Cooking

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, a New Orleans landmark and celebrated bastion of fine Creole food, has welcomed notable individuals as well as thousands of locals through its doors since opening in 1941. The unquestionable authority in the restaurant’s kitchen for many of those years, Leah Chase offers here a collection of recipes from the menu and her personal files that have delighted patrons for decades.

Spiced with exquisite works from the African American art collection that hangs in the restaurant’s dining room, this cookbook pairs the flavors of Leah Chase’s dishes with anecdotes recounting the restaurant’s traditions, origins of the recipes, and memories. This revised and expanded edition presents even more of the restaurant’s favorite offerings and features a new chapter on drinks. Dooky Chase’s longtime chef and proprietor passed away in 2019, but these pages honor Leah’s legacy through recipes and sentiments that will be forever intertwined with the history of New Orleans.

High country cooking fit to grace any table.

Southern Appalachia has a rich culinary tradition. Generations of passed down recipes offer glimpses into a culture that has long been defined, in considerable measure, by its food. Take a journey of pure delight through this highland homeland with stories of celebrations, Sunday dinners and ordinary suppers. The narrative material and scores of recipes offered here share a deep love of place and a devotion to this distinctive cuisine. The end result is a tempting invitation, in the vernacular of the region, to “pull up a chair and take nourishment.”

Authors Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley, both natives of the region, are seasoned veterans in sharing the culinary delights of the southern highlands.

This volume features more than 300 authentic recipes straight from the kitchens of Creole Louisiana.

Since first published in 1977, Puerto Rican Cookery has remained a bestselling cookbook throughout the world, not only in Puerto Rico. With hundreds of practical and delicious recipes, this cookbook is required reading material for anyone who loves fine Caribbean cooking.

When author Camen Aboy Valldej́uli was a girl, proper young women were not permitted to learn domestic work such as cooking, yet her love for fine dining and her native Puerto Rico launched a lifetime adventure collecting recipes of traditional Puerto Rican dishes. Their cocina criolla, or traditional native cookery, can be traced back to the original indigenous inhabitants for over 500 years, from delectable barbacoa and the staple plantain, to the zesty seasonings of citrus, cilantro, and oregano, as well as two magical words which are the secret to many unique and characteristic dishes with a Caribbean flavor: adobo and sofrito. With new outside influences of the Spanish, British, Dutch, and Africans who arrived in the islands, the delicate blends and innovations of five centuries have developed a genuine Caribbean cuisine. Stuffed with hundreds of recipes ranging from every day favorites to fancy feasts for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert and cocktails, this cookbook is as essential to beginner cooks as it is to seasoned chefs alike.

“Honey, if cookin’ is a chore, then you ain’t been doin’ it right.”--author and Lord Honey chef Jason Smith

From Kentucky ’Nanners Foster Waffles to ’Lasses-Glazed Carrots to Sweet Tea and Bourbon Fried Chicken, celebrate the art of “Country Bling” cooking with recipes that will have you digging out the cast-iron skillet and running to the store for some butter. Complete with colorful descriptions, accessible ingredients, simple directions, and helpful tips, this book will teach you everything you need to know about cooking with love. Kentucky born and bred, Lord Honey Chef Jason Smith honors his roots and, at the same time, refashions cherished classics. Enjoy beloved Southern traditions and odes to the homespun—dishes always perfect just the way Granny did it—but with a twist. Some of these recipes have won awards, and others haven’t made it to the competition yet, but all of them are just right for a sit-down with family and friends.

From Lobster Salad to Baked Stuffed Oysters and Crawfish Bisque, this compilation of recipes offers the best of New Orleans cuisine. Chef Lena Richards pulled inspiration from her southern roots and her experience in the catering business, to create delectable dishes. In addition to recipes, this comprehensive cookbook offers menu ideas for both formal and informal dinners.

Have you ever wondered how to make Crawfish Bisque or Baked Stuffed Oysters? Find out from an experienced caterer and cooking school owner who decided to share her secrets. In New Orleans, creating a fine dining experience and enjoying it is an art. This book teaches the ambitious cook how to create that art.

From cocktails, to compotes, to pastry and pies, this cookbook offers a bit of everything. Ideas for menus for both formal and informal dinners are also included. So get adventurous and have some fun creating some New Orleans favorites!

Considered the first African American cookbook published in America.

This wonderful collection of one hundred and sixty authentic and tasty recipes of the Old South was originally published in 1881 and is a landmark in the history of American food publications.

A handy little cookbook that puts the humble rhubarb in the spotlight. 

There’s more to rhubarb than you thought. The distinctive plant was initially used as an herbal medicine, and it eventually became a favorite baking ingredient and was known stateside as the “pie plant.” Today, it’s considered a superfood thanks to its high levels of vitamin C and K and fiber. 

In over sixty recipes, food journalist and author Nina Mukerjee Furstenau takes readers on a journey through the extensive applications of the tart red stalk. From classics desserts like strawberry-rhubarb pie to savory main dishes, plus preserves, relishes, and even drinks, the best-dressed member of your garden shines in ways you never would have dreamed of. 

Pirate's Pantry: Treasured Recipes of Southwest Louisiana (50th Anniversary) is a bountiful collection of family and regional recipes, with a spicy lagniappe of local historical lore that reflects the Creole and Cajun flavor of this unique area, steeped in mystique and legend.

