Martha Stewart, who has so significantly influenced the American table, collects her favorite national dishes--as well as the stories and traditions behind them--in this love letter to American food featuring 200 recipes. These are recipes that will delight you with nostalgia, inspire you, and teach you about our nation by way of its regions and their distinctive flavors. Above all, these are time-honored recipes that you will turn to again and again. Organized geographically, the 200 recipes in Martha’s American Food include main dishes such as comforting Chicken Pot Pies, easy Grilled Fish Tacos, irresistible Barbecued Ribs, and hearty New England Clam Chowder. Here, too, are thoroughly modern starters, sides, and one-dish meals that harness the bounty of each region’s seasons and landscape: Hot Crab Dip, Tequila-Grilled Shrimp, Indiana Succotash, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Whitefish, and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Meyer Lemon, Arugula, and Pistachios. And you will want to leave room for dessert, with dozens of treats such as Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie, New York Cheesecake, and Peach and Berry Cobbler. Through sidebars about the flavors that define each region and stunning photography that brings the foods—and the places with which we identify them—to life, Martha celebrates the unique character of each part of the country. With all the dishes that inspire pride in our national cuisine, Martha’s American Food gathers, in one place, the recipes that will surely please your family and friends for generations to come.  Many of these 200 recipes offer comfort. Home diva Stewart has divided her combination food-history and recipe book into five “geographies”—Northeast, South, Midwest, Southwest, and West. She then submits a sixth category, “all-American,” that includes, expectedly, hamburgers, hot crab dip, turkey, and tuna noodle casserole. Dishes, most accompanied by color photographs, range from those in strict adherence to traditional tastes, such as roast turkey, to contemporary variations attuned to seasonal ingredients and newly discovered combinations, such as, for one, fig pizza. Of all the pages, perhaps the most riveting are those without recipes, concerned with the backstories of particular U.S. foodstuffs and showcasing, in sidebars, particular ingredients. The introduction of mayonnaise, the grandfather of meatloaf, the origin of wild rice, and everything you wanted to know about apples are among the topics such pages discuss. --Barbara Jacobs MARTHA STEWART is America’s most trusted lifestyle expert and teacher and the author of more than 80 books on cooking, entertaining, crafts, homekeeping, gardens, weddings, and decorating. Classic Potato Salad   4 pounds russet potatoes (about 8 medium) Coarse salt 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 3 large eggs 1 cup mayonnaise ½ teaspoon celery seeds 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 10 cornichons, cut into 1/4-inch dice 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 teaspoon sweet paprika   1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water by several inches. Bring to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat and gently boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 25 minutes. Drain. Peel potatoes while still hot, using paper towels to protect hands; cut into 1-inch pieces. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with vinegar; let cool.   2. Place eggs in a small saucepan; fill with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; turn off heat. Cover; let stand 11 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cold water; let cool and peel. Cut 2 eggs into ¼-inch dice. Slice remaining egg into ¼-inch- thick rounds; reserve for garnish.   3. Combine diced eggs, mayonnaise, celery seeds, and dry mustard in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Stir in potatoes, celery, onion, cornichons, scallions, and parsley. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day. Just before serving, garnish with paprika and egg rounds.   Serves 10 to 12 Used Book in Good Condition