Pasta e Ceci, Fluffy Baked Polenta with Red Sauce, Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Hear from our tastings and testings team about their favorite recipes and what they’re working on. [Log In]( [America's Test Kitchen]( [FIND RECIPES]( [START FREE WEB TRIAL]( Notes from the Test Kitchen [Tastings and Testings Team Spotlight]( February 9, 2018 Tastings and Testings Team Spotlight Our [tastings]( and [testings]( team members are the masterminds behind our equipment reviews and taste tests. We go through a rigorous testing process because we want to help you understand what makes a piece of kitchen equipment reliable and durable and what makes a pantry item (consistently) taste good. We believe in our top-rated products so much that we use them to stock our own test kitchen and pantry. This week, we hear from three members of our tastings and testings team as they tell us what they’re currently tasting and testing, what’s their favorite recipe, and what piece of kitchen equipment they must have. Never miss a taste test or equipment review by subscribing to our magazines [Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country](. We’ve also gathered all of our reviews and taste tests featured on all 18 seasons of America’s Test Kitchen in [The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook](. [Lauren Savoie] Which taste tests and/or equipment reviews are you currently working on? LS: I'm just starting testing for a review of coolers that will eventually appear in Cook's Country . It's going to be a fun one—our tests involve a motorized saw, pushing full coolers off a tailgate, and a trip to the beach—in January (though not necessarily in that order). We work about nine months out from publication so as much as I'd like to test the coolers on a 90-degree day in July, we have to figure out how to recreate those conditions the best we can in the height of New England winter. Sometimes that means using a lot of space heaters, other times that means making your team go out to a beach in South Boston in January to help you try and wheel coolers across the sand. After that, I'll move onto a tasting of egg noodles. What is your favorite Cook's Illustrated or Cook's Country recipe? [Pasta e Ceci]( LS: Hands down, [Pasta e Ceci](. I've been outspoken of my support of this recipe. Basically, if every recipe had a fan club (shout out to the [Olive Oil Cake]( Club!) I would be the president (and probably the secretary and treasurer) of the Pasta e Ceci fan club. Every single person I make it for, without fail, asks for the recipe. It's so warm and hearty; [the absolute definition of comfort food](. [Pasta e Ceci]( [View Recipe]( What is one piece of kitchen equipment you can't live without? LS: I have to choose just one? The first thing that comes to mind is a [Dutch oven](. I mean, how else could you make the aforementioned Pasta e Ceci? But in all seriousness, a Dutch oven is a kitchen workhorse and the first pot I reach for in my kitchen. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the butcher's block prep table my dad built more than 30 years ago and gave to me when I moved to Boston. Living in the city, counter space has always been at a premium in my apartments, so having the extra prep space is crucial. I love being able to cut right on the surface, and of course, I love that it has a story. Finally, [a great roll of paper towels](. [Cuisinart Dutch Oven]( Cuisinart 7 Qt. Round Covered Casserole [BUY NOW]( [Carolyn Grillo] Which taste tests and/or equipment reviews are you currently working on? CG: Right now I am working on a testing of kids’ vegetable peelers. This story will be included in an upcoming issue of Cook's Illustrated as well as the kids’ cookbook that is in development. I aim to find a peeler that is safe enough for children to use while still getting the job done. I'm in the process of planning my tests. Then I will begin testing with kids! I am excited to work with children; I love kids. I have six nieces and nephews ages eight and under. I've been thinking about them throughout the planning. What is your favorite Cook's Illustrated or Cook's Country recipe? [Fluffy Polenta]( CG: One of my favorite recipes is from the Cook's Country April/May 2016 issue: [Baked Polenta with Red Sauce]( by the talented Katie Leaird. The polenta is creamy and also fluffy. This dish is not fussy or complicated, but the flavors and texture are impressive. The red sauce has the perfect amount of sweetness. I cooked this recipe for some friends who came over for dinner. My closest friend is a vegetarian, so I was challenged (in a good way) to make delicious food that was satisfying for everyone present. My friends fought over the last slice of polenta that we had saved for someone who was late to dinner. That's the kind of meal I like cooking. [Fluffy Baked Polenta with Red Sauce]( [View Recipe]( What is one piece of kitchen equipment you can't live without? CG: I couldn't live without my [Technivorm Moccamaster 10-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe](. My wife and I love coffee and this maker brews a perfect pot each time. The coffee is consistently smooth. Plus, the carafe keeps the coffee hot for hours, so on a slow weekend morning we can keep going back for more. I'm grateful we received this as a wedding present because it's not an inexpensive machine. Now I don't know what we would do without it! [Technivorm Moccamaster 10-Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe]( Technivorm Moccamaster 10‑Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe [BUY NOW]( [Miye Bromberg] Which taste tests and/or equipment reviews are you currently working on? MB: I've been given a short furlough from Equipment Corner, so for once I'm not testing weird and wacky stuff like gourd tools or lid holders. I just finished a review of boning knives and will be testing large cutting boards very soon. But I'm most excited about the tastings I've got on tap: supermarket and high-end mail-order bacon! What is your favorite Cook's Illustrated or Cook's Country recipe? [Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits]( MB: Don't make me choose! I have lots of favorites. (Can we do a top ten or top 20 next time?) I can't say if it's my favorite, but the recipe I've made the most frequently is Andrew Janjigian's [Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits](. It may surprise readers to know this, but not all those who work in the test kitchen come fresh off the line or even have culinary school training. I was an enthusiastic home cook who edited books for a living before coming here. I am not a baker. I lost my sweet tooth in my 20s, and I don't like most baked goods. I have no intuitive (or acquired) sense of how doughs are supposed to work. And I am terrible at following instructions. This recipe is WORTH IT. The name says it all. It really is the ultimate flaky buttermilk biscuit. Each biscuit has a crisp top and sides, layers of flaky pastry, and plays equally well with jam or sausage gravy. It makes other biscuits shrink in shame. My loved ones will accept no others. I have to get up early several mornings during the holidays to make them. I have no regrets. [Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits]( [View Recipe]( What is one piece of kitchen equipment you can't live without? MB: Besides my knife? [Fish spatula]( hands down. Fish spatulas: they're not just for fish! They're just about the best metal spatula you can get, especially if you use cast-iron or carbon-steel cookware a lot (see below). You can use them to flip burgers or pancakes, to remove fried eggs, or, in a pinch, to cut dough or scrape dried bits of flour off the counter. At their best, they're thin and flexible enough to slide effortlessly under food without damaging it yet sturdy enough to withstand the everyday abuse I put them through. I'm doing a new review of metal spatulas this year, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Everyone should own one. [Wüsthof Gourmet Slotted Turner/Fish Spatula]( Wüsthof Gourmet Slotted Turner/Fish Spatula [BUY NOW]( [AD TK]( News and Events [Mail Order King Cakes]( [New Tasting: Mail-Order King Cakes]( Even if you're not in New Orleans, you can still get an authentic taste of Mardi Gras—delivered. We selected seven classic, unfilled king cakes from some of the most popular bakeries in Louisiana and Mississippi. Which mail-order king cake was our all around favorite? [I want King Cake]( [America’s Test Kitchen on The Splendid Table]( Tune in to your local public radio station or listen at [splendidtable.org](. 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