“COOK’S COUNTRY EATS LOCAL,” America’s Test Kitchen, $26.95, 310 pages
The chefs from America’s Test Kitchen behind Cook’s Country magazine have collected 150 regional favorite foods from across the United States and developed recipes for them in “Cook’s Country Eats Local.”
Organized regionally, these foods are as varied as each area of the country and range from main dishes and side dishes to breads and desserts, and include Easy New England Clam Chowder, Perfect Shrimp Jambalaya, Buckeyes, Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches and Texas Caviar.
Each recipe has a photo of the finished food and a “Why this recipe works” section that explains some of the history and methodology the America’s Test Kitchen chefs used as they tinkered with each recipe. There is usually another section with the recipe that will explain a technique, such as cutting pineapple in Hawaiian Fried Rice, or additional history, such as the information on Bereavement Cookies with the Funeral Potatoes recipe or bittersweet chocolate vs. semisweet chocolate with the Buckeyes recipes.
In America’s Test Kitchen style, each recipe is thorough and explained well but will appeal to varying levels of cooking ability.
The dish that’s tied to Utah is for Funeral Potatoes. Instead of using canned condensed soup, the recipe calls for making a roux with butter and flour, and also using chicken broth and half-and-half. They’ve also used sour cream and onion potato chips over the commonly used corn flakes.
It’s a more complicated recipe than mixing several ingredients together as it calls for specific cooking and cooling times. However, that doesn’t make it any less delicious.
*****
“DONUT NATION: A Cross-Country Guide to America’s Best Artisan Donut Shops,” by Ellen Brown, Running Press, $22, 255 pages
Frying pieces of dough predates the Revolutionary War era and has Dutch roots, writes author Ellen Brown in the preface to “Donut Nation.” It wasn’t long before the doughnut became an American dish.
Through its history, which Brown shares, people have experimented and tried variations of it.
“Donut Nation” shares about more than 70 artisan doughnut shops across the U.S., including one in Utah — Beyond Glaze with shops in Ogden, Draper and Salt Lake City. They offer yeast-raised doughnuts that are embellished with a variety of toppings, including the popular maple bacon doughnut.
“The underlying aesthetic principle at Beyond Glaze is that the donuts are reasons to celebrate something every day,” Brown wrote.
Brown also shares the arguments of doughnut vs. donut, the family tree of doughnuts and tips on making doughnuts at home.
She includes a handful of recipes, too, both ones from owners who have shared them with her and ones she’s developed, in this book for doughnut lovers.
*****
Funeral Potatoes
Serves: 8 to 10
You’ll need one 30-ounce bag of frozen shredded (not diced) hash brown potatoes for this recipe.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped fine
¼ cup all‐purpose flour
1½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half‐and‐half
1¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
½ cup sour cream
4 ounces sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium‐high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, half‐and‐half, salt, thyme and pepper, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium‐low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheddar until smooth.
2. Stir potatoes into the sauce, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat until thawed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in sour cream until combined.
3. Transfer mixture to 13-by-9‐inch baking dish and top with potato chips. Bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
To make ahead: Potato mixture can be refrigerated in a baking dish, covered with aluminum foil, for up to two days. To serve, bake potatoes, still covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and uncover. Top with potato chips and bake until golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
— "Cook's Country Eats Local," America's Test Kitchen
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye