The Cook's Bible: The Best of American Home Cooking

To call this a "bible" is extremely appropriate. Whenever I get the urge to make something new, or something I haven't made in a while, this is the first cookbook I pick up (and if you look at my library you'll see I have quite a few). It is divided in many chapters based around specific ideas--How to Roast Meat or The Best Way to Cook Grains. He explains the different things he has tried to arrive at what he calls "the best" recipe. The great part of that is if you are looking for a slightly different result for your own personal tastes (maybe you like extra thin pancakes), you have an idea of changes you can make to get there. If you want a good sample of how the recipes are set up check out an issue of the magazine Cooks' show more Illustrated. Christopher Kimball is Founder and Editor-in-Chief. show less