Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2023 i Cook's Country

THESE RED VELVET cookies are inspired by the cookies that our editor in chief, Toni Tipton-Martin, received as a gift from baker and chef Adrian Lipscombe at Uptowne Cafe and Bakery in Wisconsin (which has since closed). These memorable treats made a lasting impression, so we reached out to Adrian to catch up with her and find out more about her recipe, which we have now adapted for the home cook. In our exchange, Adrian, who is not only a baker but also a mother of four and a city planner, goes on to share a bit about her Texas roots; her family’s deep and abiding relationship with food, including their Juneteenth feast traditions; how she became the chef-owner of the café and bakery; and what she is up to…

DINNER TONIGHT / SERVES 4 / 1 ¼ HOURS DINNER TONIGHT / SERVES 4 / 1¼ HOURS DINNER TONIGHT / SERVES 4 / 1 HOUR DINNER TONIGHT / SERVES 4 / 3O MINUTES Grilled Barbecue Chicken and Peach Salad Our favorite supermarket barbecue sauce is Bull’s-Eye Original BBQ Sauce. Rinsing the red onion tames its pungency. Top the salad with chopped smoked almonds for extra crunch. 6 (3- to 5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon table salt, divided¾ teaspoon pepper, divided6 tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided2 peaches, halved and pitted¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons cider vinegar10 ounces (10 cups) mesclun and baby spinach mix4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1 cup)½ red onion, sliced thin and rinsed 1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with…

“BASEBALL, HOT DOGS, apple pie, and Chevrolet” was the chorus to an earworm TV ad from the 1970s touting quintessential symbols of American culture. And while our definitions of Americana may have expanded over the years, hot dogs’ iconic status remains intact; they’re affordable, convenient, and universally appealing, equally at home at a backyard barbecue as on a street corner in any city. Hot dogs evolved from sausages brought to the United States by European immigrants in the late 1800s. In particular, frankfurters (pork sausages from Frankfurt, Germany) and wieners (German pork-and-beef sausages styled after those in Vienna) laid the foundation for modern dogs, which are typically made from beef or a blend of beef, pork, poultry, and/or veal. Whatever the meat, it’s finely pulverized (so much so that it…

PEOPLE THINK CURING your own bacon is hard. But all it really takes is ordering ingredients, rubbing the pork belly with the cure (and waiting), and then smoking it. It costs way less than artisanal bacon and you can control exactly what you put on it. And not for nothing, it feels so satisfying to serve your friends and family deliciously smoky bacon that you made from start to finish. HOW TO MAKE BACON 1. Rub belly Rub pork belly with brown sugar, kosher salt, pepper, pink curing salt, and bay leaf. Why? The cure flavors the bacon. It also firms it up because it draws water out. 2. Cure Refrigerate pork until firm yet still pliable, 7 to 10 days, flipping it every other day. Why? The meat will release liquid,…

FIND THE ROOSTER! We’ve hidden a tiny version of the rooster above in a photo in the pages of this issue. Tell us where the rooster is hiding, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing. The first correct entry drawn will win a one-year multisite web membership, and the next two correct entries drawn will receive a copy of The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook. To enter, go to AmericasTestKitchen.com/rooster and full out the submission form. All entries for this issue’s drawing must be received by June 30, 2023. The February/March 2023 drawing winner, Tim Kratowicz of Elmwood Park, Wisc., found the rooster on page 16. The lemonades in our lineup contained between 10 and 20 percent lemon juice. Those with more lemon juice—between 15 and 20 percent—tasted…

MARISCOS GERMAN BEYER anchors the back end of the narrow parking lot next to San Ysidro Liquor just off Beyer Boulevard, about 20 minutes from downtown San Diego. The white and blue food truck trades heavily in savory fish tacos, lime-soused aguachiles, and colorful ceviches. A lunch crowd gathers around the service window—near the drinks, sauce bottles, and napkins—waiting for owner Jorge Fuentes to call their order numbers. Food in hand, many diners sit at the shaded tables beneath the nearby tent, while others retreat to the comfort of their cars. As the lunch rush fades, Fuentes eases off the truck to chat with the regulars, several of whom he knows on a first-name basis. A handful of customers continue to arrive in small waves, and things remain calm until…

AT FIRST GLANCE, Okinawa, a subtropical island prefecture in the south of Japan, might seem like a surprising place to find restaurants specializing in Tex-Mex–Asian fusion. But taco rice (or takoraisu in Japan) is an immensely popular fast food in the region and has become recognized as one of Okinawan cuisine’s essential dishes since its creation in the mid-1980s. As the name implies, taco rice is a warm bed of steamed rice blanketed in rich ground beef spiced not just with taco seasoning but also soy sauce, instant dashi, and mirin. The beef is topped with shredded cheese, lettuce, and sundry other taco fixings, and its enduring popularity isn’t hard to understand: It’s craveable, intensely satisfying, and affordable. But how did this delightful take on cheesy ground beef tacos originate…

IN LATE SPRING, garlic scapes—the long, sinuous flower stems that sprout from hardneck garlic plants—appear in large, tangled mounds at farmers’ markets and in the produce aisles of many supermarkets. (Farmers remove the edible scapes from garlic plants to encourage the plants to send their energy to the bulbs growing underground rather than to the scapes and their flowers.) Scapes have a milder garlic flavor than garlic cloves, but they are deeply fragrant all the same, with pungent grassy notes and hints of nuttiness. On the line between vegetable and herb, garlic scapes can be enjoyed either cooked or raw. Try grilling them (tie them into knots to keep them from falling through the grill grate) or sautéing them as you might a young leek. But for lovers of verdant,…

My first impression of these cookies was delight at how big they are. Why did you decide to make them this size? I love large cookies. It’s appealing to the eye but also never-ending. I come from a large family and sharing is something we are used to doing. I remember when my mom made cookies she would let us choose what size cookie we wanted, and I always chose to make a big one because I could. Also, who does not like a big cookie?! Save the rest for later, maybe? Whole-wheat flour could be surprising to some in a cookie recipe. Why did you include it in your recipe? I think whole wheat gets a bad rap and is underused in desserts. The whole wheat provides a richer…

IF YOU’RE LUCKY, you might start seeing fresh figs in stores or at farmers’ markets at the end of May and keep seeing them as late as November. And when they’re plump and juicy and firm, it’s hard to want to do anything other than just pop them into your mouth with no adornment. But something magical happens when you halve the figs and quickly sear them in butter before drizzling them with honey. The cut sides of the figs caramelize so that they develop a deep butterscotch flavor. And as you add the honey (and lemon juice for brightness and balance) to the hot skillet, the figs soften and release a little liquid that creates a perfumed, sweet, sticky sauce. … something magical happens when you halve the figs…

PICKLED OKRA IS a crispy, tangy snack, perfect for eating on its own, adding to a cheese board, or even garnishing a bloody Mary. Making your own refrigerator pickled okra is as simple as trimming the stems on the okra pods, strategically packing the okra in jars (we leave the okra raw, as cooking it first resulted in less crispy pickles); pouring a hot cider vinegar brine into the jars; and letting it all cool. After seven days in the refrigerator, the okra is perfectly pickled and ready to eat. REFRIGERATOR PICKLED OKRA Serves 16 (Makes 2 pints) Total Time: 25 minutes, plus 7 days pickling For added spice, increase the red pepper flakes to 2 teaspoons. These are refrigerator pickles; they are not meant for canning and are not…

IN THE UNITED STATES, there are two main types of charcoal: lump (aka hardwood) and briquettes. Lump resembles the wood it comes from. Briquettes are compact pucks made from sawdust and other materials. The process for making both is mostly the same. Wood or sawdust is heated slowly to high temperatures with little or no oxygen. This drives off water, gases, and other substances, leaving behind what we cook with: char, a solid substance that is composed mostly of carbon. With briquettes, the charred sawdust is mixed with wood fiber, starches, minerals, and other ingredients and then compressed. Does it matter which kind you use? To find out, we tested five of the most popular charcoal brands according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. Dr. Laura Hasburgh and Dr.…

EASY AS (ICE CREAM) PIE The easiest pies to make are ice cream pies. For a crowd-pleasing yet ultra-easy pie, follow this simple formula. 1. Fill a cooled baked crust (page 33) with 2 pints of softened ice cream. 2. Cover it and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 1 week. 3. Dress it up with whipped cream, ganache, nuts, sprinkles, or other toppings before serving. Once you know the formula, it’s easy to customize. –Morgan Bolling SOME FUN FLAVOR COMBINATIONS • Butter Pecan: graham cracker crust + butter pecan ice cream + caramel sauce + toasted pecans • Chocolate Peanut Butter: Oreo cookie crust + peanut butter ice cream + whipped cream + chopped peanut butter cups • Drumstick-Inspired: graham cracker crust + vanilla ice…

