Over the years, many classic American recipes have fallen into disrepair, barely recognizable shambles of their former selves. So if you want a recipe for cornbread, cheesesteak sandwiches, frosted layer cakes, hermit cookies, green bean casserole, or macaroni and cheese that tastes at least as good as you remember, where would you find it? Well, now you can turn to American Classics from the editors of Cook's Illustrated.

This 448-page cookbook provides 335 recipes covering the wide range of American cooking. Choose from favorite regional dishes such as Boston baked beans, Chicago deep-dish pizza, and New Orleans' legendary red beans and rice. Beloved family fare, such as chicken pot pie, corned beef and cabbage, turkey Tetrazzini, ham roast, stuffed peppers, fried onion rings, pecan bars, and coconut cream pie are also included. Timeless restaurant dishes, such as Parker House rolls, Waldorf salad, and bananas Foster, have been updated and streamlined. And because our editors have tested each recipe dozens of times, they are about as close to foolproof as any recipe can get.

This in-depth volume provides answers as well as recipes. How do you keep lemon meringue pie from weeping? Can you capture the flavors of a real clambake on top of the stove? Which brand of frozen blueberries tastes better than fresh? How do you cook smothered pork chops so they are tender, not tough?

American Classics also contains more than 200 illustrations that show you how to shave meat for cheesesteak sandwiches, shape crescent rolls, shred cabbage, and frost cakes. Dozens of no-nonsense equipment ratings and taste tests of supermarket foods are also included. Find out which food processor does the best job of kneading bread dough and why all cheese graters are not the same.