• Eat Your Books

  2000 James Beard Award Nominee

• collin_88dxf1 on May 25, 2026

  This is one of those books you’ll always be going back to. It’s a practical, no nonsense book and, as the title says, it’s the best.

• Sarah_C on January 23, 2016

  ECWH.

• Kiyah on August 07, 2010

  My most used cookbook. Chicken stock, meat stew, pizza dough, muffins, banana bread and the meatloaf recipe that turned me into a born again meatloaf believer and the brined Thanksgiving turkey recipe are some of the recipes that make me grab it off the shelf. Can't recommend it highly enough.

• NancyN on January 01, 2010

  I love anything Cook s Illustrated does

• Jane on March 19, 2009

  Great for really well tested standard recipes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Master recipe for chicken stock

  • spharo00 on March 12, 2012

    This is the most flavorful chicken broth I've made. I put half in the freezer and used the other half (along with the meat of the chicken) to make chicken and rice soup.

• Chicken noodle soup

  • spharo00 on March 12, 2012

    I substituted rice for the noodles to make chicken and rice soup. Very delicious.

• Pureed carrot soup with nutmeg

  • tomhittle on May 16, 2025

    1LMid. p. 24

• Pureed cauliflower soup with coriander

  • anya_sf on December 13, 2024

    Delicious, light soup. Easy to make. I pureed it with an immersion blender. Only needed 1/2 cup milk and actually could have omitted it as the soup was thin enough and still tasty without it.

• Balsamic vinaigrette

  • spharo00 on April 04, 2012

    Sweet and tart, not overpowering. I served this on a salad of butter lettuce, navel oranges, and toasted almonds.

• French-style potato salad with tarragon vinaigrette

  • Cheri on July 30, 2011

    Wow. This was excellent. I added diced shallots to dressing (to mellow them) and minced tarragon. When potatoes were still pretty warm, I dressed, cooled and refrigerated. Then I added a bunch of chopped celery leaves (thank you Farmers Market) about 30 minutes before serving. Also subbed tarragon vinegar for the white wine vinegar. Served with grilled skirt steak with a bit of chive compound butter and sliced heirloom tomatoes. Truly perfect. Really nice for a no-mayo potato salad.

  • jenburkholder on May 31, 2022

    Good and easy. I might decrease the oil a bit next time - adding the whole amount of vinaigrette seemed to have the right amount of flavor, but too much fat (and I am NOT a fat-phobe in my food).

• Creamy dill cucumber salad

  • peaceoutdesign on March 12, 2023

    The cucumber retains some saltiness, which I didn't really like. You can sub cilantro for the dill. This is the same recipe that is in "The Science of Good Cooking" cookbook.

• Steamed asparagus with ginger-hoisin vinaigrette

  • lorloff on April 01, 2021

    This vinaigrette was delicious. Was perfect with the asparagus. Instead of steaming the asparagus I tossed the asparagus with ½ the vinaigrette and roasted it in the oven at 450. Then served it with additional vinaigrette. Quick discharge with great taste especially with really good hoisin sauce. I ought the one recommended by Grace Young.

• Steamed broccoli with spicy balsamic dressing and black olives

  • AmyS on January 02, 2017

    Same basic recipe (with an extra mysterious 1/2 tsp salt in the steamed broccoli) is available online.

• Master recipe for quick-cooked carrots

  • tricia_0t3spw on May 03, 2026

    I’ve made these a few times and really like how easy they are and so much more flavourful than boiling.

• Browned and braised cauliflower with Indian flavors

  • anya_sf on August 06, 2018

    This was a nice, easy side dish for an Indian meal. I had to add a bit more water for the cauliflower to soften, and also a generous amount of salt to boost the flavor.

• Master recipe for boiled corn

  • spharo00 on June 20, 2012

    This is a basic recipe for boiling perfect corn. The corn tasted great and cooked quickly. This is an easy explanation for those who haven't made boiled corn before.

• Master recipe for grilled corn

  • HunyBadger on July 10, 2011

    pg 72

• Green beans with toasted walnuts and tarragon

  • anya_sf on February 04, 2021

    This is more a seasoning idea than a recipe. I boiled frozen green beans to the desired tenderness, then added the toppings, which were very tasty.

• Sautéed tender greens with Asian flavors

  • bernalgirl on November 13, 2011

    Good flavors but chard was overcooked to our tastes by the time the liquid burned off and the end result was a bit soupy. Next time I wil do the wilt with the lid ajar, and halve the sauce ingredients. I halved the sugar, it would be too sweet for us with the full amount.

• Sautéed bell peppers with red onion and balsamic vinegar

  • anya_sf on July 11, 2021

    Nice side dish. I used basil for the herb (twice as much), which complemented the other flavors.

• Twice-baked potatoes

  • jenburkholder on February 23, 2026

    I don't know that I actually need a recipe for twice-baked potatoes, but the buttermilk in here is a really good choice to add tanginess without having it be too heavy. A nice sharp English cheddar as the cheese and this went nicely with a meatloaf Sunday dinner.

• Mashed potatoes

  • susan_1jqx8g on January 18, 2026

    My go to mashed potato recipe.

• Grilled zucchini or summer squash with capers and oregano

  • peaceoutdesign on October 21, 2023

    Loved this charred on the grill and served with a steak.

  • anya_sf on June 12, 2025

    A good, simple way to dress up grilled zucchini. I used dried oregano mixed into the vinaigrette.

• Pasta with arugula pesto

  • bernalgirl on May 24, 2012

    Absolutely delicious with almonds. A big hit with kiddos, too.

• "Baked" macaroni and cheese

  • Thredbende on August 25, 2011

    This is my go to macaroni and cheese recipe. It is really great. Since I use powdered milk for drinking milk (freeze dried not instant) I tried mixing up double strength milk to substitute for the evaporated milk. It worked perfectly! Try this recipe with powdered milk if you have it on hand. The cooking and baking of the pasta completely hydrolyzes the milk proteins and you won't know if you used powdered milk, evaporated milk or cream. Life is good.

• Braised lamb shoulder chops with figs and North African spices

  • Jane on February 03, 2010

    A great weeknight dinner - all the ingredients apart from the lamb and parsley are store-cupboard. It's quick, easy and best all of all, really tasty. I served it with couscous and steamed green beans.

• Rich bread pudding with crisp cinnamon-sugar topping

  • Cheri on March 19, 2011

    Used Cinnamon Swirl Raisin bread. Very Good

• Sautéed pork tenderloin medallions with orange, fennel, and green olives

  • Cheri on August 16, 2011

    This was good. Prep time to table about 30 minutes. We liked the flavor combo, sauce a little dry, used 1/2 c chick broth should have increased. Served with fresh green beans and harvest grains from TJ - nice with this main dish.

• Classic red table salsa

  • blisstone on December 19, 2011

    I love this one. It makes a quart, looks great in my classico spaghetti jars. I have made this so many times that I just can't imagine buying salsa ever again. It's really easy to adapt as well, depending on how much lime or salt you like. But the freshness of the cilantro is key (oh and the tomatoes too I guess). I use it with eggs, chicken, you name it. And unless you rarely eat salsa it won't last long enough to go bad. Makes weeknight cooking easy to "zing" up.

• Garlic-studded roast loin of prk

  • pixelland on January 14, 2012

    use much less salt!

• Pan-seared, oven-roasted thick-cut pork chops

  • spharo00 on July 03, 2012

    These turned out very dry, but I believe it had more to do with my meat thermometer than the recipe itself. The brine smelled sweet and spicy and gave a good flavor to the meat. I bought a new thermometer so I'll be trying these again to see if they are any better.

