Season 4

• 

  Pot Roast

  When it comes out right, pot roast is tender, succulent, and richly flavored. When it turns out wrong, the meat is dry, gray, tough, and full of fat and sinew. Good pot roast begins at the market, and we’ve found that cooking technique matters just as much as the cut.

• 

  Quick Pasta

  Some pasta dishes take considerable time to prepare. But others don’t have to. We set out to streamline Bolognese and baked four-cheese pasta to make them weeknight dining.

• 

  Freedom from Red Sauce

  Tomatoes and pasta are a classic (and delicious) pairing, but sometimes you want a change. Vegetable sauces, like the two featured in this episode—one with mushrooms and one with broccoli rabe—are appealing options.

• 

  New Orleans Menu

  Watch as we figure out the best recipes for two New Orleans favorites—Jambalaya and bananas Foster.

• 

  East Coast Seafood

  How many times have you ordered clam chowder in a restaurant only to be served a thin, runny soup, or one so thick that a spoon can stand up in the bowl? And though the recipe should be relatively easy, crab cakes often go wrong when the ingredients are chosen. We go to the test kitchen to get these dishes right.

• 

  One-Pot Wonders

  Chili is probably America’s favorite one-pot supper, but this dish can be plagued with problems: tough meat, undercooked beans, and bland flavor. We wanted great chili, but it had to be simple. And while no one thinks of a clambake as a one-pot wonder, we set out to make an indoor version simple enough to prepare even on a busy weeknight.