Go to almost any food website and you are sure to encounter several "best" recipes, whether for hummus, macaroni and cheese, burgers, lasagna (like this recent Eater article), you name it, there's a "best" version out there. The folks at Cook's Illustrated made an entire series of books filled with the "best" recipes of their kind, whether it be soups and stews, vegetables, or restaurant favorites. But as we can see by looking at Cook's Illustrated, being a best recipe seems to be a temporary state, as there is always another one around the corner.

Our best lasagna from Southern Living

I am the kind of person who is usually willing to try a new 'best' recipe even if I already have a great one. Sometimes I am rewarded with a dish that's better, other times I return to the tried-and-true. Unlike being in a committed relationship, with recipes there are no repercussions if you step out with a new partner; they don't get jealous. I think of my recipes as "the best for now" - if something different catches my eye I might try it, even if I am not actively looking for a new recipe to love.

Of course, what is best lies in the eye of the beholder (or the taste buds of the eater). Going back to the lasagna example, there are over twenty online 'best lasagna' recipes in the EYB Library. And just like with dogs, all of them are indeed the best. If it is not the best for you or me, it might be the best for someone else. That's part of what makes cooking and baking both fun and challenging - everyone has their own opinion on what constitutes the perfect recipe.