Book Reviews: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024

I finally ordered The Complete America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I am glad I waited because I ended up being able to order the most recent edition. This HUGE cookbook is full of amazing recipes, all of the extra tips and information they include in the show, and many photos of the finished dishes. I highly recommend this 1,200+ page cookbook.

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024: Every Recipe and Product Rating From the Most Watched Cooking Show on Public TV

America's Test Kitchen has been a popular food show on the PBS channel for many years. They've been described as using "culinary science" and familiar cooking techniques to create delicious recipes. While I don't understand culinary science, I can agree that this is what they do. I just watched an episode this morning where they discussed the benefits of overcooking certain vegetables (eggplant, beans, and broccoli) to release certain properties and to bring out certain flavors. Each of those vegetables were releasing different ingredients. I don't understand that. But I love that they explain it briefly, while giving a delicious recipe that even I could make.

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024: Every Recipe and Product Rating From the Most Watched Cooking Show on Public TV is a HUGE cookbook. It is advertised as:

• nearly 2,000 recipes from 24 seasons
• updated shopping guide for equipment and ingrediants
• notes and tips from the Test Kitchen Chefs
• 1280 pages
• Weighs 8 lbs and measures 8.63 x 2.38 x 11.25
• approximately 4.6/4.7 out of 5 stars review on Amazon/Goodreads (at the time I am writing this). It seems that deductions were related to damage during shipping and those who do not like the size of the book.

Did I mention that this book is HUGE? Some of the reviews on Amazon state that they don't like the size and weight of the book. I don't mind that. I love that all of the recipes from 24 TV seasons are included.  I like the print size (not too small), the paper quality (glossy and thick), and that there are photos on almost every page (either of the recipe or the instructional, how-to photos). 

Personal Thoughts:

I love watching America's Test Kitchen. I am not good in the kitchen so I appreciate how they explain what they are doing and why. I appreciate that many of their recipes are made with ingredients that I can find versus more exotic or hard to find ingredients.  

America's Test Kitchen does use many gadgets at times: food processors, certain pots or pans, etc. And I don't have those things. But, there are many, many recipes that utilize the things that I already have in my kitchen. 

I finally ordered this book, the newest edition, after watching a show with the Vegetable Bibimbap recipe. This is an "iconic Korean dish". Or, in my thoughts, a rice dish with good flavor and lots of vegetable options; vegetables I hope to grow in my garden this year. In the cookbook (page 572), the paragraph "why this recipe works" talks about the origin of the recipe and substituting a cast-iron dutch oven for the traditional stone bowl. I can hardly wait to try this recipe! I enjoy rice and vegetables, one-pot meals, and I like to try easy - but different - flavors. 

I am so thrilled that I finally purchased this cookbook. And that by the time I purchased it, the newest edition was available. I am not bothered by the weight and size of the book. I am very happy that the tips, notes, and substitutions discussed on the show episodes are included in the book.

I hope to use this book to do more garden-to-table cooking and become more successful in the kitchen. I highly recommend this cookbook.

Related Links:

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001 - 2024: Every Recipe and Product Rating From the Most Watched Cooking Show on Public TV on Amazon 

The official America's Test Kitchen website which includes information about joining and what their membership includes. 

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Waldorf Salad Food Review

 

Waldorf Salad ~ a delicious appetizer course.

Waldorf salad was first created on March 13, 1886 for a charity ball held at the famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It is one of several signature dishes created or developed by the hotel’s maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky.

Originally, the recipe for the salad was just apples, celery and mayonnaise. Later, in 1928, nuts were added. Today, a more modern version includes grapes. Other modern variations are listed in this article on Wikipedia, but my favorite variation is the original recipe, as my mother used to make it for me, of simply apples, celery and walnuts, all dressed with mayonnaise and served well-chilled on a lettuce leaf. This fruit salad is listed as an appetizer course, but my favorite way of eating it is as part of my main meal with a grilled pork chop. 

Recipe Summary

The basic recipe I use for Waldorf Salad is simply one cup of diced apple (peeled or unpeeled), one-half cup of diced celery and about one-fourth to one-half cup of broken walnuts. Toss ingredients together with 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, chill for several hours and serve on a lettuce leaf.

*Note: You can sprinkle the cut up apples with lemon juice,  if desired. I also sometimes substitute a spoonful of the mayonnaise with sour cream for a creamier taste. 

