Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
Product Review
A breakfast that includes fresh pie is indeed a meal to enjoy. Authors Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison assure us in American Home Cooking that pie for breakfast was standard American fare in the days before Corn Flakes and Cap'n Crunch. The home cook at the turn of the last century was faced with seemingly overwhelming reasons to abandon the traditional cooking of her progenitors--ease and speed of packaged foods, the barrage of advertising, and mounting health concerns among them. "The amazing thing is not what we lost in this period," the authors write, "but what survived. In every corner of the country cooks refused to give up their most cherished regional and ethnic dishes. They may have reserved them for special occasions, or may have altered them in some ways for convenience or health purposes, but they kept the heritage alive for future generations."
And at the turn of another century where we are besieged by even more advertising, more foods built around speed and ease, and more health concerns, Jamison and Jamison have compiled a book of recipes that gives us the flavor of where have come from as Americans and who we are. This is not a unique concept. But where so many books that have preceded American Home Cooking have been rife with recipes for dishes you'd rather never serve, let alone taste, Jamison and Jamison have let delectability be their bellwether.
Serve your hungry the likes of Georgia Bits and Grits Waffles for breakfast, as well as a slice of Apple-Cranberry Pie. Perhaps a Brown Oyster Stew with Benne for lunch, accompanied by an Oregon Hot Crab and Cheddar Sandwich. There's Crawfish Etouffée to consider, as well as Willamette Valley Grilled Chicken with Blackberry Sauce. Check out the Chicken-Fried Steak, and the directions for making your own fresh lard, ye of nonsqueamish nature. When you get to the Broccoli-Rice Casserole and the recipe for Wilted Greens with Hot Bacon Dressing, you're only halfway through the book. Potato and bean dishes are yet to come, as well as sweet and sour pantry goodies, breads and rolls, those great pies and cobblers, and cookies and cakes. It's all here, ending with a mint julep. --Schuyler Ingle
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
The husband-and-wife team of James Beard award-winning authors (The Border Cookbook; Smoke and Spice) offer 400 recipes celebrating four centuries of American home cooking. The Jamisons carefully distinguish home cookingA"simple, hearty, seasonal fare prepared for and enjoyed by family and friends"Afrom convenience foods (like tuna noodle casseroles and pizzas) and elaborate haute restaurant-style preparations. Seventeen chapters explore the diversity of the American table, including breakfast fare (flapjacks, grits, hash), sandwiches, appetizers, soup, game, garden vegetables, preserves, baked goods and beverages (from mint juleps to sassafras tea). Emphasizing fresh ingredients and straightforward techniques, recipes feature an assortment of regional classics, from New England Clam Chowder and Swiss Steak to Fried Green Tomatoes and Hoppin' John, as well as local specialties like eastern Virginia's Tidewater Peanut Soup, the Florida Keys' Old Sour Seafood Salad and New Mexico's Chimay? Carne Adovada, a chile-infused pork preparation. Culinary trivia (e.g., turtle soup was once a favorite among American home cooks) and technique tips lend nuance and context to America's rich culinary tapestry. The Jamisons authoritatively articulate the pastiche of multicultural influences that characterize American regional cuisine, enabling readers to rediscover national (and regional) culinary treasures. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: American Home Cooking: Over 300 Spirited Recipes Celebrating Our Rich Tradition of Home Cooking (Hardcover)
It has been said "if you can read you can cook," but whoever said this did not know my x-wife. However, in the spirit of letting bygones be bygones, I am mailing her this wonderful cookbook. The Johnsons have excelled in giving us more than 300 uniquely American recipes that are simple, straightforward and quite tasty. When I first got hold of this 470-page cookbook, I tried three recipes: Georgia Bits & Grits Waffles, Lancaster Country Chicken-Corn Soup and Banana Pudding. All turned out great (and since I don't cook when I have to bachelor it, that's saying something!). Though most people do not buy a cookbook to read, I was impressed by the Johnsons' inclusions of cultural and historical backgrounds found on most recipes pages...they were wonderful additions and diversions. What, then, makes an excellent cookbook? First, great recipes. Recipes that are: a) begging to be tried, b) well laid out with a readable size print, c) simple and mixable with the normal ingredients and equipment and d)prepared in a short period of time. Second, when done your results are praiseworthy and your guests ask for second helpings. Third, a good sprinkling of color photos. American Home Cooking has given us all but the last. The 16 photos are both disappointing and far too few. However, the strength of the great tasty recipes and the layout of the book cover this weak point. This is a very good cookbook that will become page worn with use in most kitchens.
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