Serves 4

You can substitute low-sodium chicken broth for the vegetable broth. Serve over steamed white rice with sliced red or green Thai chiles, lime wedges, and cilantro.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This curry recipe uses a variety of vegetables and gets all the bright flavors it needs from the green curry paste cubes, which stand up well to the coconut milk and can be made well in advance and stored in the freezer.

Serves 8
For even cooking, buy asparagus spears between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in diameter.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Rather than cook our Asparagus Gratin in a cheesy sauce, we opted to cook the two aspects separately and combine them at the end. We initially turned to gruyére cheese, a classic element in gratin dishes, but it caused our sauce to be slightly gritty. Replacing it with milder, smoother Monterey Jack fixed the problem. We also found that tasters preferred a version of the sauce that replaced the half-and-half entirely with vegetable stock made from the trimmed ends of the asparagus, which also enhanced the vegetable’s flavor.

Serves 4

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted the asparagus in our Roasted Asparagus with Peppers and Shallots recipe to have lots of flavor, so we tossed the spears with a garlic and herb marinade, then cooked them (along with some peppers and shallots) hot and high to caramelize them without withering them away. A heavyweight rimmed baking sheet stood up to the high heat and didn’t warp as the asparagus cooked.

SERVES 4 TO 6

If you can’t find ciabatta, a similar crusty, rustic loaf of bread can be substituted. A quarter cup of Egg Beaters may be substituted for the egg yolks. Since anchovy fillets vary in size, more than 6 fillets may be necessary to yield 1 tablespoon of minced anchovies. The easiest way to turn garlic cloves into a paste is to grate them on a rasp-style grater.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A combination of extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil gave our Caesar Salad dressing a neutral base. We used a rasp-style grater to turn garlic into pulp, then steeped it in lemon juice. To get all of our recipe’s ingredients to emulsify, we beat the yolks, anchovies, and Worcestershire sauce into the lemon juice and garlic, then slowly whisked in the oil and half of the cheese. For our Caesar salad’s croutons, we used ciabatta. Sprinkling the bread cubes with a little water and salt preserved their moistness and ensured they were perfectly tender at the center and browned around the edges after we toasted them.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2013/01/we-prove-it-steeping-garlic-in-acid-tempers-its-bite/

Serves 6

We prefer the flavor of white sandwich bread here, but you can use whole-wheat sandwich bread if desired. Avoid overmixing the chickpea mixture in step 3 or the cakes will have a mealy texture. Serve with a salad.

A cooling sauce tempers the warm spices and subtle heat in these flavorful, filling chickpea cakes.

Our tasters’ favorite was McCormick Gourmet Collection Garam Masala for its ability to assimilate into dishes and also round out their acidic and sweet notes. Widely available in supermarkets, McCormick won praise from tasters for adding a mellow, well-balanced aroma to most dishes.

PER SERVING
Cal 240; Fat 12g; Sat Fat 2.5g; Chol 75mg; Carb 23g; Protein 12g; Fiber 5g; Sodium 570mg

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/chickpea-cakes-with-cucumber-yogurt-sauce/

Serves 4 to 6

If the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrots’ sugars and browns the exteriors, ideally leaving the interiors tender and moist. For the best approach to roasting carrots, we cooked the carrots hot and fast. The intense heat promoted rapid caramelization, which, in turn, kept the interiors moist.

Serves 4 to 6

If the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrots’ sugars and browns the exteriors, ideally leaving the interiors tender and moist. For the best approach to roasting carrots, we cooked the carrots hot and fast. The intense heat promoted rapid caramelization, which, in turn, kept the interiors moist.

Serves 4 to 6

If the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrots’ sugars and browns the exteriors, ideally leaving the interiors tender and moist. For the best approach to roasting carrots, we cooked the carrots hot and fast. The intense heat promoted rapid caramelization, which, in turn, kept the interiors moist.

Serves 4 to 6

If the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrots’ sugars and browns the exteriors, ideally leaving the interiors tender and moist. For the best approach to roasting carrots, we cooked the carrots hot and fast. The intense heat promoted rapid caramelization, which, in turn, kept the interiors moist.

Serves 4 to 6

If the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Roasting is one of the best approaches to maximize the sweet, earthy flavor of carrots. The high heat caramelizes the carrots’ sugars and browns the exteriors, ideally leaving the interiors tender and moist. For the best approach to roasting carrots, we cooked the carrots hot and fast. The intense heat promoted rapid caramelization, which, in turn, kept the interiors moist.