Synopses & Reviews
A platter of hot, sweet corn on a rural Iowa dinner table. A Sunday supper of crisp, golden fried chicken in a Mississippi boardinghouse. A mound of chunky guacamole surrounded with warm tostaditas in a New Mexico roadside diner. A steaming kettle of clam chowder at lunchtime on a wintry day in Maine. An impromptu picnic of farmstead cheeses, coarse country bread, and a fruity Pinot Noir enjoyed on a beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Savoring America, part of the Williams-Sonoma Savoring series, leads readers on an intriguing journey through a vast and varied landscape of tall mountains and long coastlines, busy urban centers and quiet country outposts, age-old traditions and brand-new ideas. Among the more than 130 recipes, drawn from every corner of the country, are such iconic dishes as Ahi Tuna Poke, Cheddar and Ale Soup, Yankee Pot Roast, Seafood Gumbo, Chicken and Cornmeal-Cheddar Dumplings, Green Corn Tamales, New York Cheesecake, and Meyer Lemon Ice Cream. Taken together, the recipes reflect the natural abundance, climatic and geographic diversity, and tremendous mix of people that have shaped American cuisine.
Enriching this collection of recipes are an engaging introductory text and a quartet of informative chapter narratives that travel from the vineyards of Oregon and the ethnic neighborhoods of San Francisco, to the pueblos of the Southwest and the moss-fringed swamps of Louisiana, to the lobster boats of New England and the steakhouses of Chicago. More than twenty boxed features offer tales of Christmas rituals in Santa Fe, harvesting wild rice in Minnesota, bustling coffee bars in Seattle, lively seaports of the South, and tapping maple trees in Vermont. Illustrated with dozens of scenic photographs and charming watercolors, and with each recipe shown in full color, Savoring America reveals the food, history, and way of life of a country that champions both regional tradition and constant innovation at the table.
Table of Contents
Introduction: the American table 14
Starters: appetizers, soups, salads 24
Main Dishes: seafood, meat, poultry 70
Side Dishes: vegetables, grains, breads 148
Desserts: pies, cakes, ice creams 192
Glossary: basic recipes and ingredient glossary 246