Where can you turn to find the best recipes of the past year? According to reviewers for the New York Times, People, Food & Wine, House Beautiful, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show,and many others, the answer is The Best American Recipes. Having this volume at your disposal is like subscribing to every food magazine in the country, owning every newly released cookbook, and having a trusted food authority to test every single recipe.

For this year's volume, the most wide-ranging and exciting yet, series editors Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens tested their way through more than a thousand choices, including * magazines (from Gourmet to Real Simple to Newsweek) * cookbooks (from The Sopranos Cookbook to The Convent Cook) * newsletters (from restaurant publications to winery handouts) * Web sites (from About.com to the California Walnut Commission site) * food packages (from the back of a crcme fraîche package to a tag on a lemon squeezer) * and even insider e-mails from one food professional to another.

What's new in this year's edition? In a word, simplicity. The Best American Recipes 2003-2004 gives you 147 fabulously easy recipes. There's a foolproof pasta from the world-famous French chef Alain Ducasse; a first-rate barbecue sauce from Lady Bird Johnson; a terrific breakfast from the cookbook that won this year's top award; bar cookies that caused a sensation at a New York cocktail party (made from Rice Krispies, no less); and the hands-down favorite cheesecake of The West Wing's Martin Sheen. In addition, you'll find all the answers to your holiday needs, from a foolproof juicy turkey that's the specialty of a New York restaurateur to desserts for the festive table.

Also in The Best American Recipes are the top ten food trends of the year and a list of the ten best-of-the-best recipes published this year.

'\"(McCullough and Stevens) have assembled another enticing collection.\"'

'\"one of my favorites last year and tops my list again for its excellent selection presented clearly...This book promises to become as dog-eared as the last edition because the recipes are relatively easy but yield such memorable dishes.\"-USA TODAY'

Since its inception, "The Best American Recipes" has been hailed as a must-have collection. What's new this year? Comfort food, retro food, and, above all, food that's even simpler than ever to prepare.

contents

Foreword vi

Introduction xi

Our Top Ten Recipes xiii

The Year in Food xv

Starters 1

Soups 23

Salads 47

Breakfast and Brunch 71

Main Dishes 88

Side Dishes 154

Breads 195

Desserts 216

Drinks 268

Credits 277

Index 287