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8th out of 696 books
—
663 voters
The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
A revision of the Fall 2005 BookSense pick and bestseller, this edition features a new light recipe chapter, more than 1500 color photos, heavy duty paper and binding, over 2 dozen new recipes, and handy new cooking charts. This instant classic belongs on the shelf of every home cook. Publisher's Weekly called it "a foolproof, go-to resource for everyday cooking." The new...more
Spiral-bound, Revised Edition, 736 pages
Published
September 30th 2006
by America's Test Kitchen
(first published 2005)
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I love this cookbook, and don't think I can say enough good things about it. It's great for basics, and has many recipes that I come back to again and again. Most are great for weeknight cooking, and the directions are very easy to follow - many with photographed step-by-step instructions.
This is a great book for beginning cooks as well as more advanced cooks who are looking to add some variety to the rotation of weeknight dinners.
I also like the binder/loose-leaf page format. You can rearrang...more
This is a great book for beginning cooks as well as more advanced cooks who are looking to add some variety to the rotation of weeknight dinners.
I also like the binder/loose-leaf page format. You can rearrang...more
I read a whole lot of cookbooks, collect masses of recipes, and do an awful lot of cooking and baking. This is far and away the absolute best cookbook I've seen out there--and I was raised on both Betty Crocker AND Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks. They take a very scientific approach to developing recipes and testing ingredients/cookware. This allows them to figure out how things could go wrong and use somewhat nontraditional approaches that make food better. Plus, I appreciate that their c...more
If I were to own just one cookbook, it would be this one. It contains a staggering number of recipes, like any good cookbook should, but the best part is the multitude of helpful culinary hints. How should I store lettuce? What is an acceptable substitute for buttermilk? How can I tell if my bread dough is adequately proofed? What the hell does it mean to proof bread dough, anyway? At 700+ pages it commands a sizable portion of the shelf, but the ring binding is perfect for laying open on the ba...more
Wow. This cookbook is amazing. Everything is so well thought out and well done. This is THE way to make everything! When I want to make something that I know will be excellent (although possibly a lot of work) I go to this cookbook. The great thing about this cookbook is that the authors have tested so many different ways to make the same dish and they present the easiest, best tasting way.
Because the authors are so precise, the timing of these recipes is not for those living at 8500 feet (like...more
Because the authors are so precise, the timing of these recipes is not for those living at 8500 feet (like...more
The book just arrived in the mail this morning, so I haven't had time to actually try any recipes, but coming from America's Test Kitchen, the recipes tend to work every time (I've had ONE recipe fail, from the American Classics cookbook).
Here's what I've noticed so far: it's big, it's heavy, but because it has a ring binding, designed to stay open flat where you want it, you won't care. The book is divided up into chapters on appetizers, salads, meats, breads, desserts, etc., but the first cha...more
Here's what I've noticed so far: it's big, it's heavy, but because it has a ring binding, designed to stay open flat where you want it, you won't care. The book is divided up into chapters on appetizers, salads, meats, breads, desserts, etc., but the first cha...more
I'm a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen. I'm pretty big on cooking and it's just about the only cooking show I like to watch. Great tips, recipes, and explanations of why things are done the way they are. I was super excited to get this cookbook as a gift for Christmas last year (I literally carried it around for several days) and it has pretty much taken over as the only cookbook I use. It is a great cookbook to have on hand for the everyday basics and has tons of info such as equipment recomm...more
I picked this book up at a Costco of all places because it was cheap and I'd tried and liked some recipes from the Cook's Illustrated magazine. I didn't expect it to be by far my favorite cookbook.
I'd consider myself more of a foodie than a cook, which is why I love this book. The recipes are simple, directions easy to follow and for most recipes there are pictures of the end result. Most importantly, the recipes, without fail, turn out delicious. Even my foodie friends that I've turned on to th...more
I'd consider myself more of a foodie than a cook, which is why I love this book. The recipes are simple, directions easy to follow and for most recipes there are pictures of the end result. Most importantly, the recipes, without fail, turn out delicious. Even my foodie friends that I've turned on to th...more
2 likes · like · see review
I love this Cookbook...I've made many recipes, and the kids have eaten most, if not all of them. This is my go-to cookbook when I can't figure what I want to cook that night...or for when I'm menu-planning for the week.
1 like · like · see review
So far, all the recipes have come out very tasty. Some of the recipes are a little fussy, and a few seemed like they created way too many dirty dishes. I'm going to be trying more of them, I haven't found one I wouldn't make again yet.