For most people, Southwest Louisiana evokes images of good food—an integral and inseparable part of the area’s past as well as its present. The Junior League of Lake Charles has collected family and regional recipes with a spicy lagniappe of local historical lore that reflects the Creole flavor and Cajun flair of this unique area. Steeped in mystique and legend, the bayous, rivers, and lakes of Southwest Louisiana provide the ingredients and the inspiration for Creole cuisine. Notorious pirate Jean Lafitte was a frequent visitor to the local planters’ tables, and his legend remains today throughout the swamps of Southwest Louisiana in Calcasieu Parish.Teaming with seafood, the local waters offer an abundance of ready possibilities for creative and delicious dishes. Sink your teeth into some Creole Jambalaya or Trout Au Gratin. Sample mouthwatering Crab Meat Quiche or Shrimp Thermidor. Delight in delicious Charcoaled Venison Roast or Grillades and Grits. Savor buttery Jalapeno Corn Bread and warm Swedish Puff Coffee Cake. Devour Heavenly Strawberry Pie, Ambrosia Cake, or Buttermilk Pralines at the end of any meal. Wonderful recipes such as these will greet you throughout these pages, delivering the distinctive tastes of Southwest Louisiana to your table. The sections include: Roux, Filé, Gumbos, Soups, Rice, Seafood, Wildlife, Beverages, Wine, Hors D’oeuvres, Eggs and Cheese, Breads, Meat, Poultry, Vegetables, Salads, Sauces, Accompaniments, and Desserts.

Beginning in the early 1990s, Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood began to transform from the post-industrial morass it had been suffering for the last few decades. Artists began to rent empty apartments, what were once shot-and-a-beer bars became hip dive bars and entrepreneurs found inexpensive real estate to follow their visions. It was in this landscape that the Beehive Coffeehouse began to attract a new 90s alternative crowd./East Carson Street was soon home to not just coffeehouses but Slacker, Dee's Cafe, Culture Shop, Club Laga and the Lava Lounge. Across a bridge, in the university community of Oakland, The Upstage, Electric Banana and another Beehive catered to the new youth culture. Cappuccinos, thrift shop culture, grunge music, local alternative bands, artists, writers and creative denizens of all stripes would soon enter the city's collective conscious. The South Side Beehive though was where the night often began, and weekends ended.

This second cookbook from Leah Chase not only comes with her famous recipes, but it also contains her reflections on life, business, family, and friends. Now in paperback, the collection includes menus for special events.

The iconic restaurant famous for Breakfast at Brennan's was a Creole favorite and New Orleans staple for decades before its closure in 2013. Now available in paperback, these classic recipes are sprinkled with both family and restaurant history and seasoned with the original illustrations. This collection is a must for everyone with a craving for true New Orleans flavor!

Once hailed as one of America’s greatest restaurants, Brennan’s in New Orleans was known worldwide as a home of fine cuisine. “Breakfast at Brennan’s” was a longstanding tradition on par with “dinner at Antoine’s,” and the restaurant was famed for its culinary inventions. Recreate the elegance at home with this classic collection of the Brennan family’s distinctive Creole recipes, first issued in 1961. Author and columnist Hermann B. Deutsch recounts the fascinating rise of the Brennan clan, telling how a family of poor Irish immigrants rose to become the premier restaurateurs in New Orleans. Numerous illustrations document the history of the family and their iconic restaurant.

Includes 150 iconic Brennans recipes like:

• Bananas Foster
• Trout Amandine
• Pompano en Papillote
• Eggs Benedict

From brunch to dessert, these kitchen madams serve up history New Orleans style!

Author and culinary historian Poppy Tooker masterfully combines all the myriad strands that fill the rooms of Tujague’s beautifully restored establishment into a whole cloth of foodie lore. As the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans, Tujague’s boasts more than a century of fresh Creole cuisine served in the heart of the French Quarter. More than a cookbook, this foray into history combines memorabilia from the restaurant’s archives with stunning modern images from New Orleans photographers Sam Hanna and Louis Sahuc. The dramatic story of the successful effort to save the restaurant is included, along with tales of ghostly guests and authentic dishes and drinks celebrating the oldest standup bar in America and the restaurant that created the international tradition of brunch.

Discover the origins of second breakfast in New Orleans.

Originally published in 1900 from the handwritten notes of Mme. Bégué herself, this collection of dishes from a quintessential New Orleans restaurant are now available in a reprint of the 1937 edition.

The initial edition of Images of America: The Kentucky Bourbon Trail was published in 2009, and since then, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tourist attraction has grown to include 10 of the state's largest and most famous distilleries along with members of the new Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®.

This revised edition contains nearly 100 new images of the bourbon industry, past and present, making it an essential companion for bourbon enthusiasts as they visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries. Along the KBT™, tour guides and exhibits offer visitors a variety of interesting facts and often a taste of this uniquely American spirit. This book offers a look back at some of the pioneers of whiskey distilling, the distilleries that have come and gone, and the history of those brands that carry on the craft today. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® are experiences that rank among Kentucky's most famous and fastest-growing tourism attractions, with over 3 million visits in the last five years

From a one-story cabin in the piney woods of the Panhandle to a high-rise condo along the glistening waterways, Cracker cooking in Florida has evolved with our tastes and times.

