Season 1

August 18, 2001

Should you roast in a hot oven or a moderate oven? How do you get crisp skin and moist, tender breast meat? We answer these questions and more. Recipes: Easy Roast Chicken Tasting Lab: Kosher Bird Wins Chicken Tasting Science Desk: What is the Difference between White and Dark Meat?

August 25, 2001

Why is stew often tough and flavorless? We explore how to buy the right cut of meat, how to sear it for flavor, and how to cook it until tender. Recipes: Hearty Beef Stew, Carbonnade a la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew) Equipment Center: Dutch Ovens

September 1, 2001

Do your pork roasts and chops come out dry and tasteless? Here's how to cook tender, juicy pork using some simple kitchen tricks. Recipes: Garlic Studded Roast Pork Loin, Country Mustard-Shallot Sauce with Thyme Equipment Center: Electric Knives, Updated Science Desk: Why is Fat Important?

September 8, 2001

The America's Test Kitchen team cooks salmon in a saute pan, on a grill, and under a broiler, and we find that it takes 10 minutes or fewer to cook it right. Recipes: Broiled Salmon with Mustard and Crisp Dilled Crust, Simple Pan-Seared Salmon, Herb-Poached Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce, Simple Grilled Salmon Science Desk: Fibers and Fatty Acids

September 15, 2001

Throw out your wok! Stir-fries can be simple, quick, full of flavor, and, best of all, prepared without special equipment. Recipes: Stir Fry with Ginger Sauce, Stir Fry with Curry Sauce, Stir Fry with Hot-and-Sour Sauce, Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce, Stir Fry with Orange Sauce Tasting Lab: Patience Pays Off for Soy Sauce Equipment Center: Skillets (Nonstick) - Do Electric Knives Really Work?—Archived

September 22, 2001

Everyday foods like meat loaf and garlic mashed potatoes are popular for a reason; they're easy to make and they can taste great. Recipes: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Meat Loaf with Brown Sugar (Ketchup Glaze - Loaf Pan Variation) Tasting Lab: Ketchup Science Desk: Starch in Potatoes

September 29, 2001

Want to fry, scramble, boil, or poach an egg? Cover eggs while frying, use high heat for scrambling, never add eggs to boiling water, and use a skillet, not a saucepan, for poaching. Recipes: Foolproof Boiled Eggs, Fried Eggs for Two, Fluffy Scrambled Eggs, Poached Eggs Equipment Center: Skillets, Nonstick Science Desk: The Science of Cooking Proteins and Egg Coagulation

October 6, 2001

Everyone loves cookies, but it's not easy to make cookies at home that taste and look as good as a bakery-made cookies. Recipes: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Big, Super-Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies, Big Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies Tasting Lab: Unorthodox Chocolate Chips Science Desk: How Baking Soda Works

October 13, 2001

Learn how to make a simple-as-boxed-cake recipe that's virtually foolproof. Then frost and decorate the cake with ease. Recipes: Rich and Tender Yellow Layer Cake Equipment Center: Cake Pans Science Desk: Protein Content in Cake Flour

October 20, 2001

Make a foolproof pie crust that even a five-year-old could roll out. We also show you the secrets of pumpkin and pecan pies. Recipes: The Best Pie Dough, Perfect Pecan Pie, The Best Pumpkin Pie

October 27, 2001

The test kitchen team focuses on marrying a lightly sweetened fruit base to different toppings. Recipes: Fruit Crisp, Fresh Berry Gratin, Blueberry Cobbler Tasting Lab: Chinese Cinnamon Tops Equipment Center: Food Processors (Full-Size)