America’s Test Kitchen – Season 5

Episode Name: AppetizersSeason: 5Episode: 1Episode Overview:We’ve chosen recipes that deliver big flavor without much work.Recipes- Spiced Pecans with Rum Glaze- Pita Chips- Creamy Spinach Dip- Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce- Beef SatayEquipment Corner- Meat cleaversTasting Lab- Store-bought SalsaEpisode Name: Simple SoupsSeason: 5Episode: 2Episode Overview:Have you ever been tempted to prepare a restaurant recipe only to be disappointed with the results? The recipe sounded great, but once you got to work you realized it was never tested in a home kitchen.Recipes- Quick Chicken Stock- Chicken Noodle Soup- Pasta e FaigoliEquipment Corner- Fat separatersEpisode Name: A Soup SupperSeason: 5Episode: 3Episode Overview:Soup for supper is an appealing concept, especially on a cold, snowy night. But for soup to work as a main course, it better be hearty. A light, clear broth simply won’t do.Recipes- Quick Cheese Bread- Hearty Lentil SoupEquipment Corner- Vegetable peelersTasting Lab- Mail order baconEpisode Name: Regional ClassicsSeason: 5Episode: 4Episode Overview:On occasion local dishes become so popular that they transcend their region. Gumbo is a taste of Louisiana in a big old bowl. Its distinct aroma and flavor are like a quick trip to the bayous outside of New Orleans.Recipes- Creole-style Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo- Cincinnati ChiliEquipment Corner- Useful kitchen gadgetsTasting Lab- Long-grain white riceEpisode Name: Pork Chops and GravySeason: 5Episode: 5Episode Overview:It sometimes seems like the simplest recipes suffer the worst fate in modern cookbooks. Maybe it’s because no one really cares enough about these dishes to get them right.Recipes- Stuffed Pork Chops- All-Purpose Gravy- Glazed CarrotsEpisode Name: Two Roast ChickensSeason: 5Episode: 6Episode Overview:Despite its apparent simplicity, roast chicken is a hard recipe to get right. Recipes- Crispy Roast Lemon Chicken- Chicken Under a Brick with Roasted PotatoesEquipment Corner- Countertop Rotisserie ovensEpisode Name: Flash in a PanSeason: 5Episode: 7Episode Overview:Dinner in less than 20 minutes is the holy grail of weeknight cooking. Many recipes make good on this promise, but most ultimately reflect the minimal effort exerted on the part of the cook. They are fine in a pinch but rarely worth making again. But it doesn’t have to be this way.Recipes- Chicken Paillard- Pan-Seared Shrimp with Garlic Lemon ButterEquipment Corner- Cookware cleaning products Tasting Lab- Chicken cutletsEpisode Name: Family FavoritesSeason: 5Episode: 8Episode Overview:Cooking for a family isn’t as easy as it was once. In Norman Rockwell pictures, the entire clan (with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents) is gathered around the table with a dozen different dishes in front of them. No one has soccer practice or is working late. No one is on a weird diet, and the kids seem to eat the same thing as the adults.Recipes- Sweet and Tangy Oven-Barbecued Chicken- Classic Macaroni and CheeseEquipment Corner- Stain removal productsTasting Lab- Microwave popcornEpisode Name: Restaurant Cooking Comes HomeSeason: 5Episode: 9Episode Overview:Have you ever been tempted to prepare a restaurant recipe only to be disappointed with the results? The recipe sounded great, but once you got to work you realized it was never tested in a home kitchen.Recipes- Flambéed Pan-Roasted Lobster- Crab Towers with Avocado and Gazpacho SalsasEpisode Name: Texas Rib HouseSeason: 5Episode: 10Episode Overview:In Texas, good beef ribs are the secret handshake between experienced grillers.Recipes- Texas-style Barbecued Ribs- Southern CornbreadEquipment Corner- Cast-iron skillet careTasting Lab- Corn bread mixesEpisode Name: Grill-Roasted Beef TenderloinSeason: 5Episode: 11Episode Overview:We don’t part easily with money, but we will on occasion break the bank and buy a beef tenderloin. The tender, buttery interior is the big draw, and the combination of a healthy dose of seasoning and the flavor from the charcoal grill is a perfect solution to a rather mild-tasting (boring) piece of meat.Recipes- Grill-Roasted Beef Tenderloin- Salsa Verde- Broiled Asparagus Equipment Corner- Kitchen gadgetsEpisode Name: New Flavors from the GrillSeason: 5Episode: 12Episode Overview:Even expert grillers can get in a rut. They make the same four or five recipes over and over again. Sure, the steaks are great, but isn’t there something a bit more exciting?Recipes- Thai Grilled Chicken with Spicy, Sweet, and Sour Dipping Sauce- Grilled Salmon with Maple-Soy Glaze Equipment Corner- Portable gas grillsEpisode Name: Mexican FavoritesSeason: 5Episode: 13Episode Overview:There’s a significant disconnect between real Mexican food (as prepared in Mexico) and