Wednesday's Cookbook: Cook's Illustrated

The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

by Cooks' Illustrated magazine
I've always wanted to visit America's Test Kitchen, the massive cooking gallery in Brookline, Mass, and the publisher of Cook's Illustrated magazine. My mom introduced me to this bimonthly publication and its no-nonsense approach to recipes and cooking.
I particularly love the tips, like best ingredient substitutions, the right way to marinate meat, or how to freeze garlic.
After 20 years, America's Test Kitchen has gathered its best tips, recommendations, and 2,000 recipes for its first cookbook, aptly titled Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.
Guaranteeing "foolproof cooking," the cookbook is organized in my favorite way: with each meat, each type of dessert, and each grain in its own chapter. I never thought cakes should be in the same group with pies. They are two very different things.
Recipes include the Brined Thanksgiving Turkey that started a nationwide trend, and the Foolproof Pie Dough that includes a shot of vodka.
If you're a fan of the magazine, this cookbook gathers the very best of what that publication does. If you've never seen it, I promise you'll want a subscription after you go through the book.
For step-by-step cooking videos, rankings of kitchen equipment, and taste tests of ingredients, be sure to see the America's Test Kitchen website (click here). (2011 - America's Test Kitchen)