Press Release

The Best American Recipes 2001–2002Fran McCullough, series editor

• Seasonal Starters• Fabulous Side Dishes for Thanksgiving (or Christmas or New Year's)• Knock-Your-Socks-Off Main Courses• Alternatives to Your Usual Pumpkin Pies• Holiday Breakfast Treats• Don't Forget the Beverages• About the Author

The Best American Recipes has become a resource for simple but sophisticated dishes that are particularly geared for easy entertaining. Let it become your annual holiday guide for inspiration and delicious results!

“One of my favorite parts of hunting for the year's best recipes is finding unique and often ridiculously simple recipes to supplement our holiday menus.” — Fran McCullough, series editor

Sensational Starters

Crimped Shrimp (page 22), Los Angeles Times, Michael Roberts - This superb cooking method involves gently poaching shellfish in a flavored broth. No more mushy shrimp! Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce.

Beet Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash (page 36), Gourmet, Katy Massam - This stunning soup will get your holiday off to a sensational start. The acorn squash bowls are roasted to a deep orange and filled with a technicolor red soup.

Fabulous Side Dishes for Thanksgiving (or Christmas or New Year's)

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Sweet Potatoes with Southern Comfort (page 222), Diningaround.com, Barbara Rochatka Riley - This is the favorite side dish of a famous radio talk show host and has a silken texture, a crunchy topping of rum-spiked pecans and the pleasing hint of Southern Comfort.

Orange-Ginger Cranberries (page 224), Parade, Sheila Lukins - Made in about 10 minutes, they're a wonderful combination of sweet, tart and zesty. You won't want to spend another Thanksgiving without them.

Thomas Jefferson's Sweet Potato Biscuits (page 246), Los Angeles Times, City Tavern, Philadelphia. - Sweet and aromatic, tender and tall, just the thing for Thanksgiving.

Knock-Your-Socks-Off Main Courses

Hot-Roasted Turkey with Sausage, Black Olive and Walnut Dressing (page 158), New York Times Magazine, Jonathan Reynolds - This heretical way of roasting turkey — at a very high temperature for a very short time — made its debut in the New York Times in 1974, and it's just as startling today as it was then.

Turkey in a Bag (page 164), Washington Post, The Reynolds Kitchens - We were skeptical, but this speeded-up version of roasting turns out a tasty bird that's extremely juicy with almost no work and no mess.

Beef Tenderloin with Garlic (page 170), Advertisement for Stew Leonard's markets in Harper's Bazaar - Great for a spectacular dinner party or holiday feast, this is one of the easiest main courses ever devised and makes wonderful leftovers.

Tuscan Pork Roast with Herbed Salt (page 186), Food & Wine, Sally Schneider, after Piero Ferrini - This is a perfect party dish, and it's one of the best pork dishes we've ever tasted.

Wild Mushroom Risotto (page 106), Los Angeles Times, Celestino Drago - Perfect for a special occasion like New Year's Eve.

Alternatives to Your Usual Pumpkin Pies

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Rummy Pumpkin Cheesecake (page 292), Newsday, Elinor Klivans - True cheesecake aficionados think all holidays can best be celebrated with an interesting cheesecake, and here's an excellent reason to agree.

Pumpkin Caramel Pudding (page 298), The Nantucket Holiday Table, Susan Simon - This rich, creamy pumpkin-pie-like custard makes a change from pie at the Thanksgiving table.

Upside-Down Cranberry Cake (page 280), Los Angeles Times, Abby Mandel - A great holiday cake, this is dramatically pretty, with its deep red berries shiny with syrup. It's as good for brunch as it is for dessert.

Holiday Breakfast Treats

Christmas Morning Melon Wedges (page 77), Caprial Cooks for Friends, Caprial Pence -These marinated melon wedges are deliriously good — fragrant, lightly sweet and a bit exhilarating, with hints of ginger and mint.

Stollen (page 91), Cook & Tell by Karyl Bannister, after Nina Buric - This is the ultimate Christmas-morning treat, terrific for a crowd and certain to be snapped up on the buffet table.

Hanukkah Doughnuts (page 94), Bon Appétit, Selma Brown Morrow and Reena Singh - Not only are these little morsels very easy to make, they also deliver terrific crisp, crunchy texture.

Don't Forget the Beverages

White House Eggnog (page 323), An Invitation to the White House by Hillary Rodham Clinton, after Walter Scheib - Not just any eggnog, this is a refined version with beaten egg whites, whipped cream and three different spirits.

Burns Family Mulled Cider (page 325), Diningaround.com, Gene Burns - Fresh and zesty, with lots of citrus balanced perfectly with subtle spice.

About the Author

Fran McCullough is a long-time, highly respected editor who discovered

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many of the country's most talented cookbook authors. She is the author of Living Low-Carb, The Low-Carb Cookbook and Great Food Without Fuss.

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