Rating: 
Summary: THE BEST
Review: I have lots of cookbooks and love to cook, but am a young mother of 4. This is the best. ITs recipes are foolproof. I even have used it to purchase my new waffle machine. Which is awesome. You must have this cookbook and while your at it, get it for someone you know.
Rating:
Summary: So glad I got this!
Review: I have really enjoyed having this book. It is fascinating just to sit and read the articles. I've learned so much about cooking and baking just doing that. And the recipes are clear and the few I've had a chance to try so far give GREAT results. I've made wonderful roast beef, sauteed chicken breasts, and (let angels sing) delicious homemade bread in less than 2 hours. I'm very much looking forward to trying many more of these recipes, including some I've never tried, like corned beef from scratch, sponge cake, fallen chocolate cake, rice pudding, REAL snickerdoodles.... the list goes on. If you're interested in cooking and/or baking, you will love this book. It's not by any means comprehensive (most noticeably to me, the beans and grains section seems kind of sparse), but what it covers, it covers very well.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best book, but certainly some of the best recipes
Review: I gave this book a positive review in early December of last year, but I couched my thoughts with so many qualifications that I feel it may have given people the impression that this is not a worthy book.I repent. Since that review, I have made several recipes from it and I find the results to be delightful. They were as good or better than I have seen from recipes in other books. I would still warn the reader that 'Best' is a very loaded term which means different things to different chefs. See my earlier review for the details. Meanwhile, go buy this book. It is an excellent addition to a cookbook library.
Rating:
Summary: Every Kitchen should have this book!
Review: This is the best cookbook around. If I had to choose just one cookbook, this would be it. I would miss my Joy of Cooking, sure, but this book has everything you need. I have tried many recipes from this cookbook and had superb results with each one. Follow the recipes as is, or use as a reference for learning how and why. Amazing Book!
Rating:
Summary: Enquiring minds want to know
Review: I've never written one of these reviews before, but I love this book so much that I think everyone should have a copy. When I first moved out of the house, my mother bought me a copy of The Joy Of Cooking, as the epitome of the perfect all around reference cookbook. If I ever have a child, when he or she moves out, I will be giving him or her a copy of The Best Recipe instead.
Why is it so good? Because instead of just giving you directions, or a few terse instructions, they tell you
1. exactly what to do, and
2. WHY you should do it that way
There are other cookbooks that tell you step by step what to do, but i've never found one that tells you WHY. Not only do they tell you why, they tell you all the other things they tried and how that affected the recipe. Then they give you a number of variations on the recipe to try. I've tried a number of recipes from this cookbook, and they've all been good. But even better than that, by explaining why you should use certain techniques, this cookbook teaches you how to cook.
Rating:
Summary: Read it Cover to Cover!!
Review: I love Cooking Illustrated Magazine and I am also a big fan of the America's Test Kitchen on PBS. So I was thrilled to see this book, as I am obsessed with anything to do with the science of cooking. This book is so thorough, from telling you what the best flour is for each recipe and why, but also giving different taste tests for several brands and types of ingredients, and also reviews of certain types of cooking equipment. If you have ever been curious as to why you have to use baking soda in one recipe and baking powder in another, this one will answer it for you. If you have always wondered why your bread has turned out heavy and dense, you'll find out why here. If you have wanted to learn how to make ultimate chicken soup without spending half a day, GET THIS BOOK! Another thing I love about it is each recipe strives not only for maximum taste and flavor, but also for the easiest cooking method and the most accessible ingredients. You will not need a French Chef's kitchen to turn out beautiful food. So far, I have made the chicken stock, banana bread, stovetop macaroni and cheese, and the chile con carne. All have been amazing, and I am looking forward to making even more tasty dishes from this book. I have always considered myself pretty competent in the kitchen, but it's amazing how much more you can learn about different ingredients and methods.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: Already made the Roast Beef, and must say it was a professional one. Also the Corn Bread. My boyfriend said it was BETTER than his mother's Corn Bread!! And he is a good southern boy that loves his Mama's cooking first than anything in life! Plus, it is fun to learn so much as you cook. The design is very classic, clean, easy to read. Note: This book is $12 cheaper in Amazon that in the bookstore near my home.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Cookbook EVER
Review: I've never considered myself much of a cook, but this cookbook has totally transformed my life. I have cookbooks coming out of my ears and this one is, bar none, the best one I've ever used. The instructions are clear and simple--even for a novice--and the explanations behind each recipe are incredibly thorough and fascinating. If you are an expert cook, you will still learn a thing or two, and if you don't cook at all, this is the only book you'll need.
Rating:
Summary: If only they would write computer books!
Review: This is the only cookbook I've ever used where the results are exactly what the author describes. No surprises--except for how good everything is! The "secret" is not really the scientific background (although it is often interesting). Its the fact that these folks understand that good cooking, like using a computer, is not simple, not intuitive and not "user friendly". There is much that can go wrong, but not with these recipes where everything is mapped out in precise detail. Even more important, this book takes nothing for granted. The authors do not assume you know what you do not know. God bless 'em.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous reference book
Review: I've had this book for about 3 years and absolutely love it. I liked it so much I started subscribing to Cook's Illustrated magaizine and its now the only cooking magazine I bother with. Cook's goes to extreme lengths to test various methods and ingredients to find the one that is both simple and effective. A broad range of topics are covered and when I want to try something new, its the first place I look. Of course, when I want to improve an old standby, its also the first place I look.
| 
