In the early 1970s, Chez Panisse chef Jeremiah Tower's revolutionary ethos of fresh ingredients, simply prepared and presented, shook up the national culinary scene and fueled the meteoric rise of American regional cuisine. The successes that followed are legendary, from his trailblazing Santa Fe Bar and Grill in Berkeley to the acclaimed Stars restaurant in San Francisco.

Now, in this companion book to the landmark twenty-six art PBS series, America's Best Chefs, Jeremiah Tower visits twelve James Beard award-winning chefs and cooks with them on their own turf: in their home kitchens. He joins Patrick O'Connell (Washington, D.C.) to make Apple and Rutabaga Soup with Maple Syrup, drops in on Alain Ducasse (New York, NY) fro Pepper-Crusted Rib of Beef with Cognac Mustard Cream Sauce, and makes Whole Apple Pecan Crisp with Rum Raisin Ice Cream and Cider Caramel Sauce with Nancy Oakes (San Francisco, CA).

More than 100 recipes show home cooks how to make the dishes featured on the show, which also include contributions from Mario Battali, (New York, NY), Philippe Boulot (Portland, OR), Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton (California), Mark Romano (New York, NY), Charlie Trotter (Chicago, IL), and others.

Beautifully produced and featuring more than 100 stunning full-color photographs, this volume is a revealing snapshot of cooking in America today, as seen through the lens of one of its most inspiring and influential figures.