Yet another reason to love America's Test Kitchen
593176
Love the sugar cookies, so soft and chewy. Yes, you do need some specific GF ingredients, but well worth the investment for happy family members.
352707
I have been a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen for years. Their recipes and reviews are spot-on. Newly diagnosed with celiac, I have been struggling to find tasty recipes that my family will also enjoy (who wants to cook double meals?). I've also yearned to have the background to try to adapt some of my old favorites to GF. This book does it all! It offers the perfect mix of glorious color pictures, science/theory, and step-by-step instructions for ALL types of yummy foods for all occasions. This is a winner that never gets put away. I also appreciate the substitutions for the most common commercial flour mixes, with the anticipated outcomes for each. (However, their recipe for all-purpose basic flour blend is easy, stores well in the refrigerator, and costs a fraction of the store-bought versions.) Really a brilliant book, highly recommend!
3985743
America's Test Kitchen got it (very) right on the second try.  The first volume didn't seem to be as good.  Bypass that one, because the recipes in this one really work.
1512660
Love this show. Love the cast--even Chris (nerds rule!). This book may be the most comprehensive home cooking cookbook I've ever seen--and I have five shelves full of cookbooks and am a chef school graduate with 20 years experience in the hospitality business. Their testing and re-testing has produced a comprehensive selection of great recipes--and the price makes this book a must-have!!!
92519
With their usual meticulous attention to detail, America's Test Kitchen editors offer their take on dozens of common and gourmet items. Sure you can find many of these in other cookbooks, but the intense analysis and rationale behind the recipes marks this as well as their other offerings a worthwhile edition for your cookbook shelf. Unusual recipes include  IPA, sriricha (Thai hot sauce) chocolate hazelnut spread, root beer and Thin Mints that is a good approximation of the taste and texture of the Girl Scout favorite
1331830
Clara Edwards Johnson's recipe earned her another ribbon for award- winning pickles. Aunt Bee has her "Kerosene Cucumbers" (albeit now edible) in this collection of culinary and show quotes cookbook. I have had a fine time reading this cookbook and enjoying it as much as a highly recommended novel. Eventually, I will hit the kitchen and prepare the delectable dishes and desserts. For the time being, I find myself immersed in the memorable nuggets from many of the show's episodes. I am laughing with glee and relishing insider information about the citizens who inhabited Mayberry. Authors Ken Beck, Jim Clark,, and the recipe editor Julia M. Pitkin have a little gem of a cookbook here...not only for what you can concoct and eat, but for what feeds your soul--memories of The Andy Griffith Show and why it is so beloved today. Even if you don't know a saucepan from a sommelier, you will want this cookbook in your library.
2725090
The great thing about Americas Test Kitchen is that they only publish recipes after numerous testings perfecting what they believe to be the best way to achieve optimal flavor and technique. This book of vegetable recipes is continued example of the comprehensive recipes ATK publishes. I also own a 2008 best of recipe book from ATK and the vegetable book is a good companion. If you're a fan of the ATK programs on PBS it's a no brainer to pick up some of their other publications. Whether it's a book like this one, their magazines, or access to their website, it's worth looking into. Give it a try. Enjoy.
479254
We found ourselves unsure about preparation of several dishes we wanted to prepare for guests. So I ordered America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook which is a very substantial volume with recipes that have been prepared by cooks who not only excel in testing flavors, but also in their knowledge of the chemistry of the cooking process. Our first Test Kitchen dish was a roasted pork shoulder and it was a complete success. Look for Flan under "Crme Caramel" and don't forget that the recipes from 2013 and 2014 TV programs are hidden in the back of the book. (I made an index to the recipes in the 2013-2014 section and would be willing to e-mail a pdf of it to any who request it through Amazon questions.)
Each recipe comes with clear instructions as well as the rationale for the decisions that were made as the recipes were tested until they were perfected. The Test Kitchen people emphasize simplifying procedures whenever the cooking results justify it. This is a great compilation of both simple and elaborate dishes.
1584827
The recipes in this book are the treasured kind of American home cooking you find in regional church cookbooks. (Artichoke chicken, fried pickles, chikin'n'dumplins, chicken-fried beef tips.) Note; not diet food. But these are great for covered-dish events or when nothing but "mommy-food" will soothe your jagged nerves.

The humor is genuine, the anecdotes are fun (my fave, using horse corn to make creamed corn.)

This book could be your secret recipe horde to impress the potluck crowd.
4608692
America's Test Kitchen is right. These are great and their number one choice.
1417108
This was rated best by Adam Ried on a recent episode of Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen).  My wife was impressed by that.  Bought two.  Recommend w/out reservation.
2179870
I don't often say Yes when an author, publisher, or PR company asks me to review a book, but I couldn't resist it this time. I've become a&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mad-Men/dp/B000YABIQ6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mad Men</a>&nbsp;fan to a rather silly degree, perhaps because I grew up in New York during the 1960s so the background is extremely real to me. When I was offered the Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook (which I'll abbreviate here as the UMMC) -- described as "over 70 recipes inspired by the kitchens, bars, and restaurants seen on Mad Men" -- I figured that it might be a fun romp in the TV show's setting. Which it is. But to my happy surprise, this is a good cookbook even if you never watched single episode.

