The Costco Connection - December 2017

A RECIPE IS BORN

FANS OF America’s Test Kitchen brands (ATK; americastestkitchen.com) turn to the show—and ATK’s books and magazines—because they know the recipes will work. But how are those recipes tested? Hosts Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison walk through the process.

America’s Test Kitchen polls a group of recipe testers to see what they’re interested in.

Recipes that do well are assigned to a test cook.

 The test cook searches through ATK’s library of books and magazines to pick five versions of that recipe. All five recipes are made exactly as they’re written.

 They’re tasted to determine what does or does not work for everyone.

Once an ideal version of the food is determined, the test cook starts testing the variables in a methodical way so that they can accurately describe the difference between different equipment and brands of ingredients.

“And we’re tasting down in that library,” says Collin Davison. “You know: Here’s three cakes; here’s five more stews. What we like, or do not like, until we get to what we think the ideal recipe is. And then we abuse it. What if you use a different pan? What if you don’t use that brand?

“Once you have the recipe, trying to get people to follow that recipe as it’s printed is the problem, because everyone is going to make substitutions and no one has the same type of equipment.”

 The recipe goes back to a group of recipe testers who are asked to make the recipe and then answer some survey questions. Questions include: Did you like the recipe? Did it meet your expectations? Did you follow the instructions?

Did you make substitutions? Do you need steps to show you how to do things? Were the instructions clear?

“This is how sometimes we come
up with our time ranges and visual cues.

The visual cues are always more important, because people’s ranges at home are going to be very different than ours,” explains Lancaster, a Costco member.

“So we’ll be able to come up with a time range—you know, sauté until it’s golden brown, about seven to 10 minutes. So our readers give us a lot of information as well.”

Recipes that don’t hit 80 percent approval are sent back to the kitchen to be fixed. Then they are sent out again with another set of survey questions.

Adds Collin Davison, “By the time we’re done printing a recipe, we’ve made it a ton. We’ve really looked at it from all angles, and that’s why it’s so sturdy.”—SEP

CC: How did you decide on the theme of the book, Cooking at Home with Bridget & Julia: The TV Hosts of America’s Test Kitchen Share Their Favorite Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends?

BL: It answers a question that people have asked Julia and me when they meet us: What do you make at home? What are your favorite recipes?

JCD: What I choose to do in my own spare time, I think that’s interesting. We have busy lives and not a lot of time, but we like good food. How do you bridge that gap?

BL: My husband always says it’s a shame that the best restaurant in town is our house, you know, because it’s hard to go out to eat.

JCD: When we go out to eat it’s such a bum-
mer. We’re like, “Yay, we don’t have to do
dishes.” That’s about the best part. The
food is never as good. It’s hard to turn that
o; when you’re paying for it.

CC: Do you have a favorite recipe from the book?

JCD: Turkey pesto meatballs. It’s a recipe designed for busy people.

BL: The Korean fried chicken wings make me want to weep [with delight]. [They’re] spicy, super crispy.

CC: What sets America’s Test Kitchen apart from other recipe sources?

JCD: The recipes work. We put a lot of time,
money and e;ort into the actual recipe to
make sure it works for a multitude of peo-
ple in their home kitchens. Anyone can
show you how to cook, and it will look great,
but [we] show you why it cooks. We’re
teaching the basics, Cooking ;;;. Also, it’s
not a glamour show. We’re in the back alley,
moving cars to show you how to grill some-
thing. It’s showing the testing, the things
that didn’t work. [We show] food gone
wrong. No one shows bad food on TV.

CC: How do you feel about the trend of food always having to look beautiful?

JCD: We put way too much pressure on ourselves. Everybody has to have the best food or the best picture of the food.

BL: It used to be you put the food on the table; everyone bowed their heads and said grace. Now everyone bows their heads because they’re looking for a camera in order to take a picture to post it on Instagram. At what point is it now a prop instead of your dinner? There’s no shame in feeding your family. I would never tell somebody that they can’t use a cheaper