Awesome Cookbook

This weekend we picked up this beast, compiled by the fine folks at America's Test Kitchen.

I really dig this cookbook. It concentrates on practical cooking and has full color illustrations of various techniques. I love how it offers basic recipes, then suggests variations. For example, there is a simple muffin recipe. This is followed by a list of neat options, like orange cranberry, lemon poppyseed, etc.

Another example: a basic pork chop saute, followed by a list of various pan sauces that work well with pork. We tried this last night with great success, making a delicious sage butter sauce.

Flipping through this cookbook is quite inspiring. Everything is laid out neatly, all the recipes focus on simple easy steps, with explanations for ingredients and test results from their kitchen. There are lots of unique ideas and handy tricks. By far the best cookbook I've ever encountered. We're looking forward to using lots of these recipes!