When supplies were limited and the workday arduous, black coffee with leftover cornbread might serve as breakfast. Today’s bounty and life’s relative ease bring mornings with lattes and biscotti, biscuits and sausage gravy. What’s on the plate has changed, but our heritage infuses who we are. As we follow the path laid out by gastronomic pioneers, this culinary quest, guided by sixth-generation Cracker Joy Sheffield Harris, will whet your appetite with recipes and sumptuous reflections. Pull up a chair and dig in.

Inspired by Florida's famed Mai-Kai restaurant, Bill Sapp and Lee Henry opened the Kahiki Supper Club in 1961. Patrons lined up for hours to see the celebrities who dined there--everyone from Betty White to Raymond Burr.

Sapp and Henry set out simply to build a nice Polynesian restaurant and ended up establishing the most magnificent one of them all. Outside, two giant Easter Island heads with flames spouting from their topknots stood guard while customers dined in a faux tribal village with thatched huts, palm trees and a towering fireplace moai. One wall featured aquariums of exotic fish and another had windows overlooking a tropical rainforest with periodic thunderstorms. For nearly forty years, the Kahiki was the undisputed center of tiki culture.

Take a Bite of Philadelphia's Storied Sandwich History

Philadelphia boasts some of the most delicious original sandwiches and passionate sandwich aficionados. From the classic cheesesteak to the delectable roast pork, the city’s cultural and ethnic diversity has resulted in many of America’s most established meals between bread. Join author and bona fide sandwich obsessive Mike Madaio as he journeys through the history and eateries behind Philadelphia’s most iconic sandwiches and discovers some unsung heroes along the way.

Culinary Memories from Philadelphia's Past...Beyond the Cheesesteak

Long before Philadelphia’s food scene was splashed on covers of Bon Appetit and local establishments garnered accolades like “America’s best restaurant,” culinary pioneers set the city’s restaurant industry ablaze. Frenchman Georges Perrier brought the city the highest, most-respected opulence, Le Bec-Fin, for 40 years running. The ultimate seafood institute, Old Original Bookbinder’s, held the title of the world’s largest lobster tank and prepared impeccable oyster Rockefeller. Steve Poses changed the culinary game with the Frog that captivated palates with the infusion of international flavors. The nation’s very first automat, Horn & Hardart’s, consistently delivered near-perfect comfort food classics via vending machine.

Amy Strauss revisits celebrated spaces, unforgettable personalities and must-have recipes that made Philadelphia’s historic restaurants remembered for their delicious moments in time.

New Englanders are as far away from the South Pacific as any American can be, yet when tiki fever gripped the country in the mid-twentieth century, even they were not immune.

Tropical-themed restaurants and bars sprang up in the unlikeliest of places, from coastal cities to far-flung suburbs. Places like the Hu Ke Lau, the Aku-Aku and the Kowloon were packed every night. Decades after the fever ended, it re-emerged as a new century dawned, and New Englanders took up the mantles of Polynesian pop to escape to places of tropical leisure in their own backyard.

Local author Kevin Quigley dives deep into the region’s unusual history with tiki culture.

An Iowa Tradition Like No Other

In the 1970s, there were around 450 local meat lockers throughout the state of Iowa. Today, there are little more than 100 left. History is finally back on their side with a wave of consumers wanting to support small businesses, shop small and buy local. Consumers now also have an increased urge to take more day trips and explore regions they don’t see much in the headlines and bring these meats home for their own culinary creations. This is the story of heritage from the old country being passed down by generations of Iowans, and the future of an industry that has endured through decades of decline. Jay Goodvin details the history of Iowa Meat Lockers and their future. 

All you need is love and cookies.

Everyone loves cookies, but the people of the Steel Valley take this love to another level. Nowhere else in America will you behold hundreds—or even thousands—of cookies piled high for events of all kinds. This is the regionally famous cookie table. But how did this tradition start? Why do residents of the Pittsburgh and Youngstown areas always create them not just for weddings but for birthdays, graduations, fundraisers, community events, and so much more? How did this once quaint local custom become a social media phenomenon? How are the cookies made, and how is a cookie table organized?

Join author and cookie table enthusiast Alice Crosetto on a delectable journey through this beloved Steel Valley tradition.

Hula girls, palm trees and Tiki gods beckoned Ohioans of the 1950s and ’60s as tropical hot spots sprang up in suburban neighborhoods and concrete jungles alike.

The Kon Tiki restaurants of Cleveland and Cincinnati slung rum cocktails to patrons eager for escape to a South Seas paradise. Visitors to the famed Kahiki Supper Club of Columbus, the Tropics in Dayton and Toledo’s Aku-Aku could spot celebrities swaying to the exotic sounds of steel guitars and native percussion. Venturing a step beyond restaurants and bars, others decked out theaters, bowling alleys and even a McDonald’s in sultry island décor. Join author and Tiki veteran Jeff Chenault on an excursion into a bygone era when the South Pacific came to Ohio.

From appetizers and soups to pierogi and sweets, this gorgeous cookbook offers fifty recipes, along with photographs, history, musings, and stories. These classic Polish recipes are knockouts for the eye and the taste buds.

Hospitality and hearty food are the hallmarks of the Polish dining experience. This cookbook features dozens of favorite Polish dishes showcasing a variety of flavors, preparation techniques, and ingredient selections. With titles given in both Polish and English, recipes range from cucumber salad and beet soup to pork cutlets, potato pancakes, and cabbage rolls. A chapter devoted to pierogi presents the dumplings with an assortment of fillings, and the final chapter of sweets tops off any meal in true Polish fashion.

