Test Kitchen Tease
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
It's more than a month away from the start of summer, but we're already on the hunt for outstanding desserts that don't require turning on the oven. This week in the F&W Test Kitchen, we whipped up an especially delicious no-bake cheesecake tart that was slightly sweet and impossibly creamy.
We pressed graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar into a tart pan and chilled it to make a super-simple crust. For the filling, we made a surprisingly light combination of ricotta and cream cheeses flavored with fresh lemon juice, agave nectar and ground ginger. On top: macerated strawberries and a drizzle of honey. The recipe will be published later in the year, but if you're in the mood for something similar now, we suggest these phenomenal Lemon, Poppy and Chèvre Cheesecakes with Rhubarb from our May issue.
Related: Tasty Cheesecake Recipes
Test Kitchen Tease
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
This week, the F&W Test Kitchen discovered a unique recipe that satisfies cravings for fried eggs and bacon. We toasted slices of rustic Italian bread until golden, then topped them with a vibrant arugula aioli, succulent heirloom tomatoes, frisée, chewy-crisp bacon and decadent sunny-side up eggs. The only issue we encountered was how quickly six sandwiches disappeared in the presence of marauding editors. The recipe will appear in an upcoming book project, but to make a similar recipe this weekend we recommend trying Thomas Keller's fast and gooey BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich.
Related: Egg Breakfast Recipes
Brunch Recipes
Test Kitchen Tease
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
At The Spice Table in Los Angeles, 2012 F&W Best New Chef Bryant Ng serves this beer-battered cauliflower dish with a tangy dipping sauce. This week, F&W's Test Kitchen had the pleasure of giving it a test fry. The batter is made with cornstarch, beer and whipped egg whites, which create a super-flavorful crust that's perfectly light and crisp. But what makes this dish especially outstanding is the unlikely sauce. Bryant whisks Asian fish sauce with lime juice, garlic, sugar and fiery Thai chiles. The recipe is for an upcoming book project, but this weekend, try these handheld snacks from iconic chef José Andrés: Cauliflower Fritters.
Related: 2012 F&W Best New Chefs
Test Kitchen Tease
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
This week in the F&W Test Kitchen, we were delighted to try this refreshing salad featuring two of spring's ultimate ingredients: fava beans and asparagus. Here, the tender fava beans are tossed with fruity olive oil and vibrant herbs like mint and parsley, then spooned over warm asparagus and fresh ricotta that's been generously seasoned with cracked black pepper and lemon zest. A good squeeze of lemon juice and Maldon sea salt (crunchy crystals with a remarkably subtle, briny flavor) finish the seasonally perfect first-course. This recipe isn't quite ready, but here's a super-simple salad to try now from Del Posto's Mark Ladner: Shaved Raw Asparagus with Parmesan Dressing.
Related: Asparagus Recipes
Fava Bean Recipes
Test Kitchen Tease
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Warmer days are fast approaching and F&W’s Test Kitchen is consumed by recipes that will be ideal for summer get-togethers—refreshing vegetable dishes, barbecued steaks and burgers. This week we grilled a healthy stand-in for the typical beef patty using freshly minced sushi-quality tuna that’s seasoned with Chinese hot mustard and garlic. The spicy tuna burgers were beautifully charred on the outside and rare in the center, then served with a savory-sweet glaze—made by reducing soy, mirin and sake—and an intensely spicy Sriracha mayonnaise with toasted sesame oil.
This recipe will be ready in time for July cook-outs, but in the meantime, practice with these offbeat Thai Tuna Burgers with Ginger-Lemon Mayonnaise from grilling master Steven Raichlen.
Related: 10 Favorite Burger Recipes
Tuna Recipes
Test Kitchen Tease
Occasionally, F&W’s Test Kitchen gets a recipe so out of the ordinary that we anxiously await the results in hopes that the dish will be as exciting and delicious as it sounds.
Here's a perfect example >
Test Kitchen Tease
This week, F&W’s Test Kitchen welcomed spring with a baby lettuce salad combining tender young leaves like romaine, arugula, mizuna and escarole—each of which offered a unique texture and flavor. What made this dish especially interesting?
Test Kitchen Tease
F&W’s Marcia Kiesel developed this super-satisfying, updated version of corned beef and cabbage. The secret to its deliciousness is Marcia’s two-step cooking method.
Get the recipe >
Test Kitchen Tease
The best stone fruits arrive in the summer, and although it’s not quite time to take out the swimsuits, our Test Kitchen is fully immersed in developing recipes that will honor the bounty of the warmer months.
Read more about this week's sweet Test Kitchen Tease >
Recipes
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
© Justin Chapple
Blackberry Focaccia
When it comes to focaccia, most people are familiar with savory versions like Pisaladiere, a version topped with anchovies, olives and caramelized onions. This week, the F&W Test Kitchen tested an unusual dessert variation—Blackberry Focaccia (left) from Nigel Slater’s forthcoming cookbook, Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard. This blackberry-studded, confectioners' sugar–dusted focaccia is substantial and just barely sweet. Slater recommends cutting it into thick wedges and eating it when warm, but we loved it just the same in smaller squares, which we served with steaming cups of tea. Slater's cookbook won't be out until April, but this savory focaccia from the F&W archives, topped with caramelized onions, pear and blue cheese, is a good variation to try for Super Bowl Sunday.
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