cooking school cookbook everything you need to know become a great cook

Also by the Editors at America’s Test KitchenThe Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book The Science of Good Cooking The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook The America’s Test Kitchen Menu Cookbook The A

Also by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen

The Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book

The Science of Good Cooking

The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

The America’s Test Kitchen Menu Cookbook

The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook

The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

The America’s Test Kitchen Library series:

Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2: The Easy-Prep EditionThe 6-Ingredient Solution

Comfort Food Makeovers

The America’s Test Kitchen D.I.Y Cookbook

Pasta Revolution

Simple Weeknight Favorites

Slow Cooker Revolution

The Best Simple Recipes

The TV Companion series:

The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook

The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001–2014America’s Test Kitchen: The TV Companion Cookbook (2009 and 2011–

2014 Editions)

Behind the Scenes with America’s Test Kitchen

Test Kitchen Favorites

Cooking at Home with America’s Test Kitchen

America’s Test Kitchen Live!

Inside America’s Test Kitchen

Here in America’s Test Kitchen

The America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

America’s Test Kitchen annuals:

The Best of America’s Test Kitchen (2007–2014 Editions)Cooking for Two (2010–2013 Editions)

Light & Healthy (2010–2012 Editions)

The Cook’s Country series:

From Our Grandmothers’ KitchensCook’s Country Blue Ribbon DessertsCook’s Country Best Potluck RecipesCook’s Country Best Lost SuppersCook’s Country Best Grilling RecipesThe Cook’s Country Cookbook

America’s Best Lost Recipes

The Best Recipe series:

The New Best Recipe

More Best Recipes

The Best One-Dish Suppers

Soups, Stews & Chilis

The Best Skillet Recipes

The Best Slow & Easy Recipes

The Best Chicken Recipes

The Best International Recipe

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe

The Best 30-Minute Recipe

The Best Light Recipe

The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and BarbecueBest American Side Dishes

Cover & Bake

Steaks, Chops, Roasts & Ribs

Baking Illustrated

Italian Classics

American Classics

For a Full Listing of All Our Books or to Order Titles:

CooksIllustrated.com

AmericasTestKitchen.com

or call 800-611-0759

Praise for other America’s Test Kitchen Titles

“Ideal as a reference for the bookshelf , this volume will be

turned to time and again for definitive instruction on just about any food-related matter.” 
 Publishers weekly on the science of good

cooking

“The perfect kitchen home companion The ​practical side of things

is very much on display cook-friendly and kitchen-oriented, illuminating the process of preparing food instead of mystifying it.”

the wall street journal on The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

“This nearly 900-page volume lands with an authoritative wallop Everything is here Everything What’s more, the why and how of recipes are explained in a way that sets the home cook up with the confidence to wade right in, no matter the dish.”

The Chicago Tribune on The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook

“If this were the only cookbook you owned, you would cook well, be everyone’s favorite host, have a well-run kitchen, and eat happily every day.” 
 thecitycook.com on The America’s Test Kitchen Menu

Cookbook

“There are pasta books and then there’s this pasta book Flip your carbohydrate dreams upside down and strain them through this sieve of revolutionary, creative, and also traditional recipes.”

SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW ON PASTA REVOLUTION

“This book upgrades slow cooking for ​discriminating, 21st-century palates—that is indeed revolutionary.” 
 THE DALLAS MORNING

NEWS ON SLOW COOKER REVOLUTION

“Forget about marketing hype, designer labels, and pretentious

entrées: This is an unblinking, unbedaz​zled guide to the

Beardian good-cooking ideal.” 
 THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON

THE BEST OF AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN 2009

“The best instructional book on baking this reviewer has seen.” 
 The

Library Journal (starred review) on Baking Illustrated

“Expert bakers and novices scared of baking’s requisite exactitude can all learn something from this hefty, all-purpose home baking volume.” 
 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ON THE AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

FAMILY BAKING BOOK

“Scrupulously tested regional and heirloom recipes.” 
 THE NEW

YORK TIMES ON THE COOK’S COUNTRY COOKBOOK

“If you’re hankering for old-fashioned pleasures,look no further.”

People Magazine on America’s Best Lost Recipes

“This tome definitely raises the bar for all-in-one, basic, must-have cookbooks Kimball and his company have scored another hit.”