Like all the books in Pelican’s Classic Recipe Series, the entries in this collection were carefully selected to provide a cross section of memorable and authentic dishes. Organized by course, the offerings range from appetizers and salads to sides and sweets, featuring the most iconic and national of dishes—Hunter’s Stew and Barszcz—alongside comfort food and a handful of desserts, including honey cake, poppy seed rolls, and chocolate mazurka.

Designed for the modern kitchen yet retaining traditional roots, each heritage recipe has been tested to perfection. Accompanied by notes on Polish holiday customs, history, and menu pairing suggestions, these dishes offer a flavorful sample of the Polish dining experience, as passed down from generation to generation.

Originally published in 1916, this innovative peanut recipe book by prominent Black scientist George Washington Carver is just as delicious today.

How many ways can you possibly prepare the peanut? At least 105, according to George Washington Carver. In this book, Carver compiles recipes from agricultural bulletins, cookbooks, magazines, newspapers and more. Featured peanut recipes include bisque, doughnuts, sausages, candy and dozens of others.

In addition to recipes, Carver shows readers how to grow the peanut, where to plant peanuts, when to harvest them and everything in between. Carver's clean instructions are accessible even to farming hobbyists. Whether you're looking to grow peanuts or simply eat them every which way, this groundbreaking book by George Washington Carver is sure to satisfy.

The Church of Tiki

To aficionados of Polynesian Pop, the Kahiki Supper Club was and remains the touchstone for all things tiki. The epitome of a fad that started at the end of Prohibition, it has been rediscovered by each successive generation, with relics of the original “mothership” proudly displayed in tropical restaurants and bars throughout the country. Years after its razing in August 2000, the legacy of the Kahiki continues to inspire artists, entrepreneurs, and other visionaries, many of whom never set foot inside the fabled tiki palace.

From the authors of Kahiki Supper Club comes a new collection of more stories, more images, and more delicious recipes that explain why the Kahiki was such a historically, culturally, and sociologically important artifact of the twentieth century.

“I love Detroit Style Pizza, especially when you see the look on somebody’s face the first time that they try it. As soon as they taste it, they’re ‘Oh, my God. Where has this been all my life?’” Mike Spurlock

With its airy crust, cheesy corners and distinctive red sauce on top, Detroit Style pizza is enjoyed worldwide. How did this Motor City delicacy transform from a singular kitchen in Detroit to an international sensation?Travel with author Karen Dybis through this pizza’s humble origins from Gus Guerra’s first square pie at Buddy’s to Shawn Randazzo’s stunning win at the International Pizza Expo through today as new chefs put their own spin on this style.

With in-depth research and storytelling, Dybis takes you into the kitchens that developed, fought over and sought to perfect this delectable dish that put Detroit up there with New York, Chicago and New Haven when it comes to pizza.

A classic is updated for a new generation!

The history of 613 Rue Royale, the site of New Orleans’ famous Court of Two Sisters restaurant, dates back to 1732—just fourteen years after the founding of the city, when it was the site of the home of Louisiana’s second governor. 

Beginning in 1886, the legendary “two sisters,” for whom the building and courtyard are named, operated a notions shop on the ground floor of the mansion. Located in the very center of “Governor’s Row,” 613 Royal became the focal point of Creole society. In many ways, the romance and history of the largest courtyard in the Vieux Carre epitomize the charm, the ambience, and the lifestyle of “America’s most European city.”

A tribute to the history that has made the restaurant famous throughout the world, the cookbook has been revised and updated with new recipes from the acclaimed kitchens. The history of the courtyard and the French Quarter offers an intriguing background for the recipes that follow—recipes that are Creole-inspired and taste-tested by the discriminating palates of tens of thousands of customers.

Cleveland’s neighborhood taverns are more than just places to grab a drink—they’re snapshots of the city’s history, rich with tales of community, celebration and even scandal.

Built by hardworking immigrants chasing the American Dream, these taverns were where workers cashed their paychecks, swapped stories, celebrated victories and sometimes witnessed late-night crimes. Family-run bars were often passed down through generations, becoming intertwined with the ever-changing face of the city. Although many did not survive the 1960s and ’70s, their memory lives on.

Native Clevelander and founder of My Cleveland History Tom Kaschalk honors the legendary watering holes that shaped Cleveland’s communities, hosted vibrant music scenes and served as the backdrop to both good times and life-changing events.

Every New Orleanian knows Leah Chase’s gumbo, but few realize that the Freedom Fighters gathered and strategized over bowls of that very dish.

Or that Parkway’s roast beef po-boy originated in a streetcar conductors’ strike. In a town where Antoine’s Oysters Rockefeller is still served up by the founder’s great-great-grandson, discover the chefs and restaurateurs who kept their gas flames burning through the Great Depression and Hurricane Katrina. Author Alexandra Kennon weaves the classic offerings of Creole grande dames together with contemporary neighborhood staples for a guide through the Crescent City’s culinary soul. From Brennan’s Bananas Foster to Galatoire’s Soufflé Potatoes, this collection also features a recipe from each restaurant, allowing readers to replicate iconic New Orleans cuisine at home.

Through stories and recipes nearly lost to time, author Paul Vachon explores the history of the Motor City's fine dining, ethnic eateries and everything in between. Grab a cup of coffee - he's got stories to share.

While some restaurants come and go with little fanfare, others are dearly missed and never forgotten. In 1962, patrons of the Caucus Club were among the first to hear the voice of an eighteen-year-old Barbra Streisand. Before Stouffer's launched a frozen food empire, it was better known for its restaurants with two popular locations in Detroit. The Machus Red Fox was the last place former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa was seen alive.

