January 2016

This isn’t exactly a safety tip, but why ruin shrimp’s healthfulness by serving it up with sugary sauces? A quarter cup of McCormick Original Cocktail Sauce for Seafood, for example, packs 16g of sugar—that’s four teaspoons of the white stuff. Instead, Consumer Reports in-house chef Claudia Gallo has masterminded this delicious, no-sugar recipe that will look festive on any holiday spread.

Tahini paste, ground from sesame seeds, comes in light and dark roast. For many recipes, including hummus, light tahini is preferable (Sesame King brand, labeled “light roast,” is widely available). Other tips to making great hummus: Begin with dried chickpeas (you don’t do anything while they soak overnight), simmer them with baking soda to break down the skins, whir them while they’re hot to make the creamiest texture, then add an ice cube and let it melt while the food processor blade goes round and round. If you want a thinner texture, add another ice cube.