Table Of ContentTHE AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
DO-IT-YOURSELF
COOKBOOK
100 + FOOLPROOF KITCHEN PROJECTS
FOR THE ADVENTUROUS HOME COOK
BY THE EDITORS AT
America’s Test Kitchen
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Anthony Tieuli
Copyright © 2012
by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The America’s test kitchen do-it-yourself cookbook: 100 + foolproof kitchen
projects for the adventurous home cook / by the editors at America’s test kitchen
; photography by Anthony Tieuli — 1st ed.
pages cm
Includes index.
Kindle ISBN 978-1-936493-47-0
1. Cooking, American. I. America’s test kitchen (Television program) II. Title:
Do-it-yourself cookbook.
TX715.A54884 2012
641.5973--dc23
2012022144
Manufactured in the United States
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Distributed by America’s Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jack Bishop
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, BOOKS: Elizabeth Carduff EXECUTIVE FOOD
EDITOR: Julia Collin Davison SENIOR EDITORS: Louise Emerick,
Suzannah McFerran ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Adelaide Parker, Dan
Zuccarello TEST COOKS: Rebecca Morris, Kate Williams ASSISTANT
EDITOR: Alyssa King
RECIPE CONTRIBUTORS: Click here
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Amy Klee
ART DIRECTOR: Greg Galvan
DESIGNERS: Taylor Argenzio, Beverly Hsu FRONT COVER
PHOTOGRAPH: Carl Tremblay FRONT COVER FOOD STYLING: Marie
Piraino INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHY: Anthony Tieuli PHOTOGRAPHY
EDITOR: Stephen Klise
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Daniel J. van Ackere PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR: Guy Rochford
SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jessica Quirk SENIOR PROJECT
MANAGER: Alice Carpenter PRODUCTION AND TRAFFIC
COORDINATOR: Kate Hux WORKFLOW AND DIGITAL ASSET
MANAGER: Andrew Mannone PRODUCTION AND IMAGING
SPECIALISTS: Judy Blomquist, Heather Dube, Lauren Pettapiece
COPYEDITOR: Cheryl Redmond
PROOFREADER: Christine Corcoran Cox INDEXER: Elizabeth Parson
PICTURED ON COVER: Seville Orange Marmalade, Marinated Artichokes,
Fresh Goat Cheese, Lavash Crackers
Contents
Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen
Navigating this E-Book
Master Recipe Listing
Introduction
Stock the Pantry: Staples Made Fresh
Preserving the Seasons: Jams, Jellies, and
Spreads
Pickle It: From Cucumbers to Kimchi
Milky Ways: Cheese, Yogurt, and Curds
Cured, Smoked, and Terrined: Preserving Meat
and Fish
Snacks from Scratch: Everyday Favorites and
Gourmet Goodies
The Sweet Kitchen: Cookies, Candies, and
Dessert Sauces
The Beverage Center: Sips, Brews, and Spirits
Meet the D.I.Y. Test Kitchen
Index
Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen
This book has been tested, written, and edited by the
folks at America’s Test Kitchen, a very real 2,500-
square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is
the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s
Country magazine and is the Monday-through-Friday-
destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors,
food-scientists, tasters, and cookware specialists. Our
mission is to test recipes over and over again until we
understand how and why they work and until we arrive at
the “best” version.
We start the process of testing a recipe with a complete
lack of conviction, which means that we accept no claim,
no theory, no technique, and no recipe at face value. We
simply assemble as many variations as possible, test a
half-dozen of the most promising, and taste the results
blind. We then construct our own hybrid recipe and
continue to test it, varying ingredients, techniques, and
cooking times until we reach a consensus. The result, we
hope, is the best version of a particular recipe, but we
realize that only you can be the final judge of our success
(or failure). As we like to say in the test kitchen, “We
make the mistakes, so you don’t have to.”
All of this would not be possible without a belief that
good cooking, much like good music, is indeed based on
a foundation of objective technique. Some people like
a foundation of objective technique. Some people like
spicy foods and others don’t, but there is a right way to
sauté, there is a best way to cook a pot roast, and there
are measurable scientific principles involved in producing
perfectly beaten, stable egg whites. This is our ultimate
goal: to investigate the fundamental principles of cooking
so that you become a better cook. It is as simple as that.
You can watch us work (in our actual test kitchen) by
tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen
(AmericasTestKitchenTV.com) or Cook’s Country from
America’s Test Kitchen (CooksCountryTV.com) on
public television, or by subscribing to Cook’s Illustrated
magazine (CooksIllustrated.com) or Cook’s Country
magazine (CooksCountry.com). We welcome you into
our kitchen, where you can stand by our side as we test
our way to the “best” recipes in America.
Navigating this E-Book
This eBook includes a Table of Contents that allows you
to jump to any chapter. And each chapter has its own
table of contents with links to every recipe in the chapter.
We have also created a Master Recipe Listing that lists
all the recipes in the book, divided by chapter, in one
place. You can access the Master Recipe Listing from the
Table of Contents. (It also appears at the end of the
book.) Each title in the Master Recipe Listing is a link
that will take you directly to that recipe.
Our cookbooks are filled with prep tips and step-by-
step illustrations as well as equipment and ingredient
reviews. Throughout the book there are links to this
material where appropriate.
Most eBook reading devices also offer a search
function that allows you to type in exactly what you are
looking for. Please read the documentation for your
particular eBook reader for more information on its
search function and any other navigational features it may
offer.
Introduction
Growing up on a farm, just about everything was “Do-It-
Yourself” or “D.I.Y.” You milked the cow, picked the
blackberries, and made your own Anadama bread using
molasses and cornmeal. You changed your clutch,
welded the snowplow, sharpened the chainsaw, and
hunted for most of the meat in your freezer; almost
always venison, with the odd rabbit or wild turkey thrown
in for good measure.
These days, virtually nothing is D.I.Y. You can’t adjust
the timing on your distributor or replace a fuse, and most
folks have even forgotten how to bake a cake or make
biscuits.
All that is about to change.
With The America’s Test Kitchen Do-It-Yourself
Cookbook, we want to put the fun and the “homemade”
back into home cooking. Did you know that wine vinegar
is nothing more than wine, water, and a store-bought
culture left to sit on the counter? You can ferment your
own hot sauce in a French press coffee maker with no
daily skimming. Believe it or not, American cheese can
be made in a food processor in just minutes, without the
flavorings, colorings, and emulsifiers.
Yes, we show you how to make pickles and jams, but
you will also learn to make recipes like marshmallows,
graham crackers, homemade versions of Thin Mints,
