the
test kitchen when cooking salmon and guessed
that the unattractive ooze had somethi ng to
do witl1 overcooki ng. But after we pan- seared
a few salmon fll ets, we were surprised to fi nd
that even perfectly cooked fl l ets ( those with
opaque exteriors and traces of bri ght orange
inside) exuded a few strands of this white mate
rial along tle unseared sides. Slightly more of this
matter showed up on fi l lets that we overcooked
intentionally.
We turned to Donald Kramer, professor of
seafood sci ence at the Uni versity of Al aska,
Fai rbanks, for an expl anation. Accordi ng to
Kramer, this "white curd" is composed of fsh
albumi n, soluble proteins that are squeezed out
C OOK
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2
onto tl1e surface of the fsh and coagulate once
tl1ey denature during tl1e cooking process. Most
ofen, this curd is seen when salmon is canned,
smoked, or poached.
"There' s nothing harmfl in it," said Kramer.
"There wi l l always be a certain amount that
comes out, and how you cook it is probably not
going to affect that. "
The best way to check for doneness is not to
wait for albumin to appear on the surface but to
peek inside the flet with tle tip of a paring knife.
If tl1e salmon is opaque al l tle way tlrough, the
fish is clearly overdone. A little transl ucency is a
good sign. Iftle look of the albumin really botlers
you, use a damp paper towel to gently blot it of.
How to Boil Pasta
A friend and I have a little gentl eman' s wager
that we woul d like you to settl e. Is it best to cook
pasta witl1 the lid off the pot or on the pot? He
argues that if you reduce the heat under the pasta
pot and put a lid on it you can produce the same
quality pasta as when you l eave the lid off and tl1e
water is at a rolling boi l . I believe that l eaving the
lid on will create sofer pasta, but he argues that
checking the pasta for doneness takes care of it.
PETER DELONG
MINNEAPOLI S. MINN.
In the test kitchen, we cook pasta over high
heat witl1 the lid off, but your friend's metl1od
intrigued us. To settle your bet, we brought 4
quarts of water to a rol l i ng boil in each of two
Dutch ovens. We added 1 tablespoon salt and 1
pound spaghetti to each pot, stirring to separate
the strands . Both pots were covered and allowed
to return to a boi l . We continued to cook one
batch over high heat at a rolling boil, uncovered,
stirri ng occasionally unti l al dente . The other
batch was cooked i n a covered pot over medium
heat (to prevent tl1e water from boiling over) .
We lifed tl1e lid periodically t o stir the pasta and
check for doneness. The pasta in the pot with the
lid on required one more minute of cooking to
get to the same al dente texture. The same test
performed on rigatoni yielded identical cooking
times. We also found no discernible difference
between the batches of hot pasta when it came
to taste.
Whether you cook your pasta covered or
uncovered, then, is an entirely personal choice.
Because both methods require stirring and tast
ing to reach the preferred degree of doneness,
we still prefer cooking pasta uncovered. We'd
rather not fss with a hot lid. Because both you
and your friend are at least partially correct, we
haven't really settled your wager. Want to make i t
double or nothing with another questi on?
What Is 'Food Grade' Plastic?
A recent local restaurant i nspecti on by the
Thurston County, Wash. , Health Department,
as published in the Daily Olympian, noted an
out-of-compliance issue based on the use of a
"non-food grade" plastic bag to store four. This
got our attention because we store our flour in
plastic containers and wonder about tl1e concept
of "food grade plastics. " Could you describe tl1e
criteria that make plastics "food grade, " and
especially the length of time one may safely use
food grade plastic containers before tley should
be replaced? For example, we store our four in
a Tupperware plastic bin tlat has been in use for
several years and wonder about any possible leach
i ng of chemicals from the plastic into tl1e four.
DAVID AND JUDITH KENNEDY
OLYMPIA. WASH.
We turned to Mary Keith, an extension agent
in food, nutrition, and health at tl1e Hillsborough
County Cooperative Extension Servi ce, Seffner,
Fl a. , for an answer to your questi on. She
explained tl1at food grade plastic i s simply plastic
mat was manufactured witl1 tl1e intent of being
used with food. The ingredients i n tl1e plastic
must be approved by tl1e U. S. Food and Drug
Administration to ensure tl1at iey do not leach
into the food under the intended circumstances
of use. A garbage bag is not intended for storing
food, but a zipper-lock plastic bag is. According to
Keii, storing fl our in Tupperware for long periods
of time is usually not a problem.
Note tl1at you can get into trouble if you don't
follow manufacturers' recommendations on the
proper use of products made with food grade
plasti c. For instance, excessive heat can promote
the leaching of chemicals in plastics into food.
Make sure to read labels to see if (and how) plas
tic containers can be heated.
Cleaning Baking Stones
We've moved residences four times in six years
and in the process lost the instructions for our
baking stone. It has charred-on bits of cheese
and is really black. What' s tl1e best metl10d for
cleaning it?
CAROL AND LEE AGON
PASO ROBLES. CALI F.
To answer your question, we burned shredded
mozzarella cheese and a raspberry-sugar mixture
(akin to what might bubble out of a pie or tart)
onto multipl e sampl es of our favorite baki ng
stone, tl1e 16 by 1 4-inch stone manufactured by
The Old Stone Oven. After allowing tl1e stones
to cool completely, we scraped the surfaces witl1
a metal bench scraper to remove as much of tl1e
WHAT IS IT?
We l i ked thi s jar opener, whi ch we found i n the utensi l drawer at a rental
cottage on Martha's Vi neyard. Now we'd l i ke to get one for our own
ki tchen but can' t seem to find it anywhere. Do you know i f it's sti l l
bei ng made?
PAT QUIRK
NEWTONVILLE, MASS.
Much to our surpri se-as we' d never seen
one before-thi s jar opener i s sti l l bei ng made
by the company that first put i t on the market i n
1973, Swing-A-Wy Manufacturing. We can see why you l i ked it.
Made of chrome pl ate, the opener consi sts of a 711- i nch bar
perforated wi th 18 hol es and a vi nyl gri p. The handl e i s attached
to to other pi eces of metal : an i nch- l ong rectangul ar pi ece
that sl i des al ong the bar and another, smal l er, trigger-shaped
pi ece that fi ts i nsi de the hol es to l ock the sl i de i n pl ace. You use
the sl i de to fit the opener to the l i d on a jar.
Thi s handy tool breaks the vacuum seal
We found i t coul d open anythi ng from a smal l bottl e of
vani l l a to a quart-si zed jar of pasta sauce. What sets thi s opener
apart from others we've tri ed i s i ts abi l i t to break the vacuum
on smal l and l arge bottl es.
seal on jar wi th metal l i ds. The short, poi nted extensi ons at the gri ppi ng end of the 711- i nch bar not only hol d
on to the l i d but al so press i nto i t, creati ng just enough pressure to break the seal (and l eavi ng two smal l i ndenta
ti ons-but not punctures-i n the l i d) .
We di dn't fi nd thi s tool to be helpful when usi ng it wi th previousl y opened jars wi th stuck-on l ids. Here any
one of the qui ck tips we' ve recommended i n the past-a thi ck rubber band, rubber gloves, or even plastic wrp
(in short. anythi ng that provi des a better grip)-work just as wel l . But if you'd like some assi stnce openi ng an
i mpossi bl e-to- budge l i d on a new jar, we recommend thi s gadget. See Sources on page 32 for orderi ng i nfom1ati on.
Oh, and if the name " Swi ng-A-Way" sounds fami l iar. that' s because this company was the firt to produce a
sturdy, gear-driven hand-held can opener. You likely have one in your kitchen drwer db the company has sold
more than 200 mi l l i on. Swi ng-A-Way i ni ti al ly produced can openers that had to be afxed to a wal l and swung awy
from the wal l to be used-hence the name.
charred mess as possi bl e before testi ng several
cleaning methods.
We divided each stone into sections, leaving
one section untouched, and cleaned the otl1ers
using tl1e following methods: sanding down the
stains using sandpaper, scrubbing witl a scour
i ng pad using a paste of baking soda and water
and ri nsi ng off the subsequent mi xture with
hot water, ri nsing with hot running water while
scrubbi ng with a scouring pad, and cl eani ng
witl an S. O. S pad and hot water (even though a
number of manufacturers advise against cleaning
a stone with soap for fear tlat it will seep into
the porous material ) . While the sandpaper got
the stones fairly smootl, small patches of rough
charred material still remai ned. The scouring
pads did a good job of removing tl1e raised soot,
but it didn't seem to matter if we used the baking
soda paste with tl1e pads or just pl ai n hot running
water; tl1e soap- laden S. O. S pad worked on a par
witl1 the scouring pads .
To make sure that no off favors had been
picked up by the cleaned stones, we baked pizza
dough on tl1em. While tl1e smells of the residual
burnt cheese and the raspberry- sugar mixture
were evident when we opened the oven door,
,\\ A R C !! [ A P R I L 2005
3
they did not carry over to the baked pizza dough.
Nor could tasters detect off favors from the stone
cleaned wii soap.
Our advice: For regular cleaning, use a scour
i ng pad and hot water. Avoi d sandpaper and
don' t botl1er using baki ng soda or soap. They
won' t hurt, but they won' t help, either.
None of the cleaning methods we tested were
successfl in returning the stone to its original
appearance. Some discoloration over time is natu
ral , but to alleviate tl1is problem, use parchment
paper when possible and bake high- fat items such
as cookies on baking sheets . It's fne to store your
stone in tl1e oven, and leaving it there will help
bake off stains over time .
One last note: Leaving your stone in the oven
during the self-cleaning cycl e mi ght seem like a
great way to blast it clean, but there have been
reports of stones (especially those that have
absorbed oil ) catching fre when subjected to
these extreme temperatures.
SEND US YOUR QUESONS We will provide a compli
mentar one-year subscription for each letter we print. Send your
inquir, name, address, and daytime telephone number to Notes
from Readers, Cook's Illustrted. P.O. Box 470589, Brookline,
MA 02447. or to notesfromreaders@bcpress.com.
Quick Tips
Beter Bl ending
Oi l or mel ted butter added to
dressi ngs or sauces i n a whi rri ng
bl ender can spl atter back up
through the openi ng i n the l i d and
make a mess. Chuk Campos of
Uvermore, Cal if . , found
he coul d el i mi nate thi s
probl em by pl ac
i ng a smal l funnel
i n the openi ng
and pouri ng the
l i qui d through
it slowly and
steadily.
Shower Caps as
DustBusters
I t makes sense to store the attach
ments for an el ectric mixer i nsi de the
bowl . But doi ng so can al so expose
them to dust. Val eri e Kosubenko of
Chi cago, I l l . , desi gnates a clean shower
cap as a portabl e cover for the bowl
and the attachments stored i nsi de.
She uses the same tri ck to keep dust
from col l ecti ng on utensi l s stored
upright in a crock. Whenever she' s
cooki ng or has company, al l she has
to do i s sl i p of the cap and stick i t i n a
kitchen drwer.
COMP I LE D BY E R I KA BRUCE E
No More Stick Garl i c
Home cook often shy away from hand- mi nci ng garl i c because i t can be stick stuf.
But if a reci pe leaves you no al ternative, Geore Pckard of Sherki n I sl and, I rel and , has
a hel pful ti p.
I.
I. Spri nkl e a few drops of ol ive or vegetabl e oi l over the garl i c.
2. Proceed to chop or mi nce; the oi l coats the garl i c and keeps i t from sti cki ng to
both the knife and your hands.
Taco Ti ps
A. A someone who makes the
Cook)staco reci pe on a weekly
basi s, Courtney Humphrey of
Swampscott, Mass . , found a way
to make the process more effi
ci ent by prepari ng the seasoni ngs
in packets ahead of ti me.
I. Combi ne each rcipe portion of
spices (2 tablespoons chi l i powder, I
teaspoon ground cumi n, I teaspoon
ground cori ander, 1/2 teaspoon
dri ed oregano, I teaspoon
cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt) in
separte zi pper- l ock bags.
2. When i t comes ti me to make
tacos, j ust grab the spi ce mi x and
add i t to the sauteed aromati cs,
with no wasted ti me measuri ng.
B. Meg van Meter of Ambl er, Pa. ,
di scovered a cl ever way to avoi d the
mess of spi l l ed taco f i l l i ng, whi ch
occurs after the taco shel l i nevitably
shatters. She l i nes the shel l with a
lettuce l eaf, then adds fi l l i ng and top
pi ngs. When the shel l shatters, the
l ettuce contai ns the f i l l i ng.
Send Us Your Tip We wi l l provide a compl i mentary one-year subscri pti on for each ti p we pri nt. Send your ti p, name, and address to
Quick Tips, Cook's I l l ustrated, P.O. Box 4705 89, Brookl i ne, MA02447, or to qui cktips@bcpress. com.
C OOK
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s I L L U S T R A T E D
4
Handy Dispenser for
Dishwashing Uqui d
Appreci ati ng the neatness and ease
of di spensi ng hand soap from a
smal l pump, loi s lungaro of Orl and
Prk, Il l . , wanted the same ease of
use for her di shwashi ng l i qui d. Her
ti p i s especi al l y hel pful if you buy
supersize bottl es, whi ch are usual ly
a bargai n but are al so ungai nly.
I. Recycl e a hand- soap di spenser
bottl e by refi l l i ng i t with di shwash
i ng l iqui d.
2. When i t comes ti me to wash the
di shes, si mply pump the desi red
amount of soap onto the sponge.
Eendi ng Counter Space
Lcki ng the luxur of ampl e counter
space. Unda Ucker of Duncanvi l l e,
Texas, often has a probl em fi ndi ng
room for the cool i ng rck when baking
cooki es. To extend her counter space,
she sets the rck di rectly over the
sink, which has the added benefit of
making i t eas to clean up the crumbs
that fal l through the rck. (We don' t
recommend thi s ti p for househol ds
wi th young chi l dren runni ng about. )

