INTRODUCTION

Twenty-five years ago the premier issue of Cook’s Illustrated hit newsstands and mailboxes. It featured an oil painting of spring produce on its cover; tips on how to zest citrus, shop for the best eggplant, and string rhubarb on pages 4 and 5; a guide to breaking down poultry on pages 16 and 17; and recipes for, among other things, flaky biscuits, roast chicken, and grilled pizza peppered throughout its 32 pages. It cost 4 dollars and contained no advertising. The year was 1993.

I have a copy of the issue at my desk and I love to flip through it. It’s dense with the kind of information I’ve always craved as a cook—clear illustrations of core techniques, no-nonsense approaches to dishes I love, and science-backed answers to common cooking questions. The magazine even feels good in my hands, with its heavy, smooth, still-white pages. Cook’s Illustrated has always stood out to me as a singular, unique publication that, quite frankly, shouldn’t have worked. At a time when food magazines were glossy, colorful, and laser-focused on the food of chefs and restaurants, Cook’s Illustrated proclaimed—through hand-drawn illustrations and black-and-white photography—that the home cook was king. The magazine’s success and growth over these 25 years is, to me, proof positive that Americans, now more than ever, care deeply about cooking, spending time in the kitchen, and feeding family and friends.

Our mission at Cook’s Illustrated is actually quite simple: Methodically break apart a dish, figure out how and why it works, and test every variable in pursuit of a foolproof recipe. (We approach equipment testing and product taste tests with the same scientific rigor.) That process lasts at least six weeks for every recipe we publish. And it works. Our recipes are trusted by millions of home cooks to work the very first time. But another really special thing happens when you give talented cooks time, resources, and a goal. They make some pretty incredible discoveries. The book you are holding contains 25 years’ worth of such discoveries, tucked into 180 recipes for everything from scrambled eggs and weeknight chicken to pan-seared scallops and no-knead brioche.

What kind of discoveries? You’ll find perfect corn on the cob that never gets boiled. An ultracreamy tomato soup that’s completely dairy-free. A perfectly grilled steak that begins its journey in a very low oven. And ingenious low-key approaches to traditionally high-fuss recipes like risotto, ratatouille, and sandwich bread. These recipes tell the story of how Cook’s Illustrated has changed American home cooking over the past 25 years.

It also tells the story of American food writing. Cook’s Illustrated was the first publication to pull back the curtain and take readers deep into the process of recipe development. Rarely published since they originally appeared in the magazine, each feature-length story celebrates the art of food writing and the extensive work that goes into every recipe. By recounting our failures, successes, and discoveries we teach you how and why the recipe works.

A decade ago I left the restaurant world and landed the job of test cook for Cook’s Illustrated. Coming from the lightning-fast world of a production kitchen I was awestruck by the resources, effort, and time dedicated to recipe development. To see from the inside that Cook’s Illustrated was as authentic, focused, and dedicated as it had always appeared to me as a reader was inspiring. Ten years on I’m proud to say that we are as committed as ever to our singular purpose: helping home cooks make amazing food. This book is both a gorgeous celebration of what we’ve accomplished over a quarter of a century and a promise of what’s to come.

Sincerely,

Dan Souza

EDITOR IN CHIEF, COOK’S ILLUSTRATED