Owners of the General Equipment company opened the restaurant chain Burger Chef, intending to promote their equipment they instead sky-rocketed themselves into owning the second largest burger chain in America.

Frank P. Thomas Jr., Donald J. Thomas, and Robert E. Wildman, owners of the General Equipment Company, entered into the fast-food business by opening a 15¢ hamburger restaurant called Burger Chef in Indianapolis in 1958. General Equipment was a manufacturer of restaurant machinery and built the equipment installed in each Burger Chef store. The partners started their new Burger Chef division to sell more equipment; they never could have imagined that Burger Chef would eventually grow to become the nation's second-largest hamburger chain and beloved by customers in towns and cities across America. Burger Chef continued in business until 1982, cooking its popular flame-broiled hamburgers and introducing its memorable advertising icons, Burger Chef and Jeff.

Fast, easy, and economical, the recipes in Microwave Cooking for One are ideal for individuals, whether they live alone or share busy modern households. From breakfast through dinner, fresh, delicious meals can be prepared to satisfy personal tastes without wasted food, overheated kitchens, or messy clean-up.

This cult favorite has been featured by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Washington Post, The Mindy Project, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, About.com, Dangerous Minds, Anorak, SF Weekly, Livestrong, Nutrition Know How, Serious Eats, and more.

This uniquely practical guide to wholesome and efficient cooking emphasizes the importance of measured portions, careful timing, and the right utensils when cooking with a microwave. Inexperienced chefs will be able to cook like professionals with these more than three hundred easy-to-follow recipes. As an extra bonus, included are instructions for easily doubling or tripling a recipe when you need more to go around.

Dishes include Flounder with Stuffing, Flaky Homemade Biscuits, Momma’s Chicken Cacciatore, and Pound Cake. Discover a world of convenience for every meal of the day!

Cincinnati chili is its own special creation with a unique flavor and style. Uncover the essential parlors originating and serving this unique Cincinnati specialty in this thorough history of its roots and restaurants.

Cincinnati is certainly judged by its chili. Some claim it's not even chili, but those are just fighting words to natives who have developed the crave. Cincinnati is a long way from El Paso, and our chili is not Tex-Mex style. It is a unique blend typically served as a three-way: over spaghetti and covered in shredded cheddar cheese. From its 1922 roots with the Slavic-Macedonian immigrant brothers Kiradjieff in a burlesque theater, Cincinnati chili has become a million-dollar industry supporting 250 chili parlors. Many chili parlors have come and gone, but a few familiar names remain: Dixie, Camp Washington, Gold Star, Price Hill and Skyline. This is their amazing chili story.

“Stories of immigration, culture-clash . . . and old-fashioned hard work are told through the history of Houston’s long-gone, but still-beloved restaurants.” —Yesterday’s America

With more than fourteen thousand eating establishments covering seventy different ethnic cuisines, Houston is a foodie town. But even in a place where eating out is a way of life and restaurants come and go, there were some iconic spots that earned a special place in the hearts and stomachs of locals.

Maxim’s taught overnight millionaires how to handle meals that came with three forks. The Trader Vic’s at the Shamrock offered dedicated homebodies a chance for the exotic, and Sonny Look’s Sirloin Inn maintained the reputation of a city of steakhouses.

From Alfred’s Delicatessen to Youngblood’s Fried Chicken, Paul and Christiane Galvani celebrate the stories and recipes of Houston’s fondly remembered tastemakers.

“In the book, the Galvanis share Houston’s history and love of food. They take the reader on the banks of the bayou when the city received its first inhabitants before time hopping from the Original Mexican Restaurant to The Original Kelley’s Steakhouse. Other stops include Alfred’s Delicatessen and the San Jacinto Inn.” —Houston Business Journal

Although the industry is all but gone today, New Jersey was once the hub of diner manufacturing, making mobile eateries that fed hungry Americans all over.

The silver Airstreams and neon signs of the classic American diner brighten New Jersey's highways and Main Streets but the intrinsic role they have played in the state's culture and industry for more than one hundred years is much more than eggs-over-easy and coffee. Diners are the state's ultimate gathering places--at any moment, high school students, CEOs, construction workers and tourists might be found at a counter chatting with the waitresses and line cooks. Locals yearn for lost favorites like the Excellent Diner and Prout's Diner and still gather at beloved haunts like the Bendix and Tick Tock Diners. Author Michael C. Gabriele offers this delicious history--collected from interviews with owners, patrons and experts--and indulges in many fond memories of classic New Jersey eateries.

Join author Amy Strauss as she traces the sizzling history and culture of a beloved and sustaining Pennsylvania Dutch iconic dish, scrapple.

The name may remind you of a certain word-based board game, but scrapple has been an essential food in Mid-Atlantic kitchens for hundreds of years, the often-overlooked king of breakfast meats. Developed by German settlers of Pennsylvania, scrapple was made from the scraps of meat cut from the day's butchering to avoid waste. Pork trimmings were stewed until tender, ground like sausage, and blended with broth, cornmeal, and buckwheat flour. Crispy slabs of scrapple sustained the Pennsylvanians through the frigid winter months and brutal harvest months, providing them with a high-energy and tasty breakfast meal that people enjoy even today.

