Everyday Food - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [81]
Refer to this handy resource for information about the equipment and ingredients frequently used in the recipes in this book.
When a recipe calls for milk, use whole milk unless otherwise stated (the same is true for all dairy products, including yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese).
Sugar is granulated unless another type is specified (such as confectioners’).
Recipes generally call for coarse salt (large-grain salt, such as kosher salt), except in baking recipes, where table salt is often used.
Butter is always unsalted; it is especially important not to substitute salted butter in baking recipes.
Measure dry and semisolid ingredients in dry-measure cups (usually metal), and level off using the straight edge of a knife. Measure liquids in a liquid-measure cup (glass or plastic) so you can read measurements at eye level. To measure flour, spoon it into a dry-measure cup (don’t dip the cup into the flour), and level off with a straight edge. (Don’t pack or tap cup to make level.) Unless it is specified in the recipe, you don’t need to sift. If necessary, you can break up any lumps with a whisk.
Measure skillets and baking pans across the top on the inside of the pan, not from the outer edge or on the bottom. For baking pans and muffin tins, the size is always specified within the recipe. Unless otherwise indicated, use light-colored metal baking pans; dark metal (and nonstick) pans tend to brown baked goods faster, which may affect the cooking time. If you use a dark-colored pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness earlier than the recommended cooking time. These are the sizes and capacities of the pots and pans used in the recipes in this book. All are standard and easy to find.
Always start with a clean grill. Use a stiff wire brush to sweep the grates, and then wipe away any residue with an oiled cloth or paper towel. It’s much easier to remove stuck-on bits from a warm grill, so get in the habit of cleaning the grates after each use, once they’ve cooled slightly. Prevent food from sticking to the grill by lightly oiling the grates. The best time to do this is just before placing the food on the grill; otherwise, the oil may burn off.
To coat hot grates, dab a kitchen cloth with oil, and hold the cloth with long-handled tongs while rubbing the grates. An easy way to determine the temperature of a charcoal grill is to see how long you can comfortably hold the palm of our hand about 4 inches above the grate: 6 to 8 seconds for medium, 4 to 5 seconds for medium-high, and 2 to 3 seconds for high.
This book represents the work of many talented individuals over several years. First and foremost, thank you to all the editors and art directors (past and present) who have helped create the award-winning Everyday Food magazine. Former editor Sandra Rose Gluck and her dedicated team (including Abigail Chipley, Kristen Evans, Emma Feigenbaum, Susan Hanemann, Kirk Hunter, and Allison Lewis Clapp) created many of the wonderful recipes that appear in this book. Under the guidance of executive editorial director of food, Lucinda Scala Quinn, and editor Anna Last, food editors Charlyne Mattox, Heather Meldrom, Dawn Perry, and Lesley Stockton continue to develop new recipes that celebrate ease of preparation and, above all, fresh flavors. Thank you to art director Alberto Capolino and assistant art director Kirsten Hilgendorf for consistently making the food look so enticing on the page.
The Special Projects Group at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia took the magazine content and turned it into the wonderful book you hold in your hands. Deputy editor Evelyn Battaglia and senior associate editor Christine Cyr collaborated with the magazine’s editors to select the recipes; they also established the structure and steered the project every step of the way. Art director Yasemin Emory created the clean, modern, beautiful design. Ellen Morrissey, editor in chief, and William