We did it! The story of how two ladies,
Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley,
went out to find America’s best recipes and in the process,
created the BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOK SERIES.
BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOK SERIES
he process began in the early 1980s. After being involved in
T the development and publication of numerous cookbooks, Gwen
McKee and Barbara Moseley were frequently asked what were their
favorite cookbooks and recipes. From their own cookbook collec-
tions, they had highlighted recipes they thought were special. From this,
the idea was born, “Why not collect all those highlighted recipes from dif-
ferent cookbooks into one cookbook?” They quickly realized that this
ambitious undertaking could best be accomplished on a state-by-state basis.
The BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOK SERIES had begun!
rom the very begin-
F ning, Gwen and
Barbara established goals.
They would search for
cookbooks that showcased
recipes that captured local
flavor. They would insist
on kitchen-friendly recipes
that anybody anywhere
could cook and enjoy.
They would make the
books user friendly, and
edit for utmost clarity.
The criteria for including
a recipe was that it have
three distinguished
features: great taste, great
taste, and great taste!
Early in the BEST development,
the purchase of a used van
turned out to be just the right
vehicle for their travels. With
stacks of boxes, luggage,
grocery bags, cooking para-
phernalia, etc., it proved to
be the ideal way to pack up
and head out for discovery!
This was one of four vans that
took Gwen and Barbara
across the country. PHOTO BY COOKIE SNYDER
1
n 1982, Best of the Best from
I Mississippi: Selected Recipes
from Mississippi’s Favorite
Cookbooks was published. Its
success prompted going next door
to Louisiana, Gwen’s native state.
The Louisiana edition, published in
1984, has been reprinted seventeen
times and is the best-seller of all the
states.
The two editors then took on
Texas—four trips were required just
Gwen and Barbara did a lot of work on the
to cover the territory! But cover it recipes before they ever got in the kitchen to test
they did, selecting ninety-four cook- them.
books from all over Texas to con-
tribute their most popular recipes to
Best of the Best from Texas
Cookbook. At 356 pages and over
500 recipes, Texas is one of
the largest cookbooks in the SERIES.
With three states under their
belt, Gwen and Barbara now had a
mission and a motto: Preserving
America’s Food Heritage.
. . . We’re under way! 1982-1985
2
he editors committed themselves to
T tracking down those classic family
recipes that have been refined and per-
fected over generations. It had become
an interesting, sometimes fascinating,
often exhilarating process . . . and they
knew they were hooked on wanting to
explore each state and taste their cui-
sine.
Talking to townfolk was always fun
and informative. Gwen and Barbara
would usually be directed to someone
else if that person couldn’t help them—
“Go see Sarah at the drugstore; she has
lots of cookbooks.”
Over the next four years, Gwen and
Barbara concentrated on those neigh-
boring states that were convenient to
Tasting the local fare is one of the best
get to. In the early days before the
bonuses of a trip through any region in
Internet, their normal method of finding
search of great recipes. In Hurricane Mills,
Tennessee, Gwen and Barbara visited local cookbooks was to travel through-
Loretta Lynn’s Kitchen and found tasty
local vittles and recipes for how
to fix them.
In North Carolina, they
drove a long way to taste
Pete Jones’ famous barbe-
cue at his Skylight Inn in
Ayden—a restaurant that
has a replica of our
nation’s capitol on the
roof! Here Pete treated
them to the delicious fla-
vor of true wood-smoked
North Carolina barbecue.
No wonder it has won so
many awards—well worth
the drive.
3
out the state. Gwen
usually did the driv-
ing, and Barbara—
with map in lap—the
navigating. They
stopped at bookstores,
gift and kitchen shops,
restaurants, bed and
breakfasts, chamber
of commerce offices,
tourist bureaus, and
any other place that
might offer the possi-
bility of discovering a
While traveling across the country, Gwen
popular local cookbook. Without fail,
and Barbara were invited by Paula
in every state, the BEST thing was the
Cunningham, owner of McClanahan
people they met and the information
Publishing in Kuttawa, Kentucky, on a sea
they so proudly shared. plane ride over the Land Between the Lakes.
