Whet Your Appetites for A Fascinating History of American Food "Terrific food journalism. Page uncovers the untold backstories of American food. A great read." —George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America, This Week and ABC News’ Chief Anchor #1 New Release in History Humor David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now from the two-time Emmy winner David Page comes the book Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate. The remarkable history of American food. What is American cuisine? What national menu do we share? What dishes have we chosen, how did they become “American,” and how are they likely to evolve from here? David Page answers all these questions and more. Food Americana is engaging, insightful, and often humorous. The inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors. Sushi, pizza, tacos, bagels, barbecue, dim sum―even fried chicken, burgers, ice cream, and many more―were born elsewhere and transformed into a unique American cuisine. Food Americana is a riveting ride into every aspect of what we eat and why. From a lobster boat off the coast of Maine to the Memphis in May barbecue competition. From the century-old Russ & Daughters lox and bagels shop in lower Manhattan to the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. From a thousand-dollar Chinese meal in San Francisco to birria tacos from a food truck in South Philly. Meet incredibly engaging characters and legends including: • The owner of a great sushi bar in an Oklahoma gas station • The New Englander introducing Utah to lobster rolls • Alice Waters • Daniel Boulud • Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s • Mel Brooks If you enjoyed captivating food history books like A History of the World in 6 Glasses, On Food and Cooking, or the classic Salt by Mark Kurlansky, you’ll love Food Americana.

A field guide to the new American Roots movement, United States of Americana is a vivid, fascinating, and comprehensive survey of how and why young urban Americans are finding inspiration in the cultural traditions of an earlier time in many areas of contemporary life. Compiled by Seattle-based writer, DJ, and entertainer Kurt B. Reighley, United States of Americana explores this vibrant cultural phenomenon—from the music, to the clothing, to the food and drink, to the rebirth of home canning, straight razors, burlesque, and circuses.

For foodies, wordsmiths, and anyone who loves to eat, an illustrated guide to authentic American fare, from the beloved Roadfood team In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. In The Lexicon of Real American Food, renowned foodies Jane and Michael Stern record the lingo of American food as it is spoken—and enjoyed—across the nation. With their signature wit and exuberance, they define how America really eats—to the delight of food lovers and word aficionados everywhere. Fun to read and easy to browse, with spot illustrations and select recipes, this book will also become a valuable reference to document regional specialties and signature American fare. Since the first edition in their Roadfood series in 1978, the Sterns have reported on more than 100,000 meals at America’s tables and cafe counters alongside people of every stripe; and in doing so they have gained an unequalled sense of real American food. Thus, the food described in these pages is democratic, not elitist—from hoppel-poppel to puffy tacos, The Sterns see the nation’s diet like its language: endlessly, endearingly exuberant. Their Lexicon of Real American Food inspires a new and joyful appreciation of our country’s irrepressible foodways.

With an ambitious sweep over two hundred years, Paul Freedman’s lavishly illustrated history shows that there actually is an American cuisine. For centuries, skeptical foreigners—and even millions of Americans—have believed there was no such thing as American cuisine. In recent decades, hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza have been thought to define the nation’s palate. Not so, says food historian Paul Freedman, who demonstrates that there is an exuberant and diverse, if not always coherent, American cuisine that reflects the history of the nation itself. Combining historical rigor and culinary passion, Freedman underscores three recurrent themes—regionality, standardization, and variety—that shape a completely novel history of the United States. From the colonial period until after the Civil War, there was a patchwork of regional cooking styles that produced local standouts, such as gumbo from southern Louisiana, or clam chowder from New England. Later, this kind of regional identity was manipulated for historical effect, as in Southern cookbooks that mythologized gracious “plantation hospitality,” rendering invisible the African Americans who originated much of the region’s food. As the industrial revolution produced rapid changes in every sphere of life, the American palate dramatically shifted from local to processed. A new urban class clamored for convenient, modern meals and the freshness of regional cuisine disappeared, replaced by packaged and standardized products—such as canned peas, baloney, sliced white bread, and jarred baby food. By the early twentieth century, the era of homogenized American food was in full swing. Bolstered by nutrition “experts,” marketing consultants, and advertising executives, food companies convinced consumers that industrial food tasted fine and, more importantly, was convenient and nutritious. No group was more susceptible to the blandishments of advertisers than women, who were made feel that their husbands might stray if not satisfied with the meals provided at home. On the other hand, men wanted women to be svelte, sporty companions, not kitchen drudges. The solution companies offered was time-saving recipes using modern processed helpers. Men supposedly liked hearty food, while women were portrayed as fond of fussy, “dainty,” colorful, but tasteless dishes—tuna salad sandwiches, multicolored Jell-O, or artificial crab toppings. The 1970s saw the zenith of processed-food hegemony, but also the beginning of a food revolution in California. What became known as New American cuisine rejected the blandness of standardized food in favor of the actual taste and pleasure that seasonal, locally grown products provided. The result was a farm-to-table trend that continues to dominate. “A book to be savored” (Stephen Aron), American Cuisine is also a repository of anecdotes that will delight food lovers: how dry cereal was created by William Kellogg for people with digestive and low-energy problems; that chicken Parmesan, the beloved Italian favorite, is actually an American invention; and that Florida Key lime pie goes back only to the 1940s and was based on a recipe developed by Borden’s condensed milk. More emphatically, Freedman shows that American cuisine would be nowhere without the constant influx of immigrants, who have popularized everything from tacos to sushi rolls. “Impeccably researched, intellectually satisfying, and hugely readable” (Simon Majumdar), American Cuisine is a landmark work that sheds astonishing light on a history most of us thought we never had.

Do-it-yourself décor inspired by iconic patterns, classic fabrics, sentimental items, and the Americana style. Designer Max Humphrey gives every reader confidence to create their own stylish digs using things they collect, buy, inherit, or dumpster-dive for. Americana design elements that can fuel personal decorating styles from classic American country to urban lofts and everything in between. Photos and personal anecdotes highlight collectibles and DIY-ables from Max’s design and styling portfolio—such as such as bandana wallpaper, botanical prints, bunk beds, clocks, old maps, gingham and plaid everything, Pendleton blankets, camp vibes, and vintage signs. The book features casual to custom and higher end furnishings and includes design elements from a range of Humphrey’s interior design projects from East to West Coast.

The Pacific Crest Trail runs 2660 miles, from California's border with Mexico to Washington's border with Canada. To walk it is to undertake a grueling test of body and spirit. In Americana, cartoonist Luke Healy accepts the challenge. This intimate, engaging autobiographical work from an Irish visitor to the United States recounts the author's own attempt to walk the length of the USA's west coast. Healy's life-changing journey weaves in and out of often humorous reflections on his experiences in America and his development as an artist, navigating both the trail itself and the unique culture of the people who attempt to complete it. For fans of Cheryl Strayed's Wild.

Raised on a used-car lot, Charles Phoenix was destined to become the Ambassador of Americana. The photo collector, food crafter, and field tripper is famed for his hilarious live show performances and "theme park" tour of downtown Los Angeles. This riotously colorful book, replete with Charles's collection of vintage Kodachrome slides, celebrates his lifelong quest to unearth the best of classic and kitschy American life and style. Charles Phoenix is a showman, tour guide, food crafter, and author known for his live comedy slide-show performances, madcap test-kitchen videos, field-trip-style adventure tours, and colorful books. The self-proclaimed "vintage culture vulture" has appeared on Martha Stewart, The Queen Latifah Show and Cake Wars, been profiled in The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, and been a guest on NPR's The Splendid Table.