"This is a book about what we eat in America," says David Rosengarten in his cookbook It's All American Food. For Rosengarten, author of The Dean & Deluca Cookbook among others, this means ethnic specialties like Eggplant Parmigiana and Shrimp Egg Foo Young; regional dishes, such as Philly Cheesesteak, plus barbecue, including Carolina Pulled Pork Shoulder with Two Sauces; and classic American fare like his Best Buttermilk Pancakes and The Ultimatre BLT, which transcends cultural boundaries. Offering more than 400 recipes for coast-to-coast favorites, Rosengarten is at pains to show that our cuisine is endlessly (and admirably) elastic, embracing and transforming traditional, sometimes exotic fare into something distinctly American for which we need not apologize. If he labors this point, Rosengarten has nonetheless done readers a great service in collecting so many characteristic recipes, which have often lacked the thoughtful treatment supplied here. This can mean tweaking more dubious (or degraded) recipes, lightening, for example, General Tso's chicken, or simply finding model formulas, like those for his cobb salad and macaroni and cheese (his recipes sometimes call for convenience ingredients, like banana pudding mix, that signify authentic versions). His section on regional favorites is a mini-guide to the best local dishes from New England to Hawaii, while his ethnic explorations present the food of virtually every group to have settled here--dishes that have gained acceptance, usually, through restaurant interpretations. Rosengarten has, of course, also eyed sweets, and treats such as tiramisu and New York cheesecake are also accounted for. With useful technical illustrations, ingredient notes like Spanish Paprika, and informative asides such as The Perfect Spatezel Method. --Arthur Boehm


From Publishers Weekly
Rosengarten may have begun his career in gourmet fashion on the Food Network, but here he revels in the recidivist pleasures of "American" food: everything from All-Purpose Bright Red Tomato Sauce to Chinese-Restaurant Spareribs and Philly Cheesesteak. This titanic homage to our nation's wildly varied culinary roots values comfort over refinement, but fortunately comforts are in plentiful supply. Rosengarten can find something to love even in an unreconstructed Shrimp Egg Foo Yung, and harkens back fondly to the 1950s, that much-maligned golden era when immigrant cooking found its way to the American palate. Flavor comes first here-garlic by the half cup; the ringing phrase: "2 pounds lard." There are deep-fry favorites (Calamari, Falafel, Scrapple), long-cooked ones (Boston Baked Beans, Flanken) and classics like Shrimp Cocktail, The Ultimate BLT and, of course, Apple Pie. Every major hyphenated-American cuisine-Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican-has a place, as well as several less-established ones (e.g., Argentinean, Russian). Because of his respect for all traditions, no matter how strangely altered or distanced from their roots, Rosengarten manages to avoid snobbery-both traditional and reverse-altogether. His slightly goofy prose ("Call me Ishmael, but I'm convinced that the great informing influence of New England cuisine is the sea") is a perfect match for this gut-rumbling, mouth-watering, heartfelt tribute. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Daniel Boulud, author of Letters to a Young Chef
"...David Rosengarten has done this job exceedingly well...fascinating, well researched, and full of delicious recipes is an added plus."


Jacques Pepin, PBS-TV personality, cookbook author, and cooking teacher
"David gives us the best possible versions of regional, classic, and ethnic specialties..."


Book Description
American food is no longer just steak, potatoes, and apple pie. Over the past 50 years, dishes that were once exotic have become essential parts of the American menu. Here, for the first time, David Rosengarten has created a definitive cookbook of truly American favorites, ranging from coast to coast, back into the past, and into the cuisines that have merged with the American mainstream in recent decades. Rosengarten places authentic Cajun recipes alongside the sizzling Cuban specialties of Miami. He unveils the mystery behind Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and Maryland crab cakes. He retrieves American classics like chicken pot pie and tuna melt from Junior League cookbooks and restores them to their glory. From breakfast, where he gives the secrets for perfect scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, to an array of indulgent late night desserts, David Rosengarten has written an unpretentious and accessible adoration of the American kitchen. This celebration of our nation's wonderfully varied cuisine belongs on every home cook's bookshelf.


