Saveur Cooks Authentic American: Celibrating the Recipes and Diverse Traditions of Our Rich Heritage (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Dorothy Kalins (Author), Christopher Hirsheimer (Photographer) "PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts, is a community that takes chowder pretty seriously..." (more)
Key Phrases: strawberry freezer jam, medium yellow onion, red chile sauce, San Francisco, New York, New England (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What is American cooking? Fried chicken and apple pie are part of it--but what about sweet and sour pork or gnocchi with basil? Saveur Cooks Authentic American, created by the editors of the like-named food magazine, includes just such recipes, true examples of our all-embracing, melting-pot cuisine. Readers interested in exploring traditional and contemporary American food--from neighborhood Italian to Hawaiian fusion, from Louisiana Arcadian to California wine country, and more--will want the book.

Organized by courses or food types, the book offers more than 150 accessible recipes, lavishly illustrated by over 400 color photos. Readers will find exemplary versions of favorite dishes, such as Carter Rochelle's Real Texas Chili, Aunt Gillie's Matzo Ball Soup, and a particularly tempting Lemon Meringue Pie from Alaska, but will also discover Warm Chanterelle and Pancetta Salad from the Napa Valley, Lamb's Neck Stew with Polenta, and chef Michael Robert's Corn Risotto. A chapter on breads offers such diverse specialties as New Mexican Corn Tortillas and Swedish Coffee Bread, a cardamom-flavored wonder. With notes on food traditions and techniques, and a final chapter devoted to that most American drink, the cocktail (recipes for drink-accompanying hors d'oeuvres are also provided), the book is a trove of good cooking American style, as well as a tribute to its enduring newness. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

What we think of as down-home American cuisine, for the most part, has been flavored by the immigrants who brought with them their tastes and cultures. More than 400 full-color photos in Saveur magazine's typically lush and intimate mode celebrate over 150 finished dishes, as well as the people and ingredients that made them. Sidebars and headnotes add historical context to such stalwarts as Beef Borscht, brought over by Mennonites exiled from Russia, and Roast Lamb with Potatoes, a favorite from Greece. There's also "Chow Mein," a dish based on an authentic Cantonese fried noodle cake but adopted and altered in America. Chefs and cookbook writers assert pride in domestic dishes as well, as when Marion Cunningham attempts to restore an American icon like Iceberg Wedge with Blue Cheese Dressing to a place of pride. Entr?es are as comfortable as Country Ham in Redeye Gravy and Meat Loaf; vegetables are as classic as Creamed Spinach and as familiar as French Fries. And what other place than home can be evoked by Sweet Potato Casserole topped with miniature marshmallows baked until golden? This is luxurious treatment of unassuming food.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811821609
• ISBN-13: 978-0811821605
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #393,457 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doubles as a coffee table book!, July 9, 1999

By A Customer

The pictures and interesting stories make this cookbook not only a delightful addition to my cookbook collection, but also makes a very interesting coffee table book. As a long time subscriber of Saveur, I was thrilled to find all my favorite recipes from the magazine. The magazine and this fine cookbook can be described as the "national geographic" for foodies. I've made several of the recipes and have loved everyone. The barbequed ribs were perfect for July 4th, and the recipe for "Monte's Ham" is the best I've ever made (and easy!).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good to eat as it is to look at!, October 2, 2001

By A Customer

Hearing an interview with the authors, I bought this for a friends who love to cook and peeking at it before wrapping it up, I went back to Amazon and got another for myself and my wife.

We have made about half the dishes and every one has been spectacular. Our friends said it is their favorite cookbook as well. (We sent the Saveur Cooks French the next year).

This is a coffee table quality book. Oversized with photos that make you drool! Nothing is overly complicated either nor is it too spicy. Among our favorites - the Macroni and Cheese.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wealth of information on American cooking, June 19, 2000

By	wskrz "wskrz" (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

Rich in pictures and in facts, "Saveur Cooks..." is a wealth of information on American cooking. Over 150 detailed recipes ranging from salads and soups to desserts and cocktails draw out a culinary map from sea to shining sea. It's lush pictures throughout the book make the cookbook worth browsing through over and over again.

The pictures are drool-inducing and inspire you to become more interested in the recipes. Recipe instructions are simple and easy to follow along with and the little tidbits of information scattered throughout the book are really interesting and lend a readable tone to the book.

Make sure you try the recipe for Bierocks. It's excellent!