The Best American Classics (Best
Recipe)
The Best Cookbook I've Ever Had
Step into our test kitchen and learn how to make truly great American food.
Want to know how to keep lemon meringue pie from weeping or which
type of chocolate makes the best pudding? Want to capture the flavors of a
real clambake on top of the stove? To find the answers to these and
hundreds more questions, we made 28 lemon meringue pies, chopped our
way through pounds of chocolate, and steamed enough clams to feed a
small town. In addition, we’ve included more than 200 illustrations plus no-
nonsense equipment ratings and taste tests of supermarket ingredients.
The Best American Classics features more than 300 recipes that cover the
wide range of American cooking. Choose from favorite regional dishes
such as Chicago deep-dish pizza, New Orleans’ legendary red beans and
rice, or New York cheesecake. Or select beloved family fare like chicken
pot pie, glazed meatloaf, and green bean casserole. Restaurant classics
are here as well, from Parker House rolls and Waldorf salad to bananas
foster. The Best American Classics celebrates the breadth of our cuisine

with foolproof recipes that will stand the test of time. Real Boston Baked
Beans that are worth the wait If you want to make Boston baked beans
that are a cut above the tourist variety, you’ll need salt pork and bacon for
authentic smoky flavor. And for best results, bake the beans for five hours,
leaving the cover off the pot during the final hour to thicken the sauce to
just the right consistency. Stovetop Mac ’n Cheese that’s Silky Not Sticky
This all-around family favorite appears in more guises than just about any
other comfort food on the planet. But the best recipe, we found, is made on
the stovetop (not baked) and uses evaporated milk in the sauce (not a
fussy béchamel). All-American Meatloaf that’s Crusty and Glazed Not
Soggy For the best meatloaf, use a mix of meats (beef, pork, and veal).
Then, select the right binders: cracker crumbs and breadcrumbs don’t
mask the flavor of the meat. Lastly, bake the loaf free-form (so it doesn’t
get soggy) and give it a double dose of glaze. Strawberry Shortcake That
Tastes as Good as it Looks For a juicy filling that stays put between the
biscuits, choose the ripest berries and then mash some of them into a
chunky sauce and slice the rest. Left to sit with a little sugar, the mixture
macerates, making a thick filling that soaks into the tender, easy-to-make
biscuits.
Personal Review: The Best American Classics (Best Recipe)
Cooks Illustrated has seen fit to republish some of their older Best Recipe
books in paperback form, with a few updates here and there. This is the
paperback version of "American Classics", with a slightly different title.
This book is essentially the ultimate go-to book on the subject of American
comfort food. While there are a few regionalisms (lobster rolls, fried green
tomatoes), by and large the subject of the book is food that is common to
most Americans. The downside -- not a lot of ethnic flavor. The upside --
all the comfort foods your mother warned you about. Macaroni and cheese
(very similar to Alton Brown's recipe actually), quick breads, stuffed
peppers, meatloaf -- if it's been a blue plate special, it's here.
It is true that there's a fair amount of redundancy between CI books, but I
think that's largely a function of making sure each book can stand on its
own. In that regard, I don't think it's such a bad thing. I will say this
however -- redundant or not, CI books can get very expensive. If you don't
already have the hardcover version, grab this and use the money you save
towards one of the TV cookbooks.
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