[.ca] The Best American Recipes (ISBN 0618128107)

From Amazon.com:
Fran McCullough has done it again. As editor of the Best American Recipes series, she's consistently culled and published top yearly recipe picks from books, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Best American Recipes 2001-2002 continues this splendid tradition, presenting over 125 all-occasion formulas ranging from starters like Southern-Style Spicy Pecans to Caramelized Scallops with Smoked Chile Cream to a luscious Double-Baked Chocolate Cake. McCullough excels in choosing approachable recipes that embody the best of contemporary American cooking--sometimes inventive (see chef Michael Roberts's recipe for "crimped" fish), but always relaxed and full of flavor. These are dishes most cooks will make part of their daily repertoire. McCullough writes that 2001-2002 was notable for two remarkable culinary invasions: that of British cooks, such as Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson, and of Southeast Asian cooking, perhaps best exemplified by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's award-winning Hot Sour Salty Sweet. From the former camp, Best offers Lawson's ravishing Clementine Cake; and from the latter, the simple but savory Aromatic Lemongrass and Pork Patties. Other must-try dishes include Shrimp Braised in Olive Oil and Paula Wolfert's Quick and Easy Chicken Breasts with Fresh Mozzarella. With a "year in food" run-down (the vegetable of the year: beets), useful cook's notes, and accompanying drink suggestions, the book is the latest in a valuable and discriminating series. --Arthur Boehm

Great recipes:
Now that I have gone through this cookbook, I need to go back and find the similar recipe books McCullough has done for the last four years. If this one is any indication, I predict that I will think I died and went to heaven. I cannot wait to try some of the recipes that I earmarked in this book--including some unusual soups, the Garlicky Sun-Dried Tomato Spread (looks good AND easy!), a salad made with prosciutto and sugar snap peas, an Italian beef stew, and more desserts than I have any right to want to taste! I especially liked the conversational tone of the book, the way the recipes are introduced and the tips that accompany them. It's kind of quirky, and I liked that!

Great Techniques -- Great Recipes:
I am one of those cooks that has never had any formal training (beyond my mother/grandmother) -- so I appreciate the teaching and conversation beyond the recipe. For example, the book details 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. The recipes have all turned out well and at the same time, have taught me a lot about cooking. This is an excellent book for an aspiring home cook.

Collection from multiple sources of Great Recipes:
Here is what some of us do--collect recipes from all kinds of varying sources, sorted through and published in book form. Tried few recipes thus far, and each lives up to rating: Scallop and Corn Chowder, unique Ricotta Hot Cakes with Honeycomb butter, Port-and-Black-Currant Glazed Chicken Thighs,Roasted Potatoes with Garlic,Lemon and Oregano. For a different closing meal treat, try "Roasted Apricots with Sugared Pecans and Dulce de Leche. It's simple and sooo sooo good! Unique--simple--- zipped up kind of cuisine, with outstanding variety of cuisines and sources--- great collection for varying levels of cook levels. Neat feature is wine offerings with each entree suggested.

Best Recipes:
This series is great. Don't be put off by the boring format. Not one recipe tried has been less than it promises. I like them so much I've bought them all.

Best Recipes for Jan 2002 - Oct 2002 ONLY!:
I own The Best American Recipes 1999 & 2000. The recipes I have tried from those books are very good (Pan Roasted Carrots & Creamed Scallions). While I had already made (and loved) some of the other recipes listed from several books in the series (because I have the cookbooks they were pulling them from), I have a huge issue with the newer publication of this seemingly successful book. How can a book claim to have the best recipes from all the varying resources for 2002 AND 2003... when it was published in October 2002?! I am noticing this in Jan of 2003, while we still have an entire year of new recipes yet to be released... and this book will clearly not have any of them. Since I cannot give this 2.5 stars (5 for the recipes and 0 for the misleading title), I opted for 3 because despite the title, it's a good book.