From the Cook's Illustrated "All-Time Best Pasta Recipes" issue, this recipe comes together surprisingly easily; it takes a while but is not particularly complicated. It was also a huge hit! Everyone finished their bowl and went back for seconds, even Alex.

As written the recipe uses chicken breasts. We used imitation pea-protein chicken; no-one would mistake it for real chicken in either taste or texture, but it's tasty in its own right and can generally be used in the same places you'd use chicken meat. Use either as the mood takes you.

For noodles, the book recommends penne, ziti, or campanelle. We did it with cavatappi and that worked excellently. I suspect that rotini would also be a good choice.

The proportions on this, intuitively, look a bit weird. There's half as much pasta as usual, twice as much chicken as pasta, and three times as much broccoli. With the cavatappi, at least, this worked fine, although I think that doubling the pasta would also have worked ok at the cost of increasing the starch:everything else ratio.

Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients

• 60mL unsalted butter
• 450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and then sliced into strips
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 10mL fresh thyme (or ~7mL dried)
• 10mL all-purpose flour
• 1mL red pepper flakes
• 500mL chicken or vegetable broth
• 250mL dry white wine
• 250mL freshly grated parmesan
• 250mL (~1 jar) sliced, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 15mL fresh parsley
• 657g fresh broccoli, florets cut into ~2cm pieces, stems discarded
• 225g dry pasta
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Melt 15mL butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned around edges, 1-2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Remove to plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and melt another 15mL of butter. Add onion and 1mL salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
3. Add garlic, thyme, flour, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
4. Add broth and wine, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened somewhat and reduced by half, 15-20 minutes.
5. Add parmesan, tomatoes, parsley, chicken, and remaining 30mL butter and cook until chicken is heated through and butter is melted, ~1 minute.
6. Season with black pepper to taste.
7. Meanwhile, boil water in a large pot. Add broccoli and 15mL salt and cook until crisp-tender, ~2 minutes. Remove broccoli, but keep water.
8. Return water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Reserve 125mL of pasta water and drain pasta.
9. When sauce is ready, add broccoli and pasta and toss to combine. Adjust sauce thickness with reserved pasta water and serve.

Apple Cider Cake

This is a good cake. I'm glad I tried it. The apple cider reduction is absolutely delicious. Especially when used as a glaze. (And in the icing.) I'm happy with how it came out.

All that being said... I think I actually prefer the apple cake recipe Deb posted on her Smitten Kitchen blog. Both recipes avoid mixing chunks of apple into the cake batter itself; that way disaster (or at least soggy cake) lies. But I think I prefer the layers of cinnamon-y apple chunks used in Deb's recipe over the grated apples mixed into the batter of the Cook's Illustrated recipe. They're both good. My preference just lies with the other method.

One thing that I would like to try with this recipe is converting it to whole wheat. It's good as is, but I think the flavour and texture of whole wheat would actually complement the apple and hints of cinnamon and allspice quite well. Because of the nature of the recipe and the fact that it gets mixed very little, I think any whole wheat flour would be acceptable. My preference, however, would be for a flour milled from soft white wheat. White wheat has a paler colour and milder flavour than red wheat. I think either red or white, hard or soft could be used here though.

Apple Bundt Cake

Slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated September/October 2017

Ingredients

• 4 c. apple cider
• 530g all-purpose flour¹
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 85g icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar
• 1 c. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 680g Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded

Directions

1. Bring the cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to exactly 1 c. (~20 minutes).
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan and preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
3. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice and mix well.
4. Sift icing sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
5. Once cider has finished reducing, add 2 Tbsp. of cider reduction to icing sugar and whisk to form a smooth icing. Cover and set aside.
6. Combine 1/2 c. of cider reduction with melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Reserve the remaining 6 Tbsp. of cider reduction.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
8. Stir in shredded apples.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
10. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 55-65 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and brush top with ~1 Tbsp. of reserved cider reduction. Let rest for 10 minutes.
12. Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and invert cake onto rack. Remove bundt pan.
13. Brush remaining 5 Tbsp. of cider reduction onto cake. Let rest for 20 minutes.
14. Uncover icing, whisk, and drizzle over cake.
15. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

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¹ I think pretty much any flour could be used here. I actually ended up using a mix of all-purpose (medium-hard) and pastry (soft) flour because I ran out of AP. ^Back

I just got back from vacation and am trying to get back into the swing of things at home. First order of business was, of course, to sort out groceries and some sort of meal plan for the week. I decided to consult a handful of Cook's Illustrated magazines for inspiration.

