America's Test Kitchen - General Discussion

[buttersister]

I’ve recently been buying bags of peeled garlic in a re-sealable plastic bag. after seeing them use it here. Easy! I keep it in the freezer, so lasts a long time. Even in the fridge, the first bag lasted much longer than fresh in my garlic keeper. Saves grocery deliveries, so I’m a fan.

Today’s episode featured light creamy hummus. Made mostly how I make mine. But she cooked canned beans with softening baking soda to remove the skins. A much faster method is to rinse them in a colander with cold water, then, with your hands, massage the beans. Any skins that don’t come off can be easily removed by gently rubbing them off. You can see the difference in color, so it’s quick and makes a big difference. So does running the food processor for longer than one minute—two to up to five, according to the chef/owner of Zahav restaurant. Think I’ll make a new batch now!

Edited April 3, 2021 by buttersister
Autocorrect is not our friend

[Florinaldo]

57 minutes ago, buttersister said:

I’ve recently been buying bags of peeled garlic in a re-sealable plastic bag. after seeing them use it here. Easy! I keep it in the freezer, so lasts a long time.

I think Bridget mentioned she also keeps hers in the freezer. It's supposed to make them easier to grate, although the end credits bloopers would indicate otherwise.  😉

Thanks for the info, I will probably give them a try soon, especially since I am nearing the end of my supply of braided Fall garlic.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Florinaldo

[chessiegal]

I've been getting Blue Apron meals every week since last April - 3 meals a week. Every box contains a head of garlic, even though a recipe may call for only 2 cloves. I've been breaking up the heads and freezing them. They peel easier that way. I also bought an OXO Good Grips garlic peeler that works like a charm. Sometimes I mince the garlic and put it in small containers in the freezer, and just flake off what I need.

[dubbel zout]

I buy those little frozen cubes of minced garlic. (You can also get ginger.) My fresh garlic tends to sprout before I can use it all, and I hate having to waste it and throw it away. The frozen is so much easier—you don't have to clean a garlic press or a chopping board, your hands don't smell for days, etc. I don't care if it makes me a lazy cook!

[Bastet]

Huh.  I guess I'm a real weirdo for finding peeling garlic kind of enjoyable.

I do occasionally have some sprout before I get through it (but not often, as I cook with a lot of garlic), but I just toss that in the "for making stock" bag in the freezer. 

I'm not opposed to convenience offerings, mind you; this just doesn't happen to be one I'm drawn to.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 4/1/2021 at 1:11 PM, biakbiak said:

based on those shots it’s definitely Dan who got any rental and Bridget who is in a studio.

Is that Dan in the outtakes forgetting to plug in the food processor?  I used that as evidence that he was in his own kitchen because he so quickly found the plug and didn't have to look around for it.

On 2/26/2021 at 3:03 PM, chessiegal said:

If I had to guess which 2 are not in their own kitchens I'd say Bridget and Jack.

But right before you posted this, you quoted Jack saying he was in his home kitchen. 

I like that in Lan Lam's segment on Bistro Classics at Home, I could see a hallway off to our left, so I'm pretty sure that's her real kitchen. 

But speaking of that episode, what is the deal with starting every sentence with "So"?  I've never noticed it on the shows where there's banter, and I tend to notice stuff like that (like Bridget always saying "go ahead" as in "I'm going to go ahead and add the butter.).  This "so" thing seemed new, and the only change is the solo work instead of banter.  Bridget did it constantly, and Lan did a decent job of holding her own in that category, too.  The good news is that Bridget said "I went ahead and..." only once, but man, all those "so"s. 

It's particularly bad because some "so"s are useful and necessary, like "I did this so I could do that," but the sentence-starter-so outnumbered that type.

[dubbel zout]

6 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Is that Dan in the outtakes forgetting to plug in the food processor? 

That was Keith. Dan's in the outtakes with his cat.

[chessiegal]

41 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

On 4/1/2021 at 3:11 PM, biakbiak said:

based on those shots it’s definitely Dan who got any rental and Bridget who is in a studio.

