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The America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Become a Great Cook
At America’s Test Kitchen, our kitchen experts are not just test cooks, editors, and writers—we are first and foremost educators. Behind every “best” version of a recipe that our team has developed over the past 20 years is a simple fact: Good cooking is based on a foundation of objective techniques. There is a best way to beat egg whites or pan-sear a steak, and your cooking will be more successful—and more enjoyable—if you understand these fundamental principles.
Our magazines, books, television shows, and websites have been effective tools for teaching millions of home cooks. Two years ago, we launched an interactive video-based online cooking school that brings all our best practices into one place and gives students direct access to experts in our test kitchen. The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook shares the same goal as our online school—to teach you the essential skills that will make you a better, more confident cook.
So how do we do this? There’s no better way to learn than seeing an expert in action, and across the 18 chapters in this book you’ll find thousands of photographs that demonstrate exactly what you need to do. You’ll walk through more than 100 fundamental Core Techniques that every cook should know, such as making an omelet, frosting a cake, and carving a chicken. The detailed photo captions explain each step so you can really understand—and master—these core techniques.
In many cases, you will learn revolutionary techniques—ones you won’t find anywhere else—that make recipes simpler and better. Want to make the perfect vinaigrette that won’t separate into oily and vinegary droplets? Add a dab of mayonnaise. How about a pie dough that anyone can roll out? Replace some of the ice water with chilled vodka. Tired of brown rice that cooks up sticky or, worse, scorched? We’ll walk you through our recipe that moves the cooking from the stovetop to the oven, guaranteeing fluffy, flawless results. We also show you the essentials like how to crack eggs (on the counter, not the edge of a bowl).
With our step-by-step Recipe Tutorials as your guide, you will gain the confidence to tackle more complicated recipes. Photographed from start to finish, dishes like Eggs Benedict, Memphis-Style Barbecued Ribs, and Classic Fresh Fruit Tart become approachable and doable. Not sure exactly how to flip the delicate fillets over for Fish Meunière? We’ll show you how we do it (two spatulas is key). And because we know from experience there’s nothing worse than diving into a recipe only to be caught off guard that you are missing an ingredient or an essential piece of equipment, we provide tools and ingredient lists plus stats summing up how long a recipe will take.
From years of answering readers’ questions and working with our online students, we know where home cooks are likely to get tripped up. Throughout this book we share these insights, and we tell you—and show you—how to avoid making mistakes in the first place.
Rounding out this indispensable cookbook is an exhaustive Cooking Basics chapter, which explains how to stock your kitchen with the right equipment and the best ingredients. You’ll learn a wide variety of knife skills, plus basic food safety, and our best tricks for repairing what might seem like a failed dish.
Reading The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook is like having an expert by your side as you cook, giving you pointers that will make a lasting impression. It’s time to cook with confidence.
Our magazines, books, television shows, and websites have been effective tools for teaching millions of home cooks. Two years ago, we launched an interactive video-based online cooking school that brings all our best practices into one place and gives students direct access to experts in our test kitchen. The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook shares the same goal as our online school—to teach you the essential skills that will make you a better, more confident cook.
So how do we do this? There’s no better way to learn than seeing an expert in action, and across the 18 chapters in this book you’ll find thousands of photographs that demonstrate exactly what you need to do. You’ll walk through more than 100 fundamental Core Techniques that every cook should know, such as making an omelet, frosting a cake, and carving a chicken. The detailed photo captions explain each step so you can really understand—and master—these core techniques.
In many cases, you will learn revolutionary techniques—ones you won’t find anywhere else—that make recipes simpler and better. Want to make the perfect vinaigrette that won’t separate into oily and vinegary droplets? Add a dab of mayonnaise. How about a pie dough that anyone can roll out? Replace some of the ice water with chilled vodka. Tired of brown rice that cooks up sticky or, worse, scorched? We’ll walk you through our recipe that moves the cooking from the stovetop to the oven, guaranteeing fluffy, flawless results. We also show you the essentials like how to crack eggs (on the counter, not the edge of a bowl).
With our step-by-step Recipe Tutorials as your guide, you will gain the confidence to tackle more complicated recipes. Photographed from start to finish, dishes like Eggs Benedict, Memphis-Style Barbecued Ribs, and Classic Fresh Fruit Tart become approachable and doable. Not sure exactly how to flip the delicate fillets over for Fish Meunière? We’ll show you how we do it (two spatulas is key). And because we know from experience there’s nothing worse than diving into a recipe only to be caught off guard that you are missing an ingredient or an essential piece of equipment, we provide tools and ingredient lists plus stats summing up how long a recipe will take.
