Each year, Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens launch an all-out search for the best and most distinctive recipes that appear in print, from the deservedly famous to the wonderfully obscure. And each year, rave reviews for their brilliant discoveries follow: from the New York Times, People, USA Today, Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, and many others.

Now the two editors raise the bar even higher, pitting their favorites from over the years against one another to create a collection of the alltime best-ever recipes. These are the recipes that no cook should be without, including everything from the perfect birthday cake to problemsolving holiday dishes to simple breakfasts for overnight guests. The book features recipes from the eras foremost cooks and chefs—Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, Jamie Oliver, Judy Rodgers, Paula Wolfert—as well as many finds from unexpected sources. In notes with every recipe, McCullough and Stevens answer any question a beginner might have and provide timesaving tips and useful techniques from their own extensive kitchen testing.