America's Test Kitchen - General Discussion

[Snarklepuss]

13 hours ago, Florinaldo said:

If the two ATK hosts are indeed deserving of the "two fat ladies" moniker, than I guess I should start describing myself as an anorexic boy.  ;-)

I have seen one or two seasons of the British Two Fat Ladies, and although their chemistry was different than that of the ATK gals, I do not think I would call it better. Bridget and Julia are more professional and far less demonstrative than the other two, but I find them all equally enjoyable in their own specific way, for different reasons.

Oh, as far as weight goes I fall somewhere in between Bridget and Julia but I love my husband's sense of humor so I took it in the spirit in which it was intended!

I think I've decided what I think makes great chemistry in any TV or movie duo.  Think about it - All great teams of two are comprised of contrasting personalities.  Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Jamie and Adam (from Mythbusters), Rowan and Martin, Cheech and Chong, Jennifer and Clarissa (from Two Fat Ladies), Jacques Pepin and Julia Child, Chris Kimball and just about anyone else from the ATK cast, etc.  What I think bothers me about Bridget and Julia together is that it's pairing like with like.  They're too similar and so to me they don't flow somehow.  It would be like putting my best girlfriend and I on TV together.  We are just a little too similar to have great on-screen chemistry and I think we'd come off as mildly annoying.  Of course that's just my opinion.  It doesn't mean I won't watch Bridget and Julia together or enjoy them, if that makes any sense.

[biakbiak]

I was watching Smitten Kitchens Instagram story and she was at ATK. They just moved into new offices in Boston and will be having new studios for both ATK and CC all under one roof.

[Snarklepuss]

That's sad that they're going to leave the house in Vermont.  I always wanted to go there as it's only a couple of hours away from me.  :(

ETA:  I wonder if Chris owned or had partial ownership in the house.  I also wonder how much sense it makes to have a show entitled "Cook's Country" broadcasting from an office building in downtown Boston.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Snarklepuss

[Snarklepuss]

Here's more ATK news.  Dan Sousa has been named editor in chief of Cook's Illustrated magazine.  I guess I was on the right track all along when I suspected that he was Chris' replacement.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dan-souza-named-editor-in-chief-of-cooks-illustrated-300519722.html

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

That's sad that they're going to leave the house in Vermont.  I always wanted to go there as it's only a couple of hours away from me.  :(

ETA:  I wonder if Chris owned or had partial ownership in the house.  I also wonder how much sense it makes to have a show entitled "Cook's Country" broadcasting from an office building in downtown Boston.

I thought Chris owned that house in Vermont. I also read somewhere you can rent it, but wasn't cheap.

[thosme]

They finally started showing Cooks Country here.  I do wish they are gotten rid of the banjo/guitar chords.  I never liked them and thought there should be one more strum.

[Nessie]

Ok, so I was watching the latest episode of Cooks Country today, or at least the latest episode my PBS station decided to show me, with the Basque Garlic Fried Chicken which looked amazing.  Julia was talking about melting butter for the chicken and how they decided not to pour it over the chicken because they found it "sogged out" the crust, and it was like the segment came to a screeching halt for me.  I've heard Dan say this before, too, and it's a pet peeve of mine...what's wrong with just saying it made the crust soggy (which is, like, an actual word)?

[Mondrianyone]

I have to be obnoxious about this kind of thing for work all the time, so I'll risk it here.  "Sog" (and its past tense "sogged") actually is a word.  There probably would never have been a "soggy" if it hadn't been built on the root "sog."  Here's the appropriate definition (there's also another meaning) from Webster's Unabridged:

1sog

verb

\ˈsäg also ˈsȯg\

sogged; sogged; sogging; sogs

chiefly dialectal

:  soak

Origin of SOG

origin unknown

 

Sometimes I'm amazed by words I think were just made up a week ago that turn out to be legitimate old English words, almost lost to time.  I probably shouldn't be surprised anymore.  ;o)

[Nessie]

I'm aware that both sog and sogged are real words, but I didn't find "sogged out" on any dictionary site (including Urban) so I doubt it is a proper usage.  

However, since it is apparently accepted, I await the day I hear Ina Garten explain how to avoid something getting "sogged out".  I'll try very hard not to let it bother me, just like I try very hard not to let the liberal misuse of the word "literally" bother me.  

Ah times, they are a-changing and language with them.

[Snarklepuss]

8 hours ago, Nessie said:

I'm aware that both sog and sogged are real words, but I didn't find "sogged out" on any dictionary site (including Urban) so I doubt it is a proper usage. 

I googled on the phrase "sogged out" in quotation marks and found only about 1,520 results, mostly on foodie blogs and The America's Test Kitchen site.  But I also found it as a footnote in "The English Dialect Dictionary" under the word "sog" a couple of times.  And that was written in 1904!

