In the Test Kitchen

It hardly feels like the holidays without these pies: pecan, pumpkin, and apple. That said, if you’re thinking about shaking things up, Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey dig into three recipes that put a show-stopping spin on the classics to try at your next holiday gathering. ATK Recipes Mentioned: Chocolate Pecan Pie Rum Pumpkin Chiffon Appeltaart Other recipes mentioned: Banana Pudding Pie  Sablé...

Pancakes can be a canvas for all kinds of flavors and textures. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey taste their way through three ATK recipes: blueberry pancakes, katayef asafiri, and crepes, to explore what makes a pancake a pancake, and how this humble dish takes on a different character around the world. Recipes Mentioned: Blueberry Pancakes Qatayef Asafiri [kuh-TAH-yef] (Little Birds) Crepes with Berri...

South Asian cooks were masterfully blending spices long before the Europeans arrived in India, and when Portuguese traders brought chiles from the Americas in 1498, it permanently changed the trajectory of the country’s dishes, including what we now refer to as curry. Over the next 400 years, curry took on a new form in nearly every culture it touched; in Japan, America, and beyond. Nik, Lan, Brya...

Store-bought snacks offer satisfaction and convenience. But what happens when you pit quick bites against their homemade counterparts? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey explore which snacks are worth the bit of extra effort! Recipes Mentioned: Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips Beef jerky Lime pate de fruit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red sauce pastas can be built dozens of ways: rich and meaty, silky and tomato-forward, or deliberately burnt and charred. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey taste their way through three ATK recipes, ragù alla bolognese, pasta alla vodka, and spaghetti all’assassina, to hash out what actually makes a red sauce irresistible. Recipes Mentioned: Ragu alla Bolognese Pasta alla Vodka Spaghetti All'Assassina L...

Dumplings are made across the world and come in different shapes, sizes, forms and flavors. Despite their differences, they somehow sooth and delight in equal measure. The juicy filling of a xiao long bao. The warm center of a pierogi. The chewy exterior of a gnudi. How do dumplings achieve that comfort? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey investigate.  Recipes Mentioned: Shanghai Soup Dumplings Potato...

The cast combats the dog days of summer by diving into some of their favorite cold treats while reminiscing about their favorite summer memories. Plus, Nik shares his ideas for a high-end ice cream shop and the cast workshops potential flavors to serve. Recipes Mentioned: Ice cream sandwiches Mango Paletas Philadelphia-Style Cherry Water Ice Nik Sharma’s Black Forest Ice Cream Learn more about you...

Hotdogs are a reliable and convenient option at cookouts. But adding an extra ingredient or two can really level them up. So, how do you do it at home? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey break down the components that can elevate the beloved cookout go-to.  Recipes Mentioned: Chicago-Style Hot Dog Sonoran Dog Homemade Corn Dogs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tacos take all kinds of shapes and forms; crispy shelled tacos, tacos dipped in consommé, there’s even taco ingredients eaten over rice. It’s not just the shapes they take; what kind of meat is used, what ingredients you add to the taco have endless variations. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey come together to discuss the qualities that make a good taco a great taco.  Recipes Mentioned: Crispy Tacos...

Lots of cultures and countries love steak, but it has this almost iconic status in American culture. There are so many different cuts and so many different ways to cook them. Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey dive into three recipes and discuss the cooking techniques that go into making them seamlessly at home.  Recipes Mentioned: Pan Seared Strip Steak Shio Koji-Marinated Flank Steak Slow-Roasted Medium-...

Every couple of months at America’s Test Kitchen, an informal poll emerges among test cooks about which starch–bread, pasta, or rice–reigns supreme. It’s always a tight race, but it’s no surprise why rice is often a top contender: it’s a beloved staple across the world. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey eat their way through 3 rice dishes and ask: What makes rice the world’s most popular...

Meatballs span cultures and come in all shapes, sizes, and sauces. Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey try three recipes from around the world and ask: What makes the perfect meatball?  Recipes eaten in episode: Meatballs and Marinara Lion’s Head Meatballs Albóndigas (Spanish-Style Meatballs in Almond Sauce) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people say a sandwich is filling stuffed between two layers of bread. But what about hotdogs, or a loaded pocket of pita bread? Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey get into a heated debate about what exactly defines a sandwich on this week’s episode of In the Test Kitchen.  Recipes Eaten in episode: Italian Sub Diner-Style Sheet-Pan Tuna Melts Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich Learn more about your...

