Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 i Cook's Country

HAVE YOU EVER whipped out a large strainer to strain a few tablespoons of lemon juice and thought, Maybe this is excessive? While we love our winning fine-mesh strainer (the Rösle Fine Mesh Strainer), the basket clocks in at nearly 8 inches across, and for some tasks we need something smaller. Enter small strainers, also known as tea strainers, which are about 3 inches wide and can be used for small kitchen tasks such as straining citrus juice, loose-leaf tea, and cocktails or sifting small amounts of cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar for decorating. We wanted to find a strainer that excelled at a variety of tasks and was also durable and easy to clean. Our winners succeeded at sifting and straining a variety of ingredients with ease and refinement.…

FINE MESH Caught the finest of debris and sifted evenly WIDE, RECTANGULAR HOOKS Sat securely on cups and bowls WELDED HANDLES Remained secure even when whacked against a trash can BALANCED BASKETS AND HANDLES Had a nicely weighted hand feel Co-Winner Rösle Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Tea Strainer, Wire Handle, 3.2-inch Model: 95158 Price: $22.00 Co-Winner Küchenprofi Heavy Duty Fine Mesh Stainless Steel 3-Inch Classic Strainer Model: K1109902807 Price: $15.95 Web subscribers can see the complete results chart at CooksCountry.com/sept22.…

Holy basil has a much more peppery flavor than Italian sweet basil and has notes of clove, so it’s a little bit spicy to taste. It releases an especially beautiful, intense aroma and flavor when used in cooking. Holy basil is also believed to be good for your digestion. Holy basil and sweet basil are similar in appearance, but there are some key differences. Holy basil has a hairier stem, while sweet basil has a smooth stem. Sweet basil also has plump, p, shiny leaves with a smooth edge, e, while holy basil leaves are flatter and a little more matte, with a jagged edge. They may have some similarities visually, but they have different flavor profiles. It’s like if you tried to substitute parsley for cilantro—they may look similar,…

ELOTE, OR MEXICAN street corn, can be found all over Mexico and the United States. This popular handheld delight is, at its most basic, an ear of grilled or charred corn slathered with crema, sprinkled with crumbly cotija, kicked up with chili powder, and finished with a squeeze of lime (it can also be founddressed up with garlic, mayo, butter, and more). It’s sweet, spicy, and creamy all at once. Here’s a fork-friendly version (similar to esquites, street corn in salad form) that doesn’t lose sight of what’s so appealing about its muse while incorporating some spicy Mexican chorizo, fresh herbs, and pickled shallots. First, for more substance and deeply savory porky notes, brown the chorizo, breaking it into bite-size crumbles. (Because chorizo is already highly seasoned and spiced, you…

Rimmed Baking Sheet with Rack Elevating the short ribs on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet allows the oven’s hot air to circulate all around the meat, resulting in even cooking. Without the rack, the meat would be in direct contact with the hot sheet, et, which would cause it to cook faster on that side. TEST KITCHEN WINNERS: Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet, $14.97 Checkered Chef Cooling Rack, $12.95 Nonstick Skillet Searing the short ribs in a nonstick skillet means all the flavorful browning stays on the meat, not in the pan. TEST KITCHEN WINNER: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro 12″ Open Frypan, $43 Instant-Read Thermometer An accurate thermometer makes all the difference here, as this recipe relies on precision to get the best possible results. TEST…

GRILLING IS A good method for cooking potatoes—but it takes a little finesse. Here, the high, direct heat of the grill imparts summery, smoky flavor and depth and a touch of tasty char to garlicky potato wedges. And with a time-saving trick, this simple, failproof recipe comes together quickly and easily. The challenge with grilling potatoes is that it’s hard to cook them evenly; they are likely to burn and dry out before they become tender. Turning to the microwave is the best—and easiest—solution for parcooking potatoes for grilling. Methods such as boiling or steaming take longer and introduce moisture that can limit the delicious browning you want from the grill. Microwaving the potatoes quickly softens the spuds without introducing extra water. And as a bonus, you can season the…

THE BEAUTY OF a snack cake is that it is a quick, no-fuss treat that can simply be stirred together and baked. That’s probably why so many popular layer cakes have been adapted to this format—you can keep the flavor of the layer cake but simplify the amount of work required. We zeroed in on coconut layer cake. In snack-cake form, this Southern favorite can be fun, quick, and just as tasty as the layer cake. To make sure that the coconut flavor was not only front-and-center but also balanced, we relied on the right combination of sweetened shredded coconut, cream of coconut, and coconut extract (see “Coconut Three Ways” for more information). With just a little whisking and stirring and a quick turn in the oven, you can be…