Compiling more than 100 family recipes, founder of the Akron Recipe Project Judy Orr James serves up a history of home cooking in the Rubber City.

From the city's founding in 1825 through the years following World War II, numerous ethnic and cultural groups made Akron home. With each new arrival, the city's food changed and deepened to delicious effect. Polish immigrants brought pierogi to the area, and Jews introduced Old World favorites like kugel and hamantaschen. African Americans seeking a better life in the North enriched the Akron palate with the unique and southern-inspired dishes of their ancestors. Last but not least, there is the sauerkraut ball, Akron's official food and favorite snack served at local restaurants, cocktail parties, holiday celebrations, and game day gatherings.

Take a culinary journey through the foods, restaurants and businesses that define the cuisine of New York City and the Jewish immigrant experience...

No trip to New York’s five boroughs is complete without a hand sliced pastrami sandwich at Katz's deli or a bagel and lox with a schmear of cream cheese from Russ and Daughters.  Any true New Yorker can tell you where to get the savoriest bowl of matzo ball soup or the crispest kosher dill pickle. Manischewitz wine became the icon it is today after Sammy Davis Jr. became its offical spokesperson.

Join author June Hersh as she reveals the iconic Jewish foods, establishments and products that left their imprint on the taste buds of New Yorkers and the world.

Culinary Traditions Preserved, Stories Never to be Forgotten/

This vital collection of survivor stories uplifts and inspires alongside recipes that nourish your soul. Read about daring partisans who fought in the woods, hidden children who sought comfort from strangers and those who endured unimaginable internment. For Holocaust survivors, food was a way to connect their lives before the war with the homes they created after. Their kitchens were filled with the aromas of familiar foods like chicken soup and brisket while unfamiliar delights they adopted, like arroz con pollo and gnocchi, became part of their repertoire. These are the recipes they share with you. Culinary icons such as Michael Solomonov, Jonathan Waxman, Ina Garten and more contribute their own recipes as tribute to the remarkable survivor community. Author June Hersh gives readers a taste of history and a life-affirming message that honors the legacy of Holocaust survivors. 

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book will benefit organizations committed to Holocaust education.

New England food and drinks writer Corin Hirsch explores the origins and taste of the favorite potations of early Americans and offers some modern-day recipes to revive them today.

Colonial New England was awash in ales, beers, wines, cider and spirits. Everyone from teenage farmworkers to our founding fathers imbibed heartily and often. Tipples at breakfast, lunch, teatime and dinner were the norm, and low-alcohol hard cider was sometimes even a part of children's lives. This burgeoning cocktail culture reflected the New World's abundance of raw materials: apples, sugar and molasses, wild berries and hops. This plentiful drinking sustained a slew of smoky taverns and inns--watering holes that became vital meeting places and the nexuses of unrest as the Revolution brewed.

A Vehicle City Success Story

The history of Flint's food culture has always been largely overshadowed by the stories of its industries. But the origins and rapid expansion of the number of Macedonian Coney shops in Flint paralleled the explosive growth of the city's automotive industry throughout the twentieth century. Born of an immigrant escaping the war-torn Balkans in the early 1900s who combined his idea for one dish with the skills of butchering and meatpacking experts from Wisconsin and Germany, the simple Flint Coney became an institution among the city's autoworkers, tradespeople, and families. Mainstays such as Flint Original Coney Island, Angelo's, and Atlas were frequented by regular patrons for decades, with others such as Capitol and Starlite carrying on those traditions today.

Genesee County native Dave Liske explores these global origins and the cultural history of the Flint Coney.

Carmen Aboy Valldejuli was, according to New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne, the foremost authority on Puerto Rican cooking whose cookbooks are
the definitive books on island cooking.

Her cookbook, Juntos en la Cocina (Together in the Kitchen), is the result of fifty years of love, sharing and hard work. Carmen and her husband, Luis presented their favorite recipes in this new volume. Now these flavorful meals are available to anyone interested in learning the art of Puerto Rican cuisine from two of its finest teachers.

Written in Spanish, Juntos en la Cocina provides a complete tour of the culinary arts of Puerto Rico. Adobo and sofrito, the bases of many island dishes, are despcribed in detail. To enable both novice and experienced cooks to create savory meals, each recipe gives step-by-step instructions, with special emphasis on preparation and serving.

Sample Chili con Carne, Chicken Fiesta, Carne Empanada and traditional black beans and rice. Pasta is never dull with recipes for Lasagna a la San Juan and Spaghetti Florentine. And dessert temptations include chocolate and mango flan, queen's cake and other exotic pastries.

Whether you are working alone in the kitchen or with someone you love, Juntos en la Cocina is a friend you won't want to be without.

The common Yankee cruller can trace its roots to the Scottish Aberdeen Crulla, the recipe for which is included in this book.

Catering to all the folks

In business for more than a century, Kewpee is the second oldest hamburger chain in the United States. Beginning with the Kewpee Hotel in Flint, Michigan, founder Samuel “Old Man Kewpee” Blair soon opened his original hamburger stand. That location served the world’s first deluxe hamburger, crafted from fresh, never-frozen beef and topped with tomatoes, lettuce and mayo. By licensing the Kewpee name, Blair and Ohio Kewpee Hotel operator Edwin Adams expanded into a chain of hundreds of hamburger stands and restaurants, mainly in the Midwest. A small number of Kewpee locations survived competition and still serve Olive Burgers, fries, malts and pie to lucky customers.