The UMMC is essentially a "retro" cookbook, bringing us back to the cooking and recipes of the early 1960s, which for some of us is a certain kind of comfort food: an era of upside-down pineapple cakes and Swedish meatballs and rumaki. Every recipe is presented in the context of a specific episode (the chocolate cake Sally makes for the dinner served in "Red in the Face," Season 1 Episode 7, when Don brings home Roger for dinner without warning Betty), and then some history about the dish (okay, less so about cocoa fudge cake, but the book discusses when Mai Tais came to be for instance), and then a 1960s-vintage recipe (this cake is adapted from the Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cookbook from 1965). Some are "home cooking," like turkey tetrazzini; others are food eaten or mentioned at the restaurants where the characters eat, such as two versions of the Waldorf salad or oysters as they'd be served at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in 1961.

It isn't all "find cool old cookbooks." The authors went to quite some lengths for authenticity, learning that the yellow drink that Pete Campbell drinks at the Beverly Hills Hotel is a Royal Hawaiian, which was fashionable in the 50s and 60s but hasn't been served for decades -- and the hotel provided the recipe. (It has rum, pineapple juice, papaya juice, Myer's dark rum, a maraschino cherry, and a slice of fresh pineapple). As you'd expect, the UMMC has a lot of cocktails, but it also has appetizers (such as a classic shrimp cocktail); salads (Carla's potato salad); main courses (Lutece Gamabas au Beurre d'Escargot, Sal's spaghetti and meatballs); and desserts and sweets. Unlike some retro cookbooks which make me glad we grew up, these are all really good recipes, or at least "really good" in the context of the 60s (which means that you think fondly of turkey tetrazzini, I guess).

If you care about the show at all, you'll enjoy the food-meets-episode reminders. Even if you don't, you'll be tempted to throw a Mad Men dinner. I know *I* am thinking of doing so!

An aside: If you like this kind of "retro" cookbook but don't want the Mad Men baggage (and if you didn't care for the show I imagine it could get tiresome) you ought to check out&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Arthur-Schwartz-s-New-York-City-Food-An-Opinionated-History-and-More-Than-100-Legendary-Recipes/dp/B0044KMQR2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes</a>, which scratches much of the same itch. Schwartz's book is more all-encompassing (such as a history of and recipes from Delmonico's, an influential restaurant that hasn't been mentioned on Mad Men), so if you want the "New York" ingredients more than "This is what mom cooked for me!" that may be a better choice.

I expected this to be a bit of fluff. To my surprise, I discovered a really nice cookbook that will spend quite a bit of time on my kitchen counter rather than on a shelf.
1135637
I absolutely love all of the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks. They really test all the recipes and experiment with techniques to make each and every recipe foolproof. They also do tastings to insure that each recipe tastes great. This book is no exception. I give it four instead of five starts because the prep time for all the recipes in this book are very lengthy. That sort of defeats the purpose of trying to prepare in the morning, put it in the slow cooker, go to work, and come home to your meal. Volume II (same title, different volume) is a "quick prep edition". I cook out of it much more often due to how much time it takes to prepare everything in this edition (volume I). But, they're both worth a purchase.
4318678
This cookbook is amazing. It really does weigh over 6.5 pounds and is 2" thick with 1062 pages, 951 are recipes including the 2016-17 section. Even though I knew it was big, the size when it arrived surprised me. I enjoy watching America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country, although I cannot seem to remember all of the ingredients and steps. It is great to have them in a book with an explanation of "why this recipe works" and detailed instructions. They also give substitutes for hard to find ingredients and state what substitutes will not work for a specific recipe. I cannot wait to get started. I think this would make a great gift too.
874608
I love all of America's Test Kitchen cookbooks! If you are a home baker who loves making different kinds of bread, this is the book for you!
4399890
I am such a HUGE fan of this show (along with America's Test Kitchen). It's a little sad to not see Christopher Kimball on the cover, but he has moved on to Milk Street. I digress. I used so many bookmarks for all the shows I had bookmarked of recipes I wanted to make. I subscribe to their magazine and their website. The reason I bought this book is so that I could have the recipes at my fingertips for when I make them. Believe me, I have made MANY of these.. from Burnt Ends (so good) to their burgers, brisket, Strawberry Dream Cake and on and on... I just know that Cook's Country recipes are fabulous.  I love that there's a photo for every single recipe and they are beautifully done in full color. This is one of my favorite "Go To" recipe source books. This weekend, I'm going to make the Peach Kuchen, since they are in full season. Next up, Kolaches. I have been longing to make these for a long time. Oh, the Cheesy grits recipe is to die for, along with the Shrimp & Grits. I made this for a dinner party, for some Southern friends and he said it was as good as it gets.
4308867
America's test kitchen agrees, this is the best.  love it.