Your culinary cheat sheet from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated

Kitchen Smarts has the answers to all your cooking questions. [America's Test Kitchen] [View in a Web browser →]( Get the companion to our best-selling book Kitchen Hacks [Kitchen Smarts: Questions and Answers to Boost Your Cooking IQ. Cover Price: 19.95. Your Price: $14.95. Order now. ]( [Save 25%. Why do chefs sprinkle salt from way up in the air like that? Does searing meat seal in juices? Why do some soups and stews taste better the day after you make them?]( Hundreds of definitive, researched, kitchen-tested answers to questions large and small, common and bizarre Dear Curious Cook, These days, answers to cooking questions are only as far away as a Google search. But the right answer, one that you can trust . . . now that can be harder to find. The test cooks and editors at Cook’s Illustrated magazine have been answering real questions from real home cooks like you for nearly 25 years. It’s what we do best. We provide the definitive, kitchen-tested-and-verified, you-can-bet-your-dinner-on-it truth, along with the “why” behind it. Love always having the answer? Then you need to check out [Kitchen Smarts]( a follow-up to our best-selling book Kitchen Hacks, where we’ve assembled more than 280 answers to common (and not so common) cooking questions in a book that is fun to skim or to read cover to cover. You’ll be a smarter, more efficient cook with [Kitchen Smarts]( at the ready. In fact, the smart starts now . . . order the book directly from the test kitchen (it’s not available yet anywhere else) for just $14.95, a 25 percent savings off the $19.95 cover price. Order additional copies for just $9.95 (it makes a great gift for cooks of all skill levels). Our best to you, [Jack Bishop Signature] Jack Bishop Chief Creative Officer Become a better, smarter cook [order now]( [1] Kitchen Mythbusters What if Grandma Was Wrong? Cooking knowledge and kitchen skills are often handed down from one generation to the next. Over time, many of these inherited ideas are accepted as conventional wisdom. In this chapter, we fact-check 50 of the most common pieces of kitchen mythology to see what’s really worth passing on. TRUE OR FALSE? The best way to tell if an avocado is ripe is to squeeze it. Yes, this is a good way to determine ripeness, but it’s also a good way to mistake a bruised avocado for a ripe one. [Pick the stem from the avocado]( While avocados do get softer as they ripen, squeezing to determine ripeness is not always best. You bruise the fruit by squeezing it, and a previously bruised fruit can also be mistaken for a ripe one this way. Our preferred method for identifying a ripe avocado is to try to flick the small stem off the fruit. If it comes off easily and you can see green underneath it, the avocado is ripe. If it does not come off or you see brown underneath, the avocado is not yet ripe, or it’s overripe and therefore unusable. You can avoid crying while slicing onions by lighting a candle near your cutting board. You can tell how fresh an egg is by putting it in a bowl of water—if it floats, it’s bad. True or false? Find out and save up to 50% when you order today! [order NOW]( [2] Kitchen Substitutions How Much Can I Get Away With? No one wants to run to the supermarket in the middle of a recipe for just one missing ingredient, so we’ve put together a guide to the substitution questions we’ve gotten over the years, both common and . . . creative. How different are white and brown mushrooms? Can I just use whatever I have when a recipe calls for mushrooms? Technically, they’re not very different, but there are definite variations in flavor. [Mushroom varieties]( White button and cremini mushrooms (also known as baby portobellos) belong to the same mushroom species. We sautéed white button and cremini mushrooms and tasted them side by side in risotto and atop pizza. The flavor of creminis was noticeably deeper and more complex. This difference was also apparent, though less obvious, when we compared both types of mushrooms sprinkled raw over salads. Are there differences between long-, medium-, and short-grain rices aside from the length of the grains? Is it OK to replace unsalted butter with salted butter if I reduce the total amount of salt in a recipe? Get the answers and save up to 50% when you order today! [order NOW]( [3] Kitchen Confidential How Would a Test Cook Do That? Our test cooks try many different approaches before deciding on the best way to execute a particular task, and