Food and Wine : American

Bestselling food detective Todd Wilbur offers 75 "lite" recipes inspired by favorite brand-name foods such as Big Macs and Snickers bars, complete with his helpful diagrams, which call for ingredients easily found at the local supermarket. more...

Price: $14.00

In 1996, Americans spent over $100 billion gobbling up meals at full-service American restaurant chains, inspiring Todd Wilbur to change his focus from cracking the recipes for convenience store foods to cloning the popular dishes served at these sit-down stand-bys. Wilbur's knock-offs, absolutely indiscernible from the originals, are selected from national and regional chains, many drawn from a list of the top ten full-service restaurant chains, including Houlihan's, Red Lobster, and Pizza Hut. Also included in this savory cookbook is a special section devoted to dishes from hot theme restaurants such as Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and Dive! Recipes include: Applebee's Quesadillas; Denny's Moons Over My Hammy; Bennigan's Cookie Mountain Sundae; The Olive Garden Toscana Soup; The Cheesecake Factory Bruschetta; T.G.I.Friday's Nine-Layer Dip; Pizza Hut Original Stuffed Crust Pizza; Chi-Chi's Nachos Grande, and many more! more...

Price: $15.00

A tasty tour of food and history, from the pilgrims to the present. The U.S. History Cookbook is a scrumptious survey of periods and places in U.S. history, served up with a mixture of fun facts, food timelines, and kid-friendly recipes. From the flavors of the first Thanksgiving to the taste of those great tortillas at the Alamo, and from the Baby Ruth Bars of the Roaring Twenties to the groovy granola of the 1960s, kids ages 8-12 will have a great time learning about the past while they cook up easy and yummy recipes like Golden Harvest Pumpkin Bread, Buckwheat Banana Griddle Cakes, and Coast-to-Coast Apple Pie. Each recipe is kid-tested and can be made with easy-to-find ingredients and standard kitchen equipment. more...

Price: $14.95

Bruce Weinstein, author of The Ultimate Ice Cream Book, has the answer with this collection of confections. Try his rich chocolate truffles or any one of a dozen variations; sweet, chewy caramel with almonds or coconut; buttery pralines with crunchy pecans; or light-as-air divinity, nougat, and marshmallow. Craft your own candy Christmas ornaments to hang on your tree, pipe chocolate spiderwebs for a scary Halloween touch, or whip up meringue kisses for your honey on Valentine's Day. Bruce even offers step-by-step instructions for creating your own homemade versions of classic favorites like peanut butter cups, gummy bears, and chewing gum. If you have a sweet tooth or know someone who does, The Ultimate Candy Book -- filled with hundreds of year-round treats and gift-giving ideas -- is ultimately satisfying. more...

Price: $12.99

What's quick, easy, and sure to bring on the smiles? Muffins, of course! For recipes that are sweet, savory, or just over the top, look no further than The Ultimate Muffin Book . From classics like Berry and Corn Muffins to new favorites like Margarita and savory Quiche Lorraine Muffins, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough once again take an American fun-food classic to new heights by offering more than 600 recipes and variations for absolutely every muffin imaginable. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, anyone? Or luscious Hazelnut? Or what about Pizza Muffins for kids of all ages? Low-fat, nonfat, gluten-free, dense, and decadent -- they're all here, as well as baking tips, an ingredients guide, and a witty history of how the muffin came to be an American institution. Muffins. Is there a better way to make everyone in your life smile? more...

Price: $13.99