America's Test Kitchen

Picture Cook: Illustrated Recipes from Katie Shelly: The visual designer Katie Shelly has one heck...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:37:16 -0400

Picture Cook: Illustrated Recipes from Katie Shelly: The visual designer Katie Shelly has one heck of a side project: She is the author of Picture Cook, a book of recipes that she has drawn out instead of written. Each one is illustrated in a flow-chart type format, and they are as visually pleasing as they are easy to follow (we’re particularly enthused about the recipe for carrot soup). Shelly says that some people find the recipes very helpful, especially if they are visual learners: “It’s just another way of slicing information…I think for people who are into it, if it works for you, then that’s awesome.”

Welcome to the Newest, Most Carnivorous Section of The Feed:...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:14:25 -0400

Welcome to the Newest, Most Carnivorous Section of The Feed: Meat Blog.

First up: Secrets to making spice-rubbed barbecued ribs.

How do you like to prepare ribs?

5 Things You May Not Know About Salmon. (Plus, a recipe for...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:13:19 -0400

5 Things You May Not Know About Salmon.

(Plus, a recipe for Chili-Glazed Salmon With Bok Choy.)

NASA Backs Development of a 3D Food Printer: NASA just awarded a six-month, $125,000 grant to Anjan...

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:36:47 -0400

NASA Backs Development of a 3D Food Printer: NASA just awarded a six-month, $125,000 grant to Anjan Contractor, a mechanical engineer with a background in 3D printing. And no, he’s not working on printing state-of-the-art space shuttle equipment. He’s working on printing food. Contractor’s vision is one in which every kitchen has a 3D printer from which people feed themselves customized, nutritionally-appropriate meals built one layer at a time from cartridges of power and oils. He says his plan would mean the end of food waste, because the powder will be shelf-stable for 30 years. Each cartridge would therefore be fully used since the expiration date is so long.

Bucking Tradition: 25 Modern Wedding Cakes: Why stick to a traditional wedding cake when you can...

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:36:46 -0400

Bucking Tradition: 25 Modern Wedding Cakes: Why stick to a traditional wedding cake when you can have an avant garde, modernist confection? POPSUGAR Food has put together a slideshow featuring 25 wedding cakes with geometric, eye-popping structures and designs. From “naked cakes” to ombre frosting, these towering treats are anything but boring.

Microgreens and Edible Flowers Pack Quite the Punch: Microgreens and edible flowers add a delicate...

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:36:45 -0400

Microgreens and Edible Flowers Pack Quite the Punch: Microgreens and edible flowers add a delicate touch to dishes, brightening up fatty cuts of meat and adding pops of color to thinly sliced sashimi. Boston Magazine recently published a beautiful photograph of the tiny plants that we can’t stop staring at. But these mini greens and buds are as flavor-packed as they are pretty, because, according to chef Carolyn Johnson of the Concord, MA, restaurant 80 Thoreau, they contain “all the energy of the plant trapped in a baby sprout.”

Fruit Tart Teamwork

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:14:43 -0400

Test kitchen staff photographer Daniel van Ackere, left, gives Cook’s Illustrated test cook Dan Cellucci a hand arranging rings of raspberries atop a layer of pastry cream within an outer collar of sliced kiwi in order to keep things moving smoothly on a photo shoot for our Classic Fruit Tart. See more behind-the-scenes photos at: http://bit.ly/o0qi36

Calorie Bombs Hidden on Chain Restaurants’ Secret Menus: A man walks into Chipotle and tries to...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:51:42 -0400

Calorie Bombs Hidden on Chain Restaurants’ Secret Menus: A man walks into Chipotle and tries to order the “quesarito” (a burrito wrapped inside a quesadilla). The woman behind the counter tells him she doesn’t know what that is and that it doesn’t exist, but if it did, it would be available between the hours of noon and 1pm. Welcome to the world of secret menus at chain restaurants: The corporate offices can deny their existence until they turn blue in face, but exist they do. Perhaps the most famous secret menu item is In-N-Out Burger’s “animal style” fries, which come with melted cheese, grilled onions, and a huge ladle of Thousand Island dressing. You won’t see these items listed anywhere, but if you ask in the right way at the right time, you might get lucky.

8 Summer Drinks to Sip Now: You’re on a porch in the sun, you’re surrounded by good...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:44:43 -0400

8 Summer Drinks to Sip Now: You’re on a porch in the sun, you’re surrounded by good company, and you’re sipping a cool drink. While we can’t provide the first two items in that delightful summer scene, The New York Times has published a few recipes for summer drinks that will complete the libation portion of the equation. The White Wine Mojito, Sherry Cobbler, and Bellini—to name just a few—look refreshing and perfect for a spell outdoors.

What’s It Like to Be a Fruit Vendor in NYC?: Many of the fruit cart vendors in New York City are...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:44:43 -0400

What’s It Like to Be a Fruit Vendor in NYC?: Many of the fruit cart vendors in New York City are from Bangladesh, have a specific street corner they always set up on, and have a loyal customer base. This video from The New Yorker is a part of the magazine’s “Making Money” series, which focuses on how different people make a living in the Big Apple. It stars Rahman Khandker, a fruit vendor in the city for over 10 years now. What sells best? “Bananas,” he says.