THE Oregonian on The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

“A foolproof, go-to resource for everyday cooking.” 
 Publishers

Weekly on The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

“The strength of the Best Recipe series lies in the sheer

thoughtfulness and details of the recipes.” 
 Publishers Weekly on The

Best Recipe Series

“These dishes taste as luxurious as their full-fat siblings Even

desserts are terrific.” 
 Publishers Weekly on The Best Light Recipe

“Further proof that practice makes perfect, if not transcendent If

an intermediate cook follows the directions exactly, the results will

be better than takeout or Mom’s.” 
 The New York Times on The New

Best Recipe

“Like a mini–cooking school, the detailed ​instructions and

illustrations ensure that even the most inexperienced cook can

follow these recipes with success.” 
 Publishers Weekly on Best

American Side Dishes

Copyright © 2013 by the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher,except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or

reviews

America’s Test Kitchen

17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The America’s test kitchen cooking school cookbook : everything you need

to know to become a great cook / by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen ;photography by Daniel J van Ackere and Anthony Tieuli

Distributed by America’s Test Kitchen

17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jack Bishop

PROJECT EDITOR: Louise Emerick

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Elizabeth Carduff and Bridget Lancaster ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Alyssa King

DESIGN DIRECTOR: Amy Klee

ART DIRECTOR: Greg Galvan

DESIGNER: Taylor Argenzio

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Daniel J van Ackere

PHOTOGRAPHY: Anthony Tieuli

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Klise and Carl Tremblay

PHOTO EDITOR: Stephen Klise

FOOD STYLING: Catrine Kelty and Marie Piraino

PHOTOSHOOT KITCHEN TEAM:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Chris O’Connor

TEST COOKS: Daniel Cellucci and Sara Mayer

ASSISTANT TEST COOK: Cecelia Jenkins

ILLUSTRATIONS: Jay Layman

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Guy Rochford

SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jessica Quirk

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER: Alice Carpenter

PRODUCTION AND TRAFFIC COORDINATOR: Brittany Allen

WORKFLOW AND DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER: Andrew Mannone

SENIOR COLOR AND IMAGING SPECIALIST: Lauren Pettapiece

PRODUCTION AND IMAGING SPECIALISTS: Heather Dube and Lauren

Robbins

COPY EDITOR: Jeff Schier

PROOFREADER: Jane Tunks Demel INDEXER: Elizabeth Parson

Preface

Welcome To America’s Test Kitchen

Navigating This E-Book

Chapter 1 Cooking Basics

Chapter 2 How to Cook Eggs

Chapter 3 How to Cook Vegetables

Chapter 4 How to Cook Pasta

Chapter 5 How to Cook Rice, Grains, and Beans

Chapter 6 How to Cook Meat

Chapter 7 How to Cook Poultry

Chapter 8 How to Cook Seafood

Chapter 9 How to Grill

Chapter 10 How to Make Stocks and Soups

Chapter 11 How to Make Salad

Chapter 12 How to Make Quick Breads

Chapter 13 How to Make Yeast Breads and Pizzas

Chapter 14 How to Make Cookies

Chapter 15 How to Make Cakes

Chapter 16 How to Make Fruit Desserts

Chapter 17 How to Make Pies and Tarts

Chapter 18 How to Make Custards, Puddings, and Frozen Desserts

Master Lesson Table Of Contents

In Vermont, nobody ever tells you what to do—they show you When I

kneaded bread improperly, Marie Briggs, the town baker, appeared next to

me and kneaded her dough the right way Not a word said Or, when I

chainsawed a fallen maple from the top down (the chain binds if the trunk islying on the ground), Harley Smith came over, sawed from the bottom up,and left This all reminds me of the oft-told story of the city kid up for a

Vermont summer When he pokes a toad with a stick, a local boy tells him

to cut it out and the city kid says, “Well, he’s my toad, ain’t he?” The

Vermonter shoots back, “Nope in Vermont he’s his own toad.” Thatpretty much sums up everything you need to know about Vermonters andwhy locals are unlikely to tell you what to do

When it comes to learning how to cook, even if you are lucky enough tohave a parent, a grandparent, other relative, or a friend to help teach youthe basics, our test kitchen just outside of Boston offers one huge

advantage We have taken the trial-and-error approach to cooking to awhole new level by scientifically testing almost every possible way of

cooking just about every recipe in the American repertoire We boiled 1,000eggs to find the best method We cooked 130 old-fashioned chocolatecakes to get just the right balance of fat to flour We have roasted, over thepast 20-some years, thousands of chickens to arrive at the very best

methods This book, therefore, offers more than just one cook’s perspective

—you are getting tens of thousands of test-cook hours, all organized clearlyand simply so you can have instant access to the fruits of our labor,

whether that is the best way to sharpen a knife, roast salmon (preheat thebaking sheet and score the skin), make a pound cake (melt the butter, don’tcream it, and use a food processor for mixing), make easy-to-roll, flaky piedough (use half vodka and half water), or whip heavy cream (add the sugar

at the outset so it dissolves properly)