I gravitated toward this recipe because it reminds me of one of my favourite eggplant dishes: fish-fragrant eggplant. As it turns out, that very dish was the inspiration for the flavours in this one! Now, recipe as written, I didn't find this quite as tasty as fish-fragrant eggplant. It is a good deal easier and healthier though (no frying the eggplant first). And I think the slightly lacking flavour should be easy enough to remedy.

For now I've just added a little miso paste and some reconstituted dried mushrooms to try to bump up the umami factor. In future I would soak the mushrooms first and then use the soaking liquid as the base for the sauce. I'd also double the scallions. (I really like scallions!) I'd probably bump up the garlic a little too. I've rewritten the recipe below to reflect these changes.

Braised Eggplant with Soy, Garlic, and Ginger

Adapted from Cook's Country September/October 2019

Ingredients

• 12 dried black mushrooms
• 1 1/2 c. boiling water
• 1/4 c. shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. doubanjiang/toban djan/Asian broad bean chili paste
• 1 tsp. white miso paste
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch/corn flour
• ~1kg eggplants¹
• 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2-4 scallions, sliced thin

Directions

1. Pour boiling water over mushrooms and let stand for at least 10 minutes.
2. Trim 1cm from top and bottom of each eggplant. Halve crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into two pieces. Cut each piece into 2cm wedges. Set aside.
3. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid, and remove stems. Discard mushroom stems. Slice caps thin and set aside.
4. Combine mushroom soaking water, wine, soy sauces, sugar, chili paste, miso pate, and cornstarch and whisk until sugar has dissolved.
5. Heat large pan over medium heat and add canola oil.
6. Add garlic and ginger paste to hot oil and cook for 30 seconds.
7. Add eggplant wedges and sliced mushrooms to pan.
8. Pour sauce over contents of pan and increase heat to high.
9. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Uncover and cook, occasionally swirling pan, for an additional 10-15 minutes.
11. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle sliced scallions on top.
12. Serve over rice².

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¹ Either Italian or Asian eggplants will work for this. Avoid very large eggplants as they will tend to disintegrate during cooking. ^Back
2 I seasoned my rice with black peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon. For 2 c. of (uncooked) brown rice I added 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, and ~half a dozen black peppercorns as well as a tsp. or so of ghee. I think a few greens probably wouldn't've gone amiss either, but I didn't think of it 'til just now. I think black kale or maybe even a bit of gai lan would probably work well. ^Back

I have always been a soft taco person. Specifically, soft tacos made with flour tortillas. In my experience, hard tacos are awkward to assemble and shatter as soon as you bite into them. And, although I love corn chips and cornbread and all manner of other "corn-y" things, soft corn tortillas just never quite taste right to me. They seem like they should taste good, but I always find the flavour just slightly disappointing and off-putting. So, for years, whenever we've had tacos, it's always been with soft flour tortillas. Occasionally I'll pick up a few soft corn tortillas for TF to use since I know he likes them. But hard tacos? Never.

Until now!

America's Test Kitchen has rocked my world yet again! The most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated delved into the origins of the hard taco and introduced "tacos dorados" (golden tacos). This is apparently what the crispy taco was meant to be before it got Americanized and boxed up into taco "kits" as a convenience food. And it's brilliant!

Rather than starting with a sleeve of pre-fried hard taco "shells", you do, in fact, start with soft corn tortillas. Tortillas that get gently warmed to make them extra soft and pliable, filled with flavourful spiced beef, and then fried to make them crispy and delicious.

Yes, that's right, you fry them after you fill them. Mind blown! Not only does this make them easier to fill, but the outside gets wonderfully crisp while the spine remains pliable enough to open (for adding toppings) and eat without the whole thing shattering and pouring meat and grease all over your hands! Tacos dorados aren't significantly more difficult or time-consuming to make than either hard or soft tacos and they're definitely both more delicious and less messy than either. I have found my taco happy place!

(Oh, and just in case you were wondering: the frying and crisping does seem to perk up the corn tortillas and do away with the disappointment I'd experienced with them in the past.)

