Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook Launch Party

When I think of Cook’s Illustrated, I think classic, foolproof, a part of every home cook’s kitchen, an American institution. For 20 years, Cook’s Illustrated has helped many people learn to cook, and I was delighted to be invited to America’s Test Kitchen to celebrate the launch of the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America’s Most Trusted Food Magazine. Unlike many other area bloggers, I had never been to America’s Test Kitchen, though I had seen it on TV and online. I was excited that my health had started to improve and I could make the trek to Brookline. I was especially excited that my appetite came back.

When I arrived, I got to meet some of the America’s Test Kitchen staff, and my friend Megan gave me a little tour.

The kitchen is, as you would expect, large and super clean.

And incredibly well-stocked with Kitchenaid, Le Creuset, and other drool-worthy items. It was every cook’s dream.

I can’t imagine how much fun it must be to actually cook there!

The area next to the kitchen features a Wall of Awesome, chock full of tweets, posts, and Facebook updates about America’s Test Kitchen. Lots of pictures of delicious food were there, and it is now my goal to make the wall.

After I took my tour, I got to mingle with lots of my favorite bloggers, and, of course, to eat. There was flaky spanakopita.

And a perfectly cooked, flavorful Spanish tortilla.

Lots and lots of cheese, including this bacon ranch cheese ball and a lemon herb goat cheese ball. These two cheeses definitely gave me ideas for the upcoming holiday season.

Cook’s Illustrated Founder and Editor, Christopher Kimball was there to speak to us; in case you were wondering, his favorite meal is a New England boiled dinner, followed by a good apple pie. I have seen him on TV so many times, and it was incredibly exciting to be in the same room. I am a nerd when it comes to food celebrities!

More mingling ensued, and to Elizabeth’s delight there was dessert, mighty delicious chocolate pots de crème and pecan bars.

Even sweeter, we were sent home with gift bags stuffed with the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and the Menu Cookbook which I am super excited about. Recipes for all of the items served, perfect party foods, are in the books for us to make at home.  After having a very sad week, my husband and I decided we need to have more dinner parties and wine tastings, and the Menu Cookbook will be an extra push toward that. I am already flipping through it to get ideas for my Thanksgiving dinner in Ireland.

The Cook’s Illustrated launch party was an absolutely lovely event that combined a little nostalgia with my current role as a blogger and lover of cooking. I love how everything America’s Test Kitchen does aims to get real people to cook real food and to encourage them to do it well so they do it again. The event was definitely a bright spot in a rough week; I love my blogger friends, great food, and fun times!

Do you read Cook’s Illustrated? Have a favorite recipe that I must try?