To some extent, good cooking is about familiarity and predictability Wefind that when one understands the WHYs of cooking, one is much morelikely to use the proper techniques Once the home cook understands whysome mashed potatoes turn out bland, why roast chicken often producesflabby skin, and why cakes don’t rise properly, then he or she will take thetime to do it right That is the essence of this volume—to explain why we dothings the way we do We know the answers to these questions because

we have actually tested the other methods, so we can speak from

experience Sometimes a high oven is best, sometimes low Some doughhas to be kneaded a lot, while other recipes are best if the dough is barelykneaded but left in the refrigerator overnight Great teachers have a lifetime

of hands-on experience, and this cookbook offers many, many lifetimes of

experience: 45 test cooks working 5 days per week over 20 years The

result is an unimpeachable source of solid cooking information that yousimply cannot find elsewhere (We know that the best way to learn is

through our mistakes and, believe me, we have made thousands of them!)All of this, one hopes, leads to confidence A good cook is a confidentcook, able to make midcourse corrections, adjust for the ingredients onhand, even turn a culinary disaster into a satisfying dinner You can arrive

at self-confidence through long years of personal experience, or you canget a helping hand, a jump start on what works and what doesn’t You willstill need to preheat the oven, cook the meat, sauté the onions, and bake

the biscuits, but you can start with the best cooking school in the world, The

America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook It’s all here—just about

everything we know—on paper, in color, and fully illustrated

As my Vermont neighbor once replied when I said “nice day” late oneAugust afternoon, this doesn’t mean that our test kitchen work is done (Heconsidered my remark for a bit and then intoned, “Well, so far.”) Nobodyever finishes learning how to cook, but we think that this volume will be

“useful,” as they say in the Green Mountains Enjoy the book and enjoyyour time well spent in the kitchen

Cordially,

CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL

Founder, America’s Test Kitchen

WELCOME TO AMERICA’S

TEST KITCHEN

This book has been tested, written, and edited by the folks at America’sTest Kitchen, a very real 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of

Boston It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country

magazine and is the Monday-through-Friday destination for more than

three dozen test cooks, editors, food scientists, tasters, and cookware

specialists Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we

understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the “best” version

We start the process of testing a recipe with a complete lack of

conviction, which means that we accept no claim, no theory, no technique,and no recipe at face value We simply assemble as many variations aspossible, test a half-dozen of the most promising, and taste the resultsblind We then construct our own hybrid recipe and continue to test it,

varying ingredients, techniques, and cooking times until we reach a

consensus The result, we hope, is the best version of a particular recipe,but we realize that only you can be the final judge of our success (or

failure) As we like to say in the test kitchen, “We make the mistakes, soyou don’t have to.”

All of this would not be possible without a belief that good cooking,

much like good music, is indeed based on a foundation of objective

technique Some people like spicy foods and others don’t, but there is aright way to sauté, there is a best way to cook a pot roast, and there aremeasurable scientific principles involved in producing perfectly beaten,stable egg whites This is our ultimate goal: to investigate the fundamentalprinciples of cooking so that you become a better cook It is as simple asthat

You can watch us work (in our actual test kitchen) by tuning in to

America’s Test Kitchen (AmericasTestKitchen.com) or Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen (CooksCountryTV.com) on public television, or by

subscribing to Cook’s Illustrated magazine (CooksIllustrated.com) or

Cook’s Country magazine (CooksCountry.com), which are each publishedevery other month We welcome you into our kitchen, where you can stand

by our side as we test our way to the best recipes in America

NAVIGATING THIS E-BOOK

This eBook includes a Table of Contents that allows you to jump to anychapter

We have also created a Master Lesson Table of Contents that lists allthe recipes in the book, divided into easy-to-browse categories, in oneplace You can access the Recipe Table of Contents from the Table ofContents (It also appears at the end of the book.) Each title in the RecipeTable of Contents is a link that will take you directly to that recipe

Most eBook reading devices also offer a search function that allows you

to type in exactly what you are looking for Please read the documentationfor your particular eBook reader for more information on its search functionand any other navigational features it may offer

C H A P T E R 1

Cooking Basics

Cooking isn’t complicated, but it is complex Small variables can have a significant effect on the quality of the finished dish This chapter will teach you the basics, from how to sharpen a knife and how to measure properly to the best pots and pans and pantry items you should stock There’s a lot of information here, but it can

be boiled down to a single bit of advice: Think before you cook.