• Streamlined chicken Parmesan

  • spharo00 on November 12, 2012

    I soaked my chicken in a brine for 30 minutes before cooking. The chicken was moist and very flavorful and the tomato sauce was the best I've made. I did add more salt and sugar than the recipe called for, to cut through some of the acidity of the tomatoes. I served this with homemade spaghetti noodles and Caesar salad.

• Simple stove-top rice pudding

  • spharo00 on November 22, 2012

    This is exactly what rice pudding should be. Barely sweet, creamy, with just a hint of vanilla. I have tried several versions of rice pudding, and this one is by far the best. I was low on half and half so I substituted some heavy cream for what I was missing, probably about a cup. I also did not have medium grain white rice so I used jasmine rice instead. It was everything I was craving and more. Next time I may try adding some dried fruit, possibly cherries. It makes a large pot, so be prepared to share.

• Basic brownies

  • spharo00 on December 02, 2012

    These brownies were basic, just as the recipe says. They weren't over the top good, but they tasted just as you would expect a brownie to taste. An average brownie. Also, these took probably five to ten minutes longer to bake in my oven than the recipe suggested.

• Master recipe for American sandwich bread

  • spharo00 on February 17, 2013

    I've made this recipe twice so far, once as directed and once substituting maple syrup for the honey. The loaves were light and fluffy on the inside with a nice crust on the outside.

  • anya_sf on August 31, 2020

    SAF instant yeast worked fine. I rotated the pan halfway through baking for more even browning; it was done in exactly 40 minutes. This is the quintessential white sandwich bread - a perfect, high-rising loaf.

• Blackberry jam cake

  • sgump on April 21, 2013

    Note that this recipe is simply for a sponge cake layered with blackberry jam--not a jam cake in the Southern (USA) sense, where the blackberry jam or preserves are mixed in to the spice-laden (with raisins and nuts) buttermilk-and-brown sugar batter (and ultimately frosted with caramel icing).

• Snickerdoodles

  • vickster on August 03, 2013

    My favorite Snickerdoodles recipe! Of course, I haven't tried any other others. But should I really mess with perfection?

• Popovers

  • sarahrainey on January 07, 2016

    classic

• Chicken and rice with saffron and peas

  • vickster on February 14, 2016

    Very good version of classic chicken and Spanish-type rice. I put in about a full teaspoon of saffron.

• Meat loaf with brown sugar-ketchup glaze

  • vickster on June 20, 2016

    Best meatloaf I ever made! I used 2 lbs. beef and 1 lb. pork. I made it in meatloaf pan with perforated bottom but next time will bake freeform. (Too much drippings stayed in pan). Cooked onions are a great idea!

  • anya_sf on January 20, 2021

    I used a mixture of ground round, veal, and pork, fresh breadcrumbs, and omitted the bacon. Baked as a free-form loaf in a 9"x13" pan. The meatloaf took an extra 20 minutes to reach 160 F. It was moist and flavorful.

  • jenburkholder on February 05, 2022

    This is a really good meatloaf. I never do the bacon and always do freeform. Now that I am gluten-free, I sub in potato flakes for the saltines - works great.

• Strawberry cobbler with butter cookie dough or flaky pie pastry topping

  • Ledlund on June 18, 2018

    Strawberries needed more than 1 Tablespoon flour. Mine turned out quite soupy.

• Chocolate mousse

  • Partyof7 on August 12, 2018

    Delicious. Used the orange liqueur option (curaçao) as my kids can always taste added coffee. Will make often.

• Pumpkin pie

  • anya_sf on December 02, 2018

    I used Cook's Illustrated's vodka pie crust recipe instead. The pie turned out great. There is a lot of spice, but pre-cooking it mellows the flavor. I was skeptical about the 25 minute baking time, so I left the pie in the oven an extra 5 minutes with the oven off. The texture was perfectly smooth and set.

• Almost-as-good-as-buttermilk waffles

  • kateastoria on March 10, 2019

    Little bland even with added vanilla. Not as crispy as yeasted recipes, maybe due to lack of sugar ingredient.