Author Gary Flinn tells the full story of Kewpee, its many locations long gone and its spinoff, Halo Burger.

The food that fuels hardworking Chicagoans needs to be hearty, portable and inexpensive. Featuring select stories and recipes, author Amy Bizzarri surveys the delectable landscape of Chicago's homegrown culinary hits.

Enterprising locals transform standard fare into Chicago classics, including Spinning Salad, Flaming Saganaki, Jumpballs, Jim Shoes, Pizza Puffs and Pullman Bread. The restaurants, bakeries, taverns and pushcarts cherished from one generation to the next offer satisfying warmth in winter and sweet refreshment in summer. This timeless balancing act produced icons like the Cape Cod Room's Bookbinder Soup and the Original Rainbow Cone, as well as Andersonville Coffee Cake and Taylor Street's Italian Lemonade.

Acclaimed author June Hersh presents the iconic dishes, fascinating stories and mouthwatering history behind Upstate New York’s culinary heritage, featuring delicious recipes of reinvented classics.

The heart of New York State’s food culture isn’t found on busy Manhattan avenues—it exists within the country kitchens, historic farms and neighborhood spots beyond the environs of New York City. Chicken riggies, salt potatoes and beef on weck aren’t just local foods—they reveal the vibrant Italian, Irish and German immigrant histories that shaped the region. From the Borscht Belt to the Finger Lakes, New York’s Upstate has diverse and exciting flavors all its own. The Empire State’s picturesque apple orchards, Concord grape vineyards and dairies have been feeding the nation for centuries.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book benefit the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum.

Thousands of restaurants have come and gone on Cape Cod over the past century. Some, however, made an indelible mark.

Author Christopher Setterlund details the history of the iconic establishments of the Cape, still fresh in the memories of patrons, complete with famous recipes. Bill and Thelma's was hugely popular with students from the 1950s to the 1970s, often packed with locals after sporting events and dances. Starbuck's Restaurant in Hyannis featured the Chief Justice Warren Burger Burger and the Larry Bird Burger on its menu and boasted of the soup du jour, We don't know what it is, but we have it every day. Opinions differ on how the Reno Diner actually got its name, whether from a broken sign or a local appliance company. This fun collection is sure to arouse some fond memories of these old eateries, and perhaps a little hunger too.

A Taste of the New Orleans supernatural

A bloody romp through the French Quarter, including over 30 delectable recipes by Chef Chris Dunn

New Orleans is filled with mysteries and legends. Ghosts that haunt our city, rougarou (a werewolf-like creature that dwells in the swamps), and vampires. Maidens who were sent from France in 1721 to help colonize the city but were mysteriously turned to vampires on the ship before their arrival. There are also witches—some with remedies and some with curses. They say New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures. If one delves deep into this melting pot, they may just find the supernatural pulling them in deeper still until the food tastes like their favorite memories of home cooking, the unexpected becomes commonplace, and the sharp pain on their neck has them lusting and longing for their lover. Mosquito–Southern Vampires, originally released one chapter at a time as a penny dreadful, is a melting pot of the supernatural. To help create an immersive, mystical experience, at the end of each chapter is a recipe by Chef Chris Dunn from the New Orleans Vampire Café or the Vampire Apothecary, both located in the mysterious beating heart of the old French Quarter.

Marita Woywod Crandle, author and historian, has a passion for historical fiction. She has written several history books as research for her historical fiction work, including New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend and Josie Arlington’s Storyville: The Life and Times of a New Orleans Madame. Crandle also owns several vampire-themed businesses in the New Orleans French Quarter, including Boutique du Vampyre, and two restaurants, The New Orleans Vampire Café and Boutique du Vampyre’s Apothecary. Both restaurants share the same executive chef, Chef Chris Dunn, who offers many of his recipes in this book. Chef Chris creates meals that are decadently delicious, with elegant presentation—the way a vampire would host his mortal guests.

Explore the history of Ohio’s one-bite wonder!  

From humble origins, the buckeye has become Ohio’s namesake candy. Though a classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, each producer’s offering is as bespoke as the buckeye is beloved. Taste tradition in Amish country at Coblentz Chocolate Company or sample capital city Columbus’ original stuffed offering from The Buckeye Lady. Visit legendary family businesses like fifth-generation Anthony Thomas, Wittich’s, the nation’s oldest candy shop and Winans, a carriage house chocolatier turned coffee roaster, serving up deliciousness at the seat of the state’s Buckeye Candy Trail. Traverse towns to try long-standing favorites from Esther Price, Marie’s Candies and Marsha’s Homemade Buckeyes alongside artistic interpretations from newcomers The Buckeye Co, Tana’s Tasty Treats and Lohcally Artisan Chocolates./

Join Renee Casteel Cook, author of Ohio Ice Cream/ and coauthor of The Columbus Food Truck Cookbook/, as she unfolds how this bite-sized confection has become Ohio’s sweetest symbol.

Florida native Zora Neale Hurston's early twentieth-century ethnographic research and writing emphasizes the essentials of food in Florida through simple dishes and recipes.

It considers foods prepared for everyday meals as well as special occasions and looks at what shaped people's eating traditions in early twentieth-century Florida. Hurston did for Florida what William Faulkner did for Mississippi - provided insight into a state's history and culture through various styles of writing. Her collected food stories, folklore and remedies, and the related recipes food professor Fred Opie pairs with them, are essential reading for those who love to cook and eat.