From years of answering readers’ questions and working with our online students, we know where home cooks are likely to get tripped up. Throughout this book we share these insights, and we tell you—and show you—how to avoid making mistakes in the first place.
Rounding out this indispensable cookbook is an exhaustive Cooking Basics chapter, which explains how to stock your kitchen with the right equipment and the best ingredients. You’ll learn a wide variety of knife skills, plus basic food safety, and our best tricks for repairing what might seem like a failed dish.
Reading The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook is like having an expert by your side as you cook, giving you pointers that will make a lasting impression. It’s time to cook with confidence.
3962 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 2013
436 people are currently reading
1218 people want to read
About the author
America's Test Kitchen
255 books615 followersAmerica's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!
Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 28, 2016
It took several months to work through this cookbook. Working through it I learned how to make sauces and custards and that overcooking, over-mixing and over-baking is not my friend. I learned that reducing a recipe takes more than just dividing the ingredients by serving size. I learned the right equipment matters.
I had already owned the celebrated "Joy of Cooking" and many swear by Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and I'd seen recommendations for Martha Stewart's cookbook for basic cooking as well. I'd still pick "Cooking School" as my first cookbook (and get the more comprehensive "Joy of Cooking" second). For one, "Cooking School" doesn't just have recipes. They tell you what can go wrong, why a recipe works and the cookbook has extensive tutorials with step-by-step pictures--you won't find that in the relatively spare "Joy of Cooking." Also ATK recipes are thoroughly tested. The one compliant I've seen in review after review of Bittman is that his recipes are poorly proofed and inconsistent in their results. Despite making numerous adaptations because of a restricted diet, I found it rare to find a recipe--after practicing some tricky techniques--to fail. In fact, in this cookbook I'd say only the fish cakes were a disappointment despite following their recipe to the letter.
Downsides? Well, I suspect Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen is modeled on a very limited range of tastes. (Christopher Kimball's?). The recipes are richer in fats and sugars than I'd like. Nor do I think they tend to do well by ethnic recipes, which they tend to Americanize too much and make too bland (Kimball is on the record that he doesn't like spicy food). And example number one is their Hot and Sour Soup--without lily buds or wood ear fungus.
There's only one cookbook I looked at in stores I could consider a rival and I'm tempted to buy--J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's, The Food Lab. He's an ATK alumnus and it's obvious his recipes are throughly tested and he has a similar scientific approach to cooking. His recipes reading through them seem both lighter and more authentic and often simpler. And unlike "Cooking School" he gives specific brand-name recommendations for equipment. Like "Cooking School" his cookbook is also richly illustrated. If there's a downside it's that the emphasis is on cooking--there are no baking chapters.
I had already owned the celebrated "Joy of Cooking" and many swear by Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and I'd seen recommendations for Martha Stewart's cookbook for basic cooking as well. I'd still pick "Cooking School" as my first cookbook (and get the more comprehensive "Joy of Cooking" second). For one, "Cooking School" doesn't just have recipes. They tell you what can go wrong, why a recipe works and the cookbook has extensive tutorials with step-by-step pictures--you won't find that in the relatively spare "Joy of Cooking." Also ATK recipes are thoroughly tested. The one compliant I've seen in review after review of Bittman is that his recipes are poorly proofed and inconsistent in their results. Despite making numerous adaptations because of a restricted diet, I found it rare to find a recipe--after practicing some tricky techniques--to fail. In fact, in this cookbook I'd say only the fish cakes were a disappointment despite following their recipe to the letter.
Downsides? Well, I suspect Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen is modeled on a very limited range of tastes. (Christopher Kimball's?). The recipes are richer in fats and sugars than I'd like. Nor do I think they tend to do well by ethnic recipes, which they tend to Americanize too much and make too bland (Kimball is on the record that he doesn't like spicy food). And example number one is their Hot and Sour Soup--without lily buds or wood ear fungus.
There's only one cookbook I looked at in stores I could consider a rival and I'm tempted to buy--J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's, The Food Lab. He's an ATK alumnus and it's obvious his recipes are throughly tested and he has a similar scientific approach to cooking. His recipes reading through them seem both lighter and more authentic and often simpler. And unlike "Cooking School" he gives specific brand-name recommendations for equipment. Like "Cooking School" his cookbook is also richly illustrated. If there's a downside it's that the emphasis is on cooking--there are no baking chapters.
December 12, 2013
Love this cookbook. It's not perfect, but it's the book I would give my children if they had an interest in learning to cook. (They looove baking. Fish, not so much. But that will change! I know it.)
