Customer Reviews

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007: The Year's Best Recipes, Equipment Reviews, and Tastings

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This book is a compilation of recipes from other America's Test Kitchen publications that have been released within the last 1-2 years, including their magazines (Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated) and books (The Best Light Recipe, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, Best American Side Dishes, and The Best 30-Minute Recipe). Above each recipe there is even a thumbnail image of the publication in which the recipe originally appeared. Scattered throughout the book are tutorials (such as "Rice and Grains 101" and "Pie Pastry 101"), equipment reviews, and taste tests (similar to what appears in Cooks Illustrated Magazine).

The book covers a relatively wide range of recipes, which are divided into eight recipe-containing chapters, including soups and salads, vegetables and side dishes, eggs and breads, pasta, meat, poultry, seafood, and desserts. True to America's Test Kitchen style (as those who own any of their other books or subscribe to their magazine(s) know), the recipes are relatively straightforward and targeted to the average home cook, without being overly pretentious and/or using techniques and ingredients that only a chef would be able to manage. The recipes themselves (if followed according to the instructions) are designed to yield great food (since they were tested multiple times to determine the best technique, as for all America's Test Kitchen recipes).

So, do you need this book? That depends upon which other America's Test Kitchen books/magazines you already own. If you own all of the books/magazines from which the recipes were taken, then you certainly don't need to buy this book. If you do not, then the book may make a good addition to your cookbook library, particularly if you are working on improving your cooking skills (since the book has plenty of tutorials). Those who are looking for "fancier" recipes might be better served by purchasing other cookbooks (such as Gourmet).

I love to cook and I am always looking for gifts for my best friends.We review cookbooks like some people review the latest detective story. I love the color photos. Part of the challenge of cooking is not only to make it taste good, but also to make it look beautiful. We just love all the hint's and test kitchen tips with the illustrations. How could a cookbook get better? I love the deep dish apple pie on page 243. I can't wait to get into my kitchen to duplicate it....thanks for the great christmas gift. I am so excited.

I fail to understand the complaints of two previous reviewers. This beautiful glossy volume is an excellent compendium of previosly publisned Cook's Illustrated recipes. In style and format it would make an excellent first choice for anyone wishing to be introduced to a selection of the best of the best recipes from America's Teet Kitchen (i. e. Cook's Illustrated) without the tediousness of having to wade through lengthy descriptions of how the recipes were arrived at.

The cooks at America's Test Kitchen test each recipe up to fifty! times, often in several versions before arriving at the what they (and their taste testers) feel is the very best recipe. No other cookbooks offer this degree of security to the home cook.

Chapters include: Starters and Salads, Soups and Stews, Vegetables and Side Dishes, Eggs and Breads, Pasta, Meat, Poultry, Seafood, and Desserts. Throughout, are guides and charts to everything from grains to the best bakeware (also kitchen tested). The recipes range from familiar comfort food (e. g. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Meatloaf, and Deep-dish Apple Pie) to "show-off" company fare (e.g. Baked Brie en Croute, Grill-roasted Chinese Style Duck, and Dark Chocolate Mousse).

If your looking for recipes that work everytime, do yourself a favor and purchase any Cook's Illustrated cookbook, including this one. You won't be dissappointed.

Lemme preface by stating that I am incredibly exacting when it comes to my home, my kitchen and what I choose to serve to my family and friends. And that's why this book is so special and unique. Because I know without a shadow of doubt that anything published by Cook's Illustrated and Chris Kimball (the editor-at-large) is always going to be Perfect!

I suppose it was about 2 years ago when I first got turned on to America's Test Kitchen (the hugely popular cooking series produced by WGBH and the master-chefs at Cook's Illustrated Magazine.) I just got so sick of watching the Food Network dumb-down their programming and otherwise bastardize the domestic arts. And, if I had to watch that little overpaid hog make 1 more ludicrous concoction I was (literally) going to gag. So when I stumbled upon America's Test Kitchen on my local Public Broadcasting Service I was more than eager to soak up all of their valuable information.

