100 Recipes: America’s Test Kitchen

Built around lists, this cookbook is designed to give the chef the quickest and easiest cooking experience. Alongside lists such as “the top 5 recipes to make with kids” and “the top 5 recipes to make for the holidays,” there are plenty of helpful hints and tricks that can be used to make thousands more recipes. American basics include macaroni and cheese, barbecued pulled chicken, and creamy cauliflower soup. For a global flavor, the editors include Peruvian roast chicken; Vietnamese beef pho; and Indian curry with potatoes, cauliflower, peas, and chickpeas. While the book’s selling point is its simplicity, that is also its downfall. This is a great starter cookbook for someone who’s new to cooking and understanding food, but for the America’s Test Kitchen core audience of dedicated amateur chefs, it’s mostly a recap of familiar information on food, flavor, and the techniques necessary to wed the two. (Oct.)