Jim Coleman's Flavors

By Jim Coleman
with John Harrisson and Candace Hagan

In his new cookbook, Jim Coleman's Flavors, Jim Coleman showcases the melting pot of American cooking, with the local flavors and cuisines of each region. As a companion to his national public television series, Flavors of America, this cookbook includes recipes featured on the show, along with recipes from his national public radio program, A Chef's Table.

Organized by course, the 170 recipes in Jim Coleman's Flavors, along with sixteen pages of color photography spotlight the rich diversity of America's regional culinary themes and Coleman's far-flung travels. Barbecued Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Chickeria Barbecue Sauce comes from Coleman's previous days as the co-owner (with his brother) of a barbecue restaurant in Dallas, and Seattle Salmon Provencal Style was inspired by the abundance of salmon up in the Northwest. Butterscotch Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches were the happy result of a side trip to Ocean City, Maryland, where Coleman was filming a segment on striped bass—on a break, the chef went to an ice cream parlor on the boardwalk, and, as he says. "It's tough sometimes, doing research."

Appealing and sophisticated as all of these dishes seem, Flavors reflects Coleman's belief that food must be simple, delicious, and easy to re-create in the home. Even those who possess the most basic kitchen skills and experience as a home cook will have no problem making all of the recipes in this unique cookbook. Coleman also includes interesting headnotes and sidebars, with lots of excellent information about the creation of recipes and featured ingredients, from avocados to American caviar. Coleman says, "whatever our (show's) theme, we inevitably ended up focusing on the men and women working behind the scenes to bring food to our tables—the fishermen, farmers, growers, suppliers, and chefs...I could spend all day talking with them and learning, and in many cases I did!"

Jim Coleman's Flavors provides us with an amazingly delicious overview of all that is great about American cooking today. His warm introductions, easy-to-prepare recipes, and the informative way they are presented make this an enjoyable and useful cookbook that will become a favorite in kitchens across America.

About the Author

Jim Coleman is the host of the national public television series Flavors of America and the national public radio show A Chef's Table (nominated for a 2001 James Beard Award), as well as a weekly newspaper columnist. For nine years he was the Executive Chef at the Five Diamond AAA Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia. Coleman's career has taken him around the world, from the beaches of California to the Great Wall of China. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, he now lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.

Buy the Book!

Jim Coleman's Flavors
By Jim Coleman with
John Harrisson and Candace Hagan
Clarkson Potter/Publishers, September 2001
Hardback, $25.95
288 pages with 28 full-color photographs
ISBN: 0-609-60972-6
Information provided by the publisher.