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Dear home cook,

With Valentine’s Day weekend upon us and the NBC Olympics in full swing, it’s the perfect time to cook something special. For a romantic dessert, try preparing our Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (see those little “hearts” on top?) or make a dish loved by an Olympian, such as Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Let us be your trusted kitchen companion, with tested recipes and techniques to help you cook your personal best.

We want to make your cooking even easier, so are giving free access to our Essential digital membership for 14 days. You'll receive a free Kuhn Rikon fruit and vegetable peeler with your paid membership. This is the gold standard for peelers, turning even the toughest prep—yes, peeling rock-hard butternut squash—into a breeze.

Enjoy a full year of unlimited access to our site and 5-star members’ app for less than $1/week, just $49.95/year. That’s about the cost of drinks and appetizers for two. You will quickly come to rely on our rigorously tested recipes, clever techniques, how-to videos, money-saving product reviews, and time-saving app features and won’t want to cook without them. I guarantee it.

All our best,

A great peeler makes short work of prepping vegetables and fruit. The Kuhn Rikon Y-shaped peeler is our top overall pick for everything from carrot and apple peeling to Parm shaving and chocolate curling and has been for over a decade. You will receive a red, white, or blue peeler (go Team USA!) with your paid membership.

• Light as a feather, prevents hand fatigue during prep
• Carbon-steel blades stay sharp
• Swivel blades maneuver smoothly over food
• Design prevents peels from jamming

Carrot Snack Cake

Consider the enduring appeal of a snack cake, from after-school treat to an elegant and understated symbol of hospitality. This carrot snack cake is unbelievably moist (thanks in part to a brushing of tangy buttermilk syrup) and is packed with a full pound of juicy carrots (peeled in a flash with your new Kuhn peeler). OJ-plumped raisins and the sweet flavors of brown sugar and spice appeal to the kid in you—and your refined adult tastes too. Make-ahead options and a freezing tip (thanks to a devoted member) offer flexibility.

When I first saw this recipe I was skeptical. Rehydrating raisins in orange juice? And the buttermilk syrup? But I made it completely as instructed and was very impressed with the results. Great balance of flavors and textures.

–Taralee L., ATK Essential Member

Keep your new Kuhn Rikon peeler handy. Our recipes prove this humble root can shine in everything from quick weeknight sides to showstopping desserts.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes for Two

Casserole-style scalloped potatoes can take as long as an hour to cook through. For an extra-cheesy yet scaled-for-two version, move the show to a skillet for one-pan ease and quick cleanup. Tossing grated cheese with cornstarch enables you to add more cheese while keeping greasiness at bay.

Soooooo good. My husband and I both LOVED this potato dish. Perfect for just the 2 of us and amazingly cheesy and delicious. Definitely making this again . . . and again, and again.

–Jayn P., ATK Essential Member

The Best Supermarket Parmesan
We love the nutty, crumbly, crystalline texture of Parmigiano-Reggiano. This cheese has been made in precisely the same way in Northern Italy for the past 800 years. Our winner costs twice as much as our least favorite supermarket Parm, but in this case, you really get what you pay for.

One-Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad

This all-in-one recipe ensures that all the different ingredients are perfectly done at the same time (we consider that to be table stakes for our sheet-pan suppers). And the powerhouse spices and peppers do nearly all the heavy lifting for flavor building. Test kitchen special touches include roasting the chicken on top of the poblanos for extra juiciness and a final brush with honey, a quick cilantro-lime dressing, and a sprinkling of cotija cheese on the veggies for a sweet and salty balance to the spiciness.

This is a solid weeknight winner that fulfills all the criteria: minimum fuss, one dish, parallelism (you can make the dressing while the chicken cooks) and flavors I wouldn’t have thought to put together.

–Julia L., ATK Essential Member

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