AMERICA: THE COOKBOOK

GABRIELLE LANGHOLTZ, PHAIDON, H/B, $70

THIS ENCYCLOPAEDIC book contains 800 recipes from the US, and believe it or not, there are only a couple of burgers. Each dish has a home in at least one of the 50 states, and there are plenty of surprises. Whether it’s Virginian spoonbread, Hawaiian kalua pork or halibut in rhubarb sauce from Oregon, this book shows the sheer diversity of cultures in the United States. Divided by courses, recipes reveal where communities settled over the history of the country through their food: caldo verde is from Rhode Island, which has a large Portuguese community, California gives plenty of Vietnameseand Mexican- style dishes, and Korean food from New Jersey features. The latter half of the book is filled with traditional recipes from each state, divided as such, with guest essays from chefs, food historians and food writers, such as The Food Gene author Michael W Twitty and Los Angeles Times’ Jonathan Gold. Not only is this book a great reference for the home cook, it’s a nice reminder that there’s more to American food than burgers, fries and hot dogs. THOMAS HEATON