People love lists. They help us get things done and make mastering a skill easy. With that in mind, the mad scientists at America’s Test Kitchen are out with a new book for cooks looking to sharpen their skills or neophytes looking to get their foot in the kitchen door.

“If your mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother was an accomplished cook, she likely had a very limited repertoire,” write the editors of America’s Test Kitchen in the introduction to “100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials.”

Before you get up in arms defending Gramma’s memory, you should know that the fine folks at ATK don’t mean that as insult. In fact, they argue that creating and perfecting a manageable list of recipes is the path to kitchen mastery. Their new cookbook, aimed at experienced cooks and newcomers alike, is broken down into the “Absolute Essentials," the “Surprising Essentials” and the “Global Essentials."

The editors write that the 100 recipes they’ve chosen are not only open to debate, but that they encourage it. The list isn’t meant to be set in stone, but to be a useful way to get you in the kitchen and get cooking. The book also has mini-lists, such as “Top 5 Recipes That Will Change Your Mind," “Top 5 Recipes You Can Make Without a Trip to the Supermarket” and “Top 5 Recipes to Make with Kids."

From left: ATK 'essential' recipes include Catalan-Style Beef Stew, left, Perfect Poached Chicken Breast, center, and Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tinga. (Carl Tremblay)

Jack Bishop, editorial director of America’s Test Kitchen, joins "Chicago Tonight" to discuss the book. You can meet him at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

Below, three of Bishop's favorite recipes from the book: Catalan-Style Beef Stew with Mushrooms, Perfect Poached Chicken Breasts and Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Catalan-Style Beef Stew with Mushrooms from 100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials

Serves 4to 6

(Carl Tremblay)

Remove the woody base of the oyster mushroom stems before cooking. Serve the stew with boiled or mashed potatoes or rice.

Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt and pepper

2 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, pulp grated on large holes of box grater, and skins discarded

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 cups water

1 large sprig fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes

Picada

1/4 cup whole blanched almonds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, crust removed, torn into 1-inch pieces

2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

8 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1. For the Stew: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add onions, sugar, and 1/2teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until onions are deeply caramelized, 30to 40minutes. Add tomato pulp, paprika, and bay leaf; cook, stirring often, until darkened and thick, 5to 10minutes.

2. Add wine, water, thyme sprig, and cinnamon to pot, scraping up any browned bits. Season short ribs with 1 1/2teaspoons salt and 1/2teaspoon pepper and add to pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered. After 1hour stir stew to redistribute meat, return to oven, and continue to cook until meat is tender, 1 1/2to 2hours longer.

3. For the Picada: While stew is in oven, heat almonds and 1tablespoon oil in 10‑inch skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring often, until almonds are golden brown, 3to 6minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer almonds to food processor. Return now-empty skillet to medium heat, add bread, and cook, stirring often, until toasted, 2to 4minutes; transfer to food processor with almonds. Add garlic to almonds and bread and process until mixture is finely ground, about 20seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to separate bowl, stir in parsley, and set aside.

4. Return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Heat remaining 1tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add mushrooms and 1/2teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until tender, 5to 7minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

5. Discard bay leaf. Stir picada, mushrooms, and vinegar into stew. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Recipe Details

Timeline

50minutes to prepare onion-tomato base (mostly hands-off)

2 1/2hours to 3hours to simmer beef in oven (make picada and prepare mushroom garnish while stew simmers)

5minutes to finish and season stew

Essential Tools

Dutch oven

10-inch skillet for frying almonds and bread and sautéing mushrooms

Food processor for grinding picada ingredients

Substitutions & Variations

An equal amount of quartered white mushrooms may be substituted for the oyster mushrooms.

To make the stew ahead, follow the recipe through step 2 and refrigerate for up to threedays. To serve, add 1cup water and reheat over medium heat. Proceed with step 3.

Perfect Poached Chicken Breasts from 100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials

(Carl Tremblay)

Serves 4

Serve with a vinaigrette or sauce (recipes follow).

4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup salt

2 tablespoons sugar

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until 3/4inch thick. Whisk 4quarts water, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and garlic in Dutch oven until salt and sugar are dissolved. Arrange breasts, skinned side up, in steamer basket, making sure not to overlap them. Submerge steamer basket in brine and let sit at room temperature for 30minutes.

2. Heat pot over medium heat, stirring liquid occasionally to even out hot spots, until water registers 175degrees, 15to 20minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot, remove from burner, and let stand until meat registers 160degrees, 17to 22minutes.

3. Transfer breasts to cutting board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5minutes. Slice each breast on bias into ¼-inch-thick slices, transfer to serving platter or individual plates, and serve.