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Making Sure to Season Psta
Audrey Hunter of Gl endi ve, Mont. ,
doesn't l i ke to add sal t to pasta water
before i t comes to a boi l for fear of
pitting her pots. But by the ti me it
does come to a boi l . she's often preoc
cupi ed with the rest of the meal and
forets to add the sal t. Bei ng no fan of
unseasoned pasta, she came up with
thi s cl ever sol ution: Add the sal t to the
opened box of pasta (we recommend
I tabl espoon of table sal t per pound of
pasta) , then si mply dump the contents
i nto the boi l i ng water.
Improving an Old Rice
Cooker
Ri ce cookers can produce perfect
rice, but they can be di ffi cul t to
cl ean-especi al ly as they age
whether nonsti ck or not. Susan
Shi sl er of Fel ton, Cal if., found a way
to breathe some new l ife i nto her
stick ol d ri ce cooker.
I.
I. Spray the bottom and si des of
the rice cooker bowl with cooki ng
spray before addi ng the rice and
water.
2. The oi l wi l l hel p keep the rice
from sticki ng once cooked.
Keeping Eggs in Place
A. Whi l e assisting her
mother i n a baki ng project,
5-year- ol d Maura Shehan of
Sherman, Texas, suggested
the use of a recycl ed egg
carton both as a contai ner to
keep the eggs from rol l i ng off
the counter and as a recep
tacl e for the empt shel l s.
I. Trim the top and the fl ap
from the carton, then cut the
base i nto three secti ons, each
abl e to hol d up to four eggs.
2. Whi l e measuri ng the other
i ngredi ents of a reci pe, safely
store the eggs in one secti on
and return the spent shel l s to
the contai ner as you use them.
Peel ing Hazel nuts
B. Katheri ne Wong of
Wi nni peg, Mani toba, found a
qui cker fix when only one or
two eggs need to be corral l ed.
Si mply nest the egg i nsi de of a
thi ck rubber band.
J ennifer Smi lj ani ch of Unden, Mi ch . , l oves hazel nuts but hates to peel them. She
found a way to make the process a l i ttl e l ess pai nful .
I. 2.
I. Toast the nuts on a ri mmed baki ng sheet i n a 3 50-degree oven for I 0 mi nutes.
2. After l etti ng the nuts cool sl i ghtly. pl ace them i n a recycl ed pl astic mesh bag, such
as the ki nd ornges are sol d i n. Wi th both ends secured, rol l the nuts between both
hands over a si nk or garbage can. The ski ns are rubbed of and di spensed wi th in one
fel l swoop.
Better Browni e Cutti ng
Neatly cutti ng browni es can be
tri ck because hal f the crumbs end
up sti cki ng to the kni fe, especi al ly i f
the browni es are real ly fudg. Cal l i e
Svenson of Tarpon Spri ngs, Fl a. , found
a neat remedy. I nstead of usi ng a ser
rated or chef's kni fe, she uses a sturdy
pl astic knife. It gl i des easi l y through
even the sti cki est browni es, pi cki ng
up no crumbs.
M/RC I I [ / I' RI L 2005
5
A New Use for Coffee Filters
Hazel Marx of Hubertus, Wis. ,
found a cl ever use for the larger
basket-tpe cofee fi l ters. When
she needs to bl i nd- bake a pie shel l ,
s he uses a fi l ter t o contai n the pi e
wei ghts.
Storing Gi nger
I n a September/October 2004 qui ck
ti p, reader Susan Brown sugested
stori ng fresh gi nger in the freezer to
extend its shel f l ife. Grace Stevens of
San Mateo, Cal i f. , ofered an al ternate
method.
I.
I. Peel and cut the gi nger i nto l - i nch
pi eces and pl ace i n a canni ng or other
glass jar.
2. Fi l l the jar wi th sherr, cover with an
ai rti ght l i d, and store in the refrigertor
for up to six months. Thi s techni que
not only preseres the gi nger but gives
you gi nger-favored sherry to use i n
Ai an reci pes.
Reconstructing Stuffed Roast Chicken
Cou l d ki tc h en shears and some al u mi n u m foi l ori ga mi e l i mi nate overcooked meat,
sti ngy amou n ts of u n dercooked stuffi ng, and th e n eed for trussi ng?
BY S A N D R A WU E
charred in some areas and was
greasy from the rendered fat .
S
tuffed r oas t chi cken
should be the culinary
equival ent of a power
coupl e. Each partner
brings a l ot to the table, and this
marriage represents the ultimate
symbiotic relationship-at l east
in theory. The stuffng elevates
the roast chicken beyond com
mon everyday fare, while the
chicken lends favor and moi s
ture to what woul d otherwise
be dry bread crumbs . And,
unlike roast turkey, i ts bigger
and more complicated cousin,
stuffed roast chicken should be
simple. But stuffed roast chicken
ofen doesn't deliver. Wat you
get instead is either a perfectly
cooked bird flled with lukewarm
Our unorthodox method for "stuffi ng" a big chi cken cuts the roasti ng ti me in hal f.
To solve these two prob
lems , I began a seri es of tests
that eventually culminated in a
strange version of culinary ori
gami . First, I placed the stuffng
inside an 8-inch square baking
dish upon which the butterflied
chi cken perched; the whole
thing tl1en went into a roasting
pan. Because the splayed chicken
extended partially over the top
of the baking dish, I hoped most
of the fat from the skin would
drip i nto tl1e roasting pan rather
than into tl1e stuffng, but this
was not tl1e case. Next, I turned
to al umi num foi l , creating a
packet around the stuffng that I
stuffng (hello, salmonella! ) or
safe-to-eat stuffng packed in parched poultry.
I also wanted more than a few tablespoons of
stuffng per person, a problem given tl1e small
cavity of a roasting chicken, even one weighing in
at more than 5 pounds. No wonder most home
cooks ask for a trial separation when it comes to
this everyday recipe.
We've roasted literally thousands of chickens
i n the test kitchen and made more than our fair
share of stufng. I t will come as no surpri se,
then, that I immediately decided to brine the
bird before stuffng and roasting i t. This was the
only way to ensure moist, favorfl white meat.
Next I was on to the stuffng, and my initial tests
revolved around the traditional stuff 'n truss
method used in turkey preparation. This tech
nique was an abj ect failure. When I packed tl1e
chicken loosely with stuffng, I ended up with a
miserly 1 11 cups. I then packed the chicken until
it nearly burst (about 3 cups) , frst heating the
stuffng to 145 degrees i n a microwave to give it a
head start. But the stuffng still did not reach the
safe temperature of 1 65 degrees by the time the
meat was done. Apparently, fl ly cooked stuffng
meant overcooked breast meat.
COOK'S E gives you frercipes online. Fr Curnt
Pn Bad Stufng and Couscous Stufing with Fnnel. Dried
,ricot, and Cashew, visit W.cooksillustrted.com and k
in code 451. Te rcipes will be avilable until ,rl 15, 205.
Switchi ng Gears
A few years back, the test kitchen developed a
method for high- roast chicken that started with
a butterfi ed bi rd. (The backbone i s removed
and the bird i s flattened and tl1en roasted at 500
degrees. ) I figured it was worth a try. I began
with a fattened, brined bird and placed it on top
of a broiler pan with 3 cups of stuffng directly
beneatl1 the chicken and anotler 5 cups i n the
bottom of tl1e pan. Aer an hour, tl1e skin on
tl1e chicken was crisp and evenly browned and tl1e
meat mostly moist. Finally, I had enough stuff
ing (at a safe 1 65 degrees) to feed a crowd, but
now it suffered from a dual identity. The smff
ing underneath tl1e cavity was cohesive, while its
counterpart i n the bottom of the pan was dry and
crunchy. When I tried placing all of the stuffing
in tl1e bottom of tl1e pan (not directly beneath
tl1e chicken) , it becan1e greasy. In addition, the
chicken (technically speaki ng) was not stuffed.
For my next test, I repl aced the broi l er
pan with a traditional roasti ng pan and pi l ed
a mound of stufing into i t before pl aci ng a
splayed butterfi ed chicken on top. Afer about
an hour at 500 degrees, the chicken was sl ightly
dry and the stuffing had many burnt bits . At
42 5 degrees, the chi cken skin browned l ess
evenl y, but the stuffng was moi st and cohe
sive . Tasters agreed that 450 degrees yi el ded
the best resul ts, al though the stuffng was still
C O O K
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s I L L U S T R A T E D
6
poked with holes so the chicken
juices could irrigate the dry contents. Sure, this
stuffing was moist, but it lacked color and texture
because it was shielded from the oven' s dry heat.
Finally, I made an aluminum foil bowl , mounded
tl1e stuffng into it, and placed the chicken on top,
snugly encasing the stuffng. Afer about an hour
of roasting, with a single pan rotation in between,
the stuffng was browned and chewy on the bot
tom as well as moist and favorfl throughout
from the juices. The fat from the skin was depos
ited directly i nto the roasting pan, never even
touching tl1e stuffng. Even though the roasting
pan was hot, I could easily grab the foil bowl with
my bare hands and dump the stuffng in one fel l
swoop into a serving bowl . Good technique and
cleanup, all i n one !
The Right Stuff
It was time to get serious about stufng. A
i nformal poll in the test kitchen revealed that
most people wanted a jazzed-up version of a tra
ditional bread stuffng. I obliged by replacing the
typical onion with thinly sliced leek, adding the
requisite celery, and tl1rowing i n some chopped
mushrooms for additional texture and substance.
A dose of minced garlic, fresh sage and parsley,
and chicken broth fnished my recipe.
With a roasting technique and stuffng reci
pes now i n place, I had fnally managed to turn
stuffed roast chicken into a successfl marriage.
STE P - BY- STE P I B UTTE RF LYI NG AN D STUF F I NG T HE C H I C KE N
I. Cut through bones on ei ther 2. Fl i p chi cken over and use heel
si de of backbone. then remove of hand to flatten breastbone.
and di scard backbone. Tuck ti ps of wi ngs behi nd back.
3 . Stacktwo 1 2-i nch squares offoi l
on top of each other. Fold edges to
construct 8 by 6- i nch bowl .
4. Coat i nsi de of foi l bowl wi th
nonsti ck cooki ng spray and pack
stufi ng i nto bowl .
5 . Posi ti on chi cken over stufi ng.
Adj ust edges of foi l bowl to fit
shape of chi cken cavit.
" STU F F E D" ROAST BUTTE RFLI E D CHI CKE N
SERVES 4
Use a traditional ( not nonstick) roasting pan
to prepare this recipe; the dark fni sh of a non
stick pan may cause the stuffng to overbrown.
If using a kosher chicken, skip step 1 .
11 cup tabl e salt
whole chi cken (5 to 6 pounds) , tri mmed of
excess fat, gi bl ets di scarded
teaspoon vegetabl e or ol ive oi l
Ground bl ack pepper
reci pe stuffing (reci pe fol l ows)
l . Di ssolve sal t i n 2 quarts col d water i n
large container. Immerse chicken and refri ger
ate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour.
2. Adj ust oven rack to lower- middle posi
ti on; heat oven to 45 0 degre e s . Remove
chi cken from bri ne and ri nse under col d
runni ng water; pat dry wi t h paper towel s .
Butterfy chicken, fatten breastbone, and tuck
wings behind back ( see i l l ustrations 1 and 2 ) .
Rub skin with oil and sprinkle with pepper.
3 . Fol l owi ng i l l ustrati ons 3 through 5 ,
construct foi l bowl , spray inside of bowl with
nonsti ck cooki ng spray, and pl ace bowl in
roasting pan. Gently mound and pack stuffng
into foil bowl and position chicken over stuff
ing ( chicken should extend past edges of bowl
so that most of fat renders into roasting pan,
not i nto foi l bowl ) . Roast chicken unti l j ust
beginning to brown, about 30 minutes . Rotate
pan and continue to roast until skin is crisped
and deep gol den brown and instant- read ther
mometer registers 1 60 degrees in thickest part
of breast, 1 75 degrees in thickest part of thigh,
and 1 65 degrees in stuffng, 25 to 35 mi nutes
longer. Usi ng tongs, transfer chicken to cut
ti ng board; l et rest 10 mi nutes .
4. While chicken rests , transfer stuffng from
foil bowl to serving bowl ; fluff stuffng with
spoon. Cover stuffng with foi l to keep warm.
Carve chicken and serve with stuffng.
MU S H RO OM- LE E K BREAD STU F F I NG
WI TH H E RBS
The dried bread cubes for this stuffng can be
stored i n an airtight container for up t o 1 week.
6 ounces white sandwi ch bread (about 6 sl i ces) ,
cut i nto 1/4- i nch cubes (about 5 cups)
2 tabl espoons unsal ted butter
smal l l eek, halved l engthwi se, ri nsed thoroughly,
white and l ight green parts cut crosswise
i nto 1/e - i nch sl i ces (about I cup)
I smal l cel ery ri b, chopped fi ne (about 3 cup)
8 ounces button mushrooms, cl eaned and chopped
medi um (about 2 11 cups)
l arge garl i c cl ove, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about 1 11 teaspoons)
11 teaspoon mi nced fresh sage l eaves
(or 1/4 teaspoon dri ed)
'h teaspoon mi nced fresh thyme l eaves
(or 1/4 teaspoon dri ed)
1/4 cup mi nced fresh parsl ey l eaves
l arge egg
'h cup pl us 2 tabl espoons l ow-sodi um
chi cken broth
'h teaspoon tabl e salt
11 teaspoon ground black pepper
l . Adj ust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in sin
gle layer on baking sheet; bake until thoroughly
dried but not browned, about 30 minutes, stir
ring once halfay through baking time.
2. Meanwhi l e, heat butter i n 1 2- inch skillet
over medium- high heat; when foam subsides,
add l eek, cel ery, and mushrooms and cook,
stirring occasionally, until vegetabl es begi n to
sofen, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue
to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin
to brown, 2 to 3 mi nutes. Stir in sage, thyme, and
parsley and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3 . Whisk egg, broth, salt, and pepper in large
bowl unti l combi ned. Add bread cubes and
leek/mushroom mi xture; toss gently unti l evenly
moistened and combined. Set aside.
M i R C I I [ A P R I L 2005
7
T A s T 1 N G . KO3StC|LD| CKCDS
When tasting broi l er /frer chi ckens (weighi ng 3 to 4
pounds) . we have found that spendi ng a l i ttle more for
a "premi um" or kosher bi rd pays of. Does the same hol d
true for roasting chi ckens, whi ch are ol der bi rds that ti p
the scal es at 5 to 7 pounds? To fi nd out, we gathered a
representative sel ecti on. Because kosher bi rds are salted
duri ng processi ng. we bri ned the three other chi ckens to
l evel the pl aying fi el d.
Tasters di d not l i ke the mass- market roaster (from
Perdue) or the supermarket sampl e (from Shaw' s) . Both
bi rds were l acki ng in chi cken favor and were mushi er
than our favori tes: the kosher bi rd (from Empi re) and
the premi um bi rd (from Bel l & Evans) . These were
prai sed for thei r authenti c chi cken flavor and superi or
texture. Our advi ce: I f your market sel l s a kosher or
premi um roaster, buy i t. -Garth Cl i ngi ngsmi th
RE COMME ND E D
EMPI RE Kosher Frozen Roasting
Chi cken S I . 99 /l b.
The overwhel mi ng favorite was
deemed the j ui ci est and most
flavorful . Tasters l i ked i ts "roasted
flavor." Don' t bri ne thi s bi rd .
BELL & EVANS lrge Roaster
$ 2. 29 /l b.
Tasters prai sed thi s j uicy, " butter"
bi rd, whi ch has a mi l der flavor than
our top choi ce. Bri ne thi s bi rd for
best resul ts.
NOT RECOMME ND E D
SHAW'S (Supermarket) Whol e
Young Chi cken S I . 59 /l b.
Thi s nearly flavorless "pl ai n Jane"
chi cken offended no one. but
some tasters di sl i ked the "mushy, "
"prechewed" texture.
PERDUE Oven Stufer Fresh
Whol e Roaster S 1 . 79 /l b.
Tasters obj ected to "metal l i c"
flavors and "spongy " breast meat.
whi ch seemed to "crumbl e. "
Pan-Roasted Asparagus
I s i t poss i bl e to get great gri l l ed fl avor from a si mpl e stovetop rec i pe?
A
!though I consider grilling to be the
ultimate method for cooking aspara
gus, there are plenty of rainy Tuesday
nights when asparagus is on the menu.
Rther than waste time heating a ficky broiler, I
was hoping that a simple stovetop method might
deliver crisp, nicely browned spears.
I turned up several promising recipes, but the
results were disappointing. In most cases, the
spears were indeed browned but also limp, greasy,
and shriveled. Equally daunting was the logistics
of cooking enough asparagus to feed four peopl e.
All the recipes I consulted suggested laying the
spears out in a single layer, then individually rotat
ing them to ensure even browning. This seemed
like a lot of meticulous fss for one measly bunch
of asparagus, which, with these restrictions, was
all I could ft into a 1 2- inch pan.
Afer testing different-sized spears, heat lev
els, pan types, and cooking fats, a few things
became clear. As i n grilling, the thinner spears
would have to be eliminated. They overcooked
so quickly that there was no way to get a proper
sear. Selecting thicker spears helped to solve this
problem, but I was still a long way from getting
them to brown properly. Over moderate heat, the
spears took so long to develop a crisp, browned
exterior that they overcooked. But cranking up
the burner was not a good alternative-the spears
skipped brown altogether and went straight to
spotty and blackened.
I knew that in restaurants line cooks blanch
off pounds of asparagus before service, then toss
them into the pan or onto the grill to order for
a quick sear. They do this primarily to save time,
but I wondered if parcooking would also enhance
browning. I tried searing some asparagus spears
that had frst been quickly blanched in boiling
water. Sure enough, they quickly developed a
crisp, golden brown crust.
Our science editor explained that the exterior
of raw asparagus is dry and waxy, and the sugars
necessary for browning reactions are locked up
inside the plant's tough cell wall s. Some cooking
is required to release these sugars, as is the case
with sliced onions, which need to sweat before
they caramelize. I was reluctant to call for this
extra step, but what if covering the pan at the
start of the cooking would have the same effect?
I cooked two more batches, covering the
skillets for the frst fve minutes and adding a
few tablespoons of water to one of them. The
latter batch was defnitely steamed, but the extra
3 B Y S E A N L A W L E R E
moisture inhibited its browning after I removed
the lid. The asparagus in the other skillet, which
had contained nothing besides olive oil, steamed
very little. When I replaced the oil with butter,
however, the results were quite different: A small
cloud of steam escaped the pan when tle lid was
lifed, and the asparagus had sofened and turned
bright green. Evidently, the small amount of
moisture in the butter (while olive oil is 1 00 per
cent fat, butter is roughly 20 percent water) was
enough to start steaming the asparagus, which
then began to release its own moisture to help
the process along. Tasters eventually agreed tlut
a mixture of olive oil and butter provided me best
combination of favor and browning.
Once me lid was removed, however, it was a
race against me clock to try to get all the spears
turned and evenly browned before they over
cooked and turned limp. Even witl very tl1ick
asparagus, i t was a race I almost always l ost.
In me course of tli s round of tests, however, I
made a fortunate discovery. Citing the pleasing
contrast of textures, tasters actually preferred tl1e
spears mat were browned on only one side and
remained bright green on tl1e other-and these
half- browned spears never went limp.
This fnding also helped to solve tl1e problem
of how to ft more asparagus into the skillet. The
rationale behind not crowding the pan-it causes
the food to steam and brown unevenly-no lon
ger applied. In fact, it was precisely the result I
was after. Careflly positioning me asparagus in
the pan also helped. A better ft and better brown
ing were possible with half of the spears pointed
in one direction and tle other half pointed in the
opposite direction. Now j ust an occasional toss
was enough to ensure that all the spears became
partially browned.
PAN - ROASTE D AS PARAG U S
S E RVES 3 TO 4
This recipe works best with asparagus that is at
least '1 inch mick near the base. If using min
ner spears, reduce the covered cooking time to
3 minutes and the uncovered cooking time to 5
minutes. Do not use pencil - thin asparagus; it can
not withstand the heat and overcooks too easily.
tabl espoon ol ive oi l
tabl espoon unsal ted butter
2 pounds thi ck asparagus spears (see note) .
ends tri mmed
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
8
Kosher sal t and ground bl ack pepper
'h l emon (opti onal )
1 . Heat oil and butter in 1 2-inch skillet over
medium-high heat. When butter has melted, add
half of asparagus t skillet wim tips pointed in one
direction; add remaining spears wim tips pointed
in opposite direction. Using tongs, distribute
spears i n even layer ( spears will not quite ft into
single l ayer) ; cover and cook until asparagus is
bright green and still crisp, about 5 minutes.
2. Uncover and increase heat to high; season
asparagus witl1 salt and pepper. Cook until spears
are tender and well browned along one side, 5
to 7 minutes, using tongs to occasionally move
spears from center of pan to edge of pan to ensure
all are browned. Transfer asparagus to serving
dish, adj ust seasonings with salt and pepper, and,
if desired, squeeze lemon half over spears. Serve
immediately.
PAN - ROASTE D AS PARAG U S WI TH
TOASTE D GARLI C AN D PARME SAN
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 medium garlic
cloves, sliced min, in 1 2-inch skillet over medium
heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is
crisp and golden but not dark brown, about 5
minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to
paper towel-lined plate. Follow recipe for Pan
Roasted Asparagus, adding butter to oil i n skil
let. Afer transferring asparagus to serving dish,
sprinkle with 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan,
toasted garlic, and lemon j uice; adj ust seasonings
and serve immediately.
PAN - ROASTED AS PARAG U S WI TH WARM
ORANG E - ALMO N D VI NAI G RETTE
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in 1 2- i nch skillet
over medium heat until shimmering; add V4 cup
sl ivered almonds and cook, stirring frequently,
until golden, about 5 minutes. Add l cup fresh
orange juice and l teaspoon chopped fresh thyme;
increase heat to medium-high and simmer until
tlckened, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in 2
tablespoons minced shallot, 2 tablespoons sherry
vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste; transfer
vinaigrette to small bowl . Wipe out skillet; follow
recipe for Pan- Roasted Asparagus. Aer transfer
ring asparagus to serving dish, pour vinaigrette
over and toss to combine; adj ust seasonings and
serve immediately.
The Problem with Sauteed Fish Fillets
A sauteed fi sh fi l l et needs a pan s auce to tu rn i t i nto a sati sfyi ng mai n cou rse .
Th e probl em i s coord i nati ng th e cooki ng so that both are don e perfectl y.
I
had always thought of sauteed
fi sh as a slam-dunk supper: A
hot skllet, a squeeze oflemon,
and dinner is served. Afer f
ther examination, I realized there is
a lot to consider. First of all, there' s
the daunting task of fsh selecti on.
Wi th the myriad choices of fllets
versus steaks, thick versus thi n, and
endless species, fsh shopping is akin
to choosing an insurance poli cy.
Next-let's face i t-fsh without a
pan sauce can be boring. But get
ting a hot pan sauce and hot fsh
on the table at the same time isn't
so easy. The fsh ( especi ally thin
fllets ) cools down qui ckly. Al of
this sounded like a case of swi m
ming upstream, but, in typical test
kitchen styl e, I decided to start at
the beginning.
What' s the Catch?
3 BY BR I D G E T LA NCA S T E R E
I headed to the seafood counter
at my local supermarket to view
the offerings. The grouper looked
good, so I ordered four fllets, which
seemed like a reasonable amount to
fi t into my large skillet. Maybe my
eyes shoul dn' t have wandered off
to the two- for-one sale on baked
beans, because what I got wasn' t
what I ordered. Instead of four
To keep fi sh from fal l i ng apart. al ways use a wi de offset spatul a to
remove fi l l ets from the pan . A sl otted pl asti c spatul a l ets excess fat dri p
away and won' t scratch nonsti ck surfaces.
individual fllets, I unwrapped four
1 8-inch pieces of grouper ( perhaps the large size
and weight of the package should have been a
tip-off. Afer calling the market to complain, I
was told that four fllets was, in fact, exactly what I
got. Evidently, in the fi shmonger's lingo, "fllet"
means just about any cut section from a whole
side of fi sh. Lesson learned.
Apparently, I hadn' t been clear enough, s o
next time I wrote down exactly what I wanted,
mustered a bi t of confdence, and marched back
to the supermarket. "Four 5 -ounce haddock fl
lets," I said to the man at tl1e counter ( haddock
was on sale) . He reached for a huge piece of fsh
that was nearly 1 inch thick at one end and thin
as a pancake at the other. That wouldn' t do.
"Nope. I want only fllets that are around Lh inch
tl1ick, small enough to ft four in a skillet . " So
guess what? He cut four Ih-inch fllets from the
center section of the haddock and wrapped them
up. What' s the moral of the story? Kow what
you want, and don't be afraid to ask for i t.
However, if your market sells only whole sides
that vary in thickness, there' s no need to panic ( or
walk away) , especially if the fi sh looks fresh. Ask
the fshmonger to cut the fsh into pieces that are
roughly the same weight ( or do tl1is yourself; see
"Downsizing a Large Fillet," page 1 0) . To even
out the cooking time between the tl1ick and thin
pieces, fold the thinner piece ( which invariably
comes from the tail end) in half I found that a
simple nick and tuck ( see "Tucking the Tai l , "
page 1 1 ) could turn a too- thin tail i nto a meaty
fllet thick enough to cook right alongside the
center-cut fi llets .
o A R C I I [ A I R I I. 2005
9
LODC| SD| D
Getti ng the fsh you want is no eas task. Fish may be
sold in smal l pi eces and cal l ed "fi l l ets, " or they may
be sol d by the whol e si de and sti l l be referred to
as "fi l l ets. " Armed with a l i ttl e knowl edge, you can
pi ck out the right catch of the day with ease. Here
are descri pti ons of the white fish (appropriate for
our reci pe) that you are l i kely to encounter at the
marlet, along wi th tips for buyi ng them.
The Cut I f possi bl e, have the fi shmonger cut
out the fi l l ets from the whol e si de. Usual ly, the
center part of the si de wi l l yi el d at l east 4 fi l l ets.
Most markets wi l l cut and wei gh fi l l ets to your
speci fi cati ons.
Te Ti ckness To ensure evenly cooked fi l l ets,
order and buy fi l l ets that are the same thi ckness.
A panful of thi n fi l l ets wi l l cook more evenl y than a
pan contai ni ng a mi x of thi ck and thi n.
About Ti n Fi l l ets I f the fi sh sel ecti on i s l i mited,
you can "cheat" by fol di ng paper-thi n fish fi l l ets
(often founder or sol e) in hal f. Thei r l arer gi rth
wi l l cook more evenly al ongsi de thi cker fi l l ets.
Flavor Key Fl avor can run from mi l d to downri ght
fishy. Here' s how to buy fi sh that matches your
personal preference.
mil d -
medium --
assertive ---
FI SH THI CKNESS FLVOR
Catfish 1 - 1 11' ' -
--
Cod 31 - I 1l2 " -
-
Fl ounder 'I - 11" -
Grouper 31 - I 'I" --
Haddock 3- I 11" -
-
Hake l - I 11" --
Monkfi sh I - I 11" ---
Orange Roughy 'I - I 11" ---
Perch 'I - 31 " -
Red Snapper 31 - I " -
--
Sea Bass 'I - I 11" ---
Sol e '14 - 11" -
Tilapia 'I - I " ---
T 1 M 1 N G : D| CKVC|SuSD| D| | | CtS
formati on woul d be mi ni mal 1 1 cup al l - purpose fl our
even with beef or pork. ) I made 4-6 bonel ess, ski nl ess thi ck fi sh fi l l ets
TH I CK TH I N
Dependi ng o n the thi ckness of the fi l l et, you wi l l need to adjust the
cooki ng ti me. We recommend that you get out a rul er before you
cook. The fi l l et on the left i s nearly I i nch thi ck and wi l l need 5 to 7
mi nutes of cooki ng ti me. The fi l l et on the ri ght is j ust over 1/ i nch
thi ck and wi l l need only 2 11 to 4 mi nutes of cooki ng ti me.
a sauce i n a separate saucepan
and kept it on a l ow burner while
I cooked the fsh. As soon as the
l ast side was sauteed, I pl aced
the fsh on a plate, spooned the
sauce over it, and proceeded to
enjoy j uicy, hot-from- the- skillet
fsh. Ta- da!
Deduce and (Ughtl y) Reduce
Another beneft of making the
sauce frst was that I coul d take
Casti ng Tradi ti on Ai de
Back in the kitchen, I began working on the
saute. Wanting a bi t of a browned crust on the
fsh, I tried sauteing it with and without a coating
of four. The four added just the right amount
of crust ( not too tough) and color, but it didn' t
always adhere properly. I discovered that by
seasoning the fsh with salt and pepper and then
letting it sit for a few moments before fouring,
moisture in the fsh would bead to the surface,
helping the four t o adhere.
As for si ze, I found that anythi ng thinner
than l4 inch would fal l apart and should not
be sauteed. I also found that fllets between l4
inch and l inch thick could be cooked in the
same way (a bit longer on the frst side, less on
the second side) . (Very thick fllets-more than
l inch-require a different cooking method,
including some oven time, so I excluded them
fom frther testing. )
Most recipes for sauteed fsh with pan sauce
call for slightly undercooking the fsh, removing
it from the pan, making the sauce, and then toss
ing the fsh back into the sauce to fnish cooking.
This method bordered on acceptable; the tender
fsh began to fake apart around the edges by the
time it was reheated, and the crisp outer layer was
history. Next I followed the same procedure but
fnished witl1 the fllets and sauce in a hot oven.
Once agai n, the fsh fel l apart as soon as it was
served, and the whole dish was a mess.
Out of necessity comes invention, or so I rea
soned. What i f I had the pan sauce waiting on
the fsh instead of the other way around? Unlike
a steak, for example, the fsh was not creating a
fond ( browned bits on the bottom of the pan)
that was going to contribute a l ot of favor.
( Because I was using a nonstick skillet, the fond
s H o P P , N G : LOwDS|2| Dg3 L|gC | | | Ct
Fi sh fi l l ets are sol d i n a range of si zes, and
you may need to cut them down to fi t i nto
the pan. Use a sharp c hef' s or boni ng
knife to cut the fi l l et i nto pi eces of equal
wei ght. Or ask your fi shmonger to cut the fi l l et for you.
a bit more time ( up t o fve minutes or s o) to
reduce liquids ( such as wine) to concentrate fa
vors. Because I didn' t have to worry about the
fsh cooling off, I could give the sauces a bit
more attenti on. Brightness was added via vinegar
and citrus, and garlic and shallots added bite and
depth. But I had one more surprise ahead of
me. During one test, I neglected to reduce the
liquids to a classi c, thick consistency. Still fll of
concentrated favor, these lighter, brothy sauces
were much better suited to thin, delicate fsh fl
lets . All that was l ef to do was please my tasters
by making plenty of sauce-enough for the fsh
and whatever else was served on the side .
In addition to tl1ree reduction sauces ( one with
white wine, one with orange juice and cream, and
one with coconut milk) , I also developed a simple
grapefruit vinaigrette, which is perhaps the easiest
sauce of all, as it requires no cooking.
SAUTE E D WH I TE F I S H F I LLETS
S E RVES 4
When it comes to the size of a fsh fl l et, there
are generally two categori es: thick and thin.
Thickness determines in part how l ong the fl l et
must be cooked. For the purpose of this recipe,
we are putting fllets 5; inch to l inch thick in the
thick category. To serve four, try to select four
6- ounce fllets; alternatively, use six 4- ounce fl
lets . In the thi n category are fllets l4 inch to V2
inch thick. Ifthe fllets are small ( about 3 ounces
each) , use eight; if they are slightly l arger ( about
4 ounces each) , use six. Do not use fllets thinner
than V4 inch, as they will overcook very quickly.
Note that the sauce reci pes are meant to be
prepared before the fsh fllets are cooked. The
sauce is then held unti l serving.
At home, tuck t he thi n tai l pi ece accordi ng t o t he i l l ustrati ons on page I
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
1 0
( 4 to 6 ounces each; see note)
OR
6-8 bonel ess, ski nl ess thi n fi sh fi l l ets
(3 to 4 ounces each; see note)
Tabl e sal t and ground bl ack
pepper
3 tabl espoons vegetable oi l
l . Place four in baki ng di sh or pi e plate . Pat
fsh fllets dry wi th paper towel s . Season both
si des of each fl l et with sal t and pepper; l et
stand until fl l ets are glistening wi th moi sture,
about 5 minutes . I f using any tail - end fllets,
score and tuck tail under, foll owi ng i l l ustra
tions on page 1 1 . Coat both sides of fl l ets with
four, shake off excess, and place in si ngle l ayer
on baking sheet .
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oi l i n 1 2-inch nonstick
skillet over high heat until shimmering but not
smoking; place half of fllets in skillet i n single
layer and immediately reduce heat to medium
high. For thick filets: Cook, without movi ng fsh,
until edges of fllets are opaque and bottoms are
golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. For thin filets:
Cook, without moving fsh, until edges of fllets
are opaque and bottoms are lightly browned, 2
to 3 minutes.
3. Using spatula, gently fi p fllets. For thick
filets: Cook on second side until thickest part of
fllets is frm to touch and fsh fakes easily (see
page 1 1 ), 2 to 3 minutes. For thin filets: Cook
on second side until tl1ickest part of fllets is frm
to touch and fsh fakes easily (see page 1 1 ), 30
to 60 seconds .
4. Transfer fllets to serving platter and tent
with foi l . Add remaining l tabl espoon oil to
skillet, increase heat to high, and heat until oil is
shimmering but not smoki ng; repeat steps 2 and
3 to cook remaining fllets.
5. Place second batch of fl l ets on platter with
frst batch; tilt platter to discard any accumulated
liquid. Serve fsh immediately with sauce.
WH I TE WI N E-S HALLOT SAUCE WI TH
LE MON AN D CAPERS
MAKES ABOUT | CUP
One tablespoon of lemon j uice is cooked into
the sauce; an additional tablespoon can be added
later, i f desired, for a bright, tart flavor.
2 teaspoons vegetabl e oi l
2 l arge shal l ots, mi nced {about 1 1 cup)
11 cup dry whi te wi ne
1 -2 tabl espoons j ui ce from I l emon (see note) ,
pl us l emon wedges for servi ng
4 tabl espoons col d unsal ted butter
tabl espoon capers, rinsed and drai ned
tabl espoon chopped fresh parsley l eaves
Tabl e salt and ground bl ack pepper