• Lemon bars

  • anya_sf on October 27, 2019

    This recipe is the ideal version of the classic, easy lemon bar recipe. I was in a hurry, so I only chilled the crust 20 minutes. After baking it 20 minutes, it appeared dry but barely browned. I took it out thinking it would brown more later, but it didn't really, so in the future I'll be sure to bake until golden brown.

• Southern cornbread

  • locopomtini on June 03, 2020

    Naturally gluten free. Been making this recipe since the book came out. Makes a great crispy edge! I have used mix of corn flour and corn meal or straight corn meal. If using butter, make sure you heat the pan and then add the butter. Otherwise, the butter burns and you have a cold pan.

  • locopomtini on June 27, 2020

    Go to for 15 years and gluten free

• French toast for sandwich bread

  • anya_sf on September 01, 2020

    A good recipe if you're short on eggs and/or don't like overly moist, custardy French toast. Using bread sliced 1/2" thick, there was enough custard for 7 pieces. Small lumps of flour remained in the custard, but didn't seem to matter once cooked. I added the optional cinnamon and the French toast was quite tasty.

• Quicker turkey burgers

  • Skamper on October 25, 2020

    Good basic recipe. Burgers were nice and juicy.

• Roast stuffed Cornish hens

  • Skamper on October 28, 2020

    I made the couscous stuffing, which was very tasty (ommitted the currants), but I don't think it benefited from being stuffed in the hen. Much prefer spatchcocking for faster, more even roasting.

• Sautéed pork tenderloin medallions with cream, apples, and sage

  • anya_sf on October 30, 2020

    Quick and easy. The pork was definitely still rosy in the center, which was fine with us. The sauce was tasty, but we wanted more.

• Sautéed pork chops with mustard and capers

  • Skamper on December 30, 2020

    Delicious. I made with a pork tenderloin rather than chops.

• Sofrito

  • peaceoutdesign on October 26, 2022

    I made this to add to crab fritters and after looking up what a traditional Sofrito was I added 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. It served it;s purpose as a favoring.

• Lemon-caper sauce for pork chops

  • peaceoutdesign on May 02, 2024

    This is a very balanced recipe. I have added lemon zest and have substituted Asain fried crispy shallots for the fresh and this worked well.

• Master recipe for chicken curry

  • Hamil8560 on July 04, 2023

    I don’t see “chicken curry” recipe in this cookbook, copyright 2004.

• Chunky guacamole

  • anya_sf on November 16, 2022

    I don't really need a recipe for guacamole, but was making a large batch (9 avocados), so consulted this one, which is close to my usual method. I omitted the cumin and garlic due to personal preference. The lime juice was quite strong - I'd use a bit less next time - and the guacamole needed more salt.

• Firm American pie dough for decorative edging

  • anya_sf on May 30, 2022

    I used this dough for a lattice-top peach pie instead of using the higher-fat American pie dough. This was plenty of fat, but the dough needed much more water - same as the American pie dough for prebaked pie shell - to come together. The dough was rollable straight from the fridge and the crimped edges held their shape upon baking. The crust was tender and flaky with good flavor.

• Peach pie

  • anya_sf on June 04, 2022

    I opted for the firm American pie dough for decorative edging, which worked well for the decorative edging (although the peach juice got all over it), but might not have been best for the lattice top I wanted. Instructions say to form the lattice on waxed paper (nice idea since the filling was super juicy), but trying to "slide" the lattice onto the top of the pie resulted in 3 failed attempts and having to redo the lattice before I finally managed to get it on there by flipping it. There was an awful lot of peach juice but 4 Tbsp tapioca starch thickened it sufficiently. Not a fan of crystallized ginger, I substituted 1/4 tsp ground ginger and was happy with that, although the nutmeg (mine was freshly grated) was a bit strong. The smaller quantity of white sugar was plenty. My pie was slow to brown (maybe because the lattice sat in the juice) and took 10 extra min at 400, plus 10 extra min at 350. My family enjoyed this pie very much.