Inside This Chapter

12 Tips That Will Make You a Better CookCooking Terminology

Basic Knife Skills

Setting Up Your Cutting Station

Caring for Your Knives

Holding a Knife

Basic Cutting Motions

Food Prep Terminology

Basic Measuring Skills

When Seasonings Go Awry

How to Fix Common Mistakes

Troubleshooting at the Stovetop

Basic Food Safety

Keep It Clean

Avoid the Danger Zone

Handle Foods Carefully

How to Equip Your Kitchen

Essential Knives and Cutting Boards

Cleaning and Caring for Your Cutting Boards

Essential Cookware

Using Your Cookware

Cleaning Your Cookware: The Basics

Cleaning and Caring for Your Cookware: The Finer PointsEssential Bakeware

Essential Small Appliances

Tips for Using Mixers

13 Most Essential Gadgets

How to Stock Your Pantry and Refrigerator

12 Tips That Will Make

You a Better Cook

Cooking is a skill that can take a lifetime to perfect, and even the best of cooks can produce disappointing results However, there are some basic rules you can follow that will help you use recipes— successfully—in your kitchen.

1 Read the Recipe Carefully Almost everyone has embarked upon

preparing a recipe only to realize midway through that the dish neededhours of chilling before it could even be served By reading the recipe

completely through before you start to cook, you will avoid any surprisesalong the way, including not having that special, essential ingredient

2 Follow Directions, at Least the First Time Cooking is a science, but it

is also an art Our advice is simple: Make the recipe as directed the firsttime Once you understand the recipe, you can improvise and make it yourown the next time you prepare it

3 Be Prepared Set out and organize all of the equipment you will need for

a recipe and prep all of the ingredients for it before you start to cook In

cooking school, this is referred to as mise en place A recipe is a lot simpler

to make when all the components and tools for it are at your fingertips Wecan’t tell you the number of pounds of pasta that we’ve overcooked whilelooking for a colander at the last minute

4 Start with Good Ingredients Don’t expect to turn old eggs into a nicely

risen soufflé Likewise, low-quality meats will yield low-quality results

Freshness matters When it comes to pantry items, follow our

recommendations (How to Stock Your Pantry and Refrigerator) when

possible A can of sweet, lively tomatoes will make a far better sauce than acan of bitter, stringy tomatoes

5 Prepare Ingredients as Directed Be sure to prepare food as instructed

in the ingredient list Food that is uniformly and properly cut will not onlycook at the same rate but will also be more visually appealing

6 Keep Substitutions to a Minimum There are certain substitutions that

we have found acceptable in a pinch But, in general, it is best if you use

the ingredients called for in the recipe; this is especially true in baking,where even the slightest change can spell disaster Click here for our testkitchen’s list of emergency substitutions.

7 Use the Appropriately Sized Equipment Make sure to use the

cookware and bakeware noted in the recipe If you pour cake batter into a9-inch pan when the recipe says 8 inch, you will end up with thinner cakelayers that cook more quickly If you try to cook four chicken cutlets in a 10-inch skillet, rather than in the 12-inch skillet called for in the recipe, thechicken will steam because the pan is too crowded

8 Preheat Your Oven Most ovens need at least 15 minutes to preheat

fully Plan accordingly If you don’t preheat your oven fully prior to baking orroasting, then your food will spend more time in the oven and, as a result,will likely be dry and overcooked (and baked goods may suffer even moredire consequences) Also, position the racks in the oven as directed Piecrusts that brown properly on the lower rack emerge pale when baked onthe middle rack

9 Monitor the Dish as It Cooks The cooking times in our recipes are

meant as guidelines only Because ingredients and equipment inevitablyvary, it is important to follow the visual clues provided in the recipe Anddon’t wait until the prescribed time has elapsed to check the doneness of aparticular recipe: It is good practice to start checking 5 to 10 minutes beforethe designated time

10 Taste the Dish Before Serving Most recipes end by instructing the

cook to adjust the seasonings You must taste the food in order to adjustthe seasonings successfully We generally season food lightly throughoutthe cooking process and then add more salt as needed Foods that will beserved chilled, such as gazpacho, should be tasted again before serving.The cold mutes the effect of the seasoning, and, in the case of gazpacho,you might need to add a bit more salt, pepper, or vinegar before serving

11 Learn from Your Mistakes Even the experienced cooks in our test

kitchen often turn out less-than-perfect food A good cook is able to analyzefailure, pinpoint the cause, and then avoid that pitfall the next time

Repetition is key to any learning process, and cooking is no different Don’tmake a new recipe every night of the year Make a dish at least once ortwice a month until you master it

12 Enjoy Yourself The successful cook is someone who enjoys cooking.

Take pride in accomplishments If you enjoy cooking, you will get in thekitchen more often—and practice really does make perfect.