This salad is mentioned in the 1934 Cole Porter song “You’re The Top"

You're the top

You're a Waldorf salad

You're the top

You're a Berlin ballad

But if, baby, I'm the bottom

You're the top

It was also mentioned in a 1979 episode of the British television sitcom Fawlty Towers when an American guest demands a Waldorf salad! 

Waldorf Salad has also made the List of Regional Dishes, a list of regional or local dishes associated with specific regions of the United States. This dish is associated with New York City (Manhattan) where the original famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was located from 1893 to 1929. 

My all-time favorite salad! 

The Complete Salad Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to 200+ Vibrant Dishes Using Greens, Vegetables, Grains, Proteins, and More (The Complete ATK Cookbook Series)

The Salad Bowl: Vibrant, healthy recipes for light meals, lunches, simple sides & dressings

For more recipe reviews, click on

Review This Reviews: Recipes

*Waldorf Salad food review written by Wednesday Elf

+Images in this article were taken by Wednesday Elf.  The intro image is from Pixabay, created by GetStencil. 

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Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker - Cake Pop Maker Reviewed

Cake pops have been around for a long time, but I never considered making them with pancake batter and filling them with jam until I discovered the Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker.  By naming it a puff maker, instead of a cake pop maker, the maker grabbed my attention while Christmas shopping this past year.  I purchased one for myself and one for all of my siblings.  

My sister-in-law in North Carolina was the first to try out her Christmas gift.  That may be because she opened it as soon as it arrived, plus she loves to cook.  Like me, she loves new kitchen gadgets.  Since she had a Christmas luncheon to attend the following day, she perused the included cookbook, and selected a recipe to try the following day.  She made several batches for the party.  She used the vanilla cake recipe in the cookbook but decorated the batches with different toppings.  She covered some with a chocolate glaze (recipe also included in the cookbook) and decorated them with sprinkles.  She put confectioners sugar on some and cinnamon sugar on another batch.  Not only did she report that they were fun and easy to make, but the guests loved them.  I did laugh when she told me that she had to beg to snatch a few for my brother since she neglected to leave some behind at home for him.  By the way, my sister-in-law calls the puff maker her donut hole maker since the vanilla puffs with glaze that she made looks and tastes like donut holes. 

I waited for my "now experienced puff maker" sister-in-law to come for a visit before New Years to try my new puff maker.  I wanted to make the pancake puffs for breakfast and she was more than willing to jump right in and "play".  We made some plain pancake puffs to cover with pancake syrup and we filled some with jam.  They were delicious!  

Since we used teaspoons to put the batter and the filling in the maker reservoirs, I went in search of a batter dispenser and jelly dispensers so I could work faster.  The batter starts cooking as soon as it hits the maker reservoirs which caused some of our puffs to brown more on the bottom.  They didn't burn, but being able to work faster with less mess around the edges of the reservoir cups appealed to me. 

My Pancake Puffs filled with Blueberry Jam are not as pretty as the puffs on the front of the box, but they were quite tasty!

The Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker

Along with the pancake puff maker, I included a can of the Stonewall Kitchen Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix and a jar of the Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam.  We have previously used the pancake mix and the blueberry jam, so I was confident that those products would be excellent choices for making the puffs.  Those are the products I used when making the pancake puffs featured above.

Features of the Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker

Click to Check Price or Purchase the
Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker


• Non-stick baking plates
  
• Power on and ready lights
• Locking Lid Latch
  
• Non-skid rubber feet
• Bake 12 puffs in 4 - 6 minutes
• Includes fork tool
• Includes puff cooling tray stand  
• Includes treat sticks
  
• Recipe Cookbook included
• Wipe Clean - do not immerse in water
  

How to Make Pancake Puffs

• Mix batter
• Release the lid latch and open the puff maker
  
• Coat the nonstick surfaces and reservoirs with vegetable oil or cooking spray
  
• Preheat puff maker with lid closed
  
• When ready light is green, fill puff maker reservoirs*
• Close the lid
• Cook for 5 minutes
• Use the fork tool to remove the hot puffs & set on cooling tray
• Add glaze & decorations if desired

* If you want to bake filled puffs, add batter, then jam or filling and top with more batter.  Each section should be approximately 1/3 of the reservoir.  Try not to overfill the reservoirs.

By the way, none of my puffs looked like the ones on the box.  The bottoms of mine were all browner than the tops.  It doesn't matter to me, but I wouldn't want to mislead our readers.

