Product Description

Step into our test kitchen and learn how to make truly great American food. Want to know how to keep lemon meringue pie from weeping or which type of chocolate makes the best pudding? Want to capture the flavors of a real clambake on top of the stove? To find the answers to these and hundreds more questions, we made 28 lemon meringue pies, chopped our way through pounds of chocolate, and steamed enough clams to feed a small town. In addition, we’ve included more than 200 illustrations plus no-nonsense equipment ratings and taste tests of supermarket ingredients.

The Best American Classics features more than 300 recipes that cover the wide range of American cooking. Choose from favorite regional dishes such as Chicago deep-dish pizza, New Orleans’ legendary red beans and rice, or New York cheesecake. Or select beloved family fare like chicken pot pie, glazed meatloaf, and green bean casserole. Restaurant classics are here as well, from Parker House rolls and Waldorf salad to bananas foster. The Best American Classics celebrates the breadth of our cuisine with foolproof recipes that will stand the test of time.

Real Boston Baked Beans that are worth the wait

If you want to make Boston baked beans that are a cut above the tourist variety, you’ll need salt pork and bacon for authentic smoky flavor. And for best results, bake the beans for five hours, leaving the cover off the pot during the final hour to thicken the sauce to just the right consistency.

Stovetop Mac ’n Cheese that’s Silky Not Sticky

This all-around family favorite appears in more guises than just about any other comfort food on the planet. But the best recipe, we found, is made on the stovetop (not baked) and uses evaporated milk in the sauce (not a fussy béchamel).

All-American Meatloaf that’s Crusty and Glazed Not Soggy

For the best meatloaf, use a mix of meats (beef, pork, and veal). Then, select the right binders: cracker crumbs and breadcrumbs don’t mask the flavor of the meat. Lastly, bake the loaf free-form (so it doesn’t get soggy) and give it a double dose of glaze.

Strawberry Shortcake That Tastes as Good as it Looks

For a juicy filling that stays put between the biscuits, choose the ripest berries and then mash some of them into a chunky sauce and slice the rest. Left to sit with a little sugar, the mixture macerates, making a thick filling that soaks into the tender, easy-to-make biscuits.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #158295 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 421 pages

Customer Reviews

Good, but not complete.
I love the recipes in this book, but I feel a little scammed into buying this "specialty" cookbook that includes limited recipes. Their full version is only a few dollars more, but you get every recipe under the sun, and now I wish I had purchased that one instead.

I do use this book often, not only for the recipes but for the tidbits about cooking. I've learned a lot more about how recipes work, and that has helped me "wing" a few recipes when needed.

It's a great concept, but don't be fooled by these incomplete versions of America's Test Kitchen's recipes. Buy the full cookbook and then never buy one again!

A recipe for your heart, soul, and mind....
I am one of those cooks that has never had any formal training (beyond my mother/grandmother). By using this book, I have been able to appreciate the fine taste of American authentic food today. The authors really did their homework with these recipes to form the best recipe classic in the year 2006. I have tried 30+ receipes from this cookbook and all were a hit with my family and friends. I am so comfortable with the quality of the recipes that I even use first time recipes on guests! The book have taught me how make homemade chicken soup and the technique for making an excellent base. This lets me experiment and expand on the ingredients that I like -- so that I can build my "perfect" recipe.

This is an excellent book for any aspiring home cook. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone to buy this book, whether you like to cook or not. Because once I got started with this book, I can't stop cooking!! :D

Not unlike reading a diner
Cooks Illustrated has seen fit to republish some of their older Best Recipe books in paperback form, with a few updates here and there. This is the paperback version of "American Classics", with a slightly different title.

This book is essentially the ultimate go-to book on the subject of American comfort food. While there are a few regionalisms (lobster rolls, fried green tomatoes), by and large the subject of the book is food that is common to most Americans. The downside -- not a lot of ethnic flavor. The upside -- all the comfort foods your mother warned you about. Macaroni and cheese (very similar to Alton Brown's recipe actually), quick breads, stuffed peppers, meatloaf -- if it's been a blue plate special, it's here.

It is true that there's a fair amount of redundancy between CI books, but I think that's largely a function of making sure each book can stand on its own. In that regard, I don't think it's such a bad thing. I will say this however -- redundant or not, CI books can get very expensive. If you don't already have the hardcover version, grab this and use the money you save towards one of the TV cookbooks.