America’s Test Kitchen is celebrating its 20th anniversary on public television next year, and the behind-the-scenes numbers are staggering.
Two thousand recipes have been developed for 507 episodes in 20 seasons. They have been tested innumerous times, using 103,920 pounds of chicken, 52,320 pounds of flour and 3.7 million eggs. The grocery bill has been $12,000 on an average week and more than $6 million in total.
“We are the single longest running [TV] cooking show in the country,” says Jack Bishop, the creative officer of ATK, and a founding cast member and taste-test expert, during a recent phone interview.
Christopher Kimball helped to create the Boston-based cooking and media empire. It includes the magazines, Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country, and radio and TV programs, and is owned by Boston Common Press. But he left in November 2015 after a contract dispute and started a similar cooking enterprise called Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street. [Since ATK shows are taped months before they are aired, Mr. Kimball hosted the 2016 seasons of “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Country.”]
The groundwork for the ATK TV show began in 2000 and the first season aired in 2001. Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster, who Mr. Bishop calls the two best cooking teachers on television, and Adam Reid are the other founding cast members. In addition, there are six others who cook on the show. Everyone of them has a liberal arts degree and a culinary degree or has worked in a restaurant, bakery or hotel.
“We view ourselves as professional thinkers,” Mr. Bishop says.
The mission of the show, he says, is to keep home cooking enjoyable and healthy while seeking culinary perfection.
Recipes have to be television-friendly. So slow-cooking ones are out, stove-top and baking recipes are in. ATK also balances recipes from different cuisines, mixes weeknight types with project ones for entertainment and takes a hard look at the ingredients used.
“We don’t want 10 Chinese and no Italian or Mexican, or have 10 beef dishes and no pork,” he explains.
To commemorate the milestone anniversary, ATK has come out with a cookbook that features 580 recipes including new ones that will be featured during the 20th season, which debuts at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 4 on WQED. Also included will be the cast member’s favorites and ones that resonated with the show’s fans. There are everyday recipes and ones that are outside of the norm like the sous vide creme brulee.
Recipes for classic sloppy joes, pan-seared swordfish steaks and classic spaghetti and meatballs for a crowd might sound pedestrian, but they all are accompanied with valuable tips. The joes call for mixing ground beef with baking soda so that the meat retains more moisture when cooked. Since skin-on swordfish often buckles in a hot skillet, the recipe uses skinless ones. For the meatballs, unflavored gelatin is added to a mix of ground chuck and pork so that they end up plump and have a soft richness.
An everyday French toast that is creamy and crisp-crusted is baked on a rimmed baking sheet and a braised chicken is first brined to ensure the meat stays moist.
Charred green beans topped with crispy breadcrumbs and mushrooms cooked with red wine and rosemary are among the vegetable sides that will be featured during Season 20. ATK testers found that the beans come out truly charred when they are steamed first and mushrooms release moisture faster when water, and not oil, is added first.
When the PG tested a recipe for slow-cooked whole carrots using a cartouche (a circular parchment paper that sits directly on the vegetable), we found that the cookbook’s directions to make it did not work. However, if parchment paper is cut into an 11-inch circle with an 1-inch hole in the center, the cartouche does help to regulate the reduction of moisture, leaving the carrots tender but not mushy. They are served with a piquant pine nut relish. ATK has since changed the directions on the online version of the recipe.
One of Mr. Bishop’s favorite recipes in the book is his pork tostadas, which he developed 10 years ago. “I have made it a hundred times. The recipe can be customized at the table and the tostadas could be topped with what one desires. “It was a favorite in my family and a Sunday supper for many years,” he says.
The tostada ranks No. 7 in a one-hour countdown special, “America’s Test Kitchen 20th Anniversary Special,” which will air on WQED at 3 p.m. on Jan. 5 and feature ATK fans’ 20 favorite recipes. Cast members will introduce the recipes and what it means to them and how they ended up in the cookbook. They will reminisce about the past seasons and bloopers that never aired. Mr. Bishop and Mr. Reid will cook for the first time on the show.
Since work at ATK is all about preparing foods and taste-testing them, no one goes hungry at ATK, nor does anyone have to go out for lunch, Mr. Bishop says.
But not every recipe has a success story. He recounts how a chocolate fudge never came to fruition on the air or in print. “We must have tested it 130 times and then gave up on it,” he says.
All the trial and error in testing and tasting have not worn him out. Nor does he feel that he has exhausted everything that he needs to say about food.
“I think the possibilities are endless, and I get a new passion every time,” he says.
Arthi Subramaniam: asubramaniam@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1494.
Quick Bites
Q: What do you detest cooking?
Jack Bishop: I love cooking fish but hate cooking it indoors. My ventilation at home is just so-so and I don't like waking up to the aroma of last night's fish dinner.
Julia Collin Davison: I hate desserts flavored with orange; especially chocolate-orange
Bridget Lancaster: I don't detest cooking anything, but there are foods that inspire me less than others. I'd say that boneless, skinless chicken breasts are one of those foods. They’ve had all the joy and flavor taken away and there’s not much left to work with.
Adam Reid: I love fried foods, but I don’t deep-fry at home. Too much oil left over, too much mess and there are so, so many great places to eat fried goodies. Spread the wealth!
Q: What would you want to eat for your last supper?
Jack: Pizza. No contest.
Julia: A hunk of crusty bread with nice cheese and a glass of Pinot Noir.
Bridget: No diet food, that’s for sure! Probably a comfy meal with many parts so I could put off the reaper for as long as possible. So maybe an all-day Sunday gravy would work.
