America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated Season 4 — Episodes and Where to Watch
26 episodes · first aired 2004-01-03
TMDB does not provide a season overview.
Episode guide
Episode 1: Salad 101
2004-01-0325 min
We give much needed makeovers to two classic salads. Salad seems so easy. Just dress some leafy greens and serve, right?
Recipes: Basic Tossed Green Salad; Greek Salad; Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Tasting Lab: Red Wine Vinegar
Episode 2: Summer Tomatoes
2004-01-1025 min
Say goodbye to thick, bland gazpacho and soggy tomato tarts. It’s feast or famine when it comes to good tomatoes.
Recipes: Gazpacho; Quick Summer Tomato Tart
Tasting Lab: Mozzarella Cheese
Episode 3: One-Pot Wonders
2004-01-1725 min
The notion of dinner made in a single pot is certainly alluring. Two complete meals from a pot; one a classic, the other a surprise.
Recipes: Beef Chili with Kedney Beans; Indoor Clambake
Equipment Center: Crock Pots
Tasting Lab: Tomato Puree
Episode 4: East Coast Seafood
2004-01-2425 min
We solve the problem of porridge-like chowder and bready crabcakes. Clam chowder and crab cakes are available in most every seafood restaurant in the country. These dishes both have their origins along the East Coast and have been subjected to numerous changes (most not for the better) as they became more popular.
Recipes: New England Clam Chowder; Maryland Crab Cakes
Tasting Lab: Mayonaise
Episode 5: New Orleans Menu
2004-01-3125 min
We bring a taste of New Orleans into the home kitchen. Jambalaya and bananas Foster are two of our favorite dishes from New Orleans.
Recipes: Jambalaya; Bananas Foster
Equipment Center: Ice Cream Scoops
Tasting Lab: Vegetable Broth
Episode 6: Freedom from Red Sauce
2004-02-0725 min
Skip the marinara and try these two vegetable sauces. Tired of the same old marinara sauce?
Recipes: Pasta with Mushrooms; Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Equipment Center: Herb Choppers
Tasting Lab: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Episode 7: Quick Classic Pastas
2004-02-1425 min
Everyone knows pasta is quick. That's one of the reasons Americans (and Italians) love it.
Recipes: "Quick" Bolognese; Four Cheese Pasta
Tasting Lab: Tomato Paste
Episode 8: Pot Roast
2004-02-2125 min
Pot roast can be the ultimate comfort food or a huge waste of time. We solve the problem of dry, gray, tough meat.
Recipes: Pot Roast with Root Vegetables; Skillet Green Beans
Equipment Center: Vegetable Choppers
Episode 9: Maple-Glazed Pork Roast
2004-02-2825 min
Say goodbye to dry, tough, candy-like roasts. The marketing of the “other white meat” would be amusing if today’s pork weren’t so lean and flavorless.
Recipes: Maple-Glazed Pork Loin; Wild Rice Pilaf
Equipment Center: Food Storage Containers
Episode 10: Truck Stop Classics
2004-03-0625 min
We perfect two roadside classics: chicken-fried steak and coconut cream pie. Truckers often know where to find the best home cooking.
Recipes: Chicken-Fried Steak with Gravy; Coconut Cream Pie
Tasting Lab: Graham Crackers
Episode 11: Chicken in a Skillet
2004-03-1325 min
A skillet can turn out hundreds of chicken dinners. For most Americans, chicken breasts are the holy grail of weeknight cooking. (We think thighs are more flavorful, but that’s another story.)
Recipes: Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts; Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Wilted Spinach
Equipment Corner: Traditional Skillets
Episode 12: Chicken in a Pot
2004-03-2025 min
Two French takes on an American promise. Herbert Hoover may have promised Herbert Hoover may have promised Americans a chicken in every pot, but no ne said that chicken couldn't be French.
Recipes: Chicken Provencale; Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Equipment Corner: Kitchen Shears
Tasting Lab: Vermouth
Episode 13: Steak and Potatoes
2004-03-2725 min
We take the mystery out of properly grilled steaks. It’s hard to beat steak and mashed potatoes for both simplicity and flavor.
