America's Test Kitchen > Quotes

“Blueberry Muffins”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“translucent red at center”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“A whole rib roast (aka prime rib) consists of ribs 6 through 12. Butchers tend to cut the roast in two. We prefer the cut further back on the cow, which is closest to the loin and less fatty. This cut is referred to as the first cut, the loin end, or sometimes the small end because the meat and ribs get larger as they move up toward the shoulder. When ordering a three-rib roast, ask for the first three ribs from the loin end—ribs 10 through 12.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“We liked the roasted red bell peppers just fine, but the piquillo peppers were our favorite, boasting spicy-sweet and vibrant flavors.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook

“ingredients”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“And memorize this now: 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. Forget this fact and you will invariably make mistakes when trying to scale recipes up or down. It also helps to remember that 4 tablespoons equal ¼ cup.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“For stuffed squash with a moist and flavorful filling, we mix”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“Cook’s Illustrated”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001–2026: Every recipe and Product Rating from the Most-Watched Cooking Show on Public TVIncludes the 2026 Season

“Since the temperature of meat will continue to rise as it rests, an effect called carryover cooking, meat should be removed from the oven, grill, or pan when it’s 5 to 10 degrees below the desired serving temperature. Carryover cooking doesn’t apply to poultry and fish (they don’t retain heat as well as the dense muscle structure in meat), so they should be cooked to the desired serving temperatures.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“What separates success from failure in the kitchen? It’s the ability to think on your feet, to make adjustments as you cook. And, despite what you might think, a lifetime of experience isn’t a prerequisite for being a good cook (although it does help). Knowledge, however, is essential. The successful home cook understands the fundamental principles of good cooking and is able to apply them on the fly, almost without thinking.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“1½ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Salt and pepper 1 Arrange potatoes in center of large sheet of aluminum foil and lift sides to form bowl. Pour ¾ cup water over potatoes and crimp foil tightly to seal. Place foil packet in air-fryer basket, place basket in air fryer, and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance (poke through foil to test), 25 to 30 minutes. 2 Carefully open foil packet, allowing steam to escape away from you, and let cool slightly. Arrange potatoes in single layer on cutting board; discard foil. Place baking sheet on top of potatoes and press down firmly on baking sheet, flattening potatoes to ½-inch thickness. Transfer smashed potatoes to large bowl; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Toss until well combined and most potatoes have broken apart into chunks. 3 Return potatoes to air fryer and cook until well browned and crispy (do not stir or shake during cooking), 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.”
― America's Test Kitchen, Air Fryer Perfection: From Crispy Fries and Juicy Steaks to Perfect Vegetables, What to Cook & How to Get the Best Results

“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.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“Bone-in hams with natural juices are the least processed of all the options at the supermarket. Boneless hams may seem like a good choice, but they contain several muscles that have been pressed together to look like ham and all that manipulation compromises the muscle structure, making them less able to hold on to natural juices. And while “water-added” ham might sound juicier, these hams taste awful and shed all that extra water in the oven. We do like the convenience of a spiral-cut ham, which makes serving a cinch.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“wringing”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“Diamond sharpening material for electric sharpeners”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“Remember to account for the reduction of liquids when seasoning a dish—a perfectly seasoned stew will likely taste too salty after several hours of simmering. Your best bet is to season with a light hand during the cooking process and then adjust the seasoning just before serving.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“Our tastebuds have a harder time detecting flavors in cold foods. That’s why chilled soup must be aggressively seasoned. But cold soups also have almost no aroma, which is another reason that they require a heavier hand when seasoning. The aroma that wafts up to your nose from a piping-hot bowl of soup affects your perception of the flavor. Take away that aroma and the food does not seem as flavorful.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“We often store chicken breasts in the freezer. But then we read that storing chicken breasts in the freezer for longer than two months negatively affects tenderness. Ever the skeptics, we wanted to see for ourselves if this was true. So we bought six whole chicken breasts and split each one down the center. We immediately tested one breast from each chicken using a Warner-Bratzler shear device that measures tenderness by quantifying the force required to cut meat. We wrapped and froze the other breasts at 0 degrees (the temperature of the average home freezer). We tested three of the previously frozen breasts for tenderness after two months and the remaining three after three months. Our results confirmed it: Two-month-old chicken was nearly as tender as fresh chicken, while three-month-old chicken was about 15 percent tougher. We recommend freezing chicken wrapped in plastic and sealed in an airtight zipper-lock bag for no longer than two months.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“1READ THE RECIPE CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS”
― America's Test Kitchen, The New Cooking School Cookbook: Fundamentals

“quantity, making them an ideal ingredient for two. We wanted a recipe for a fresh clam sauce that we could serve atop”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“Even your oven isn’t as reliable as you think. How do we know this? We have more than two dozen ovens in our test kitchen and we keep an oven thermometer in each oven to tell us if they are properly calibrated. That is, are they reaching and holding the temperature set on the dial? With heavy use, we find that our ovens generally slip out of calibration in just a few months, so we get them serviced. The process will happen more slowly at home, but the odds are pretty good that your oven is not at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, even though that’s what the dial says.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“recipe. 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 by ¼-inch strips 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on bias into 1-inch lengths Salt and pepper 1 shallot, sliced thin 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar 1 garlic clove, minced 6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach 4 ounces goat cheese, cut into small chunks”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to Eating Well With 700 Foolproof Recipes

“(optional)”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“paring knife), or 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 3 minutes (steaks will be opaque at perimeters and reddish pink”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“2. Add onion, celery, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour, tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Slow Cooker: From Appetizers to Desserts - 400 Must-Have Recipes That Cook While You Play (orWork)

“degrees”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“pepper, and salt.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything

“Carryover cooking can’t always be used to the cook’s advantage. For example, seared tuna needs to stay in the pan long enough to develop a good crust, but by the time that happens the interior is already rare (that is, perfectly cooked). You can’t pull the tuna out of the pan any earlier, so our advice is to slice the fish as soon as it comes out of the pan. Unlike meat and poultry, which must rest before slicing, fish can be sliced immediately with no ill effects. Either way, fish won’t lose juices like meat or poultry. So all you’re doing by slicing immediately is speeding up the cooling process and thus preventing carryover cooking from having much of an effect.”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen

“Shiitake Mushroom Frittata with Pecorino Romano”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete One Pot Cookbook: 400 Complete Meals for Your Skillet, Dutch Oven, Sheet Pan, Roasting Pan, Instant Pot®, Slow Cooker, and More

“WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: For this quick side dish, we wanted to bring out the delicate, vegetal flavor of tender artichoke hearts without extensive hands-on time. Frozen artichoke hearts eliminated the tedious prep work that fresh artichokes required, but the frozen hearts contained a considerable amount of water, which”
― America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: 650 Recipes for Everything