Introduction

From the print version of The American Gourmet Collection Cookbook, Copyright 1996 Paul and Kerri Elders, All Rights Reserved:

WARNING: This is not a Politically Correct Cookbook:
recipes call for butter and other modern
“no-no’s.” Substitute margarine for the butter called
for in the recipes if you want to cut back on fat, but
the most authentic flavors are achieved with the
most natural ingredients available.

We are two professional freelance writers who love to cook
(and eat!), and this cookbook is the result of our pursuit of a previously
unfulfilled wish: we could never find the variety of foods we enjoy
within a single cookbook. Too many cookbooks offer up ten great
recipes and a hundred or so more that are less-than-great. We
decided to rectify this problem with a cookbook featuring favorite
American foods with simple, step-by-step instructions tailored to
experienced and inexperienced cooks alike.

Whether you are a novice or expert, you are sure to find sheer delight within these pages,
and we are happy to share our decade-long labor with you.
We spent two full years traveling the entire United States from
South Carolina to South Dakota and beyond (sampling all the cuisines
our country has to offer) and we have spent more than ten years
collecting and adapting a variety of recipes celebrating our wonderfully
diverse American heritage.

Traditional American favorites, as well as Cajun, Chinese,
French, German, Greek, Italian, and Mexican dishes are all contained
within these pages (and more), broken down into easy to follow, step-by-
step instructions. The Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe alone represents
more than five years effort, spent to attain the most authentic
flavor possible in an easy to prepare recipe.

We chose to write this book for ourselves, geared toward our
own tastes and food preferences. Our goal was to produce a cookbook
that anyone could pick up, freely choose any recipe in the book, and create a great dish.

You won’t find haute cuisine here–no
Oh-How-Special Tofu in Bean Sprout Sauce Magnifique garnished with
ubiquitous snips of parsley. Just good food like Grandma used to
make.

The American Gourmet Collection Cookbook strives to take
the secrecy out of good cooking. A few simple tricks can make
anyone a great cook, so we’ve provided a wealth of hints, sprinkled
throughout the entire book.

The quest for the perfect dish is often frustrated by wellmeaning
relatives and friends who share their “secret” recipes.
Unfortunately, when you get that “secret” recipe home and try to
re-create it, it remains a “secret” forever. A missing ingredient, an
incorrect quantity, or a pinch of this or that the cook forgot to
mention can waylay the dish’s successful preparation forever.

Cooking is like life; it’s simpler than you think–if you learn the
right technique.

Measure accurately, take your time, and enjoy
both your cooking and your food. Once you hone your skills, you
can experiment with ingredients and textures to create your own
delightfully original recipes. Add them to the book as you go–
space is provided at the end of every chapter for your own personal
favorites. Happy cooking!

How Much Is . . . ?

1 fluid oz……..2 tablespoons
2 fluid oz……..1/4 cup
3 fluid oz………6 tablespoons
4 fluid oz………1/2 cup
5 fluid oz………10 tablespoons
6 fluid oz………3/4 cup
7 fluid oz………14 tablespoons
8 fluid oz………1 cup
1 cup…………………..1/2 pint
2 cups……………………..1 pint
2 pints………………….1 quart
4 quarts……………….1 gallon
8 pints………………….1 gallon
3 teaspoons…………1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons………1/4 cup
5-1/3 tablespoons…1/3 cup
8 tablespoons………1/2 cup
10-2/3 tablespoons..2/3 cup
12 tablespoons……..3/4 cup
16 tablespoons……..1 cup
16 oz. avoirdupois = 1 pound (this is a weight measure, not
to be confused with a liquid measure, i.e. fluid ounces).