The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

October 29, 2018
Westmoreland, culinary director at Good Housekeeping, presents new recipes from the GH test kitchen in this highly informative and massive compendium. The book is packed with classic favorites for every occasion, as well as new recipes incorporating current trends (vegetable-centered fare, gluten-free, vegan, big batch cooking) and popular cooking tools and techniques (sheet pan, multicooker, grill). There’s expert advice on fridge and pantry setup (“Rotate your cans with oldest dates first when you stock up”) and how to trim artichokes and freeze whipped cream, and numerous sidebars feature test notes, tips, ingredient ideas, and glossaries. Westmoreland also includes a discussion of knife essentials, dietary guidelines for healthy eating, tips for reading nutritional labels, and wine basics, along with charts for roasting and grilling meats or vegetables. As for the recipes, vegetables take center stage in a winter veggie tart with brussels sprouts and chard. Poultry dishes include coq au riesling and chicken breasts with seven sauce varieties. An easy seafood dish of cod, cabbage, and bacon is baked in parchment. Breakfast choices include java banana and green light smoothies, and spinach and prosciutto frittata muffins; salads, meanwhile, include one with warm lentils and shrimp. There are several chapters dedicated to all manner of breads, baked treats, and impressive desserts, such as sticky toffee bundt cake. Home cooks will turn to this edition for years to come.

Starred review from November 22, 2010
This update of the iconic magazine's cookbook has recipes for all tastes and occasions, and gives The Joy of Cooking a run for its money. Traditionalists may scoff at some of the crew's shortcuts (a version of the classic Vietnamese soup pho using canned chicken broth, for instance), but most recipes remain faithful to tradition. Those new to the kitchen or in need of an all-encompassing reference will find the knowledge and confidence to roll up their sleeves and warm up the oven. In addition to recipes for practically every imaginable American dish, readers will learn basic techniques for cutting up and grilling a whole chicken, deveining shrimp, interpreting food labels (nutritional information is included for each recipe), creating formal place settings, and even getting the most out of the mundane (five ways to use up extra tortilla chips, for instance). Quick recipes and simple dessert preparations, like Fire-Roasted Nectarines and Coffee Granita, will please anyone pressed for time, but the encyclopedic inclusion of recipes for everything from Egg Salad, Lobster Bisque, and Chocolate Souffle to Pad Thai, Salmon with Mustard-Dill Sauce, and Muffuletta is its true benefit, making it a cookbook readers will grow with.