Z
>
C
O

Z
J
C
L
1 . Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium
heat until shimmering but not smoki ng; add
shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until sof
ened and beginning to color, about 1 1 minutes.
Add wine and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, increase
heat to high, and bring to boil; boil until reduced
to 4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from
burner, whisk in butter, capers, parsley, and, if
desired, remaining l tablespoon l emon j ui ce
until combined; season to taste with sal t and
pepper. Cover to keep warm and set aside, stir
ring once afer about 1 minute .
2. To serve, stir sauce to recombine and spoon
lh cup over fsh. Serve immediately with lemon
wedges, passing remaining sauce separately.
ORANGE -TARRAGON SAUCE WI TH CREAM
MAKE S ABOUT I CUP
We like the delicate, fruity favor of champagne
vinegar in this sauce, but white wine vinegar can
also be used.
2 teaspoons vegetabl e oi l
medi um shal l ot, mi nced (about 3 tabl espoons)
cup j ui ce from 2 medi um oranges
3 tabl espoons champagne vi negar
'I cup heavy cream
2 tabl espoons col d unsal ted butter
tabl espoon chopped fresh tarragon l eaves
Tabl e salt and ground black pepper
Orange wedges for servi ng
1 . Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium
heat until shimmering but not smoki ng; add
shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until sof
ened and beginning to color, about 1 1 minutes.
Add orange juice and vinegar, increase heat to
high, and bring to boil; boil until reduced to
4 cup, 4 to 6 minutes. Add heavy cream and
continue to cook until slightly reduced, about
1 minute. Remove saucepan from burner, whisk
in butter and tarragon until combined; season to
taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm;
set aside, stirring once afer about 1 minute.
2. To serve, stir sauce to recombine and spoon
I cup over fsh. Serve immediately with orange
wedges, passing remaining sauce separately.
GRAPE FRU I T- LI ME VI NAI G RETTE
WI TH MI NT AN D CH I VES
MAKES ABOUT ' /z CUP
Make sure t o remove all white pith and mem-
branes from grapefruit sections destined for
garnishing the fsh.
Z
J
C
Z
C

t;

2 tabl espoons j ui ce from 11 pi nk grapefrui t,
remai ni ng hal f cut i nto secti ons for servi ng
2 tabl espoons j ui ce from I to 2 l i mes
I medi um shal l ot, mi nced (about 3 tabl espoons)
teaspoon honey
6 tabl espoons extra-vi rgi n ol ive oi l
tabl espoon chopped fresh mi nt l eaves
tabl espoon chopped fresh chives
Tabl e sal t and ground black pepper
l . Combine grapefruit and lime j uices, shal
lot, and honey i n medium bowl . Whi ski ng
constantly, gradually add olive oil; add mi nt and
chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Set aside while cooking fsh.
2. To serve, whisk vinaigrette to recombine;
dri zzl e vinai grette over fsh fl l ets and serve
immediately with grapefruit sections.
COCONUT-RE D CURRY SAUC E
MAKES ABOUT I C UP
For those who like assertive favors, the amount
of red curry paste can be doubled; in this case,
be conservative when seasoning with salt and
pepper.
2
2
2
'h
1 11
2
3
teaspoons vegetabl e oi l
smal l garl i c cl ove, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about 1/ teaspoon)
teaspoons mi nced fresh gi nger
teaspoons red curry paste (see note)
teaspoon l ight brown sugar
cup coconut mi l k
tabl espoons j ui ce from I l i me
teaspoons fi sh sauce
tabl espoons water
tabl espoon chopped fresh ci l antro l eaves
Tabl e salt and ground black pepper
Ume wedges for seri ng
1 . Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium
heat until shimmering but not smoki ng; off heat,
add garlic, ginger, curry paste, and sugar and
cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30
seconds. Add coconut milk, lime juice, fsh sauce,
and water; increase heat to high and bring to boil;
YDCD |S |tLODC'
T E C H NI Q UE I
TUC KI NG THE TAI L
I . With sharp knife, cut hal fay through fesh
crosswise 2 to 3 i nches from tai l end. Thi s wi l l
create seam to fold tai l under.
2. Fld tai l end under to create fi l l et of relatively
even thi ckness.
boil until sauce is reduced to about l cup, about
3 minutes. Off heat, stir in cilantro and season to
taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm
and set aside; stir once afer about l minute.
2 . To serve, stir sauce to recombine and spoon
'1 cup over fsh. Serve immediately with lime
wedges, passing remaining sauce separately.
HALF- COOKE D PE RF E CTLY COOKE D OVERCOOKE D
To make s ure that the fi sh i s cooked j ust right, use a pari ng kni fe t o peek i nsi de. I f the fl esh i s sti l l transl ucent
( l eft) , the fi sh i s not yet done. I f the fl esh i s opaque and fl ak but sti l l j ui cy (mi ddl e) , the fi sh i s ready to come
out of the pan. I f the fl esh l ooks dry and fal l s apart (ri ght) , the fi sh has been overcooked.
M A R C i l 6 A P R I L 2 0 0 5
l 1
Simplifying Tortila Soup
An ' authenti c' torti l l a sou p requ i res a tri p to a Lati n market and an afternoon i n the ki tchen .
We had j ust on e hou r and l i mi ted ou r grocery shoppi ng to the l ocal Pri ce Chopper.
D
uring my last trip to Mexico, I
ate Sopa de Tortilla nearly every
night. A meal i n a bowl, this
spicy chicken- tomato broth
overfowing with garnishes ( fried tortilla
strips, crumbled cheese, diced avocado, and
lime wedges ) always satisfed with intensely
rich favors and contrasting textures. In
essence, it's a turbocharged, south-of- the
border chicken soup. Returning home, I
quickly rounded up some recipes only to
fnd my enthusiasm fading as fast as my
tan. Cotija? Epazote ? Crema ? Authentic
recipes called for at least one, if not sev
eral , uniquely Mexican ingredients, none
of which I was going to fnd at my local
market in Boston. In addition, this recipe
demanded a major investment of time;
making homemade chicken stock and fy
ing tortilla strips seemed beyond the pale
for a weeknight soup.
3 B Y R E B E C C A H AY S E
to "doctor" low-sodium canned chicken
broth, especially since this soup is awash
with so many other vi brant favors . I
tri ed cooking chicken in canned broth
bolstered with onion and garlic, reason
ing that the chicken would release and
take on favor while it poached. ( I chose
bone-in chicken as it has more favor than
boneless. ) Split chicken breasts poached in
j ust 20 minutes and could then be shred
ded and stirred back into the soup before
servi ng. ( Ri ch - favored chi cken thighs
are an equally good choice, but, if poorly
trimmed, they can turn the soup greasy. )
Cooked this way, the chicken retained its
j uiciness and tender texture and the broth
was nicely favored.
Just to get my bearings, I di d make a
few of these authentic recipes ( afer a long
hunt for ingredients) . They tasted great,
but the preparation was arduous at best. Yet
when I cooked up a few "Americanized"
recipes, I ended up with watery brews of
store- bought chicken broth and canned
tomatoes topped with stodgy, off-the-shelf
tortilla chips. Quick, but defnitely not what
I would call great-tasting.
Cri sp stri ps of oen fri ed corn torti l l as add crunch and heft to a bowl
of potent Mexi can chi cken soup flavored wi th chi l es. tomatoes. and
fresh herbs.
Every authentic recipe for tortilla soup
calls for fresh epazote, a common Mexican
herb that imparts a heady, distinctive favor
and fragrance to the broth. Unfortunately,
while epazote i s widely available i n the
Southwest, i t i s virtually nonexistent in
the Northeast. Still, I managed to track
some down for testing purposes. Its wild,
pungent favor is diffcult to descri be, but
afer carefl tasting I decided that it most
closely resembles fesh cilantro, mint, and
oregano. Using a broth steeped with epa
zote as a control, I sampled broths made
with each of these herbs. The winner was
Back to Basi cs
I started anew and broke the soup down into its
three classic components: a favor base made with
fesh tomatoes, garlic, onion, and chiles; chicken
stock; and an array of garnishes, inducing fied
tortilla strips. I zeroed i n on the favor base frst,
recalling that the best of the soups I had made
called for a basic Mexican cooking technique in
which the vegetables are charred on a comal, or
griddle, then pureed and fried to create a concen
trated paste that favors the soup.
Without a comal in the test kitchen, I used a
cast-iron skilet for charring, and the results were
superb, even with mediocre supermarket tomatoes.
The downside was that it took 25 attentive min
utes to complete the task. I wondered if I could
skip charring altogether by adding smoke-favored
dried chiles to a puree of raw tomatoes, onion, and
garlic. (I usedguajillo chiles, which are ofen used
to spice up tortilla soup. ) The answer was yes, but
toasting and grinding these hard-to-fnd chiles
didn't bring me any closer to a quick and easy
recipe. Chipotle chiles ( smoked j alapenos) emed
like a more practical choice. Canned in a vinegary
tomato mixture cal led adobo sauce, chipotles pack
heat, roasted smoky flavor, and, more important,
convenience. I also found that aggressively fyng
the raw tomatoes, onion, and chipotle puree over
high heat forced all of the water out of the mixture
and frther concentrated its flavor.
Taki ng Stock
With the vegetable- charring step el i mi nated,
I moved on to the chicken stock. Yes, the test
kitchen does have an excellent recipe for home
made stock, but I was hoping to move tl1is recipe
into the express lane. The obvious alternative was
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
1 2
a pairing of strong, warm oregano with
pungent cilantro. It was not identical to
the favor of epazote, but it scored highly for its
intensity and complexity. I now had deeply fa
vored broth that when stirred together with the
tomato mixture made for a soup that was starting
to taste like the real thing.
Lst but Not least
Flour tortil l as, whether fri ed or oven- baked,
tasted fne on their own but quickly disintegrated
in hot soup. That l eft me with corn tortillas .
The classic preparation is frying, but cooking
up to or three batches of corn tortilla strips
took more time and attention than I wanted to
muster. Tasters fatly rej ected the notion of raw
corn tortillas-a recommendation I found i n
more than one recipe-as they rapidly turned
gummy and unpalatable when added to the hot
soup. Corn tortillas require some sort of crisping.
Aer much testing, I came across a technique in
a low-fat cookbook that was both fast and easy:
Lightly oiled tortilla strips are simply toasted in
the oven. The result? Chips tl1at are just as crisp,
less greasy, and much less trouble to prepare than
their fied cousins.
A for the garnishes, I worked through the list
one ingredient at a time. Lime added sharp, fesh
notes to an already complex bowl, as did cilantro
leaves and minced j alapeno. Avocado was another
no- brainer. Thick, tart Mexican crema (a tangy,
cultured cream) is normally swirled into individual
soup bowls, too. If it's unavailabl e, sour cream
is a natural stand-in. Crumbled cotij a or queso
fesco cheese is great but hard to find. Cotija ( the
test kitchen favorite) is sharp and rich, while queso
fesco is mild and milky. If you can' t fnd cotija, use
Monterey Jack, which melts nicely.
At last, I had managed to create a bowl of
reasonably authentic tortilla soup using common
supermarket ingredients. Best of all, I could make
the soup in less time than it takes to get to the
airport.
TORTI LLA S OUP
MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS . S E RVI NG
Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, this
recipe is very easy to prepare. If you desire a soup
with mild spiciness, trim the ribs and seeds fom
the j alapeno ( or omit the j alapeno altogether) and
use the minimum amount of chipotle in adobo
sauce ( 1 teaspoon, pureed with the tomatoes
in step 3) . Our preferred brand of low-sodium
chicken broth is Swanson's Natural Goodness.
If advance preparation suits you, the soup
can be completed short of adding the shredded
chicken to the pot at the end of step 3. Return the
soup to a simmer over medium-high heat before
T A s T 1 N G : LO|DO|t| | | 3S
We tasted si x brands of corn torti l l as and found
that thicker tori l las di d not brown as wel l i n the
oven and became more chew than crisp. Thi n
torti l l as. ei ther whi te or yel l ow, qui ckly became
feather- l i ght and crisp when oven-fri ed. Flavor dif
ferences beteen brnds were sl i ght, but l ocal ly
made torti l las di d pack a bit more com favor than
nati onal brnds. Our advice? Purchase the thi nnest
tori l l as you can fnd and choose a local ly made
brnd, i f possibl e.
THI CK: TH I N :
TOO CH EWY J U ST RI G HT
proceeding. The tortilla strips and the garnishes
are best prepared the day of serving.
Tortilla Strips
8 (6- i nch) com torti l l as, cut i nto 11-i nch-wi de stri ps
tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l
Tabl e sal t
Soup
2 bone- i n, ski n- on spl i t chi cken breasts
(about 1 11 pounds) or 4 bone- i n, ski n- on
chi cken thi ghs (about 1 1/4 pounds) . ski n
removed and wel l tri mmed of excess fat
8 cups l ow-sodi um chi cken broth
very l arge white oni on (about I pound) , tri mmed
of root end, quartered, and peel ed
4 medi um garl i c cl oves, peel ed
2 l arge sprigs fresh epazote, or 8 to I 0
sprigs fresh ci l antro pl us I sprig fresh oregano
Tabl e sal t
2 medi um tomatoes, cored and quartered
11 medi um j al apeno chi l e
chi potl e chi l e i n adobo, pl us up to I tabl espoon
adobo sauce
tabl espoon vegetabl e oi l
Garnishes
I l i me, cut i nto wedges
I Hass avocado, di ced fi ne
8 ounces coti ja cheese, crumbl ed, or Monterey
Jack cheese, di ced fi ne
Ci l antro l eaves
Mi nced j al apeno
Mexi can crema or sour cream
l . FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS: Adj ust oven
rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees.
Spread tortilla strips on rimmed baking sheet;
drizzle with oil and toss w1til evenly coated. Bake
until strips are deep golden brown and crisped,
about 14 minutes, rotating pan and shaking strips
( to redistribute) hal fay through baking time.
Season strips lightly with salt; transfer to plate
lined with several layers paper towel s.
2. FOR THE SOUP: While tortilla strips bake,
bring chicken, brotl1, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic
cloves, epazote, and l2 teaspoon salt to boil over
medium- high heat in large saucepan; reduce heat
to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just
cooked through, about 20 minutes . Using tongs,
transfer chicken to large plate. Pour brotl1 tl1rough
fne-mesh strainer; discard solids in strainer. When
cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite
sized pieces; discard bones.
3. Puree tomatoes, 2 remaining onion
quarters, 2 remaining garlic cl oves, j al a
peno, chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon adobo
sauce in food processor until smoom. Heat oil
in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering;
add tomato/onion puree and ' teaspoon salt
and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has
darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Stir strained
M A R C i l b A P R i l. 2 0 0 5
1 3
I N G R E D I E N T S :
|3DS| 3t| DgO|t| | | 3bOu
Authenti c torti l l a soup i s chock-ful l of hard- to-fi nd
Mexi can i ngredi ents. We tested dozens of wi dely

E PAZOTE F RE S H CI LANTRO
& OREGAN O
Ci l antro and oregano repl i cate the pungent
flavor of fresh epazote better than
dried epazote.
CO MAL- ROASTE D
C H I LE
CH I POTLES I N
ADOB O SAUCE
Smoked jal apenos i n a tomato-vi negar sauce
take the pl ace of ski l l et-charred chi l es
and tomatoes.
COTI J A M ONTE REY J ACK
Monterey jack doesn' t crumbl e l i ke cotija,
but it melts better than other choi ces,
such as feta.
CRE MA M EXI CANA S OU R CREAM
Sour cream i s mi l der than cul tured Mexican
cream, but it's cl ose enough.
broth into tomato mixture, bring to boil, then
reduce heat to low and simmer to blend favors,
about 1 5 minutes. Taste soup; if desired, add up to
2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce. Add shredded
chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5
minutes. To serve, place portions of tortilla strps
in bottom of individual bowls and ladle soup into
bowls; pass garnishes separately.
Rescuing Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Have you ever tri ed to make a great sauce wi th off- season s upermarket tomatoes?
Cherry tomatoes are you r best bet, but even then the res u l ti ng sauce can be u ni nspi red .
N
othing is better on pasta than
a bright fesh tomato sauce,
heady with garlic and basil .
But in late winter, when my
cravings for summer tomatoes start to kick
in, the supermarket options are limited to
vibrantly red specimens that deliver mealy
texture and almost no discernible favor.
Yes, one can start with canned tomatoes
for a quick sauce, but the promise of a
really good fesh tomato sauce in March is
a worthy goal indeed. When I want to fnd
an of- season tomato with at least some
positive attributes, I usually turn to cherry
tomatoes. But my hopes have too ofen
been dashed by mediocre results.
This time, I decided to sample both
no- cook and quick saute recipes. The
no-cook concept is simple enough: Toss
halved cherry tomatoes in a little olive oil,
fesh herbs, and salt; allow them to sit and
gve of their juices; then toss with pasta.
This method works with sweet, tender,
summertime tomatoes, but wth tart of
season varieties the sauce was fat, watery,
and completely segregated fom the pasta.
The quick saute method, which exposes
the halved tomatoes to j ust enough high
BY E R I KA B R UCE E
and voili! -enough liquid cooked off in the oven
to give me a viscous sauce.
The Sauce Comes Together
Garlic was a must, but I wanted to add i t the
easy way, roasting it along with the tomatoes.
Normally, I enj oy the convenience of a garlic
press, but the favor of pressed garlic in this case
was overwhelming. ( By crushing the cell mem
branes, a garlic press maximizes garlic favor. )
Minced garlic was also too strong, but garlic cut
into slivers was just right. Although onions added
a harsh favor, delicate shallots were sweet enough
to complement the tomatoes. But when I mixed
the admittedly larger slices of shallot in with the
tomatoes, as I had done with the garlic slivers,
tl1ey didn't cook quickly enough. Simply sprin
kling the slices on top of the tomatoes helped
them to roast more quickly.
heat to warm them through, was equally
disappointing. Not only does it require
precision timing to avoid overcooking, but
To create a wi nter sauce with summerti me flavor, toss hal ved
tomatoes wi th salt, sugar, and seasoni ngs (here garl i c, capers.
and red pepper fl akes) and then roast everthi ng i n the oven.
By the time I reached the twentieth batch
of pasta, I noticed the sweetness level of the
tomatoes tended to vary. Sometimes leaning
to the sweeter side ( much like in- season cherry
tomatoes or their cousins, grape tomatoes) , most
were exceedingly tart. I added a small amount
of sugar to the recipe to adj ust for this tartness
(it can be easily reduced or even omitted when
using sweeter tomatoes ) . Two other ingredients
that boosted favor were a modest tablespoon
of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of crushed red
pepper, both added to the tomatoes before roast
ing. Fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, added just
before serving, completed the sauce.
it failed to improve the meager favor of the
tomatoes. The obvious place to turn was roasting,
a method that would concentrate and sweeten
their favor.
Oven to the Rescue
I found plenty of recipes that called for two to
three hours of roasti ng, an amount of time
that seemed absurd for a quick tomato sauce. I n
addition, these recipes produced tomatoes with
a leathery texture that seemed more oven-dried
than slow-roasted. I wanted a quicker recipe and
a juicier end resul t.
Roasting the tomatoes in high heat ( 400 to
450 degrees) took considerably l ess ti me, but the
high oven temperature caused the tomatoes to
explode out of their skins, something that did not
translate into a palatable sauce. They were juicy,
yes, but they were also mushy and quicky disin
tegrated when mixed with the pasta. I needed to
test lower oven temperatures . In the end, the best
choice was 350 degrees. These tomatoes became
sweet and concentrated in j ust 35 minutes.
Once these moderately roasted cherry toma
toes were mixed into pasta, how
In the end, then, is a fesh tomato sauce in late
winter a good idea? Yes . This relatively quick and
simple roasting method guarantees rich tomato
ever, tl1ey released a tremendous O3St O3tOS
amount ofliquid, making the sauce
....................
watery. One thing I did not want
to do was to extend the cooking
time. Then I noticed something
that might help me avoid thi s:
The tomatoes had been forming
a double l ayer in the medium- size
baking dish I had been using, and
I guessed that this arrangement
might be deterring the evapora
tion of moisture. When I switched
to a l arge rimmed baking sheet,
the tomatoes ft in a single layer,
TOO MU CH
Overroasted tomatoes are too
dry to create an ample sauce, and
they turn into hard l umps that
fai l to mingle with the pasta.
C O O K
'
s I L L U S T R A T E D
1 4
J UST RI G HT
Tomatoes roasted to the
perfect degree l ook sl i ghtly
wrinkled but sti l l hol d j uicy flesh
wi thi n thei r skins.

