Ultimate Cookbooks (HarperCollins)

Here's the ultimate of ultimates: nine hundred new recipes from Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, the authors of the Ultimate cookbook series. With a quarter million books already in print, their series has followed a simple recipe to success: Give cooks hundreds of solid, basic recipes with thousands of ways to vary them, shake them up, and personalize them so that everyone can be an ultimate cook! With The Ultimate Cook Book, Weinstein and Scarbrough tackle everything from breakfast to barbecue, stir-fries to steaks, chilis to curries, and paellas to puddings. Pick your favorite, cook it as a solid basic, or vary it in hundreds of ways to make the dish your own. You've got years' worth of dishes and a world of cooking experiences ahead of you. What could be more fun? Take chicken, that ubiquitous blank canvas. Roast a whole bird to perfection. Bake it under a salt crust for a dramatic presentation. Roast chicken halves atop winter squash. Prepare a Greek-style casserole with leeks, pine nuts, and raisins. Stuff chicken breasts with a Moroccan-inspired mixture of couscous and spices. There are more than thirty ideas for preparing boneless, skinless chicken breasts. And ten things to do with a leftover roast chicken or that rotisserie bird purchased on the way home. Get the idea? This comprehensive, easy-to-use compendium is the ultimate in inspiration, the ultimate in possibilities. Start your Ultimate cookbook collection today-or round it out with The Ultimate Cook Book.

Savor the flavor of America's favorite seafood in The Ultimate Shrimp Book. Dive into this collection of more than 650 shrimp recipes. Whether you love shrimp fried, steamed, baked, broiled, or grilled, in mole sauce, cream sauce, cocktail sauce, peanut sauce, or garlic sauce, crispy, crunchy, tender, hot, or cold, you're about to fall in love with shrimp all over again. Rediscover the classics like shrimp rémoulade or go cutting edge with sweet and spicy black pepper caramel shrimp. Try shrimp twists on familiar international favorites like paprikash and vindaloo. And don't forget the crowd pleasers like shrimp nachos and popcorn shrimp. For a formal dinner, a quick family meal, or a tasty snack, The Ultimate Shrimp Book has the perfect shrimp recipe for every occasion.

What's quick, easy, and sure to bring on the smiles? Muffins, of course! For recipes that are sweet, savory, or just over the top, look no further than The Ultimate Muffin Book. From classics like Berry and Corn Muffins to new favorites like Margarita and savory Quiche Lorraine Muffins, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough once again take an American fun-food classic to new heights by offering more than 600 recipes and variations for absolutely every muffin imaginable. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, anyone? Or luscious Hazelnut? Or what about Pizza Muffins for kids of all ages? Low-fat, nonfat, gluten-free, dense, and decadent -- they're all here, as well as baking tips, an ingredients guide, and a witty history of how the muffin came to be an American institution. Muffins. Is there a better way to make everyone in your life smile?

Bruce Weinstein, author of The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, has the answer with this collection of confections. Try his rich chocolate truffles or any one of a dozen variations; sweet, chewy caramel with almonds or coconut; buttery pralines with crunchy pecans; or light-as-air divinity, nougat, and marshmallow. Craft your own candy Christmas ornaments to hang on your tree, pipe chocolate spiderwebs for a scary Halloween touch, or whip up meringue kisses for your honey on Valentine's Day. Bruce even offers step-by-step instructions for creating your own homemade versions of classic favorites like peanut butter cups, gummy bears, and chewing gum. If you have a sweet tooth or know someone who does, The Ultimate Candy Book -- filled with hundreds of year-round treats and gift-giving ideas -- is ultimately satisfying.

Peanut butter makes everything better. Think about it: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Cold Peanut Noodles. Peanut Butter Fudge. Still not convinced? Try Peanut Butter Waffles, Pad Thai, or Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Centers. In The Ultimate Peanut Butter Book, the tenth addition to their Ultimate series, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough offer up hundreds of recipes and variations for America's favorite spread. From comforting Peanut Butter Sticky Buns to decadent Peanut Butter Cheesecake to outrageous Elvis Spread (peanut butter, bacon, and bananas), The Ultimate Peanut Butter Book takes Peanut butter way beyond the same old PB&J.

Potatoes as a main course? That's right, The Ultimate Potato Book moves the versatile potato to the center of every meal. Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough offer up main course classics such as Shepherd's Pie, Cod Cakes, and Chili Fries, along with some surprising new ideas -- Lasagna (potatoes replace the noodles), Enchiladas, and Twice-Baked Potatoes with bacon, asparagus, and Cheddar.