Shaken vs. Stirred: Why Does It Matter How You Chill a Cocktail?

Plus, recipes to celebrate New Year’s Eve. [START FREE TRIAL]( or [LOG IN]( [America's Test Kitchen: Notes from the Test Kitchen]( [America's Test Kitchen: Notes from the Test Kitchen]( [FIND RECIPES ›]( December 29, 2023 [A collection of recipes from this newsletter]( [A collection of recipes from this newsletter]( What’s New at ATK [A Sazerac cocktail being poured into a glass]( Shaken vs. Stirred: Why Does It Matter How You Chill a Cocktail? Whether you use a shaker or a spoon,[mixing a cocktail with ice can have a dramatic effect on taste and texture. Find out when to shake and when to stir a cocktail. →]( Turn Your Cheese Ends into Something Special This delicious spread makes cheese scraps into something [worthy of a holiday party. Make Fromage Fort with your cheese ends. →]( A Note From Our Test Cooks [Negroni]( Celebrating New Year’s Eve Hosting a New Year’s Eve party is exciting—and often stressful. Here are some tips that will help you ring in the new year with a party that will be fun for the guests and the host. Make It Easy and Make It Ahead Including make-ahead recipes on your menu is always the number one piece of party-planning advice—and for good reason. The food isn’t the only thing you need to get in order before your party starts, so do yourself a favor and design a menu that features recipes that can be prepared in part or in whole ahead of time. Need some ideas? [View all of our make-ahead recipes](. Here’s another tip: If you do prepare some dishes in advance, write the finishing instructions on a sticky note and stick it onto the dish itself. This makes it easier to remember a recipe’s final steps and prevents you from having to go track down the recipe again. Sharpen Your Knives Have you ever tried dicing an onion with a butter knife? Your knives are the most important tools for recipe prep, and they can also be the biggest source of frustration (and danger!) if they’re dull. It’s important to [keep your knives]( sharp all year long, but throwing a party is a good excuse to make sure they’re in tip top shape. One Dish Serves . . . as Many People as You Want It To Every recipe in our arsenal includes the number of people it should serve, but it’s your party and you decide how big to make each portion. Recipes such as [Spanish Tortilla]( [Pissaladière]( and [Millionaire’s Shortbread]( can be cut into smaller pieces to serve more people, especially if you have lots of other bites on your menu. Label Your Dishes It might sound a little silly, but labeling your serving platters and pulling out serving utensils in advance is time well spent. Not only does it prevent you from having to dig deep into a closet or basement at the last minute, but it makes it easy for others to help you plate your final dishes. Members get every recipe, review, and video. Get instant access to everything from the most trusted cooking experts. [Start your 2-week free trial](. Festive New Year’s Eve Cocktails [Bubbles and Blooms →]( [Champagne Cocktail →]( [Negroni →]( Appetizers Perfect For Ringing in the New Year [Chickpea Fries →]( [Roasted Oysters on the Half Shell with Mustard Butter →]( [Spinach-Artichoke Dip →]( [For layout only] Fresh Picks for You [Classic Roast Beef Tenderloin →]( [Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce →]( [Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes →]( [Ready for your easiest-ever holiday? Try Digital All Access. 14,000+ Reliable Recipes, Free Shipping in Our Shop, Mobile App, 8,000+ Product Reviews, Holiday Guide. Get 14 days free and unlock every recipe & cooking discovery! Start Free Trial. Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Apples.]( [Appetizers]( From Our Online Cooking School How to Select the Right Appetizers When it comes to deciding on the right appetizer, it can be difficult to know where to start. We can help. [view course]( Our Family of Brands [America's Test Kitchen]( [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( [Kids]( [Cooking School]( America’s Test Kitchen is the home of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines; America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s 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 award–winning 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]( Find digital editions of [Cook’s Illustrated]( and [Cook’s Country]( for iPad on the App Store. The America’s Test Kitchen App The America’s Test Kitchen App is free for All-Access Multi-Site Members and is available on [iOS]( and [Android](. [Download on the App Store]( [Get it on Google Play]( [Forward to a friend →]( View this email in a [Web browser](. Offer expires December 31, 2023. All prior sales excluded. No substitutions. We sent you this email because our records indicate that you requested to receive email from America's Test Kitchen. We don’t want you to miss out on our emails: Please [add our email address]( to your address book or “safe” sender list today. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. [Unsubscribe]( or manage your [email preferences](. View our [privacy policy.]( DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Unfortunately, replies to this email will not be answered. If you have questions, please visit our [Customer Service]( page. America's Test Kitchen, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210