Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2025 i Cook's Country

TO AN ENTHUSIASTIC treasure hunter like me, there is nothing quite like the smell of musty antique stores, vintage bookshops, and secondhand shops run by religious charities. Visits to these places trigger my imagination, spurring fanciful visions of precious goods used and then discarded by one household, only to be discovered and appreciated—even held dear—by another. I once made regular visits to these spaces, eventually unearthing forgotten writings by Black cooks dating back to 1827 and establishing what is now known as this country’s largest collection of rare Black cookbooks. But the cooking manuals that decorate the walls in my home library aren’t my only culinary collectibles. Visitors invariably ask about the glassware displayed in shallow glass cabinets, including my grandmother’s Hospitality Snack Set—pressed glass plates etched with a wheat design,…

Sturdy cast-iron pans hold up well to the heat of the grill, and they eliminate the risk of small items falling through the grate. Taking these pans to the grill allows you to infuse food with grill flavor without having to use skewers. To use your cast-iron skillet on the grill, make sure to use a regular, non-enameled pan (enamel can be damaged by flames) and place it on the grate as the grill is coming up to temperature so that the pan heats evenly and thoroughly. When you are new to this cooking technique, keep the pan in the center of a single-level fire—all the burners set to the same temperature on the gas grill, or all coals spread into an even layer on charcoal. Once you get your…

Cast Iron Seared Rib-Eye Steaks Serves 4 to 6 Total Time: 50 minutes, plus 1 hour salting A good rule of thumb for salting steaks before cooking is 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of beef. In this recipe, if your steaks are closer to 1 pound each, use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per steak (2 teaspoons total); if they are closer to 1½ pounds each, use the full 3 teaspoons. This recipe was developed with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, use 25 percent less; if using table salt, use 50 percent less. In step 4, after making the butter sauce, be sure to let the skillet rest on a cool heatproof surface (not on the hot stove burner) to keep the skillet from…

BUBBLES, FRUIT FLAVOR, and that satisfying “ahh” after one sip—the raspberry lime rickey was always one of those summertime traditions that I looked forward to while growing up in New England. If memory serves, my first raspberry lime rickey came from Brigham’s, a regional ice cream chain that closed its doors in 2013. I wanted to rediscover the rickey’s sweet, tart, refreshing goodness. Despite my New England memories, the lime rickey actually got its start by way of the post–Civil War Washington, D.C., bar scene. Joseph K. Rickey, a busy political lobbyist, was a frequent enough customer that his order became well-known around town: bourbon or whiskey, seltzer, lemon, and ice. Others began to order that “Joe Rickey” drink. By the 1920s, Prohibition had other plans—a rickey without the booze. Lime…

ENAMELED CAST-IRON skillets often get lumped in with regular cast iron, but they offer different cooking options. Like plain cast iron, they have excellent heat retention, so they are good for searing, frying, and braising. But unlike plain cast iron, their enamel coating means they don’t need to be seasoned; you can also scrub them in soapy water as much as you like. Because enamel is nonreactive, you can make anything—even long-cooked acidic foods—in them. And while both types are inductioncompatible, smoother enameled pans are gentler on glass cooktops. However, don’t expect your enameled cast-iron skillet to ever be—or become—nonstick. Enamel is a glass-like coating that won’t become seasoned the way a plain cast-iron skillet does. Caveats aside, these pans can be an excellent addition to your kitchen. What to Look…

CRACKING THE EGGPLANT CODE With dozens of varieties cultivated around the world, eggplants have inspired cooks for centuries with their beautiful colors, luxurious textures, and rich, sometimes faintly bitter flavors. Many varieties of eggplant are sold at the grocery store or farmers market—they come in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors. Here are three of our favorites. TOMATOES, TURNED UP Sun-dried tomatoes had a moment in the sun (sorry) in the late 1980s and early 1990s—the shriveled little tomatoes were on seemingly every restaurant menu. But sun-dried tomatoes (which have been around for centuries) were popular for good reason: They taste deeply of the essence of tomato; are relatively inexpensive; and are a versatile, shelf-stable ingredient. The umami (savory richness) in tomatoes oes is highlighted and concentrated when the…

