Table of contents for January/February 2026 in Cook's Illustrated

When January rolls around, friends, family, and colleagues start comparing notes on their resolutions. Most are admirably trying to improve their quality of life, typically by taking something away—alcohol, carbs, spending, time spent scrolling social media. Personally, I find that method challenging: I’m vigilant for about three weeks and then slip back into whatever I said was verboten. It’s more realistic for me to flip the script and approach the New Year as a time to add on rather than subtract, to build on the good stuff I’m already doing, like eating more vegetables, drinking more water, taking more walks. Our editorial team is applying that additive philosophy to the magazine cover. Cook’s Illustrated has always been distinguished by the masterful still lifes that signal our commitment to timeless quality…

As a recipe developer, I get a lot of questions about new ways to riff on staple proteins such as chicken breasts. Often, my impulse is to suggest a pan sauce—something with verve and gloss that the lean meat can swipe up bite by bite. Searing chicken, deglazing the pan, and building a sauce is a sequence that’s easy to commit to muscle memory, and the package’s versatility can’t be beat. Once you’ve got cooked chicken and pan drippings, you can steer the flavor of the sauce in any direction by switching up the seasonings and cooking liquids. What I realized recently, though, is that I had more to offer than fresh pan sauce flavor combos; I also had lots to say about simplifying the whole chicken-and-pansauce process. Because as…

A Convenient Spot for Chip Clips Trouble Mandeson of Greenfield, Mass., came up with a handy place to store chip bag clips: He attaches a square of cardboard to the inside of his pantry door by cutting a small slit in the cardboard and sliding it onto a hook. Then, he attaches the clips around the perimeter of the square. This makes them easily accessible; no more digging through drawers. Easy-Roll Cinnamon Rolls When Nathanael Hahn of Cosmopolis, Wash., is making a yeasted dough that’s rolled into a rectangle for filling or portioning—as for cinnamon rolls, babka, or cinnamon swirl bread—he lets the dough rise in a greased baking pan instead of a bowl. He simply presses the dough into the pan, covers it with greased plastic wrap, and lets…

Can a pot of soup unify a nation? When it’s soup joumou, the answer is a resounding yes. Every year on January 1, Haitians gather over the hearty squash soup, each batch brimming with vegetables, often beef (many sources say the soup was originally vegetarian), and pasta that soaks up the meaty, earthy-sweet broth. The idea isn’t just to consume it—or drink it, as Haitians affectionately say. As Nadege Fleurimond, the Haitian-born chef and entrepreneur, said when we spoke about the dish, making and sharing it symbolizes Haiti’s liberty from French colonial rule more than 200 years ago and is one of the world’s most joyful cooking rituals. “Soup joumou represents more than just a meal to us,” she said. “It represents freedom, it represents resilience. It’s the dish that…

If I’m going to eat pasta, I want it to be packed with flavor—bold, bright, and deeply satisfying. Two of my favorites, spaghetti al limone and cacio e pepe, are simple but effective: They’re creamy and endlessly comforting. But as much as I love tradition, I also love playing with flavors—I’m a molecular biologist turned cookbook author with a passion for flavor science. So I wondered what would happen if, using these dishes as inspiration, I made a creamy sauce featuring sunny lemon and robust black pepper. Then, for something unexpected, I’d incorporate buzzy Sichuan peppercorns. Sichuan peppercorns are rarely used in Western pasta dishes, which made them all the more exciting to work with. The tiny husks bring a citrusy, floral aroma and a unique tingling sensation that’s almost…

Is It Safe to Eat Raw Mushrooms? We’ve recently seen some buzz online about whether or not it’s safe to eat store-bought mushrooms raw. The answer? Usually yes. Most commonly available mushrooms, including button, cremini, and portobellos, are fine to eat without cooking. However, there are a few exceptions below to be aware of, and cooking generally improves the flavor and digestibility of mushrooms—so if in doubt, give them a quick sauté. —P.A. Morel mushrooms should never be eaten raw. They contain a small amount of a toxic compound called hydrazine, which is destroyed by heat. Shiitake mushrooms can be enjoyed by most people without any issue, but some have a reaction to a compound called lentinan present in the fungi, which, in occasional cases, causes an itchy rash when…

