Lisa Amtower, Recipe Tester

A list of all the recipes Lisa Amtower has tested.

A lifelong horsewoman and fox hunter, Lisa has been playing in the kitchen since she could reach the counter and get in her mom’s way. Growing up, she eagerly awaited the monthly arrival of Gourmet magazine, and much experimentation ensued with each issue. Her sister was a close collaborator in those endeavors. Lisa loves to plan for the next dinner party, and Thanksgiving is her most favorite day of the year.

Every Wednesday, Lisa teams up with three brilliant women at the local Salvation Army Community Center, where they produce up to 120 hot lunches for those in need. Creativity is the name of the game, and they all look forward to cooking hearty and healthy meals from the abundant food donations. They take turns being head chefs, and after every Wednesday service, they look forward to the next week.

Famously unfettered in the kitchen, Lisa admits that being a Leite’s Tester has brought new discipline to her cooking and made her even more adventurous. Lisa was hooked on Leite’s Culinaria when she took her first bite of David’s Ham and Cheddar Biscuits. Since then, her list of favorites has grown to include Beef Stew with Red Wine, Cranberry Upside-Down Cake for an exceptionally beautiful dinner party dessert, Raw Cranberry Sauce, which you may find her eating by the spoonful, Schug, and Harvest Bowl. She lives in upstate New York with horses, cats, and a husband.

Two bowls filled with mashed potatoes and topped with beef stew.

Slow Cooker Irish Beef Stew

Haul out your Crock Pot. Grab a can of your favorite stout. Get ready to enjoy a big bowl of Irish-inspired beef stew piled atop a mound of garlic mashed potatoes.

Spicy Honey Lime Chicken

This easy-peasy marinated grilled chicken with sweet and spicy honey lime sauce is going to be on regular rotation at our dinner tables. We’re betting it will be at yours, too.

A rectangular baking dish filled with roast chicken, lemon slices, and garlic cloves.

Honey Glazed Chicken with Garlic Confit

This simple, yet elegant roast chicken dinner features chicken pieces that are glazed with honey and vinegar, then slowly roasted in garlic confit until tender and golden. Do we have your attention?

A pink bowl filled with lemon garlic shrimp pasta with a fork resting inside.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

This easy meal of tender bucatini pasta all tangled up with sautéed shrimp and a lemony garlic butter sauce is on the table in just 30 minutes. You’re welcome.

Three grilled pork burgers topped with coleslaw and yum yum sauce on a wooden serving tray.

Grilled Pork Burgers

Smoky grilled pork burgers, crunchy coleslaw, and creamy yum yum sauce, all in one unbelievably good handheld package. You’re welcome.

Several Swedish cardamom buns cooling on a wire rack.

Swedish Cardamom Buns

The hardest part about making these delightful Swedish pastries is choosing which combination of butter filling and sweet glaze you want.

A white bowl filled with warm marinated lentil salad with feta cheese slabs on top.

Marinated Lentil Salad

Love lentils? Us, too. Even if you don’t, give this recipe a whirl. The combination of lentils with a spiced nut vinaigrette, fresh basil, and slabs of feta cheese may change your mind.

Cranberry upside-down cake with a large piece missing, on a white plate with a serving knife beside it.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Tart and buttery, with a touch of orange liqueur, this cake is a showstopper. And it’s actually easier than it looks. You’re welcome!

Schug in a pottery bowl, on a wooden plate with a spoon and garnished with cilantro.

Schug

A brightly herbal, spicy, garlicky condiment that brings spice to anything you might want to dip in it. Seriously, it goes on nearly everything.

A large bowl filled with jerk spiced lentils topped with cilantro and sliced green onions, flanked by a bowl of sliced red onions and another bowl of rice.

Jerk-Style Lentils

If you’re familiar with Caribbean food, you know how good jerk seasoning is. It adds a deeply spiced flavor to everything it touches and makes these lentils extraordinary.

A close-up of a tray of Macedonian spiced chicken with pieces of chicken and onion slices.

Macedonian Spiced Chicken

A handful of earthy, warm spices gives your standard, everyday roasted bird a whole new personality. There might not even be leftovers.