Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With refreshing wit and patience for the home cook, the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine present their collective wisdom in an easy-to-use format. Whether readers are baking Brownies or Peanut Butter Cookies, or want to try the more advanced Crescent-Shaped Rugelach with Raisin-Walnut Filling or Fallen Chocolate Cake, or if they're in the mood for something savory, such as Soft Pretzels or Buttermilk Biscuits, they'll find everything (and possibly more) here. The criteria are stringent: a brownie "must not be so sweet as to make your teeth ache, and it must certainly have a thin, shiny, papery crust... offering a contrast with the brownie's moist center." Lengthy prologues explain the tests the editors conducted to arrive at each recipe, with humorous characterizations of what not to do (for example, readers learn to avoid the "lean, mean, whole-wheat-flour oatmeal scone"). The testers often start with professional chef recipes, tinkering as they go. Blueberry muffins get an overhaul in the "Blueberry Muffin Hall of Shame," with mug shots of the guilty muffins' characteristics (e.g., mashed, sticky surface, flat top). Even casual readers will appreciate the editors' narrative flair and baking science (e.g., quiche gets cooled on a rack to prevent condensation), and there's a refreshing absence of diet-conscious recipes here. With step-by-step illustrations on everything from how to remove bar cookies so they don't crumble to chopping nuts, and a section on ingredients that goes as far as to recommend specific brands, this is an indispensable, comprehensive baking reference. (Apr.) Forecast: A $100,000 marketing campaign promises to get the word out on this essential tome. The editors will go on a 15-city tour, and the publisher will run ads in the New York Times. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This latest offering from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine is similar in format to their other outstanding title, The Best Recipe. Test kitchen cooks analyzed brand-name baking ingredients and equipment and here make "best buy" recommendations, with sometimes surprising results. (For example, a panel of pastry chefs was repeatedly unable to tell the difference between pure vanilla and imitation vanilla in a variety of applications!) The test summaries preceding each recipe include both successes and failures; the resulting recipes (more than 350) cover everything from the simplest quick breads to more complex yeast breads and cookies and pastries. Experienced bakers will gain new insights and be inspired to cast off those traditional methods that have been proven unnecessary or less effective than others. In turn, novices have the opportunity to gain an invaluable understanding of the why's of baking. This is the best instructional book on baking this reviewer has seen; highly recommended for most libraries.-Mary Schlueter, Missouri River Regional Lib., Jefferson City, MO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
