Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4385 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

Amazon.com Review

Product Description

An affectionate, thoroughly diverse tribute to the modern American table

"I'll introduce you to friends I've met along the way who have shared their foods, told me their stories and inspired me with their passion. With recipes that range from elaborate entrees to simple snacks, I give an overview of American food as I see it and, hopefully, will provide a primer to navigate through an array of international influences to bring a world of flavor into your own home."-Marcus Samuelsson

In his bestselling The Soul of a New Cuisine, Marcus Samuelsson returned to the land of his birth to explore the continent's rich diversity of cultures and cuisines through recipes and stories from his travels in Africa. Now, in The New American Table, Samuelsson takes you on a journey of the inspired food of the United States, his beloved adopted country.

Acclaimed for the distinct and diverse cuisine he has created at Aquavit and Riingo, Samuelsson shares more than 300 recipes that embody the uniquely inclusive spirit of American cuisine, from high-end fare to street food; down-home Southern cooking to Southwestern flavors to Asian cuisines, and beyond.

In this new book, he explores the full spectrum of this regional American cooking that he has grown to love, meeting people along the way who have brought wonderful foods to their new home and to the receptive American people who have opened their minds and hearts to new foods and new cultures, including

• Green Salsa, to serve over shrimp or as a dip
• Breakfast Burritos
• Salmon Flatbread
• Tempura Crab Salad with Tamarind-Soy Vinaigrette
• Soy-Glazed Dumplings with Sweet Chile Sauce
• Chicken Sat? with Baby Spinach and Garlic Feta Dip
• Turkey Meatloaf with Tomato-Spinach Sauce
• Beer-Braised Short Ribs
• Rustic Chocolate Tart
• Red Berry Cobbler

A true celebration of the culinary gifts that define The New American Table, this book is accompanied by stunning food and travel photographs documenting Samuelsson's journeys across America and his discovery of the flavors of a nation. Drawing on his own rich cultural heritage, he has created an exciting tribute to the wide range of cultural influences and culinary traditions that have shaped modern American cuisine. The New American Table presents Samuelsson's interpretation of the food that has evolved from these diverse traditions-a contemporary, original, and uniquely American cuisine.

Recipe Excerpts from The New American Table

Tomato Bruschetta

Miso-Rubbed Rack of Lamb

Apple Cake

Review
Samuelsson, author (The Soul of a New Cuisine; Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine) and co-owner/executive chef of New York City's Riingo and Aquavit, shares more than 300 recipes that attempt to define the unique amalgam of American cuisine. Samuelsson, who emigrated to the U.S. from Sweden, pays tribute to the mix of cultures that have shaped the American culinary landscape. His journey across the country showcases regional food along with the wide range of ethnic dishes that are so common today. From condiments, such as citrus mayonnaise and green salsa, and main dishes, such as Ivory salmon with jicama and ramp salad, to desserts, including rhubarb pudding and lemon-chocolate madeleines, Samuelsson highlights the breadth of our culinary diversity. In addition, he includes recipes for breakfast and brunch, breads and sandwiches, salads and snacks, small plates, soups and stews, holiday dishes and drinks. The result is an eclectic, appealing collection that showcases the richness of the American palate. From beef stir-fry with broccolini to lentil soup with pork and lamb meatballs or empanadas with peanut-mango sambal, Samuelsson takes the reader on a culinary journey unlike any other. 300 color photos. (Oct.) (Publishers Weekly, August 3, 2009)

From the Inside Flap

When Marcus Samuelsson—who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden—came to the United States in 1991, it was supposed to be for just nine months. But the young chef was so invigorated, and so delighted, by the uniquely American collision of culinary influences that he decided to make this country his home. Samuelsson went on to open such acclaimed New York City restaurants as Aquavit, AQ Kafé, and Riingo.

As a James Beard Award–winning chef, Samuelsson has traveled all over the United States, sampling everything from authentic Creole cooking in New Orleans to steaks in Kansas City and heirloom chilies in Arizona. In Texas, he found barbecue but also Czech cuisine. Detroit offered soul food and Lebanese food. Every-where he went, Samuelsson saw the vitality and variety immigration has brought to the American kitchen. In New American Table, he brings all these influences together.