Featuring recipes from WYES PBS’s A Chef’s Journey, this collection brings the flavors of New Orleans to life through the recipes of Edgar “Dook” Chase IV. Alongside dishes showcased in the series, this book includes additional recipes that highlight his creativity and mastery of New Orleans cuisine.

Dook Chase is an acclaimed New Orleans chef and restaurateur, best known as the executive chef and co-owner of the legendary Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. A fourth-generation member of the iconic Chase family, he proudly carries forward the culinary and cultural legacy established by his grandparents, Leah and Edgar Chase Jr.



Dook brings a thoughtful, contemporary approach to the kitchen while honoring the classic Creole cuisine for which the restaurant is known. In 2025, the Chase family was awarded the James Beard America’s Classics: South Award.

Baby Ruth, Milk Duds, Juicy Fruit, Cracker Jack, Milky Way, Tootsie Roll, Lemonheads - whatever your favorite candy may be, chances are it came from Chicago.

For much of its history, the city churned out an astonishing one third of all candy produced in the United States. Some of the biggest names in the industry were based in Chicago: Curtiss, Brach, Tootsie Roll, Leaf, Wrigley, and Mars. Along with these giants were smaller, family-based companies with devoted followings, such as fundraising specialist World's Finest Chocolate and the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, maker of Red Hots and Jaw Breakers. At its peak, the Chicago candy industry boasted more than 100 companies employing some 25,000 Chicagoans. This fascinating photographic history travels through more than 150 years of the candy tradeand explores its role in the growth and development of the city. Packed with vintage images of stores, factories, and advertisements, this mouth-watering book reveals how Chicago candy makers created strong bonds between people and their favorite treats.

A guide to the unique tastes of New Orleans' world-renowned gumbos and soups.

GOURMET MAGAZINE'S FEBRUARY 2009 COOKBOOK CLUB SELECTION

FEATURED ALTERNATE FOR THE GOOD COOK BOOK CLUB.

Award-winning culinary enthusiast Kit Wohl continues her celebration of New Orleans style and taste with dozens of signature gumbo and soup recipes. From Arnaud's Oysters Stewed in Cream to Chef John Folse's Smoked Wood Duck and Andouille Gumbo, Wohl collects the secrets from the Crescent City's most famous restaurants and chefs, including Leah Chase, John Besh, and Kevin Vizard. From fish to fowl and broths to bisques, each recipe is accompanied by a New Orleans anecdote, a touch of history, and gorgeous photography.

The high times, the rubouts, the payoffs -- they're all here in Wayne Klatt’s account of the Windy City’s wildest years.

The entire country -- the world -- was shocked and entertained by what went on in Chicago during Prohibition. Learn how it all happened, from a step-by-step speakeasy set-up to the White Sox scandal to the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Pull back the gauzy curtains of the gaudy era when Al Capone contributed to Mayor William Thompson's campaign and Governor Len Small used gangsters to fix his embezzlement trial. After studying every day of the Toddlin' Town’s stint in Prohibition, author Wayne Klatt shows how bootleg gangs came into power and demolishes the myth of a North Side-South Side rivalry.

Discover the landscapes, culture, and communities that shaped one of the South’s most beloved literary voices through an immersive journey across South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry. From the tidal marshes and historic streets of Charleston to the quiet charm of Beaufort, readers are invited to explore the places that inspired a lifetime of storytelling by Pat Conroy. This engaging history and travel narrative highlights the region’s rich heritage, coastal beauty, and vibrant culture while tracing the author’s deep personal connection to the communities he called home.

Follow the path through beloved Lowcountry destinations including Fripp Island, St. Helena Island, and Daufuskie Island—locations that appear frequently in Conroy’s novels and memoirs. The journey also explores formative chapters of his life, from his time as a cadet at The Citadel to his years teaching in Beaufort County schools and on remote coastal islands.

Blending literary history, regional storytelling, and practical travel inspiration, this richly detailed guide offers readers a unique perspective on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Along the way, it highlights historic landmarks, Gullah Geechee heritage, scenic waterways, renowned coastal cuisine, and authentic local experiences that continue to define this extraordinary region.

Author Lynn Seldon details this unforgettable literary and historical journey through the places, people, and traditions that shaped Conroy’s enduring connection to the Lowcountry.

The Youngstown story often is told with a beginning in iron and steel and ending in decay with a subplot driven by violent mobsters and corrupt politicians. Aiming to provide a more well-rounded examination of Youngstown, this collection of essays provides an authentic look at the city through a diverse set of experiences from the perspectives of those who have lived there. Readers will gain a sense of the past, present, and future of the city. Edited by Jacqueline Marino and Will Miller, the book features contributions by Christopher Barzak, Rochelle Hurt, Eric Murphy, Ed O’Neill, Sarah Sepanek, David Skolnick, Sarah Stankorb, C Lee Tressell, Jay Williams, Andrea Wood & 35 others.

This volume serves up a bountiful combination of local history, classic recipes, and colorful Midwestern food lore.

Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. Classics like fresh sweet corn and breaded pork tenderloins are found on menus and in home kitchens across the state. At the world-famous Iowa State Fair, a dizzying array of food on a stick commands a nationwide cult following.

From Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, A Culinary History of Iowa reveals the remarkable stories behind Iowa originals. Find recipes for favorites ranging from classic Iowa ham balls and Steak de Burgo to homemade cinnamon rolls—served with chili, of course!

Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a bountiful history of tasty tradition.