The New Essentials Cookbook: A Modern Guide to Better Cooking

This impressive installment from America’s Test Kitchen equips readers with dozens of repertoire-worthy recipes. The editors thoughtfully address kitchen questions in sidebars accompanying each recipe, such as how to crisp chicken skin (“Tricks like elevating the poultry on a rack while cooking in the oven help with this, as does cutting slashes in the skin”), or select the correct skillet (“Traditional skillets are made from materials that allow food to adhere slightly... creating the browned bits of food that are the foundation of a great seared steak or pan sauce”). The editors present recipes with ample photos that make accessible deceptively daunting classics, such as steak frites, shrimp and sausage gumbo, and chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. There are plenty of Eastern-inspired classics like shrimp pad thai, tofu banh mi, and chicken tikka masala with cauliflower and basmati rice. Breakfast recipes include overnight yeasted waffles, French toast casserole, and a free-form summer fruit tart. This is a must-have for beginner cooks and more experienced ones who wish to sharpen their skills. (Sept.)