Is that Dan in the outtakes forgetting to plug in the food processor?  I used that as evidence that he was in his own kitchen because he so quickly found the plug and didn't have to look around for it.

On 2/26/2021 at 5:03 PM, chessiegal said:

If I had to guess which 2 are not in their own kitchens I'd say Bridget and Jack.

But right before you posted this, you quoted Jack saying he was in his home kitchen.

I posted about Jack being in his own kitchen based on an email I got from ATK signed by Jack. He said they were all in their home kitchens, Then another poster said she had info 2 of them were not in their own kitchens.

[StatisticalOutlier]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I posted about Jack being in his own kitchen based on an email I got from ATK signed by Jack. He said they were all in their home kitchens, Then another poster said she had info 2 of them were not in their own kitchens.

But he actually said, "What started out as a challenge turned into an opportunity to have more fun and be more personal—I was shooting in my home kitchen, after all."  So he appears to be in his own kitchen.  His segments would be pretty easy whether he's at home or in another kitchen, since all he has to do is set up the products, and not use a bunch of different utensils and ingredients.

And now that I re-read the email you quoted, he didn't actually say they were all in their home kitchens--just that they didn't have in-person collaboration or the amazing set.  Points for choosing his words carefully, if they're not wanting to advertise that some of them aren't actually in their home kitchens.

[chessiegal]

Kudos to Jack if that is his own kitchen - very nice. Considering his position in the company, I'm sure he can afford it.

[Pietr]

I base my thought about if they are in their own kitchens on the utensils and cookware they use.   In the Bay Area as well, so I finally got to see the full Schnitzel and Roesti episode on the ATK website and I just love that Julia is using what is clearly her own well loved equipment.  A dark, well used sheet pan just warms my heat.

Pepper grinders are also the giveaway for me. Almost all of them are using old grinders that are not even close to the ATK $50 recommended version, I think only Kevin is the old black grinder that was the recommended one from the first couple of seasons.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Pietr

[Crs97]

I tried watching the show when Julia and Bridgette first took over as hosts, but didn’t last long.  Husband just found it while surfing and stopped, saying, “Didn’t you love this show?”  We watched.  Julia made fried eggs and acted like she was having an orgasm over runny yolks.  Husband and I looked at each other and turned it off.  Apparently they still haven’t learned how to be natural on camera.

[Bastet]

I had to laugh when Bridget said you don't have to make the special sauce recipe for the smashed burgers - if you want to just use ketchup and mustard, go for it.  I would never allow either of those things near my burger.  I use mayo.  (But I'd eat the sauce she made that included a little bit of ketchup.) 

Are those cheese slices she used even real cheese?  It looked like a "cheese product". 

Those burgers didn't particularly appeal to me in general; I'd rather have a thick, juicy patty.

[dubbel zout]

I'm getting more of the ATK At Home episodes, finally.

Yesterday's had Jack showing how to clean a coffee grinder you use as a spice grinder. I have to say, after whizzing the rice, it didn't look that much better. He should have mentioned that using a bread pieces does a good job of cleaning, too. I clean with rice first and then "mop up" with bread. The moistness absorbs any dust or loose particles. Of course, a damp paper towel can do the same, but I think bread does a more thorough job.

[Florinaldo]

On 4/17/2021 at 4:21 PM, Bastet said:

Are those cheese slices she used even real cheese?  It looked like a "cheese product". 

Those burgers didn't particularly appeal to me in general; I'd rather have a thick, juicy patty.

The use of processed, pre-digested "cheese" slices was a major no-no for me. The "meltiness" argument did not cut it. Many better quality REAL cheeses melt quite as well and you just have to cut or grate them beforehand, which does not add much to the prep time. I think this step was just lazy,

As for the burgers themselves, I think they may have some appeal if served in the stacked way they showed, i.e. 2 patties per bun, but as a stand-alone patty I do not think it would really be enjoyable for me either.

