What Good Cooks Know

August 1, 2016
It is not hyperbole to say that this “field guide to your kitchen,” from the editors of America’s Test Kitchen, has everything including the kitchen sink. Wedged between instructions on disinfecting sponges and storing raw meat on lower shelves of the fridge is a hint on sanitizing the sink with a bit of bleach. And all that appears on just one half of a single page. Marrying their testing credentials with the desire to explain every facet of cooking and cookery, the authors go far and wide: recommendations for finding the best chef’s knife, a chart covering 11 types of dried fruit, a step-by-step guide to frosting a layer cake. The appendices alone take up 65 pages, revealing the proper boiling time for asparagus as well as what to look for when buying a vacuum robot. There is an amusing spread on gadgets to avoid, such as banana hangers, and fans of ATK’s TV show will enjoy the in-depth, behind-the-scenes looks at how various foods are taste-tested. A revealing section on what it takes to be a test cook explains that to join the staff, one must be equally skilled with knife and pen. Gilding the lily, there are some 50 recipes, mostly Americana classics such as fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, and deep-dish apple pie.

October 1, 2016
There are a lot of wonderful chefs and cookbook authors, but the institution America's Test Kitchen (responsible for the PBS television show of the same name and the magazines, Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country) may be the most recognized and respected recipe developer of our time. Its secret is the continuous testing and tweaking that the cooks at ATK do, and their very best hints and techniques from the past 20 years are gathered in this reference. Basic advice is found in Outfitting Your Kitchen and Stocking Your Fridge and Pantry, while In the Kitchen and at the Stove covers food safety, prep, and techniques. The book finishes with a collection of ATK's most famous recipes, from main dishes to baked goods, and a selection of charts and equipment recommendations (which will, unfortunately, date this edition). The popularity of ATK titles and the expert advice within them make this an essential selection for public libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)