I collect cookbooks — old ones, new ones, local ones, foreign ones. Some get pulled out more often than others. And there’s one… well, it’s getting so dog-eared that I’ve picked up a second copy. That’s The Best Recipe, put out in 1999 by the folks at Cook’s Illustrated. Before every recipe in the book the authors described the methods that went into creating each recipe, explaining why each ingredient is used, why each method is utilized and explaining so much food science. If you love cooking and learning, this is the book I recommend.
That’s why I was especially happy to check out another great book from the same folks. Out last month, The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook is more than 2000 of the very best recipes ever published in the magazine. Taking the same care as The Best Recipe, each separate recipe is a project explained. Unlike its predecessor, The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook extrapolates, seeking out contemporary food finds, dissecting them and creating useful and perfect recipes. It includes ways to create the perfect seafood dish, great ways to grill just about everything and an amazing number of recipes for variations on bread.
Ever think about putting vodka in pie crust dough? Browned butter in chocolate chip cookies? The book explains why you’ll want to use these ingredients… and why you put the glaze on the bottom of the pan when making sticky buns. It explains why a wok really isn’t the best pan for stir frying and ways cornstarch can be used in the kitchen — besides thickening, of course. Everything from how to boil an egg and peel it the best way to why hickory is better than mesquite for smoking meat.
Want a sneak peek? Check out the recipes for Classic Macaroni and Cheese and for Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (they’re also on the jump, if you don’t want to mess with a PDF). They’ll give you a good idea of what to expect in the book. It retails for $40, but right now Amazon.com has it for $24.