Last-minute gifts & "presents" of mind. [Americaâs Test Kitchen]( [Cookâs Illustrated]( [Cookâs Country]( [School]( [In the Kitchen with Jack. The Latest from America's Test Kitchen.]
Dear Home Cook, Iâm a planner. Just ask my work colleagues and my wife.
But when it comes to the holidays, I think itâs important to mix all that planning with a healthy dose of spontaneity. If youâre lucky to have time off from work, there are a lot of unstructured days ahead and sometimes the best holiday moments are those that âjust happen.â
In the planning column, we have tickets to a comedian my entire family agrees is very funny (thatâs a holiday miracle!) and reservations at a few special restaurants.
In the just-let-it-happen bucket is cooking. What, you say? Jack Bishop is not planning everything? Yes, my wife and I hosted 25 family and friends for Thanksgiving, and that meal was accompanied by a minute-by-minute cooking schedule. But for the [December holidays]( itâs just our two daughters and one beloved boyfriend (thatâs you, Ben). Weâre going to wait to be inspired by what everyone feels like eating and by what looks good at the market.
Over the past year, Iâve begun to do a lot of meal planning in the supermarket with the ATK app as my trusted partner. The recipe filtering is so intuitive. Want to find something interesting to make with âcauliflowerâ + âchickenâ that is also âgluten freeâ? The first result is [One-Pan Peruvian Chicken with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes]( (yes, please), and the [Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Pomegranate Pan Sauce]( looks perfect for a casual holiday meal. [One-Pan Peruvian Chicken with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes](
[Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Pomegranate Pan Sauce]( In the last few weeks, weâve rolled out the same intuitive search on the ATK website. If you havenât visited this month, [check it out](. Itâs so much easier to filter through the 14,000 recipes on the site and find exactly what you want. Filter for âChocolateâ + [âMake Aheadâ]( + âCakeâ and you will find [Torta Caprese]( oh-so-easy Italian riff on a flourless chocolate cake, but lighter and flavored with almonds. Perfect for a holiday meal. [Recipe search results for Chocolate + Make Ahead + Cake]( Thankfully, my holiday shopping is almost done, but donât panic if youâre still looking for something special. The holy grail of gift-giving is finding something the recipient will use frequently and thank you every time they do. Helping friends and family cook better is such a considerate gift. [Recipe for Thick and Creamy Potato Latkes in the ATK app.]( How about a [membership to our site (the appâs included!)]( which promises your loved one a year of better cooking? And if youâre a digital member (and you should be), itâs a great way to stay in touch with your gift recipient. Our daughters are both ATK digital members and every week or two I send them a recipe to try. Eve recently wanted [Thick and Creamy Potato Latkes]( a 1997 Cookâs Illustrated recipe Iâve been making since before she was born. Itâs now a family tradition for Eve and Ben. Rose asked for [Spaghetti alla Carbonara]( a vintage CI recipe Iâve been making since she was in elementary school. Cooking connects us even though we live thousands of miles apart. If youâre looking to put something under the tree, thereâs nothing like a cookbook. [Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Ownerâs Manual]( is THE perfect companion for someone just getting started in the kitchen or that has cabinets full of equipment. It offers so much practical advice on how to equip your kitchen and get the most out of every tool. My colleagues Hannah Crowley and Lisa McManus, who head up the ATK Reviews team, share unconventional wisdom gained through decades of their incredible hands-on testing. Want to know the absolute best way to sharpen your knives? Or maybe tips for successful cooking in your air fryer or Instant Pot? Itâs all here (along with 100+ failproof recipes) in this 432-page tome. [Kitchen Gear. The Ultimate Owner's Manual.]( A copy of [A Very Chinese Cookbook]( is on its way to my brother Doug (donât tell him). Heâs a very good cook and Iâve already flagged some recipes I know he will like. My colleague Kevin Pang and his dad Jeffrey did such great work putting together this collection of Chinese, and Chinese American, recipes. Doug, make the [Sichuan Green Beans]( when our sister visits for Christmas. Make Mongolian Beef (check out [this video with Kevin and Jeffrey)]( for your wife. And Flat Hand-Pulled Noodles are a perfect father-son project. [A Very Chinese Cookbook. Sichuan Green Beans. Mongolian Beef.]( Whatever you cook in the coming days, your friends at ATK wish you and your family a joyous holiday season. And share your passion for cooking with everyone you love. They will thank you. All the best in 2024, [Jackâs Signature] Jack Bishop
Chief Creative Officer
P.S. A piece of kitchen equipment is always a great gift. The ATK Reviews team has put together this [super helpful list]( where you can find âoh myâ gifts like our top-rated food processor or stand mixer as well as kitchen essentials like the worldâs best instant-read thermometer. Have you met Jack? Jack is the tasting lab expert on our television shows and was part of the original team that started Americaâs Test Kitchen, beginning with the launch of Cook’s Illustrated in 1993. He leads the creative teams that produce our TV shows, magazines, books, sites, podcasts, and our online cooking school. Our family of brands [America's Test Kitchen]( [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( [Kids]( [Cooking School]( Americaâs Test Kitchen is the home of Cookâs Illustrated and Cookâs Country magazines; Americaâs Test Kitchen and Cookâs Country public television shows; America's Test Kitchen Kids; dozens of cookbooks; multiple member websites; the America's Test Kitchen Cooking School; and The Walk-In, Mystery Recipe, and the Webby awardâwinning Proof podcasts. We have a single mission: to help you succeed every time you cook. FOLLOW US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Pinterest]( DIGITAL MAGAZINES [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country](
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