With more than 600 episodes and 2 million weekly viewers, “America’s Test Kitchen” has become a household staple.
The show is celebrating its 25th season with a new cookbook featuring 500 of the most iconic recipes. The show has been on public television since 2001 with the aim of putting home cooks at ease by focusing on their needs.
“America’s Test Kitchen” has a unique take on combining science with recipes, taking special care to ensure viewers understand the purpose of every step and the equipment necessary for each recipe. The stars of the show prioritize making the content as digestible as the meals.
“The science is when you break down what cooking is,” said co-host Bridget Lancaster. “It’s just a whole bunch of science happening in a kitchen. You get to eat that science. So if you know the why of something happening and not just how to cook it, you can become a great problem solver and really solve future cooking problems yourself, too.”
“America’s Test Kitchen” was originally hosted by Christopher Kimball, but Lancaster and co-host Julia Collin Davison took over at the top of the 17th season. Lancaster started off as a test cook for Cook’s Illustrated magazine in 1998; Collin Davis started in the same position in 1999.
A short time later there were talks of turning the test kitchen concept into a talk show. Both Collin Davis and Lancaster continued their roles as test cooks until 2017 where they transitioned to becoming co-hosts.
Now entering the show’s 25th season, Collin Davison and Lancaster reflect back on their growth and attribute the show’s success to its content.
“If you think about the food recipes that work, we taste-test ingredients,” Collin Davison said. “We tell you what to buy at the supermarket, how to spend your money, where it’s valuable, and then the equipment testing so you can help outfit your kitchen without wasting money. And the whole idea is to empower home cooks, and I think we’re able to do that really.”
The co-hosts aspire to boost the confidence of home cooks — testing out recipes and gadgets until the dish is cooked to perfection. Every segment includes deep explanations that help Lancaster and Collin Davison connect with their viewers.
“It starts with the readers of our magazines and our cookbooks,” Lancaster said. “They’re really the ones that come up with the ideas, the food that we test, and that eventually makes it on the show. I think that they feel like they’re really a part of it, from the very beginning.”
The show remains fresh because it turns to viewers for suggestions. By engaging with the readers and viewers of its cookbooks and magazines, “America’s Test Kitchen” constantly pulls new ideas from home cooks.
The brand includes three television shows, two award-winning magazine titles, a YouTube channel, social media channels and multiple cookbooks per year. A new cookbook, “America’s Test Kitchen 25th Anniversary Cookbook: 500 Recipes That Changed the Way America Cooks,” was released in September.
With more than 1,200 recipes in their arsenal, narrowing it down to 500 required feedback from viewers — seeing what resonated with the audience and looking at future cooking trends. The book includes contemporary recipes, but still pays homage to the classics.
“We also all got to choose our favorite recipes,” Collin Davison said. “And of course, we cooked roast chicken, what, 10 times? We can only pick one. So we picked one that had the most modern, most interesting cooking method, because after 25 years, you learn as you go.”
The show has a tradition of coming up with new turkey recipes around the holiday season. This year’s cookbook includes some classics and a few twists for Thanksgiving recipes that show the evolution of cooking for the holiday.
Check out the show’s recipe for Brussels sprout salad with warm mustard vinaigrette:
Brussels sprout salad with warm mustard vinaigrette. (Courtesy of “America’s Test Kitchen”)
Brussels Sprout Salad With Warm Mustard Vinaigrette
SERVES 6
TIME 50 minutes
Why This Recipe Works
Our Brussels sprout salad is dressed in a warm mustard vinaigrette that gently tenderizes the sprouts while letting them retain their fresh flavor. Bites of quick-pickled shallot and dried apricots add pop to the salad, while Ricotta salata cheese, chopped toasted pistachios, and watercress add richness, flavor, and a touch of bitterness. We dress the salad in the skillet before transferring it to a serving bowl.
Gather Your Ingredients
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 shallot, halved through root end and sliced thin crosswise
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
1 ½ ounces (1 ½ cups) watercress, chopped
4 ounces ricotta salata, shaved into thin strips using vegetable peeler
Before You Begin
A food processor's slicing blade can be used to slice the Brussels sprouts, but the salad will be less tender.
Instructions
1. Whisk vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in bowl. Add shallot and apricots, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave until steaming, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir briefly to submerge shallot. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes
2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pistachios and cook, stirring frequently, until pistachios are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in shallot mixture.
Add Brussels sprouts and toss with tongs until dressing is evenly distributed and sprouts darken slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to serving bowl. Add watercress and ricotta salata and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Recipe courtesy of “America’s Test Kitchen.”
