false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187730060m/1750900.jpg 3888 2 Over time, twin enterprises <i>Cook's Illustrated</i> magazine and America's Test Kitchen have published many books dedicated to providing exhaustively tested recipes--"best" versions of traditional dishes plus definitive takes on kitchen equipment and ingredients. Some series readers have complained of endlessly recycled or rejiggered recipes; others take each book at face value, finding the formulas and cooking insights good and helpful. America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which calls itself a cookbook, cooking school, and kitchen reference in one, offers over 1,200 approachable recipes for a very wide range of dishes--from "weekday" fare like Creamy Rice Casserole, Cheesy Nachos with Spicy Beef, and Skillet Lasagna, to dressier recipes, including Pan-Seared Lamb Chops with Red Wine Rosemary Sauce, Roasted Trout Stuffed with Bacon and Spinach, and Chocolate Marshmallow Mousse. There are "specialty" chapters devoted to sandwiches, drinks, and slow cooker and pressure cooker dishes; a grilling section is a tutorial in itself. Unorthodox, "better-way" approaches abound. For example, a fried chicken formula instructs the cook to wet the bird's dry coating slightly before it's applied for an extra-crunchy crust. Predictably, side bars feature equipment and ingredient evaluations, on bottled salsa, for example; "good food/bad food" photographs show readers what to aim for when producing fare like holiday cookies; and there are tips, charts, and "Cooking 101" sidebars galore. Step-by-step photos offer more direction still. Though the majority of recipes are sound and yield tempting results, readers poring through the book will note gaffes and curiosities. The recipe for poached eggs, for example, offers the option of extra cooking for "firm yolks" (hard-boiled poached eggs, anyone?) and hamburgers receive an indentation before cooking to avoid "puffy" domed burgers, a novel problem that could, in any case, be solved by proper shaping. The addition of sugar to some savory dishes--for example, a pan sauce for steak--is misguided. Readers should also know that the book, which comes in loose-leaf form, requires some assembly, and that the pages themselves are quite thin, making them vulnerable to spills and tearing in daily kitchen use. <p> These things said, the book delivers solid, family-friendly dishes with enough fully orchestrated "how- to" to make even novice cooks feel secure when tackling the basics or more ambitious fare. What's New in the Revised Editon? First out in 2005, <i>America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook</i> was praised for its recipe ease, inclusiveness, and wealth of helpful information, but was also criticized for its physical production. A loose-leaf book with its pages included separately, readers found it inconvenient to assemble and its paper impractically thin. The revised edition is printed on heavier stock, and arrives with its pages already on its rings (there are two more now, for sturdiness) with only chapter dividers to insert, a simple task. In addition, new inside front and back covers provide information on emergency substitutions, roasting guidelines, equivalent measures, and more--and a "Light Recipes" chapter has been included. Without defining precisely what "light" means--fewer fats and carbs, or a combo?--the section offers attractive all-course recipes, such as turkey chili, veggie burgers, meat and cheese lasagna, and chocolate bundt cake. Some readers will welcome the "slimming" of familiar dishes while others will find some of the manipulations--using cornstarch to thicken the sauce in fettuccine alfredo or ricotta to add body to a reduced-fat pesto, for example--unappealing. The book, however, remains a valuable kitchen tool--and one with greater convenience and durability than before. 7612 2005 The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (Revised Edition) total:330|5:227|4:72|3:26|2:3|1:2| 330 1509 457 100 5 3 false false Sat Jan 05 11:06:23 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 05 11:06:23 -0800 2008
...more...]]> 5 1 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 22 23:04:16 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 24 10:04:18 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Sep 22 07:17:18 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 26 20:03:47 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Oct 31 09:56:33 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 31 10:34:18 -0700 2009 I'd consider myself more of a foodie than a cook, which is why I love this book. The recipes are...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Jul 16 10:17:14 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 13:58:48 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Dec 18 14:03:25 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 18 14:08:10 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jan 07 12:13:13 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 07 12:19:30 -0800 2009
I haven't made much from this book yet, but so far, the recipes I have made have been mighty tasty. Unfor...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Dec 28 19:42:31 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 28 19:46:03 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Dec 02 18:55:37 -0800 2008 Wed May 20 10:52:18 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Mar 14 20:38:06 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 20:42:17 -0700 2009
This...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Apr 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 17 12:34:41 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 17 12:38:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Feb 25 12:59:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 25 12:59:00 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Dec 17 20:53:22 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 17 20:56:52 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Nov 11 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 07:57:31 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 11 07:58:43 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Nov 12 15:18:41 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 15:21:30 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Aug 11 09:40:34 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 11 09:42:27 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 24 20:27:52 -0800 2008 Wed Jul 15 09:53:24 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Oct 08 16:43:18 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 16:51:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon May 25 11:06:41 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 11:08:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Nov 10 22:49:44 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 10 23:17:08 -0800 2008 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1750900