Pierre Franey's Cooking in America

Here Franey and Flaste (coauthors of Pierre Franey's Low-Calorie Gourmet ), following the example of many past great chefs, explore America with the goal of documenting our foodways. Yet they set their own course through the country, relying on farmers themselves for information on how foodstuffs are raised or harvested regionally. By speaking with the people who actually produce the foods, they also uncover great stories. The companion to the new PBS television series of the same title, the book contains much visual appeal; the authors' ears for dialogue and eyes for color are especially evident in their recipe prefaces. They recall being mesmerized in Crisfield, Md., by a molting crab: ``When a crab frees itself from its shell, there is some similarity to a chick doing it, but this is more startling. The crab does it backwards, as if it had gotten itself cornered and now had to punch its way out.'' The authors' enthusiasm for food makes the book a satisfying read and a good reference. Chapters are devoted to a single foodstuff or to foods from a single region. From such easy classics as sauteed potatoes with garlic170 to more complex and original dishes--the Silver Thatch Inn's roulade of turkey breast and corn, spiced with ancho chilies252 --Franey and Flaste deliver au courant cuisine. HomeStyle main selection; BOMC alternate. (Apr.)