Turkey Talk 2007 With Christopher Kimball of Cook's Illustrated
"People have to get over their fixation with green vegetables. Green beans are disgusting. Our meal is all shades of white, brown, and orange."
Christopher Kimball is an unlikely media mogul. He's the founding editor and publisher of Cook's Illustrated, the bespectacled host of America's Test Kitchen on PBS, and the proud owner of many bow ties. We caught up with him a couple days ago on the phone to talk turkey (day) with him. It turns out that, among other things, the man hates green beans, and he's not afraid to admit it.
How do you approach Thanksgiving at Cook's Illustrated?
How we approach Thanksgiving goes to the heart of our philosophy. Today, most people's repertoire in the kitchen is unlimited. (Once upon a time people knew how to make 100 dishes, at most.) As a result, nobody ever gets good at anything, because they don't do anything twice. In our magazine, we keep doing the same thing over and over again. So in our Thanksgiving issue we stay focused on the things people want to make: turkey, mashed potatoes, pie crust, biscuits.
How is your coverage different from the other food magazines like Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Food & Wine?
The editors at the other food magazines write for their friends and themselves. They feel compelled to do something different every year because they're bored. People want mainstream American cooking, and that's what we give them.
What does Chris Kimball serve at his own Thanksgiving? Keep reading.
So what stands out in the current issue of the magazine?
We came up with one of the best articles we've ever done. Its a recipe for truly foolproof, flaky pie crust. It's a brilliant recipe. The secret ingredient in it? Vodka. [Cook's Illustrated Foolproof Pie Crust recipe]
So what are you serving at the Kimball Thanksgiving this year?
A brined turkey from my neighbor across the road [recipe here], mashed potatoes with turnips, sweet potato casserole, brussels sprouts with our own bacon, glazed onions, all-purpose stuffing with dried breadcrumbs and homemade sausage, apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, trifle made with pastry cream, and a chiffon cake. We call that our "gumming dessert," because you don't need teeth to eat it.
No cranberry sauce?
Oh yes, I just use the recipe on the bag of frozen cranberries. I just add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
I notice there aren't very many green vegetables on the menu.
That's right. Our Thanksgiving meal is all about the desserts. People have to get over their fixation with green vegetables. Green beans are disgusting. Our meal is all shades of white, brown, and orange.
[Chris Kimball didn't talk about this Best Drop Biscuit recipe, but we love hot biscuits at Serious Eats, so we wanted all of you to have the recipe for your feast this year.]
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20 Comments:
I followed the ATK's Best Recipes turkey brining and cooking methods last year, with fantastic results.
MBinDC at 9:30AM on 11/09/07
He likes brussels sprouts but hates green beans?? I like them both but find this an odd distinction. Anyway, his magazine is still great.
Stephanie at 10:15AM on 11/09/07
To be honest, my T-Giving table sports very little "green" in the way of food. I got tired of making salads and veggies which were either not- or barely touched.
For brining, I use the Alton Brown method of high heat roasting and a great maple brine by Mean Chef. (His Apple Brine is also wonderful.)
chiff0nade at 10:26AM on 11/09/07
A long time devotee (since 1993) the thing about CI that makes it so valid is they do not have any advertising. Chris and crew are impartial when they rate knives, tomatoes, blenders etc.
They also do what I never have the time to do, they make a recipe 5 ways and then decide which parts they like and go back and make it 2 more times. ATK is a great place to hone your skills, CI magazine is the best learning tool for a new cook or an accomplished cook.
If there is a technique, recipe, trick I am not sure of I drag out my CI annuals and figure it out.
I am glad to see SE and CI together. It is like a winning combination to me.
I have taken string beans off our menu this year. Someone requested baby peas. So will be making them instead.
JerzeeTomato at 10:49AM on 11/09/07
Bridgett L can brine my turkey anyday.
The *test kitchen* is one of the more informative shows. It takes simple recipies and makes them complicated and make complicated ones simple.
It's an interesting take.
Stiv61 at 11:07AM on 11/09/07
I must say I agree with his comment that many foodies are bored and looking for the new thing.
Bearnaise at 11:19AM on 11/09/07
The new CI pie crust with vodka is fantastic, too.
CrispyGirl at 11:30AM on 11/09/07
I just love this guy, his show and his magazine. Truly a notch above any other cooking forums. Or 'fora.' Whatever. Christopher gives every one from seasoned chefs to rank beginners something to work with. Amazing.
johnmccollum at 2:08PM on 11/09/07
That's crazy talk. Green beans are awesome.
ConschBTJ at 3:50PM on 11/09/07
I'm sorry, green beans are a great side dish. Brussel sprouts, on the other hand, are not food but a form of industrial waste. *feh*
Stushi at 4:26PM on 11/09/07
I have to follow up my previous post with this: I have a heck of a lot of respect for Christopher, CI and the rest of the vast publishing empire, and the TV show. Lots of fun and full of good information.
