{"id":308,"date":"2010-03-21T15:12:20","date_gmt":"2010-03-21T20:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiecuisine.com\/wordpress\/?p=308"},"modified":"2010-03-21T15:12:20","modified_gmt":"2010-03-21T20:12:20","slug":"cooks-illustrated-general-cooking-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiecuisine.com\/wordpress\/general\/cooks-illustrated-general-cooking-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"Cook’s Illustrated – General Cooking Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Todd Barron @ FoodieCuisine.com<\/h4>\n
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Cook's Illustrated<\/p><\/div>\n

A great item I have in my inventory is Cooks Illustrated<\/a> Magazine.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the many magazines I subscribe to and I look forward to it\u2019s arrival every month.\u00a0 I also subscribe to their online system that gives you access to every issue since they started.<\/p>\n

Cook\u2019s Illustrated contains in each issue tips, recipes, equipment reviews, and articles on things such as kitchen hygiene.<\/p>\n

What I really respect about their recipes, and what sets them apart, are that they aren\u2019t your ordinary recipes. The team at America\u2019s Test Kitchen (where they are based) tries out literally hundreds of different variations of recipes to get the perfect recipe. They go through the trouble of cooking hundreds of pizza crusts to get the perfect pizza. Or they try out hundreds of different fudge recipes to get the perfect consistency of fudge. Their school of thought is that you don\u2019t need 50 lasagna recipes, you just need one really good one. I believe in this philosophy completely and it\u2019s the number one reason I subscribe to their magazine.<\/p>\n

Tips<\/h3>\n

Not only does Cook\u2019s Illustrated research each recipe in great detail but they also share tips from their readers in every issue.\u00a0 I enjoy finding some of the things I do myself in type but I learn quite a bit from the new things listed in each issue.\u00a0 The following are just a few examples of the many tips listed in the Jan-Feb 2010 issue:<\/p>\n

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  • Measuring Spaghetti<\/span> \u2013 Use empty spice jar and fill with spaghetti. Ends up with (2) servings by using this method.<\/li>\n
  • Hands-Free Seasoning<\/span> \u2013 Use tongs to flip the meat.<\/li>\n
  • Preventing Ice Crystals on Ice Cream<\/span> \u2013 As you scoop out ice-cream from the container, use scissors to cut away the extra container. Then put the lid back on as normal. The lack of a air cavity will help prevent ice crystals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Recipes<\/p>\n

    No good cooking magazine is complete without recipes and of course Cook\u2019s Illustrated has many of them.\u00a0 As I mentioned before they go into great detail about\u00a0the recipes and research the perfect blend of texture, cooking method, and tase with each one.\u00a0 They also take into account your ability to find the ingredients which is a huge plus for me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if you have ever read a cookbook or magazine that lists ingredients you won\u2019t find anywhere in the heartland, but it can be quite annoying!\u00a0 The following are just some of the recipes covered in the Jan-Feb 2010 issue:<\/p>\n

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    • Indoor Pulled Pork<\/li>\n
    • Better Minestrone<\/li>\n
    • Thai Chicken with Basil<\/li>\n
    • Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza<\/li>\n
    • Recommended Equipment<\/li>\n
    • Kitchen Fire Extinguishers<\/li>\n
    • Whole Wheat Pasta<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      The magazine isn\u2019t pretty in looks but it very to the point and covers what is necessary. There are no advertisements which lets the publisher focus on content and not hundreds of pages of garbage. If you don\u2019t already subscribe to this magazine I highly suggest it. I learn something new with each issue.<\/p>\n