 

__________________

In the introduction, I mentioned that I sought out a batter dispenser.  I am thrilled with my choice which is featured below.  It worked perfectly using the smallest silicone funnel that came with the dispenser.

Stonewall Kitchen Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix, 16 Ounces

Shoxil 20oz Pancake Batter Dispenser, Multi-Caliber Stainless Steel Funnel Cake Dispenser with Stand Great for Pancakes, Cupcakes or Any Baked Goods

Stonewall Kitchen Gourmet Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Bursting with Tiny, Hand Raked Maine Blueberries, Made in USA, Comes in Beautiful Jar, 3.75 oz

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Stonewall Kitchen Pancake Puff Maker - Cake Pop Maker Reviewed by:

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Roux The Day - Episode 5 of Gourmet Detective Series Review

I must say, I love the play on words for this title, Roux The Day.  Very clever title for "The Gourmet Detective" series and another murder mystery to solve.  I immediately thought of Louisiana and the popular base for Cajun and creole dishes.  Of course, roux is not exclusive to Louisiana, nor is French cuisine, but don't tell a Louisianian that or you might just find yourself in the midst of your own murder mystery.

In previous episodes of The Gourmet Detective, we have watched the relationship develop between Maggie and Henry, from their first meeting to their exclusive dating relationship.  We have enjoyed their bantering while solving crime related to murders committed in the culinary world.  We have been introduced to some very interesting recipes for death, as well as some unique uses of cookware.

In this episode, Detective Maggie Price and Henry Ross, the Gourmet Detective, are pulled into another murder case when they discover a body in an antique shop they are visiting. 

Yet again, another one of my own favorite pastimes, visiting antiques stores, is pulled into another fun mystery.  It might make me think twice about seeking out help if the store appears to be unattended.  

Do you know the difference in a cookbook and a Chef's book?  I didn't until I watched this movie.

 

Roux The Day Synopsis

 Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective MysteryCheck Price Henry Ross has been commissioned to examine a recently discovered Chef's book from an extremely popular restaurant of bygone days.  The Chef's book disappeared along with the fabulous meals when the restaurant closed down.  Henry is to bid on the book at auction if he determines it to be authentic.  The value of the book may well exceed $20,000 and he is authorized to spend whatever is necessary to ensure it's purchase for his anonymous buyer.

He invites his girlfriend, Detective Maggie Price, to attend the charity auction with him.  Unfortunately, they are told that the Chef's book was sold earlier that day.  According to the auction organizer, she did not want to risk the handsome sum she was offered by allowing the Chef's book to be auctioned.  A most unusual decision since it had already been announced that the book would be up for auction.  Several interested individual's were in attendance and quite upset by the pre-sale of the book.

With a bit of sneaky detective work, Maggie discovers who purchased the book.  She and Henry immediately head over to the new owners antique store in hopes of acquiring the book.  Unfortunately, all they acquired was a new murder case when they discovered a body instead of a Chef's book.

 

---

 

Roux The Day is the final episode of "The Gourmet Detective".  Hallmark has canceled the series.

"The Gourmet Detective" has truly been a delightfully fun Hallmark Mystery series to watch. I was quite sad to see that the series has been cancelled. What a shame that we never even made it to a wedding day, plus we have missed out on more "delectable" murder mysteries. I do hate it when Hallmark, or any production company, ends a series and just leaves fans hanging to create their own mental ending.   

Let's hope Hallmark doesn't rue the day they disappointed fans, once again, by cancelling a series we were not ready to see end!

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Roux The Day - Episode 5 of Gourmet Detective Series Reviewed by:

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July is National Ice Cream Month

 A Holiday Review

Ronald Reagan designated the month of July as Ice Cream Month in 1984 during his presidency. It has become a time to enjoy ice cream with family and friends and try new flavors.

Ice Cream month also includes Ice Cream Day, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of July.

Celebrating National Ice Cream Month

It is easy to celebrate Ice Cream Month during its designated month of July and all year long. There are so many flavors and forms of ice cream that you could do a different one for probably the whole month. 

Ice cream is a frozen dessert made from dairy products (milk and cream), sometimes combined with fruits, nuts, and various flavors.

Image Source: Pixabay

Ice Cream can be enjoyed as a scoop in a cone, plain in a dish, as part of a Sundae, and in the form of specialty cones and bars (Drumsticks, Ice Cream Sandwich, etc.) and novelty bars like Snickers and Strawberry Shortcake.