This dazzling book offers more than 300 recipes that embody the uniquely inclusive spirit of American cuisine, from high-end fare to street food, down-home Southern cooking and spicy Southwestern flavors to Asian cuisines, and beyond. From Pad Thai and his wife's authentic Ethiopian Doro We't to a holiday ham reimagined with spicy tamarind glaze, each recipe

bears Samuelsson's unique genius for flavor and texture. Inside you'll find:

• Tasty condiments like Grilled Tomato-Mint Salsa,Tamarind-Soy Vinaigrette, and Chunky BBQ Sauce

• Tempting snacks like Empanadas with Peanut-Mango Sambal, Caraway Pretzels, and Spicy Dill Popcorn

• Irresistible small plates, including Bay Scallops with Nori-Spiced Watermelon and Corn Pancakes with Chili-Covered Gravlax

• Everyday dishes like Jerk-Spiced Catfish with Green Papaya Salad and My Mother's Spaghetti with Peas

• Hearty fare like Braised Pork Roast with Grilled Chile Vinaigrette, Citrus Chicken with Couscous Stuffing and Slaw, and Lamb Stew with Dill Sauce and Roasted Parsley Root

• Reinvented staples like Noodle Paella with Pistachio Aïoli and Israeli Couscous with Crab and Snow Peas

• Luscious desserts, including Banana Bread Pudding with Hazelnut Kulfi and Rustic Chocolate Tart

Throughout the book, Samuelsson introduces you to friends he's met along the way who have shared their foods, told their stories, and inspired him with their passion. Recipes that range from simple snacks to desserts transform ingredients into thrilling, irresistible flavor combinations. Samuelsson's spirit of adventure is contagious, and through his inclusive, welcoming approach to cooking, these inspiring dishes bring a world of flavor right into your own kitchen.

Customer Reviews

Almost As Amazing As Marcus!
Marcus Samuelsson's New American Table is, like Marcus's cooking, a work of art. And like Marcus himself, his recipes are completely accessible and authentic.

New American Table is more than a cook book. It is an inspiration about how to follow your passion. In Marcus's case giving and cooking...in that order. His passion for cooking and his appreciation for America, its people is - well, almost tasted in every word. Seldom does a great chef share the humble details of his path, and what led him to become a world class, James Beard Award winner. In this book, Marcus's story is written eloquently and from the heart.

Although, truly a cookbook, New American Table is also autobiographical - a story of passion for loving what you do.. Eloquent and sometimes pithy stories are woven into the hundreds of recipes which add a special connection to the cooking experience. Stunning graphics, photography and shared experiences coast to coast make New American Table more than a cook book, it is an apprecaiton of the people and history of this great nation, fused together by culinary delights and the diverse ethnic cuisines found in America.

I am a foodie. I also collect good cook books and have had the privilege of meeting some of the greatest chef's at the annual Aspen Food and Wine Classic. Marcus Samuelsson's book is on the top of the stack of my favorite cook books for 2 reasons - Marcus is more than a chef, he is an amazing human being, and 2) I can actually cook with his recipes!

MY American Table
The recipes from this book are amazing! So Often i buy a cookbook for its gorgeous photography or the personality behind it, only to get it home and realize it's full of recipes I could have-- and would have--come up with myself. You know the type: that incredible photograph that turns out to be a recipe for linguine with mushrooms. Like you needed a book for that.

This book doesn't do any of that "window dressing" recipe writing. It's brimming with combinations I never would have thought of (but that seem so right) and ingredients I can't wait to try. Thankfully, these aren't all expensive, exotic ingredients-- more the scary looking tube of pepper paste from the bodega down the street that you never knew what to do with. Well, Samuelsson tells you to slather it over some shortribs that you'll marinate in soy sauce and beer. You know what? They were the best shortribs I've ever had, and I made them myself.

I cook a lot, and I expect a great deal from my cookbooks. New AMerican Table makes a pretty sexy coffee table book that your friends will pore over when they visit, but it's also a totally inspiring kitchen companion and gripping bed time reading. Pear Pumpkin Salad with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette? Homemade beef jerky? Miso Rubbed lamb? TELL ME MORE!

I made a double batch of the pretzels for a party and I had to hide one for myself, they were going so fast-- and people are still talking about them. These are dishes you'll remember for a long time. What a fantastic book.

Disapointment from a bad speller
I have followed Marcus' career for years-and until now, loved his books. I have begun to study it, because I knew about it from communicating with his assistant. I had asked for clarification on a recipe from another book.

His interpretation of American food is really cloudy and untested. I had hoped for brilliance, but found a cocky rendition which I fear reflects a book seller not a chef.