the food served in “Mexican” restaurants in the United States.Recipes- Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce- Mexican Rice Equipment Corner- Spice grindersEpisode Name: Quick PastaSeason: 5Episode: 14Episode Overview:Pasta is usually quick, but all too often quick pasta dishes taste like little time or effort was expended during their preparation.Recipes- Farfalle with Tomatoes, Olives and Feta- Campanelli with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze- Pasta with Three PestosTasting Lab- Sun-dried tomatoesEpisode Name: A Passage to IndiaSeason: 5Episode: 15Episode Overview:Indian food has a reputation for being spicy (most of it is not) and hard to prepare at home (tell that to one billion Indians). However, it is true that many recipes require a long list of spices and other ingredients.Recipes- Chicken Biryani- Mulligatawny SoupTasting Lab- Curry powderEpisode Name: PissaladièreSeason: 5Episode: 16Episode Overview:Pissaladière is Provençal street food, a fragrant, pizza-like tart prized for its contrast of salty black olives and anchovies against a backdrop of sweet caramelized onions and thyme.Recipes- Pissaladière Equipment Corner- Baking stones- Pizza cuttersEpisode Name: In an Italian-American KitchenSeason: 5Episode: 17Episode Overview:In the test kitchen, we enjoy authentic Italian dishes such as pasta all’amatriciana (episode 18-Italian Classics) and osso buco and polenta (episode 19-Winter Supper). But we also like to prepare Italian-American dishes.Recipes- Eggplant Parmesan- Pasta with Chicken and BrocoliEpisode Name: Italian ClassicsSeason: 5Episode: 18Episode Overview:There seems to be an endless supply of “classic” Italian dishes. Just when we think we’ve mastered the canon, we realize there are more seminal Italian dishes to learn-recipes as important as pesto, steak fiorentina, or pasta with garlic and oil.Recipes- Pasta all’Amatriciana- Mushroom RisottoEquipment Corner- Rotary cheese gratersTasting Lab- Jarred pasta saucesEpisode Name: Winter SupperSeason: 5Episode: 19Episode Overview:Stew and starch is a familiar and comforting winter combination. Stew-and-starch pairings include everything from beef stew and mashed potatoes to chicken paprikash and egg noodles. Our favorite Italian stew-and-starch combo is osso buco and polenta.Recipes- Osso Buco- Basic Polenta Tasting Lab- Bottled waterEpisode Name: Bistro ClassicsSeason: 5Episode: 20Episode Overview:Who doesn’t like bistro food? It offers the panache of fine French cooking but in a casual setting. The dishes are rustic, hearty, and satisfying.Recipes- Baked Goat Cheese Salad- French Onion SoupEquipment Corner- Santoku knivesTasting Lab- Goat cheeseEpisode Name: Ultimate Sticky BunsSeason: 5Episode: 21Episode Overview:Sticky buns are things of breakfast-time debauchery. In bakeries, they are often plate-size buns, warm and glistening, heady with brown sugar and spices. In our opinion, anything less than a great one is not worth its calories.Recipes- Sticky Buns with PecansEquipment Lab- New-generation Coffee MakersTasting Lab- Supermarket coffeeEpisode Name: Bake-Sale FavoritesSeason: 5Episode: 22Episode Overview:Every afternoon around three, editors come sniffing around the test kitchen looking for cookies fresh from the oven. Given how many cookies we make, our test cooks appreciate bar cookies.Recipes- Classic Brownies- Congo BarsEquipment Corner- Baking PansTasting Lab – Boxed Brownie Mixes Episode Name: Holiday CookiesSeason: 5Episode: 23Episode Overview:Making cookies is a favorite holiday activity. Many people who bake infrequently during the year throw themselves into marathon cookie projects.Recipes- Glazed Butter Cookies- Walnut Cresent CookiesEquipment Corner- Handheld verses standing mixersEpisode Name: There’s a Hole in Your CakeSeason: 5Episode: 24Episode Overview:Cakes baked in Bundt pans and tube pans are popular for a variety of reasons.Recipes- Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake- Angel Food CakeEquipment Corner- Bundt Pans Episode Name: Pumpkin CheesecakeSeason: 5Episode: 25Episode Overview:Pumpkin cheesecake stands second to the traditional pumpkin pie as a holiday dessert. Those who suffer from pumpkin pie ennui embrace pumpkin cheesecake as “a nice change,” but the expectations are low.Recipes- Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake- Brown Sugar and Bourbon CreamTasting Lab- Cream CheeseEpisode Name: Four-Star DessertsSeason: 5Episode: 26Episode Overview:When our test cooks eat in restaurants, they always come back to the kitchen and talk about the dessert. Dramatic and artful presentations rightfully garner a lot of attention.Recipes- Chocolate Volcano Cake with Espresso Ice Cream- Caramelized Pears with Blue Cheese and Black-Pepper-Caramel Sauce Equipment Corner- Handheld Mixers