Since then, I have purchased some of America's Test Kitchen DVD sets and many of their books. The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 is my very favorite book, though. This book is useful and practical on so many levels.

This isn't just a cookbook, it's a cookbook written by domestic artists who understand who their audience is and who also know the importance of practicality. This is a hardcover, 312 page book that measures roughly 11 X 8. The book also includes tons of full color pictures, diagrams and guides and tips. I also enjoy the smaller pictures included in just about every recipe that shows pictures of what the food should look like as you're preparing it (this helps so much!) The book includes a dust-jacket, but I always remove this simply because it tends to get dirty when I'm cooking. The actual cover of the book is almost coated with this shimmery-type of paper that is resistant to stains and splatters (this also helps a lot.) Oh, and 1 more thing I enjoy about the general make-up of the book is that it nicely stands up on its own, without any additional effort on my part.

The book includes easy-to-understand, step-by-step recipes that this cook can tell were written with care. Because America's Test Kitchen includes the names of some of the best brands (based on their extensive unbiased research) to use with most of the recipes as well. Each recipe starts out with an in-depth description of each dish; describing what could go wrong, what they changed and other points to look for. I have never used nor read any other cookbook that went to such great lengths as America's Test Kitchen! They really go the extra step to make sure their readers prepare only the finest recipes.

All of their recipes are second to none. I read the book cover to cover and I can honestly tell you that there is not 1 single recipe that was thrown in as "filler." This book was not simply slopped together (like so many cookbooks these days are.) No way. The experts at Cook's Illustrated would never stand for that. Every single recipe inside this cookbook has been tested, tweaked, and transformed into a dish that's not just beautiful to look at but also very simple to make.

There are a total of 10 chapters that are dedicated to recipes:
Starters & Salads
Soups & Stews
Vegetables & Side Dishes
Eggs & Breads
Pasta
Meat
Poultry
Seafood
Desserts
The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 also includes a detailed introduction and an entire chapter dedicated to conversions (not to mention a very generous index; which I know is becoming a dying art in the literary world.)

What I also enjoy doing with large books like The Best of America's Test Kitchen - 2007 is to skim them for recipes that I may use. Since the book includes an informative index and table of contents it's easy to find anything that I may be in the mood to make. Next, I will either photocopy the page or just put a post-it on the page (depending on how soon I plan to make it.) Then I store the book in my media center in the kitchen so it's ready for the next time I want to use it. (This saves me time and makes the task of deciding on "what to make for dinner" seem much less daunting.)

These are some of my favorite recipes (that I have made, loved & serve to my family:)
Short-Order Home Fries (this was so easy) pg. 60
Potatoes Lyonnaise (very similar to the recipe above) pg. 62
Sweet Potato Casserole (made this last Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit) pg. 67
Glazed Pork Chips (I made this on my mother's birthday and she loved it) pg. 161
Chicken Kiev (a little bit of work, but it's so worth it!) pg. 161
Crispy Chicken & Potatoes (I make this for my family often and it's always a success) pg. 199

And, these are some recipes that I have marked to make in the near future:
Pan-Roasted Broccoli (note: they have another amazing broccoli recipe with fresh thyme & brown-butter, but that's in another book) pg. 46
Oven-Fried Onion Rings pg. 54
Stuffed French Toast pg. 77
Sloppy Joes pg. 154
Pepperoni Pan Pizza pg. 101

Besides Christopher Kimball, the main experts of America's Test Kitchen are Julia Collin-Davison (my favorite) and Bridget Lancaster. These 2 always have so many great tips. I think it was Julia who recommended (on the TV series) to line your cutting board with foil when you're cutting chicken (this saves me so much time!) And, Bridget turned me on to using Pam anytime I cook with something that may stick; even on those "nonstick" surfaces. I also enjoy the good-natured mean-spirited comments that Chris often makes to Julie and Bridget. They all have a wonderful chemistry together. The book does not include specific credits to any one person (besides the introduction, written by Chris) since it's more of a collaborative effort from the editorial staff at the magazine.

As I have said repeatedly, I especially love this book because everything is so easy and just generally saves me so much time. There are so many commercial cooking experts that claim to be "time sensitive" but I have never found one that really was; other than America's Test Kitchen. And, I think that's because they aren't trying to be anything besides what they are: an informative cooking organization that appreciates the domestic arts! In fact, I would have to say that roughly 80-90% of all of the recipes in this book include ingredients that every American household often has on hand! The basic staples of most of the recipes includes these items: unsalted butter, low-sodium chicken broth, Spanish onions, cream, whole milk, brown sugar, cayenne pepper and fresh garlic.

The only thing that is slightly confusing is trying to find some of the specific recipes from this book on the America's Test Kitchen TV show. Keep in mind, this is not a "companion book." When I finally realized that it was a lot less confusing because I was expecting to be a little more familiar with some of the recipes. The date "2007" does not refer to a season of the TV series; rather it is the date or "edition" that the book went on sale. As a matter of fact, some of the book-recipes (such as the Stuffed Rolled Flank Steak) have not even been on the TV series until the current season (season 8.) At the time this book came out, I believe the TV series was only in the seventh season. The eighth season of the series will come out in July on DVD.

These recipes are also advantageous because they all (at least the ones I have made) either double very easily or half very easily, too. Anyone who cooks for a busy household knows how imperative this is. And again, this is a rare trait.

I look forward to getting the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and their latest best-of DVD set that just came out recently. In the meantime, I am very satisfied with my latest cookbook. I also visit their Web site often in search of more recipes (they include a vast library of extensive recipes online) and most of these recipes are free; there is a charge for older ones, though. ...You cannot deny that America's Test Kitchen is the preeminent purveyor of superior recipes that your entire family will always savor. Remember, everyone can use a little ATK.

This is a beautiful cookbook which has stripped away lengthy prose about their test procedures. That's just fine with me. I can look up the "whys" with my online subscription. The book is not thinner on the recipes, although it is does include lighter fare. Great! I know the recipes are tested to taste wonderful, and happily they won't make me fat or fatter, as the case may be. I am happy about this and so is my husband. They are really keeping up with the times.

I'm a big fan of America's Test Kitchen, and the recipes in this book are really great. The spaghetti sauce and meat sections are my favorite.

This book is a compliation of America's Test Kitchen's best recipes from 2007. I found it very useful that each recipe began with an explanation of why that recipe was chosen as "the best" and reasons why certain other methods or ingredients didn't work as well in a recipe.

The book covers
starters and salads
soups and stews
vegetables and side dishes
eggs and breads
pasta
meat
poultry
seafood
desserts
and conversions

I also really liked that most of the recipes are not very time consuming and most don't call for unusual ingredients that you wouldn't have in your fridge/pantry or couldn't find at the grocery store. Most importantly, the recipes have been tested thoroughly, so they usually come out well.

One thing to note - If you have some of the other ATK cookbooks (The light cookbook, the red family cookbook), then there will be some overlap with the recipes in this book.

I bought this book for several gifts, everyone is using recipes out of the book. I plan to give 2008 books next year.

I have tried several recipes and they are excellent. This will be a book to "read"/"do" start to finish....page by page. Awesome research. Thanks

We received this cookbook as a gift, and it has been a great addition to our cookbook collection! We didn't have any other ATK books, so the duplication is not an issue as it was for others. We have since received another ATK book which is also good, but not as pretty as this one. I like the photos of the dishes - it makes them even more appealing to try! Honestly, every recipe has been enjoyed - especially the almond sugar cookies, the Shepherd's Pie, and the beef stew. You will not regret this purchase!!