Unmatched Versatility If one pan comes close to doing it all, it’s your trusty, timeless, unassuming cast-iron skillet. Its worth has been proven again and again over the years, decades, even centuries. The basic design—wide-open cooking surface, high sides, hook-friendly handle, pour spouts—has hardly changed. Innovative home cooks have found a thousand uses for their cast-iron skillets, maybe more. In this issue, we spotlight just a handful of them. Roasting, charring, baking, grilling, frying—the carefully tested recipes in these pages are a small glimpse into the utility and culinary potential of these durable pans. Is My Cast Iron Too Far Gone? Even rusty cast-iron pans can be saved. Simply scrub away the rust with steel wool and then wash and season as normal (see steps, right), repeating if needed. If…

With their bright, rosekissed flavor and brilliant color, raspberries are a harbinger of summer and the essence of countless treats and confections. We love an easy recipe that takes full advantage of them without getting in their way. This buttery, tender, tangy-sweet cake with a delicate, crackly top is a breeze to prepare and gives fresh raspberries a chance to sing. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, the cake stays warm and moist long after it comes out of the oven. It’s perfect as a breakfast cake, reminiscent of a giant bakery muffin. It’s a treat to be savored with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. And it’s a beautiful summer dessert, especially when drizzled with a simple glaze (such as our Tea Glaze, page 44), dolloped with whipped cream,…

Cast Iron Fried Pickle Chips with Pickle-Ranch Dipping Sauce Serves 4 Total Time: 1¼ hours Starting with whole pickles that you slice into chips yourself makes the most crisp fried pickles. You can substitute presliced pickle chips, but they will have a softer texture once fried. Four cups of oil should yield a depth of about ¾ inch in the 12-inch cast-iron skillet. PICKLE-RANCH DIPPING SAUCE ½ cup mayonnaise¼ cup buttermilk3 tablespoons minced kosher dill pickles, plus 1 teaspoon brine2 tablespoons minced fresh chives2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro2 teaspoons minced fresh dill1 garlic clove, minced¼ teaspoon table salt¼ teaspoon pepper⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper PICKLE CHIPS 4 whole kosher dill pickles, ends trimmed ½ inch, sliced into¼-inch-thick rounds (3 cups)1 quart vegetable oil for frying1¼ cups water1 cup all-purpose flour½ cup…

DON’T OVERTHINK BROOKIES The chocolaty, chewy squares are pure fun, and your 6-year-old self would have loved them. Brookies are as simple as making a brownie batter and a cookie dough and combining them. Differentiating the two components in a single bite—celebrating the sweet contrast of flavors, textures, and colors—was the tricky part. In most brookies we tasted, the chocolaty notes of the brownie had a tendency to overpower the more subtle cookie. Making two desserts should result in twice the payoff, and that goal drove my recipe development. This meant creating a brownie base that was gooey, fudgy, and dark, a contrast to the crumblier and lighter cookie. To achieve this, I used unsweetened chocolate, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and espresso powder in the base; these added pleasingly bitter notes…

“AIR FRYER” IS a provocative name for a countertop appliance, but it’s a bit misleading. Air fryers don’t fry. Instead, they operate like small convection ovens, using fans to efficiently and evenly move hot air around inside a small cooking box. Just right for “roasted” chicken thighs. We love chicken thighs because their higher fat content gives them more moisture and richer flavor than white meat. Add crispy skin to the equation, and they’re entirely irresistible. To achieve this balance, we first use a sharp skewer to prick each thigh 10 to 15 times; doing so will help render the fat in the air fryer as the meat cooks through, crisping the skin as it takes on a beautiful, deep-gold hue. Chicken thighs are also a wonderful canvas for flavor.…