Warm Tomato-Ginger Vinaigrette Makes about 2cups

Parsley may be substituted for the cilantro.

1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil

1shallot, minced

1 1/2teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/8teaspoon ground cumin

1/8teaspoon ground fennel

12ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and pepper

1tablespoon red wine vinegar

1teaspoon packed light brown sugar

2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 2tablespoons oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot, ginger, cumin, and fennel and cook until fragrant, about 15seconds. Stir in tomatoes and 1/4teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes have softened, 3to 5minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar and sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste; cover to keep warm. Stir in cilantro and remaining 2tablespoons oil just before serving.

Parsley Sauce with Cornichons and Capers

Makes about 1 1/4cups

6 tablespoons minced cornichons plus1teaspoon brine

3/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 scallions, minced

1/4 cup capers, rinsed and choppedcoarse

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together in bowl.

Recipe Details

Timeline

5minutes to prep chicken and brine

30minutes to brine chicken (completely hands-off)

35minutes to poach chicken (make sauce while chicken cooks)

7minutes to rest and slice chicken

Essential Tools

Meat pounder (You can use a heavy small skillet in a pinch.)

Dutch oven (or other large pot)

Steamer basket

Instant-read thermometer

Substitutions & Variations

The cooking times in this recipe are designed to work with standard size chicken breasts that weigh 6to 8ounces. Don’t use this method with thin cutlets (they usually weigh just 3 or 4ounces) or breasts that weigh more than 8ounces (they might not cook through in the allotted time).

You can use this method to cook chicken for any salad, dressing the chicken as the salad recipe directs.

If you like, serve the chicken with another potent sauce. Good choices include pureed sauces (like pesto), warm vinaigrettes, juicy salsas (with fruit or tomatoes), or creamy yogurt-based sauces.

To cook just two chicken breasts, use 2quarts of water and cut brine ingredients in half. Use medium-low heat (not medium) and reduce off-heat cooking time to 12to 17minutes.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Cheddar and Shallot from 100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials

(Carl Tremblay)

Serves 4

To quickly bring the cheddar to room temperature, microwave the pieces until warm, about 30 seconds. The first two sandwiches can be held in a 200-degree oven on a wire rack set in a baking sheet.

7 ounces aged cheddar cheese, cut into 24equal pieces, room temperature

2 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed

2 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth

4 teaspoons minced shallot

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

8 slices hearty white sandwich bread

1. Process cheddar, Brie, and wine in food processor until smooth paste is formed, 20 to 30 seconds. Add shallot and pulse to combine, 3 to 5 pulses. Combine butter and mustard in small bowl.

2. Working on parchment paper–lined counter, spread mustard butter evenly over 1 side of slices of bread. Flip 4 slices of bread over and spread cheese mixture evenly over slices. Top with remaining 4slices of bread, buttered sides up.

3. Preheat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. (Droplets of water should just sizzle when flicked onto pan.) Place 2 sandwiches in skillet; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook until both sides are crispy and golden brown, 6 to 9minutes per side, moving sandwiches to ensure even browning. Remove ­sandwiches from skillet and let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Repeat with remaining 2sandwiches.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Asiago and Dates

Substitute Asiago for cheddar, finely chopped pitted dates for shallot, and oatmeal sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Comté and Cornichon

Substitute Comté for cheddar, minced cornichon for shallot, and rye sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Gruyère and Chives

Substitute Gruyère for cheddar, chives for shallot, and rye sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Robiola and Chipotle

Substitute Robiola for cheddar, ¼ teaspoon minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce for shallot, and oatmeal sandwich bread for white sandwich bread.

Recipe Details

Timeline

10 minutes to assemble sandwiches (preheat pan during final minutes)

15 minutes to toast sandwiches (perbatch)

2 minutes to let cheese set up

Essential Tools

Food processor to prepare cheese mixture

12-inch nonstick skillet

Substitutions & Variations

Look for a cheddar aged for about one year (avoid cheddar aged for longer; it won’t melt well). The same thing holds true for other cheeses used in the variations. Feel free to use your favorite flavorful cheese, making sure to avoid anything aged for more than a year.

A little Brie is the key to using a more potent aged cheese. If you prefer, an equal amount of Monterey Jack can serve the same purpose. Like Brie, this young cheese melts very well.

Hearty sandwich bread (with large thick slices) is a must. We like Arnold Country Classics. Other sliced breads (rye, oatmeal) work well, too. Avoid rustic loaves—all those air pockets provide exit routes for the filling. When making grilled cheese, you want bread with a uniform crumb.