On 4/19/2021 at 1:35 PM, dubbel zout said:

I have to say, after whizzing the rice, it didn't look that much better.

I was surprised he was not ashamed to show the state it was in initially; and the end result did not really look statisfying. As you say bread might have done a better job; I think I used that technique once or twice in my old grinder (same model as Jack's) but most often a damp towel did the trick. I certainly never let things go as bad as he did.

I now own another Krups model (Silent Vortex) which solves the problem since the grinding cup is removable and can be washed in soap and water separate from the electric device itself. The cover I still clean by wiping it, since immersing it means water getting into spaces between the various parts.

Edited April 24, 2021 by Florinaldo

[Terrafamilia]

The smashed style of burgers is what the serve at Steak 'n Shake.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

The use of processed, pre-digested "cheese" slices was a major no-no for me. The "meltiness" argument did not cut it. Many better quality REAL cheeses melt quite as well and you just have to cut or grate them beforehand, which does not add much to the prep time. I think this step was just lazy,

While I like a lot of other cheeses on burgers as well, I don't have any problem with one made with American cheese - "pasteurized process cheese".  But using individually-wrapped slices made me think it was instead "pasteurized process cheese food", and I just have no idea why ATK would go down a whole rung like that when it's not even necessary for the melting factor (just put the cheese on the patties while still over heat, not after they've already been removed).

5 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

As for the burgers themselves, I think they may have some appeal if served in the stacked way they showed, i.e. 2 patties per bun, but as a stand-alone patty I do not think it would really be enjoyable for me either.

I agree, it can be assembled in an appealing way.  (I mean, dude, it's a cheeseburger; I am here for it.)  But the lauded crust on the meat is great, yet still leaves me preferring a bit less crust on each side in order to have a thicker, juicer, medium-rare patty in between.

[biakbiak]

The rose/aperol carbonated spritz was absolutely ridiculous! I mean the least they could have done was modify it for a soda stream device since I don’t know that many people who are actually going to go out and get a full Co2 tank! 

[AllAboutMBTV]

And where would you put the tank afterward, biakbiak? Because a tank that size would surely make hundreds of Aperol spritzes, so you're going to have to store it somewhere. Way to wildly overcomplicate a three-ingredient drink, DAN. Most Eye-Rolling ATK Demo Ever? Yes, I think so.

[letusprocrastinate]

I haven't seen the Aperol Spritz segment, and I've never had said beverage, but "First, go get a tank of Carbon Dioxide" is not exactly warming me up to try whatever recipe is being suggested.

[biakbiak]

I thought it was sort of interesting that all the cake pans were different brands, I would think that once you perfected the surface the different shapes would be the easier part. It made me wonder if they wanted to spread the wealth. 

[Mondrianyone]

On 5/25/2021 at 4:09 AM, biakbiak said:

The rose/aperol carbonated spritz was absolutely ridiculous! I mean the least they could have done was modify it for a soda stream device since I don’t know that many people who are actually going to go out and get a full Co2 tank! 

This only aired here last Saturday. It reminded me of the demo where Erin (?) made two cups' worth of cold-brew coffee using like a pound and a half of beans and a week or so of steeping time. Were they going nuts in quarantine, or are we just being punked?

[biakbiak]

10 minutes ago, Mondrianyone said:

This only aired here last Saturday. It reminded me of the demo where Erin (?) made two cups' worth of cold-brew coffee using like a pound and a half of beans and a week or so of steeping time. Were they going nuts in quarantine, or are we just being punked?

Or maybe they all got bored in quarantine and decided to take advantage of weed being legal in Massachusetts, that’s the only logic explanation for either of those two recipes. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by biakbiak

[letusprocrastinate]

On 6/30/2021 at 10:49 PM, Mondrianyone said:

This only aired here last Saturday. It reminded me of the demo where Erin (?) made two cups' worth of cold-brew coffee using like a pound and a half of beans and a week or so of steeping time. Were they going nuts in quarantine, or are we just being punked?

