A Portuguese classic made with red peppers, caçoila de Pico is a slowly simmered affair that’s well worth the wait.
- 20 M
- 4 H
- 8
Helen Doberstein, Recipe Tester
A list of all the recipes Helen Doberstein has tested.
Helen was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and has lived in the “GTA” (Greater Toronto Area) all of her life. Her earliest memories of food were typical of the English/Irish cooking of the day, which in Helen’s words meant “gray vegetables, potatoes, and well-done meats, sometimes with a token salad.” Fancy wasn’t on the menu growing up. Helen’s mom had taught her the basics so she wouldn’t starve, but the kitchen was always her mother’s domain. Intruders were welcome—to do the dishes.
As newlyweds, Helen and her husband became involved in round-robin dinner parties, which encouraged Helen to expand her cooking skills. Her most memorable dinner party involved a chocolate fondue that had so much kirsch in it she had to make coffee as everyone waited for cabs so they could get home safely. No one was given a choice to drive home after that dessert. (Helen deemed the night a huge success.) Not long after that, she started watching Julia Child and Jacques Pépin. In terms of cooking,she was hooked. Around the same time, Helen started collecting cookbooks and trying more and more new recipes and techniques in the kitchen. Soon everything was fair game.
Fortunately, when it comes to food, Helen’s family and friends are happy to try most anything that she’s prepared. The Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Stuffed Squash wowed her husband. Helen’s mother is extremely fond of the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. The guys at the curling club loved the Duck Prosciutto and Bacon Jam. And Helen? She’ll tell you that her favorite recipe is the Braised Duck Legs with Leeks and Green Olives. No, it’s the Sunday Roast Beef. Hmmm, it’s probably the Chilaquiles. Actually, like most of us, she’s not able to choose just one.
Helen and her husband now live in Bradford, Ontario, which she will tell you, has the distinction of being the “Vegetable Capital of Canada”. They have three grown children, and one adorable granddaughter. Helen has worked for three of the major Canadian banks, as well as with her husband at his business in Toronto, and is currently office administrator for the Lisbon Group in Bradford. She’s also spent many years teaching ceramics in the evenings, practicing archery, and making jewelry. She previously tested recipes for America’s Test Kitchen, and when her tenure there was done, she discovered Leite’s. “I can’t imagine doing this for anyone else now,” she says. “I love the sense of community here and look forward to many more years of happy testing.”
Salt and Pepper Rib Eye Steak
Rib eye steak. Salt. Pepper. Flame. And this technique. That’s all it takes to create one of the most superlative suppers known to man.
- 40 M
- 1 H, 50 M
- 14
Seared Duck Breast
An elegant and easy riff on steak au poivre that’s made with duck breast rubbed with garlic and peppercorns and cooked to a magnificently rosy medium-rare.
- 30 M
- 1 H, 40 M
- 4
Peppery Chicken Wings
The intensity of the classic buffalo wing is tempered here, usurped by a deliciously, defiantly untraditional blend of beguiling spices.
- 15 M
- 2 H, 15 M
- 9
Devil’s Curry
Don’t let the name of this Malaysian classic terrify you. Whether you love sweat-inducing, throat-tickling, gasping-for-water heat or prefer something milder, you’ll find what you want here, tailoring the chiles to whatever your fancy.
- Quick Glance
- 30 M
- 1 H, 30 M
- 0
Mixed Citrus Marmalade
Made with oranges, mandarins, and limes, this lovely fruit jam is essentially citrus on a spoon. Simple to make. Tastes complex as heck.
- Quick Glance
- 45 M
- 3 H, 25 M
- 14
Red Lentil Soup with Kale and Chorizo
Hearty and satisfying and reheats beautifully. Our sorta winter dinner, office lunch, afternoon nosh, and midnight snack.
- 20 M
- 50 M
- 6
Slow Cooker Chicken Stock
Making stock from scratch was never difficult. And it just became even easier thanks to this simple yet perfect slow cooker approach.
- 15 M
- 12 H
- 35
Clementine Cake
Looks like upside-down cake. Tastes like upside-down cake. Yet this sticky citrusy dessert couldn’t be more right-side up.
- 30 M
- 1 H, 30 M
- 60
Pork Loin Roast
Just like what your grandma would put on the table for Sunday night supper.
- 10 M
- 1 H, 35 M
- 43
Glazed Ham with Mustard
This simple glazed ham has got a sweet and spicy thing going on that’s simultaneously subtle and super impressive.
- Quick Glance
- 25 M
- 3 H
- 4
Cheese Danish
Startlingly spectacular made-from-scratch cheese Danish that are going to forever change your notion of what a cheese Danish ought to be.
- 30 M
- 1 H
- 4
Cacio e Pepe with Pancetta and Arugula
This riff on an Italian classic relies on mostly pantry staples, along with a couple surprises, to glam up tradition.
- Quick Glance
- 30 M
- 40 M
- 0
Pressure Cooker Pork and Pinto Bean Chili
Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we have pressure cookers. Because they render an inexpensive cut of pork and plain old pinto beans into a smoky, soulful, put-your-spoon-down-and-sigh bowl of chili in a fraction of the usual time.
- Quick Glance
- 45 M
- 1 H, 45 M
- 0