ONE-POT CHICKEN AND RICE WITH COCONUT-GINGER SAUCE Serves 4 Total Time: 1¼ hours Be sure to rinse the rice before cooking it to remove excess starch. COCONUT-GINGER SAUCE ⅓ cup canned coconut milk¼ cup packed brown sugar3 tablespoons fish sauce1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger1 tablespoon minced garlic1 tablespoon sriracha1 tablespoon lime juice CHICKEN, VEGETABLES, AND RICE 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed2 teaspoons table salt, divided1 teaspoon vegetable oil1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1½-inch pieces1 red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed¾ cup water½ cup chopped fresh cilantro4 scallions, sliced thin 1. FOR THE COCONUT-GINGER SAUCE: Combine coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, and sriracha in bowl. Set aside. 2. FOR THE CHICKEN, VEG-ETABLES, AND RICE: Adjust oven rack to…

I work with a lot of chefs who have amazing knife skills. Sometimes I’ll stand in the test kitchen watching in awe as a head of lettuce turns into perfect shreds in seconds. I like to think I’m pretty good with a chef’s knife, but I definitely don’t have that kind of speed. One shortcut I take when chopping or mincing fresh herbs is reaching for my Alaskan ulu knife. Similar to a mezzaluna, this tool has a curved blade joined to a handle. It has many uses (such as filleting fish), but I primarily use it for chopping herbs. I like to gather the herb leaves in a pile on my cutting board, rock the ulu back and forth through them a few times, regather them, and rock it…

EDAMAME ARE YOUNG soybeans, and they shine brightly in this salad. The recipe idea springs from our love of fava beans, particularly when used in Italian fava bean salads. While favas can be expensive and/or hard to find, shelled edamame are a staple in supermarket frozen food sections. So we paired the verdant beans with a garlicky lemon dressing, pungent Pecorino Romano, and refreshing fresh mint and parsley. Their smooth, slick outer skins can repel dressing and seasonings. Blanching the beans in heavily salted water for 5 minutes ensures that they’re seasoned all the way through and softens them a bit. The resulting salad is flavorful and leaves you feeling satisfied. EDAMAME SALAD WITH MINT AND PECORINO Serves 4 Total Time: 40 minutes Frozen shelled edamame come in a wide…

STRICTLY DEFINED, a patty melt is a beef patty with softened onions and melted Swiss cheese sandwiched between slices of griddled rye bread. Think about it; it is both a gooey, buttery, crispy grilled cheese and a juicy, beefy cheeseburger. But this one—with two kinds of cheese; extra-crispy, extra-flavorful seeded rye bread; and a topping of jammy, tangy quick caramelized onions—is something special. And while it’s not technically a smashed burger (the recipe never calls to smush a ball of ground beef into a hot skillet, in part because the patties need to perfectly fit the oval rye bread), our method delivers the same thin, deeply seasoned, seared-on crust. There’s so much to like! Our recipe starts with shaping thin beef patties that are just a shade larger than the…

WHAT IS GINGER? Ginger, often mistakenly referred to as a root, is actually a rhizome, an underground stem that stores food and produces roots and buds. It is part of the Zingiberaceae family, which also includes turmeric, cardamom, and galangal (a close cousin to ginger). Ginger is known for its spicy, fiery bite and floral pungency and is used in cooking and baking, either fresh, dried and ground, crystallized, or pickled. Because these different preparations of ginger can range in spiciness and strength of flavor, we sometimes call for more than one type in our recipes. Ground Ginger Ground ginger is made by peeling and drying ginger and then grinding it to a powder. It is used to add warm, spicy flavor to baked goods and savory dishes. Ground ginger…

RATATOUILLE, a ProvenÇal dish of stewed vegetables (you might know it from the movie of the same name), is one of those delicious summer meals that always pleases. A quick jaunt out to the garden or a spin through the farmers’ market or grocery store produce section will turn up the main components: eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Cook those down with some seasonings, and you’ve got a lovely summer dinner. Or you can take it a step further and use this iconic combo to inspire a summery pasta dish. It’s easy—but not quite as simple as just spooning the stewed vegetables over pasta. First, cook the onion, garlic, eggplant, and zucchini until they melt into a luscious sauce (bell peppers stay more intact and their skins…

