When America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country host Christopher Kimball visited Madison recently, Wisconsin Public Television caught up with the celebrated chef and founder and editor of Cook’s Illustrated magazine to ask him about his go-to rules on kitchen gadgets, the small things every home cook should know to be successful, a few surprising hints that make life in the kitchen easier (spoiler alert: vodka makes great pie crusts!), his favorite cocktail, the cheese question he gets asked most and the secret to the perfect cheesecake.

We even surprised him a bit when he learned that an Old Fashioned made with brandy was the Wisconsin drink of choice. Just wait to see his reaction to that!

Watch Cook’s Country From America’s Test Kitchen Saturdays on Wisconsin Public Television.