I like this book because there are lots of explanations. There are explanations, for example, of terms like braise, sweat, julienne. There are pictures of how to hold a knife and how to care for one. Many of these topics --like how to use a thermometer and how to tell when food is done-- might seem like ridiculous things to explain, but that's because we already have them in our repertoire. And I think young cooks --who might be cooking alone for the first time time-- might find it very reassuring to be able to confirm what they are doing is right.
So for them, there is lots and lots of basic information. How to use seasonings and equipment. What to buy first for their kitchen. How to use this equipment, and how to keep everything safely.
.
THE SECTION I immediately checked out was the cake section. (A character flaw, I know.) And I immediately learned something. After all these years I discovered that there's a better way; mixing the eggs with the flour so that the flour is coated with protein before mixed with the other wet ingredients. It makes for a lighter crumb. Who knew? Not me.
What I immediately mixed up was the coffee cake. The recipe was very close to one that I normally make (well, it's basic sour cream coffee cake so how much variation can be there be), except that it contained more sugar and you melted the butter. The outcome was better. It did take longer to cook that they said, but you know how ovens are.
And this is the sort of thing I think we moms and dads are still needed for. We need to explain that ovens and flour and old baking soda ... and even humidity levels! make for different cooking experiences. And that you have to be a little on the ball so you can adapt to what's on hand.
But for just about everything else, there's this cookbook. A book I plan on buying for my daughter and son in a few years when they head out to start their own homes.
Definitely recommend.
--this is a book I definitely needed my glasses to read. Those with serious reading problems might want to get one of those 'magnifying sheets'.
I like this book because there are lots of explanations. There are explanations, for example, of terms like braise, sweat, julienne. There are pictures of how to hold a knife and how to care for one. Many of these topics --like how to use a thermometer and how to tell when food is done-- might seem like ridiculous things to explain, but that's because we already have them in our repertoire. And I think young cooks --who might be cooking alone for the first time time-- might find it very reassuring to be able to confirm what they are doing is right.
So for them, there is lots and lots of basic information. How to use seasonings and equipment. What to buy first for their kitchen. How to use this equipment, and how to keep everything safely.
.
THE SECTION I immediately checked out was the cake section. (A character flaw, I know.) And I immediately learned something. After all these years I discovered that there's a better way; mixing the eggs with the flour so that the flour is coated with protein before mixed with the other wet ingredients. It makes for a lighter crumb. Who knew? Not me.
What I immediately mixed up was the coffee cake. The recipe was very close to one that I normally make (well, it's basic sour cream coffee cake so how much variation can be there be), except that it contained more sugar and you melted the butter. The outcome was better. It did take longer to cook that they said, but you know how ovens are.
And this is the sort of thing I think we moms and dads are still needed for. We need to explain that ovens and flour and old baking soda ... and even humidity levels! make for different cooking experiences. And that you have to be a little on the ball so you can adapt to what's on hand.
But for just about everything else, there's this cookbook. A book I plan on buying for my daughter and son in a few years when they head out to start their own homes.
Definitely recommend.
--this is a book I definitely needed my glasses to read. Those with serious reading problems might want to get one of those 'magnifying sheets'.
May 14, 2021
This cookbook is set up like a cooking course. At the beginning of each section, it teaches you core techniques that can be used in a variety of recipes (at the beginning of the eggs section, for example, you learn exactly how to separate eggs, exactly how to whip whites, etc.). You learn to master a variety of cooking basics, and are then given a huge assortment of recipes with which to try the new techniques that you've just learned.
I’ve always thought of myself as a terrible cook because in the past I messed up most of the recipes that I attempted. My confidence as a cook has skyrocketed with this cookbook. I am truly learning how to cook, not just learning new recipes. The cookbook leaves nothing to chance, and walks you through every step and explains the reasoning for each step. The recipes I have made with this cookbook come out great--which is saying a lot, considering how frequently I messed up dishes in the past!
I recommend it for inexperienced cooks as well as experienced, because the details and insights in this book would be useful to anyone. I am cooking my way through it and I cannot wait to see how I have improved as a cook by the time I am finished!
I’ve always thought of myself as a terrible cook because in the past I messed up most of the recipes that I attempted. My confidence as a cook has skyrocketed with this cookbook. I am truly learning how to cook, not just learning new recipes. The cookbook leaves nothing to chance, and walks you through every step and explains the reasoning for each step. The recipes I have made with this cookbook come out great--which is saying a lot, considering how frequently I messed up dishes in the past!
I recommend it for inexperienced cooks as well as experienced, because the details and insights in this book would be useful to anyone. I am cooking my way through it and I cannot wait to see how I have improved as a cook by the time I am finished!