That episode (S21, Ep5, also included fried eggs and yeasted waffles) was just broadcast on one of the PBS stations I get.

Medium roast coffee beans (7 oz if you weigh, 2 1/2 cups if you don't have a scale), 12-72 hours of steeping (she did 24), and then several more hours of going through a filter to make a concentrate that can keep in the fridge for up to a week.  But it definitely was an involved process to make 2, maybe 3 cups of cold-brew coffee.

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, letusprocrastinate said:

But it definitely was an involved process to make 2, maybe 3 cups of cold-brew coffee.

For me it’s not even the time it’s the amount of beans! Serious Eats used half that amount for a quart and it’s great.

[letusprocrastinate]

1 minute ago, biakbiak said:

For me it’s not even the time it’s the amount of beans! Serious Eats used half that amount for a quart and it’s great.

I don't drink coffee but I've made it for others and the amount of beans caused me to raise an eyebrow.  Made me wonder if Erin prefers her coffee really strong.

[biakbiak]

If that were the case she should go for a darker roast. 

[Mondrianyone]

44 minutes ago, letusprocrastinate said:

Medium roast coffee beans (7 oz if you weigh, 2 1/2 cups if you don't have a scale), 12-72 hours of steeping (she did 24), and then several more hours of going through a filter to make a concentrate that can keep in the fridge for up to a week.  But it definitely was an involved process to make 2, maybe 3 cups of cold-brew coffee.

I was hoping it was obvious I was exaggerating for comic effect, but maybe not. At any rate, it was far too much work for way too little end result.

[letusprocrastinate]

And now it's the episode with Dan and the CO2 tank. 

@Mondrianyone, sorry.  Since the cold brew coffee episode was being shown again, and I remember watching it when it was first aired and thought it was way too much work for such a limited result, that I made sure to watch it again.  Still have that impression.

 

Edited July 10, 2021 by letusprocrastinate

[Mondrianyone]

No sorry needed. I often forget that sarcasm doesn't translate well to print.

And now I have to go start on the coffee I'll be drinking next week! (Kidding again.)

[Prevailing Wind]

Does every flavor enhancing ingredient add "tons of flavor"?  It's not that noticeable unless you binge watch, but boy, howdy, they use that phrase a lot.

[AllAboutMBTV]

Don't forget "Sounds good" and "Gotcha." Both Bridget and Julia say one or both a LOT while the presenting chef prepares a dish. As a director friend of mine used to say, "Make a different decision!"

[BigBingerBro]

Don't forget "I'm going to go ahead and....."

Never-ending

[emma675]

My local PBS seems to be way behind everyone else's on episodes airing. We just got the one where they made yellow cake with chocolate frosting and Bridget went to town on it (which I appreciated). I ended up making it and even though it wasn't all that different from other yellow cakes I've made, it was really tasty. Maybe it was the bleached cake flour? I don't know, but it had a really nice texture and buttery taste. 

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, emma675 said:

My local PBS seems to be way behind everyone else's on episodes airing. 

Mine too, and they seem to show mostly repeats.  It's one reason I can never seem to keep up with this thread.  I should watch them on streaming.  I have it but don't tend to watch the episodes that way even though they're all there and easy to access.

[MissT]

19 hours ago, AllAboutMBTV said:

Don't forget "Sounds good" and "Gotcha." Both Bridget and Julia say one or both a LOT while the presenting chef prepares a dish. As a director friend of mine used to say, "Make a different decision!"

I actually hate when Julia watches a cook complete an entire dish and says "Well Done".   She does it ALL the time.   It drives me nuts, like she's their superior or something

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, MissT said:

I actually hate when Julia watches a cook complete an entire dish and says "Well Done".   She does it ALL the time.   It drives me nuts, like she's their superior or something

People used to complain about a superior attitude with Chris because of his attitude but I agree that Julia is not immune to coming off that way herself.

