Serves 4

Use any combination of white and dark meat. For even cooking, halve breasts crosswise and separate leg quarters into thighs and drumsticks.

Makes 12 muffins

The test kitchen recommends Quaker’s finely ground yellow cornmeal. On day two, these muffins make delicious toast: Halve, butter, and brown—buttered side down—in a frying pan over medium heat. Lowfat is OK, but don’t use skim milk here.

Serves 12

If your food processor bowl holds less than 11 cups, puree half the pudding with the roasted bananas and lemon juice in step 3, transfer it to a large bowl, and whisk in the rest of the pudding.

Serves 6 to 8

You can use any small pasta, such as orzo, ditalini, or small elbows. We recommend great northern or cannellini beans. Serve the minestrone with grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

Split chicken halves are whole chickens that have been split in two through the breastbone. Buy them at the market or see page 31 for instructions on how to prepare them yourself. Lee Kum Kee Tabletop Soy Sauce is our favorite supermarket brand.

KEY TO BOLD FLAVOR: MESQUITE
Authentic huli huli chicken is grilled over kiawe wood, from a hardwood tree that is a species of mesquite. The test kitchen finds mesquite wood chips too assertive for long-cooked chicken and pork dishes; after an hour or two, the smoke turns the meat bitter. But we liked them in this comparatively quick recipe. Our Huli Huli Chicken recipe will work with any variety of wood chips, but if you care about authenticity, mesquite is the chip of choice.
WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN
Assertive mesquite doesn’t always work, but we like it here.

Slow cooker instructions: http://sandynawrot.blogspot.com/2011/05/weekend-cooking-slow-cooker-revolution_28.html

Serves 6

Full-size spareribs are fatty, plus they’re too large to fit on the grill. If you can’t find St. Louis-cut spareribs (which have been trimmed of the brisket bone and surrounding meat), substitute baby back ribs and begin to check for doneness after 1 hour on the grill. Cover the edges of the ribs loosely with foil if they begin to burn while grilling.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART, SERVING 4 TO 6

The longer the zest and juice mixture is allowed to steep, the more developed the citrus flavors in the finished margaritas. We recommend steeping for the full 24 hours, although the margaritas will still be great if the mixture is steeped only for the minimum 4 hours. If you’re in a rush and need to serve margaritas immediately, omit the zest and skip the steeping process altogether.

Serves 4

A pan sauce can be made while the steaks rest after cooking (see related recipes); if you intend to make a sauce, make sure to prepare all of the sauce ingredients before cooking the steaks. To serve two instead of four, use a 10-inch skillet to cook a 1-pound steak and halve the sauce ingredients. Bear in mind that even those tasters who usually prefer rare beef preferred these steaks cooked medium-rare or medium because the texture is firmer and not quite so chewy.

Makes about 9 cups, serving 6

Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, this recipe is very easy to prepare. If you desire a soup with mild spiciness, trim the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño (or omit the jalapeño altogether) and use the minimum amount of chipotle in adobo sauce (1 teaspoon, pureed with the tomatoes in step 3). Our preferred brand of low-sodium chicken broth is Swanson’s Natural Goodness. If advance preparation suits you, the soup can be completed short of adding the shredded chicken to the pot at the end of step 3. Return the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat before proceeding. The tortilla strips and the garnishes are best prepared the day of serving.

Makes About 9 Cups, Serving 6

Dried beans tend to cook unevenly, so be sure to taste several beans to determine their doneness in step 1. For efficiency, you can prepare the soup ingredients while the beans simmer and the garnishes while the soup simmers. Though you do not need to offer all of the garnishes listed below, do choose at least a couple; garnishes are essential for this soup as they add not only flavor but texture and color as well. Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days; reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, stirring in additional chicken broth if it has thickened beyond your liking.