Cook's Illustrated

At Cook's Illustrated, our test cooks are dedicated to testing and retesting recipes 20, 30, sometimes 50 times until we come up with a recipe that will come out right the first time -- and every time -- you make it. And each issue of Cook's Illustrated is 100% ADVERTISING FREE, so you get unbiased and objective information on every page. As we like to say at Cook's Illustrated, "We make the mistakes so you don't have to."

Cook’s Illustrated

SUMMER LOVING

QUICK TIPS

Pro-Caliber Neapolitan Pizza • You don’t need a fiery oven or pizzaiolo finesse to produce the blistered, tender crust that defines Italy’s most celebrated pie. This dough and method will reward you with pizza glory.

Go-To Chicken Kebabs • With minimal prep and just a handful of ingredients, these juicy, deeply charred skewers will become a summertime staple.

A Party in a Pot • Nothing says summer like a heap of boiled and spiced corn, sausage, shrimp, and potatoes.

What You Don’t Know About Zucchini • Forget dull and watery. If you treat summer’s most ubiquitous squash with intention, it can sear like a steak and turn downright lush.

Gazpacho’s Sophisticated Sibling • Salmorejo whirls peak summer tomatoes into a silky, refreshing chilled soup.

Mouthwatering Chicken • The cold Sichuan dish called kou shui ji lives up to its tempting name with electric flavors, colors, and aromas.

A Crash Course in Mexican Dried Chiles • No crop defines Mexican cuisine more than chiles, particularly the rainbow of dried varieties that add nuance, depth, and body to innumerable preparations. Here’s a guide to the ones we use the most, plus a few of our favorite techniques and recipes.

Summer Dinner, Sorted • Fill your plate with pasta salads that are chock-full of colorful veggies and satisfying proteins.

Chips and Salsa for Breakfast • Mexico’s chilaquiles verdes, a pile of tortilla chips coated in vibrant tomatillo salsa and sprinkled with an array of garnishes, is a satisfying start to any day.

The French Pastry That’s Easy as Toast • Slathered with citrusy syrup and rich almond cream, bostock packs sweet, toasty crunch into a baked good you can make in a morning.

The Best Stainless-Steel Skillets • Perfect searing, flavorful sauces, and stove-to-oven versatility make stainless-steel frying pans essential to home kitchens. Which is best?

All About Mozzarella • From lush burrata to petite balls of fresh ciliegine, mozzarella comes in a variety of sizes and styles—and we love them all.

KITCHEN NOTES

EQUIPMENT CORNER