From Publishers Weekly
The obsessive cooks at America's Test Kitchen love nothing more than to examine and re-examine recipes, determining whether skim milk or whole makes the lightest pizza dough, whether russets or Yukon Golds make the best potato casserole. The fruits of their labor are collected here in another clear, comprehensive guide to their favorites from a year of Cook's Illustrated magazine, their eponymous PBS series, and the rest of their magazine and book ventures. Recipes are dominated by pleasingly homey all-American dishes, like Slow-Cooker Beer-Braised Short Ribs, a hearty supper which can be assembled in the morning and left to simmer all day, and Oven-Fried Chicken, a low-fat variation as moist and crispy as the heart-attack-inducing original. A recipe for Coffeecake Muffins turns out tender, habit-forming streusel-topped muffins. Deep-Dish Apple Pie relies on a super-buttery crust and smells like afternoon in an orchard. For the most part, these recipes are refreshingly cost-conscious, recommending cuts of meat that won't break the bank and eschewing pricey oils, vinegar or spices. Even better, the editors provide useful illustrations, "Notes from the Test Kitchen" that include recommendations for pre-packaged foods (Eggo Homestyle wins the frozen waffle taste-test), and a guide to essential cookware. The only missing piece is nutritional information for each recipe; without it, it's just too tempting to finish that entire apple pie by yourself.
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From the Inside Flap
Want to know the secret to all-butter pie pastry that’s foolproof (and easy to work with)? Or to slow-cooker Bolognese that’s indistinguishable from the classic, long-simmered version? How about Texas-style smoky beef brisket reimagined for the oven (so you can make it anytime), deep-dish pepperoni pizza like the kind found in Chicago, or old-fashioned chocolate layer cake reminiscent of your grandmother’s? These are just a few of the recipes included in this "best of the best" collection—a book that pulls back the curtain on our test kitchen and gives you the inside scoop on what we consider our favorite recipes, taste tests, cooking techniques, and test kitchen discoveries.
The Best of America’s Test Kitchen captures what happened behind the scenes this past year in our busy test kitchen, where more than two dozen test cooks developed nearly 1,000 recipes for our books, magazines, and public television show. Every recipe was tested 20, 30, or 40 times (and sometimes even more). The result is recipes that work—the first time and every time.
How did we decide which recipes to include? We looked for those that were unique, or were simply great recipes that we thought everyone should know how to make. The end result? A wide-ranging collection, from starters, salads, and side dishes to poultry, meat, seafood, pasta, and desserts. Many recipes offer easy-to-prepare weeknight fare (like Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts and 30-Minute Pantry Clam Chowder), others are for entertaining or weekend cooking (like the Ultimate Vegetable Torta and Stuffed Turkey Breast), and some are low-fat test kitchen makeovers (like Light ¬Carrot Cake and Light Chicken Parmesan).
With each recipe, we aim to bring our testing process to life, filling you in on insider tips and tricks. Examples include how to prepare fast and flavorful baked ziti (cook the pasta in a skillet full of sauce, then transfer the skillet to the oven), an easy, make-ahead breakfast casserole (use maple sausage and frozen waffles instead of bread), a quick marinara sauce with long-simmered flavor (use canned tomatoes but sauté them first to concentrate their flavor), and a deep-dish apple pie that’s not soggy (cook the apples before adding them to the pie shell to release their pectin, which keeps them from getting mushy). Throughout the book test cooks write about key test kitchen discoveries such as these: how to tame the heat of peppercorns (for filet mignon au poivre that’s pungent but not harsh), why some meat tastes livery (and what to do about it), and how to make a creamy pan sauce without the cream.
The Best of America’s Test Kitchen will also make you a smarter consumer and a better cook. Want to know which eight pots and pans we consider essential (and why) and which brands offer the best performance (and value)? Throughout the book you’ll find opinionated equipment reviews of everything from simple vegetable peelers and meat pounders to a host of must-have bakeware. Curious about the best brand of chicken broth among the many on supermarket shelves or the canned tomatoes with the deepest flavor? Our tasters go on the record in this book to give you the results of the year’s most interesting tastings. Packed with step-by-step photographs, dozens of full-color food shots, and illustrated spreads on everything from chocolate to substituting ingredients, The Best of America’s Test Kitchen is filled with practical information every home cook needs.