See below:

https://www.google.com/search?q="sogged+out"&ei=pEktWqajBYSVjwSl64vQBw&start=0&sa=N&biw=1252&bih=575

[Mondrianyone]

Language always changes.  If it didn't, we'd be having these conversations in grunts.  Dictionaries take a long time to catch up to actual usage, but if you go to Google Books and look up the phrase, there are tons of examples of its being used in mainstream books as well as blogs.

If a show is otherwise entertaining and informative, I wouldn't let some random word choice shut everything down for me.

Our local PBS has been preempting the Saturday cooking shows the last couple of weeks, so I'd even forgive sogged-out chicken if I could just get to watch!

[Nessie]

Fine.  You will hear nothing else from me on the subject.  I really didn't mean to start a debate on the evolution of language, I was only commenting on a phrase that annoyed me.  Peace out.

[Mondrianyone]

I thought it was a conversation.  I'm already at peace, but thanks.

[Mittengirl]

They probably have been watching the home improvement shows that insist on adding “out” where it doesn’t need to be - switch out, change out, swap out.  Drives me nuts.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Mittengirl

[bc1795]

Just can't stand Julia's performances  -  " oh  Ho- Ho - Ho - Ho - ho",  "oooooooh" "that smells gooood."   Eeeeh,   Uuuuuugh,   She should be on Cinemax at around 3:45:AM!

[Iguessnot]

On 12/21/2017 at 2:34 PM, bc1795 said:

Just can't stand Julia's performances  -  " oh  Ho- Ho - Ho - Ho - ho",  "oooooooh" "that smells gooood."   Eeeeh,   Uuuuuugh,   She should be on Cinemax at around 3:45:AM!

Today I watched my Summer Grilling Party, season 17 esp 24 recording and when Julia did her ho ho ho over the grilled tenderloin I just rolled thinking about your post.

[Kohola3]

On 11/26/2017 at 2:30 PM, thosme said:

I do wish they are gotten rid of the banjo/guitar chords.

I hoped with the departure of Christopher Kimball that those chords would disappear.  Has long outlasted its usefulness of announcing the switching of scenes.  Just do it.

[o-gal]

I tackled the Sticky Buns for Christmas and I followed the recipe to the letter. Mittengirl is right - the goo is incredible but the buns weren't all that much better than other recipes.

I made them up on Sunday and used the recipe's directions to put them in the fridge. You can do that for up to 14 hours. Got them out early the next morning and let them sit, as instructed, for 1 1/2 hours to warm up. They didn't appear that much more risen, so I gave them a slight rise in a warm place for another hour, then baked them. They were awesome! However, letting them sit means that the buns absorb a little of the goo, so there wasn't as much to scrape out over the buns. But they were still really, really good.

[Kohola3]

I have used their salmon recipe for starting in a cold pan and I found it to be pretty much foolproof. I've tried lots of different ways so was pleased to find this one.  I am also careful of the internal temp as they suggest - I never, ever used farmed salmon, only wild caught Alaskan so was happy to know what I should be aiming for.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On the episode where Dan was making frozen yogurt, he did something I find strange, but I'm no kind of cook.  Maybe one of you can explain it.  He strained the yogurt through cheesecloth, and needed to use some of the liquid.  He said to measure out 3/4 cup and throw it out, and he measured out 3/4 cup and threw it into the sink.  Then he said, "You should have 1/2 cup left," and he poured the remainder into a measuring cup and sure enough, it was 1/2 cup (surprise, surprise).  And he used that.

Why wouldn't he just measure 1/2 cup and throw out whatever was left over?  Why measure an amount to throw out, and hope you have enough left over?  It made no sense.

[Kohola3]

7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Why wouldn't he just measure 1/2 cup and throw out whatever was left over?  Why measure an amount to throw out, and hope you have enough left over?  It made no sense.

I thought that exact same thing!  What if there had not been enough left?  That didn't make sense at all.   I was wracking my brain trying to find a reason but - crickets.

[biakbiak]

New season started here in the Bay Area. 

I tyoically only liked a baked mac and cheese, I might give the stovetop method for a quick weeknight meal or when I have the picky 7 year old in my life over. 

I liked the whisking segment,  I hope that segment becomes a feature with different techniques. 

[J-Man]

So is Elle going to be ATK's version of Mrs. Slocombe from "Are You Being Served?" Last season she had blue hair; now it's blonde.

[dubbel zout]

I grew up on stovetop mac and cheese with Velveeta. I still love it. IDEC. I usually make a white sauce, but that's kind of a pain, and I like the idea of cooking the pasta in water and milk. Everything in one pan is such a change of pace for ATK, LOL.

[Nessie]

On 1/17/2018 at 3:21 AM, biakbiak said:

New season started here in the Bay Area. 

