The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

“Mushrooms are basically living sponges. Don’t get ’em wet, or they’ll get soggy and you’ll never cook them ...

KNIFE SKILLS: Slicing Mushrooms Button and Cremini Mushrooms White button and cremini mushrooms can be prepared the ...

Portobello mushrooms are mature cremini. Start by trimming off the woody bottoms of the ste ...

PUMPKIN SOUP Sometimes vegetables are so starchy on their own that no additional thickener or emulsif ...

sweetness. While this process will occur naturally over time, slow-roasting hastens these reactions. Finally ...

ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP SERVES 6 TO 8 4 pounds whole pumpkins and winter squash, preferably a mix, such as sug ...

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely sliced (about 1 cup) ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (opt ...

desired consistency (I like mine thick). Pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot a ...

Two PATHS to FRENCH ONION SOUP What’s French onion soup doing in a book of American food, you might ask ...

years) of testing, and more than fifty pounds of onions later, I’ve discovered that there isn’t reall ...

Onions go from firm to soft to melting and golden brown as they cook. ...

Sweating is the first stage of sautéing onions or other vegetables. As they slowly heat up, moisture ...

The Maillard reaction, aka the browning reaction, also takes place at these temperatures. This ...

profile of the finished product. Mission 2: Increase the Maillard Reaction There are a number of things t ...

golden brown stage. Additionally, the sugars and proteins that get stuck to the bottom of the pot as th ...

simply no shortcuts to quality), but it’s worlds better than anything you’ll ever get out of a can, ...

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FAST FRENCH ONION SOUP SERVES 4 1 tablespoon sugar 5 pounds yellow onions (about 5 large), finely sliced (about ...

6 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock 2 bay leaves 6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme Freshly ground b ...

reduced, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves and thyme. To serv ...