Bernard Clayton's Cooking Across America: Cook W/101 No Amer Best Cks 250 Recip

Author Clayton ( The Complete Book of Breads ) spent three years criss-crossing America and parts of Canada, meeting with cooks, bakers, restaurateurs and caterers and getting them to part with their favorite recipes. Their fame is local, spread by devoted customers or friends, but they have two things in common: an infectious enthusiasm about food and a devotion to good cooking, whether it is caramel cake made for a family reunion or country salmon pie offered by a Northwest restaurant. Clayton provides a sketch of every gastronome he encountered and notes his or her drift in food and cooking. Most favor hearty home cooking, from the breads to the meatballs. As Clayton comments, there is no one theme to American cooking; rather, it is a patchwork, reflecting regional, ethnic and sentimental influences. One could even say that his collection is in itself a melting pot. Those looking for the quick and easy had best steer clear of it, though--there are few short-cuts. Still, anyone who wants to learn to make good food from scratch would do well to start here. Better Homes & Gardens Book Club main selection; BOMC Homestyle Book Club alternate. (Apr.)