But Brussels sprouts? Ain't my family Thanksgiving (but then his probably doesn't include chicken soup with kreplach).
Stushi at 4:35PM on 11/09/07
Green beans are disgusting?!?!?
No, green bean casserole, made with Campbell's soup and topped with canned fried onions--that's disgusting. Green beans are DELICIOUS!!
klg19 at 5:54PM on 11/09/07
hi, i need someone to help me.
i'm too short, i would like to know,what kind of food and what kinf of drink i'm suposed to eat and drink?
handerlove at 8:58AM on 11/10/07
Lovely to see this article. I'm a devoted fan of ATK and CI - I refer to The New Best Recipe as my "cooking Bible." And hey, if he doesn't care for green beans, all the more for me! (He can have my share of Brussels sprouts.)
macknitter at 7:17PM on 11/12/07
Ummm, ok. I can see I'm not in the majority here. I do like CI, and I respect their in-depth testing methodology -- which does not, however, ALWAYS result in fool-proof recipes.
The real problem is that Chris Kimball is a overly opinionated prig, who thinks that there's only one right way to do everything -- his way. He thinks everyone should toe the line and follow CI and ATK recipes to the letter, instead of adapting them to personal tastes or even based on their own cooking experience -- and yes, some of us actually have some prior cooking experience.
I much prefer reading and culling suggestions from cooks whose philosophy embraces change and adaptation. I may discover an extraordinary way of making roast turkey, and if so, I'd recommend it highly. That doesn't mean I'd tell everyone that every other way of making turkey is crap, because it isn't. There's more than one way to skin a cat, roast a turkey, or make a Thanksgiving meal. Some of us are actually grateful for the presence of some refreshing green dishes on the groaning Thanksgiving table, despite what Chris thinks.
Julie at 9:04AM on 11/13/07
Mr. Kimble's comment about green beans is just one example of the many reasons I find him unappealing, often wrong (sometimes very, very wrong) about a "Best Recipe."
I agree with Julie, Mr. Kimble comes across as an arrogant know-it-all and I cannot stand to watch him on television...I happen to love green beans but find Mr. Kimble disgusting!!
I must add that ONE OF my favorite recipe for pancakes came from Mr. Kimble's "Best Recipes" book but I shudder with disgust every time I think about the title of his cookbooks....What arrogance!!! To think you can come up with recipes superior to anyone else's.
zephyr at 3:58PM on 11/13/07
Fully agree with Julie about the pompous Mr. Kimball and the annoying our-way-is-the-only-way tone of CI. His pretentious essays are one of the reasons why I stopped buying the print version of the magazine, which I have subscribed to (in one form or another) since the charter issue in 1993. Instead, I subscribe to the Web version, where I can avoid his horrible homilies and also gain access to the entire archives with a simple search function rather than having to comb through back issues. Despite my issues with him and the magazine's tone , I still find CI useful, especially their equipment and product testings (the latter of which I take with a grain of salt since their results frequently contradict themselves).
An Honest Cook at 1:41PM on 12/02/07
I subscribed to CI for several years. I always enjoyed reading it, and had good results with the recommendations and recipes. I still have them.
However, I bought the Mr Kimball's book, Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook, and many of the recipes didn't work for me at all. I gave it away.
srhcb at 9:15PM on 01/23/08
I'm a big fan of CI and ATK. (Though I do agree with some poters in another thread about Cook's Country being just ATK on a different set)
What Kimball and his team do is so informative and unbiased. The hows and whys of each recipe are explained in plain language; I learn something from each article. And the absence of advertising is so refreshing. Have you read a Bon Appetit lately? It's got more ads than Glamour! And some of the articles? Rich beautiful people in lavish home eat gorgeous food with rich beautiful friends. Please! It's not just food porn, it's lifestyle porn!!
sailordave at 1:25AM on 10/30/08
I'm a vegetarian and I love green beans, but guess what--I LOVE America's Test Kitchen on PBS. Since Julia Child and the Frugal Gourmet, it was the first show that got me watching food TV since I was a kid.
Do I agree with everything Mr. Kimball says? No. But at least he has a strong opinion, and he's friggin' hilarious when he says it--and that's better than trying to please all the people and all the palates all of the time. I find a bit of arrogance charming, and I take it with a pinch of (artisanal sea) salt.
CI's and ATK brownies and cookies and pretty much all dishes that you DO need a certain science behind are sensational and foolproof. Even for idiot beginning cooks like me.
And even if I don't agree with all of the scientific tests and test tastes, I find it interesting to see what the results are, even if they aren't some pronouncement from on high.
HeartofGlass at 7:29PM on 11/02/08