Books for Cooks

“The Best International Recipe”

By the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated

If “The New Best Recipe” was the encyclopedia of recipes from the American table, this is its vagabond cousin. The finicky editors at Cook’s Illustrated have gathered 350 recipes from more than 30 countries, and adapted and tested them to preserve their authenticity. They’ve found substitutions for specialty ingredients so home cooks don’t have to spend all day running to international markets and ordering ingredients from the Web. They’ve improvised with equipment that is probably already in your kitchen, rather than recommending specialized kitchen equipment. Another plus? The book includes recipes that are popular in other countries for easy weeknight meals, rather than focusing solely on lengthy, fussy and time-consuming recipes.

Look inside today’s food section for the recipe for a traditional Mexican Chicken Mole that won’t make you feel like a kitchen slave.