We Americans are what we eat and where we come from, and no one knows this better than Betty Fussell, one of our country's most revered food writers. Here she presents the rich history and lore of American food, as experienced in her travels to six distinct regions of the country: the desert Southwest, the Louisiana Delta, the tidewater Carolinas, New England, the Great Lakes region, and the Pacific Northwest coast.In each of these regions we find communal rites and tribal dishes appropriate to the ecology -- each with its own distinct flavor, smell, and feel. Among the hundreds of recipes featured here are historically accurate renditions of familiar favorites like chili con carne and succotash as well as unusual finds like pine bark stew and pomegranate guacamole. Thoroughly researched, and engagingly written in Fussell's lively and personable style, "I Hear America Cooking" is not only an important historical document, but also an ode to America's greatest books: young and old, famous and unknown, past and present. It sings the praises of America's gastronomic breadth and diversity, from sea to shining sea.