Highlights:
The tomato sauce that accompanies the lasagna recipe is fantastic, and really easy!
The meatloaf is the best I've eaten.
Highlights:
The tomato sauce that accompanies the lasagna recipe is fantastic, and really easy!
The meatloaf is the best I've eaten.
2 likes · like · see review
My stepchildren (who are deathly afraid of any food that looks "different" ie didn't come from a box) will eat everything I've made from this cookbook. The orange chicken & green beans is great (but too much soy sauce & chili paste for me). We have it every Thursday night! DH makes the peanut butter cookies on a regular basis, and they rarely last more than a day.
1 like · like · see review
probably totally nerdy for me to add this, but seriously, this book answers any questions for the everyday cook. I sometimes just sit and read it. Way good recipes with explanations as to why they did certain things. It's full of good tips and photos and ratings for different brands of what to buy and things like that. Anyone who likes to cook should get it and read it!
My second favorite cookbook (only coming up second to "The Flavor Bible"), and my most favorite cook book of recipes. We received this as a wedding gift from one of my parents sweet friends, and we've been in love (with each other and the book) ever since.
I've always wanted to know 'the best' recipe for this, that, and everything in between. Oh, and what size egg is best, and who makes the best ingredient for that, and what makes this come out flat?
Favorite recipe so far: Eggplant Parmesan...HUG...more
I've always wanted to know 'the best' recipe for this, that, and everything in between. Oh, and what size egg is best, and who makes the best ingredient for that, and what makes this come out flat?
Favorite recipe so far: Eggplant Parmesan...HUG...more
My mom gifted me this in 2006, when I was a grad student living on my own and desperately needed to learn to cook. This cookbook taught me to cook, along with cultivating a better sense of taste and an appreciation for fine food made from normal ingredients. In 6 years, only a handful of recipes have been deemed "never cook again" - and that's out of hundreds of recipes I've tried (yes, I counted up every recipe I made out of this particular book). Whenever I cook from this book for company, eve...more
Is it weird to have a signed cookbook? Well, if it is or not, mine is signed. I was living in Boston (where ATK is located) when this one came out, so I went to the book signing. Very interesting listening to the cooks interact and explain what they do and don't like about the book, and about their customers! They all seemed quite frustrated that people don't tend to follow precisely the recipes that they work so hard on. A great book but, to be honest, recipes do tend to be a bit too exact for...more
Received this as a bridal shower gift from a friend who loves to bake and insists that late one night she wandered into her kitchen to discover this book kicking Betty Crocker's ass.
I haven't made much from this book yet, but so far, the recipes I have made have been mighty tasty. Unfortunately, there is a large meat section filled with tons of gross dead animal pictures. The seafood section is especially creepy. Otherwise, it seems to be a good cookbook. The recipes use a lot of fresh ingredie...more
I haven't made much from this book yet, but so far, the recipes I have made have been mighty tasty. Unfortunately, there is a large meat section filled with tons of gross dead animal pictures. The seafood section is especially creepy. Otherwise, it seems to be a good cookbook. The recipes use a lot of fresh ingredie...more
i am so excited to have found the joy of cooking/betty crocker cookbook of the 21st century. you can't really beat the nerd chef's appeal of this cookbook. the test kitchen TESTS ALL THE RECIPES and then tells you how to do it just right... with fabulous little hinty-bits about techniques AND they also test products and give recommendations about the best things to buy. now, as one that doesn't necessarily appreciate product placement, this part was a little weird and it definitely dates the boo...more
I just discovered the convenience of checking cookbooks out from the library, and this was the first one I did. This is a great general cookbook, and if I didn't already have my dog-eared Joy of Cooking, I would buy this one. I also own the Cook's Illustrated Best Recipe book, and I like that one better for the detailed explanations of why they selected certain ingredients and methods in one recipe over another. This book was a simplified version of that, which I didn't really need. But this is...more
I'm using this religiously. The directions are clear and there are some recipes that have become staples at our house. My only complaint is that some of the recipes are all-day projects. For a family cookbook I think there should be more time-saving tricks. (The recipe for pizza is amazing, but the dough was like my life's work. I wanted to make it ahead of time and refrigerate it, but the recipe informed me that it would keep in the fridge for up to "12 hours." What? So I make it the night befo...more
Feb 05, 2012
Kate
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
beginner cooks, experienced cooks
Shelves:
cookbooks
I read this cookbook from cover to cover. It has great recipes, tips and equipment reviews. We have referred to it almost every day since we got it because there is always something new to learn.
