Copyright © 2012 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. www.crownpublishing.com www.clarksonpotter.com www.marthastewart.com CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc. Some photographs and recipes originally appeared in Martha Stewart Living publications. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stewart, Martha Martha’s American Food.—1st ed. 1. Cooking, American. 2. Cookbooks. I. Title. II. Title: American Food. TX715.S854 2012 641.5973—dc23 2011029172 eISBN: 978-0-7704-3297-3 Photograph credits Cover design by William van Roden and Jessica Blackham Front cover photograph by Paul Costello v3.1 To everyone who has generously contributed to the wonderful cuisine we now recognize as American INTRODUCTION ALL-AMERICAN NORTHEAST SOUTH MIDWEST SOUTHWEST WEST TIPS AND TECHNIQUES BASIC RECIPES SOURCES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX PHOTO CREDITS We are thrilled to have consolidated, in this volume, a collection of recipes that we believe are excellent examples of real American food. What exactly can be categorized as American food is open to lively debate. Since before the explorers discovered the bounty and wonders of this continent, Native Americans have been using indigenous, edible species and abundant wildlife for everyday consumption; corn, crab, lobster, oysters, blueberries, cranberries, turkey, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, and so much more were commonly incorporated into their everyday diets. Early settlers readily adapted to these new foods and used them regularly, supplementing what were unknown, unusual, and sometimes peculiar ingredients with their own more familiar flavorings and seasonings. This book is divided into regions, each with its particular defining features, as you will discover as you peruse the contents and experiment with the very delicious recipes. The challenge in putting it together was to edit the vast numbers of recipes beloved by so many into a manageable compilation of what we consider the best examples of a genre: chowders, pies, chilis, burgers, cobblers, casseroles, salads, and such. Fish chowder in the Northeast, as an example, is a very different soup from the corn chowder of the Southwest, and cioppino from the Northwest will be very distinguishable from the gumbos of Louisiana. Sauces, salsas, muffins, biscuits, sandwiches—there is great variety and much opportunity to experience a memorable trip around America and through time by cooking as many of these recipes as you can. An added bonus are the many recipes for cocktails and nonalcoholic beverages that also highlight the ingenuity and inventiveness of the people who settled here. The kitchens at Martha Stewart Living are filled with talented and knowledgeable editors who are also excellent recipe developers and food historians. We have all contributed something of what we know and love about American cuisine to this book, and every mouthwatering photograph promises something delightful to serve your families and friends. I hope you will discover favorites new and old in the following pages. And I hope you read all of the “backstories” that accompany the recipes. I promise you will learn a great deal about who we are as a vast community held inextricably together by wonderful food.