ATK recipes are very subjective, but for a cookbook that offers a wide range of things, I find most of the recipes very good. That said, you have to remember: 1) These are Yankee recipes; tested and tasted by Yankees, most of whom don't always like a lot of spice; this doesn't mean however they are lacking in flavor. Most of their recipes tend to be very conventional, rather old-fashioned, and geared to the general public, which may or may not be you. For example, I find their taste test choice of Nathan's hotdogs way too salty; and feel it's too subjective due to their availability in that particular part of the country. Often what tastes best to testers is what they are used to, and what is familiar; evidenced by my preference for Kosher All Beef hotdogs which are not Nathans. 2) The science behind their methods is pretty sound. They usually have a reason for testing/adapting a recipe the way they do. Whether or not it's something you would like is up to you, but I have learned some new techniques from ATK that I use and believe has helped improve some of my cooking. (For example, their pizza dough recipe has been adopted by me!) Not everything is worth keeping however; see point #4, below. 3) Yanks like to save money. Although I too, don't always agree with their choices, for the most part their recommendations are good. I like knowing a $30 knife will do the same thing that the $100 version will. If indeed they prefer an expensive digital thermometer like the Thermapen, I know there's a good reason for it. 4) They cook their meats entirely too rare IMO. I had an argument about undercooked pork with my husband, who was following one of their recipes precisely to the letter. Let's just say...I don't eat undercooked pork. Or beef, or lamb or chicken. He refused to believe that the pork chop need another minute or two, which irritated the carp out of me. Of course, it was fine for reheating later on, being undercooked as it was! I recently tested a recipe from Cook's Country that was a revised version of German Chocolate Cake. As a person who makes German Chocolate Cake (from scratch) at least twice a year (and has one made for me on my birthday), I look forward to the real thing. Making it over with cornstarch in the frosting and on the low-fat side just doesn't cut it for me. I would rather eat a smaller portion and enjoy it to the fullest for a few more days, than change anything about it. The fact that it looks familiar doesn't mean that it is. ''Revising'' something like this simply isn't necessary. I appreciate the thought that goes into the process, but some things should just be left alone!