• Grilled porterhouse or T-bone steaks

  • anya_sf on July 07, 2022

    This simple method worked well. My steaks were only 1" thick and did end up slightly more done than I'd aimed for using the shortest suggested cooking time, but that's my fault.

• Whole wheat bread with wheat germ and rye

  • anya_sf on June 15, 2021

    Using King Arthur flours, but Cook's Illustrated's weight equivalents of 5.5 oz per cup, the dough mixed up nicely. The 2nd rise took an hour in my 68 F kitchen. The bread was hearty with good wheat flavor, just a bit softer than 100% whole wheat. Very nice.

• Rustic country bread

  • anya_sf on July 27, 2021

    The recipe warns that the dough will be sticky, but actually it wasn't too bad. I did use a stand mixer as recommended. The sponge sat at room temperature for 7 hours; by that time it had risen a lot, so I refrigerated it after that (overnight) before making the bread. I baked the bread on parchment (on a baking steel) so it was easier to transfer from the peel. It needed to bake 5 extra minutes to reach 210 F. The bread was just wonderful - chewy, hearty, super flavorful. It's a big loaf but won't last long in our house.

• Peaches poached in spiced red wine

  • anya_sf on August 30, 2024

    I wouldn't think to poach peaches in red wine, but it was pretty good, although I still prefer white. The lower-sugar syrup and steeping (rather than simmering) method worked perfectly with ripe fruit. I found it less work to peel the peaches after poaching.

• American pie dough for fruit pies

  • anya_sf on May 18, 2026

    The dough was fairly easy to make and there was a generous amount. It seemed a little dry, but I didn't add more water after the full 8 T. Maybe should have added a tiny bit more, as the dough cracked a fair amount upon rolling (after resting overnight). It baked up fairly well - tender, crimped edges held their shape. Flavor was decent, but never going to taste as good as all butter.

• Cherry pie

  • anya_sf on May 18, 2026

    A soupy mess. I had sweet cherries, so I used the smaller amount of tapioca as directed, but guess I should have gone for the "firm filling" amount of 5 T. The flavor was not my favorite either - think it was the brandy and allspice. In addition, the recipe does not call for egg wash or milk for the top, and I ended up baking the pie an extra 10 min with the heat cranked up for better browning.

• Frittata with leek and potatoes

  • djnielsen64 on March 23, 2023

    Very good. I would add extra cheese next time.

• Sautéed pork chops with white wine pan sauce

  • PickyPalateMom on January 22, 2024

    I relied on this recipe mostly for the pan sauce - which was terrific - not the actual cooking of the pork chops. I had left over white wine in the fridge so I wanted to make this sauce. I did the pork chops sous vide according to the Serious Eats medium rare method (140 degrees). I used a bonne herbes type dry rub on the chops. Fried a finely minced 1/2 onion in butter. Eventually added the liquid that accumulated in the bag from the pork chops into the sauce and reduced it after I had deglazed with the wine.

• Traditional chocolate chip cookies

  • susan_1jqx8g on January 18, 2026

    Had these on a scuba trip once and when I asked for the recipe, they pointed me to this book. Yum.

• Master recipe for boiled green beans

  • susan_1jqx8g on January 18, 2026

    Who would have thought that the best way to cook green beans boils down to… boiling them? Seriously. Perfection.

• Rich and creamy cheesecake

  • doug_j1bmba on June 02, 2026

    Definitely rich and pretty creamy. Not my preferred cheesecake as I’m a crusty boi and this has virtually none. And somehow, despite following the wrapping directions, I still found water in the damn bottom of the cake. Maybe go buy restaurant sized foil next time?!

• Herb rub for pork

  • tricia_0t3spw on April 28, 2026

    A very good rub for grilled pork tenderloin.

• Gas-grilled pork chops

  • tricia_0t3spw on April 28, 2026

    Perfect grilled tenderloin. Used the Herb Rub for Pork on it.