Tacos Dorados

Slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated July/August 2018

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 lb. lean ground beef¹
• 7 Tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 4 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar + extra for topping
• 12-16 corn tortillas (6-8" diameter)
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomato
• sour cream
• pickled jalapeños

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Combine water and baking soda in a large bowl. Add beef and mix well. Set aside.
3. Cook onion over medium heat in 1 Tbsp. of oil until softened.
4. Add chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and sea salt and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
6. Add beef, breaking up into small chunks and mixing with onion and spices.
7. Although the recipe didn't call for it, I also chose to add a splash of water at this stage. I think I put ~1/3 c. I find it helps with getting the meat evenly coated with spices and adds a bit of moisture and sauciness without making it "sloppy" or overly messy.
8. Using 2 tbsp. of the oil, brush tortillas to lightly coat with oil on both sides. Bake at 400F for 5 minutes.²
9. Once meat is cooked through, remove from pan and add 1/2 c. shredded cheese. Mix to combine.
10. Wipe out pan and add 1/4 c. oil.
11. Fill the tacos. Use ~2 Tbsp. of filling for 6" tortillas or 3-4 Tbsp. for 8" tortillas. Spread the filling over half the tortilla and then fold it over (it will be open on the sides, this is fine and expected).
12. Gently place your filled tacos into the pan with the hot oil (you'll have to work in batches). Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until both sides are dark golden-brown, but not charred or burnt.³
13. Remove fried, crispy tacos from pan. You may now dress them up as you see fit. Thanks to the flexible spine you should be able to open them up like a book to add sour cream, extra cheese, jalapeños, or whatever else your heart desires!
14. Once topped and garnished to your satisfaction, close it up and enjoy the perfectly crisp, non-shattering goodness of a golden taco!

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¹ Recommended 90% lean. <sup>Back

2</sup> I think I'd try cutting this down to only 3 or 4 minutes next time. It might also be interesting to see if warming them in the microwave (either with or without oil) yields similar results. <sup>Back

3</sup> I had some trouble with the whole "not burnt" aspect. Don't worry! Even the burnt ones were delicious. The not-burnt ones were, however, slightly more delicious, so I do recommend not burning if at all possible. ;P ^Back

Sticky Buns

Thank you Cook's Illustrated for making my first foray into sticky bun making a wildly successful one!

Sticky Buns
Sllightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated May/June 2016
Flour Paste
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. bread flour

Dough
2/3 c. milk
1 large egg + 1 yolk
430g bread flour
1 packet instant yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Topping
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. white corn syrup (dark is fine, I just didn't have any on hand)
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 Tbsp. water
1 c. pecans, chopped (ideally toasted as well, but I didn't have time)

Filling
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Flour paste: Whisk water and flour together in a small bowl. Microwave, whisking every 25 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency. (Mine seemed done after 25 seconds, but I think I should give it a little more cooking next time. Maybe two rounds at 20 seconds each rather than one at 25.)
2. Dough: In a large bowl, whisk milk and paste together until smooth.
3. Add egg and egg yolk. Whisk.
4. Add flour and yeast. Mix for a few minutes until flour is moistened. Let stand for 15 minutes.
5. Add sugar and salt. Mix for several more minutes. (I added another couple Tbsp. of water at this point because I thought the dough looked too try, but in hindsight I should've just left well enough alone.)
6. Add butter and mix for another 5-10 minutes.
7. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Turn into greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise (~1 hour).
8. While dough rises, grease a metal 9x13 pan (I used 1 square 8x8 + a loaf pan. Buns in the 8x8 were fine, but the loaf pan didn't work so well.) Pan must be metal, don't use glass!
9. Topping: Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt together until smooth.
10. Add water and whisk until incorporated. Pour mixture into greased pan and sprinkle evenly with pecans.
11. Filling: Combine sugar and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
12. Back to the Dough: Turn dough onto floured surface and press/stretch into a 18x15" rectangle.
13. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1" border. Gently press to adhere.
14. Gently roll dough into a long, loose cylinder. (ie. start rolling on a long edge to make an 18" long cylonder.)
15. Use dental floss to slice into 12 equal portions.
16. Place buns in prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to rise for another hour or so.
17. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. (Place a baking sheet on the oven rack below the buns during baking to catch the inevitable drips.)
18. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
19. Place baking sheet over pan and invert. Allow buns to cool for a further 10 minutes before serving.

These were absolutely perfect. Couldn't ask for a better sticky bun. They don't need any tweaks or changes. That said, just because I'm curious, I might try making one slight change next time just to see how it works: I want to see what happens if I skip chopping the nuts and just line the bottom of the pan with whole pecan halves and then pour the sticky topping over that before adding the buns to the pan. I doubt it will actually be an improvement but, as I said, I'm curious so I'd like to try it.