You could argue that classic stuffed shells are a perfect formula: plush ricotta set against the tender chew of the pasta and garlicky marinara. But it turns out that you can replace most of the cheese in the filling with vegetables and still get that same velvety body—all the while locking in more vibrant flavor. Green peas are the star here, thanks to their abundance of water and soluble fiber, which renders them wonderfully smooth when pureed. Then, for even more green color and freshness, we add chopped spinach—not just a handful of fresh leaves but a full pound of the frozen stuff. Freezing breaks open the leaves’ cells, softening them; you’ll see how the spinach melds beautifully into the pea puree. Sautéed fennel, shallot, and garlic bring gentle sweetness,…

SCIENCE Mocktail Mechanics Alcohol plays a complex role in cocktails. Besides adding its own flavor and mouthfeel, it acts as a solvent to release and strengthen the taste and aroma of other components. UNSWEETENED JUICES add flavor depth, balance, and body. SYRUPS bring sweetness, body, and (when flavored) layers of fruity, spiced, herbal, tart, or nutty complexity. HERBS AND SPICES contribute aroma and flavor. COFFEE AND TEA CONCENTRATES boost astringency and bitterness. Game Plan Prepare these components in advance to minimize last-minute prep. Syrups: Refrigerate for up to 1 month. Homemade juices: Refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Tea concentrates: Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Seltzer (sealed): Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Herbs: Wash and dry up to 3 days ahead. Ice rings: Freeze for at least 8…

I’ve made and eaten almost every type of scone, but Ireland’s wholemeal scones, also called “brown scones,” are my absolute favorites. They aren’t as rich or as sweet as their American coffee shop counterparts, and they’re not as refined as the white scones served with tea in a posh English hotel—but their nubbly texture, wheaty fragrance, and tender crumb give them an ineffable coziness, like slipping into a thick, warm sweater on a chilly evening. Best of all, they’re dead-simple to make: Combine coarse wholemeal flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and a small amount of sugar; rub in butter until the mixture resembles damp sand; stir in buttermilk and perhaps an egg to make a dough; pat out the dough, cut out rounds, and bake. As your kitchen…

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WINNER BREVILLE Barista Express MODEL: BES870XL PRICE: $699.95 STYLE: Semiautomatic READY TIME: 48 sec COFFEE QUALITY: EASE OF USE: CLEANUP: COMMENTS: Easy to use, this machine with a built-in burr grinder will have you pulling solid espresso shots from the get-go. BEST COMPACT BREVILLE Bambino Plus MODEL: BES500BSS1BUS1  PRICE: $499.95  STYLE: Semiautomatic  READY TIME: 3 sec COFFEE QUALITY: EASE OF USE: CLEANUP: COMMENTS: We enjoyed this compact model’s excellent espresso and automatic milk frothing option. It was ready to brew in 3 seconds. LELIT Anna PL14TEM Espresso Machine MODEL: PL41TEM  PRICE: $699.95  STYLE: Semiautomatic READY TIME: 2 min, 38 sec COFFEE QUALITY: EASE OF USE: CLEANUP: COMMENTS: This Italian “prosumer” model had a learning curve, but we loved its gauges that helped monitor brewing. RECOMMENDED GAGGIA Magenta Prestige…

Stand Mixers We recently tested the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer, the first spiral stand mixer (the bowl and attachment both spin) designed for home use. Its design mimics that of commercial versions used in professional bakeries, thanks in part to a unique feature called a breaker bar. This attachment helps push dough off the hook as the machine mixes it, eliminating the need to scrape down the bowl and dough hook repeatedly. The bar also helps to speed up dough development, mixing large batches of high-hydration pizza dough more quickly than planetary mixers (only the attachment spins) we’ve tested. This mixer did a fine job of creaming butter and sugar for cookies, creating a fluffy mixture in a few minutes. It was very easy to change attachments and adjust…