I tyoically only liked a baked mac and cheese, I might give the stovetop method for a quick weeknight meal or when I have the picky 7 year old in my life over. 

I liked the whisking segment,  I hope that segment becomes a feature with different techniques. 

You're getting new ones?  I'm jealous.  I checked the website, and no sign of them here (SE Virginia), and the list goes until almost the end of February...:-(

[biakbiak]

10 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I grew up on stovetop mac and cheese with Velveeta. I still love it. IDEC. I usually make a white sauce, but that's kind of a pain, and I like the idea of cooking the pasta in water and milk. Everything in one pan is such a change of pace for ATK, LOL.

Two episodes with one pot meals and using a microwave! Even though I live a two blocks from a Vietnamese store where I can get the dried shrimp the microwave method made me curious but its als so easy to get cheap amazing pad thai. Its close to making pho at home, I have a place near me thats broth is amazing and we can get it for $6. 

Edited January 23, 2018 by biakbiak

[chessiegal]

Seems to me they've been using a microwave for certain things for years, so I don't find that unusual.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

Seems to me they've been using a microwave for certain things for years, so I don't find that unusual.

It started happening on the show three or four seasons ago and Chris made a big deal each time. This season they are doing it without shame, as is Chris on his his show, though he even made a comment the first time on Milk Street.

Edited January 23, 2018 by biakbiak

[fauntleroy]

Anybody catch the episode where Dan makes pizza for the grill? Man, no thanks. After all the work of making the dough the day before, he then burned it. Not burning the bottom of a pizza on the grill would be the whole point of showing us how experts solve this problem. Any knucklehead can burn the dough. They solved it by putting burned side down!

[chessiegal]

I watched a rerun recently where they were evaluating water bottles. Ol' tightwad Chris smugly announces that he wouldn't buy a water bottle, when you can buy a bottle of water and reuse it. So disappointed no one pointed out you shouldn't keep reusing them because eventually chemicals start leaching out from the plastic. Bad on you ATK. And I want to smack off the smug look on Chris's face.

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Bad on you ATK. And I want to smack off the smug look on Chris's face.

Me, too, that episode made my blood boil.  Plus the unconscionable amount of waste in landfills from those vile plastic bottles.  I have been carrying a stainless steel water bottle for years.  Same on ATK and PBS for that segment.

[chessiegal]

Hopefully people are recycling their plastic bottles, but that requires energy. I see a need for bottled water. Before I retired from the federal government, we were required to equip our workplaces with supplies to "shelter in place" that included bottled water. The person in charge monitored the expiration date on bottled water for the program, and handed it out before it "expired" and needed to be replaced. And we recycled.

[Kohola3]

My oncologist is adamantly opposed to bottled water.  The chemical in those bottles, when heated,  leach chemicals that mimic estrogen, the hormone that feeds certain cancers including some kinds of breast cancer.  Shipments are transported in trucks in the summer and are thus exposed to high heat.  You couldn't pay me to drink from one.

I do not miss Christopher Kimball and his smug attitudes.

[biakbiak]

I am glad I missed it because it filled me with  rage the first time.

[Iguessnot]

The episode I found strange was the one where it took nearly two hours to poach chicken breasts. I even tried the recipe. It had merit; brining the breasts in the cooking liquid, but the excessive time and babysitting needed after brining for 30 minutes seemed stupid afterwards. I don't know who was responsible for that recipe.

[Yeah No]

On 2/4/2018 at 9:26 PM, Kohola3 said:

My oncologist is adamantly opposed to bottled water.  The chemical in those bottles, when heated,  leach chemicals that mimic estrogen, the hormone that feeds certain cancers including some kinds of breast cancer.  Shipments are transported in trucks in the summer and are thus exposed to high heat.  You couldn't pay me to drink from one.

I use Nestle Pure Life exclusively because their bottles are BPA free.

And I recycle.  At my house we use enough bottles to finance a dinner about once a month.

I worry about other non-beverage items that are packaged in plastic, like olive oil, ketchup, and mustard.  They also get transported in the hot weather in trucks.  Are they also a hazard?  I would think they'd avoid transporting them in a very hot truck to avoid spoilage.  I guess you can find oil that's bottled in glass but it's hard to avoid plastic with a lot of things.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Yeah No

[Kohola3]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I guess you can find oil that's bottled in glass but it's hard to avoid plastic with a lot of things.

It is very difficult.  One thing I always do is carry a piece of foil to put between hot food and Styrofoam carryout containers. And all of my storage containers are glass.  Plastic is impossible to avoid altogether but even little things can help.

[Yeah No]

On 2/6/2018 at 7:34 AM, Kohola3 said:

It is very difficult.  One thing I always do is carry a piece of foil to put between hot food and Styrofoam carryout containers. And all of my storage containers are glass.  Plastic is impossible to avoid altogether but even little things can help.