Recipes: Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions; Grilled Steaks
Equipment Center: Kitchen Shears
Tasting Lab: Mail-Order vs. Supermarket Steaks
Episode 14: Steak Tips
2004-04-0325 min
Steak tips and steak fries sound like bad menu offerings from your local low-rent steakhouse. We rescue steak tips and fries from low-rent steakhouses.
Recipes: Steak Tips; Steak Fries
Equipment Center: Grill Brushes
Episode 15: Stir Fry 101
2004-04-1025 min
Stir-fries at home that are better than takeout. Ordering Chinese takeout is like playing Russian roulette.
Recipes: Stir-Fired Pork with Eggplant; Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli
Equipment Center: Electric Woks
Tasting Lab: Oyster Sauce
Episode 16: Asian Noodles
2004-04-1725 min
Say goodbye to bad Americanized versions of pad Thai and sesame noodles. We no longer think of noodles as just Italian.
Recipes: Pad Thai; Cold Sesame Noodles
Equipment Center: Flat Bottom Woks
Episode 17: Italian Classics
2004-04-2425 min
Americans love Italian food - and rightly so.
Recipes: Chicken Diavola; Frico; Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Tasting Labs: Balsamic Vinegar
Episode 18: French Food in a Flash
2004-05-0125 min
We bring two classics into the home kitchen for great results in a fraction of the time.
Recipes: Simplified Cassoulet with Pork and Kielbasa; 30-Minute Tarte Tatin
Tasting Lab: Diced Canned Tomatoes
Episode 19: Tea Time
2004-05-0825 min
Say goodbye to leaden scones and pound cake. In the test kitchen, we think afternoon (or morning) tea is an excellent excuse to whip up a batch of scones or a golden loaf of lemon pound cake. Making these simple baked goods at home certainly yields better results than what you can buy.
Recipes: Lemon Pound Cake; Oatmeal Scones
Equipment Center: Citrus Juicers and Reamers
Tasting Lab: Supermarket Teas
Episode 20: Sunday Brunch
2004-05-1525 min
We solve the problem of rubbery omelets and dry, hockey puck muffins. Sunday brunch sounds so civilized.
Recipes: Denver Omelet; Corn Muffins
Equipment Center: Rubber Spatulas
Tasting Lab: Baking Powder
Episode 21: The Pancake Show
2004-05-2225 min
Few recipes deliver so much pleasure for so little work as pancakes. The batter comes together in minutes, and the cooking time is brief. Why, then, do most Americans never make pancakes from scratch?
Recipes: Blueberry Pancakes; German Apple Pancakes
Equipment Corner: Electric Gridles
Tasting Lab: Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries
Episode 22: Cookie Jar Favorites
2004-05-2925 min
Good cookies don’t really require any more work than bad cookies. Unless, of course, you are willing to consider dry, crumbly, tasteless packaged cookies from the supermarket - but we aren’t.
Recipes: Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies; Coconut Macaroons
Equipment Corner: Potholders
Tasting Lab: Refrigerator Cookie Dough
Episode 23: Summer Berry Desserts
2004-06-0525 min
When local berries are in season, we like to showcase them in simple desserts. Two simple showcases for fresh summer berries.
Recipes: Summer Berry Pie; Berry Gratin with Lemon Sabayon
Equipment Corner: Ice Cream Makers
Episode 24: Easy Sheet Cakes
2004-06-1225 min
We solve the problem of dry, sticky, flavorless cakes. A sheet cake is like a with training wheels--it's hard to fall off.
Recipes: Chocolate Sheet Cake; Carrot Cake
Equipment Corner: Milk Chocolate
Episode 25: Lemon Cheescake
2004-06-1925 min
Light, creamy, and great lemon flavor--neither too fleeting nor too harsh.
Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake
Equipment Center: Springform Pans
Episode 26: Showstopper Deserts
2004-06-2625 min
Two desserts that pull out all the stops yet are easy to prepare.
Recipes: Chocolate Mousse Cake; Chilled Lemon Souffle
Tasting Lab: Unsweetened Chocolate
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