Books about Best cook from Amazon.com

Flagship book of award-winning series with more than 1000 pages and 800 illustrations Would you make 38 versions of creme caramel to find the absolute best version? The editors of Cook's Illustrated did. Along with 20 versions of simple recipes such as coleslaw. Now fully revised and expanded this new edition offers more than 1000 recipes for all your favourite dishes from roast chicken and macaroni cheese to creme caramel and chocolate chip cookies. There are also expanded tutorials on grilling, baking, stir frying and much more. This is the ultimate cooking resource for novice and experienced cooks alike..
Price: $22.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

300 Fast and Flavorful Recipes from America’s Most Trusted Test Kitchen

Tired of quick recipes that aren’t really quick or don’t taste very good? While some cookbooks promise 30-minute meals, America’s Test Kitchen delivers. The Best 30-Minute Recipe is packed with more than 300 great-tasting recipes, along with time-saving techniques that will help you become more efficient in the kitchen. You’ll also find honest evaluations of ingredients important to quick cooking, such as chicken broth, preshredded cheese, instant rice, and more. And because the type of equipment you use is important to the success of any recipe—made in 30 minutes or not—we tell you which brands are worth buying.

The Best 30-Minute Recipe features a surprisingly wide range of recipes. You get not only the very best versions of naturally quick dishes like salads and stir-fries, but also quick and easy recipes for typically long-cooking dishes that you’d never even think of making on a weeknight—including meatloaf, lasagna, beef pot pie, and a pad thai so easy that you may never call for takeout again. With efficiency and good taste, The Best 30-Minute Recipe is the time-pressed cook’s guide to getting dinner on the table, night after night..
Price: $16.29 [Notify me when price goes down.]

There's only one book that brings the best of the nearly 1,000 recipes we develop each year directly to America's Test Kitchen fans. The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2009 is a virtual yearbook of the most interesting work produced by the kitchen, pulled together from every corner of our company: Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, our bi-monthly special interest publications, our best-selling cookbooks, and our award winning public television shows. Each test cook's voice comes through clearly in the first-person narratives that accompany each master recipe providing an intimate peek into our testing process.
This year's collection of more than 200 recipes includes: Southern-Style Skillet Cornbread (from Cook's Country), Lasagna di Carnivale (The Best International Recipe), and Apricot Almond Bundt Cake (The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book).
Notes from the Test Kitchen accompany each recipe where we keep the home cook on the right path - from ingredient and equipment particulars to techniques. We've also created a substantial resource section, complete with six in-depth two-page spreads from Cook's Illustrated magazine featuring how-to guides like Mastering the Art of Stew; and Stocking a Baking Pantry. This major section also features the year's best quick tips, as well as the testings and tastings from both Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines.
This popular yearbook has become a holiday favorite for cooking enthusiasts across the country..
Price: $18.10 [Notify me when price goes down.]

What if we told you that recipes don't have to be fast to be simple? That cooking methods like stewing, braising, and roasting can actually be fuss-free? The Best Slow & Easy Recipes gives you more than 250 recipes that show you why building flavor slower is sometimes better - and easier. The appeal of cooking food slowly is undeniable; a moderate oven temperature and extended cooking time can build rich, concentrated flavor and yield tender, juicy meat. But when most of us think of dishes that are slow cooking by nature - such as roasts, braises, and stews - we think of an all-day affair requiring constant attention, something to prepare for a special occasion or when you can commit a full day to the task. But in fact, in many cases just the opposite is true. These dishes are, for the most part, easy - although they take time, the process is largely unattended, leaving you free to simply walk away. You'll find all the classic slow-cooked dishes here - dishes where time, slow simmering, and gentle heat work their magic - from Prime Rib and Classic Beef Chili to Smothered Pork Chops and Cassoulet. But we also introduce to you some new favorites such as Carnitas, the Mexican version of pulled pork (a slow braise renders the pieces of pork rich and tender, while a quick broil at the end creates an irresistibly crisp, caramelized exterior) and Braised Chicken with Almonds and Pine Nuts (a boldly-flavored Spanish dish thickened with a picada - a mixture of ground almonds, pine nuts, parsley, and saffron). And we didn't forget to make use of the slow cooker; sure, you already know you can make all kinds of stews and chilis in this convenient piece of equipment, but we've discovered it's also great for making Homemade Chicken Broth or Meatballs in Marinara (a quick stint in the microwave rids the meatballs of excess fat without creating a tough exterior). Want to know one of the easiest, most foolproof ways to cook fish? Simply throw it in a pot with some lightly sautéed aromatics and put it in the oven. Our Salmon en Cocotte with Leeks and White Wine might take a little longer to cook than fish cooked another way, but it's hands-free time as the low, gentle heat of the oven and covered pot concentrate the flavors and keep the fish moist - say goodbye to dried-out fish forever.
Sometimes a novel approach is required to make a slow recipe easier. What do you do when you want barbecued ribs in the middle of winter? Move the process indoors - your oven, a baking stone, and some tea leaves are all you need to get long-cooked, smoky flavor any time of year (and eliminate constant monitoring in the process). How do you ensure foolproof results for finicky side dishes such as polenta, risotto, and rice? Cook them in the oven - our baked versions provide gentle heat that is much more reliable and consistent than classic stovetop versions. And they're easier too - you'll be surprised to find that our Baked Risotto requires no stirring once it goes in the oven.
We'll also show you how to apply slow cooking techniques to vegetables and fruit, creating new and unexpected flavors and textures in the process. Slow-Braised Carrots take an hour to cook but the simple approach (simmering them in butter and water and then browning them at the end) gives you the sweetest, creamiest, most flavorful carrots we've ever tasted. Don't know what to do with less-than-perfect tomatoes? Slow-roast them to concentrate their sweet flavor and draw out their juices (they make a great side dish or you can use them as part of a salsa or sauce). Slow cooking isn't just uncomplicated cooking - it can be economical and convenient too. With The Best Slow & Easy Recipes, we'll bring you back to the simple art of slow cooking. We promise it's worth the wait..
Price: $22.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In its many publications and on TV, Cook's Illustrated/America’s Test Kitchen offers exhaustively tested "best" recipes, tips, and product evaluations. Among its cookbooks, The Best Make-Ahead Recipe offers over 300 formulas that can be prepared in advance, held, and finished later. The recipes range widely from pre-prepared oven-ready dishes like Baked Fish Provençal; "double-duty" recipes, such as Mexican-Style Pork and Chorizo Stew, that use leftovers imaginatively; slow-cooker items like Tuscan white bean soup; and desserts, such as a chocolate soufflé that can go from freezer to oven successfully. In addition, the fully illustrated book offers helpful charts like How to Reheat, which provides advice according to portion size and heating method; special-occasion menus that can be started up to a month ahead; and discerning product and equipment advice.

