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Inside the Test Kitchen

Christopher Kimball founded Cook's Magazine, a national magazine for cooking hobbyists, in 1980 and served as founder, publisher, and editorial director through 1989. In 1984, Mr. Kimball founded the Who's Who of Cooking in America which was initiated to honor the leading American chefs, restaurateurs, vintners, food writers, and food producers. In 1993, Mr. Kimball relaunched Cook's Magazine as Cook's Illustrated and recently founded Cook's Country Magazine. Mr. Kimball serves as publisher and editor of both magazines. Mr. Kimball also serves as the host of America's Test Kitchen, a public television cooking show now in its seventh season. Mr. Kimball is a regular contributor to The CBS Early Show, and has been written up in many publications including The New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, People Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.  Mr. Kimball is also a columnist for the the Boston-based TAB newspaper. He was inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America in 1996. He is also the author of The Cook's Bible, The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook, Dear Charlie (Christopher Award Winner), The Dessert Bible, and The Kitchen Detective. He lives in both Boston and Vermont with his wife, Adrienne, daughters Whitney, Caroline, and Emily, and his son Charles.

Jack Bishop is the editorial director of America's Test Kitchen. He joined the staff of Cook's Magazine in 1988 and helped with the launch of Cook's Illustrated in 1993. He established the tasting protocols used in America's Test Kitchen and has authored dozens of articles for the magazine. Jack directed the launch of Cook's Country magazine and oversees editorial operations at both magazines. He is a cast member of America's Test Kitchen, the top-rated public television cooking show now in its seventh season. Jack edited The Best Recipe (1999) and established the book division at America's Test Kitchen. He is the author of several cookbooks, including A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Vegetables Every Day, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook, Pasta e Verdura, and Lasagna. Jack’s wife, Lauren Chattman, is a cookbook author and former pastry chef. They have two daughters.

Bridget Lancaster, deputy editor of Cook’s Country Magazine joined the Cook’s team in 1998 and is currently responsible for all recipe testing and development in the magazine. She has worked on many of the company’s cookbook projects and is also an on-screen test cook for America’s Test Kitchen. Her career led her to work in various kitchens in the South and Northeast, concentrating on pastry, as well as teaching cooking classes and demonstrations. Bridget’s husband is a professional chef, and along with their son, they enjoy working on their favorite hobby—barbecue.

Adam Ried is the keeper of the Equipment Corner on America’s Test Kitchen. During his ten-year tenure as an editor for Cook’s Illustrated, Adam developed and edited recipes, feature stories, and many other sections of the magazine, including the top-rated Quick Tips. Moreover, Adam bore primary responsibility for Cook’s highly-respected kitchen equipment testing and ingredient tasting features. Now a contributor to Cook's Country magazine, Adam has taught cooking and food writing, written for local, national and international publications, and consulted for restaurants, kitchen equipment testing, and other food-related businesses. He is a graduate of Macalester College and the culinary certificate program at Boston University.

Julia Collin Davison is a senior editor for the book division of Cook’s and is an on-screen test cook for America's Test Kitchen. She began working as a test cook for Cook's Illustrated in 1999, and is responsible for the food and recipe development for all of the cookbooks. She holds an A.O.S. degree from the Culinary Institute of America and a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from SUNY Albany. Before coming to Cook’s, she worked in Albany, the Berkshires, San Francisco, and the Napa Valley at several restaurants, catering companies, schools, and wineries. Julia resides in Needham, Massachusetts, where she enjoys cooking with her husband Ian, who is a fishmonger.

Rebecca (Becky) Hays joined Cook's in 2000 and has worked on various magazine, book, and website projects. She is currently the managing editor of Cook's Illustrated and on-screen test cook for America's Test Kitchen. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health in Manhattan, Rebecca has worked in several professional kitchens and taught cooking classes to adults. Prior to her work in the food industry, Rebecca spent several years working on a securities trading floor. She holds degrees in Economics and French from Fairfield University in Connecticut.

Jeremy Sauer joined the Cook's Illustrated team as a test cook for the book division in 2004. Currently senior editor for Cook's Country magazine, Jeremy has worked in a number of notable kitchens up and down the East Coast. A self-taught chef, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. In addition to his duties at Cook's, Jeremy stays busy teaching cooking classes and spending time with his wife, Jane and kids, Jack and Martha.

Sandra Wu enjoyed a three-year adventure as an associate editor at Cook's Illustrated from 2004 to 2007. Currently a cook at Williams-Sonoma's corporate test kitchen in San Francisco, she has also written for the food sections of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, edited two cookbooks, and consulted for several national food corporations. Sandra is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Kendall College's professional cookery program. When she's not busy cooking, Sandra enjoys exploring the Bay Area's excellent farmer's markets and spending time with her fiancé Ivan and their dog Gus, a lab-dachshund-beagle.