Skip Bennett, founder and owner of Island Creek Oysters, removes a lobster from a trap he pulled from Duxbury Bay, about 30 miles southeast of Boston. On days Bennett gets out on the water, he motors out before sunrise, racing the morning light to make it to his oyster beds, always aiming for the sweet spot of low tide. His shellfish are staples of restaurants and raw bars all up and down the East Coast, but you wouldn’t know it from his demeanor: Humble, even-keeled, and unflappable, he pilots his boat between the shallow shoals, greeting fellow farmers and fishermen with a familiar wave. Once he’s made his rounds of the inner bay, where the mix of salty ocean and fresh water from inland tributaries forms a brackish blend just…

I dare you to resist the siren call of a hot cast-iron skillet full of broiled, molten cheese studded with sausage, peppers, and onions. Scooped up and tucked into soft tortillas, this is one of Mexican cuisine’s greatest snacks: queso fundido. Me, I’ve fully surrendered. According to writer Christina Morales in the New York Times, queso fundido has roots in a period of upheaval in early 20th century Mexico. Queso fundido (literally “molten cheese”) was the type of simple-to-prepare dish that camps of revolutionaries could make with just a fire, a pan, some cheese, and tortillas. Of course, the appeal of melted cheese runs deep, and queso fundido—aka queso flameado, queso asado, choriqueso—settled in, becoming a staple of the northern states of Mexico, where it is a popular feature at…

Sausage, Beans, and Greens Skillet Gratin You can substitute turkey Italian sausage, if preferred. 6 ounces rustic Italian bread, torn into ¾-inch pieces (about 6 cups)6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided½ teaspoon table salt, divided¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed4 garlic cloves, sliced thin¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes8 ounces Swiss chard, ends trimmed, chopped coarse1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, undrained1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Combine bread, ¼ cup oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and stir in Parmesan. 2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook,…

A PILAF IS a dish of rice (or other grains) that is toasted in butter or oil before being cooked with simple yet impactful aromatics in a seasoned broth. It’s deeply flavorful, but the real beauty of a proper pilaf lies in its texture, which is fluffy, with noticeably separate grains. While delicious spooned straight from the pot, pilaf is also an excellent canvas for add-ins such as vegetables, meats, nuts, herbs—you name it. Keep it simple, or load it up. BROWN RICE PILAF Serves 4 to 6 Total Time: 1¾ hours If you wish, substitute olive oil for the butter and/or vegetable broth for the chicken broth. We developed this recipe using Lundberg Organic Long Grain Brown Rice. We prefer to use an enameled castiron Dutch oven to make…

THE BEST WEEKNIGHT meals are delicious, yes, but they should also be easy to pull off with a minimum of fuss or mess. This one delivers on both promises, and celebrates the coming of spring with bright, fresh flavors. The best part? We’ve engineered the recipe so that the noodles cook right in the sauce. No extra pans to wash. ONE-PAN EGG NOODLES WITH CHICKEN, ARTICHOKES, AND DILL Serves 4 Total Time: 45 minutes We prefer the fresher flavor of frozen artichoke hearts over jarred here; the acidity and higher sodium content of jarred artichokes can disrupt the delicate balance of flavors of this dish. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced¼ inch thick1 teaspoon table salt, divided¾ teaspoon pepper, divided4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided1 onion,…

Tea Glaze Serves 8 to 12 Total Time: 10 minutes You can make this glaze with any tea you like—black, green, herbal, floral, citrus, spiced, or a blend—to complement cakes, scones, muffins, and other treats. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, pour about a cup of boiling water into an empty mug or liquid measuring cup, and then use a measuring spoon to scoop water into the bowl with the tea bag in step 1. 1 tea bag3 tablespoons boiling water1 cup (4 ounces/114 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1. Place tea bag in small bowl and cover with 3 tablespoons boiling water; let steep until tea has thoroughly infused water and tea concentrate is just warm, about 5 minutes. Squeeze tea bag over concentrate until all excess liquid is…