[.ca] Cook's Illustrated (ISBN 0936184566)

Want to be a better cook?:
Cook's Illustrated is a no-nonsense, incredibly detailed, well-written, well-researched, and fussy-about-quality-food magazine written for American home cooks and foodies, not gourmet cooks (although the food you'll end up cooking might qualify as gourmet) or food faddists. The annuals include all of the magazines for that year bound into hardcovers and handily indexed. Quick Tips showcase reader tips for everything under the sun and in the kitchen. Recipes may include everything from making a better pot roast to Indian food. Equipment reviews rank essential (and some not so essential) kitchen tools. Each recipe features a description of the process the author went through to get the master recipe, usually including any interesting food science tidbits along the way (for instance, how heat, in the instance of cooked food, may affect the protein molecules, etc.), which makes for some fascinating reading; it's not unheard of for me to read that part of the recipe out loud to admiring dinner guests at their request. "My" chicken and dumplings have been pronounced "the best ever", "my" pork roasts have been called "to die for", and "my" roast turkey is looked forward to by anyone who has ever come to my table during the holidays. I have collected each annual, eagerly looking forward to each one even if I've received the magazine on subscription, and each one makes me a better cook -- if you want to become known as a fabulous home cook, these annuals will put you ahead of the pack!

Nice:
I have about 3 different cooks illustrated cook books, only this one has a year attached to it "2001" But I have become a better cook by having them. I am leary of buying more as many reviews I've read say repitition is inevibable. I wish I knew of one of their books that had everything in it the way fanny farmers or betty crocker does, I'd buy that in a heart beat. The receipes are delicious and I haven't made a bad meal since getting the books.

Great Cookbook/Magazine:
I recently discovered Cook's Illustrated through a cookbook given to my husband and I for our wedding. It was their "Best Of.." cookbook. After trying several of their recipes with no failures, I asked for their annual magazine book for Christmas. What a find! I love reading the articles and I love the recipes. The book has all the magazines from 2001 in it, from January - December. I am currently making recipes from the Jaunary/February issue and have not been disaapointed. There is also a lot to be learned about cooking practices in this book. It's a great addition to any cook's kitchen.

Essential to anyone who cooks - (2001 annual):
If you cook, you will LOVE this. I own all of the Cook's Illustrated annuals from 1993-2001. They are the all/all of culinary knowledge. This annual has things such as 'step-by-step: six steps to perfect pizza', 'uncommon uses for common kitchen tools', 'understanding and using yeasts', 'how to choose a sauté pan', 'rating sauté pans', 'what are capers?', 'liberating trapped muffins', 'discovering fresh ham roast', 'quick, fresh sauces for asparagus', 'getting to know your refrigerator: proper storage techniques', 'really good fried rice', 'coconut layer cake', 'measuring up morsels', 'tasting supermarket extra-virgin olive oils', 'do garlic presses really work?', 'rating garlic presses', 'Jewish cooking', 'Sichuan noodles demystified', 'the ultimate crispy fried chicken', 'testing pots and pans for frying', 'tuna salad done right', 'tasting peanut butter', 'just spray it', 'the perfect cheese omelet', 'cutting board survey', 'tasting tomato juice', 'fresh fruit tarts worth eating', 'tart pans', 'tart designs', 'solving the problems of cherry cobbler', 'tasting balsamic vinegar ... , 'are all pepper mills equal?', 'measuring 101: techniques & shortcuts', 'the best blueberry muffins', 'big-name vanilla ice creams fail to sweep tasting', 'rating colanders', 'apple cake', 'drying frosted cookies', 'fishing cork crumbs out of wine bottles', 'first in, first out onions', 'homemade crescent rolls', 'the basics of brining', 'tasting red wines for cooking', 'rating inexpensive coffee grinders', 'reconsidering copper', lots of recipes, and much, much more. The Cook's Illustrated annuals are easy to read, with clear and concise information. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or more advanced, it is impossible to read these without learning something you didn't know before.