Cook's Illustrated!

Sadie at Jezebel just posted on the merits and pitfalls of Cook's Illustrated. As I eat my take-out lunch I'm pondering whether spending many hours on a particular dish makes it taste better. Right now I'm thinking yes. When I eat home-cooked food I find that I think about the labor involved as I eat. This enhances my experience. I can critique the food all I want - in fact I'm often disappointed in my cooking, but knowing how and why something is delicious or mediocre is all part of the fun. Which is why I think Cook's Illustrated has such passionate readers. You don't commit to even reading their featured recipes unless you have the time to contemplate why the recipe will work for you or not. I think there has to be some backstory in your cooking. Why did you choose the recipe in the first place? CI approaches that question fairly honestly. Why spend four hours on lasagna if you weren't interested in the journey?