Sahil's Test Kitchen

Chef notes

Made this completely from scratch including the frosting. Red velvet is kind of weird — there's cocoa in it but it doesn't really taste like chocolate cake, it has its own thing going on. The cream cheese frosting is SO good, I could eat it with a spoon. Getting the layers even is harder than it looks but I think it came out really good.

Chef notes

Soaking the potatoes in cold water first made them way crispier. Fried them twice. Next time, more salt right out of the oil.

Chef notes

Making pasta with the KitchenAid attachment is honestly so fun. You mix the dough, let it rest, feed it through the machine, and actual spaghetti or fettuccine just comes out. The dough has to be exactly right — too wet and it sticks everywhere, too dry and it cracks. First batch got stuck but after that I figured it out. Way better than store-bought.

Chef notes

Only three ingredients but it's actually really hard to get right. The trick is using the starchy pasta water to make the cheese into a creamy sauce instead of a clumpy mess. I made this with my homemade spaghetti which made it extra good. Took a few tries to get the sauce smooth.

Chef notes

Threw everything in the food processor and blended it up. I've made it with pine nuts and also with walnuts — both are good but pine nuts taste more like actual pesto to me. Use enough olive oil or it gets too thick and clumpy. Goes perfectly on the homemade pasta.

Chef notes

This sauce is so good. You cook down the tomatoes with butter and garlic, add the cream, and it turns this amazing orange-pink color. It's called vodka sauce but you cook the vodka off so it's fine. I made it spicier than the original recipe because we like heat. Really good on the homemade pasta.

Chef notes

From scratch! Letting the dough rest matters — don't rush it. Rolling them round is harder than it looks.

Chef notes

Made the gnocchi from scratch — you boil the potatoes, rice them, mix in flour and egg, and roll them into little pillows. Then I pan-fried them in butter with fresh sage until they got crispy on the outside. That crispy outside with the soft inside is SO good. Don't overwork the dough or they get tough.

Chef notes

Used my homemade tortillas which made these next level. Don't overfill or they explode when you fold them.

Chef notes

Classic vanilla cake with homemade buttercream and fresh strawberries on top. This is the one that got me into making cakes from scratch. Buttercream is pretty simple — butter, powdered sugar, a splash of cream. The strawberries on top make it look really professional even though it's not the hardest thing to do.

Chef notes

Basically a giant cookie baked in a pan with chocolate frosting and sprinkles on top. It's like a cookie and a cake at the same time — the edges get a little crispy and the middle stays soft and chewy. The frosting makes it look like an actual birthday cake. Everyone loved it.

Chef notes

Soaking the chicken in buttermilk first makes it way more tender and helps the coating stick. I made two versions — one with just spices and one glazed with sauce. The double dredge (flour, then buttermilk, then flour again) is what makes the coating really thick and crunchy. The sauced one is honestly incredible.

Chef notes

Getting the breading to stick is the trick — flour first, then egg wash, then panko. Panko makes them way crunchier than regular breadcrumbs. The dipping sauce on the side is sriracha mayo which goes perfectly with them. These disappeared really fast.

Chef notes

The cinnamon streusel on top is what makes this so good — it gets all crunchy and sweet while the cake underneath stays soft. I drizzled icing on top after it cooled. It's the kind of thing that makes the whole house smell amazing while it's baking. Good for breakfast or dessert honestly.

Chef notes

You put the pineapple and cherries in the bottom of the pan with butter and brown sugar, pour the batter on top, bake it, and then flip it over so the pineapple ends up on top all caramelized. It looks really cool when you flip it. The brown sugar turns into this sticky caramel situation which is amazing.

Chef notes

Pecan pie filling is basically just eggs, syrup, and butter — it sounds too simple but it sets up into this incredible gooey sweet layer under all the pecans. I arranged the pecans on top myself which took a while but it looks really professional. The crust was homemade too. This one is really sweet so a small slice goes a long way.

Chef notes

Made the pie crust completely from scratch including the lattice top — that part takes forever but looks so good. The filling is just blueberries, sugar, and a little cornstarch to thicken it up. Mine got a little dark on top but the inside was perfect. Next time I'll cover the edges with foil so they don't overbake.

Chef notes

Bundt cakes look super fancy but they're actually not that hard — the pan does all the work. The sour cream makes it really moist. Getting it out of the pan is the scariest part; you have to let it cool and then flip it and hope it doesn't stick. Mine came out clean. Drizzled the glaze on top and it ran down the sides perfectly.

Chef notes

The first pancake is always a disaster — I don't know why but it just is, every single time. After that they come out way better. The trick is not overmixing the batter or they get tough, and waiting until you see bubbles before you flip. Powdered sugar on top is the move.

Chef notes

Made these in the air fryer instead of frying them in oil — they come out golden and fluffy without all the mess. Used a donut cutter to punch out the holes. They don't taste exactly like a fried donut but they're really good and way easier. You can dip them in glaze or cinnamon sugar after.