There are many flavors of ice cream, and many brands to choose from. They range from a really creamy and delicious one made by Blue Bunny, which is very high in calories, but oh, so good, to brands for Keto diet plans and those with diabetes. Everyone, it seems, can enjoy ice cream, a very versatile dessert. 

There is also homemade ice cream made using an ice cream maker. We had one when our children were small (many moons ago) that was not electric like today's machines, but used a hand-crank. More work, but fun. Our specialty in the summer was homemade Peach ice cream. Very yummy! 

Some Ice Cream Fun Facts

• Sunday is the day more ice cream is sold than any other day of the week. Maybe that’s where the word ‘Sundae’ comes from. 🙂
• It takes about 50 licks to finish one scoop of ice cream in a cone.

Ice Cream Holidays

In addition to having a whole month dedicated to celebrating ice cream (July), there are individual days set aside to enjoy tasting particular flavors. 

There is also National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July each year.

• July 1 - Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day
• July 13 - National Nitrogen  Ice Cream Day
• July 17 - Peach Ice Cream Day
• July 20 - Ice Cream Soda Day
• July 23 - Vanilla Ice Cream Day
• August 19 - Soft Ice Cream Day

Ice Cream Flavors

Image Source: Wikipedia

America’s top ten ice cream flavors include the traditional three, with Vanilla being #1, Chocolate listed at #2 and Strawberry coming in at #8.  Then we have the classic Neapolitan, which is made of blocks of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry side by side in the same container. Neapolitan ice cream comes in at #10 on the list. For a whole list of flavors, click here: List of ice cream flavors - Wikipedia 

Summary

Image Source: Pixabay

So, on National Ice Cream Day and the whole month of July, celebrate this holiday with a bowl, a cone, a Sundae and more. A sweet and cool treat for this summer month. 

Which flavor of ice cream is YOUR favorite? Mine is first vanilla, then any flavor with nuts. 

For more Holiday Reviews, check out 

Review This: Holidays

For more Dessert Reviews, check out 

Review This: Desserts

*National Ice Cream Month Holiday Review is written by Wednesday Elf 

The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery [A Cookbook]

For the Love of Popsicles: Naturally Delicious Icy Sweet Summer Treats from A–Z

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Pork Chops & Wild Rice Casserole Recipe Review

Pork chops are among my favorite meats for dinner.  They are almost always what I order when we eat out, even when we go to a steak house.  

At home, I have several ways I prepare pork chops.  Of course, we grill them and I fry breakfast chops.  I also have a pork chop casserole that I have been preparing for my family for over 30 years.  I found it in a cookbook I borrowed from a friend.  I returned the cookbook long ago, but I copied down this recipe, tweaked it slightly, and now it is a much loved recipe in our home.  I prepare it at least once a month.  It is easy to assemble and is ready to serve in about 90 minutes.

The original recipe called for bone-in pork chops.  I don't like having bones hiding in a casserole, so I use boneless pork chops.  

 

Pork Chop & Wild Rice Casserole Recipe
By Sylvestermouse on Review This Reviews

Ingredients 

• 6 boneless pork chops 
• 1 package (6 oz) long-grain and wild rice mix 
• 2 cups hot water   
• Approx. 1 teaspoon pepper 
• 1 can cream of celery soup 
•  ½ cup milk 
• 4 or 5 Tablespoon butter 

 

Instructions 

1.  Grease 13 x 9 x 2 casserole dish with butter 
2.  Combine rice, seasoning packet in rice, 2T melted butter, and hot water 
3.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish (make sure rice is evenly spread across bottom) 
4.  Sprinkle pork chops with pepper. Lay the chops on rice mixture 
5.  Place a pat of butter on each chop 
6.  Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour 
7.  Uncover casserole – in a small bowl, combine milk and cream of celery soup together and pour over casserole 
8.  Bake uncovered for 15 minutes 

Cooking Time Note:  The cooking time is based on thin or medium sized boneless pork chops.  Because oven temperatures can vary and because chop thickness affects cooking time, I recommend cutting into one of the chops to make sure it is fully cooked before you add the soup & milk mixture.

