Third Thrifty Week of 2015 #3 ~ Food Festival USA & Highlands NC

Food Festival USA, published in  2002. Over 250 recipes from all 50 states collected from festival cooking contestants, local prominent chefs and many ethnic favorites passed down through generations. The most represented states are Texas, Louisiana and California and the recipes are grouped regionally with a directory of all the festivals in the back of the book.

When I resided in Louisiana, I was a mere 15 -20 minutes from the Strawberry Festival, the Oyster Festival and the Independence Italian Festival - all of which I attended during my college years. 

The theme of the festivals vary with many celebrating various ethnic groups such as the Hungarian Festival in New Jersey (I guess those Stephanie Plum novels were accurate!) and for some strange reason a Japanese festival in Missouri. There are festivals for just about every fruit and vegetable known to man ~ the Yambilee in Opelousas, Louisiana as well as a multitude of foods - Chitlins in Alabama, sorghum, cornbread and marshmallow in other states. I would love to visit the Cheesecake Open House in Virginia and the Duncan Hines celebration in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The recipes range from appetizers to entrees and desserts - so basically the same as found in most cookbooks. There was interesting strawberry burrito and a few made with abalone that looked intriguing.

Celebrate Highlands, published in 2002. Recipes were complied by the Laurel Garden Club of Highlands, North Carolina. The club was founded in 1982 for the protection and conservation of natural resources and to preserve the roadside charm found in Highlands. The town has population of 900 year round residents and swells to 20k in the summer. Many people from my hometown of Athens, Georgia have summer houses in Highlands and it is a popular travel destination for many people in Georgia.

The book begins with menus for various celebrations including movable feasts (picnics), a backyard summer BBQ, a full moon dinner and Christmas. The remaining chapters touch on appetizers & beverages, soups, salads & vegetables, entrées - including pasta, breads, eggs& cheese, brunches, desserts and a few recipes submitted by celebrity chefs.

I found a familiar recipe for a Pesto Torta that I used to make while entertaining company years ago. I received a copy of the recipe when I took a few cooking classes at the local Rolling Pin store which has since closed.