An American Bounty comes from The Culinary Institute of America, the country's most prestigious teaching facility for professional chefs. A companion to The American Bounty restaurant on the Institute's beautiful campus at Hyde Park, New York, this book is a reflection of America's exciting contemporary food style. Immigrants have always defined what American food would and could be, but we are only now, after more than three centuries, beginning to arrive at a true melting pot cuisine.

An American Bounty offers a terrific overview of that style. It is expansive, generous enough to embrace traditional favorites and foreign influences. Here are stir fries and fajitas; ham with red eye gravy and blue cheese polenta; Navajo fry bread and seafood gumbo; mustard fried chicken and gnocchi; triple chocolate brownies and Shaker lemon pie. The recipes were developed by Culinary Institute teachers and chefs for home cooks with average skills and they are presented with gorgeous photographs that reflect the important place of food in lifestyles centered on family meals and simple, but sophisticated entertaining. Nutritional analysis is provided for every recipe.

This year, the American Bounty restaurant is celebrating  its 20th year of serving American regional cuisine. In 1982, the restaurant was a pioneer in preparing and serving authentic regional fare when it was on the cusp of becoming a recognized cuisine. The dishes on the initial menu spanned the regions, with dishes that included New England shore dinner, New Orleans-style gumbo, and Pennsylvania Dutch chicken soup. The restaurant's mission is still to rediscover  recipes, foods and traditions that speak to the heart of what Americans enjoy in their homes.