Today brought the arrival of Cook's Illustrated, from America's Test Kitchen. If you're not watching this show or reading this magazine, you should be. They take a scientific approach to cooking, testing out 30 ways to make each recipe before perfecting it, and their step-by-step instructions are so explicit you don't have to know what you're doing. It's a great resource for learning how to cook, as they explain everything! We were lucky enough to be subscribed to the magazine by our Aunt and Uncle for our wedding shower, and definately plan on renewing it for next year.

We liked the look of the simple Eggplant Parmesan, but thought we could simplify it even more. We were in a hurry, so we used standard stuffing mix instead of waiting for bread to go stale and crust. Make sure to cut the slices thin, they'll cook much faster. As Laura's allergic to eggs, we only used the egg whites, and made up the different by a mixture of sour cream and milk, which worked just as well for us. Make sure it's liquid, or it won't stick to the floured eggplant slices. We decided to not rebake the eggplant in a casserole dish, instead we baked it for 10 minutes more, then served the sauce right on top of the eggplant and pasta. It tasted wonderful, crispy and light, and should last us a few days.

The second meal for the week was Mexican Beef Casserole from the Casseroles Cookbook published in 1975 by Southern Living (another cookbook we picked up at used bookstores around town). If you need to have a casserole, this is the place to look, with recipes for all types of meat, as well as vegetarian options. The Mexican casserole is another quick meal, made mostly from cans, that always turns out well. This time, we used pork, and it tasted great. Don't worry about going overboard with the cumin and oregano, it will all soak into the beans and tomato sauce. It does take about one and a half hours to cook, but the prep time is so small and it tastes so good that it's worth it. We served ours in soup bowls and topped with shredded cheddar cheese.