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Pork Chops & Wild Rice Casserole Recipe Written by:

© 2024 Cynthia Sylvestermouse
 

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A Review of Gingerbread Dip

One of the best things about holiday parties is the food and of the food, my favorite is the dips! We always have lots of different kinds of dip at our family party, but after 50+ years we were getting a bit tired of the same variety of dips and dippers.  So one year I decided to find a new and unusual dip to bring to the family party.  I looked through cook books and websites.  I called friends.  I even tried to make some dips from scratch.  It was a failure of epic proportions. 

Then one day I ran across a very old cook book that I got from my Mom when she passed.  It is so old it looks like it was run off a Ditto Master.  Remember those?  The paper had gone yellow with age and the cover was gone.  There was no sign of where it came from or who had put it together.  Mysterious!

I began leafing through the small book and found lots of recipes I had never heard of and among them was exactly what I was looking for.  Something I had never seen before, but sounded delicious!

Gingerbread Dip

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 1/3 cups freshly whipped cream (I used Cool Whip)

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 to 3 Tablespoons of molasses (to taste)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Beat and stir the cream cheese until smooth. (I used an electric mixer for about a minute)

Slowly tap in the powdered and brown sugars and stir until completely combined.  (I beat with my mixer for about a minute and a half)

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and molasses.

Add this mixture to the cream cheese and sugars and stir until thoroughly combined.  (used my mixer for about a minute, scraping the sides)

Fold in whipped cream and stir gently till completely mixed.  (I did this by hand, but you could use a mixer)

Now before you chill this dip, it is better to put it in its serving bowl because once chilled it is harder to smooth it into a serving container.

This old recipe did not say what to serve this dip with, but the suggestions really are endless.  A few off the top of my head are small butter cookies, honey graham crackers, vanilla wafers and even pretzels for those that like the sweet/salty taste.

When I made a trial run of this dip, I used honey grahams to dip because it was all I had on hand. However, when I made it for the family party, I used grahams, butter cookies and apple slices. (make sure you don't forget to soak them in lemon water so they don't turn brown) and all were equally well received.  

My old fashioned dip was a hit!  It was pretty much cleaned out by the end of the night and I received many compliments on my new and unusual contribution.  I was elated. In the car, on the way home, I wondered what other gems were hidden in that old, weathered cookbook.  I intended to find out!

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Homemade Bread Day Holiday Review

 

Homemade Bread Day is celebrated yearly on November 17.

Origin of Homemade Bread Day

It appears that this delicious day was begun by the National Homemade Bread committee based in Ann Arbor, MI. It has been observed annually since the 1980s and was founded as a way of bringing families together to bake. Sounds good to me, as I absolutely LOVE any kind of bread product ~ and homemade is the best. 

Many of the contributors here on Review This! agree that bread is a delicious delight and have reviewed their favorites. Check out a wide variety of bread products and recipes in this article. 

Specialty Breads

Raintree Annie brings us a recipe for Irish Soda Bread.

Sam Monaco reviews an Easy Pumpkin Spice Bread, quickly made from a mix.

Mary Beth Grander (MBG Photo) shares her favorite Banana Bread recipe.

And for a bread-related 'sweet treat', Sam Monaco gives us his fried dough recipe made in an Air Fryer.

Dieters Delight

Don't feel left out from enjoying bread products, Keto Fans. Margaret Schindel has reviewed some delicious breads that neatly meet your dietary requirements:

Here's her Keto bread mix review and her yeast bread recipe.

If 'muffins' are your bread of choice, Margaret shares her low-carb Cheddar corn dog muffins recipe for a delicious snack or meal. 

Needed and Necessary Bread Products for Your Homemade Bread Recipes

Dawn Rae reviewed a very helpful French Bread Pan

And for slicing that fresh-baked bread, here's Dawn's review of a very good bread knife.

Oh, and of course you need a pretty bread box to store your homemade breads.  Barbara (Brite-Ideas) reviews a super duper bread box that will be beautiful, as well as helpful, in your kitchen.

Extra Bread Hints

If you don't have time to prepare your yeast bread mix for baking, this frozen bread dough from your freezer will allow you to have fresh baked bread whenever you wish.

Summary

If you need more bread recipes, check out this bread cookbook found on Amazon. It should neatly solve all of your bread cravings! 

Bread Illustrated: A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving Bakery-Quality Results At Home

Available on Amazon

More Recipe Reviews can be found here: ReviewThisRecipes.com 

Thought for the Day: Bread is a lot like the Sun. It rises in the Yeast and sets in the Waist.

*Homemade Bread Day Holiday reviewed by Wednesday Elf

 

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