Cooking Terminology

The first step to the successful completion of a recipe is understandingwhat the recipe is telling you to do Some recipes are precise blueprints,specifying particular sizes, shapes, quantities, and cooking times Otherrecipes are rough sketches that leave the cook to fill in the blanks

In addition to the level of detail supplied by the recipe writer, the level ofknowledge the cook brings to the process varies tremendously Unfamiliarlanguage and terminology are a particular problem, especially for novicecooks trying to work their way through a recipe These are some often-usedrecipe terms you should know

Barbecue To cook large, tough cuts of meat like beef ​brisket and pork

shoulder using the indirect, low, and gentle heat from an outdoor fire

Barbecued foods derive their “​barbecued” flavor from wood chips or

chunks

Boil To heat liquid until large bubbles energetically break the surface at a

rapid and constant rate

Braise To cook foods by cooking and then gently simmering them in a

flavorful liquid in a covered pot

Cook en Papillote To cook food by enclosing it in a parchment paper

packet The food steams in its own juices so that the flavors are pure andclean Although parchment is the traditional choice in this classic Frenchcooking method, aluminum foil can be used

Deep-Fry To cook in hot oil deep enough to fully surround the food.

Deglaze To use liquid (usually wine or broth) to loosen the flavorful

browned bits (called fond) that develop and stick to a pan during the

sautéing or searing process A wooden spoon is often used to help loosenthe fond, which dissolves into the deglazing liquid

Grill To cook relatively small, individually sized, and quick-cooking foods

such as steaks, chops, and skewers directly over an outdoor fire Grilledfoods derive their “grilled” flavor from the dripping juices and fat that hit theheat source and create smoke that subtly seasons the exterior of the food

Grill-Roast To cook large, tender cuts of meat, such as a butter​flied whole

chicken, prime rib roast, and beef tenderloin, using indirect and moderateheat from an outdoor fire.

Poach To cook food in hot water or other liquid that is held below the

simmering point

Puree To grind raw or cooked ingredients to a uniform consistency, often in

a food processor or blender

Reduce To partially evaporate liquids, especially sauces, during cooking, to

concentrate flavors and thicken consistency If a recipe says to simmer asauce or liquid until reduced by half You can gauge the volume by notingthe level of the liquid in the pan before simmering and monitoring the level

as it simmers and evaporates However, a more precise way is to measurethe liquid before simmering and to remeasure when the halfway level

seems near

Roast To cook foods in a pan in a hot oven High oven temperatures

promote more browning; low oven temperatures ensure even cooking andminimize moisture loss

Sauté To cook food in a small amount of fat over moderately high heat,

usually with the goal of browning the food The word sauté comes from theFrench verb sauter, meaning “to jump,” since traditionally, food is tossedabout by jerking the pan back and forth Stirring food accomplishes thesame thing and prevents scorching

Sear To cook food over high or very high heat, usually with the goal of

creating a deeply browned crust While sautéing involves frequent stirring,seared foods are best left alone so that a crust can develop A single turn issufficient

Shallow-Fry (Pan-Fry) To cook in hot oil deep enough to partially surround

the food Foods are generally halfway submerged in hot fat as they cookand must be turned once to ensure even cooking

Simmer To heat liquid until small bubbles gently break the surface at a

variable and infrequent rate

Skim To remove the fat that floats to the surface of pan drippings or

braising liquids after roasting or braising fatty cuts of beef, pork, or poultry

To remove small amounts, tilt the pan and use a wide, shallow soupspoon

to skim off the fat A fat separator is the best way to remove large amounts

of fat If you are cooking in advance, overnight refrigeration will cause the

fat to congeal on the surface; the fat can then be removed easily.

Steam To cook foods using the steam released from boiling liquid.

Steamed foods should be placed in a basket above the liquid, and thecooking environment should be closed (usually with a lid) to trap the steam

Sweat To cook over gentle heat in a small amount of fat in a covered pot.