n

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favor, even with third-rate supermarket toma

toes. Now when it comes to fresh tomato sauce, I
no longer have to fear the Ides of March.
PE N N E WI TH CHE RRY TOMATOE S ,
GARLI C, AN D BAS I L
S E RVES 4 TO
Grape tomatoes can be substituted, but because
they also tend to be sweeter, you will want to
reduce or even omit the sugar. Do likewise if your
cherry tomatoes are very sweet, but this is less
likely when using winter cherry tomatoes.
medi um shal l ot, sl i ced thi n
114 cup ol ive oi l
3 pi nts ( 2 pounds) cherry tomatoes, each
tomato halved pol e to pol e
Tabl e salt
114 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
114 teaspoon ground bl ack pepper
1 11 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
tabl espoon bal sami c vi negar
3 large garl i c cl oves, sl i ced thi n
pound penne
114 cup chopped fresh basi l l eaves
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about I cup)
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl , toss shal
lots with 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. In medium
bowl, gently toss tomatoes with remaining oil,
12 teaspoon salt, pepper fakes, black pepper,
sugar, vinegar, and garlic. Spread in even layer on
rimmed baking sheet ( about 1 7 by 12 inches ) ,
scatter shallots over tomatoes; roast until edges
of shallots begin to brown and tomato skins are
slightly shriveled ( tomatoes should retain their
shape), 35 to 40 minutes . ( Do not stir tomatoes
during roasting. ) Remove tomatoes from oven
and cool 5 to 1 0 minutes.
2. While tomatoes cook, bring 4 quarts water to
boil in large stockpot. Just before removing tom a
toes fom oven, stir 1 tablespoon salt and pasta
into boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain
pasta and return to pot. Using rubber spatula,
scrape tomato mixture into pot on top of pasta.
Add basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately,
sprinling cheese over individual bowls.
S PAG H ETTI WI TH CHE RRY TOMATOE S ,
OLI VES , CAPE RS , AND PI N E NUTS
S E RVES 4 TO
3 pi nts (2 pounds) cherr tomatoes, each
tomato halved pol e to pol e
114 cup ol ive oi l
Tabl e salt
11 teaspoon red pepper flakes
114 teaspoon ground bl ack pepper
I 11 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
3 l arge garl i c cl oves, sl i ced thi n
114 cup drai ned capers
pound spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped kal amata ol ives
3 tabl espoons chopped fresh oregano l eaves
114 cup pi ne nuts, toasted
2 ounces grated Pecori no Romano cheese ( I cup)
l . Adj ust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, gently
toss tomatoes with oil, 12 teaspoon salt, pepper
fakes, black pepper, sugar, garlic, and capers .
Spread in even l ayer on rimmed baking sheet
( about 17 by 12 inches ) and roast until tomato
skins are slightly shriveled ( tomatoes should
retain their shape) , 35 to 40 minutes. ( Do not
stir tomatoes during roasting. ) Remove tomatoes
from oven and cool 5 to 1 0 minutes.
2. While tomatoes cook, bring 4 quarts water
to boil in large stockpot. Just before removing
tomatoes from oven, stir 1 tablespoon salt and
pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Using rubber
spatula, scrape tomato mixture into pot on top
of pasta. Add olives and oregano; toss to com
bine. Serve immediately, sprinkling pine nuts and
cheese over individual bowl s.
FARFALLE WI TH CHE RRY TOMATOE S ,
ARU G U LA, AN D GOAT C H E E S E
S E RVES 4 TO
medi um shal l ot, sl i ced thi n
114 cup ol ive oi l
3 pi nts (2 pounds) cherry tomatoes, each tomato
halved pole to pol e (2 pounds)
Tabl e sal t
114 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
114 teaspoon ground black pepper
I 112 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
tabl espoon sherry or red wi ne vi negar
3 l arge garl i c cl oves, sl i ced thi n
pound farfal l e
l arge bunch arugul a, l eaves torn i nto bi te- sized
pi eces (about 4 cups l oosely packed)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbl ed (about 112 cup)
l . Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 350 degrees . In small bowl , toss shal
lots with 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. In medium
bowl , gently toss tomatoes with remaining oil,
l/2 teaspoon salt, pepper fakes, black pepper,
sugar, vinegar, and garlic. Spread in even layer on
rimmed baking sheet ( about 17 by 12 inches) ,
scatter shallots over tomatoes; roast until edges
of shallots begin to brown and tomato skins are
slightly shriveled ( tomatoes should retain tleir
shape) , 35 to 40 minutes. ( Do not stir tomatoes
during roasting. ) Remove tomatoes from oven
and cool 5 to 1 0 minutes.
2. While tomatoes cook, bring 4 quarts water
to boil in large stockpot. Just before removing
tomatoes from oven, stir 1 tablespoon salt and
M A R C i l [ A P R I L 2 0 0 5
1 5
r A s r 1 N G . P|tC|D3t|VC St3S
Nowaday, even the least ambi ti ous superarkets are
stocking alterative-gri n pastas al ongside standard
semol i na wheat pasts. Fad di ets and food al l eries
asi de, how do they taste? We bought fve packges of
unconventi onal spaghetti to fnd out.
Texture tured out to be the downfal l of three
of these pastas. whi ch were gritt. shag, mushy, or
overly del icate. li nkda Orani c Brown Rice Pst
ably passed the texture test, but some tster found
i t "compl etely favorless. " Only Vi tSpel t-made from
spel t, a gri n that' s si mi l ar to wheat-got high marks
across the board. ( Unl ike the other four pasts. how
ever, VitaSpelt i s not gl uten-fre. )
So where di d we come out? On its own, the
VitSpel t outperformed all other in the taste cat
egory. Matched with a substanti al enough suce.
however, ei ther the Vi taSpel t or the li nl<da pasts
were nearly i ndisti ngui shable from semol i na wheat
past. I f your di et can' t admi t gl uten, then li nkda is
your best option. -Garth Cl i ngi ngsmith
I F YOU MU ST
VITAPELT Spel t
Spaghetti
Odd gry col or asi de, this pasta has a " heal thy,
earthy" fl avor and a texture remi ni scent of trdi
ti onal pasta.
TI NK
A
DA Orani c
Brown Ri ce Psta
Spaghetti Stle
a potent sauce.
DEBOLES
Rice Psta Spaghetti Stle
" I s this Uncl e Ben's?" asked one taster. The coare,
gri tt appearnce and texture of thi s pasta were its
downfal l .
DEBOLES Corn Psta f S!
Spaghetti Stle
"" .
Com meal l ent an " i ntensely gri ny" texture.
" Extreme starchi ness" made thi s pasta the gummi
est of the l ot.
ANCI ENT HARVES
Wheat- Free Superrai n
Psta Spaghetti Stl e
Qui noa and com four bl end yi el ded extremely
fragi l e pasta that di si ntegrated qui ckly i nto a
"gummy, gri ny mess
pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente.
Drain pasta and return to pot; add arugula and
toss until wilted. Using rubber spatula, scrape
tomato mixture into pot on top of pasta and toss
to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling cheese
over individual bowl s.
Getting to Know Your Freezer
I s you r freezer an overstocked warehou se for agi ng mystery meat? Learn to get
more out of you r i cebox. BY s EAN LAWLE R
Overly thrift cooks treat thei r freezers l i ke subzero trsh cans, packi ng them ful l of
whatever scraps cross thei r cutti ng board, then promptl y forgetti ng the i tems as soon
as they cl ose the freezer door. For others, the freezer i s no more than an oversi zed
i cemaker. Putti ng a l i ttl e thought i nto your freezer phi l osophy wi l l save you ti me and
money. Here are some ti ps about what to freeze, how to freeze i t, and why.
FREEER BSICS
The most commonly asked questi on about freezers is. " How l ong can I freeze [ fi l l
i n the bl ank]" I t's always a difi cul t questi on to answer. From a safet standpoi nt,
food that i s frozen properly (that i s, kept at a constant temperature of 0 degrees
Fahrenhei t or l ower) wi l l be safe to eat for a l ong, long ti me. In our experi ence,
however, "safe to eat" i s not the same as "edi bl e. " The acti vi t of enzmes and other
chemi cal processes that are sl owed, but not stopped. by freezi ng causes the qual i t
of frozen food to di mi ni sh over ti me, usual ly a matter of months. Exactly how much
ti me depends on the freshness of the food when frozen ; the age, efi ci ency, and tpe
of freezer (and how ful l i t i s) ; the frequency wi th whi ch the freezer door i s opened;
and vari ous other factors.
Whi l e we cannot give a precise answer to the questi on of how l ong any parti cul ar item
wi l l keep, we can tel l you to thi ngs you can do to extend the l i fe of your frozen foods:
Keep your freezer as cold as possible and wrp foods for freezer storge prperly.
DE F ROSTI NG
Te safest way to defrost frozen meat and poul tr i s i n the refrigertor, never at
room temperature. Frozen meat left on the kitchen counter can begi n to grow
mi croorani sms in as l i ttl e as two hours. When defrosti ng mul ti pl e i tems, separte
them for faster defrosti ng. Refrigertor defrosti ng requi res pl anni ng ahead, how
ever. In a pi nch, smal l er quanti ti es of frozen food can be defrosted usi ng the mi cro
wave, set on l ow ( 30 percent) power. ( Lre i tems, such as whol e frozen turkeys
and chi ckens, whi ch can take days to defrost in the refrigerator, shoul d never be
defrosted in the mi crowave. ) The defrosting meat shoul d be l oosely covered wi th
pl astic wrp and rotated occasi onal ly. For best resul ts. do not defrost compl etel y
in the mi crowave, as the meat wil l start to cook. Defrost only unti l softened-not
warm. The meat wi l l conti nue to defrost as you prep i t for cooki ng.
Approxi mate Refrigerator Defrosti ng Ti mes
Thi n steaks, chops, chi cken breasts 8- 1 2 hours
Tick steaks, chops, bone-i n chicken pars, I pound ground beef 24 hours
Frozen casserol es 24 hours
(l et defrosted casserole sit at room temperature for I hour before baking)
Whole chi ckens, turkeys, roasts 5 hours/pound
Temperature: Many freezers can be too
warm. Keep tabs on the temperature of your
freezer wi th an i nexpensi ve refrigerator I
freezer thermometer. Accordi ng to food safet
experts. your freezer shoul d regi ster 0 degrees
Fahrenhei t or col der at all ti mes.
Ai r fl ow: Keep foods away from
the vent in the back wal l of the
freezer; thi s al l ows the col d ai r to
ci rcul ate more efi ci ently.
The col dest spot: The rear center is the col d
est spot i n a freezer. Thi s i s the best pl ace to
store the cani ster for an i ce cream maker, whi ch
must be thoroughly frozen if the freshly made i ce
cream i s to set up. Don't crowd the cani ster and
gi ve i t pl ent of ti me to freeze (overn i ght i s best) .
\
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\ Z
Z
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Z
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Shel f space: Many top- mounted freezers are short on
shel f space. Use portabl e wi re cabi net shel vi ng (avai l abl e
at most home-goods stores) to organi ze your food and to
maxi mi ze the ai r fl ow around i ndi vi dual i tems. ensuri ng
a qui ck and thorough freeze. Cl ear some shel f space to
qui ck-freeze raw meat and poul try-the qui cker they are
frozen . the l ess dri p- l oss they wi l l suffer when defrosted.
C O O K
'
s | L L L 5 1 K ^ 1 L
1 6

The warmest spot: The door shel ves are the

warmest spot i n most freezers. They are a good
pl ace to store frequently used i tems and foods
l ess prone to spoi l i ng, such as coffee beans,
bread, butter. and nuts.
L
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t;
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:
There are three rul es for freezer storage. Fi rst, wrap food ti ghtly. Thi s prevents the
moi sture l oss that causes frozen foods to become dry and di scol ored, a condi ti on
known as freezer burn . Second, wrap the food agai n-thi s ti me i n a thi cker layer
of foi l or pl asti c. (We use zi pper-l ock freezer bags. ) Frozen foods easily pi ck up
of odors and flavors. and thi s second wrap wi l l hel p to keep them out. Thi rd ,
wrap i ndivi dual porti ons separately. They wi l l freeze more qui ckl y and can then be
defrosted i ndivi dual ly.
Steaks, Chops, and Chi cken Cutlets: Don' t store these
i tems i n thei r supermarket packagi ng. Wrap each
pi ece securel y i n pl asti c wrap, pl ace
i nsi de a gal l on-sized freezer bag.
and press out the ai r. Freeze the i tems
i n a si ngl e layer. Once they are frozen .
fold the bag over to save space.
Burger: Separate i ndi vi dual
hamburer patti es wi th
squares of parchment. then
pl ace the meat i n a freezer bag.
Thi s techni que al so works wi th
torti l l as and crepes.
Bread: Freshl y baked bread wi l l keep. frozen . _
for several months when wrapped first i n
al umi num foi l then pl aced i n a l arge.
pl astic freezer bag.
To reheat: Remove the foi l -wrapped l oaf
from the bag and pl ace it on the center rack of
a 450- degree oven for I 0 to I 5 mi nutes. Careful ly
remove the foi l and return the l oaf to the oven for a
few mi nutes to cri sp the crust.
Stock: Pour the stock i nto a coffee mug
l i ned with a quart-si zed zi pper-l ock bag.
Seal the bag. pl ace i t on a cookie sheet.
and freeze. Once the stock
i s frozen , you can remove the bags
from the cooki e sheet and store them
wherever there i s room.
Bagel s: Frozen bagel s go strai ght
from freezer to toaster, but i t' s
easi er to sl i ce them before freez
i ng. Wrap each bagel in pl asti c.
sl i ppi ng the wrap between the
two halves as wel l as around them.
Then pl ace i n a freezer bag.
Lbel i ng: Use a permanent marker to l abel
freezer bags and pl asti c contai ners; i ts water
proof i nk won' t run i f exposed to moi sture
from frost or condensati on . Write on stri ps
of maski ng tape or di rectly on the pl asti c.
Remove i nk from empt pl asti c contai ners
wi th rubbi ng al cohol .
One of the most efi ci ent ways to use your freezer i s to divi de foods i nto i ndivi dual
porti ons before freezi ng, thus avoi di ng havi ng to defrost a l arge bl ock of food and
refreeze or di scard the rest. There are countl ess appl i cati ons of thi s i dea-here are
some of our favori tes.
Bacon : Rol l up the bacon i n ti ght coi l s,
each wi th two to four sl i ces. Put the
coi l s i n a zi pper- l ock freezer bag and
pl ace the bag fl at i n the freezer.
'

'
'
=
Cookie Dough: To freeze cooki e
dough, divi de i t i nto bal l s and arrange
the bal l s on a cooki e sheet l i ned wi th
parchment or waxed paper. Pl ace the
cooki e sheet i n the freezer. When the
dough bal l s are frozen . pl ace them i n a
zi pper-l ock freezer bag or smal l ai rti ght
contai ner. Bake wi thout defrosti ng.
Canned Chi potl e Chi l es: I t can be di f
fi cul t to use up a whol e can of chi potl e
chi l es-a l i ttl e goes a l ong way. To freeze
the leftovers. spoon out the chi l es, each
wi th a coupl e teaspoons of adobo sauce.
onto di ferent areas of a cooki e sheet
l i ned wi th parchment. Freeze the chi l es,
then transfer them to a zi pper- l ock
freezer bag. Thi s techni que al so works
wi th canned tomato paste.
Egg Whi tes: Freeze l eftover egg whi tes
(but never yol ks) in an ice cube tray.
WHAT' S I N TH E TEST KI TCH E N F RE EZER?
The freezer i s n ot j ust for pork chops a n d i ce cream. Whi l e there are some i tems that
shoul d not be frozen-whol e eggs, most cheeses (except mozzarel l a) . raw vegetabl es,
and most frui ts ( unl ess prepared for freezi ng i n a sugar syrup) -some of the stapl es i n
your pantr or refrigerator can be better preserved i n the freezer. Here' s a l i st of some
of the more unusual i tems we store i n the test ki tchen freezer.
Ripe or overri pe bananas: Great for maki ng banana bread or mufi ns, or drop them
i nto a bl ender whi l e sti l l frozen for frui t smoothi es. Peel bananas before freezi ng.
Nuts: Seal ed i n a zi pper-l ock freezer bag. nuts stay fresh tasti ng for months. And
there' s no need to defrost; frozen nuts chop j ust as easi l y as fresh .
Herbs: Dri ed bay l eaves retai n thei r potency much l onger when stored in the freezer.
Chopped fresh herbs such as parsl ey, sage, rosemary. and thyme can be covered with
water in an ice cube tray and then frozen i ndefi ni tely. Keep the frozen cubes i n a zi pper
l ock freezer bag unti l needed for sauces. soups. or stews. Homemade pesto can al so be
frozen in i ce cube trys. and there' s no need to add water.
Butter: When stored in the refrigerator. butter pi cks up off odors and eventual ly turns
ranci d. You can prol ong i ts l i fe by stori ng i t i n the freezer. Transfer i t to the refrigerator
one sti ck at a ti me, as you need i t.
Dry goods: Stored i n the freezer, fl our, bread crumbs. cornmeal . oats. and other grai ns
are protected from humi di t, bugs, and ranci di t.
^ ^ K L | | [ ^ K | L 2 0 0 5
1 7
Beef in Baro lo
Beef i n Barol o can be the u l ti mate pot roast. Or i t can be an expensi ve mi stake
that wastes a $ 3 0 bottl e of wi n e and prod u ces tough , stri ngy meat.
A
s cashmere cannot be confsed
with acrylic, neither can beef
in Barolo be mistaken for the
standard workaday pot roast.
Featuring tender, moist beef enveloped
in a rich, silky red wine sauce-rather
than the beef gravy and vegetal bits
characteristic of its down-home American
cousin-beef in Barolo appears in count
less Italian cookbooks. Most recipes utilize
a tough cut of meat that is slowly braised
in the famed Piedmontese wine. So what's
the probl em? For starters, Barolo i sn' t
Chianti; most bottles start at a whopping
$30. For that kind of investment, I wanted
a lot more than a glorifed pot roast. Cheap
meat cooked in expensive wine? I had my
doubts, but given that Italian cooking is
usually about practical home cooking, not
silly showmanship, I put them aside.
Bri ng on the Beef
- B Y S A N D R A W U E
of tomato paste to create a deep roasted
favor. Aer stirring in minced garlic, a bit
of sugar, and a tablespoon of flour to help
thicken the sauce during the fnal reduc
tion, I was ready to add the wine.
Made from Nebbiolo grapes grown in
the northern region of Piedmont, Barolo
is a bold, fll- bodied, often tannic and
acidic red wine that is hailed as Italy's
"king of wines and wine of kings. " The
price alone makes it the "wine of kings. "
Unlike its lighter, fuitier Italian counter
parts, such as Chianti , which are ofen
better off quaffed fom a glass than used
in vigorous cooking, Barolo is very hardy
and can carry the day, even afer being
simmered for hours . We found that in a
pinch, several other, cheaper "big reds"
can be substituted ( see page 1 9) , but this
dish calls out for its namesake. Luckily,
an $ 1 1 Barolo ( below) was tasters' top
choice.
Prior test kitchen efforts to perfect pot
roast revealed chuck roast as the over
whelming favorite cut of meat for its
moistness and favor. Initial tests of several
beef in Barolo recipes confrmed these
results . A boneless sirloin yielded what
one taster called "insanely dry" meat and
a watery, raw-tasting wine sauce. Perhaps
This el egant I tal i an pot roast cal l s for cutti ng a chuck roast in two, removing
the fat, and then tyi ng each pi ece back together before brai si ng.
Unfortunately, the robust favor also
added w1expected difculties . This "king"
of wines was more out- of- control des
pot than temperate monarch-harsh and
generally disliked. First, I focused on how
and when to add the wine. Should it be
reduced frst to concentrate its favors,
it would be wiser to stick with a chuck roast afer
all . But which one?
In a side- by- side comparison of three classic
chuck roasts-a boneless chuck-eye roast, a seven
bone roast, and a top-blade roast-tasters praised
each for being moist, tender, and beef. In the end,
the decision boiled down to aesthetics and conve
nience. The center of the top- blade roast sported
an unappealing strip of partially melted connec
tive tissue that was reminiscent of meat-flavored
gummy bears. The seven-bone roast was hard to
carve and even harder to fnd in the supermarket.
The chuck-eye roast won by default.
My recipe was beginning to take shape, but
afer four long hours of braising, the meat was
precariously close to being shredded and over
done and contained unsightly pockets of squishy
fat and connective tissue. While this might be
acceptable in a more rustic pot roast, beef in
Barolo demands a more refned presentation.
The fat would have to go.
I wondered what would happen if I split the
large cylindrical roast into two sleeker halves.
Dividing the roast into two fairly equal pieces was
easy, as the seam of fat tlat runs down the center of
tle roast acts as a built-in guide. I trimmed out the
obvious wads of fat from each lobe, leaving a thin
layer of f1t cap, and seasoned and tied each piece
to keep it fom falling apart during braising. With
less extraneous fat and a shortened cooking time
to boot ( the meat was now done in three hours),
tlese two roasts were defi nitely better tl1an one.
Brown , Barol o, Brai se
Following Italian custom, I began this recipe
by searing the roasts in olive oil , but the sauce
needed pizzazz. I remembered seeing pancetta in
some recipes and decided to brown the meat in
the fat rendered from this Italian bacon instead.
This helped i mmensely in developing favor.
Putting the browned roast aside, I then sauteed
onions, carrots, and celery, adding a tablespoon
C O O K
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s I L L U S T R A T E D
1 8
added in two parts ( at the beginning ad
the end) , or simply dumped in with the meat?
Much to my surprise and delight, dumping the
whole bottle into the pot won out.
But I still needed to fnd an ingre
dient to counterbalance the harsh
favors in iis big wine. Broth did not
| Dd| D_tDC bCStb3|O| O
We tasted four bottl es of Barol o,
rangi ng i n pri ce from S I I to $ 40,
i n our reci pe. There was surpri s-
i ng unani mi t i n the test ki tchen.
Al most everyone preferred the l east
expensive wi ne, the 1 997 Argento
( $ 1 0. 99) , avai l abl e at Trader j oe' s
markets. Tasters prai sed its "tart"
and "tangy" flavors, which were off
set by a "sweet roundness. " So you
can spend l i ke a pauper and eat l i ke
a ki ng.
CHEAPEST
WI NE WI NS
;
>
>
g
C

