Estate Sale Finds - Elder Road #4 ~ Another Cooks Illustrated: The Best Recipe

The New Best Recipe, published in  1999. A massive book from Cooks Illustrated magazine containing 574 pages packed with incredibly detailed information on all aspects of cooking. There are 200 illustrations and 700 editor's picks recipes  from the magazine dating from 1993 through 1999. The book is a companion piece to the PBS cooking series "America's Test Kitchen".

In each of the 21 chapters, there is usually a master recipe followed by a few variations, plus short essays or notes on ingredients, equipment and techniques for the dishes discussed in the chapter. The book starts with Soups, with a master recipe for several stocks, notes on lemon grass & dried rice noodles (for the Asian soups) plus a handy chart depicting a multitude of vegetable options for making Minestrone. Salads are next with several choices for leafy salads, coleslaw, potato salad, bread salads, plus Tabbouleh as well as the usual egg, tuna, chicken and cucumber. There are notes on oils and vinegar with master recipes for mayonnaise and vinaigrette.

Vegetables take on broccoli rabe, Brussel sprouts, leeks and fennel in addition to the usual suspects. There is a short essay on knives in this chapter. Beans & Grains contains recipes for risotto, spoon bread, lentils and black beans, with essays on white rice and rice cookers. Poultry offers recipes for  chicken roasts, breasts, cutlets, wings, pot pie, fried and dumplings with essays on how to cut up a chicken, using a roasting rack and how to butterfly a chicken. There are also recipes for Cornish hens, turkey, duck and goose, plus gravy, stuffing and accompanying sauces, salsas and relishes.

In Beef there is an illustrated chart depicting the 8 prime cuts of a cow with recipes for steaks, fajitas, tenderloin, prime rib, briskets, burgers and meat loaf. A short treatise on roast beef offers information on different cuts available. Pork offers a chart with the 4 prime cuts of the pig and dishes that include chops, tenderloin, roasts, ham, ribs and bacon. Moving onto the next topic, Lamb has a 5 prime cuts chart plus recipes for chops, rack of lamb, shanks, roast leg of lamb, plus a few rubs and sauces. There is a whole page illustration on how to bone a leg of lamb. Grilling & Barbecue has a master recipe for marinade plus a few sauces, rubs and pastes. There are short articles on both charcoal and gas grills.

Stews features chili and curries plus dishes made with meat, fish, chicken and seafood. For Fish & Shellfish a few methods for preparation include grilling, pan seared, steamed and pan fried. There are are recipes for shrimp cocktail, clams, mussels, lobster and my favorite - soft shell crab. Pizza, Focaccia & Bruschetta  offers master recipes for both a thin and thick crust dough plus a recipe for grilled pizza.

Yeast Breads gives us short essays on equipment ~ the stand up mixer, the food processor ~ and recipes for Amish sandwich bread, wheat, rustic country, cinnamon swirl, rye and bagels.Muffins, Biscuits & Quick Breads follows with master recipes for scones, pop overs, corn and soda bread, plus recipes for pancakes, waffles and French toast. Eggs delves into quiche and fritattas, while Cookies, Brownies & bars offers the usual choices, plus biscotti and a rolled butter dough with a dozen variations with matching glazes.

Cakes starts with angel food, then moves onto chiffon, sponge, pound, flour less chocolate and fruit upside cakes with many variations. Of course the basics are also covered with master recipes for white, yellow and chocolate cakes. A helpful illustration on frosting a cake is also featured. In Pies & Tarts, there is an illustration on making a lattice top and recipes for apple, pumpkin, pecan, lemon meringue, key lime and a few options using summer fruit. Crisps, Cobblers & Other Fruit Desserts has variations on the Brown Betty, topping options for the cobblers, plus recipes for shortcakes, baked apples and poached fruit. For the final recipe chapter, Puddings, Custards & Soufflé there are master recipes for chocolate pudding plus bread, rice and summer puddings, creme brulee and  creme caramel. Lastly, there is a TV program guide with the recipe title and page location for each episode.