Cook-Off America: Prize-Winning Recipes from the Public Television Series (PBS Cooking)

Rating:
Summary: Interesting recipes in an eye-catching presentation
Review: I have enjoyed watching the "Cook-off America" show on public TV and decided to order the companion book from Amazon. Why didn't anyone think of this series sooner? They traveled from one food festival to another around the country and selected some of the top winning recipes.

The book is packaged very attractively in a bright-red cover and presents a lot of background material about the different cook-offs.

I have tried 3 of the recipes. The lemon sour cream custard pie was outstanding and well worth making again in the future. The catfish stuffed with basil-olive pesto was very good, as was the fork-tender stuffed pork roast.

There are a number of other recipes I want to try. I did think some of the ingredients in some recipes were rather exotic, but I feel I got my money's worth from the book.

Rating:
Summary: Cooking Across America
Review: I purchased this book after watching the show on PBS for some time. I just finished serving the World-Famous Pumpkin Rolls to guests, and from the look on their faces and the 'mmmms', I think it was a success. This is 'Cuisine Americana' with a peek at a host of cooking genre. The book is very well laid out with many mouth-watering illustrations (the photo convinced me to try the Pumpkin Rolls). What I especially like is that most of the ingredients can be obtained at the local grocery store. The instructions are broken down into very easily understood steps which will please most people, especially persons with limited cooking experience.
The Cook-Off America series has traveled to various culinary festivals across the country. The book gives the reader a delightful sampling of the best of each. It will give you an opportunity to experience the essence of American cuisine. Your family will love the gastronomic voyage!

Rating:
Summary: This is Plain & Simply Good Cooking
Review: I'm disappointed now that I was unaware of the PBS Series from which this book came. The title intrigued me, and I just had to see what kind of recipes were winners.

There is some down-right good cooking going on here in this collection, if the several I've tried are any indication.

Right off the bat I had to try the cover recipe, being a craver of Stilton, the Stilton and Toasted Walnut Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes and Spicy Leeks. It is oh so gooood! Next came my craving for cashews with the heavenly combo of "Cashew-Crusted Catfish with Tomato-Basil Cream." Only other entree attempted so far caught my attention from a favorite whitefish with cream cheese topping recipe I have which this recipe modifies for flank steak called "Flamboyant Flank Steak with Fragrant Filling" made with mascarpone and a sweet-sour style marinade. Yummy!

The Grilled Bratwurst recipe is one I've got in the wings to try as well as a delightful "Grilled Salmon in Tequilla-Lime Marinade with Tropical Fruit Salsa and Caribbean Wild Rice."

There are some great looking desserts going on in this collection, especially "Chocholate Chip Pecan Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce."

This is a broad sweeping book of winners, with enough diverse variety to please most palates, with ingredients and techniques I'm sure most cooks will have no problems with. This is great cooking fun!

Rating:
Summary: This is Plain & Simply Good Cooking
Review: I'm disappointed now that I was unaware of the PBS Series from which this book came. The title intrigued me, and I just had to see what kind of recipes were winners.

There is some down-right good cooking going on here in this collection, if the several I've tried are any indication.

Right off the bat I had to try the cover recipe, being a craver of Stilton, the Stilton and Toasted Walnut Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes and Spicy Leeks. It is oh so gooood! Next came my craving for cashews with the heavenly combo of "Cashew-Crusted Catfish with Tomato-Basil Cream." Only other entree attempted so far caught my attention from a favorite whitefish with cream cheese topping recipe I have which this recipe modifies for flank steak called "Flamboyant Flank Steak with Fragrant Filling" made with mascarpone and a sweet-sour style marinade. Yummy!

The Grilled Bratwurst recipe is one I've got in the wings to try as well as a delightful "Grilled Salmon in Tequilla-Lime Marinade with Tropical Fruit Salsa and Caribbean Wild Rice."

There are some great looking desserts going on in this collection, especially "Chocholate Chip Pecan Bread Pudding with Whiskey Cream Sauce."

This is a broad sweeping book of winners, with enough diverse variety to please most palates, with ingredients and techniques I'm sure most cooks will have no problems with. This is great cooking fun!