we’ve come up with a guide to the tips and tricks that will help you learn new skills, level up your existing abilities, unlearn some bad habits, and tackle all your kitchen challenges with confidence. Does it matter which way I slice an onion? Once it’s cut up, it’s all the same, right? Slicing with the grain of the onion will make it taste less pungent, while cutting against the grain makes for more-pungent onions. [Chopping an onion]( The intense flavor and acrid odor of onions is caused by substances called thiosulfinates, created when enzymes known as alliinases contained in the onion’s cells interact with proteins that are also present in the vegetable. The reactions take place only when the onion’s cells are ruptured and release the strong-smelling enzymes. Cutting with the grain ruptures fewer cells than cutting against the grain, leading to the release of fewer alliinases and the creation of fewer thiosulfinates. Is there an easy way to deal with fresh thyme? I find it so fussy to work with. Is it possible to bring home leftover French fries from a restaurant and reheat them successfully? Learn the secrets and save up to 50% when you order today! [order NOW]( [4] Kitchen Science What’s Going On in There? You don’t need to go back to school for a triple grad degree in the hard sciences before making dinner. We’ve done the kitchen experiments (with lab-level precision) to figure out what’s really happening when you cook, and we’re here to explain the science you need to make food taste better. What’s the best way to melt chocolate so it stays glossy and smooth? Our favorite method uses the microwave to control the temperature and thus the structure of cocoa butter crystals. [Microwaving chocolate]( Cocoa butter can solidify into any of six different types of crystals, each of which forms at a specific temperature. But only one type—beta crystals—sets up dense and shiny and stays that way even at temperatures well above room temperature. When chocolate is made up of beta crystals, it is said to be in temper. So how do you put melted chocolate back in temper? The traditional way is a painstaking process known as tempering. We prefer a far simpler approach. While not quite a shiny as traditionally tempered chocolate, this chocolate will have a nice luster and decent snap once it has cooled and set. Does basting really do anything? A friend told me that storing potato chips in the refrigerator would keep them fresher for longer. Is this true? Discover the truth and save up to 50% when you order today! [order NOW]( [5] Kitchen Speak What Is That and How Do I Pronounce It? Unfamiliar terms can cause a real problem if you simmer when you’re supposed to boil or chop when you should dice. Specialized vocabulary can also be an issue at the grocery store, where packaging comes covered in jargon or buzzwords. And what about the indecipherable language of restaurant menus? Start with the helpful notes in this chapter and you’ll be fluent in foodie before you know it. CHEAT SHEET La Cuisine Française: Commonly Misunderstood (and Mispronounced) French Food Terms béchamel BAY-sha-mell: The classic French white sauce is traditionally made by stirring milk into a cooked mixture of butter and flour, or roux. It serves as the base for numerous-dishes such as lasagna and creamed spinach. mirepoix meer-PWAH: Mirepoix is a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery that serves as a flavor base for stocks, broths, sauces, and braises. The classic ratio is 2 parts onion, 1 part carrots, and 1 part celery. terroir tehr-WAHR: Terroir describes the way that the unique place in which a food was grown can affect its flavors. It is frequently used to describe wine but can apply to many other kinds of natural products. velouté veh-loo-TAY: This classic, rich French sauce is made from stock, cream, butter, and flour. Know for sure and save up to 50% when you order today! [order NOW]( We’re in the right answer business There are no dumb questions, but there are dumb—and wrong!—answers. The editors and test cooks of Cook’s Illustrated are here to protect you from those and help you become a better, smarter cook. Silence all the noise from an online world full of dubious information by going straight to America’s most trusted cooking magazine. Get your copy of [Kitchen Smarts]( today for just $14.95, and save even more (the smart buy) when you order addtional copies ($9.95 each). [Kitchen Smarts]( Save up to 50% today when you order Kitchen Smarts. 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