Salads often get a bad wrap as the thing you have to eat before the rest of the meal. In today’s episode of In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey finally give salads their due, and reveal how to make them the star of the show. Recipes Mentioned: Ultimate Wedge Salad Horiatiki Salata Neorm Sach Moan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making muffins used to be a rite of passage for test cooks and applicants who applied to work at America’s Test Kitchen. So we’ve eaten a lot of them; sweet, savory, and everything in between. In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey take on the debate: What is a muffin, and what makes it great?  Recipes and reviews mentioned: Best Blueberry Muffins Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Muffins Sausage-...

Ask 10 people what their favorite kind of pizza is, and you’ll get 10 different answers. This week on In the Test Kitchen: Lan, Bryan, Nik, and Lidey dive into the regional differences, Italian vs. American preferences, and the elements that go into making a great pie.  Recipes Mentioned: Neapolitan pizza Thin-Crust Pizza Detroit-Style Pizza Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

Can you make a good fried chicken recipe at home? Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey say yes as they deconstruct 3 different recipes that represent three different styles of fried chicken. Plus, the quad reveals some fun KFC history, and discuss the difference between crunchy and crispy fried chicken. Recipes Mentioned: One-Batch Fried Chicken, Super Crunchy Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Chile Fried Chicken Le...

What is your ideal burger? In this episode, Lan, Bryan, Nik and Lidey debate which burger type–smash, pub, or meatloaf burger–reins supreme. Plus, what are the best burger fixings? Is it better to use high-end meats? Find out on this week’s In the Test Kitchen.  ATK Recipes Mentioned in today's episode: Smashed Burgers, Juicy Pub-Style Burgers with Crispy Shallots and Blue Cheese with Pub-Style Bu...

In the Test Kitchen is back with new hosts and a new show! In this premiere episode, hosts Lan Lam, Bryan Roof, Nik Sharma, and Lidey Heuck, dive into all things chocolate chip cookies. They chat about texture, size, and cookie thickness and ask: What makes the best chocolate chip cookie? Along the way, the quad taste tests 3 separate chocolate chip cookie recipes while dissecting the history, sci...

In the Test Kitchen will be back on Thursday, February 26 with new hosts and a new concept! Follow Lan Lam, Bryan Roof, Nik Sharma, and Lidey Heuck, as they take you behind the scenes into the meaty, nerdy, and zeitgeist-y conversations that happen at America's Test Kitchen. Each episode revolves around a dish as the quad debate about ingredients, dig into the science, and learn about the history...

Some new podcasts from America’s Test Kitchen are on the horizon! Here's a special preview of The Side Dish, hosted by Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison. Off-duty and unfiltered, they swap kitchen hacks, play games, and answer listener questions. Today’s episode is all about romance, because love (and great food) is always in the air. Subscribe to The Side Dish on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,...

In this episode of In the Test Kitchen, host Dan Souza and co-host Lan Lam welcome cookbook author, culinary historian, and stir-fry guru Grace Young to discuss her work as a fierce advocate for Chinatowns across the country. Grace reflects on how, as a young girl, she was inspired by Julia Child—a spark that eventually led her to publish her first cookbook, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. She...

In this episode of In the Test Kitchen, host Lan Lam and co-host Nik Sharma welcome chef and author Rick Martinez to talk about his vibrant new cookbook, Salsa Daddy. Rick opens up about the creative process behind the book and the challenges of bringing a deeply personal project to life. The conversation moves from his Texas roots and early food memories to reflections on family, legacy, and how...

Today's episode is from our friends atThe Sporkful podcast and features Chef Roy Choi, the man behind the legendary Kogi Korean taco truck and a pioneer of the gourmet food truck movement. Host Dan Pashman sits down with Chef Choi for a wide-ranging conversation about his unlikely path to success, the power of food to create community, and the TV moment that changed his life forever. Listen to our...

Host Dan Souza and co-host Lisa McManus welcome Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful podcast and creator of the viral pasta shape cascatelli. Filmed on the Cook’s Country set, the trio dives deep into the world of pasta design, exploring what makes a perfect noodle and how texture, sauce-holding power, and mouthfeel come together in the ultimate bite. No matter how you feel spaghetti as a pasta shape...