In the space of a few years, bottled coconut water went from surprising celebrity food product to supermarket staple, with new brands rushing to satisfy growing demand for the healthy refresher. F&W sampled the most familiar products, and while nothing replaces the pure flavor of a freshly tapped coconut, one brand comes close with a price to match. Here, the newcomer and other options to suit every buyer’s taste >
Think all vanillas are created equal? F&W staff sampled some of the most popular supermarket ice creams to find the creamiest, most deliciously vanilla offerings available for your summer pies. Here, the results >
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
This week in the F&W Test Kitchen, we enjoyed a double dose of figs when testing this superb recipe for grilled figs with fig jam and blistered jalapeños.
First, we made the jam by simmering dried Black Mission figs and brown sugar in red wine until soft and plump, then we coarsely pureed the mixture to form a savory-sweet accompaniment to what comes next—grilled figs! What's so clever about these grilled figs? We halved each one, then dusted the cut sides in sugar before marking them on a scorching hot grill. The result: A crème brûlée-style crust that was perfectly caramelized and just lightly charred.
To contrast the sweet figs and jam, we added salty feta cheese, cilantro leaves, lime wedges (for squeezing) and grill-blistered jalapeño peppers. This recipe won't be published for a few months, but in the meantime, this Fig, Orange and Pistachio Conserve would make a great alternative to fig jam in an easy grilled fig salad. It's also a fantastic summer starter, especially when served on grilled bread with fresh ricotta cheese.
Related: Fig Recipes
F&W's Ultimate Guide to Summer Grilling
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
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
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
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
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
This week in the F&W Test Kitchen, we seized a pre-weekend opportunity to use a grill for this terrific quail dish from Justin Smillie of Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria in New York City. Smillie marinates quail in an herbaceous mixture of parsley, oregano, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, chiles, orange juice and toasted spices, which lends tons of flavor to the meat and provides the basis for a perfectly crispy crust. Quail is super-lean and is best served medium-rare, so these little birds only took a few minutes per side over a scorching fire. At his restaurant, Smillie serves the quail with puffed cracked farro and roasted kumquats, but for testing purposes, we tasted it alongside shaved fennel and yogurt.
This recipe is for a future book project, but to experiment with something just as interesting and delicious, try this recipe for Chinese-inspired Grilled Quail with Goji Berries and Pine Nuts from 2012 Best New Chef Corey Lee of Benu in San Francisco.
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
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
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
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
Warning: Test Kitchen Tease snapshots may cause cravings, lip-smacking and an unshakeable desire to cook.
Justin Chapple
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.
Justin Chapple
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.
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