Food Processor Perfection: 75 Amazing Ways to Use the Most Powerful Tool in Your Kitchen

by America's Test Kitchen (editor)

America's Test Kitchen unleashes the potential of what a food processor can do with an eye-opening collection of 75 kitchen-tested recipes to make your cooking easier, faster, and better.  Your food processor is a powerful tool but is often relegated to only a handful of tasks. We have always felt the food processor was underutilized and so we've set out to create a book that harnesses this appliance's capabilities as never before, from almost-no-bowl baking to multi-step dishes like stir-fries where all the slicing and chopping happens in the food processor. The result is a book of 75 smart ideas where the food processor is the star of every recipe. It will transform how you use this appliance, streamline everyday cooking and baking, and open doors to projects you would never have considered tackling by hand.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, Food

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

America'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/.

Reviews

[Eric Mesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got a few of America's Test Kitchen's specialty books: cast iron, bread, cookies, mexican, and maybe another. This one is the one that could most just be a web page with tips. It's beautifully written and has great color photographs of various aspects of the cooking. But the techniques involved are pretty easy and the resulting recipes are pretty easy so I got something out of it, but not as much as some of their other books.

I still think they should have cook/prep times standard in their books instead of only in some of them. It's not impossibly hard math to try and estimate based on cooking times, but, since this is a prep-heavy book, those times are bound to be way off. (As happened to me the time I made a mole sauce from one of their recipes and the time to prep the ingredients took half of the total cooking time and left me eating very late)

[Cosette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has transformed my life. I have learned the secret of the amazing homemade coleslaw. Maybe y'all already knew this secret, but it was news to me. Also, I have made the perfect biscuits and calzones better than I remember them. This book has transformed my kitchen from being stocked with ingredients to teeming with opportunities and adventures. And, get this, I learned how to make a Vegan Gluten-free Dessert - with stuff I already had sitting in my freezer! Who knew such potential was in a food processor?

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a "forever fan" of America's Test Kitchen publications. While they might be too heavy on explanation for some people, what is outstanding is that every single thing I have made from their various books is just a tad different and always better.

So here we have a solid nudge to quit looking at the food processor and start using it again. Would not normally think of making cookies in a processor but decided to try the chocolate chip recipe. Who knew that browning the butter would make a cookie "pop?" Yes, it's a smaller recipe because of the size of the processor, but is just right for 2-4 people. You won't eat just one.

Cooking is a hobby for me, which means I collect gadgets. Nice to see a book dedicated to the food processor. Was also reminded that it can make short work of slicing harder-to-slice vegetables such as fennel, carrots, etc. Again, who knew fennel and apples could be so good together?

[Judik · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a cookbook!

I loved the hints for food processor users that are embedded throughout the book. I have had a food processor for years but have always felt intimidated by it. Reading this book gave me knowledge of how food processors as well as many tips for smart f. p. use. This book helped me master the use of my food processor and turn it from a scary monster in the cupboard to a handy tool!

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a food processor, so of course I needed a cookbook dedicated to it!

America’s Test Kitchen list a few food processors they recommend and a few they don’t.

I liked the recipes for dips, spreads, salads, and some veggie dishes. Good photos for every dish.

Second half of the recipes focus more on dough and desserts, which I probably won’t use much.

[Judith Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about your food processor.

Big help in learning more and better ways to use your food processor. Some of the uses are surprising new ways to make food quicker and easier than any other method. Some very good recipes in this book also.

[Alison James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved learning new ways to use my brand new food processor. Reduced the number of prep dishes by doing all or most in the food processor.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by America's Test Kitchen ! Read this to use your food processor on the next level. Really worth it !

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had a food processor for years but have never really understood its value in the kitchen and in cooking. I didn’t realize how many uses it really has!

This book has the ways behind the reasons, complete recipes and color photos throughout. Recipes are in category sections so it’s easy to find your next dinner, including desert.

[Christina Westerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love all cookbooks from ATK and this was not execption, but I didn't like it as much as others. It does have good tips on what you can make w/ the processor. My thing is cleaning! so many pieces, I usually only slice veggies are make pie crusts w/ it.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but reading it through was really helpful!

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latkes and shredded Brussels sprouts were definitely delicious. The salads I tried were forgettable.

[Leandra Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own several cookbooks by America's Test Kitchen and this one lives up to ATK's high standards.

The book starts with a review of the testing performed by ATK on a variety of food processors; which features were great, and which features are best avoided. ATK has a video at Youtube featuring this information in more detail. If I'd noticed it before I bought my food processor, I would have saved about $600 and have a lot more space in my cupboard.

So now I have my overpriced appliance, this book is ensuring that I make the most of my investment. It contains numerous tips that I've never seen elsewhere. There are recipes for dips and spreads, salads and sides, vegetarian mains, meat, kneading dough, baking and creamy desserts. As usual there are plenty of explanations to define terminology and describe how to perform each task, accompanied by numerous colour photos. ATK also points out techniques that will lead to inferior outcomes, to help home cooks avoid wastage and disappointment.

Food Processor Perfection is one of my favourite books by ATK, and I now use my food processor so much, it remains permanently on the bench.

[Laurla2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

-3 stars, maybe only 2. i was hoping to learn more recipes i could use my food processor for, but was unimpressed.

-my model food processor happens to be ranked at the bottom of all that they tested. i bought it MANY years ago. the book's assurance that the slicing blades on food processors would give clean cut even slices is not true with my food processor.

-it mentions that the stubby plastic 'dough blades' that come with the food processors shouldnt be used because they dont reach to the sides of the bowl and the dough says out of reach. but i knew this already because i've tried using them. they are completely worthless

-i've tried grinding meat in my food processor, you end up with paste, so that chapter was also worthless to me.

-it has seven sections: dips and spreads, salads and sides, meatless mains, grinding meats, kneading dough, baking, chilled desserts.

-recipes that looked interesting: caramelized onion jam, bacon jam.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5