Strongly Worded

Torta Reform

So you may remember that this very blog was a holiday gift from my friend R.. She registered the domain name and set up the whole thing for me. And this, believe it or not, was my "unofficial" gift.

My official gift was a subscription to Cook's Illustrated, which brings me joy and mirth when it arrives every month. When it first came, I thought it was some sales promotion, because the magazine is black-and-white, unglossy, and has no photos on the cover. Also, my first issue included a refrigerator magnet. It seemed like something I would have gotten by virtue of being on some culinary mailing list.

However, I came to love the stodgy-looking mag. It is a hard-core monthly manual. It takes food very, very seriously. Unlike glossy food magazines that intersperse recipes with restaurant reviews, travel articles, and photos of beautiful famous people eating and entertaining--Cook's Illustrated tackles the down-and-dirty kitchen problems.

The "Notes from Readers" section solves vexing queries with assured, data-driven answers. Felicia, from Manalapan, New Jersey, confesses: "I hate to sift flour. Is it really necessary? Can I just use a whisk to remove lumps?"

After an explanation of sifting's aerating function, the editors sternly report: "when we tested equal weights of sifted versus whisked flour in recipes, we noticed that both methods delivered similar results. Cakes made with sifted flour were a tad taller, but the differences were quite small." But then the kicker: "If you are not going to weigh flour, you must pay special attention to the recipe directions regarding sifting." And then three paragraphs about how "1 cup of flour, sifted" differs from "1 cup sifted flour."

I love the "Quick Tips" section.

"Most kitchen garbage bags slip down inside the trash can, leaving an unpleasant mess to clean up later. Judith of North Truro, MA suggests securing the bags to the receptacle with a lightweight bungee cord. Just make sure you don't through out the cord with the trash!"

Elise of Greenwood Village, CO prepares vinaigrettes in her child's sippy cups. "The dressing is released slowly from the small spout, making it nearly impossible to waste vinaigrette or overdress a salad."

But it gets better! Every month, the editors tackle a different culinary disaster and work readers through its prevention. Last month the gourmet makeover involved Chicken Fajitas. "Dry, stringy chicken breasts and limp, tasteless vegetables desperately need a truckload of toppings. How about chicken fajitas that are great on their own?"

The editors tested dozens of recipes and found most to be disappointing. The results were deemed "impossible to eat and awfully bland" , "gritty and crunchy" or "thick and goopy." After this despairing commentary come four pages of explicit directions, leading the reader through "meat management", "grill work", and "it's a wrap."

Because I know you are salivating already, I won't divulge the secret to "the ultimate vegetable torta." Let's just say I now have the power to "turn bland and soggy piles of eggplant and zucchini into a rich, savory tart."

Posted by Dori at 11:53 AM