IN THE SUMMER, corn is plentiful, affordable, and at its best. While there’s no denying a hot buttered ear is delicious, there are more ways to highlight this summer darling, such as in this simple salad. Here, sweet corn is tossed with a creamy buttermilk dressing and a fistful of chopped fresh herbs to create just the kind of bright, flavorful side dish you want to bring to your next summer barbecue. For the best corn flavor and texture, bring a pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat, drop in the ears of corn, and cook them for 10 minutes. Letting the corn sit in the hot water produces kernels that are perfectly cooked, not starchy or gummy. Once the 10 minutes are up, remove the ears,…

LAMB CAN BE the perfect party food. It is a deeply flavorful meat that takes well to all types of seasonings and sauces, and its star shines bright in both formal and informal settings. And something about it just feels festive. The inspiration for the flavors here comes from the Middle East by way of the whole lamb shoulder on the menu at Zahav, the critically acclaimed Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia (where I spent some time in the kitchen). This recipe enhances and balances the rich savoriness of lamb through spices, a sweet and tangy glaze, and intense char from the grill. To make these knockout flavors more accessible for the home cook, we moved away from the whole shoulder they use at Zahav and turned to lamb rib chops.…

SOMETIMES WHEN you’re staring down a stretch of warm, sunny weather, the best play is to prep a few recipes for grilling, put out a cooler of drinks, and spend the afternoon outside with family and friends, grazing on food, sipping wine, playing games, or just lounging to your heart’s content. For those times, these grilled mussels fit the bill. Once you’ve cleaned the mussels, making the lemony dill-garlic butterahead of time is a cinch. (Do as I do and just leave it in the pot until grilling time and then pop it on the preheating grill for a few minutes to warm back up.) Ten minutes after the first bivalves hit the hot grill, you’ll be sharing succulent, flame‑kissed, buttery morsels with your people, washing them down with a…

AT ITS MOST basic, a shrub is a sweet-tart combination of fruit juice, sugar, and vinegar. Predating the invention of refrigeration, shrubs were popular in early America as a way to extend the life of freshly picked fruit. Today (well past the time of no refrigeration), the need for creating shrubs has changed, but the enjoyment of these refreshing beverages has not. In recent years, they have seen a resurgence in popularity, popping up in both cocktails and nonalcoholic drinks. Making your own stone-fruit shrub syrup at home is easy. Simply combine fresh plums (peaches and nectarines also work) and a generous amount of sugar. Gently mash the fruit to help release its juice, ensuring that the fruit pieces are well coated with sugar. Then, cover the macerated fruit and…

VODKA SODA IS a good, standard bar order. But with just two components (vodka and soda water), it’s admittedly not the most exciting. Adding a peach shrub syrup is the perfect way to spruce it up. The shrub syrup lends a little fruitiness to an already refreshing drink. Some muddled basil leaves complement the sweet peach syrup with their pepperiness and create just the right fresh summer vibe in a glass. PEACH-BASIL VODKA SPRITZER Makes 1 cocktail Total Time: 10 minutes 3 fresh basil leaves, plus basil sprig for garnishing1½ ounces (3 tablespoons) Peach Shrub Syrup (page 34)2 ounces (¼ cup) vodka4 ounces (½ cup) seltzer, chilled 1. Add basil leaves and shrub syrup to base of cocktail shaker and muddle until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vodka, then fill…

WITH A DUO of powerhouse ingredients—Spanish dry-cured chorizo and complex, aromatic sherry—and a simple, one-skillet method, this recipe requires minimal effort and results in maximum flavor. The first step of the recipe is key. Sizzling chorizo and garlic in olive oil renders the flavorful, bright red fat from the sausage, infusing the oil with smoky depth and creating a delicious medium in which to brown bone-in chicken thighs. After the thighs are browned, they’re removed from the skillet and building the braising liquid begins. Onion and red bell pepper add sweetness to the savory base, while red potatoes contribute comforting heft. And a ladleful of sherry does more than just deglaze the pan; the nutty wine adds irreplaceable character to the braising liquid, amplifying the flavors of each ingredient and…

POPPY SEED HOT DOG BUNS Serves 4 Total Time: 25 Minutes These buns are an essential component of Chicago-Style Hot Dogs on page 31. 4 hot dog buns1 large egg, lightly beaten1 teaspoon poppy seeds 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange buns on rimmed baking sheet. Brush tops of buns with egg (you needn’t use all of it) and sprinkle evenly with poppy seeds. 2. Bake buns until egg is dry and set, about 5 minutes. Serve.…