Jamie's America: Easy Twists on Great American Classics, and More

Oliver returns with his 10th cookbook, this one a colorful and quirky look at down-home American cooking. Traveling to the cities of New York and Los Angeles, as well as Louisiana, Georgia, Arizona, and Wyoming, Oliver paints a somewhat unbalanced portrait of American cuisine. However, what he covers, he covers well, and, in many cases, he puts his own touches on American classics. From New York, he showcases Waldorf salad made with yogurt, and cheesecake topped with meringue. Louisiana's popcorn alligator and aioli and Arizona's rustic tortilla soup emphasize only a fragment of the multitude of ethnic influences that shape our food creations. The cultural differences between Georgia and Wyoming are shown in stark contrast with Southern pecan and apple salad, and mountain meatballs. Los Angeles's tuna in roasted salsa and Redondo mackerel wraps round out Oliver's culinary tour. Scattered among the many recipes and numerous color photos of each region are sidebars on region-specific cultural influences such as Chinatown, gator hunting, and campfire cooking. Uneven but still insightful, especially for Americans who have not journeyed to these areas, these dishes offer a glimpse into some of the best America has to offer. (Oct.)