Stick to the best

Last night, I was feeling both hungry and lazy (a dangerous combination). I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, but instead of using my time-tested recipe from Baking Illustrated, I used the back of the chocolate chip bag. They turned out fine (how bad can cookies really be?), but they were not nearly as satisfying as those that come from BI. And visually, they were sort of flat and generally uninspiring. I found the same result to be true with brownies a few weeks ago, as well.

If you're into baking and like to get it right, I highly recommend Baking Illustrated, from the Cook's Illustrated series. Warning: one must put aside all health concerns to fully enjoy the results of this book.