The Battle for Best Chef of the United States Military: It is an honor for a chef in the United...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:44:42 -0400

The Battle for Best Chef of the United States Military: It is an honor for a chef in the United States Military is to be chosen to compete for the title of Armed Forces Chef of the Year. The competition, which is in its 20th year, takes place at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence in Fort Lee, Virginia, where the military trains most of its chefs. Each participant must make and serve four courses in four hours using a basket of ingredients, the contents of which aren’t shown to them beforehand (in the same vein as the Food Network’s TV show “Chopped”). One reason the military takes its food so seriously? “The last meal a soldier gets could be his last meal,” says Sgt. Maj. Mark Warren, winner of the 1994 Armed Forces Chef of the Year and now a competition judge.

Join Julia Collin Davison on Twitter LIVE at 1PM EST for our...

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:55:31 -0400

Join Julia Collin Davison on Twitter LIVE at 1PM EST for our Pre-Chardonnay Day #ATKchat! (A live Instagram snapshot from the Test Kitchen. http://bit.ly/12JGWHo)

Hot Fried Chicken might have had a scandalous start 60+ years...

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:59:23 -0400

Hot Fried Chicken might have had a scandalous start 60+ years ago, but everyone in Nashville still seems to crave its fiery flavor. (And so do we!)

Food of Yore—Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack: A Nashville Establishment.

Have you ever tried Hot Fried Chicken?

Best Of Seven

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:14:27 -0400

Assistant book team test cooks Sara Mayer, left, and Meaghen Chace plate up samples of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies prepared from seven different recipes (some of them originally gluten-free, some adapted from recipes using traditional wheat flour) during a taste test. What’s next? Our editors and test cooks will dissect the results and use their findings to craft their own recipe, which will be published in an upcoming book of gluten-free recipes. See more behind-the-scenes photos at: http://bit.ly/o0qi36

Think You’re Ready for Summer? Turn Up the Heat with Our...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:38:41 -0400

Think You’re Ready for Summer?

Turn Up the Heat with Our New Favorite Charcoal Grill.

7 Signs Americans are Eating Better: While America isn’t exactly the healthiest nation when it...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:21:47 -0400

7 Signs Americans are Eating Better: While America isn’t exactly the healthiest nation when it comes to its citizens’ eating habits, there are a few signs we’re moving in the right direction. One of Esquire’s blogs, “Eat Like a Man,” lists seven of the more promising trends. We are, for example, eating less meat per capita and prefer our produce local, fresh, and healthy. All good signs.

Hawaii: A Safe Haven for Spam: Many Americans love hot dogs, eat a lot of bologna, and enjoy...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:21:46 -0400

Hawaii: A Safe Haven for Spam: Many Americans love hot dogs, eat a lot of bologna, and enjoy sausages. But when it comes to Spam, another processed meat, we are not so apt to crack open a can. Yet Spam, much maligned in the rest of the nation, is served and loved everywhere in Hawaii—from fast-food restaurants to the annual “Spam Jam” street festival. Slate has the full story on the tropical state’s love affair with the canned food.

Want to Sell Something? Make it Birthday-Cake Flavored: If you’re hoping to make a product...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:21:46 -0400

Want to Sell Something? Make it Birthday-Cake Flavored: If you’re hoping to make a product that flies off the shelves, just make it taste like a birthday cake. Products from iced drinks (Coffee Bean Tea & Leaf’s Birthday Cake Ice Blended beverages), to cookies (Oreo’s Birthday Cake flavor), to toothpaste (Archie McPhee’s Cupcake Toothpaste) have done well in the past few years. The joy of having your cake and eating it, too, turns out to be a powerful driver of spending.

David Chang Makes Space Recipes for Astronaut Chris Hadfield: Even though charming astronaut Chris...

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:21:45 -0400

David Chang Makes Space Recipes for Astronaut Chris Hadfield: Even though charming astronaut Chris Hadfield has since come back down to earth, there’s another video loose on the interwebs in which he floats around and holds forth on how to eat in space. This time, some celebrities join him on camera: Momofuku’s David Chang and the guys from “Mythbusters” teamed up to engineer tastier recipes for the zero-gravity Hadfield. Unfortunately, mixing shrimp in with your grits proves to be somewhat difficult in space, but everyone gets As for effort.

Kale is Now the Marker of Cool: Long gone are the days when a filet mignon on a menu signified a hip...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:42:21 -0400

Kale is Now the Marker of Cool: Long gone are the days when a filet mignon on a menu signified a hip and with-it dining establishment. It seems that today all it takes to make the hot list is to offer up a kale salad. Many spring events in NYC have played host to this humble green: At the Art Production Funds gala last week the vegetable was served with lemon, Serrano peppers, and mint. At Frieze New York, the green showed up as a hearty Caesar salad at Fat Radish’s concession stand. And at the Creative Time gala, the chewy leaf once again took a star turn. Looks like this food is proving itself a staple in the world of quickly changing food trends.