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4.0 out of 5 stars
I'm a citizen!, May 8 2003
I have to admit that I enjoy reading the Sterns' books primarily for their food writing. Even if I never prepared a single recipe out of any of their many titles, I would still value their books and, generally, give them pretty high ratings. In other words, I'm a fan of "food lit."From that standpoint, this book was a little disappointing, in that it's split fifty-fifty (almost literally, given the fifty states plus D.C.) between recipes and commentary. This utilitarian little guide doesn't have the foodie allure of "Roadfood," which remains, to this point, my favorite Stern book. I readily admit that for most people, though, and especially for chili-heads who may not necessarily be Stern fans, this title has a lot to offer. Specifically, what it has to offer is chili -- fifty-one recipes ranging from the classic (Massachusetts' Rock-ribbed bean-and-beef chili) to the exotic (Hawaii's Paniolo macadamia nut and chipotle chili) to the, frankly, bizarre (West Virginia's Fried bologna chili). I was expecting Washington to offer some kind of salmon-based chili, and was intrigued to find instead a recipe featuring our other well-known export, coffee. What you won't find is a "basic" chili -- each recipe is an unusual, not to say unique, regional variation on a theme that is left unstated (kind of the "Enigma Variations" of food, I guess). With all this diversity, there's something for every taste, including vegetarians. Even if you're not a chili-head, it's worth the effort to track down this book and give a few of the selections a try.
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