C
Z
L
O
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>
Z
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t;

work; neither did water. Eventually, I discovered
that drained diced tomatoes did the trick. The
meatiness of the tomatoes produced the balance
of sweet, salty, and hearty favors this dish needed.
I then gently placed the browned roasts back
into the pot along with a few fresh herbs, brought
everything back up to a simmer, covered the pot
with foil to prevent moisture loss, replaced the lid,
and let the beef braise in a 300-degree oven for
three hours. (When given less time, the meat was
too resilient; given more, it fell apart. ) Flipping
the meat every 45 minutes helped to achieve per
fect tenderness without dry patches.
A Si l k, Suave Fi ni sh
Once the meat was tender, I removed it from the
pot to rest while I concentrated on the sauce,
which I felt ought to be a far cry from the typical
pot roast liquid. Aer all, why use Barolo to start
with if the sauce isn' t grand? Aer skimming of
the top layer of fat to remove as much grease as
possible, I reduced the liquid over high heat to
concentrate and intensif the multiple layers of
flavor. Pureeing the liquid, vegetables, and herbs
yielded a weak sauce that eventually separated
into watery and mealy components. Straining
out the vegetables proved to be key. Boiled down
to l l2 cups, the sauce was dark and lustrous, with
the body and fnesse of something you might
serve over a fne steak.
Better than pot roast? You bet. And you don't
need to dip into a trust fnd to put this dish on
the table. I admit it: The Italians do know some
thing about pot roast afer all .
BE E F BRAI S E D I N BAROLO
S ERVES 6
Purchase pancetta that is cut to order, about 1
inch thick. If pancetta is not available, substitute an
equal amount of salt pork ( fnd the meatiest piece
possible), cut it into l4-inch cubes, and boil it in 3
cups of water for about 2 minutes to remove excess
salt. Aer draining, use it as you would pancetta.
This braise can be prepared up to 2 days in
advance; complete the recipe through step 2.
When you're ready to serve, skim off the fat con
gealed on the surface and gently warm until the
meat is heated through. Continue with the recipe
fom step 3.
bonel ess chuck-eye roast (about 3 11 pounds) .
prepared accordi ng to i l l ustrati ons above
Tabl e salt and ground bl ack pepper
4 ounces pancetta, cut i nto 1/4 i nch cubes
(see note)
2 medi um oni ons, chopped medi um (about 2 cups)
2 medi um carrots, chopped medi um (about I cup)
2 medi um cel ery ri bs, chopped medi um ( I cup)
I tabl espoon tomato paste
3 medi um garl i c cl oves, mi nced or pressed through
garl i c press (about I tabl espoon)
S TE P - BY- STE P I P RE PAR I NG A C H UC K- EYE ROAST
I . Pul l roast apart a t i ts maj or seams 2. With kni fe. remove large knobs
( del i neated by l i nes of fat) i nto two of fat from each pi ece, l eavi ng thi n
3. Ti e three pi eces of kitchen ti ne
around each pi ece of meat to keep
i t from fal l i ng apart. hal ves. Use kni fe as necessar. l ayer of fat on meat.
1 1 teaspoon sugar
tabl espoon unbl eached al l - purpose fl our
bottle ( 750 mi l l i l i ters) Barol o wi ne
can ( 1 4 11 ounces) di ced tomatoes , drai ned
spri g fresh thyme, pl us I teaspoon mi nced l eaves
sprig fresh rosemary
I 0 sprigs fresh parsl ey
l . Adj ust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly pat beef dry
with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt
and pepper. Place pancetta in 8 - quart heavy
bottomed Dutch oven; cook over medium heat,
stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp,
about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer
pancetta to paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
Pour of all but 2 tablespoons fat; set Dutch oven
over medium- high heat and heat fat until begin
ning to smoke. Add beef to pot and
Allow braising liquid to settle about 5 minutes,
then, using wide shallow spoon, skim fat off
surface. Add minced tl1yme, bring liquid to boil
over high heat, and cook, whisking vigorously
to help vegetables break down, until mixture is
thickened and reduced to about 312 cups, about
1 8 minutes. Strain liquid through large fne- mesh
strainer, pressing on solids with spatula to extract
as much liquid as possible; you should have 1 11
cups strained sauce ( if necessary, return strained
sauce to Dutch oven and reduce to 1 11 cups) .
Discard solids i n strainer. Season sauce to taste
with salt and pepper.
4. Remove kitchen twine from meat and
discard. Using chef's or carving knife, cut meat
against grain into 11-i nch- thick slices. Divide
meat between warmed bowls or plates; pour
about 14 cup sauce over and serve immediately.
cook until well browned on al sides,
about 8 mi nutes total . Transfer
beef to large plate; set aside.
T A s T 1 N G . b3|O| ObuDSt| tutCS
2. Reduce heat t o medium; add
onions, carrots, celery, and tomato
paste to pot and cook, stirring
occasionally, until vegetables begin
to sofen and brown, about 6 min
utes. Add garlic, sugar, fl our, and
reserved pancetta; cook, stirri ng
constantly, until combined and fra
grant, about 30 seconds. Add wine
and tomatoes, scraping bottom of
pan with wooden spoon to loosen
browned bi ts; add thyme sprig,
rosemary, and parsley. Return roast
and any accumulated j uices to pot;
increase heat to high and bring Liq
uid to boil, then place large sheet of
foil over pot and cover tightly with
lid. Set pot in oven and cook, using
tongs to turn beef every 45 min
utes, until dinner fork easily slips in
and out of meat, about 3 hours.
3 . Transfer beef to cutti ng
board; tent witl1 foil to keep warm.
M A R C i l [ A P R I L 2 0 0 5
1 9
Not everone has a bottl e of Barol o lyi ng around the house. Coul d
a moderatel y pri ced wi ne-cabi net stapl e real ly take the pl ace of thi s
ki ng of wi nes? We tested our reci pe usi ng five i nexpensive red wi nes
to see whi ch was best suited to wear the crown. We found that i t
takes a potent wi ne to wi thstand three hours i n the oven and sti l l
have much charcter. Our one I tal i an entrnt. the Chi anti , fel l fat,
as did the Merl ot and Cotes du Rhone, the other medi um- bodi ed
wi nes i n our tasti ng. These frui t wi nes l acked the potency of a heady
Barol o. We had better l uck wi th Zi nfandel , but Cabemet Sauvi gnon
was the most commandi ng and was, therefore. the better substitute.
-Garth Cl i ngi ngsmi th
G OOD STAN D - I N S : N OT S U I TE D F OR TH E J OB :
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel Merl ot, Cotes du Rhone, Chi anti
Quick and Easy Quesadilas
Sports bars have hi j acked thi s modest Mexi can gri l l ed- cheese sandwi ch . Cou l d we rescue i t?
A
truly "authentic" quesadilla is just
a humble kitchen snack: a fresh,
handmade tortilla folded around a
mild melting cheese, quickly fied or
crisped on a griddle, then devoured just as quickly.
A the quesadilla migrated north of the border,
however, it evolved into a greasy happy hour
spectacle for beer and burger j oints, becoming
nothing more than bad Mexican pizza: stale and
soggy supermarket tortillas flled with "buffalo
chicken" or "Cajun shrimp" and sliced into big,
floppy triangles.
My quest focused on a quesadilla that would
be authentic in spirit, if not quite in substance
that is, a quick and casual but still satisfing snack,
ready at a moment's notice from supermarket
staples. I tested a half-dozen techniques for cook
ing the quesadillas, including a deep fry, a shallow
fry, a lightly oiled skillet, and a completely dry
one. The lightly oiled nonstick skillet produced
the best-though not perfect-results . While
the exterior of the tortillas was nicely crisp and
browned, the interior had a raw, doughy texture,
and the cheese was not entirely melted.
What I needed was a way to preheat the trla
so that I could assemble the quesadilla while it
was still warm. I could then crisp it up quickly
over fairly high heat without worrying that the
fi lling would not be suffciently heated. Some
cookbooks suggest passing the tortillas over the
fame of a gas burner to lightly char and sofen
them. This idea worked, but it excluded electric
cooktops and demanded close attention to keep
the tortillas fom going up in fames. I got better
results by simply toasting the tortillas in a hot dry
skillet. A a tortilla heated up, it released its own
steam, causing the tortilla to puff up and its layers
to separate. Once fi lled and returned to the oiled
skillet, this batch of tortillas made for quesadillas
with a pleasing contrast in texture-their outer
layer thin and crispy, their inner layer warm and
sof, with just a little bit of chew.
I knew I didn' t need much, but even a few
drops of oil tended to bead up and puddle in the
nonstick skillet, resulting in uneven browning. A
better approach, I found, was to brush the torti
llas with oil before adding them to the skillet. I
COOK' S EXR gives you fre recipes onl i ne. Fr Cubano
Quesadi l las and Quesdi l las with Queso Fresco and Roasted
Ppper, go to w . cooksi l l ustrted. com and key in code
4052. Tese recipes will be avai l abl e until Aril 1 5, 2005.
3 B Y S E A N L A W L E R E
sprinkled the tortillas lightly with kosher salt afer
brushing them with oil, and tasters agreed tl1at
this made them seem crispier.
My quesadillas were tasty, but they still suf
fered from a few design faws . My working
recipe called for sandwiching cheese between
two 1 0-inch four tortillas. These were tricky to
fip without spilling the fllings and oozed melted
cheese all over the cutting board when cut into
wedges. I switched to smaller 8- inch tortillas and
began folding tl1em in half around tl1e flling, ft
ting them into the skillet two at a time. Cut in
half instead of into multiple wedges, these "half
moon" quesadillas were much sturdier and easier
to eat, and, thanks to the folded edges, they kept
their flling inside, where it belonged.
QU ESADI LLAS
MAKES 2 FOLDE D 8 - I NCH QU ESADI LLAS
Cooling tl1e quesadillas before cutting and serv
ing i s important; straight from the skillet, the
cheese is molten and will ooze out. Finished
quesadillas can be held on a baking sheet in a
200- degree oven for up to 20 minutes.
2 (8- i nch) fl our torti l l as
11
cup ( 3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or
cheddar cheese
tabl espoon mi nced pi ckl ed jal apenos (opti onal )
Vegetabl e oi l for brushi ng torti l l as
Kosher sal t
l . Heat 1 0-inch nonstick skillet over medium
heat until hot, about 2 minutes . Place 1 tortilla
in skillet and toast until sof and pufed slightly
at edges, about 2 minutes. Flip tortilla and toast
until puffed and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes
longer. Slip tortilla onto cutting board. Repeat to
toast second tortilla while assembling frst quesa
dilla. Sprinkle l3 cup cheese and half of j alapenos,
if using, over half of tortilla, leaving If-inch bor
der around edge. Fold tortilla in half and press to
fl atten. Brush top generously with oil, sprinkle
lightly with salt, and set aside. Repeat to form
second quesadilla.
2. Place both quesadillas in skillet, oiled sides
down; cook over medium heat until crisp and
well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush tops with oil
and sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip quesadillas and
cook until second sides are crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer quesadillas to cutting board; cool about
3 minutes, halve each quesadilla, and serve.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
20
C HE DDAR, BAC ON, AND SCALLI ON
Q U ESAD I LLAS
Cut 2 strips bacon crosswise i nto l2 -inch pieces;
fy in 1 0- inch nonstick skillet over medium heat
until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon,
transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate; pour
fat into small bowl and reserve, if desired. Wipe
out skillet with paper towels. Follow recipe for
Quesadillas, using cheddar cheese and sprinkling
bacon and 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
over cheese in each quesadilla. If desired, substi
tute reserved bacon fat for oil and omit salt.
CORN AND B LACK BEAN QUE SADI LLAS
WI TH PE PPER JACK CHE ES E
l . Heat 1 0-inch nonstick skillet over medium
high heat until hot. Add l3 cup thawed fozen
corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until kernels
begin to brown and pop, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer
corn to bowl . Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in
now-empty skillet over medium heat until shim
mering; add I/3 cup minced red onion and cook
until sofened, about 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon
minced garlic and l2 teaspoon chili powder and
cook until fragrant, about 1 minute; stir in l3
cup canned black beans and cook until heated
through, about 1 minute. Return corn to skillet;
gently press mixture with spatula to lightly crush
beans. Transfer mixture to now-empty bowl, stir
in 2 teaspoons lime j uice, and season with salt.
2. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and return
pan to medium heat until hot. Follow recipe for
Quesadillas, using Pepper Jack cheese and divid
ing corn and bean fling between quesadillas.
To cook to quesadi l l as at once, arrnge fol ded
edges toward center of ski l l et.
L

