Cook's Country October/November 2022

THE TURKEY ON our front cover is the center-piece that everyone at your holiday dinner will admire and devour. Over the years cooks have tried, and often failed, to serve a bird that is as delicious as it looks. For golden-brown skin, my grandmother rubbed her turkey with melted butter and basted it with a bulb baster every 15 minutes, but that technique takes a lot of time and effort. My mother’s generation cooked the turkey in an oven bag to ensure even cooking, but that bird tasted more steamed than roasted. And the professional cooks of my generation recommended roasting the turkey upside down in high heat, but that hot bird was difficult to manage and always looked a little squished to me. Then one Thanksgiving Eve when I…

THE TURKEY ON our front cover is the center-piece that everyone at your holiday dinner will admire and devour. Over the years cooks have tried, and often failed, to serve a bird that is as delicious as it looks. For golden-brown skin, my grandmother rubbed her turkey with melted butter and basted it with a bulb baster every 15 minutes, but that technique takes a lot of time and effort. My mother’s generation cooked the turkey in an oven bag to ensure even cooking, but that bird tasted more steamed than roasted. And the professional cooks of my generation recommended roasting the turkey upside down in high heat, but that hot bird was difficult to manage and always looked a little squished to me. Then one Thanksgiving Eve when I lived…

America’s Test Kitchen has been teaching home cooks how to be successful in the kitchen since 1993. Our mission is to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. Millions watch our two shows on public television; read our two flagship magazines (Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated); and rely on our books, websites, videos, podcasts, and educational products for children. America’s Test Kitchen is located in a state-of-the-art Boston facility with 15,000 square feet of test kitchen and studio space. Learn more at AmericasTestKitchen.com. FIND THE ROOSTER! We’ve hidden a tiny version of the rooster above in a photo in the pages of this issue. Tell us where the rooster is hiding, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing. The first correct entry drawn will win a…

WINTER SQUASH PRIMER As soon as fall hits, the produce aisles are brimming with winter squashes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorites. –Jessica Rudolph ACORN SQUASH One of the most ubiquitous winter squashes found in supermarkets. Dark green and acorn-shaped with orange flesh, a dense texture, and mild flavor. BUTTERCUP SQUASH A flattened, rounded green squash with pale-green stripes and a circular ridge on the bottom. Flesh that is on the drier side and very mild in flavor. BUTTERNUT SQUASH Immediately recognizable by its bell shape. Tan skin and bright-orange, moist flesh with a sweet, nutty taste. DELICATA SQUASH Oblong and pale yellow with green or orange stripes; thin, edible skin; and creamy flesh that is more earthy than sweet-tasting. HUBBARD SQUASH…

America’s Test Kitchen has been teaching home cooks how to be successful in the kitchen since 1993. Our mission is to empower and inspire confidence, community, and creativity in the kitchen. Millions watch our two shows on public television; read our two flagship magazines (Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated); and rely on our books, websites, videos, podcasts, and educational products for children. America’s Test Kitchen is located in a state-of-the-art Boston facility with 15,000 square feet of test kitchen and studio space. Learn more at AmericasTestKitchen.com. FIND THE ROOSTER! We’ve hidden a tiny version of the rooster above in a photo in the pages of this issue. Tell us where the rooster is hiding, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing. The first correct entry drawn will win a copy of…

WINTER SQUASH PRIMER As soon as fall hits, the produce aisles are brimming with winter squashes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorites. –Jessica Rudolph ACORN SQUASH One of the most ubiquitous winter squashes found in supermarkets. Dark green and acorn-shaped with orange flesh, a dense texture, and mild flavor. BUTTERCUP SQUASH A flattened, rounded green squash with pale-green stripes and a circular ridge on the bottom. Flesh that is on the drier side and very mild in flavor. BUTTERNUT SQUASH Immediately recognizable by its bell shape. Tan skin and bright-orange, moist flesh with a sweet, nutty taste. DELICATA SQUASH Oblong and pale yellow with green or orange stripes; thin, edible skin; and creamy flesh that is more earthy than sweet-tasting. HUBBARD SQUASH Gray blue, typically huge and bumpy, and often precut into chunks…