The road was not always so easy and They all dined that night on wonderful
enjoyable as it may sound. They occa- Kentucky Baked Pork Chops (Best of the
sionally had car problems, but invari- Best from Kentucky Cookbook, page 101).
ably were helped by friendly people,
. . . We’re covering the South! 1986-1990
4
They also continued to meet and
make wonderful new friends. In
Indiana, they spent a few days with
Chris and Mike Sikorski. Chris has the
distinction of being the first member of
the Best of the Month Club (individuals
who have signed up to receive a copy
of each new edition in the SERIES).
Chris tried recipes, gave us her com-
ments, and became a dear friend. She
was also the first person to own the
entire SERIES.
Gwen and Barbara stayed an extra
day in Cincinnati just to try the different
Hot Cheese in a Jar
2 pounds Velveeta cheese, melted
Bringing food to book signings helped us
1 medium onion, grated
show people how delicious the recipes were.
1 (5.33-ounce) can evaporated milk
Teammate Tupper England (between
1 pint Miracle Whip salad dressing
Barbara and Gwen) has illustrated every
1 (8-ounce) can seeded, deveined
one of the cookbooks in the SERIES.
jalapeño peppers, chopped fine
(cut off stems)
including truckers, motorcyclists, even
Melt cheese in top of double boiler.
the police! They missed turns, became
Add onion, milk, Miracle Whip,
hopelessly lost, and sometimes made
and peppers to melted cheese, and
wonderful cookbook discoveries while
mix well. Pour into 6 (8-ounce)
finding their way back. jelly jars. Cool, screw on
Throughout the ’90s, Gwen and caps, and refrigerate.
Barbara continued to search with
renewed dedication to finding and pre-
This recipe was often made
serving those little recipe gems that before road trips and a
might be tucked away in a modest supply taken along. Many
church cookbook published in a small times the editors relied on this
community. Junior League cookbooks, treat to make it through some long
days of travel. The recipe was
because they are developed by local
contributed by Cowtown Cuisine and
members and contain recipes from their
is included in Best of the Best from
city and community, have been a partic-
Texas Cookbook (page 28). It is truly
ularly valuable contributor to the a classic.
SERIES.
5
varieties of chili that the city
is famous for. They had
Philly cheese steaks in
Philadelphia, clam chowder
in Boston, Hot Browns in
Louisville, lobster in Maine,
Crab Louis in California,
gumbo in Louisiana . . . and
after each culinary experience,
they sought out the BEST
recipes that would enable the
rest of America to enjoy all of
these regional classics.
There were always adven-
tures on the road. Near
Farmington, Maine, Gwen
Sometimes the forked road beckoned in both directions,
and Barbara found them-
and the girls didn’t know which way to turn. Their trips
were sketched out, but left lots of room for wherever the selves traveling among hun-
spirit led them. This was a photo op for a chapter dreds of motorcyclists. After
opening picture at Indiana Dunes, but they were never initial concern, they stopped
quite sure where they would wind up in search of
for gas in the midst of them
America’s favorite recipes.
and discovered that these
burly, leathered, tatooed guys
. . . We’re halfway there! 1991-1996
6
more useful and enjoyable. Glossaries
were included in those books with words
or phrases that might not be understood
in other parts of the country (Louisiana’s
French and Cajun words, New Mexico,
Texas, and Arizona’s Spanish terms,
Hawaii’s pronunciations, etc.).
“Editor’s Extras” have occasionally
been added to the original recipes to
ensure complete understanding, suggest
an alternate ingredient if the original
was not available, or offer an embellish-
ment or variation the editors particular-
ly liked and wanted to share.
Sprinkled throughout each BEST
cookbook is a series of short “quips”
that provide interesting facts about each
state. These are fun and informative,
and help to convey the unique features
In their quest for the BEST, Gwen and of the state.
Barbara learned that every region has a Each cookbook contains photographs
particular food or signature dish. As soon and illustrations that capture some of
as they arrived in Maine, they embraced the
the visual highlights of each state.
state’s culinary spirit by diving into some
drawn-buttered boiled lobster at the first
roadside restaurant with a lobster on its
sign!
(and gals) were genuinely intrigued by
their pursuit of America’s BEST recipes,
and offered some favorite dishes of
their own. It seemed that talking about
food was a common denominator that Often shrouded in a thick fog, the Golden
just about everybody delighted in Gate Bridge sways 27 feet to withstand
winds of up to 100 miles per hour. Its two
doing. Almost always, it translated to
great cables contain enough strands of steel wire
finding a local cookbook that had just (about 80,000 miles) to encircle the equator three
the recipe they were after. times, and the concrete poured into its piers and
anchorages would pave a five-foot sidewalk from
New York to San Francisco.
n addition to the over 300 wonderful
I recipes that each BEST cookbook con- An example of an illustration and a quip.
tains, Gwen and Barbara have added These are scattered throughout the BEST
other features that make the cookbooks cookbooks.
