America's Test Kitchen Live is coming to the Riverside Theater on Nov. 3. In fact, if you don't already have your tickets, you should swipe up some of the few that remain, because it's looking like it's going to be a seriously entertaining show.
After all, at its fore is Chris Kimball, the engagingly nerdy publisher and editor for two of America's favorite cooking magazines, "Cook’s Illustrated" and "Cook’s Country," as well as the face of PBS's "America’s Test Kitchen" rated the fifth-most-watched food show on all TV.
Kimball, who has always reminded me of a grown-up version of Encyclopedia Brown, has been a fixture in American kitchens for almost two decades, teaching home cooks that time, practice and a definitive lack of snobbery is what best leads one most efficiently to the best equipment, the best ingredients and ultimately, the best recipes.
Kimball's career sprung from his naturally inquisitive nature along with a particularly frustrating time trying to learn more about cooking.
It was 1980, and Kimball had enrolled in a cooking class. After asking question after question that the instructor seemed unable to answer, Kimball decided there had to be a better way for people to learn to cook.
So, he started his own cooking magazine. Originally called "Cook's Magazine" (before being renamed "Cooks Illustrated"), it presented cooking – even home cooking – as a discipline and a craft. And today, Kimball's practical advice and geek-chic persona, has earned him a cooking empire, including a starring role on one of the most watched cooking shows in America.
In light of his upcoming visit to Milwaukee, we caught up with Kimball and asked him a few questions about the show, his favorite gadgets and exactly what makes most recipes on the internet so very bad.
OnMilwaukee: People really love – and I mean really love – "Cooks Illustrated." What's the secret to putting out content that home cooks love so much?
Chris Kimball: The secret is simple enough; we test recipes up to 50 or 60 times to make sure that they work and work in the home kitchen. The real secret is understanding how home cooks really cook. They rarely follow a recipe as written, for example. By having home cooks make our recipes before publication, we find out where recipes are likely to go wrong.
OnMilwaukee: All things culinary are the rage these days. What's the good and bad of that, from your perspective?
Kimball: The good news is that more people are cooking. The bad news is that you get all the collateral damage – what’s hot, the latest restaurant, the celebrity chef, the silly trends, etc.
OnMilwaukee: How are decisions made regarding what to feature on Test Kitchen?
Kimball: Everything on our TV shows is based on surveys we send to our readers and viewers. We give our customers what they want, not what we think they want.
OnMilwaukee: You create content for home cooks – and offer them tried and true, tested recipes. There are tons of other recipes out there, some great and some bad. What is one thing you have noted – from bloggers and cookbook authors – that they don't consider when putting recipes out there for public consumption?
Kimball: They don’t understand how home cooks really cook! They assume that,
- They have a sharp knife
- They have decent cookware
- They will not substitute ingredients and
- They will actually follow the bloody recipe!
OnMilwaukee: What’s the biggest surprise you’ve experienced in the Test Kitchen?
Kimball: That internal temperature is the only true measure of how juicy meat will be. You can boil it, braise it, roast it or just bake it, but it always comes back to internal temperature. In addition, searing does not seal in juices and low heat tends to be the best method for retaining juiciness.
OnMilwaukee: What's one "life changing" thing a home cook can do to improve his or her cooking experience?
Kimball: Besides reading "Cooks Illustrated" (laughs)? Three things:
- Use enough salt;
- Use enough heat;
- Buy a really good instant-read thermometer.
OnMilwaukee: Any gadgets or specialty tools that you, personally, can't live without in the kitchen?
Kimball: The Thermapen instant-read thermometer, the Chef’s Choice knife sharpener, and a microplane zester.
OnMilwaukee: You've been to Milwaukee on a number of occasions. What do you look forward to most when you visit?
Kimball: German apple pancakes.
OnMilwaukee: What can Milwaukeeans expect of the "Cooks Illustrated" show coming up on Nov. 4?
Kimball: Laughter, tears, redemption… Our shows are mostly about the audience and less about ourselves. We love the back and forth, we invite folks up onto the stage – we want everyone to participate and have a good time. This is not a two-hour cooking show!
OnMilwaukee: Do you have a favorite part of performing for a live audience? Anything you dislike?
Kimball: Someone always asks me why we don’t include nutritional information with our recipes in our magazines. The day after I get run over by a bus, you might see that information.
If you are cooking at home, buying the ingredients yourself, and using a recipe – what is there to know about the nutrition? 95% of all salt intake comes from prepared foods, snack foods and restaurant food.
The best thing is when someone brings one of their kids who has asked to attend for their birthday present. That just makes my day.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