As with other Cook's Illustrated projects, Make-Ahead includes recipes that have appeared previously in its other works, though a majority of these have been amended with make-ahead or scaling-up data. Almost all the recipes are prefaced with their trademark testing "diaries," exhaustively detailed accounts of the recipe-making process ("With the onion shells figured out, we focused next on the filling...," gives the flavor), which some readers will find enlightening, but others will think excessive. Of course, certain recipes, or recipe classes, like that for desserts, are necessarily made wholly or partially in advance--but the book's point is to provide formulas designed to yield superior results even when the uncompleted dishes are held, as most can be, in the refrigerator or freezer. Mission accomplished. Readers will find the book a consistently reliable resource for superior make-ahead dishes for everyday and special-occasion cooking. --Arthur Boehm.
Price: $19.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Mark Bittman’s New York Times column, “The Minimalist,” is one of the most frequently clipped parts of the paper’s Dining section. For Bittman’s millions of fans who regularly pore over their clippings, here is reason to rejoice: A host of Bittman’s wonderfully delicious and easy recipes, 350 in all, are now available in a single paperback.
In sections that cover everything from appetizers, soups, and sauces to meats, vegetables, side dishes, and desserts, Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times showcases the elegant and flexible cooking style for which Bittman is famous, as well as his deep appreciation for fresh ingredients prepared with minimal fuss. Readers will find tantalizing recipes from all over, each requiring little more than basic techniques and a handful of ingredients. Cold Tomato Soup with Rosemary, Parmesan Cups with Orzo Risotto, Slow-Cooked Ribs, Pumpkin Panna Cotta—the dishes here are perfect for simple weeknight family meals or stress-free entertaining.
Certain to appeal to anyone—from novices to experienced cooks—who wants to whip up a sophisticated and delicious meal easily, this is a collection to savor, and one destined to become a kitchen classic.

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Price: $10.13 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Let’s face it. In America’s Test Kitchen our goal has always been clear: develop the best recipe possible. Only rarely have we stopped to consider the fat or calorie content of the food we make …until now.

The Best Light Recipe is different. In response to the increasing interest from our readers to shed the same obsessive attention the right ingredients and techniques for the guaranteed foolproof recipe for lighter foods, we are pleased to offer more than 300 guaranteed foolproof full-flavored, lower fat and reduced-calorie recipes, 95% of which are completely new! Each recipe lists calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber and sodium per serving to help you cook smart.

From chunky guacamole to brownies, from macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and spaghetti and meatballs to blueberry muffins and even chocolate cake and cheesecake, we tested and retested our favorite recipes until we arrived at the best recipes that cut calories and fat without sacrificing flavor. We also recognized that we couldn’t do the impossible- so if we weren’t satisfied with the results in our kitchen, the recipe didn’t make it into the book. Nor did we include recipes that relied on smoke and mirrors to reduce fat and calories, like beef stew with only a forkful of beef or cookies the size of quarters.