OPINIONS ABOUT FISH sticks vary. For some, dunking a fish stick in ketchup is the ultimate taste of nostalgia. For others, the sight of them brings back memories of subpar school lunches. We happen to love them (so does Queen Elizabeth II—justsayin’), and we think that fish sticks are more than just a retro food item. Gussy them up a bit, and they can be a proper, modern meal. Nestle a few in a warm tortilla and top them with salsa and a creamy, crunchy slaw for a busy weeknight take on a fish taco, or tuck them into a soft roll with a smear of mustard and some mushy peas for a British-inspired bite. We set out to find a fish stick with the perfect balance of crunchy coating…

CHERMOULA This sauce hails from North Africa and is often used to dress or marinate fish; it’s also great on simple grilled meats and vegetables. CORE INGREDIENTS: Cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices (paprika, cumin, coriander, and cayenne are common) WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: Warm spices CHIMICHURRI If you’re eating grilled beef in Argentina, you’re eating it with chimichurri, a zesty condiment that’s ubiquitous in that country. CORE INGREDIENTS: Parsley (and sometimes cilantro), garlic, oregano, olive oil, and vinegar WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: Oregano PESTO (ALLA GENOVESE) Dress pasta, top soup, smear on sandwiches or crostini, dollop on pizza—uses for this popular concoction are many. CORE INGREDIENTS: Basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: No acid, fragrant basil, pine nuts SALSA…

PAD GRA PROW—a spicy, garlicky stir-fry with an irresistible savory-sweet sauce and fistfuls of peppery, vibrant, aromatic holy basil—is a popular street-food dish in Thailand that’s become a staple in home kitchens and restaurants across the country. Once you have the right ingredients, the dish is simple to make and a great candidate for home cooks looking for a meal with maximum flavor in a short amount of time. Most commonly madewith ground or finely minced pork or chicken and served over jasmine rice with a crispy fried egg on top, the recipe offers an intense yet balanced mix of textures and flavors. The sweet soy sauce holds the fiery heat of the Thai chiles (also called prik kee noo or bird’s eye chiles) in check, the mild rice and…

THE COACHELLA Valley in Southern California is home to (among other things) the mountains and desert of Palm Springs, the famous Coachella music and arts festival, and the nation’s largest collection of date palms. Back in 1904, the U.S. Department of Agriculture set up an experimental station devoted to growing dates in this region since the hot, arid conditions mirrored the climate in the Middle East where these trees thrived. The experiment paid off. In 2020 California produced 49,300 tons of dates, mostly in this region, at an estimated value of $114 million. The bounty of dates in the area means they show up everywhere in the local food scene, including in the now-iconic, ultratasty date milkshake. This thick and creamy concoction is made with ice cream, milk, and dried…

WITH ITS ELEGANT meringue, pillowy whipped cream, and juicy ripe fruit, pavlova is a surefire crowd-pleaser. The stately, swooped base—crackly crisp on the outside and marshmallowy soft within—suits a special celebration, yet fresh fruit and cream are as easygoing as a backyard barbecue. And it’s so light and refreshing that there’s always room for it, even after the heaviest of meals. Pavlova is especially popular in Australia and New Zealand, and both lay claim to its creation in the 1920s. It’s named after the late ballerina Anna Pavlova, a nod to either her billowy tutu or weightless dance style. The dessert is adaptable to whichever fruits are in season. For this version, stone fruits adorn the top. The fruit is macerated for just half an hour, so you’ll want the…

YOU CAN SMOKE food really well on a charcoal or propane grill. But if you love barbecue and make it often, you might want to invest in a dedicated smoker. Most good smokers can maintain lower temperatures than a grill—from 225 to 250 degrees, the temperature range barbecue experts recommend for turning tough cuts of meat tender without drying them out. (On grills, smoking temperatures range from 275 to 325 degrees.) In addition, most smokers allow you to maintain temperature more consistently and precisely than you can on a grill. Many also have larger fuel capacities (unlimited with electric models), so you won’t have to worry as much about running out of heat during long cooks. Smokers are generally categorized by the type of fuel they use: charcoal, gas, or…