About this season
A team of cooks travel the country and scour the history books to find the very best traditional and contemporary American dishes, then bring them back to the test kitchen and develop practical, approachable recipes.
Episodes (13)
1. Old-Fashioned Roast Beef Dinner
Aired 9 May 2009 • 25 min
We make a classic American meal starting with a juicy roast with a rich, meaty gravy.
2. Pucker-Up Pies
Aired 9 December 2009 • 25 min
Bridget Lancaster reveals the test kitchen’s secrets to a perfect lemon meringue pie with a sky-high topping that won’t weep. And Erin McMurrer makes easy Icebox Key Lime Pie with perfect texture and real lime flavor.
3. Rise and Shine
Aired 19 September 2009 • 25 min
Our Ultimate Cinnamon Buns are tender, gooey, and unapologetically large. We also create a better-than-the-box pancake mix that delivers made-from-scratch flavor even faster.
4. Surefire Seafood
Aired 26 September 2009 • 25 min
Uncover the test kitchen’s method for making smoky Wood-Grilled Salmon at home. We also reveal the tips and techniques you’ll need to make flavorful stuffed shrimp that holds its shape and is never rubbery.
5. Super Fudgy Cake
Aired 10 March 2009 • 25 min
We update a Pillsbury Bake-Off classic reengineering the recipe to replace a no-longer-made ingredient. Christopher Kimball also reveals the top test kitchen tips about how to use your oven for baking.
6. Chili and Cornbread
Aired 10 October 2009 • 25 min
We’ll reveal the secrets to authentic-tasting Chili con Carne at home and how to make Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread with hearty corn flavor.
7. Southern BBQ
Aired 17 October 2009 • 25 min
Bridget Lancaster makes Big Bob’s famous Alabama BBQ Chicken with a unique white barbecue sauce. She serves it along side Tangy Apple-Cabbage Slaw.
8. Fail-Safe Thanksgiving
Aired 24 October 2009 • 25 min
Bridget Lancaster makes an Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey with Gravy, revisiting a classic technique known as larding. She also reveals the secrets to quick and easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
9. Fried Chicken
Aired 31 October 2009 • 25 min
Host Christopher Kimball demonstrates the safe and proper way to fry at home, while Bridget Lancaster shares the test kitchen techniques for making crisp and spicy Creole Fried Chicken. Later Bridget shows the steps for perfect, grilled corn on the cob.
10. Texas Beef Barbecue
Aired 7 November 2009 • 25 min
We bring a Texas favorite home—Shredded Barbecued Beef and we pair it with a unique take on a classic side dish: Ranch Potato Salad.
11. Stovetop Desserts
Aired 14 November 2009 • 25 min
Bridget Lancaster solves the problem of mealy peaches and shows host Christopher Kimball how to make juicy Skillet Peach Cobbler with crisp cobbles.
12. Perfect Pork
Aired 21 November 2009 • 25 min
We make Grilled Mustard-Glazed Pork with a deeply caramelized crust and Christopher Kimball shares the test kitchen tips for gas grilling. Later, Erin McMurrer makes Cider-Braised Pork Chops in a skillet.
13. Historical Cakes
Aired 28 November 2009 • 25 min
Bridget Lancaster bakes our bright and tender Red Velvet Cake and Erin McMurrer updates a 100-year-old recipe for Cold-Oven Pound Cake.