Jack Bishop, Executive Editor of Cook's Illustrated and also Editorial Director of parent America's Test Kitchen, established the tasting protocols used at America's Test Kitchen. 

He helped with the September-October 1993 issue launch of Cook's Illustrated and directed the Cook's Country launch, which debuted with a charter issue in 2004 before starting regular publication with its April-May 2005 edition.  He oversees editorial operations for the two bimonthlies, which publish in alternate months. Circulation for Cook's Country stands at 275,000, while Cook's Illustrated passed one million a couple of months ago. Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated use different recipes for success, with the former focusing on purely American foods and on the practicality and ease of weeknight cooking, and the latter title international in food scope and emphasizing the test-kitchen approach.

Bishop is also a cast member of the public television series “America's Test Kitchen.” He established the company's book division, edited The Best Recipe cookbook in 1999, and authored several cookbooks including The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. 

Here, he talks about the fine art of barbecue, the folly of eating out, the company’s new TV show, and how he really feels about other cooking shows.

Q. Given that this is summertime, what's your most popular barbecue recipe request?

A. Anything ribs, anything brisket. For true barbecue rather than grilling, it should be low and slow, with a lot of smoke. Texas barbecue ribs are featured in our latest Cook's Illustrated [with the coverline, "Texas-style barbecue: Big smoky flavor, rich Texas crust"]. Previously, we've done Kansas City ribs, Memphis ribs, spareribs, babyback ribs.

Q. Despite the overall trend to healthier foods, lately there seems to be a move by some toward humongous meals, like Subway's Super Stuffed Subs and the P'Zone, stuffed with a pound of cheese. Plus, there are those all-you-can eat restaurant buffets. Does this mean a shift backwards toward less healthy eating?

A. I find that whole world alien. Our philosophy is that cooking at home is the first step toward a healthy diet. You tend to make better choices at home than when eating out. Certainly I'm aware of the disturbing trend of our growing waistlines as a people. The last couple of decades, people have been doing less and less cooking at home.

Q. You're on TV with “America's Test Kitchen,” now in its seventh season and public TV's most watched cooking show with nearly three million viewers per episode. Any interest in expanding into other programs and other outlets, such as the Food Network?

A. We do a production marathon in the spring for “America's Test Kitchen,” shooting 26 episodes in April-May, so as not to disrupt our magazine work [in the same kitchen in Brookline, Massachusetts, outside Boston]. This fall, we'll have a second series, “Cook's Country”—doing 13 episodes in September-October in a 19th century Victorian farm. That'll be on public TV as well, since public TV's audience is like our audience—educated, sophisticated, a perfect fit. And we have no concerns about advertising. 

Q. Speaking of TV, what do you think of those cooking-related reality series, such as Fox's “Hell's Kitchen”, and Bravo's “Top Chef”?