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Becky Mercuri's Food Festival, U.S.A. captures the diversity of America's numerous food festivals, presenting 250 recipes from all 50 states, region by region. From the Bluefish Festival in Clinton, Connecticut, to the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Blues Fest in Washington, the book offers state food-production profiles, festival information, and, of course, recipes from the events. These range widely, from Dead Heat Kentucky Burgoo and Green Chile Stew to Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie and Black Forest Cheesecake, and also include tongue-in-cheek "treats" like Fried Rattlesnake from the World's Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up in Sweetwater, Texas, and Herb-Crusted Rack of Spam with Spamcetta Rolls, Courtesy of Austin, Texas's Spamerama event.
Though the recipes are attractive--in some cases even prizewinning--readers should note that they've been reproduced from original sources apparently without much editing. Thus, they come with numerous errors (for example, one dish calls for 2 to 3 cups of blueberries without specifying why to choose which amount, and another requires rice to be cooked until "crunchy"), and recipe yields are routinely neglected. Seasoned cooks can no doubt fill in the blanks, but novice cooks should check the recipes carefully to avoid frustration. The book's great value lies in introducing readers to the unexpected universe of American food festivals, and therefore to many fascinating regional culinary traditions. Amusingly illustrated by cartoonist Tom Klare, and with schedules of the festivals by month and a festival directory, the book provides a compelling glimpse of culinary Americana. --Arthur Boehm
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