About the Author
David Rosengarten was the host of Taste on the Food Network from 1994-2000. His articles have appeared in Gourmet, the New York Times, Newsday, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit. He is the author of three previous cookbooks based on his cooking show. He lives in New York.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

American food is no longer just steak, potatoes, and apple pie. Over the past 50 years, dishes that were once exotic have become essential parts of the American menu. Here, for the first time, David Rosengarten has created a definitive cookbook of truly American favorites, ranging from coast to coast, back into the past, and into the cuisines that have merged with the American mainstream in recent decades. Rosengarten places authentic Cajun recipes alongside the sizzling Cuban specialties of Miami. He unveils the mystery behind Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and Maryland crab cakes. He retrieves American classics like chicken pot pie and tuna melt from Junior League cookbooks and restores them to their glory. From breakfast, where he gives the secrets for perfect scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, to an array of indulgent late night desserts, David Rosengarten has written an unpretentious and accessible adoration of the American kitchen. This celebration of our nation's wonderfully varied cuisine belongs on every home cook's bookshelf.

Author Biography: David Rosengarten was the host of Taste on the Food Network from 1994-2000. His articles have appeared in Gourmet, the New York Times, Newsday, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit. He is the author of three previous cookbooks based on his cooking show. He lives in New York.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Rosengarten may have begun his career in gourmet fashion on the Food Network, but here he revels in the recidivist pleasures of "American" food: everything from All-Purpose Bright Red Tomato Sauce to Chinese-Restaurant Spareribs and Philly Cheesesteak. This titanic homage to our nation's wildly varied culinary roots values comfort over refinement, but fortunately comforts are in plentiful supply. Rosengarten can find something to love even in an unreconstructed Shrimp Egg Foo Yung, and harkens back fondly to the 1950s, that much-maligned golden era when immigrant cooking found its way to the American palate. Flavor comes first here-garlic by the half cup; the ringing phrase: "2 pounds lard." There are deep-fry favorites (Calamari, Falafel, Scrapple), long-cooked ones (Boston Baked Beans, Flanken) and classics like Shrimp Cocktail, The Ultimate BLT and, of course, Apple Pie. Every major hyphenated-American cuisine-Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican-has a place, as well as several less-established ones (e.g., Argentinean, Russian). Because of his respect for all traditions, no matter how strangely altered or distanced from their roots, Rosengarten manages to avoid snobbery-both traditional and reverse-altogether. His slightly goofy prose ("Call me Ishmael, but I'm convinced that the great informing influence of New England cuisine is the sea") is a perfect match for this gut-rumbling, mouth-watering, heartfelt tribute. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Rosengarten (Taste; The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook) turns his attention to everyday American cooking, including the humblest dishes, i.e., "what Americans really like to eat, which isn't often celebrated." He divides his book into three main sections: "Ethnic America," "Regional America," and "Classic America." Rosengarten decries "the denigration of adapted ethnic foods," and many of the recipes in Part 1 are Americanized rather than truly authentic: Brooklyn-Italian Meat Sauce, for example, or Crowded Paella, a sort of kitchen-sink version. The regions featured in Part 2 are something of a mix of locales and styles, from New England to Pennsylvania Dutch to Dixie. And "Classic America" includes recipes for what Rosengarten calls "core American food," dishes enjoyed across the country, not just in ethnic neighborhoods or individual regions. The author's task was a rather daunting one, and certain ethnic cuisines are sadly underrepresented here-just five recipes for Jewish food and only three dishes from Scandinavia. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating guide to the diverse cuisines that make up American food. For most collections. [Good Cook Book Club main selection.] Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Daniel Boulud

David Rosengarten has done this job exceedingly well...fascinating, well researched, and full of delicious recipes is an added plus. — author of Letters to a Young Chef

Jacques Pépin