Customer Reviews

The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2010 (Best of America's Test Kitchen Cookbook: The Year's Best Recipes)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This cookbook would make a good addition to a collection of cookbooks; but as for a principal main source cookbook, there are just not enough recipes or enough of a basic variety.
As usual the work from Cook's is outstanding and the very specific recipes that are included are wonderful. There are also the customary wonderful small series of photographs to illustrate techniques such as how to assemble a cabbage roll - a help most other cookbooks do not even attempt to include.
The book includes 44 pages of tips and recommendations such as the best cocoa mix or brownie mix, how to keep kitchen staples fresh. It includes 133 recipes that are not your basic run of the mill cookbook recipes, examples include green chilie cheeseburgers, and huli huli chicken - a great homemade version of the Hawaiian roadside grilled chicken.
So, this is a good addition to a cookbook collection.

I love and own almost every one of their cookbooks, and I subscribe to "Cook's Illustrated." Their recipes are phenomenal! The first cookbook I received from them was "Baking Illustrated," and it walked me through the steps of making French Baguette, which is quite tedious. It worked wonderfully!! I couldn't have asked for better bread had I purchased it from an authentic french bakery. Their recipes are right on and wonderful. Their notes on ingredients and processes utilized in testing each recipe are quite helpful, in case you sometimes substitute ingredients.

Some great recipes. Fewer repeats than some of the other volumes. Overall good idea for a foodie on your Christmas list. The Huli Huli chicken is great. The chicken noodle soup was outstanding. Waldorf salad was good (be sure to use specified apples). Roast beef tenderloin was the best ever. I served in on Christmas Eve and wow. I would add horseradish cream sauce to it at the table. Shrimp tempura works out the best of any I have tried but still not ka-pow in my opinion. I may try again and dip in panko flakes after the batter before frying. This is a great wedding shower gift. It is one of there better cookbooks. Even if you have others there are some repeats but the new recipes are worth having.

The write-up with each recipe adds meaning to the procedure and outcome. The Test Kitchen's trial-and-error methods prior to publishing the final recipe made me feel confident that my end product would be a success. I've tried 3 recipes so far and would make them again and again. The brilliant photos gave me a visual so I knew where I was headed in addition to making it appealing enough for me to even attempt. I really like the suggested brand of ingredients and utensils to buy -- cuts to the chase when needing to make an intelligent purchase. This is one of the most useful cookbooks I've ever owned, and I have tons that just sit around. I expect I will be using this one for years to come. It would make a great gift for a new cook, but I've recommended it several times already to friends that have enjoyed cooking for many years.

The America's Test Kitchen cookbooks in general contain recipes that emphasize taste over convenience but most of them are well worth the extra effort. And while I certainly haven't tried all of the recipes in this year's book, I haven't come across one in the whole series that didn't taste good.

These cookbooks, which come out every year, make me want to try new techniques. They are not just a collection of recipes, the book explains the techniques necessary to achieve the proper result, often with a picture and warnings about what can go wrong. They also discuss ingredients and equipment so it really becomes much more than a cookbook, especially if you read it cover to cover like I do.

This year's book has standards, like chicken soup and baked ziti, and some more exotic recipes like carne adovada. And unlike a previous year, is not heavy on the grill recipes but includes a couple.

I do think it important to mention though that Amazon seems to only sell the hardback version. There is a much cheaper and smaller paper edition out.

Never agree to "preview" one of this series, or you are in for a huge hassle trying to cancel the automated shipments, and they'll pop up year after year. The restrictions on sending it back mean that there is truly no such thing as a free preview.

As the dissatisfied owner of this volume, I must point out that their sales technique shows that it cannot stand on its merits, and indeed, it can't. If you want a reference book, many cookbooks in this price range meet that need better. If you just want to browse new recipes, dozens of cheaper cookbooks will inspire you. It's a magazine compilation, and no matter how good the magazine, it's overpriced and outclassed when put up against cookbooks filled with new content.

Cook's Illustrated is our favorite cooking magazine and this book sums up an entire year of recipes. Easy to follow, explanatory, scientific - takes all the guess work out of cooking. I gave the book as a gift and it was much appreciated.

The Test Kitchen always has the best recipes, even if they are time consuming. This book is worth it just for the chocolate chip cookie recipe....the best I have ever tasted!

Also recommended is THE BEST OF AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN 2010, a survey of 150 recipes culled down from the 1,000 developed for the company's popular magazines, books, and TV shows. Step-by-step photos accompany both equipment and ingredient recommendations for foolproof results.

I have been enjoying reading thru this cookbook. I don't own enough of this line to comment on recipes being repeated. What I like is that once a recipe has been tested all the results including the flops are described. This should save me from repeating the mistakes. The recipes I have tried have been excellent. I particularly like the fact that I can now skip looking for the magazine every month, I have the entire year in one book. Put last years volume on my birthday list, hope I get it! The product reviews are helpful, sort of a mini consumer reports dedicated to kitchen gear.