I'm an avid cook and, while I no longer subscribe to "Cooks Illustrated" magazine, I respect editor Christopher Kimball and his expert "Cook's Illustrated" kitchen crew and have had good luck, more or less, with their recipes which, if followed exactly, are virtually foolproof. I also never fail to learn something from their informative kitchen commentary. All in all, Kimball's recipes and advice are beneficial to both novice and experienced cooks.

That having been I have to point out that taste is, of course, subjective. For instance, I've found, from trying a number of Kimball's recipes, that he is a salt-a-holic. I prefer to cook with little or no salt, as I find the taste harsh and unpleasant, and if I followed Kimbell's recipes exactly I'd be drowning in the stuff. I prefer pepper and tend to double or triple the often meager amounts Kimbell calls for in his recipes (usually he calls for four or fives times more salt than pepper, and I almost reverse that ratio). But, if your taste is the same as Kimball's when it comes to a particular food, his well-researched and thoroughly-tested recipes will be amazing!

I must also warn cooks that Kimball's cookbooks are books not necessarily made for cooking (odd, isn't it?). They are standard-bound hardcover editions that rarely lie flat (the latest, "The Best Recipe," is a little better than the others) and the index is dreadful--a fairly major gripe when you consider how important an index is to a cookbook when, say, you quickly want to find a recipe for "Chicken Soup" and you can't even decipher where the "Cs" start! There may be six or seven pages under the tiny heading "entrees," five of which may start with "chicken," leading you to believe you're in the "Cs" when you're actually in the "Es." It's very confusing. Many other people have recommended putting dictionary like letter headers (for example "CHI-CLA") at the top of each index page and, after trying it, I have to say I highly recommend this method.

All of Kimball's "Cook's Illustrated" cookbooks follow the same basic format: a long-winded, but often interesting, discourse on how Kimball views the "perfect" version of whatever it is he's showing you how to cook, including a lengthy explanation of variations he has tried, followed by his "Master Recipe" for the food, including common variations. In "The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles," Kimball covers everything from homemade pasta (surprisingly, he doesn't stress it's necessity, saying dried pasta is almost as good and a whole lot easier) to every type of sauce and other topping--Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean, etc.--imaginable.

Usually my biggest problem with Kimball cookbooks is this: If you have one, you have them all. He lifts whole passages and recipes and uses them in multiple books. "The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook," and the "Cook's Bible," for instance, have at least 50 identical recipes, not to mention verbatim introductions to each section and cookware recommendations repeated word-for-word. "The Best Recipe" features ALL of the recipes (as far as I can tell) from the "Cook's Bible," with the same commentary, which is, in turn, lifted in whole chunks from past issues of "Cooks Illustrated." I'm sure this saves Mr. Kimball a great deal of time when compiling his cookbooks but it leaves little reason to own more than one edition of his work. The "Pasta and Noodle" cookbook though, is an exception to this rule. While it does contain exact repeats from other books, it also adds a wealth of new recipes and information, making it more than worth your while for anyone who cooks pasta regularly. There is literally a lifetime worth of pasta recipes in this small book!

Comprised of more than 400 diverse and easy-to-follow recipes, techniques and kitchen tips, The Complete Book Of Pasta And Noodles offers clear, concise, step-by-step instructions that make even the most exotic recipes easily accessible to the most novice kitchen cook. Beginning with "A Guide to Pasta and Noodles", The Complete Book Of Pasta And Noodles covers every conceivable aspect of pasta and noodle dish preparation. From sauces to lasagne, from ravioli to couscous, from spatzle to soba, The Complete Book Of Pasta And Noodles is a definitive and highly recommended culinary cookbook and guide that will enhance any aspiring chef's abilities to serve delicious, nutritious, noodle and pasta based cuisines.

This has simple but really good recipies for sauces that can be made while the water is boiling along with instructions and how-tos for sophisticated recipies and techniques. I liked the approach of explaining why particular methods work or are preferred by the author rather than just being told to do it. If I could have only two cookbooks, it would be this and Joy of Cooking. I received this book as a gift along with a pasta machine, but people compliment me on even the simplest sauces with bought pasta. They really go crazy over the homemade stuff!

Cooks' Illustrated, surely, is many things to many people. I like to think of them as cooking for the hard-core geeks; they slice and dice recipes as well as vegetables, and work the kinks out of them to make what is at least their idea of the best possible version of a meal. To the geek chef, their books are the technical flip side of the theoretical work of Alton Brown, Shirley Corriher, and Harold McGee.

