In an exhaustive effort, editor Richard Perry and his team identified over 1000 recipes that form the foundation of American cuisine. Then over 700 home cooks from all fifty states tested and re-tested the recipes (some as many ten times) to create the first ever public recipe tested cookbook.

The recipes are simple and easy to prepare with clear, concise, no-nonsense instructions. This isn't fancy fare, but good American cooking that most of us were raised on.

This book was conceived and published to ensure that the recipes of our past don't get lost in time -- something the publishers of this website can thoroughly get behind, since that was our inspiration as well. If you only had one cookbook on your shelf, this book is a good choice, as it covers such a wide variety of recipes and cooking styles.

Recipe chapters include:Breakfast; Lunch; Appetizers; Salads; Soups; Fish and Shellfish; Poultry; meat; Grilling; Pasta and Rice; Vegetables; Breads and Toppings; Pies, Cakes, and Cookies; Other Desserts and Sweets; Drinks.

In addition to recipes, the appendices give a lot of great practical cooking information and instruction. Appendices include: Utensils and Equipment; Cooking Terms; Herbs and Spices; Canning and Pickling; Freezing and Thawing; Presentation and Garnishing; Holiday Menus; Conversion Chart.