I just read that most ketchup and other similar bottles have always been made of a BPA-free type of plastic.  But I'm still not breathing easy!

[StatisticalOutlier]

Anybody else old enough to remember when people would leave the house without bringing a source of water?  What savages we were.

[biakbiak]

27 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Anybody else old enough to remember when people would leave the house without bringing a source of water?  What savages we were.

Both pf my great grandmother always insisted everyone had water in the car and they were born in the 1880s, so no. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

15 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Both pf my great grandmother always insisted everyone had water in the car and they were born in the 1880s, so no. 

Maybe we were the outliers then.  I never once took a bottle of water to school, either.

 

On 2/5/2018 at 10:17 PM, Yeah No said:

And I recycle.  At my house we use enough bottles to finance a dinner about once a month.

I meant to ask you...there are places that will pay money for plastic bottles?  I've found some that will buy aluminum, but never plastic, except in states that have bottle deposits.

[Kohola3]

6 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Maybe we were the outliers then.  I never once took a bottle of water to school, either.

Nor I.  It's a wonder we survived.  When did hydration become such a pervasive thing?

 

6 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I've found some that will buy aluminum, but never plastic, except in states that have bottle deposits.

We have bottle deposits in Michigan but not for bottled water.  Recycling is not the answer either.  It uses a lot of resources.  Buy a damn thermos.

[StatisticalOutlier]

8 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Nor I.  It's a wonder we survived.  When did hydration become such a pervasive thing?

We have bottle deposits in Michigan but not for bottled water.  Recycling is not the answer either.  It uses a lot of resources.  Buy a damn thermos.

That made me wonder what people like biakbiak's great grandmothers used to carry their water.  A canteen?  I swear, I've never noticed hordes of people in photos, other than soldiers during wartime, carrying a canteen like we carry bottles of water these days.  And thermoses were for hot beverages, or for something to drink with lunch, not just to carry around.

I remember noticing people drinking from torpedo-sized bottles of water in Paris in the 1980s, but nothing in the U.S. until water in little plastic bottles became a thing.

I watched what I think is a new episode, on ground beef chili.  Fortunately, it was Julia doing the cooking, so I didn't have to endure Bridget constantly saying, "I'm going to go ahead and..." but she did say something funny.  I gasped when Julia added canned pinto beans, and Bridget said, "We have Texas on line 2 about the beans."

I also thought it was interesting they used pulverized tortilla chips to tighten the chili, instead of masa.  I've always used Wick Fowler's chili mix, and thought I could just as easily do my own, but hesitated because I didn't want to have to keep masa on hand, in my limited space.  I have no problem keeping tortilla chips on hand, other than running out.

It was also nice that they were able to add the full amount of heat because they didn't have Kimball to worry about.

[dubbel zout]

11 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

It was also nice that they were able to add the full amount of heat because they didn't have Kimball to worry about.

LOL! He was such a baby about that. Though it seems he allows a bit more heat in the Milk Street recipes.

[Kohola3]

1 minute ago, dubbel zout said:

Though it seems he allows a bit more heat in the Milk Street recipes.

Does anyone find a lot of the Milk St. recipes a little, well, bizarre?

[dubbel zout]

I do!

[Yeah No]

On 2/9/2018 at 2:10 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

That made me wonder what people like biakbiak's great grandmothers used to carry their water.  A canteen?  I swear, I've never noticed hordes of people in photos, other than soldiers during wartime, carrying a canteen like we carry bottles of water these days.  And thermoses were for hot beverages, or for something to drink with lunch, not just to carry around.

When my grandmother came out with us for a Sunday drive back a zillion years ago she always came with a little wicker picnic basket, complete with, you guessed it - a Thermos.

She had her own version of everything we have today.  We didn't have wipes, so she brought a wet washcloth in a plastic zipper travel case.  We didn't have sanitizer, so she brought a bottle of alcohol.  And there might just be a fried chicken leg wrapped in "tin foil" if you were lucky.  Her little shopping bag was crammed like she was going on "Let's Make a Deal".  And yeah, she carried the obligatory "grandma candies".  Yeah, I'm old.

[biakbiak]

Yes they would use canteens and thermoses for cold beverages not just hot. Also, they would frequently use mason jars.

I am going to try the porchetta that they made on the latest episode, it looked more manageable than many of the recipes out there., maybe for my Oscar party.

Edited February 12, 2018 by biakbiak

[StatisticalOutlier]

14 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Also, they would frequently use mason jars.

Aah, mason jars.  That makes sense.  But I would think canteens would be better for carrying around while doing downtown errands--unbreakable, and they have a carrying strap.

[Iguessnot]

7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Aah, mason jars.  That makes sense.  But I would think canteens would be better for carrying around while doing downtown errands--unbreakable, and they have a carrying strap.

People didn't have to carry canteens around everywhere. Water fountains were common.