The Quick Recipe is the result of thousands of hours of testing to determine the techniques that deliver big flavor in less time--all from scratch. Starting with building block recipes for basic quick cooking techniques such as sautéing, grilling, or stir-frying, the editors of Cook’s Illustrated developed more than 300 flavorful recipes, including honey-glazed pork loin with fennel and carrots, lemon pudding cake, stir-fried chicken with green beans in spicy orange sauce, and 30-minute tart tatin. Each recipe requires less than 60 minutes (many less than 30) from ingredient prep and assembly through cooking and/or cooling, and most recipes require 10 or fewer ingredients.

In addition to developing quick recipes that do not sacrifice taste, the editors have identified supermarket ingredients that save time without sacrificing flavor. More than 200 illustrations provide shortcuts for techniques, including shaping biscuits and scones, stuffing chicken breasts, or seeding tomatoes. All 309 of the recipes in this 464-page, hardcover cookbook are new to The Best Recipe Series, and 85% have never appeared in Cook's magazine.