Don't pick this book up thinking that you're going to get someone's Italian nonna's sunday gravy recipe; that's what the Sopranos Family Cookbook is for. This is very technical stuff that involves stripping the great recipes down to their bare essentials and rebuilding them from the ground up. Sacred cows of Italian cuisine, as in everything else they do, are scrutinized very carefully, and slaughtered as often as not. Only the most basic definition of the dish is taken for granted. The end result is sometimes minimalist; the Baked Ziti recipe, for example, has no ricotta in it and is almost vegetarian. The end result is a dizzying book that should be on the shelf of anyone who likes to cook Italian. Finally, the frequent sidebars on cooking equipment, a Cooks Illustrated staple, offer deep background on the techniques in the recipes.

Now with raves like that, why only 4 stars, you might be asking? Well, it's not perfect. The Best Recipe series presents itself as a bible of cooking, and it's not; glaring omissions in this book include meat lasagna (though the big bragging point on the dust jacket is the vegetable lasagna recipe) and cannoli. There is also a tendency to repeat articles from earlier books, an understandable but occasionally annoying situation that tends to leave the reader feeling as though the magazine people are trying to cut corners. And the appeal of this book isn't universal; the Cooks Illustrated style is, as I said, very technical, and a bit chatty at times. If you just want the recipes and don't care about the particulars, this book will bore you. Me, I like cookbooks I can read, so this isn't a problem.

So, in conclusion, I say this: if you like chomping data as much as you like chomping food, this book will rock your world. If not, the recipes are still pretty good.

The Best Recipe series have outdone themselves. This is the best one yet.(I am partial to cooking american-italian food at home). This illustrates great recipes that are tasty and user friendly. I especially love the risotto cakes. This book goes beyound recipes and teaches one about techniques and what to do or not to do. THIS IS A GREAT LAST MINUTE GIFT FOR THE NOVICE CHEF TO THE AVID COOK FOR THE HOLIDAYS OR ANY OCCASION. Definately a keeper if you like italian cooking.

Italian Classics is easy to understand and has great tips on everything from balsamic vinegar to meatballs. It makes cooking simple and fun. The recipes also include tricks the pros use as well as home style cooking techniques. It is a great addition to any food lovers library.

I am really enjoying reading this book. The informative passages preceeding each recipe give some insight into the origin of the recipe and alternative ways to prepare and serve. I usually put post-it notes on each page that holds a recipe I want to prepare, but this book is just packed with goodies so I won't bother with the post-its. I particularly liked the traditional French recipes. Also, I feel that the methods used are relatively simple and easy for the average cook to execute, which is a tribute not only to the quality of Boulud's ability as a chef but also as an author. A lot of chefs' cookbooks get knocked (and mostly justifiably so) for being too complicated or esoteric for the layperson to relate to and use, but this chef's cookbook is the delicious exception to the rule. I thoroughly recommend this book.

This is by far the best cookbook of the year (French Laundry 2nd IMHO). Not only are the recipes within the grasp of the average home cook, but they taste great as well. I've eaten at Daniel and Cafe Boulud and and more than a few of the dishes I've enjoyed at the restaurants are in this book. I've cooked over a dozen dishes and haven't had a disappointment yet. Most, if not all ingredients are easily accessible and no exotic kitchen tools or highly advanced cooking techniques are neccessary for 90% of the recipes. If you love to cook and eat, this book is a must have.

Daniel Boulud, one of America's best chefs, has teamed up with one of America's best cookbook authors, Dorie Greenspan, and the results are delicious. Café Boulud Cookbook is wonderful for picking up and reading--transporting one to Boulud's hometown of St.-Pierre de Chandieu, a small village near Lyon, France, inspiring dreams about Chicken Grand-Mère Francine, and back again to Café Boulud in New York City. But beyond that, the book is filled with dishes that not only make me hungry, but actually inspire me to run out and buy the ingredients and make them. And best of all, the recipes actually work! Nor are they too difficult. Boulud's voice comes through loud and clear in the wonderful headnotes, and Greenspan's gentle hand-holding is evident in the careful and thorough instructions. Bravo!

I thought all three stories were really intriguing. The first story is that classic beauty and beast story that everyone will enjoy reading.

The third story made me feel so many different emotions, ranging from dislike, excitment, anger, nervousness etc. The author did a good job of making the main characters frustratingly lovable. Just read it, you'll love it.

The second story is little complex in regards to the writing style. I had a hard time concentrating on the story because the wording threw me off. I had to constantly re-read lines, because I simply didn't get it. Ultimately, it is also a sweet love story.

All in all, the book is definitely a keeper.