Cookbook love

Any of my friends who are remotely interested in food have heard about my latest obsession - America's Test Kitchen and Cooks' Illustrated.  Starting with receipt of the ATK 2012 cookbook for my birthday, 3 or 4 sneaky purchases along the way and discovery of the podcast, I am completely hooked on this group and the charismatic founder Christopher Kimball.  What I love about the ATK recipes is that each recipe includes the accompanying food science, describing how the recipe works and how their version stands up against others.

One current favourite is the Light and Healthy Cookbook, which takes various standard recipes and lowers the fat content, explaining the process along the way.  I've made a few dishes out of this book but one that is definitely a keeper is the Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli.  Sounds boring but has a really great taste with the addition of sundried tomatoes and the use of finely chopped anchovies in the sauce (I didn't tell Stos about this until after we had eaten).

So if you haven't checked out America's Test Kitchen, get onto this group ASAP.  I would have to say that this is the closest to idiot proof cooking that I have ever seen.