x
L
<
Z
;
Sleuthing Sourdough
Coul d we take the most di ffi cu l t bread reci pe and tu rn i t i nto a fool proof, one- day affai r?
B
efore the advent of commercial
yeast, bakers depended on sour
dough starters to l eaven their
bread. Truly the staff of l ife ,
these starters were handed down from
generation to generation and passed fom
Old World to New. While today there are
easier and more convenient means of mak
ing bread, sourdough remains on the table;
but now it's consumed more for its thick
and crunchy crust, chewy interior, and
deliciously sour tang than for the need to
sustain life. In fact, sourdough bread has
become as much a benchmark of a good
artisanal bakery as the French baguette.
' B Y E R I K A B R U C E E
degrees, the bread is, at long last, done.
The first thing that sets the making of
sourdough bread apart from this process is
the use of a starter instead of commercial
yeast. A starter is basically made up of wild
yeasts livng happily in a mixture of four
and water. Sour starters ( not all starters
are "sour") have in addition bacteria that
produce acid and thus contribute a sour
flavor to the bread ( see "The Secrets of
Starter," page 23) . I began my quest by
trying to cultivate my own wild yeasts and
bacteria. Over the next month, I tested a
variety of recipes, and only one produced
a viable starter as well as very good bread.
The bad news is that the recipe took 1 5
days to complete, with the starter requiring
three feedings per day ( much like a child) .
Even i n our test kitchen, this was considered
beyond the pale. The good news is that
starters are readily available by mail order
and, if fed properly, wl last forever. For all
but the most devoted home baker, then, a
purchased starter is the way to go.
For the home baker with aspirations of
rivaling the artisans, there are endless dis
sertations to be found on the art of baking
wth sourdough. But start to read through
this pile of weighty tomes and you'll fnd
that no two say the same thing and that
all sound equal ly intimidati ng. Some
recipes instruct the home baker on how to
make starter fom scratch ( a process that
takes several weeks) , using anything fom
organic grapes to potatoes to rye four.
Upon accomplishing this feat, you then
can look forward to another four to fve
days spent making the bread. Now, if you
ask me, this is borderline compulsive, espe-
We spent three months on a bread- baki ng odyssey before we under
stood the secrets to real sourdough flavor and texture at home.
Now tat I had a starter, I turned my
attention to other factors that contribute
to the unique favor of sourdough-among
them, time. Most sourdough recipes take
at least three days, not including the mak-
cially when my local bakery produces an excellent
loaf. But I enjoy baking other breads at home, and
I was keen on climbing the peak of bread baking:
homemade sourdough. I had only two stipula
tions: The recipe could take days but not weeks,
and, more important, it had to taste and chew like
real sourdough, not some mediocre imitation.
I placed great hopes on beginning the pro
cess with commercial yeast and then somehow
"favoring" the bread to achieve a quick, easy,
and acceptable loaf ( see "Searching for a Fast
Start," page 22) . This would eliminate the need
for a starter, which is rife with complications. A
half-dozen recipes later, I had to abandon this
path, as none of the loaves ( al l of them decent
rustic breads, to be sure) were even the least bit
sour. Now I had to go back to the start-to the
starter-and there was no way around it.
COOK' S ER gives you free reci pes onl i ne. For a
sourdough starter reci pe, vi si t ww. cooksi l l ustrated. com
and key i n code 405 3 . This reci pe wi l l be avai l abl e unti l
Apri l 1 5 , 2005.
Bread Pri mer
The production of rustic breads typically involves
a sponge-a mixture of commercial yeast, four,
and water-lef overnight to develop favor. The
sponge is then combined with additional four,
water, salt, and, occasionally, more yeast to create
the dough. Aer a period of mixing or kneading
( which serves to develop gluten) , the dough is
allowed to rise, or ferment. During fermentation,
the yeast breaks down starches in the four and
feeds on the resulting sugars. Byproducts of this
process are carbon dioxide and alcohol, which
cause the dough to rise and develop favor. Next
the dough is shaped before undergoing another
rising period. This second rise, also called the
proof, produces the crumb structure of the fnal
loaf as the small pockets of air formed during
mixing and fermentation fll with more carbon
dioxide. Finally, the bread is slashed and put into
the oven, where it rises for the third and last time,
demonstrating an effect known as ovenspring.
When the crust flly develops and colors, and
the interior reaches a temperature of around 200
M A R C i l b A P R I L 2 0 0 5
2 1
ing of the starter. On the frst day, the
sponge is made and allowed to sit overnight on
the counter. On the second day, water, four, and
salt are added to make the dough, which is then
refigerated overnight. On the third, the dough is
shaped, proofed, and baked. Why so slow? Well,
to put it simply, for favor development. Bread
making mavens agree that for any bread-including
sourdough-a long, cool rise is crucial to favor
development. When it comes to sourdough in
particular, this slow, cool fermentation helps to
maintain a balance between the activity of the yeast
and the bacteria. Remember that these bacteria are
crucial to the particular favor of sourdough.
Keepi ng My Cool
Desperate for any shortcut or technique that
might make this process more manageable for
home bakers, I started out by simply eliminating
the sponge altogether. I mixed the starter directly
with the flour, water, and salt to make the dough,
and then I proceeded to ferment, shape, proof,
and bake it. This bread tasted sour all right-too
sour. Rather than starting out subtle and building
bC3|CD| DglO|3 |3Stbt3|t
Many cookbook promise "qui ck" sourdough
starter reci pes that wi l l produce bread as
good as the real thi ng-a process that nor
mal ly takes at l east two weeks. I rn i nto the
kitchen with a fistful of these reci pes. The
first group cal l ed for a pi nch of commerci al
yeast, pl us four, water, sugar, and mi l k, but
termi l k. or yogurt, cl ai mi ng that i n j ust three
days I woul d be ready to make sourdough. A
authenti c as sea monkeys. these so-cal l ed
TWO WAYS TO G ET STARTE D
A mai l -order starter i s rel i abl e and ready to use i n to days.
You can make your own starter with grapes, but the process is
not guaranteed and takes about two weeks.
starter produced bread that was no more sour than a French baguette. Other starter reci pes stated that mixi ng
orani c fl our wi th water (or mi l k) woul d resul t i n successful sourdough . Even though these sour-smel l i ng concoc
ti ons bubbl ed and rose after a few days, the bread I made from them was bl and, not the l east bi t sour.
Ater real i zi ng that there were no shortcuts to great sour flavor and perfect crumb, I tri ed a few reci pes that
requi red addi ti ons such as oranic whol e wheat four, di astatic mal t powder, risin water, and oranic grapes. The
wi nner used grpes and came from Nancy Si lverton' s Breads from L Brea Baker (Vi l l ard, 1 996) , but thi s starer
demanded to week and lots of attenti on. (If you love bread baki ng, I sugest you try her method. See Cook' s
Extra on page 2 1 to access my adaptation of her reci pe. ) For the rest of us mere baki ng mortal s, I tested store
bought and mai l -order starter, whi ch produced bread in a frcti on of the ti me and with ver l i ttle efort. -E. B.
to a nice tang, the flavor was sharp and pungent.
Apparently, the sponge stage could not to be
avoided. Now I wondered i f I could speed i t
up. I tested various shorter rising times at room
temperature and was pleasantly surprised to fnd
that the bread made fom a sponge that sat at
room temperature until it doubled ( about three
hours) was just as favorf! as the bread made with
a sponge that sat overnight.
The next big chunk of time that I wanted to
reduce was the fermentation period. Challenging
the mandate for a long refigerated fermentation,
I added warm water when mixng the dough and
set it in a toasty corner of the kitchen. The dough
doubled in less than three hours, but the bread
tasted more boozy than sour. So it seems that the
experts are right when they say that warm tem
peratures are not conducive to the development
of sour favor. A compromise, however, was in the
ofng. I tried using cool water to mix the dough
and setting it to rise at cool room temperature. This
combination made for a slightly longer fermenta
tion (four to fve hours) and produced a bread with
more balanced flavor; in fact, it held its own against
the bread made with dough that had undergone an
overnight fermentation in the fidge.
Same- Day Seri ce?
So where was I? I was using a mail-order starter,
I had skipped the overnight rise sponge method
in favor of a three-hour rise, and I had opted for a
fve- to six- hour, cool room-temperature fermen
tation of the dough. So far, I was still on day one,
but the tyrannical gods of bread making were
about to intervene.
Some bakers believe that the shaped loaves
should be proofed not at room temperature but i
the refigerator overnight. Happy that I was now
producing sourdough bread i just one day, I was
loath to consider this a necessary step. So, wth more
skeptcism than curiosity, I prepared enough dough
for two loaves and baled one loaftl1at night and the
other the next morning ( allowing it to fnish proof
ing at room temperanrre tl1at day) . My same-day
loaf was humbled by its slower, cooler t; the
relatvely tght cnm1b and lackluster favor paled next
to tl1e wonderf y irregular crumb and a deep, nutty
smrrness. This overnight loaf was the closest I had
come to baery sourdough thus f, especially when
it came to the crust, which was now well developed
and thick, improving my overall experience of texmre
and favor when I bit into a slice. Waitng d extra day
for this bread was-I hated to admit-worth it.
Yet another complication came my way. If I
did not bale the loaves at just the right time, my
payoff was much compromised. Underproofed
loaves-those not given enough time to stretch
and relax-had a dense crumb and split open while
baking. Overproofed loaves were overstretched
to the point where tl1e cell walls weakened and
the bread couldn't rise to fl capacity. During the
course of all of this proofg, I evenmally figured
out a couple of reliable ways to determine when
j ust tle right amount of time had passed. One, of
course, was size; once the loaves had about dou
bled, they baled beautiflly. The second involved
a gentle knucke poke into tl1e top and sides of the
loaf. The speed with which tl1e dough fled back
out told me how infated it was; a sluggish rate of
recovery told me tlat it was ready.
To promote crust development and oven
spring, I used a spray bottle fi lled witl water to
spritz the loaves once before putting them in the
oven and then a couple of times more during the
frst five minutes of baking. I had the best results
when I heated the oven to 500 degrees ( bak
ing stone included) and then reduced it to 450
degrees once I added the loaves; tlls initial high
temperature compensated for any heat lost dur
ing spritzing. A fairly high internal temperanrre
of 2 1 0 to 21 2 degrees produced the best crumb
surrounded by a dark, favorft! crust. Cooling the
C O O K
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s I L L U S T R A T E D
2 2
bread thoroughly was important to get the best
texture; if during a moment of weakness I cut into
a hot loaf, a steaming, gummy interior awaited.
At the end of it all, I had not achieved my goal
of a same-day loaf that used commercial yeast and
no starter. That patl1 led to sourdough rui n: lousy
favor and texture. Yes, I had to concede that a real
starter ad a certain an10unt of time were necessary
to achieve the perfect sour favor, rustic crumb,
and thick, crunchy crust. But the swell of pride I
felt when sharing tlls bread with my colleagues
reminded me of my original purpose. Baking
sourdough bread at home did not have to be com
plicated or tale weeks, as some recipes suggest. A
couple of days, a properly sour starter, a cool dough,
and an overnight proof-tlis was just basic bread
making, not rocket science.
S OURDOUG H STARTE R RE F RE S H ME NT
If you do not already have a starter, dred starter
packets ( sold by mail and in some natural foods
stores) or fesh mail -order starters ( see Sources,
page 32) work well . Follow the package directons
to get the starter going, tlen follow the directions
below for feeding once the starter is going strong.
No matter where you get your starter and how
careftlly you maintain it, you should refresh it
according to tl1e instructions below before using
in the Somdough Bread recipe. Use Kng Arthur,
Hodgson Mill, Reekers, or Ceresota all-purpose
four or Gold Medal or Pillsbury bread four. Use
fi ltered or bottled water; chlorinated tap water may
afect the development of the culture.
Sourdough starter
Fi l tered or bottl ed water, 7 S to 80 degrees
Unbl eached fl our wi th I I to 1 3 percent
protei n content (see note)
Begin in the evening, two days before you intend
to use the starter:
1 . Stir starter well to recombine, measure out
1 cup (9 ounces) , and discard remaining starter
( or give it to a friend) . Place measured starter in
glass bowl or container with at least 1 l2 - quart
capacity. Stir in 1 cup ( 8 ounces ) water until com
bined, then stir in 1 12 cups ( ?12 ounces) four
until evenly moistened ( mixture will be lumpy) .
Cover with lid or plastic wrap.
2 . Let stand at room temperature 8 to 1 2
hours; repeat, pouring off all but 1 cup starter
and feeding with 1 cup water and 1 11 cups four,
in the morning of the following day, and, fnally,
once again in the evening, letting it stand at room
temperature for the entire time. The starter will
be flly refreshed and ready to use the next morn
ing, 8 to 12 hours afer the last feeding.
Long-term starter maintenance:
To keep a starter alive over a long period of
nonuse, store it in the refigerator. It' s best to feed
it weekly, according to the instructions in step l ;
let it stand at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours
afer feeding, then return it to the refrigerator.
2 4- HOUR S OURDOUGH BREAD
MAKES TWO 1 ' /> P OUND ROU N D LOAVES
Once you have a healthy, refreshed starter ( see
"Sourdough Starter Refreshment" on page 22 ) ,
the bread will take about 24 hours ( over the
course of two days) before it is ready for baking.
It is best to start the recipe in the morning, no
more than 12 hours afer the last feeding of the
starter. For the sponge, use the lower amount of
water if you live in a humid climate, the higher
amount i n an arid cli mate. During kneading,
this dough should not exceed a temperature of
80 degrees. If your kitchen is very warm or very
cold, use water a few degrees cooler or warmer,
respectively. A few pieces of equipment are highly
recommended: digital scale, baking stone, parch
ment paper, instant-read thermometer, and spray
bottle flled with water. A baking peel and razor
blade are also handy but not essential . The dough
can be kneaded by hand, but the kneading times
must be doubled. When spritzing the loaves in
the oven, be carefl to avoid spraying water on
the oven light.
Sponge
411 ounces ( 11 cup) refreshed starter
3-4 ounces (l-11 cup) fi l tered or bottl ed water,
80 degrees
5 ounces ( I cup) unbl eached fl our with
I I to 1 3 percent protei n content
Dough
1 2 ounces ( 1 11 cups) fi l tered or bottl ed water,
70 degrees
24 ounces (about 4 3 cups) unbl eached fl our
with I I to 1 3 percent protei n content
2 11 teaspoons tabl e salt
Follow instructions and photos at right.
s c 1 e N c e : DC bCC|CtSOlbt3OC|
I n terms of measurabl e i ngredi ents, a starter i s
merely four and water. What di sti ngui shes i t from
other combi nati ons of fl our and water. whether a
sponge or a dough, i s another measurbl e i ngredi
ent: ti me. For a starter to work, the four and water
must spend week, not hour or days, together.
During this long hol di ng ti me. yeast and bacteria
(usual ly Lactobacilli) take hol d. The bacteria produce
to tpes of aci d-l actic aci d (al so found i n yogurt)
and acetic acid (found in vi negar) -both of whi ch
give the starter (and eventual ly the sourdough bread
made from the starter) its charcteristic sour favor.
Buyi ng a strter might seem l i ke cheati ng, but i t' s
really j ust a way of buyi ng ti me-the ti me someone
el se has taken to nurture the four and water.
-John Ol son, Sci ence Edi tor
0
|3K| D_bOu |dOu_D b|C3d | D24 MOu|S
1 . M THE SPONGE: In bowl or container with at least 1 - quart
capacity, use rubber spatula to stir together starter and water until
flly combined. Stir in flour until combined; mixture should resemble
tlick pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room tem
perature ( about 72 degrees ) until doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours .
2 . M THE DOUGH: Measure water into bowl of standing
mixer; add sponge to water. Fit mixer with dough hook; with mixer
running on lowest speed, add four 1; cup at a time. Once all four
has been added, continue kneading until dough forms ball , about
1 minute longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest
20 minutes .
3. KEAD THE DOUGH: Using fi ngers, create pocket in rested
dough; add salt to pocket. Knead on low speed until dough is sof,
smooth, and moist ( dough should not be sticky) , about 5 minutes.
Transfer dough to clean work surface and knead by hand until dough
forms frm ball, about 30 seconds.
4. LET THE DOUGH RISE: Lightly spray container or bowl with
at least 4- quart capacity wii nonstick cooking spray; place dough in
container and lightly spray surface of dough. Take internal tempera
ture of dough; then cover tightly with plastic wrap. If temperature
registered below 78 degrees, set container at room temperature
( about 70 degrees ) in draf-free spot; if warmer than 78 degrees, set
container at cool room temperature ( about 65 degrees ) in draf-fee
spot. Let stand until dough doubles in bulk, 3 to 5 hours.
5 . STRETCH THE DOUGH: Scrape dough out onto clean work
surface. Gently stretch dough ( to redistribute and refresh yeast) as far
as possible without tearing, then fold i t into iirds like a letter.
6. DIVIDE AND SHAPE THE DOUGH: Using bench scraper or
chef's knife, divide dough in half, each piece weighing about 1 '
pounds . Form each half into rough ball, cover loosely with plastic
wrap or damp kitchen towel , and let rest 1 5 minutes . To shape
dough, use one hand to push dough against unfoured work sur
face, using other hand as guide. Goal is to make taught ball without
ripping surface. Pinch bottom seam and set each round, seam side
down, on separate sheets of parchment paper on dinner plates, rim
less cookie sheets, or inverted rimmed baking sheets.
7. RFRGERATE THE ROUNDS OVERNIGHT: Spray rounds
lightly with nonstick cooking spray and cover loosely but completely
with plastic wrap. Refri gerate overnight 8 to 12 hours.
8 . PROOF AND SLASH THE ROUNDS: Remove rounds from
refrigerator and gently slide onto room- temperature surface where
iey can rise undisturbed for several hours; space them at least 6
inches apart. Loosen plastic wrap to allow rounds to rise; let rise until
at least doubled in bulk and dough barely springs back when poked
witl1 your knuckl e, 3 to 4 hours . Meanwhile, afer about 2 hours,
adj ust oven rack to lower- middle position, place baking stone on
rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Working one at a time, careflly
slide rounds on parchment onto baking peel , rimless cookie sheet, or
inverted rimmed baking sheet. Using sharp razor blade or knife held
at 45- degree angle to work surface, slash surface of rounds ' to 4
inch deep.
9. BAKE THE BREA: Working quickly, spray loaves with water,
slide onto baki ng stone, and immediately reduce oven temperature
to 450 degrees. During frst 5 minutes of baki ng, spray loaves wii
water 2 additional times; bake until deep golden brown and instant
read thermometer inserted into center of loaves registers about 21 0
degrees, about 30 minutes total . Transfer loaves t o wire rack, discard
parchment, and cool loaves to room temperature on wire rack, about
2 hours .
,\ II R C I I t II I ' R I L 2 0 0 5
2 3
Rediscovering Chocolate Cupcakes
Why settl e for fai nt fl avor from a mix when homemade cu pcakes are not much more work?
N
o knives, no forks, no sharing:
three good reasons why adults
and kids alike love cupcakes.
But whereas kids go gaga for
confetti sprinkles and a mountain of sugary
icing, adults are ( or should be) seeking qual
ity-rich, buttery favor; light, moist, cakey
texture; and just a little sugar. This is precisely
why, to the adult palate, cake mixes cannot
deliver. It is also why most homemade cup
cakes don't deliver. Factor chocolate into the
equation and the situation is even more glum.
Mixes and most recipes really choke when it
comes to ofering rich chocolate favor.
3 B Y D A W N Y A N A G I H A R A E
high percentages of cocoa solids) , but both
came up short in the nuance department.
Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate could
supply nuance and complexity but not asser
tive chocolate favor. Obviously, it was going
to take two forms of chocolate to achieve the
balanced flavor that I sought. Ultimately, l
cup of cocoa powder ( Dutch processed was
preferred over natural for its fller, deeper
flavor) and 2 otmces of bittersweet chocolate
were the winning combination. The cupcakes
were now deep, dark, and terrifcally choco
laty. A a quick side note, I found that instea
of treating the cocoa as a dry ingredient and
combining it with the four, it was better to
mix it with the butter and chocolate as they
melted, a technique that made the chocolate
favor stronger and richer.
I tried sour cream and whole milk in place
of the buttermilk in my working recipe. It
was nearly unanimous : Tasters found the
cupcakes made with sour cream to be richer
and moister ( but not at all greasy) .
My foray into chocolate cupcakes began
with a search not only for chocolate cupcake
recipes but also for chocolate cake recipes;
afer all , cupcakes are just pint-sized cakes.
What followed was a cupcake-baking mara
thon. I made all manner of chocolate cup
cakes (well over 1 50) : chocolate mayonnaise
cupcakes, devil ' s food cupcakes as black as
night, cocoa-only cupcakes, cupcakes with
vegetable oil, cupcakes with buttermilk, cup
cakes with sour cream, and so on.
Perfect but not compl i cated, these cupcakes have bi g chocol ate
flavor and a buttery, creamy frosti ng.
Some were OK. None were great. Solid
chocolate favor and moist, tender texture
seemed not to coincide; where there was one,
the other was not. Well-textured recipes seemed
to use a light hand with chocolate, while those
with favor seemed to be weighed down by the
chocolate. It would take more than a few tries to
create the consummate chocolate cupcake, with
ideal texture and favor.
Then came the tricky part: the leavening.
Baking soda, which reacts with the acidic
sour cream, was the obvious choice, but I
could add only so much before it was too
Causi ng a Sti r
It made sense to frst determine the best mixing
method, as this would probably infuence the
amounts of ingredients to be determined in later
tests. I had three options. I could use the typical
cake-making method of creaming the butter and
sugar in a standing mixer until light and fuff,
adding the eggs, and then fnally the wet and dry
ingredients. Or I could use an easy dump-and-stir
method in which the ingredients are unceremoni
ously combined in a mixer. The last option was
the melted- butter method, a simple mixer-free
method that we ofen use in making mufns,
quick breads, and brownies.
Dump- and-stir was a failure. Unevenly tex
tured, crumbly, undermixed cupcakes were the
result. Creaming wasn't ideal , either. The batter,
fluff with a, was so voluminous that the muf-
fn cups were nearly flled to overfowing. And
when baked, the cupcakes' caps spread too far
and wide.
Cupcakes made by the melted-butter method
had a light, cakey texture with a tender, fne
crumb. That they were incredibly easy and quick
to make was a bonus-no mixer to haul out, no
butter to slowly sofen. This method entailed
whisking the eggs and sugar, adding the melted
butter and chocolate, and then stirring in the dry
much. A small amount of baking soda flly neu
tralizes the sour cream; any excess is ineffective at
leavening and can be detected as an "of favor
that some describe as soapy. One- half teaspoon
was the baking soda ceiling, but because that
amount didn't provide adequate lif, I enlisted
the aid of baking powder. Three-quarters of a
teaspoon of powder in addition to the baking
soda encouraged the cupcakes to dome ever so
slightly, the result I was looking for.
ingredients in two additions, with
buttermilk ( deemed the best liquid
in early tests) added in between. It
couldn't be much easier. If it was, it
would be a cake mix.
LVCDCmC|3\u|C KC3| |y|3\\C|S
Take Two
Next: chocolate . Cocoa powder,
unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet
or semisweet chocolate, and combi
nations thereof were the candidates.
Sorting it all out required more than
a half-dozen batches. What I fmmd
was that cocoa and unsweetened
chocolate alone could each pro
vide blunt favor ( because of their
C O O K
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S I L L U S T R A T E D
2 4
BAK E D AT 3 7 5 DE G RE E S BAKE D AT 3 5 0 DE GRE E S
j ust 2 5 degrees makes a difference i n thi s reci pe. Baked at 3 7 5
degrees, the cupcakes form odd peaks. Baked a t 3 50 degrees, they
form domed tops that are much easi er to frost.
The Ici ng on the (Cup) Cake
My fellow cooks and I agreed that the sort of icing
that comes out of a grocery-store bakery would
be in keeping with the cupcake spirit, but we also
agreed that an icing that tasted of real butter, not
shortening, would be better. The solution was a
confectioners' sugar buttercrear-basically, butter
and confectioners' sugar whipped together until
light and fuff. Sometimes a little egg yolk or milk
is added for a silkier texture, but I found that a bit
of heavy cream was even better.
What's more is that a simple buttercream is a
canvas for a vast array of variations: vanilla and
chocolate were compulsory offerings, but I also
developed coffee and peppermint buttercreams,
and each had ardent fans. Underneath it all , how
ever, was a succulent, super-chocolaty chocolate
cupcake that was not much more diffcult to
assemble and bake than a boxed cake mix. Finally,
we can have our cake and eat it, too.
DARK CHOCOLATE CU PCAKE S
MAKES 1 2 CU PCAKES
This recipe does not double very well . Cupcakes
made from a doubled batch and baked side by
side in the oven yield a slightly compromised rise.
It's best to make two separate batches and bake
each separately. Store lefover cupcakes ( frosted
or unfrosted) in the refrigerator, but let them
come to room temperature before serving.
8 tabl espoons unsalted butter, cut i nto 4 pi eces
2 ounces bi ttersweet chocol ate, chopped
11 cup ( 1 11 ounces) Dutch- processed cocoa
11 cup ( 3 % ounces) unbl eached al l - purpose fl our
1 1 teaspoon baki ng soda
l teaspoon baki ng powder
2 l arge eggs
ll cup ( S 'I ounces) sugar
teaspoon vani l l a extract
11 teaspoon tabl e salt
11 cup ( 4 ounces) sour cream
l . Adjust oven rack to lower- middle position;
heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized
mufn pan (cups have '-cup capacity) with baking
cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa i n
medium heatproof bowl . Set bowl over saucepan
containing barely simmering water; heat mixture
until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk
until smooth and flly combined. Set aside to
cool until j ust warm to touch.
3. Whisk four, baking soda, and baking pow
der in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to com
bine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until
flly incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture
and whisk until combined. Sif about one- third of
four mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk
until combined; whisk i n sour cream until com-
T E S T I N G E Q U I P M E N T : |ull| D | DS
We don ' t recommend supermarket mixes for cupcakes, but
what about supermarket cupcake pans? Are they good enough ,
or do kitchen shops ofer somethi ng better (and more expen
sive) ? To fi nd out, we rounded up si x mufi n ti ns, aka cupcake
pans, whi ch ranged in pri ce from $ 3 to $ 2 1 .
G OOD TI N
Wi l ton Ul tra- Bake turned out i deal
cupcakes and mufi ns and boasts the
thoughtful (and rare) addi ti on of handl es.
A has been our experi ence wi th other bakeware, we found
that darker, nonsti ck mufi n ti ns were better heat conductors
than shi ny uncoated ti ns and yi el ded cupcakes and mufi ns wi th
more col or-and more flavor. Cupcakes baked i n dark ti ns al so
rose better and sported ni cel y domed tops. The pal l i d cupcakes
baked i n shi ny pans had fat tops.
Al l four of the nonsti ck ti ns i n our l i neup were deemed
acceptabl e, but beware of pans wi th excessive wei ght. The
Cal phal on Commerci al ( $20. 99) and Anol on SureGri p
( $ 1 9. 95 ) mufi n ti ns ti pped the scal e at more than 2 pounds
( no one- handed l ifti ng of these pans) . Baker' s Secret ( $ 5 . 69) ,
the supermarket stapl e, performed wel l and fi ni shed in a
respectabl e second pl ace. But Wi l ton Ul tra- Bake ( $7. 99) was
the cl ear wi nner, in part because of i ts generous 2- i nch l i p.
-Garth Cl i ngingsmith
BAD TI N
The Good Cook Cl assi c nearly buckl ed
when ful l of batter, and its shi ny surace
transl ated to l i ttl e browni ng. What' s
more, cl eanly grabbi ng thi s ti n wi th an
oven mi tt i s nearl y i mpossi bl e.
bined, then si f remaining four mixture over and
whisk until batter is homogenous and tl1ick.
5 . Divide batter evenly among muffn pan
cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of
cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes .
6. Cool cupcakes in muffn pan on wire rack
until cool enough to handle, about 1 5 minutes.
Carefully lift each cupcake from muffn pan and
set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature
before icing, about 30 minutes. ( To frost: Mound
about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cup
cake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife,
spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight
mound in center. )
EASY VAN I LLA B EAN BUTTE RCREAM
MAKE S ABOUT 1 '
1
' CUP S , E NOUGH TO F ROST | 2 CU PCAKES
If you prefer to skip tl1e vanilla bean, increase the
extract to 1 12 teaspoons. Any of tl1e buttercream
frostings can be made ahead and refrigerated; if
refrigerated, however, tl1e frosting must stand at
room temperature to sofen before use. If using
a handheld mixer, increase mixing times signif
cantly ( by at least 50 percent) .
I 0 tabl espoons unsal ted butter, softened
11 vani l l a bean, halved l engthwise
I 'I cups ( S ounces) confecti oners' sugar
Pi nch tabl e salt
11 teaspoon vani l l a extract
tabl espoon heavy cream
In standing mixer ftted with whisk attachment,
beat butter at medium- high speed until smooth,
about 20 seconds . Using pari ng knife, scrape
seeds from vanil l a bean into butter and beat mix
ture at medium- high speed to combine, about
M A R C i l b A P R I L 2005
2 5
1 5 seconds . Add confectioners' sugar and salt;
beat at medium- low speed until most of sugar
is moistened, about 45 seconds . Scrape down
bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is
flly combined, about 1 5 seconds; scrape bowl,
add vanilla extract and heavy cream, and beat
at medium speed until incorporated, about 1 0
seconds, then i ncrease speed t o medium-high
and beat until light and fuff, about 4 minutes,
scraping down bowl once or twice.
EASY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
Follow recipe for Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream,
omi tti ng vani l l a bean and heavy cream and
reducing sugar to 1 cup. Afer beating in vanilla
extract, reduce speed to low and gradually beat
i n 4 ounces melted and cooled semisweet or bit
tersweet chocolate.
EASY COF F E E BUTTE RCREAM
Follow recipe for Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream,
omi tting vanilla bean and dissolving 1 11 tea
spoons instant espresso i n vanilla extract and
heavy cream.
EASY PE PPE RMI NT BUTTE RCREAM
Follow recipe for Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream,
omitting vanilla bean, reducing vanilla extract to
'4 teaspoon, and adding 3/4 teaspoon peppermint
extract along with vanilla extract.
COOK' S E gives you free recipes online. For three
more frostings. visit ww .cooksil l ustrated.com and key in code
4054. lhese recipes wil l be available until April 15, 2005.
I s the Best Swiss Cheese Swiss?
Gen u i n e Swi ss Emmenthal er sh ou l d easi l y best su permarket Swi ss i mposters , ri ght?
After weeks of testi ng, we d i scovered a few h ol es i n that th eory.
I
t's not that hard to fnd wlg tasters for a
story on chocolate cupcakes (see page 24) .
But try rounding up 20 volunteers a day
for supermarket Swiss and desks suddenly
go empty, schedules suddenly become fl, food
"allergies" suddenly take a turn for the worse.
Why such an unenthusiastic attitude toward
an American sandwch standard? Mostly because
the pallid slices sold at supermarkets often
pale by comparison with the real deal : genuine
Emmenthaler from Switzerland. The original
cheese with the famous holes ( called "eyes ") ,
imported Emmenthaler i s prized for a subtle favor
profle of sweet, nutty, fuity, and slightly pungent
notes, as well as a texture that's frm but gently giv
ing. By contrast, Swiss cheese-the generic name
for Emmenthaler-style cheese sold in tl1e United
States-gets a bad rap for being little more tl1an a
bland, rubbery layer of dairy that takes up space in
uninspired ham sandwiches.
A preliminary tasting convinced us that the vari
eties called "baby Swiss" and "lacey Swiss" are too
diferent fom regular Swiss cheese to be included
in the main tastings ( see "A Slice of Confsion, "
right) . In the end, our panel sampled eight nation
ally distributed supermarket Swiss cheeses : fve
domestic brands ( Heluva Good, Ka, Sara Lee,
Sargento, and Tillamook) ; Jarlsberg, a popular
brand of Emmenthaler-style cheese made in
Norway; and two Finnish imports ( the deli brands
Finlandia and Boar's Head) . Finally, we included a
genuine imported Emmenthaler. Tasters tried the
cheeses raw and cooked in grilled-cheese sand
wiches. The results? Unexpected.
A Heated Di scussi on
But not in the raw tasting. As anticipated, the
imported Emmenthaler handily bested the com
petition. Even though we served j ulienne slices
to keep tasters from distinguishing the block of
Emmenthaler from the presliced samples, there
was no disguising the favor. Tasters roundly
praised the imported Swiss original for its but
tery, nutty, and fruity favor profle . Three
supermarket brands-Sargento, Boar' s Head,
and Tillamook-also received high marks, but
none of them could match the wel l - balanced
subtlety of Emmenthaler. What' s more, true to
stereotype, several samples were indicted for rub
bery texmre and favor profles that amounted to
"bland nothingness. "
3 B Y J O L Y O N H E L T E R M A N E
Next came the grilled-cheese tasting, and that's
where surprises began. Jarlsberg, which had clocked
an tmremarkable seventh place in the raw tasting,
was suddenly the grilled-cheese champ. Puzzled,
I compared tasters' comments witl1 the numeri
cal data. Because Jarlsberg was tl1e only cheese
not to elicit a panicked "desperately needs salt! "
fom tasters, I zeroed in on sodium content. Sure
enough, it contained twice tl1e sodium of the other
brands: 120 milligrams per OLmce, compared witl1
50 to 65 milligrams. The results now seemed less
far-fetched. Because grilled cheese is traditionally
made with much saltier cheeses-such as American
(400 milligrams per ounce) or cheddar ( 1 80 mil
ligrams)-Jarlsberg came closest to tlus norm.
More curious than Jarlsberg's second-round
rise was Emmentl1aler's precipitous 111 . Afer an
easy triumph in the raw tasting, Emmenthaler
fnished the grilled-cheese round not second,
not tlird, but nintl1 out of nine samples. Tasting
sheets overfowed witl1 sour invective: "I spit tlus
out-it's like rubbing alcohol, " complained one
taster. "Way too gamey," said anotl1er. The same
panel tl1at had fmmd raw Emmentlaler nutty and
t1icely balanced now deemed it too fnky, chenu
cal, and "moldy. " How could tl1e same Swiss have
dropped fom frst place to dead last?
It's all about temperature, says Mark Johnson,
a cheese expert at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy
Research. "Typically, we prefer eating cheese at
about 65 degrees or a little warmer-room tem
perature, if you will-just to bring out favors. "
But go from a little warmer t o a lot warmer, and
you risk amplifing some of the favor notes that
might best remain faint voices in tle background.
"Certain volatile favors [ come out] tl1at wouldn't
if you j ust ate the cheese at 65 or 70 degrees,"
he says .
That explained how interesting, balanced
compl exity coul d bloom i nto gamey, over
the- top pungency once heated. Still puzzling,
however, was why Emmentlaler had made such
a steep drop when heated while the rest of the
samples ( other than Jarlsberg) barely shufed
order. To fnd out, I needed a better grasp on
how Emmenthaler-style cheeses get their favor
in the frst place.
The Eyes Have It
Swiss-cheese making is a complex process, but it
very roughly breaks down like tlu s: Starter bacte
ria are added to partially skimmed nl ( about 2. 8
percent milk fat, compared with whole nlik's 3. 6
percent) , which i s cooked, worked, then placed
Pb| | CCOlLODluS| OD. b3Dy, LCCy, 3DdKCduCCd 3tbw| SS
Be careful whi ch Swiss you toss i nto your shoppi ng cart-and not j ust whi ch brand. One false move coul d send
you home wi th a package of " baby Swiss, " " l acey Swiss , " or "reduced-fat Swiss. " How diferent are these cheeses
from the genui ne arti cl e? A l ot more than thei r deceptivel y si mi l ar packagi ng woul d i ndi cate. In a bl i nd tasti ng, not
one taster had troubl e i denti fi ng the tpe.
When baby Swiss i s made, the mi l k' s whey i s repl aced wi th water to remove sugars and aci ds that woul d l ead
to favor devel opment. The resul t i s a mi l d, creamy cheese that some tasters l i kened to Muenster or provol one.
Reduced-fat Swiss starts of wi th sl ightl y l eaner mi l k than regul ar Swiss. and i t' s cured wi th l ess sal t. There are to
stles of reduced Swiss: One l ooks exactly l i ke regul ar Swiss; the other, l acey Swiss, i s compl etel y strewn with ti ny
hol es, givi ng i t the appearnce of transl ucent l ace when sl i ced. To achi eve thi s textural efect, cheesemakers add
a bacteria stri n that begi ns furi ously maki ng gas bubbl es al most i mmediately.
How do they stack up to regul ar Swiss? We tasted all three vari eties of our to " Recommended" brnds, Sarento
( regul ar, baby, and reduced) and
Boar' s Head (regul ar, baby, and
lacey) . To our surprise, the baby
Swiss di d as wel l as our regul ar rec
ommended brnd. But the dread
ful taste of the lacey I reduced
varieties was too high a price to
pay for roughly I grm l ess fat per
seri ng. -j . H.
C O O K
'
S I L L U S r R A r F D
2 6
BABY
Pret good
LACEY RE D UC E D FAT
Awul J ust as awul
RATI NG SUPERMARKET SWI SS CHEESES
Twent Cook
'
s Ilustat staf member tasted ni ne Emmenthal er-stl e Swiss cheeses
i n rw stri ps and gri l l ed-cheese sandwi ches. To ensure val i dit, sampl es were tasted i n
diferent orders by di ferent taster, and one cheese sered as a control (appeari ng
ti ce i n each pl ate of sampl es) . Taster were asked to rte each sampl e for favor, salti
ness. and texture. then give each an overal l score of I to I 0. The brnds are l i sted i n
order of preference. Fat and sodi um val ues gi ven are per ounce.
BEST CHE E S E F OR EATI N G RAW: EMMENTHALER (SWI SS)
S I 0. 49 for I l b. Fat: 9 g. Sodi um: 50 mg.
The hands-down raw-tasti ng wi nner shocked i ts admi r
ers in the gri l l ed-cheese tasti ng. " Mi l dly pungent wi th
nutt overtones" qui ckly gave way to "chemi cal , funk"
and "evi l , evi l cheese" when the heat was cranked up.
BEST CH E E S E F OR G RI LLE D CHE E S E : JARLBERG ( NORWEGIAN)
S 3 . 99 for 8 oz. Ft: 7 g. Sodi um: 1 20 mg.
The gri l l ed-cheese favorite won prai se for creamy, sal t
mi l dness, but the raw tasti ng was a di fferent story:
" Bl and, " "generi c tasti ng. " and "rubber" were tasters'
descri pti ons of thi s sampl e in its uncooked state.
RECOM M E ND E D ALL- PU RPOS E C HE ES E S
SRGENTO Del i Stle Aged Swiss Cheese ( DOMESI C)
$ 3 . 79 for 8 oz. Fat: 7. 5 g. Sodi um: 60 mg.
RE CO M M E N D E D WI TH RE S E RVATI ON S
TI LLMOOK Swiss Cheese ( DOMESI C)
$4. 3 9 for 1 2 oz. Fat: 8 g. Sodi um: 60 mg.
Panel i sts found thi s "tang" Oregon brand to be more l i ke cheddar
than Swiss but were di vi ded as to whether that was a pl us.
HELUVA GOOD Aged Swiss Cheese ( DOMESI C)
$ 2. 29 for 8 oz. Fat: 8 g. Sodi um: 60 mg.
Hel uva Fai r? Tasters had no maj or compl ai nts about thi s upstate
New York brand; they had no major compl i ments. ei ther. " Does
not stand out to me i n any way, " said one taster.
N OT RE CO M M E N D E D
KRF Del i Del uxe Swiss ( DOMESI C)
S 2. 89 for 8 oz. Fat: 9 g. Sodi um: 50 mg.
Thi s wi dely avai l abl e brand won admi rers for i ts "soft, un iform
texture. " but the negative comments outwei ghed the posi ti ve.
Tasters cri ti ci zed of- putti ng sour notes and an artifi ci al aftertaste.
Thi s ubi qui tous dai ry-shel f brand was good al l -around. I ts
" butter, tang" flavors and creamy texture remi nded some
tasters of cheddar. Severl l i ked the "pl easantly sour taste of
buttermi l k. "
FI NLNDIA I mpored Swiss Cheese ( FI NNI SH)
$7. 29 for I l b. Fat: 8 g. Sodi um: 60 mg.
Thi s del i brand' s fl avor was over-the-top-and not i n a pl easant
way. Tasters found the sampl es " gamey. al most ranci d, " wi th sour
off-tastes. The dry, rubbery texture was al so panned.
BOAR'S HED Gold Lbel Premi um I mpored Swiss Cheese ( FI NNI SH)
SAR LEE Swiss Cheese ( DOMESI C)
$6. 99 for I l b. Fat: 8 g. Sodi um: 65 mg.
S 3. 79 for 8 oz. Fat: 8 g. Sodi um: 58 mg.
This i s " Swiss cheese for grown- ups, " remarked one panel i st.
More strongly flavored than many of the others (the bi gest
eyes of the bunch) , this del i standard mai ntai ned its bal ance
even when cooked. " Lots of roasted, earthy sensati ons. "
" Rubber ci ty' " compl ai ned one taster. Others decri ed artifi ci al
overtones and "a pl asti ck, i ndustri al bi te. " But pati ence may
be rewarded : "There' s a soapy of-flavor i ni ti al ly, endi ng with an
al most Swiss cheese flavor. "
in a temperature- control led room to ripen. I n
Switzerland and Finland, cheesemakers generally
use unpasteurized milk; in Norway ( for Jarlsberg)
and the United States, they use pasteurized milk
to achieve a cleaner-though potentially less com
plex-flavor profil e. Then there's the cow's diet:
Some cheesemakers swear by particular combina
tions of grass and grain ( or one or the other) to get
their product's favor profle just so.
Propri etary and regional differences aside,
the bacteria responsibl e for favor development
in all Emmenthaler-style cheeses release carbon
dioxide, which forms rounded air pockets i n the
gradually hardening cheese-the source of the
trademark holes, or eyes . Longer aging leads
to larger eyes, as does a warmer aging environ
ment. Generally speaki ng, the l arger the eyes,
the more pronounced the favor: It means the
enzymes and bacteria have had more time to
work their magi c.
To ensure generous eye development, the Swiss
government dictates that Emmenthaler cannot be
exported until it has aged for at least 90 days. ( The
two Finnish brands in our lineup proudly adver
tise being aged "over 1 00 days" before reaching
the deli displ ay case. ) But that's not the case i n
America, says Johnson. Not only do we require
j ust 60 days' aging, but the aging temperature is
much lower. "The cheese is held at a colder tem
perature-which limits the size of the eyes-so
less favor develops. "
Do American cheesemakers imagine the U. S.
cheese-eating public can't handle strong- tasting
Swiss? Not necessarily. It's actually the big eyes
they're trying to avoid, Johnson says, not the big
flavors. The logic is simple. Because most Swiss
cheese made in the United States is sold presliced,
sturdiness is a major consideration. Cheese with
large holes has a tendency to fal l apart in high
speed, automated slicers. The more slices that must
be discarded along the way, the costlier the pro
cess. So American manufacturers let the eyes grow
to a certain lirit, then they transfer the cheese to a
cold environment to stife frther development.
M A R C i l f A P R I L 2005
2 7

Armed with this new knowledge-and a ruler

and pen-I returned to our cheeses. Measuring
dozens and dozens of cheese hol es ( the test
kitchen life is a glamorous one) , I calculated aver
age eye dianeter for each sampl e. Sure enough, the
best-endowed cheeses were three of the European
sampl es: Boar's Head ( 2. 1 centimeters) , Finlandia
( 1 . 8 centimeters) , and Emmenthaler ( 1 . 7 centi
meters) , the ones aged longest. All were described
as strongly favored, and all but the Boar's Head
tanked i n the grilled- cheese round. The eyes of
the U. S. -made cheeses hovered around l centi
meter. The smallest eyes? Like clockwork: the very
mild Jarlsberg, at 0. 7 centimeter.
At the end of the day, then, what Swiss cheese
do we recommend? For a pl ate of cheese and
crackers, we think a genuine Emmenthaler (with
large eyes) is the best bet. For gri lled cheese and
other simple cooked preparations, give Jarlsberg a
try. If you want to buy one cheese for al l applica
tions, Sargento and Boar's Head performed con
sistently well-no matter what tl1e temperature.
Disparate Measures
Th e cookware ai sl e i s crowded wi th sou ped - u p vari ati ons on th e l owl y
l i qu i d measu ri ng cu p . I s i t ti me to trade i n ou r cl assi c Pyrex?
3 B Y J O L Y O N H E L T E R M A N A N D G A R T H C L I N G I N G S M I T H E
F
or years , the term "l iqui d measur
i ng cup" meant one thing: a fared,
graded cup with a handle, usually made
from Pyrex- brand glass. No longer.
Nowadays, the ubiquitous Pyrex shares retail
shelf space with cups sporting a dizzying array
of newfangl ed options , i ncl udi ng gl eaming
metals, angled consoles, laboratory-style beaker
shapes, and gradations broken down to number
of teaspoons.
Do these "innovations" go beyond bells and
whistles? Is it fnally time to upgrade from tl1e
classic Pyrex? We brought l l models into ie test
kitchen to fnd out.
Readi ng Is Fundamental
There's a clear distinction between liquid mea
suring cups and dry. A liquid measuring cup has
multiple gradation lines. Dry measuring cups have
none-tl1ere' s a diferent cup for every amow1t.
Dry ingredients and wet ingredients are also
measured differently. The test kitchen measures
the dry sort by dipping the cup into the ingredi
ent, scooping a heaping cupful , then sweeping
across the cup with a spatula ( or the fat side
of a knife ) until the contents are level with the
top of the cup-a method referred to as "dip
and sweep. "
We measure liquids by flling the cup until
the surface of the liquid i s even with the correct
gradation line when viewed at eye level ( whi ch
means stoopi ng down to l ook ) . So far, so
good-but be carefl which part of the surface
you' re looking at. Liquids i n a container have a
tendency to form a meniscus, a slight curving of
the surface. ( The meni scus forms because water
molecules are more attracted to the cup mate
rial than to one another, so they creep up the
sides a bit. ) When viewed from the side of the
cup, the meniscus looks like a "cord" around
the top of the liquid. To maximize accuracy,
simply measure from the bottom of the cord,
not the top.
The dry /liquid divide came to haunt a couple
of ie designs in our lineup. As we began our
tests, it became obvious that metal is absolutely
ie wrong choice of material for liquid measur
ing cups: There's no way to view the gradation
lines at eye level, much less spot tl1e bottom of
tl1e meniscus.
Was it fair to dismiss metal cups based solely on
our meniscus-reading ieory? Not, we reasoned, if
accuracy were only negligibly affected. So we had
12 test-kitchen staffers measure l cup of water
fom ie sink witl1 each model , tl1en pour ie water
into a waiting bowl . A testers focused on making
commentary about each model ' s design ( ease of
pouring, handle shape, etc. ) , we were busy weigh
ing ie amount of water tley'd managed to trans
fer to ie bowl . Now we had proof. The only two
cups off by more tlan half an ow1ee were made
of metal : All - Clad, which was an average of 0. 73
ounce over, and Polder, which averaged a whop
ping l . l ounces over-mat's 6. 6 extra teaspoons
per cup!
A we watched panelists measure water wii
each model , another pattern emerged: They
seemed to be flling ie plastic cups at a faster
pace . Puzzl ed, we pored through the testing
sheets. Comments of "nice, flat water line" and
"easy- to- read meni scus" popped up repeat
edly for ie plastic cups but never for ie glass.
Additional research uncovered an interesting bit
of physics: Water molecules are more attracted
to glass dun to plasti c, so less surface curvature
occurs with plastic cups-an enhanced clarity
testers appreciated.
Sometimes l ack of clarity affected accuracy;
otl1er times, it was simply irritating. For instance,
testers were annoyed by the sheer number of
markings on some of tl1e models, witl1 column
after col umn obsessively del i neati ng usel ess
equivalent measures in cups, iird-cups, quarter
cups, milliliters, cubic centimeters, tablespoons,
and more. As one tester put it, "I've never made a
recipe iat calls for 78 teaspoons of anything. "
Less may be more, but not if it's ridiculously
less. The All - Clad had just three gradation lines
( lf4 cup, l2 cup, 3/4 cup) ; nowhere except for ie
discarded packaging was iere an indication iat
its ful l capacity was l cup. Oier models, which
performed well in every test, inexplicably had no
1
3
-cup gradation markngs.
The most innovative cup of the bunch, the
Oxo Angled represents an attempt to eliminate
stooping altogetl1er. The gradation lines, printed
both on ie sides and on a diagonal plane iat
j uts tl1rough the cup, are designed to be read
from above ramer than at eye level . However,
ie multiple planes created an awkward optical
effect: The meniscus line on tl1e interior of the
cup seemed out of phase wi tl1 tl1e one on the side,
C O O K
"
s I L L U S T R A T E D
2 8
as iough they were at different levels .
To minimize spillage, liquid measures should
feature extra space between ie uppermost gra
dation marking and ie rim. Two of our models
lacked this buffer zone, making liquid transfer a
daunting task.
Measuring, then transferring, cups of honey
with each model convinced us of the virtues of
roomy, rounded interiors. The skinnier designs
had us reaching for our smallest spatulas, while
the wider models made honey transfer quick
work even with a standard- size spatula. The Oxo
Angled was the loser in this round: Its multiple
planes provided numerous edges where honey
could take refge.
In the test kitchen, we ofen ladle hot chicken
broth into a measuring cup before adding it to
a simmering saucepan. It's a task that doesn' t
go so smoothly with a narrow- mouthed cup.
Broth dribbled down the sides of the three nar
rowest cups: the Norpro Measuring Glass, iie
Catamount Flameware, and ie All - Clad.
The broi test earned plastic cups some new
fans by staying noticeably cooler than the glass.
That said, many staffers still weren' t ready to
give up on the classic Pyrex, even though ie
plastic matched the glass in the dishwasher and
microwave challenges. But little did we know
that the plastic cups would soon win over a few
more testers.
Good to the lst Drop
One afternoon, toward the end of testing, we
were engrossed in a spirited debate of our tenta
tive chart order ( see page 29) , and that's when
the Catamount Fl ameware bit ie dust. There it
lay, glass shards strewn across the test kitchen's
sl ip- resi stant foors . A moment of pani cked
silence . Then eerie cal m: "I think the Pyrex
would have survived, " one of us said, resuming
the original debate.
That's all it took. We quickly cleared out a sec
tion of the test kitchen, donned safety goggles,
and l ined up the surviving models along the
countertop. In front of a rapt crowd of onlookers
( " I can't not look! " exclaimed one wide- eyed test
cook) , we dropped each cup three times from a
height of 3 feet by tipping it off the countertop.
The cups made of metal or plastic survived with
mere scratches. The Norpro Measuring Glass
lasted one drop before exploding into hundreds
RTI NGS
GOOD: ***
FAI R: **
POOR: *
K/1l |L/:LKl 'Ll:
We tested I I l i qui d measuri ng cups, wi th
capaci ti es as cl ose to 2 cups as we coul d
fi nd i n each man ufactu rer ' s l i n e. The
cups are l i sted i n the chart i n order of
preference, based on our eval uati on of
performance, desi gn . and durabi l it.
MATERIAL: The material the cup i s made
from.
PRI CE: Prices pai d at Boston -area retai l ,
national mai l -order, or onl i ne outlets. You
may encounter diferent pri ces.
DI AMETER: Measured across the mouth,
from i nsi de rim to i nsi de ri m. ( For the Oxo,
the only model with an el l i ptical mouth, we
give major and mi nor axes. )
MI CROWAVE-SAFE? Based on manufac
turer recommendati ons.
PERFORMANCE: Twel ve Cook's Ilus
trated staff members measured I cup of
water and transferred i t to a bowl : after
each transfer, we wei ghed the transferred
water and compared i ts wei ght with the
standard for I cup. We l adl ed hot broth
i nto each cup, then transferred i t to a
stockpot. We measured honey, then
transferred i t to a bowl . Scores of good,
fair, and poor were assi gned for each test,
and the composi te score consti tutes the
overal l performance rati ng.
DESI GN: Factors eval uated i ncl uded
whether the cup' s di mensi ons, shape.
gradati on marki ngs, and materi al s con
tri buted to or detracted from overal l
user-fri endl i ness.
DURBI LIT: We heated water i n the
cups i n the mi crowave unti l boi l i ng ( i f
deemed mi crowave-safe by the manufac
turer) , ran them through 25 di shwasher
cycl es (wi th Heated Dry mode turned
on) , and dropped them on l i nol eum and
ti l e fl oors. Cups were downgraded for
breaki ng, for scratchi ng, and/or for not
bei ng mi crowave- safe.
TEST CRI TERI A ( RECOMME NDE D
v

TESTE RS' COMMENTS
-------------------------
Rubbermai d Measuri ng Cup ;
MATERI AL: Plastic
DI AMETER: 3 "/" inches
MI CROWAVE SAFE1 Yes
Prex Measuri ng Cup
MATERI AL: Glass
D I AMETER: 4'/ inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE! Yes

Emsa Perfect Beaker

MATERI AL: Plastic
DI AMETER: 45/1 6 inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE! Yes
Anchor Hocki ng
Uqui d Measuri ng Cup
MATERI AL: Glass
DI AMETER: 4'/ inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE? Yes
( RECOMME NDE D WI TH RESE RVATI ONS
Cambro Camwear I - Pi nt
Measuri ng Cup
MATERI AL: Plastic
D I AMETER: 3 5/a inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE! Yes
Oxo Angl ed Measuri ng Cup
MATE RI AL: Plastic, with rbber
handle grip
DI AMETER: 4'/" inches, 5 inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE? No
Catamount Fl ameware
Uqui d Measuri ng Cup
MATE RI AL: Glass
DI AMETE R: 3 inches
MI CROWAVE- SAF E? Yes
NOT RECOMME NDE D
Amco SeTr Measurng Cup
MATERI AL: Stainless steel, with
plastic window
D I AMETER: 3 1 1 /1 6 inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE! No
Norpro Measuri ng Gl ass
MATE RI AL: Glass
D I AMETER: 21 1 /1 6 inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE? Yes
Al l -Cl ad I - Cup Uqui d Measure
MATERI AL: Stainless steel
DI AMETER: 3 ' / inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE? No
Pol der 4- Cup Measure Cup
MATERI AL: Stainless steel
DI AMETE R: 4 7/o inches
MI CROWAVE- SAFE? No



P RI CE : $ 3 . 79
PERFORMANCE : * * *
DES I G N: ***
D U RABI LI TY: ***
PRI CE : $4. 95
PERF ORMANCE : ***
DE S I G N : ***
D U RABI LI TY: **
P RI CE : $7. 99
PERFORMANCE : ***
DE S I G N : **
DURABI LI TY: ***
PRI CE : $6. 75
PERF ORMANCE : ***
DE S I G N : **
D U RABI LI TY: **
PRI CE : $6. 90
PERF ORMANCE : ***
DE S I G N : **
DURABI LI TY: ***
P RI CE : $7. 99
PERFORMANCE : **
DE S I G N : **
DURABI LI TY: **
PRI CE : $9. 95
PERF ORMANCE : **
DE S I G N : **
D U RABI LI TY: *
PRI CE : s 1 1 . 2 5
PERFORMANCE : **
DE S I G N : *
D U RABI LI TY: ***
PRI CE : $ 1 1 . 50
PERFORMANCE : *
DES I G N: *
DURABI LI TY: *
PRI CE : s 1 9. 99
PERFORMANCE : *
DE S I G N : *
DURABI LI TY: ***
PRI CE : $ 1 0. 00
PERFORMANCE : *
DE S I G N : *
DU RAB I LI TY: **
The roomy, rounded i nterior made quick work of honey
trnsfer, the wi de mouth was optimal for l adl i ng broth,
and the plastic kept cool , surived our stress tests, and
boasted a fl at meniscus. Make sure to buy the model with
1/ -cup markings.
Prex won prises for a wide mouth, comfortble handl e,
and readable marki ngs. Resi dual honey was removed with
one eas swipe of the spatula. A bit heav, though: not for
klutes with tile foor.
A spaci ous desi gn with an excel l ent pour and a ni ce,
shal l ow meniscus. On the downsi de, the concave base
i s a trp for di rt di shwasher water, and some tester
compl ai ned about units-of-measure overkill.
The model we tested has raised, see-through markings
that tester found hard to read, but the company does
make one with fat color. " Thi s i s j ust l i ke the Prex but
less balanced, " said one panel ist, referring to the heav
cup' s disproporionately light handl e.
Thi n grdation l i nes, rised and painted number, clean
cyl i ndrical shape, and shal l ow meniscus al most put this
cup on top. Not until late i n the testing di d we notice a
flaw: no 1/- cup markings.
Tester questi oned the merits of angled markings: "How
much efort does it really sve?" Having number both on
the sides and down the diagonal was distrcting, and the
mul ti pl e planes created an irritating phasing efect-and
waylaid pl ent of honey. Best pour of the bunch.
Flamesfe, ovensfe, dishwasher-sfe. mi crowave-sfe-
but l i nol eum-foor-safe woul d have been a ni ce touch.
The l aboratory-stle beaker handl ed most tasks wel l ,
but tester di dn' t trust its sturdi ness. The narrow mouth
made l adl i ng broth a chore.
Why make a l i qui d measure that' s only parti al l y see-
through1 To read the numbers, you must posi ti on the
handle di rectly away from you, and there are spouts on
every si de but the useful one (opposite the handl e) .
Testers were uni mpressed with the narrow, spoutless
mouth, sl oppy pour, and "shi mmer" curive marki ngs.
We needed a pothol der to fnish the hot broth test. Its
relative accuracy saved thi s model from last pl ace.
The packaging says " l i qui d measure, " but tester weren' t
convinced. Maj or spi l lage, sl oppy pouri ng, and unclear
markings were thi s cup's downfal l s-not to menti on the
qui ck-heating material it's made from.
The I -cup l i ne was so deep down in this "cl unk" behe-
moth that testers had troubl e j udging when to stop fl l i ng.
Duri ng the broth test, excess steam made the task even
harder, and the metal got pi pi ng hot.
of pieces. The thi ck- glass Pyrex and Anchor
Hocking? Three drops, no mess .
as a stand-in for the countertop, we dropped our
nine intact cups once agai n. The metals and the
plastics got a bit more banged up ( the Polder suf
fered a dent ) . And, yes, smash-the Pyrex and the
Anchor Hocking met their demise.
recommend? The fancy, stylish pretenders to the
Pyrex throne failed to overthrow the king. But as
we swept up the king's remains from the tile foor,
we crowned the not-so-fancy Rubbermaid-with
its wide mouth, fat meni scus, and stay- cool ,
sturdy plastic-as a worthy successor.
The rubber surface victories were impressive,
but how would these invincible glass cups fare with
a tile kitchen foor? We moved our experiment to a
tile-foored restroom. Using a 21- foot- high shelf At the end of the day, then, which cup do we
M A R C i l { A I' R I L 2005
2 9
KI T C H E N NOT E S
Scratching the Nonstick
Surace
We've learned the hard way in the
test kitchen: Metal utensils can easily
scratch nonstick surfaces, sometimes
even when the manufacturer prom
ises otherwise. Scratches and gouges
not only are unsightly but also reduce
the efectiveness of the surface. We
have since outftted tle kitchen with
silicone-clad wire whisks and plastic
tipped tongs. If you're concerned
about the longevity of your nonstick
cookware, we recommend tl1at you
do the same.
Torn-til l as
When maki ng quesadi l l as ( page
20) , the frst serious problem we
encountered was separating single
fl our tortillas from their tightly
packed stacks. When peeled apart,
the tortil l as would tear, making
them useless as containers for fll
ings. Eventually, we noti ced that
this was a probl em onl y with
tortillas that came straight from
the refrigerator; room- temperature
tortillas separated easily enough.
Here' s the si mpl e solution we
came up with to unstick a stuck
stack of refrigerated tortillas with
out causing the edges to become
dry and brittl e: Dampen a clean
kitchen towel , then wring out the
. B Y D A W N Y A N A G I H A R A E
T E s T K 1 T c H E N T 1 p b| C3CDCd b3CK\O b| ODd
We are very fond (no cul i nary pun i ntended) of Le Creuset enamel ed cast
i ron Dutch ovens; the 1 2 or so we have in the test kitchen get a lot of use.
The downsi de to these workhorses is that thei r l i ght-col ored enamel i nteri
ors become di scol ored and stai ned with use.
We took a coupl e of stai ned pots from the kitchen and fi l l ed them with
L Creuset' s recommended stai n- removal sol uti on of I teaspoon of bl each
per I pi nt of water. The pots were sl ightly i mproved but sti l l far from thei r
origi nal hue. We then tri ed a much stronger sol uti on (whi ch was OK' d by
the manufacturer) of I part bl each to 3 parts water. After standi ng over-
night, a l ightl y stai ned pot was
' just as good as new, but a
.
heavily sti ned one required
an addi ti onal night of
soaking before it, too,
was l ooki ng natt.
excess water. Remove the stack
from the package and set it on the
towel ; fold the ends of the towel
over so tl1at the stack is completely
enclosed. Microwave the wrapped
tortillas at 30 percent power for
about 20 seconds, then peel away
as many tortillas as possible ( tl1e top
and bottom ones will likely be tl1e
frst that can be freed) . If necessary,
rewrap the tortillas and repeat .
Fish Storage
Because fsh is so perishable, it's best
to buy it the day it will be cooked.
But that's not always possibl e, even
here in the kitchen. Here's what to
do if you need to hold fi sh beyond
the day it's purchased.
As soon as tl1e fi sh gets into the
kitchen, unwrap it, pat it dry, put
it i n a zi pper-l ock bag, press out
tl1e air, and seal tl1e bag. Then set
tl1e fsh on a bed of ice i n a bowl or
other deep container ( that can con
tain the water once the ice melts )
and place the bowl in tl1e back of
the fridge, where it is coldest. If the
ice mel ts before you use the fsh,
replenish i t. Another opti on i s to
set the patted-dry fsh i n a container
or bowl or on a plate, press plastic
K 1 T c H E N s c 1 E N c E : KCuS| D_ |Q| D_L| |
wrap di rectly a
g
ainst the surface,
and place frozen reusable ice packs
on top. Eimer way, tl1e fsh should
keep for one day.
The Done Deal on Poultry
The doneness of poultry is deter
mined by taking its temperature in
the thickest part of the breast and/
or thigh. Just where is the "thickest
part," you ask? So did we. To fnd
out, we took whole cooked chickens
and bone-i n breasts and legs and cut
them into thin cross-sections so that
we coul d examine the thickness of
tl1e meat.
On a breast, tl1e thickest part is
no surprise-tl1e area that appeared
to be the thickest, basically, the wid
est and plumpest area. But the ques
tion remained as to how and where
tl1e thermometer should be inserted.
The tendency when inserting a
thermometer straight down into
the meat ( which is not even 2 inches
tl1ick) is to push it down too far or
not far enough. For this reason, we
prefer to i nsert the thermometer
hori zontally from the top ( neck)
end down the length of the breast.
The idea is to insert the thermom
eter well i nto tl1e meat, tlen slowly
withdraw it, looking for the lowest
temperature that registers.
If you're taking the temperature
I n the test kitchen, we regularly deep-fry potatoes,
chicken, and more, so we l i ke to reuse our fryi ng oi l .
But there are some caveats. First of al l , oi l can transfer
favors from food to food. For i nstance, once a batch
of oil has been used to fr fish, we di scard it. We have
found that you can fry mul ti pl e batches of chi cken or
potatoes in the same oi l , but at some point the oi l starts
to break down and smoke. We wondered why.
Smoke Pint A low concentrtion of free fatt acids
trnslates to a high smoke point. Dependi ng on the
reci pe, deep-fring usually occur beteen 3 2 5 and 375
degrees Fhrenhei t. When we tested the smoke poi nts
of four fats, we found peanut oil had the highest: 45 1
degrees. (Canola oi l was the runner-up at 442 degrees. )
Ti s number wi l l var from brnd to brnd based on sev
erl factor, i ncl udi ng how much the oil has been refi ned.
Fr i nstance, unrefined peanut oi l has a much lower
smoke point than a refi ned peanut oil and i s not sui tabl e
for fri ng. I n generl , refi ned oi l s are relatively tastel ess.
of peanut oil. We then filterd the used oi l and heated it
again to the smoke point. Te smoke point had dropped
28 degrees. When we had the used oil analyed for free
fatt acid content, we leared that the totl amount had
jumped 37 percent. Wi l e patting food dr before fring
can rtard oil degrdation, wter i s not the only enemy of
oi l . Heating to the smoke point also promotes decomposi
tion, as can salt if it is added to food before fring. Keeping
oil clean as you fr also helps to extend its l ife.
The Role of Free Fat Acids The pri nci pal component
of fri ng oi l is the triglyceri de, which consists of three
long fatt acid tai l s connected to a mol ecul e called glyc
erol . When the fatt acids are released from glycerol ,
they are cal l ed "free" fatt aci ds. The amount of these
free fatt acids i n the oil i s an i ndi cation of the sui tabi l i t
of the oi l for high-temperature fryi ng. When we mea
sured peanut oi l , our favorite fri ng oi l , we found a very
low concentration of free fatt aci ds.
Wy Oil Brak Down Even though peanut oi l has a high
smoke point, the oil wi l l eventually star to smoke durng
normal use. Tat's becausewaterfrom the food ract with
the oil to release the fatt acids. Te mor you use an oi l ,
the lower the smoke point becomes. To demonstrte this,
we fried three consecutive batches of chicken i n 8 cups
C O O K
'
S I L L U S T R A T E D
30
Te Botom Lne Choose an oi l with a smoke point well
above normal fring tempertures so you have a buil t-in
cushion against the efects of reusing the oil. (i s is one
we reason we l i ke to fr with peanut oil .) Make sure not
to overheat the oil (monitoring the temperture of the
oil with a thermometer is essential) . Final ly, l i mit contact
with salt and water and ski m bits of food from the oi l .
-John Ol son, Science Editor
1 N r H E r E s r K 1 r c H E N - L| CCVC|SuSLDO
C HOP DI CE P RE CI S E DI CE
I n general , the reci pe i nstructi on "dice" (or "cube", dependi ng o n the reci pe
writer) denotes more preci si on than "chop. " A diced carrot i s cut i nto neat cubes,
whereas a chopped carrot can consi st of more i rregul arly shaped pi eces. That sai d ,
"dice" can mean two thi ngs: relatively tidy and uniform pi eces or pai nstaki ngly pre
cise cubes. The latter i nvol ves squari ng off rounded edges and, hence, a good deal
of waste. We al most never requi re such fussy preci si on at Cook's: When appear
ance i s of consi derabl e i mportance, we use the l ess ri gi d di ce, as i n di ced tomatoes
for Fresh Tomato Sal sa Uuly/August 2004) . We chop on most other occasi ons
(oni ons for potato salad, cel ery for stuffi ng, and the l i ke) .
Oni ons and tomatoes present uni que cases in that the same techni que is used
for both di ci ng and choppi ng. One coul d argue, though, that when di ci ng an oni on
or tomato (as opposed to choppi ng it) , speci al care shoul d be taken to make
evenly spaced cuts so that the pi eces are as uniform as possi bl e.
of the breast on a whole chicken, aim
for the meat j ust above the bone by
inserting the thermometer low into
the thickness of the breast. Because
the cavity slows the cooking, the
coolest spot sits j ust above the bone
(which is a poor conductor of heat) .
If you're taking the temperature of a
single breast ( bone in or boneless),
aim for the dead center of the meat
by inserting the thermometer at the
midpoint of the thickness.
On a single thigh or leg quarter,
the meat is relatively thin and of even
thickness, which simplifes the task of
taking the temperature. When the
leg is part of a whole chicken, how
ever, taking the temperature is more
complicated because its musculature
is not as apparent. We found that
the best way to take the temperature
of the thigh on a whole bird is to
insert the probe down into the space
between the tip of the breast and
the thigh. Angle the probe outward
ever so slightly so that it pierces tl1e
meat in the lower part of tl1e tl1igh.
To get some idea of how deeply it's
i nserted-and to be certain that
it i sn' t inserted too far-push the
probe until it pokes tl1rough tl 1e bot
tom side of the chicken, tl1en sl owly
witldraw it, looking for the lowest
registered temperature.
The technique of overi nserti ng
the thermometer accommodates
both digital and dial thermometers .
The former have sensors located at
the tip of the probe; the latter have
sensors located about an i nch up
from the tip.
Yet even if you follow tl1e above
guidelines to tl1e letter, tl1e process of
testing for doneness remains by and
large one of trial and error. It' s best
to poke tl1e bird a coupl e times to
fnd tl1e lowest temperature. Movi ng
tl1e probe just a few millimeters to
tl1e lef or right or up or down can
reveal a different temperature.
3k| Dg3DPCCu|3\CCmC|3\u|C

THI GH: Wi th the thermometer perpendi cul ar to counter, i nsert probe between
ti p of breast and l eg and i nto l ower thi gh. BRE: Wi th thermometer paral l el to
counter, sl i de probe i nto neck end j ust above bi rd' s cavit.
RE C I P E U P DATE : READERS RESPOND
Qu i ck or Ol d - Fash i oned Oats?
When we wrote that ei ther rol l ed (or ol d-fashi oned) oats or qui ck-cooki ng
oats coul d be used in our reci pe for Oatmeal Scones (September/October
2003) , some readers wondered if the qui ck oats woul d also work i n our reci pe
for Big Chew Oatmeal- Raisin Cookies (Januar/Fbruar 1 997) , whi ch
l i sted only rol l ed oats.
After making and tasti ng two batches of the cooki es, one wi th qui ck oats, the
other wi th rol l ed oats, we came up wi th an answer: Yes. J udged on the basis of
appearance al one, the cooki es made with rol l ed oats came out on top. They were
more attractive because we coul d actual ly see the oats. They al so had a ful l oat
flavor and a pl easi ng chew. The cooki es made with qui ck oats were no sl ouches,
though , even if we di d have to peer l ong and hard to spot the oats. They were
prai sed for bei ng a bi t more refi ned , l i ghter, and caki er whi l e sti l l retai ni ng thei r
chew and boasti ng ful l oat flavor. The verdi ct? For the best- l ooki ng cooki es, use
ol d-fashi oned oats, but if the only oats you have i n the cupboard are qui ck oats,
rest assured that nei ther the favor nor the texture of the cooki es wi l l suffer.
Ri ce of a Di fferent Col or
Many readers wrote i n aski ng i f they coul d use l ong-grai n brown ri ce i n pl ace of
the l ong-grai n whi te ri ce cal l ed for in our Mexican Rice (September/October
2004) . Because brown rice absorbs more l i qui d and requi res a l onger cooki ng
ti me than whi te. we knew a di rect swap woul dn' t work. But we di d figure out how
to modi f the reci pe so that it woul d work wi th brown ri ce. A for the l i qui d, we
found that i ncreasi ng the amount of chi cken broth to 2 11 cups di d the tri ck. A
for cooki ng ti me, a l onger peri od of I 'I to 1 11 hours, with a good sti r ever 30
mi nutes, was sufi ci ent. Duri ng testi ng, we al so found i t necessary to decrease the
amount of time the ri ce was sauteed i n oil to 3 to 3 '12 mi nutes; any l onger and
the ri ce started to spl i t and turn overl y dark. At the end of testi ng, we sat back and
enjoyed the nutti er, more heal thful take on our reci pe.
How Much Fryi ng Oi l I s Enough ?
Several readers have expressed confusi on over our recommendati on to use " 3 to
4 cups" of peanut oi l or vegetabl e shorteni ng when maki ng our Ultimate Crispy
Fried Chicken (May I June 200 I ) . They wanted to know whi ch measurement
they shoul d go by and why there was such a range.
Thi s range in vol ume takes di ferent pan si zes i nto consi derati on. Whi l e the
reci pe specifies an 8- quart cast- i ron Dutch oven wi th a di ameter of about 1 2
i nches, we real i ze that not every home cook has thi s tpe of pot at the ready. A a
general gui del i ne for pots rangi ng in size from 7 quarts to 8 quarts (one of whi ch
most cooks do have) , we recommend that the amount of oi l used shoul d not
exceed I i nch when poured i nto an empt pot and shoul d not exceed 2 i nches
once the chi cken i s added . The vari abl e "3 to 4 cups" cal l ed for i n the reci pe rec
ognizes the fact that pots with sl ightly di fferent di ameters wi l l need more or l ess
oi l to reach thi s depth.
We al so heard from readers who wanted to use a smal l 4- quart saucepan or
large 1 6- quart stockpot to fr chi cken. We don ' t recommend ei ther, and here' s
why: Most 4- quart saucepans are much too narrow (j ust 8 i nches i n di ameter) to
accommodate even hal f of a cut- up chi cken in a si ngl e batch. Whi l e a whol e cut
up chi cken woul d certai nly fit i n a 1 6- quart stockpot, the pot i s so wi de (at l east
1 3 i nches) that a lot more oi l woul d be needed to attai n a depth of I i nch.
- Compi l ed by Ni na West
I F YOU HAVE A QUESTI ON about a rec entl y p u b l i s hed rec i p e , l et us know.
Send you r i n q u i ry, name, address, and dayti me tel ephone n u mber to Reci pe
Update , Cook' s I l l ustrate d , P. O. Box 470 5 8 9 , Brookl i n e , MA02447, or to
reci peu pdate@bcpress. com.
COOK' S E To get our recipe for Mexican Brown Rice, go to ww .cooksillustrated.
com and key in code 4055. The recipe wil l be available unti l April 1 5, 2005.
,\\ A R C I I 6 A I ' R I L 2 0 0 5
31
E QU I P ME NT CORNER
3 BY G A R T I C L I N G I N G S M I T H E
DO YOU REALLY N E E D TH I S ? Simply ordering a bigger model
Quesadi l l a Maker wasn' t the answer. Most polyeth-
While nobody wanted to believe that ylene cutti ng boards-the Joyce
a glorified sandwich press could out- Chen included-increase in length
perform a skillet, we had to acknowl- and width while the thickness re-
edge that the Sante Fe Quesadilla mains constant at I2 inch: a recipe
Maker by Salton neatly segues- for dramatic warping.
ters the cheesy flings

Our solution? Head to a res-
into six triangular taurant supply outlet, which
sections and elimi- is stocked with plenty of
nates tl1e need to polyethylene cutting boards
fip the quesadil l a. whose tluckness is propor-
T prblem V tionate to tl1ei r lengtl1 and
tl1at te recipes
Q u ESAD I LLA
width. The test kitchen's roomy
that came wii MAKE R 20 by 1 5-inch boards are a healtl1y
. tl1is device ad-
Can a quesadi l l a maker
vised a paltry
outperform a ski l l et?
14 cup cheese for two 1 0-inch fl our
tortilas-not nearly enough, in our
opinion. When we ignored these
stingy instructions and added more
cheese, tle cheese flooded into tle
moat surrounding tl1e heating plates.
So for our quesadilla needs-wluch
include healtl1y amounts of queso
we'll stick wii a skillet.
E QU I P ME NT U PDATE
Cutting Boards
When we rated cutting boards for tl1e
May/June 2001 issue, our favorites
were two dishwasher-safe designs :
the handsome Bemi s Dishwasher
Safe Wood Large Cutting Board,
made with a compressed- wood
composite/phenolic resin base and
a natural hardwood veneer, and the
polyethylene Joyce Chen Spot' n
Chop, which boasts a surface that
cushions knife strikes much as wood
does. A few years and iousands of
knife strikes later, those recommen
dations need some adj ustment.
The 15 by 1 1 -inch Bemis board
resisted staining and warping, but
the heavy test- kitchen use eventu
ally wore me side seal thin, allow
ing the veneer to peel . ( Note that
an i denti cal board conti nues to
survive perfectl y wel l with more
moderate use in a test cook' s home
kitchen. ) The Joyce Chen board also
avoided warping and discoloration,
but its long narrow shape ( 1 71fs
inches by 93/4 inches ) lef us reach
ing for wider boards .
l l6 inch tl1ick, and tl1ey're practically
warp-fee.
E Q U I P M E NT TE ST
Baking Peel s
The test kitchen i s stocked with an
assortment of metal and wood bak
ing peels, and we generally j ust reach
for whichever i s handy. Then we
wondered, i s one peel really better
than anotl1er? We tested fve peels.
We found that a 14- to 1 6-inch
peel will accommodate free- form
bread loaves and i s spacious enough
for any pizza. Handle length should
be a minimum of 8 inches to keep
your hands a safe distance from the
hot baking stone.
Wooden peels required less cor
meal or flour to keep dough from
sticking, but the thickness of the
wood sometimes made it difficult to
slide the peel under a fnished item.
Storage can also be tricky. A wooden
peel stored fat will not dry evenly
and may warp. A better option is to
hang it by the handl e.
Dough i s more likely to stick to
a metal peel . On the other hand,
the thi n metal slides more easily
than wood beneath fnished i tems.
Metal peels are also easi er to clean
and store.
Thi nk al l peel s are created equal ?
What to buy? Wood is a favorite
with traditionalists who have the
space to hang it during storage.
Metal is practical and easy to store.
Botl1 are easy to fi nd for about $20.
We also tested one unconventional
peel, the Super Peel , which is simply
a regul ar wooden peel outftted
with a pastry clotl1 tl1at's tl1readed
through the board like a conveyor
bel t. The dough i s placed on the
cl oth, and, as the board is pulled
back, the cloth rotates and gently
deposits the dough onto tl1e stone.
When well fl oured, tle cloth proved
to be essentially nonstick. The Super
Peel requires one hand to hold tl1e
clotl1 , so you can't keep your hand
out of the oven, but i t practically
guarantees a perfectly round pizza
and has a gentle touch with bread
loaves. The Super Peel ( $33. 95 ) is
extremely versatil e, but tl1e extra $ 1 5
wortl1 of benefts might be lost on
tl1e infequent pizza cook.
E Q U I P M E NT TE ST
Wi ne Keepers
A half- finished bottle of wine more
tl1an a couple of days old is generally
relegated to "cooking wine" status.
Does that have to be the case?
Taking five 25 . 4-ounce bottles of
red wine, we removed 1 0 ounces
from each, then "preserved" tl1em
using fve diferent methods. Two of
tl1e gadgets, the Vacu Vin Vacuum
Wine Saver ( $9. 99) and the EZ Vac
Wine Saver ( $ 1 0. 95 ) , are designed
to remove air from the bottle to
prevent oxidation ( the reaction of
oxygen with compounds in me wine
that accounts for much favor dete
rioration) . Private Reserve' s Wine
Preserver ( $9. 99 for 1 20 uses ) i s
sprayed on tl1e surface of the l ef
over wine, depositing a "blanket" of
i nert gases meant to keep oxida
tion at bay. Haley's
Corker ( $ 5 . 99) i s
an airtight rubber re
placement cork. The ffh
metl1od? We j ust shoved tl1e
original cork back in the bottle.
Ten days later, we tasted our
"preserved" wines alongside a feshly
L | | |

b | l l 1b l 1. | | 1
3 2
opened bttle frm te same case.
As expected, tasters preferred the
wine from the new bottle . The
wines "protected" by the EZ Vac,
tl1e spray, the replacement cork, and
the reused cork lef tasters pucker
ing. The only system that came close
to fooling our panel was the Vacu
Vin, which proved as convenient as
it was effective. A small rubber plug
acts as tl1e cork; to it you attach a
hand pump that qui ckly removes
the air in tl1e bottle to create a tight
seal . Extra pi ugs ( $4. 49 for two) are
a good idea .
Sources

VAC U YI N
Can a si mpl e gadget keep a
good wi ne from going bad?
Prices were current at press ti me and do
not i ncl ude shi ppi ng. Contact compani es
di rectly to confi rm pri ces and avai l abi l it.
page 3 : JAR OPENER
Swi ng-A-Way Adjust-A- Gri p Jar
and Bottl e Opener: $7. 29, item
#4 1 7 5, Fante' s ( 800-443 - 2683 ,
ww. fantes. com) .
page 2 2 : SOURDOUGH SARTER
Classic Sourdough Starter: $6. 95 , item
# 1 522, Baker' s Catal ogue (800- 827-
683 6, w . bakerscatal ogue. com) .
Gol drush Ol d Fashi oned San Franci sco
Starter: $4. 99; item M I 00 I, Gold rush
Products Company (800- 729- 5428,
ww. mccornbread . com) .
page 25: MUFFI N PAN
Wi l ton Ul tra- Bake Non- Sti ck 1 2 Cup
Mufi n Pan: $ 7. 99, product #2 1 05 - 3 52S,
Taret Stores (800- 5 9 1 - 3869) .
page 29: MEASURI NG CUP
Rubbermai d Measuri ng Cup: $ 3 . 89, item
#6626 1 , Ace Hardware ( 866- 290- 5 3 34,
ww. acehardware. com) .
page 32: BAKI NG PEEL
Super Peel : $ 3 3 . 9 5, Exoproducts ( 5 1 8-
3 7 1 - 3 1 73 , w . superpeel . com) .
page 3 2 : WI NE KEEPER
Vacu Vi n Vacuum Wi ne Saver: $9. 99,
item #975 5 8. Vacu Vi n Vacuum Stoppers:
$4. 49 for to, i tem #975 5 9, Fante' s.
RE CI PE S
March 6 April 2005
Mai n Di shes
Beef Brai sed i n Barol o 1 9
Psta with Cherr Tomatoes
Faral l e with Cherr Tomatoes,
Arugul a, and Goat Cheese I 5
Penne with Cherr Tomatoes,
Garl i c, and Basi l I 5
Bread
Sourdough Starter Refreshment 22
24 - Hour Sourdough Bread 23
Savory Sauces and Stufi ng
F OR SAUTE E D WH I TE F I S H F I LLETS :
Spaghetti wi th Cherr Tomatoes,
Ol ives, Caper, and Pi ne Nuts I 5
Quesadi l l as 20
Coconut-Red Curr Sauce I I
Grapefrui t- Ume Vi naigrette
with Mi nt and Chives I I
Orange-Tarragon Sauce wi th
Cream I I wit Cheddar, Bcon, and Scallion 20
wi th Corn, Bl ack Beans, and
Pepper Jack Cheese 20
Sauteed Whi te Fi sh Fi l l ets 1 0
" Stufed" Roast Butterfi ed
Whi te Wi ne-Shal l ot Sauce wi th
Lemon and Capers I 0
F OR " STU F F E D " ROAST
B UTTE RF L I E D C H I C K E N :
Chi cken 7
Si de Di shes and Soup
Pn- Roasted Aspargus 8
wit Toasted Garic and Presn 8
with Warm Orange-Al mond
Vi naigrette 8
Torti l l a Soup 1 3
Mushroom- Leek Bread Stufi ng
wi th Herbs 7
Dessert
Dark Chocol ate Cupcakes 2 5
EASY BUTTE RC REAM F ROSTI NGS F OR
DARK CHOCOLATE CU PCAKE S :
Chocol ate 2 5
Cofee 2 5
Peppermi nt 2 5
Vani l l a Bean 2 5
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Spaghetti wi th Cherry Tomatoes, Ol i ves,
Capers. and Pi ne Nuts, I 5
24- Hour Sourdough Bread, 2 3
"Stuffed" Roast Butterf l i ed Chi cken, 1
PHOTOG RAPHY: CARL TREMBLAY. STYLI NG: MARY JANE SAWYER
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_r r ow ro ot