Vegetables are often sweated

Toast To cook or brown food by dry heat, and without adding fat, using an

oven or skillet This technique is frequently used to bring out the flavors ofnuts, spices, and seeds

Basic Knife Skills

Knives are the most important tools in your kitchen; using them properly isessential Here are three key points to remember:

Good Technique = Less Risk

If you use proper techniques, you are less likely to injure yourself with theknife It is crucial to keep knives sharp so that they cut through food withless slippage It is also important to grip the knife and know how to positionyour noncutting hand

Good Technique = Faster Results

If you use proper techniques, you will be able to prepare food faster Thisone is pretty simple Would you rather take two minutes or five minutes tochop an onion? It may not seem like a big difference, but in a recipe with alot of vegetable or protein prep, all those extra minutes can really add up

Good Technique = Better Results

If you use proper techniques, you will produce food that is evenly cut andtherefore will cook at an even rate Cooks with poor knife skills end up withunevenly diced carrots or minced garlic with large hunks Poorly cut foodwill not cook properly For instance, those large hunks of garlic will burnand impart a harsh flavor to your food

The Three Knives You Really Need, Plus One More

Although there are hundreds of gadgets for sale that claim they can help you prep ingredients more quickly, we’ve found that very few of them actually work So instead of wasting your

money (and your counter space) on these products, just invest

in three good knives: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a

serrated knife (or bread knife) If you cook a lot of roasts, we suggest buying a slicing knife as well See “Essential Knives and Cutting Boards” for details on each of these knives.

Setting Up Your Cutting Station

In our test kitchen, “setting up your board” means setting up your cookingstation before you begin to prep and cook Setting up your board at home isjust as important, so that you’re organized and efficient

Anchor Your Board

A cutting board that slides all over the counter is not only annoying, it isunsafe If your cutting board doesn’t have nonslip grips on the bottom,

place either a square of wet paper towel or a small piece of shelf liner

between the counter and the cutting board

Organize Your Prep

Organizing your prepped ingredients into little bowls isn’t just for TV chefs

—it’s a great idea for home cooks too This setup makes it easy to grab aningredient and add it to a hot pan at just the right moment

Keep It Tidy

Don’t push vegetable trimmings to one side of the cutting board Thisreduces the usable work area on your board, and those trimmings alwayshave a way of getting back under your knife Designate a small bowl orplastic grocery bag for trimmings

Caring for Your Knives

A sharp knife is a fast knife, and a dull knife is an accident waiting to

happen Dull knives are dangerous because a dull blade requires moreforce to do the job and so has a higher chance of slipping and missing themark Even the best knives will dull over time with regular use

Is It Sharp?

To determine if your knife needs sharpening, put it to the paper test Hold afolded, but not creased, sheet of newspaper by one end Lay the bladeagainst the top edge at an angle and slice outward If the knife fails to slicecleanly, try steeling it (see below) If it still fails, it needs sharpening

WHEN TO USE A SHARPENING STEEL

A so-called sharpening steel, the metal rod sold with most knife sets,

doesn’t really sharpen a knife, but rather it hones the edge of a slightlydulled blade Sweeping the blade along the steel realigns the edge

Throughout this motion, make sure to maintain a 20-degree angle betweenthe blade and the steel

1 To safely use a steel, hold it vertically with the tip firmly planted on the

counter Place the heel of the blade against the tip of the steel and point theknife tip slightly upward Hold the blade at a 20-degree angle away fromthe steel

2 Maintaining light pressure and a 20-degree angle between the blade and

the steel, slide the blade down the length of the steel in a sweeping motion,pulling the knife toward your body so that the middle of the blade is in

contact with the middle of the steel

3 Finish the motion by passing the tip of the blade over the bottom of the

steel Repeat this motion on the other side of the blade Four or five strokes

on each side of the blade (a total of eight to ten alternating passes) shouldrealign the edge

When to Use a Knife Sharpener

If your knife is quite dull, you’ll need to reshape its edge This requiresremoving a fair amount of metal—more than you could ever remove with asteel To restore a very dull knife, you have three choices: You can send itout; you can use a whetstone (tricky for anyone but a professional); or—themost convenient option—you can use an electric or manual sharpener

Holding a Knife

Much as how someone holds a baseball bat, how you hold a knife makes adifference in terms of control and force And don’t forget about the otherhand—the one that holds the food securely in place while you cut How youhold the food steady makes a difference in terms of fingertip safety