[Mondrianyone]

2 hours ago, MissT said:

It drives me nuts, like she's their superior or something

She kind of is their superior. She's an executive producer of the show, so in that capacity she's their boss.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 7/20/2021 at 5:10 PM, BigBingerBro said:

Don't forget "I'm going to go ahead and....."

Never-ending

Don't forget the past-tense variation:  "I went ahead and..."  Arrrrgggghhhhh.

[Florinaldo]

Another verbal tick is "just let me stir this" as if the viewer could do anything to stop that or any other action by the cooks.

So the Elegant French Desserts is the last episode of the ATK "At Home" season. Have they made any announcement as to whether CK's next season is being produced along the same principle or if they are returning to the usual formula?

On 5/25/2021 at 4:09 AM, biakbiak said:

The rose/aperol carbonated spritz was absolutely ridiculous!

Sometimes it feels like they become so enamoured with their new technique or approach, that they go gaga with it. They forget that the end result of all their testing and development should be something that is easily applicable at home, by ordinary people, and does not take too much time. The ice coffee episode is a good example of them going overboard, and so is this one. Who has room in their kitchen for such a big and cumbersome gas tank, which is ugly to boot?

They should have worked at adapting this coktail recipe to small appliances found in many kitchens today, like those soda machines that are so popular.

On 7/20/2021 at 7:46 PM, emma675 said:

Maybe it was the bleached cake flour?

I also got excellent results. I can't remember another recipe I made which specifically required bleached flour: up here, unbleached is the norm and not every grocery store carries the bleached variety. I had to visit 3 stores before finding some.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Florinaldo

[Prevailing Wind]

I saw an old one with Kimball last night. Even Adam remarked on "A ton of flavor."

[chessiegal]

2 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I saw an old one with Kimball last night. Even Adam remarked on "A ton of flavor."

Wow. I thought they weren't showing those anymore.

[Prevailing Wind]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

Wow. I thought they weren't showing those anymore.

Pluto TV has an entire channel called ATK. They've started showing older (WAY older) episodes.  OMG. Julia & Bridget were SO young! Julia wasn't even married yet.

 

[chessiegal]

56 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Pluto TV has an entire channel called ATK. They've started showing older (WAY older) episodes.  OMG. Julia & Bridget were SO young! Julia wasn't even married yet.

 

Ahh. That explains it. I haven't seen any with Kimball on the broadcast PBS channels for quite some time.

[Yeah No]

On 7/21/2021 at 11:32 AM, Mondrianyone said:

She kind of is their superior. She's an executive producer of the show, so in that capacity she's their boss.

Re: Julia, don’t get me wrong, I like her but I don’t really like it when superiors act that superior. And when Chris acted that way people hated him. Jack also comes off a little that way too but somehow it doesn’t bother me as much.

[chessiegal]

In an email I got from ATK today, they said they started filming Season 22 this month, and are back in the test kitchen set.

[freeser]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

In an email I got from ATK today, they said they started filming Season 22 this month, and are back in the test kitchen set.

I am so glad they are back on the set.  I missed the interaction between the various cast members when they were filming in their homes. 

[AllAboutMBTV]

Now that they're back on set, I hope they keep the more relaxed hair and makeup styles from the At Home season. The women looked SO shellacked in the last studio season -- way too much slap on their faces and hair so sprayed it wouldn't move if Dorothy Gale's tornado was bearing down on them.

[dubbel zout]

We got the at-home episode where Julia made "grown up" grilled cheese sandwiches by making a paste of Brie and Gruyère cheese. As usual with ATK, it was a lot of work for a simple dish.

[buttersister]

At-home rerun of Japanese favorites. I catch the second half, happy to see them explore this cuisine. Someone makes a soba noodle salad similar to mine. She’s got a 4-tablespoon measuring cup to be super precise with the dressing ingredients. Then uses white miso and tells everyone they can use white, red, brown, they’ll all work—true, but with very different flavor profiles she didn’t precisely mention.😂