A culinary historian's investigation of the American food traditions in danger of being lost, and how to save them.

"With an ambitious sweep over two hundred years, Paul Freedman's lavishly illustrated history shows that there actually is an American cuisine. For centuries, skeptical foreigners-and even millions of Americans-have believed there was no such thing as American cuisine. In recent decades, hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza have been thought to define the nation's palate. Not so, says food historian Paul Freedman, who demonstrates that there is an exuberant...

Presents a collection of recipes inspired by traditional African American cooking, including flaky buttermilk biscuits, grilled okra with spiced sprinkle, black-eyed pea salad with hot sauce vinaigrette, and oxtail stew with brown sauce.

Presents a food memoir, cookbook, and tribute to the author's mother, sharing classic family recipes--many of them pre-dating the Civil War--and preparation secrets for such traditional fare as short ribs, biscuits, and perfect mashed potatoes.

"In Fed, White, and Blue, Simon Majumdar sets off on a trek across the United States to find out what it really means to become an American, using what he knows best: food"--

By the time he was 27 years old, Kwame Onwuachi had opened - and closed - one of the most talked-about restaurants in America. He had launched his own catering company with $20,000 that he made from selling candy on the subway, yet he'd been told he would never make it on television because his cooking wasn't "Southern" enough. In this inspiring memoir about the intersection of race, fame, and food, he shares the remarkable story of his culinary coming-of-age....

"Transports readers back in time to witness the remarkable evolution of the American restaurant chef in the 1970s and '80s. Taking a rare, coast-to-coast perspective, Andrew Friedman goes inside Chez Panisse and other Bay Area restaurants to show how the politically charged backdrop of Berkeley helped draw new talent to the profession; into the historically underrated community of Los Angeles chefs, inclduing a young Wolfgang Puck and future stars...

"A narrative social history tracing the evolution of traditional Italian American cuisine from its origins in Italy and its transformation in America into a distinct new cuisine"--