For fans of the magazine/website, the only downside is that each recipe is not quite as detailed as you will find in each issue. The cookbook is already huge and I understand they can't fit every tidbit. I would find a recipe in the book, look the same one up on-line and see a great note of advice that I...more
For fans of the magazine/website, the only downside is that each recipe is not quite as detailed as you will find in each issue. The cookbook is already huge and I understand they can't fit every tidbit. I would find a recipe in the book, look the same one up on-line and see a great note of advice that I...more
I learned a lot from this book -- like how to know where to cut the tough ends off asparagus (bend one piece at the end, and where it bends is the cutting point). And a pictorial difference and temperatures for knowing when pork is just-right or overcooked pork -- my resulting pork chops were much better.
The book's beautifully illustrated with lots of photos, its directions are clear, and the recipes I've tried have been really good. I'm buying one for me and then it's going on my housewarming...more
The book's beautifully illustrated with lots of photos, its directions are clear, and the recipes I've tried have been really good. I'm buying one for me and then it's going on my housewarming...more
After this book saved my Thanksgiving, I felt it deserved a review from me. My husband's family has commented many times on what a good cook I am...and 99.9% of the reason goes to this book! I mean, I am not one of those cooks who can throw a little of this and a little of that into a pot and it turns out marvelous. I am black and white when it comes to cooking, I follow the instructions to the letter. If the recipe calls for white pepper, I go buy WHITE pepper...black pepper isn't even consider...more
I bought this (pricey) cookbook after watching the show and being given old issues of "Cooks Illustrated". I have since made 5 or 6 recipes and I have to say that each and every one has turned out flawless. The directions are clear, lots of pictures and product testing.
This is a good, basic cookbook. Almost every recipe has variations, making the chapters more consise than other cookbooks.
I will be gifting this to all my friends who have to cook.
This is a good, basic cookbook. Almost every recipe has variations, making the chapters more consise than other cookbooks.
I will be gifting this to all my friends who have to cook.
I borrowed this from the library to see if it was worth splurging on in the future. It is certainly getting added to my wish list. Lots of classic American home fare tested beyond reason. I especially liked the areas where they discuss variations on a basic recipe (various dips, pizza toppings, sandwich combinations, etc.). Sometimes I just need that little extra inspiration to get dinners planned for the week, I think this cookbook would help.
This is my all-time favorite cook book! Every time we make anything, we open this book first. It's replaced Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens for us, and now for my parents and in-laws too. The pages of our copy are stained and dog-eared for loving over-use, and we've only had it 2 years! I recommend this to anyone who wants to cook anything, from a basic hamburger to fancy chocolate suffle, the best it can be.
This is a HUGE cookbook. It is a three ring binder format - which makes me question it's authority. Why would any worthwhile cookbook be in a three ring binder. Am I going to add to it, take things away? It is a mess that is for sure.
The recipes are good and there are many to choose from. With over 800 pages, 1200 recipes and 23 sections... it can be overwhleming. This is not a functioning cookbook for me.
The recipes are good and there are many to choose from. With over 800 pages, 1200 recipes and 23 sections... it can be overwhleming. This is not a functioning cookbook for me.
I have had this book for almost a year and I absolutely could not live without it in the kitchen. Both America's Test Kitchen books I own are replacing my well-loved and often-used Fannie Farmer Cooking and Baking books. These recipes are somewhere between Martha Stewart and my dad. Recipes that any home cook could make, but wonderful enough to please any foodie. Right up my alley.
Love it! I've only tried a few recipes, but they've all been great. I'm definitely adding this book to my Christmas wish-list. I love that they tell you about things they tried that didn't work, and why they ended up doing what they did. They often tell you about substitutions that work just as well and there are great tips throughout. Love it!
BEST wedding present I received. It's not just the recipes it's ALL the other amazing knowledge that comes with it. They help you make the meals as easy or as complicated as you want. ALL classic meals are there, and then so many meals that aren't classics. This was THE ONLY time I've ever sat down and read a cookbook like a novel.
A superior reference to have, well worth the money. ATK recipes always come out great and I always learn a lot from the book. I highly recommend watching the show too. It is very informative about why certain methods/ingredients are the best methods/ingredients in cooking. Note however, this does not teach creativity in cooking
I had to add this to my book list because I use this cookbook almost every day and love it. I have been told by several different people that the... pancakes, tomato soup, cinnamon rolls... I made were the best they have every tasted. My husband also loves this book and asks me to make stuff from it. It is my go-to gift!
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Sep 22, 2012 12:13pm