Dan Kraan, Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Dan Kraan has tested.

Dan Kraan

Dan Kraan has been in the kitchen since he was a child growing up in the ‘60s, armed with a box of instant cake mix and an oven mitt that went up to his elbow. Despite his love for all things food, he majored in electronics and metrology because that’s what pays the grocery bills. Kraan dabbled in catering before discovering Leite’s Culinaria in 2004. He leapt at the opportunity to become a recipe tester and worked his way up to the title of senior tester, which led to testing for David’s book, The New Portuguese Table. In Kraan’s eyes, “the whole world’s a pantry, with so much variety out there.” He lives with his wife/sous chef Jan in Mississauga, Ontario. He enjoys “cooking Canada” and tries to take advantage of wild and local commercially available ingredients whenever possible.

A white casserole dish with a roasted, spiced chicken it in, flanked by a dish of avocado salad and a bowl of lime wedges.

Peruvian Roast Chicken

This anything-but-boring bird borrows its Peruvian accent from a technicolor dream coat of paprika, lemon, garlic, and cumin.

A large metal sheet pan filled with slices of roasted carrots with allspice, sea salt and preserved lemons, with a serving spoon.

Roasted Carrots with Allspice

Sweet. Spicy. Earthy. And a touch puckery. When did anything–or anyone–at your table boast such character? Certain to compensate for your duller dinner invitees.

An oval platter topped with spaghetti with raw tomatoes and a couple of spoons on the side.

Spaghetti with Raw Tomatoes

Summer at its simplest, not to mention its most splendid. Five minutes of effort yield a meal that rivals round-trip tickets to Italy.

A sliced jerk chicken breast on a round cutting board, with a man's hand holding a cleaver above it

Jerk Chicken

Authentic grilled jerk chicken from Helen Willinsky that’s pretty much exactly like what you’d experience in the Caribbean.

A slab of barbecued beef back ribs cut into individual ribs.

Barbecued Beef Back Ribs

These barbecued beef back ribs are robustly meaty, modestly spicy, knee-wobblingly tender, and ridiculously easy. And a rub that’s so good you might not want any sauce.

Sticky pork ribs cut into individual ribs on a piece of parchment with a knife.

Sticky Pork Ribs

Sweet. Sour. Sticky. It’s a trifecta of sorts that will not fail you, especially when slathered on ribs grilled low and slow. Uh, pass the napkins, please.

A glass bowl filled with creamy coleslaw.

Creamy Coleslaw

Sweet and simple. Nothing but cabbage, cider vinegar, sugar, mayo, a little onion, salt, and oil. Just like you’d find at a BBQ shack.

Three glass bowls filled with scoops of strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

This nifty little number has all the uber richness of cheesecake and all the luxe creaminess of ice cream but with barely any effort. No ice cream maker required.