Recipe Roulette

RECIPE ROULETTE How common cooking mistakes cause big problems and the easy solutions that will change your luck in the kitchen Most cooking mistakes have one of three starting points-inaccurate measurement, careless ingredient substitution, or poor ingredient preparation. The instructors at America's Test Kitchen Cooking School know that the ripple effect from a seem- ingly small mistake can actually make or break a recipe. To help students become better cooks, we have developed these clever wheels of misfortune. Start reading at the center of each circle and move through each quadrant-from the staple ingredient on to the common mistake, the problem caused by the mistake, the recipes affected by the mistake, an explanation of why the mistake causes the problem, and finally the solution that prevents this vicious circle from developing. 3-D glasses are not required. SOLUTION Dip measuring cup into flour container, and use Blueberry Muffins If a recipe calls for a specific weight or thickness, grab a scale o Adjust the meat to match the recipe, or adjust the cooking time to EXPLANATION RECIPES AFFECTED Pancakes PROBLEM Roast Pork Loin butter knife to sweep away excess flour above rim MISTAKE Broil before cooking HEAT, POULTRY, FLS Not enough flour in recipe measuring cup INACCURATE MEASUREMENT Produce varies in size, which can affect recipes that call for large quantities of a single fruit or vegetable STABLES loo much, or too little, fruit or vegetable without leveling off excess Too much spice or too much baking powder, baking soda, or yeast up to 50% more than a leveled teaspo0on or tablespoon 1measuring spoon into dry ingredient, and the use finger to sweep excess back into container Zucchini Bread Sandwich Bread Chili A rounded teaspoon or tablespoon contains SOLUTION EXPLANATION Changing from a full-fat dairy product to a nonfat dairy product negatively affects flavor and creaminess ECIPES AFFECTED Rice Pudding Roast Potatoes PROBLEM Replace kosher salt with half as much table salt Roast Turkey MISTAKE Food is too salty DAIRY CARELESS INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTION SUGAR od has stale flavor and dusty texture compounds in delicate herbs (basil, parsley, chives, I, and tarragon) are destroyed in the drying process Besides obvious flavor differences, brown sugar h onto moisture better and keeps baked goods moist er fresh herb instead of the dried form of the herb called for Potato Salad Sticky Buns Creamy Herb Dip Chocolate Chip Cookies Replace brown sugar with granulated sugar mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of m SOLUTION Large pieces of garlic are more likely to burn than small pieces and they certainly will overpower the dish EXPLANATION Use paper towels to blot excess moisture from all proteins RECIPES AFFECTED Shrimp Scampi PROBLEM, Beef Stew Use a garlic press to ensure that garlic is finely minced own juices causing underdeveloped Steaks MISTAKE proteins not dried before cooking cartlic burns and tastes bitter MEAT, POULIRY, FISH GARLIC POOR INGREDIENT PREPARATION n they should be chopped and dry ONIONS Butter used straigh from the fridge BUTTER Butter crumbles when beaten Pound Cake Flavor is too harsh cell structure and causes a chemical reaction that creates flavor Excess moisture indicates severe cellular damage Softened butter aerates when beaten so frostings are smooth, cakes rise, and cookie dough is uniform Soften butter by letting it sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes or until it reaches 65 degrees se a sharp knife to cut cleanly and minimize bruising doesn't mix well with other ingredients Beef Curry colate Frostin America's COOKING TEST KITCHEN SCHOOL http://www.testkitchenschool.com/ Weight and thickness affect cooking time Grilled London ving times are wildly inaccurate %0Z 01 SL YJIM dn pua noÁ OS Jnou saiejae Bujuoods nS not weigher Pan-Seared Salmon ui pauoods anola sunmsia FLOUR FRUNS& Chocolate Cake ingredients measure Apple Pie Mashed Potatoes Follow weight measurement, not unit measurement Replace whole milk with 2% milk or 1% milk Yellow Layer Cake Food tastes wan and hollow ream of Tomato Soup A with skim milk SALT Banana Bread er salt replaced with table salt Whole milk replaced wi SUGAR trier and have HERBS The fine grains of table salt pack more tightly than fluffy koche Grilled Steak wn sugar replace Marinara Sauce before sautéing, stewing, roasting, or grilling them Ning equals flavor, and dry meat can start browning right away Meat, chicken, and nisir steam in their Sautéed Chicken Cutlets Garlic and Oil pue Butter Cookies Garlic is chopped coa M. Stir-Fry Beef and Broccoli Spaghetti with Onion Soup Quiche Lorraine