However, there is no need to shake the pasta bone-dry either. Make no mistake, this is an authentic cooking school that offers a specific point of view. The text is augmented by minimal line drawings. No video and, like the magazine, no ads because the students support the venture with tuition. Aside from attacking any cook's question, from how long to heat the skillet to which spatula is best, with a scientific zeal reminiscent of Consumer Reports, the most important strength of Cook's University is its interactive component.
Students can also communicate directly with the instructor via e-mail.
Although you can log in anytime that's convenient, make sure that you enroll during a period when you will have several hours to devote to the course. The site's design ingeniously packs an enormous amount of information into an easily navigated structure. Because the editors at Cook's Illustrated cared so much, I became more emotionally invested in the cooking process as well. If the crust on my veal cutlets wasn't as crisp as I liked, the sogginess only spurred me to try again. The second time I didn't crowd the cutlets as much in the pan.