For this Asparagus Puffs recipe, we blanched the asparagus spears until tender before incorporating them into the cheese mixture. And we were sure to thoroughly thaw the puff pastry so it did not crack when unfolded.
Our well-proportioned sandwiches feature relatively small, thin cookies and precise scoops of ice cream that give each bite the perfect combination of textures and flavors. We added water to the dough to prevent the cookies from turning rock-hard in the freezer, as well as plenty of browned butter, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to compensate for the flavor-dulling effect of the freezer. Mini chocolate chips provided bursts of chocolate flavor and delicately crunchy texture.
From The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen
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We think fried chicken is something that few people dislike (and if you hate it, we don’t want to know you anyway). Even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. Out in Cleveland, koji master Jeremy Umansky is working on a game-changing koji-cultured fried chicken that uses the mold as a crust. We're not nearly as crazy (or as cool), but we still wanted to take advantage of the amazing tenderizing and flavor-boosting properties of shio koji, a mixture of rice koji, water, and salt. So we marinated a bunch of chicken in the stuff and even incorporated some dried granular rice koji into the coating itself to produce juicy, meaty, deep golden-brown, crunchtastic chicken.
The chewy, nutty farro that forms the base of our grain bowl was supereasy to make: We just poured it into plenty of boiling salted water and cooked it like pasta. While the farro cooked, we roasted broccoli rabe, red bell peppers, and sweet Italian sausages all on the same baking sheet and prepared pickled grapes to add some juicy brightness to our bowl. We mixed a portion of the pickling liquid with mustard and the garlic-infused oil left over from the garlic chips to make a potent dressing. We stirred some into the drained farro to ensure that every bite was flavorful. Topped with roasted vegetables, sausage, pickled grapes, and garlic chips and drizzled with dressing, this grain bowl makes a satisfying hot dinner or a great packed lunch.
We started with the garnish, frying sliced shallots until they were crisp and golden. Then we tossed diced tofu with sriracha and honey and left it to marinate while we quickly pickled some red cabbage and roasted some broccolini and carrots on the same baking sheet. Bulgur, the base of our grain bowl, was supereasy to make: We just poured it into plenty of boiling salted water and cooked it like pasta. We combined a portion of the pickling liquid with the shallot-infused oil, some mayonnaise, and a bit more sriracha to make a zippy dressing. We stirred some into the drained bulgur to ensure that every bite was flavorful. Topped with pickles, roasted vegetables, and marinated tofu; drizzled with extra dressing; and sprinkled with crispy shallots, this grain bowl makes a satisfying hot dinner or great packed lunch.
The chewy, nutty brown rice that forms the base of our grain bowl was supereasy to make: We just poured it into plenty of boiling salted water and cooked it like pasta. While the rice cooked, we spread sliced carrots and shiitakes on a baking sheet and started roasting them in a hot oven and prepared pickled cucumbers to add crisp brightness to our bowl. When the vegetables were half-roasted, we cleared a space in the middle of the baking sheet and added four small salmon fillets, brushed with hoisin to boost their flavor and color. We mixed a portion of the pickling liquid with scallion-ginger oil and a bit more hoisin to make a potent dressing. We stirred some into the drained rice to ensure that every bite was flavorful. Topped with pickles, roasted vegetables, and salmon and finished with dressing and toasted sesame seeds, this grain bowl makes a satisfying hot dinner or a great packed lunch.
We wanted our baklava recipe to produce crisp, flaky, buttery lozenges, light yet rich, filled with fragrant nuts and spices, and sweetened just assertively enough to pair with a Turkish coffee. To achieve this goal, we sprinkled store-bought phyllo dough with three separate layers of nuts (pistachios) flavored with cardamom. We clarified the butter for even browning. We found that cutting the baklava rather than just scoring it before baking helped it absorb the sugar syrup. Finally, allowing the baklava to sit overnight before serving improved its flavor of our baklava recipe and was worth the wait.