September 22, 2014
I am a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen's shows on PBS so the book was already something I was going to like. I like how they explain things and give you the essential techniques on how to make many different dishes. After the technique section there is a section where the look at some recipes where they give you a picture by picture how to make it and a troubleshooting guide for things that can go wrong with the dishes. This is followed by a section of many recipes for each sections of the book. The book starts with a chapter on how to set up a kitchen (what you need) and which ingredients are used in the book in this section there is a substitution guide as well. From there it moves into eggs and the other chapters eventually ending with frozen desserts. It is a nice cookbook, having a hard time trying to decide what to cook out of it first.
July 1, 2022
Great book!
July 6, 2019
A giant wealth of knowledge. Starts with the basics in the aspects of cooking and expands upon them. Gives great tips on the things that could go wrong and how to fix them.
December 29, 2014
This was my Christmas present to myself, and I've already made two dishes from it. I used the directions to make a fritata with leftover vegetables from Christmas day, it turned out amazing! I also used the yellow cake recipe to make a cake for my dad's birthday yesterday--that was pretty good too. The frosting recipe was really easy as well--though it had enough butter to kill you. I love the amount of pictures in the book--it really walks you through what each stage should look like, so that even if you vary some of the components, you can still use the book.
January 4, 2014
I LOVED this cookbook! It's everything you need in one book... easy to read and understand, with beautiful, colorful illustrations and complete, detailed instructions. It's the only cookbook you will need!
November 25, 2013
This is a wonderful book that could double as a door stop. Hundreds of recipes, thousands of color photos, and detailed instructions and the famous ATK recommendations make this book a must-have for experienced cooks and beginners. I love this book and will get tons of use out of it!
January 16, 2015
I love the fact that this book includes a list of reasons why the recipe might not have worked/things that could have gone wrong. I also like how it includes why certain steps or ingredients are necessary.
March 9, 2014
Explains the very basics of everything. A good first.
August 2, 2014
fabulous ideas and tips to improve your skills in the kitchen. i borrowed this from the library in order to examine it. it is very large and unwieldy, so i purchased it from amazon for my kindle!
May 1, 2015
Well presented. Easy to read.
July 23, 2015
Great illustrations and recipes. I especially liked then giving reasons why to do particular things.
December 25, 2015
boy, does this have all the details a cook needs
January 21, 2016
Nice book, great start to a new goal.
Excellent instruction and explanation of the basics.
Will be used for years as a staple in my kitchen.
Thanks for making it simple.
Excellent instruction and explanation of the basics.
Will be used for years as a staple in my kitchen.
Thanks for making it simple.
April 16, 2018
A great deal of cooking technique is contained within these covers. The book is beautifully illustrated with as many pictures as a cookbook should have (which is much more of an anomaly than it should be). I recommend this to new cooks wholeheartedly. Experienced cooks will still gain from this but not nearly as much.
July 16, 2018
If every kitchen-owner had this cookbook, that would be all they would need to learn how to cook excellently.
Every book that comes from America's Test Kitchen is excellent. This one is no different. It is a very thorough manual on how to make the best version of every dish you could probably ever wish to make.
Every book that comes from America's Test Kitchen is excellent. This one is no different. It is a very thorough manual on how to make the best version of every dish you could probably ever wish to make.
July 19, 2021
This is an absolutely astounding book with so much information, perfect for someone looking to learn the fundamentals of cooking. Of all the cookbooks on my shelf, this one is the one I will highly recommended to anyone who is looking for a new cookbook, whether it is to add to an existing collection or if it's the start, this is the one every home cook needs.
July 21, 2018
Best cookbook ever!!!! Great for beginners and cooks of all levels. Love the step by step pictures. There are TONS of pictures. Directions are easy to follow. I learned SO much. Can't say enough good things about this cookbook.
September 5, 2018
This is a book worth having on your shelf to refer to, especially if you are new to cooking. It was not enjoyable skim this via Kindle. So check out the paper version to refer to.
April 28, 2018
very knowledgeable and well explained, i use it as a reference in my work
June 28, 2018
Love the science, the pictures, the tips, the step-by-steps, the recipes, everything. One of the best recipe books out there.
December 14, 2018
LOVE this! Unlike most cookbooks, this really teaches the WHY and HOW to make great dishes, so you can make it your own! It's like teaching a man to fish vs. giving him a fish to eat.
February 2, 2019
I love the Book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2019
What a fantastic book! I need to own this for reference use.
February 3, 2020
Great Book
What what ever information you need to find about how to cook is in this book. America 's Test Kitchen did a great job when they wrote this long and over due book.
What what ever information you need to find about how to cook is in this book. America 's Test Kitchen did a great job when they wrote this long and over due book.
July 17, 2020
Nobody does it like ATK.
October 25, 2021
Everything you could want in a cookbook
July 19, 2022
Learned a great deal from this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews