Food Americana: The Remarkable People and Incredible Stories Behind America's Favorite Dishes (Humor, Entertainment, and Pop Culture)
"Terrific food journalism. Page uncovers the untold backstories of American food. A great read." --George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America, This Week and ABC News' Chief Anchor
2021 International Book Awards finalist in History: United States
Living Now Book Award, Silver - Cookbooks, Ethnic Holiday
#1 New Release in History Humor, Food & Cooking, and Media Tie-In Cooking
David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now from this two-time Emmy winner comes Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate.
The remarkable history of American food. What is American cuisine, what national menu do we share, what dishes have we chosen, how did they become "American," and how are they likely to evolve from here? David Page answers all these questions and more.
Engaging, insightful, and often humorous. The inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors. Sushi, pizza, tacos, bagels, barbecue, dim sum―even fried chicken, burgers, ice cream, and many more―were born elsewhere and transformed into a unique American cuisine.
Food Americana is a riveting ride into everything we eat and why. From a lobster boat off the coast of Maine to the Memphis in May barbecue competition. From the century-old Russ & Daughters lox and bagels shop in lower Manhattan to the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. From a thousand-dollar Chinese meal in San Francisco to birria tacos from a food truck in South Philly.
Meet engaging characters and legends including:
- Alice Waters
- Daniel Boulud
- Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's
- Mel Brooks
If you enjoyed captivating food history books like A History of the World in 6 Glasses, On Food and Cooking, or the classic Salt by Mark Kurlansky, you'll love Food Americana.
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Two-time Emmy winner David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Before that, as a network news producer based in London, Frankfurt, and Budapest, he travelled Europe, Africa, and the Middle East doing two things--covering some of the biggest stories in the world, and developing a passion for some of the world's most incredible food.
Page walked through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin the night the Berlin wall opened, but his favorite memory of the eastern side before reunification remains the weisswurst sold under the S-Bahn elevated train. He was first served couscous by Moammar Khaddafy's kitchen staff while waiting in a tent to interview the dictator in Libya. Blood oranges at a three a.m. breakfast with Yasser Arafat. Wild boar prosciutto in Rome. Bouillabaisse in Marseille. Cheese pies in Tbilisi. Venison in Salzburg. Nonstop caviar in Moscow. He even managed to slip a few food features in between the headline stories, such as a profile of Germany's leading food critic, which turned out not to be the oxymoron one might assume.
Once back in the states, Page has pursued his passion both personally and professionally. Show-producing Good Morning America, he was involved in a substantial amount of food coverage, including cooking segments by Emeril Lagasse. Creating Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and hands-on producing its first eleven seasons took him deep into the world of American food--its vast variations, its history, its evolution, and especially the dedicated cooks and chefs keeping it vibrant. His next series, the syndicated Beer Geeks, dove deep into the intersection of great beer and great food. It is those experiences, that education, the discovery of little-known stories and facts that led Page to dig even deeper and tie the strands together in Food Americana.
"Food Americana dives deep into the, history, subculture and popularity of everyone's favorite foods. It's an incredible read." - Tony Gemignani, 13 Time World Pizza Champion
"A delicious swirl of entertaining stories to fulfill any food lover's appetites." - Jerry Greenfield, co-founder Ben & Jerry's
"Few people think about the background and staying power of the favorite things they eat. David Page brings each food's history to every bite!" - Marvin Lender, co-founder of Lender's Frozen Bagels
"Every food, regardless of time and place, ingredients or mode of preparation, has a history. David Page offers a breathtaking journey across time. guiding us to the stories behind the foods we eat. " - Hasia Diner, New York University and author of Hungering for America
"An original gem. David Page has written a humorous cultural history full of deep research, smart anecdotes, novel information and mouth-watering accounts of the origins of our favorite foods. I didn't know how much love goes into a taco." - Martin Fletcher, TV Correspondent and National Jewish Book Award-winning author of Promised Land
"In Food Americana, David Page celebrates America's iconic dishes: what they are, where they came from and where they are going, who loves them and why. It's a gold mine of information, told not just with facts, but with beguiling anecdotes and good humor. This is a book that shows how deeply and brilliantly (and deliciously) what we eat defines who we are." - Michael Stern, Roadfood
"Food Americana presents a tremendous historical view; guaranteed to make you hungry!" - "Wing King" Drew Cerza, Buffalo Wing Festival founder
"David Page offers an expertly crafted exploration of American cuisine from a bird's-eye view of dishes that swoops in for a closer look-and road trip-worthy noshes." -- José R. Ralat, author of American Tacos: A History and Guide and Texas Monthly taco editor
"In Food Americana, David Page gives a hungry public just what it needs: the fascinating inside scoop on our nation's most iconic foods, and the reasons why they are so beloved. Page's rich storytelling sets a grand table, serves a literary feast, and leaves you savoring every morsel." - Adrian Miller, James Beard Award winning author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time
"The cuisine of America is a complicated affair with a surprisingly robust and diverse history. Who better than David Page, who has crisscrossed America for years, to parse the intricacies of our foodways? It's a daunting task and I'm selfishly happy that he has dedicated an entire chapter to hamburgers." - George Motz - author of Hamburger America and host of Burger Scholar Sessions
"A delicious, nutricious multi-course meal of history that goes down as easy as an appetizer, but satisfies like a main course." - Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America