I found two different recipes: one has a pastry topping and the other has a biscuit topping. Which one were you looking for? Skillet Chicken Pot Pie 1/2006 Substitute 3 to 3 1/2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken parts for the whole chicken, if desired. We recommend chilling the rolled and shaped dough in the freezer. The dough can be prepared the day before and refrigerated. The chicken and vegetables can also be prepared the day before. Serves 6 to 8 Dough 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 1/4 ounces), plus additional for work surface 3/4 teaspoon table salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen for 10 minutes 2 tablespoons sour cream 4 - 6 tablespoons ice water Chicken and Vegetables 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 pounds), cut into 4 pieces (2 breast pieces, 2 leg quarters, wings discarded) and trimmed of excess fat 24 frozen pearl onions , thawed, drained, and patted dry, about 1 cup, or 5 ounces, (to prepare fresh, see instructions below) 1 medium onion , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup) 4 medium carrots , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) 3 medium ribs celery , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup) Table salt and ground black pepper Sauce 4 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup frozen peas (unthawed, about 3 1/2 ounces) 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves Table salt and ground black pepper 1. TO MAKE THE DOUGH: Process flour and salt together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until size of large peas, about six to eight 1-second pulses. 2. Mix sour cream and 4 tablespoons ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half of sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for three 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry, and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 additional tablespoons water and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, three to five 1-second pulses. 3. Turn dough onto work surface. Shape into ball and flatten to 5-inch disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not hard, 1 to 2 hours. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight.) 4. TO ROAST CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES: Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions; heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until oil just begins to smoke; swirl skillet to coat evenly with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin side down until deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes; turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate; drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. 5. Set skillet over medium heat. Add pearl onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add onion, carrots, celery, and salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Return chicken pieces to skillet skin side up and place in oven on lower-middle rack. Roast until thickest part of breast registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and thickest part of thigh and drumstick registers about 175 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using potholder or oven mitt, remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to platter and let rest 1 hour. Set skillet with vegetables aside. 6. TO ROLL OUT THE DOUGH: (If dough has been chilled longer than 2 hours, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.) Dust 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper liberally with flour; roll, flute, and cut vent holes according to illustrations above. Transfer parchment and dough to baking sheet; chill in freezer until ready to use, at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate for 1 hour). 7. TO MAKE SAUCE AND ASSEMBLE PIE: While chicken rests, return skillet with vegetables to medium-high heat. Add chicken broth and any juices from chicken platter and bring to simmer, scraping sides and bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Pour contents of skillet through medium-mesh strainer set over large bowl; transfer vegetables from strainer to separate bowl and refrigerate. After fat rises to surface of broth, 15 to 20 minutes, skim with ladle or large spoon and discard. (You should have about 3 1/2 cups broth.) 8. When chicken has rested, remove and discard skin. Using fingers or fork, pull chicken off bones into 2-inch shreds and 1-inch chunks; refrigerate until ready to use (you should have about 4 1/2 cups chicken). Wipe skillet clean; melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture darkens slightly and becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and coats back of spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, add chicken, reserved vegetables, peas, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste; gently stir to combine. Remove dough from freezer, lift off parchment paper, and place dough on top of filling. Bake on upper-middle rack at 450 degrees until crust begins to brown around edges, about 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue to bake until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping 10/2006 If you dont have time to make your own biscuits for the topping, then use packaged refrigerated biscuits and bake them according to the package instructions. We prefer the flavor of Pillsbury Golden Homestyle Biscuits but you can use your favorite brand (you will need anywhere from 4 to 8 biscuits depending on their size). Serve this pot pie right from the skillet, or transfer the mixture to a large pie plate and top with the biscuits. Serves 4 Biscuits 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus extra for the work surface 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1 1/2 cups heavy cream Filling 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts Table salt and ground black pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup) 1 rib celery , sliced thin 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 2 cups frozen peas and carrots , thawed 1. For the biscuits: Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. 2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until a dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds. 3. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or cut into 8 wedges using a knife. 4. Place the biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack. 5. For the filling: While the biscuits bake, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until the foam subsides. Brown the chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. 6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and return to medium heat until melted. Add the onion, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute. 7. Stir in the vermouth and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the broth, cream, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken into the sauce, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. 8. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the peas and carrots into the sauce and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut or shred it into bite-sized pieces and return it to the skillet. Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. 9. For serving: Place the cooked biscuits on top of the skillet or individual servings.

"While they say you can get the recipes from the show for free, their idea of free means you have to sign up and get bombarded with stuff..." That's not true. They say you can get the current season recipes online, which is accurate. The problem is many of the shows aired are from past seasons, which will of course come under the pay protocol. When I've wanted a particular recipe I do a search and haven't had trouble finding what I wanted, often there's some variations people did which can improve it. And often, even on the older items you can watch the video of the program segment so you can write down the recipe if you want it. I seldom watch a cooking show to get a recipe. I watch them for entertainment, to learn and to get an idea on improving what I make. I miss Justin Wilson, Franco Palumbo and even Jeff Smith. Franco had a couple recipes I use but they're also pretty common so I could have found them elsewhere. The one thing about ATK and Cook's Country that irritates the sriracha out of me is when they taste something it's always the grunts and mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmfff, from both of them as they're wolfing it down like starved dogs. Most other programs will try to describe it but they feel content to just grunt and snort, including Julia and Bridget. I don't get it. Don't they watch what they do? Do they really think people want to see them grunt?

I'm back with my report. I made these meatballs tonight. A little background... I make my meatballs with 100% ground veal. I don't have a recipe. I eyeball romano cheese, breadcrumbs(not bread), eggs, various spices until the consistency is 'right'. I don't fry, saute or bake them. I put the fully formed meatballs into boiling tomato sauce(homemade very similar to this recipe). Most of the time I add a package of cut up Italian sausage. This is how I learned from my Mom. I found this writeup on the Cooks Illustrated website. Sausage meatballs I liked that the sausage meatballs would be tender(like mine), not dense like sausage. I followed the instructions exactly(but made my own sauce). The meatballs were very tasty. But they were still a bit dense with a sausage like texture. I would make them again.