The Best Light Recipe, packed with more than 100 illustrations and 16 pages of full-color photos, also includes naturally healthy recipes tweaked to be even lighter and healthier, like gazpacho, poached salmon, stir-fry chicken, grilled tuna burgers, and pan-roasted asparagus. And the healthy techniques you’ll learn, including using milk and cornstarch instead of cream and butter to make a simple pan sauce (trust us, it really works), or reserving the good olive oil to lightly drizzle on your pasta before serving (when you use less and get the most flavor), will last over a lifetime of healthy cooking.

The Best Light Recipe also features objective equipment ratings and ingredient tastings, from the best muffin tin and Dutch oven to the best soy sauce and chicken broth, as well as illustrated tips and techniques, from slicing flank steak for stir fries, to creating the best deep-fried crust without actually frying. In short, it is your essential guide to lighter, great-tasting recipes that deliver every time..
Price: $10.80 [Notify me when price goes down.]

What’s the secret to great chicken stock? Which cut of meat makes the best beef stew? What’s the best way to thicken New England clam chowder? Do you really need to soak black beans before making soup?

In an exhaustive effort to answer these and many more questions, the test kitchen simmered more than 6,000 pots of soup and stew. The result is this definitive collection of more than 200 recipes covering just about every soup and stew imaginable. Choose from perennial favorites such as Manhattan clam chowder, cream of tomato soup, Cincinnati chili, and beef barley soup or international recipes such as hot-and-sour soup, borscht, and miso soup.

The Best Soups and Stews also contains 200 illustrations that show you how to cut up a chicken, defat stock, shape matzo balls, mince ginger, and much more. No-nonsense equipment ratings and taste tests of supermarket ingredients are also included. Find out which supermarket chicken broth received our highest rating, which blender turns out the smoothest pureed soups, and which pot is best for making stews. With this book at your side, we guarantee that you will never turn out a bland pot of soup or a greasy stew with tough stringy meat—in fact, cooking favorite and new recipes will be easy and foolproof.

What separates great corn chowder from the pack?

For deep corn flavor, grate ears of corn to create a thick pulp bursting with fresh corn flavor, then add whole kernels at the last minute. And for richness and smoky flavor, sauté salt pork and leave it in the chowder as it simmers.

What is the secret to rich-tasting beef stew?

First, use beef chuck and cut your own stew meat (for consistency of texture and flavor); then skip the flouring step—floured meat gives stew a weak, less beefy flavor. And for the perfect texture overall, cook the stew in the oven after browning the meat and add the vegetables in stages.

How do you make the ultimate French Onion soup?

The best French onion soup starts with caramelized red onions (they have the most intense sweetness and complexity of flavor) and two types of broth—chicken and beef broth. And for the perfect cheesy crust, use Asiago for flavor and Swiss for meltability.

How do you make great chicken cacciatore?

Start with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs for the deepest flavor, then discard the skin after the initial sauté to prevent the stew from becoming greasy. Add portobellos for earthy flavor and build a robust sauce with red wine and a Parmesan rind..
Price: $13.57 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Best of the Best from the Last Decade

Acclaimed by the critics, The Best American Recipes series has long been the universal choice of home cooks and professional chefs as the one infallible source of the year's most dazzling recipes.

Now in The 150 Best American Recipes, two of the food world's most respected professionals pull out all the stops to create the ultimate resource: a can't-live-without-it collection of the most exciting recipes of the last decade. Out of literally tens of thousands of recipes that have appeared in print -- in cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and even in flyers and on the Internet -- from the deservedly famous to the wonderfully obscure, from top-flight chefs to unknown but gifted cooks -- they chose the most distinctive. Then came the key step: extensive testing in their own kitchens. If the dish wasn't spectacular, it didn't make the cut. Finally, they pitted their favorites against one another and chose the winners: the very best of the best.

In The 150 Best American Recipes, you'll find:

Scores of brilliantly simple dishes that are sensationally delicious.

The best recipes from the great chefs and cooks of the era, including Jamie Oliver, Thomas Keller, Judy Rodgers, and Alice Waters.

Miraculously quick, remarkable everyday dishes that you'll want to make countless times and share with your friends.

Holiday dishes that are certain to become instant traditions in your family.

Valuable tips and techniques to make all your cooking easier..
Price: $9.30 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Betty Crocker Cooking Basics, Second Edition is the only cookbook you need to help you begin cooking with confidence, even if you barely know how to boil water. Fully updated to include 112 simple and tasty favorites like guacamole, meatloaf, and strawberry shortcake, the second edition of this comprehensive cooking guide even includes how-to photos for every recipe, advice on kitchen equipment, a reference to cooking terms, food storage tips, and cooking times and nutrition information. With game plans for special events like Thanksgiving Dinner, you will never go hungry!.
Price: $15.85 [Notify me when price goes down.]