The Best Recipe
Encyclopedia
The Best Recipe is a series of cookbook
s produced and published by Cook's Illustrated
magazine based on both content from the magazine as well as original content created for the books. The titular first book in the series was published in 1999 in conjunction with the first season of the America's Test Kitchen
television show and claimed 700 recipes; it was followed by many others, each with a different subject emphasis. The flagship book was revised and republished in 2004 as The New Best Recipe (ISBN 0936184744), and paperback reprints of older books (often with changed titles) began in 2006.
television show; these features do not appear in later books.
Unlike series such as Foods of the World
with a more encyclopedic format, the Best Recipe series is published as self-contained books providing broad coverage of a specific subject. As a result, recipes are often duplicated between books (for example, identical recipes for American-style cornbread
appear in at least three different volumes, and chicken tikka masala
in at least two), a controversial approach that has led many reviewers to complain of editorial laziness or reduced value.
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
s produced and published by Cook's Illustrated
Cook's Illustrated
Cook's Illustrated is an American cooking magazine published by America's Test Kitchen in Brookline, Massachusetts, every two months. It accepts no advertising and is characterized by extensive recipe testing and detailed instructions; the magazine also conducts thorough evaluations of kitchen...
magazine based on both content from the magazine as well as original content created for the books. The titular first book in the series was published in 1999 in conjunction with the first season of the America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen is a half-hour cooking show distributed to public television stations in the United States, also airing in Canada...
television show and claimed 700 recipes; it was followed by many others, each with a different subject emphasis. The flagship book was revised and republished in 2004 as The New Best Recipe (ISBN 0936184744), and paperback reprints of older books (often with changed titles) began in 2006.
Content
The books follow a format roughly similar to the magazines, with each recipe introduced by a fairly lengthy commentary on how the editors developed the recipe and various issues of kitchen science involved in perfecting it. Sidebars include equipment and ingredient evaluations, as well as illustrations of specific techniques; most volumes also contain a series of color plates illustrating finished dishes. The original The Best Recipe also contained a short section of miscellaneous recipes as well as a description of recipes tied into the first season of the America's Test KitchenAmerica's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen is a half-hour cooking show distributed to public television stations in the United States, also airing in Canada...
television show; these features do not appear in later books.
Unlike series such as Foods of the World
Foods of the World
Foods of the World was a popular series of 27 cookbooks published by Time-Life, beginning in 1968 and extending through the early 1970s, that provided a broad survey of many of the world's major cuisines...
with a more encyclopedic format, the Best Recipe series is published as self-contained books providing broad coverage of a specific subject. As a result, recipes are often duplicated between books (for example, identical recipes for American-style cornbread
Cornbread
Cornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal and leavened by baking powder.-History:Native Americans were using ground corn for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the New World...
appear in at least three different volumes, and chicken tikka masala
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a curry dish of roasted chicken chunks in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured...
in at least two), a controversial approach that has led many reviewers to complain of editorial laziness or reduced value.
Subjects
The Best Recipe books cover numerous genres:- Convenience cookingConvenience cookingConvenience cooking is the practice of streamlining recipes for simplicity and speed of preparation. It is a common practice in Western cultures, where both men and women work outside the home and elaborate meals are difficult if not impossible to pull off given the usual time constraints...
-- The Quick Recipe, The Best Make-Ahead Recipe, The Best 30 Minute Recipe - Cooking techniques -- Baking Illustrated, Cover and Bake
- Ingredients -- The Best Meat Recipe, The Best Chicken Recipe, Perfect Vegetables
- Categories of dishes -- Soups and Stews, Grilling and Barbecue
- Ethnic and specialized -- Italian Classics, American Classics, The Best International Recipe, Restaurant Favorites at Home, The Best Light Recipe