Cook's Illustrated celebrates 25 years of recipes that changed the way we cook (2024)

Carl Tremblay, America's Test Kitchen

Best French Onion Soup, from "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes," 2018, America's Test Kitchen.

By Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

When "Cook's Illustrated" magazine launched 25 years ago, it was a completely different era. For most people, the Internet was America Online. Very few people had cell phones. And grunge was rocking the radio waves.

The way people approached food was different in 1993, too. The country was obsessed with fat-free everything. Bread machines were the must-have countertop gadget -- the Instant Pot of its day. And the No. 1 complaint coming from home kitchens was that there wasn't enough time to cook.

OK, it seems at least some things never change.

Another constant during the past quarter century is the reliability of recipes from "Cook's Illustrated," which is part of the America's Test Kitchen family of publications. The cooks and editors who work on the recipes test them over and over again, going over every variable to create dishes that can't miss.

Photos courtesy of America's Test Kitchen; photo of Souza by Brian DeSimone.

Dan Souza, the editor-in-chief of "Cook's Illustrated," helped compile "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes," which features 25 years of the magazine's best dishes and cooking tips.

The very best of 25 years of recipes are highlighted in the new cookbook "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes" ($45, America's Test Kitchen, 564 pages). It features time-honored dishes that have been tested over and over so they're sure to work, along with the sort of tips and tricks that can make any home cook smarter and more efficient in the kitchen.

Recipes included with this story:

;

;

;

.

Daniel J. van Ackere, America's Test Kitchen

Braised Beet Salad With Lemon and Almonds, from "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes," 2018, America's Test Kitchen.

"One of the biggest changes we've seen is that what people want to cook at home is a much-bigger bubble than it used to be," Dan Souza, the magazine's editor-in-chief, said in a recent visit with The Oregonian/OregonLive. "It used to be that you knew the kind of stuff that your local restaurants were making, maybe more European-style cooking, and that's what you wanted to focus on.

"Over the years, we found that people want to make stuff from all over the world. They want to make a Thai curry one night, and the next they want to know how to make the really killer steak that they can get at the fancy restaurant down the street. The desire is much greater, though the skill set is about the same."

That's where the magazine's rigorous recipe testing comes into play.

"We apply our process for testing recipes to more-exotic cuisines and ingredients," Souza says. "It's really helpful because we can test everything and create a really clear road map for making something that might not be as familiar that you learned to make from your mom or grandmother."

Daniel J. van Ackere, America's Test Kitchen

Huevos Ranchero, from "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes," 2018, America's Test Kitchen.

Souza thinks the advent of the digital age, where the world is just a few clicks away, is what's behind cooks becoming more-adventurous.

"When we started the magazine, the Internet wasn't a very important thing," he says. "Now you can log on and see what people are serving in restaurants around the world, and people want to serve that food at home. And that's the most fun. Serving food to your friends and family is almost always nicer than going out to eat."

There have been some big changes in the pages of "Cook's Illustrated" lately. The magazine has gone to all color photography on its inside pages, making their dishes look more appetizing. The signature oil paintings that are on the cover now cover the whole things, making the magazine look all the more enticing. And they've started including nutritional information for every recipe.

Carl Tremblay, America's Test Kitchen

Stir-Fried Portobellos With Ginger-Oyster Sauce, from "Cook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes," 2018, America's Test Kitchen.

Lots of food trends have come and gone during "Cook's Illustrated's" quarter-century. Looking ahead, Souza thinks people will continue to look for ways to eat greener and rely less on meat-focused cooking.

"There's a big movement right now towards plant-based cooking and moving away from meat at the center of the plate," he says. "The number of people who identify as vegan or vegetarian hasn't really climbed all that much. But the number of people who are looking to add more plant-based food into their diet has definitely increased. We're bringing in some quiet plant-based cooking."

A good example is a recent article about creamy salad dressings that used cashews for the creamy element in place of dairy or mayonnaise.

"We're looking for ways to make food better in general, whether you care about a plant-based diet or not," he says.

-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler