This Cookbook was a "Must-Buy" for me!
Customer Rating: 
I have been a subscriber to Bon Appetit magazine for over 15 years and was very excited to see that they had published a cookbook. When I purchased it, I was definitely not disappointed! Recipes like "Spinach and ricotta gnocchi", "Potato, leek, gruyere, and oyster mushroom gratin", "Braised Greek chicken and artichokes" and "Lemon Curd with toasted coconut and blueberries" sound very tempting.
The magazine recipes that I have prepared over the years have turned out wonderfully. My mom and I always make our Thanksgiving meal from Bon Appetit recipes, usually from a stack of Thanksgiving issues we've been saving. I was delighted to see that our turkey recipe, "Roast Turkey with Herb Rub and Shiitake Mushroom Gravy" was included in the new cookbook. It's not something for every day, but it does make such a wonderful turkey that we've used the same recipe for about 10 Thanksgivings now. Not all of my favorites made the cut (there was a terrific "White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake" recipe that's not there), but the recipes they selected are probably the best of the best.
The cookbook is massive and contains over 1200 mouth-watering recipes covering all the basic sections of any comprehensive cookbook (appetizers, salads, meats, vegetables, desserts, drinks, etc). The text is almost entirely recipes, with only a paragraph or two here and there of commentary. Only a few pages of photos are tucked between the recipes, but that was not a negative for me since I'm really in it for the recipes (and it probably kept the cost of the book reasonable).
I have always found the recipes in Bon Appetit to be elegant and delicious. Only a few have hard-to-find ingredients (like a specific liquor I wouldn't have on hand), but most include specific quality ingredients, like shiitake mushrooms, bosc pears, or pecorino Romano cheese, so the cook can get the flavor and texture intended. For example, there is a delicious sounding Sicilian meatball recipe that calls for fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread instead of dried crumbs. The recipes are easy enough that most cooks could prepare without problems, but they are from-scratch and will require more effort than those in basic or "quick-prepare" cookbooks. However, there are plenty of recipes in this book that are simple enough for week-night cooking, and those that require extra effort and usually worth it!
Overall, I'm very pleased with this book and will probably use it quite a bit (which is saying something since I have 100+ cookbooks!) I would definitely recommend this book to cooks who want to prepare food that is delicious enough to impress!