Adam: Haha — on my computer I actually keep a list of all the dishes that I could eat to help me depart as a happy man. A few: A grand aioli, fideua, paella, poke, banana cake with chocolate frosting, congee, Chinese broccoli with garlic and tuna melt on pumpernickel.
Q: Do you have a fave TV cooking show?
Jack: Anything with Julia Child. Her old shows are just as relevant today as they were decades ago. She was an amazing cook and communicator. So much fun to watch.
Julia: “Chef’s Table.”
Bridget: “The Great British Bake Off” is right up there on my list. It’s educational, beautiful, and calming all at once. I used to love watching Rick Sebak’s documentaries as well, especially “A Hot Dog Program.”
Adam: Of all time? The original “The French Chef.” You can never top Julia Child! These days I also like “Pati's Mexican Table” a lot, with Pati Jinich.
Q: What’s your favorite cookbook?
Jack: I learned more from Marcella Hazan's “Classic Italian Cookbook” than any other cookbook. Her precise recipe writing and remarkable taste shaped my outlook as a young cook.
Julia: “Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook” by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman. And I still use the big, red “Family Cookbook” [by America's Test Kitchen] regularly.
Bridget: One of my favorites of all time is the “Julia Child and Company” cookbook that accompanied that show. I'd watch Julia and then try my best at recreating the dish. A current favorite book is “Heritage” by Sean Brock.
Adam: Aside from various ATK titles (I love some of the underdogs like “The Best International Recipe” and the “DIY Cookbook”), I use Mark Bittman's books (such as “The Best Recipes in the World”) and Claudia Roden's books (such as “The New Book of Middle Eastern Food” and “Arabesque”) a lot.
Q: Who would you like to dine with but haven’t?
Jack: Michelle Obama. And I’m cooking!
Julia: Both of my grandmothers.
Bridget: I can’t choose just one, but because of my love of history and the macabre. I’d love to dine with the brilliant Michael Twitty, who wrote “The Cooking Gene,” and the incomparable Stephen King, who is largely responsible for my love of the strange.
Adam: Tracey Ullman, Dan Savage or David Sedaris. Better yet, a dinner party with all three.
Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostadas
PG tested
These are no ordinary toasted tortillas. The shredded pork, aka tinga, acquires a deep and complex flavor from chipotle-flavored tomato sauce scented with bay leaves. Serve the tostadas with lime wedges.
For shredded pork
2 pounds boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 onions (1 quartered, 1 chopped fine), divided
5 garlic cloves (3 peeled and smashed, 2 minced), divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
2 bay leaves
For tostadas
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
¾ cup vegetable oil
For garnishes
Queso fresco or feta cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves
Sour cream
Diced avocado
For the shredded pork: Bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, thyme, salt, and 6 cups water to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, skimming off any impurities that rise to surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook until pork is tender, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard onion, garlic, and thyme. Return pork to saucepan and, using potato masher, mash until shredded into rough ½ inch pieces; set aside. (Pork can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Heat olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shredded pork, chopped onion, and oregano; cook, stirring often, until pork is well browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato sauce, chipotle powder, bay leaves, and reserved pork cooking liquid; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard bay leaves and season with salt to taste.
To bake the tostadas: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange tortillas in single layer on two rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides of each tortilla with vegetable oil (about 2 tablespoons per tray). Place wire rack upside down on top of the tortillas to keep them flat. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
To serve: Spoon small amount of shredded pork onto center of each tostada and serve, passing garnishes separately.
Serves 4 to 6.
— “America’s Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary TV Show Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen; Oct. 22, 2019; $40)
Pear-Walnut Upside-Down Cake
PG tested
Pears have a graceful shape and so why not show them off. Use Bosc pears for this cake as they hold their shape after baking. Serve the cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
For topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon table salt
3 ripe but firm Bosc pears
For cake
1 cup walnuts, toasted
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup vegetable oil
For the topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pour melted butter over bottom of pan and swirl to evenly coat. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in small bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter.
Peel, halve and core pears. Set aside 1 pear half and reserve for other use. Cut remaining 5 pear halves into 4 wedges each. Arrange pears in circular pattern around prepared pan with tapered ends pointing inward. Arrange 2 smallest pear wedges in center.
For the cake: Pulse walnuts, flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in food processor until walnuts are finely ground, 8 to 10 pulses. Transfer walnut mixture to bowl.
Process eggs and sugar in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream until incorporated. Add walnut mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Pour batter evenly over pears (some pears may show through; cake will bake up over fruit).
Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1¼ hours, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run thin knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto rack set in rimmed baking sheet and remove pan, discarding parchment. Let cake cool for 2 hours.
Serves 8 to 10.
— “America’s Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary TV Show Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen; Oct. 22, 2019; $40)
Quick Green Bean ‘Casserole’
PG tested
For your Thanksgiving green bean casserole, skip the canned versions of the green beans, mushroom soup and fried onions. Instead make the holiday vegetable staple from scratch; you will need only one skillet to do the job.
3 large shallots, sliced thin
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ pounds green beans, trimmed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
¾ cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
Toss shallots with 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper in bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer shallots with oil to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, mushrooms, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are well browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.
Wipe out skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon flour.
Toss in green beans, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Add cream and broth, increase heat to medium-high, cover, and cook until green beans are partly tender but still crisp at center, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and continue to cook, uncovered, until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish, and sprinkle evenly with shallots.
Serves 8.
— Adapted from “America’s Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary TV Show Cookbook” by America’s Test Kitchen (America’s Test Kitchen; Oct. 22, 2019; $40)
First Published: November 13, 2019, 12:00 p.m.