7
One of the most popular fea-
BEST OF THE BEST Statistics
tures, particularly for anyone who
collects cookbooks, is the
• Total cookbooks evaluated: over 10,000
“Catalog of Contributing
Cookbooks” section of each BEST • Total cookbooks selected to contribute
cookbook. This section provides recipes: 2,689
a brief description of each con-
• Total number of recipes selected:
tributing cookbook, a reproduc-
17,214
tion of the book’s cover, plus
• Road miles: approximately 70,000
price and ordering information.
• Air miles: 40,000
n the late ’90s, the editors fin-
I • Total mailings and correspondence:
ished the Midwest and set their
over 30,000
sites on the “big” states of the
• Recipes evaluated: hundreds of
West. These states with their vast
thousands
areas provided major challenges
to locating those local cookbooks • Phone calls made: over 25,000
that might contain that special
• Percent of people who were initially
recipe.
asked to taste the BEST recipes being
In the Southwest, the Arizona
tested and who volunteered to continue
and New Mexico editions became
providing this service: 100%
instant favorites. The popularity
of the Mexican influence on the
BEST SELLING STATES
cuisine of this region, abundantly
(based on lifetime monthly average)
represented in these cookbooks,
surely contributed to their appeal. 1. LOUISIANA
The California edition, like
2. TEXAS
Texas and New England, required
3. ARIZONA
more pages to accommodate the
4. VIRGINIA
large number of contributing
5. NORTH CAROLINA
cookbooks. The great variety of
recipes selected makes these 6. OHIO
cookbooks particularly interesting 7. MINNESOTA
and enjoyable to use.
8. TEXAS II
With the California edition, the
9. LOUISIANA II
editors made one of their few bad
10. TENNESSEE
decisions. In order to speed up
production, they bound the book Total number of BEST cookbooks sold:
as a paperback rather than the
1,800,000 (through 2004)
normal ringbound format. The
8
Best of the Month Club members
immediately voiced their displeasure.
The editors quickly realized their mis-
take, and Best of the Best from
California Cookbook is now ringbound
like all the others. This binding format
allows for convenient lay-flat usage
and, like the recipes themselves, creates
an overall comfortable, user-friendly
feel for the cookbooks.
Gwen and Barbara knew from the
beginning that they did not want the
BEST OF THE BEST cookbooks to be
hardbound, oversized, full-color,
expensive books that would stay on the
coffee table and not be allowed to go in Barbara and Gwen are always at home in
the kitchen. It was their hope that each the kitchen, no matter where they are.
Though space was limited in this tiny
BEST OF THE BEST cookbook would
Manhattan apartment, fresh produce at the
become a family favorite used again
corner market was not. It was a fun experi-
and again for their consistently superb
ence cooking Curried Corn Soup with
recipes. friends in this cozy kitchen.
There were two major developments
that helped the SERIES gain national
. . . We’re going strong! 1997-2000
9
Barbara and Gwen were
usually expected to cook
when they booked a TV
appearance, a difficult
thing to do on the road.
Sometimes they had to prep
the food in their hotel
room. For this Miami
show, they cooked the fish
for Black Bart’s Seafood
Ambrosia on a hot plate!
recognition. In the mid ’80s, Cracker located. Many customers play the game
Barrel Old Country Stores began carry- of getting a new BEST book only at a
ing the BEST OF THE BEST STATE Cracker Barrel store each time they go
COOKBOOKS when they had only about to a new state.
65 stores in their chain. Over the years, In 1997, the electronic shopping
this wonderful relationship has grown giant, QVC, came to Mississippi as part
as the BEST SERIES developed. Now of their nationwide search for new
most of the more than 500 Cracker products. Best of the Best from
Barrel stores now carry the BEST cook- Mississippi was one of the twenty or so
book of the state where the store is products that were selected to air on the
10
Mississippi show. It sold out in two n 2000, after nearly two decades,
I
minutes, faster than any other product, Gwen and Barbara were still going
and earned the honor of being included strong. They had completed thirty-six
with other state winners on a special states, had met and become friends with
show from the main QVC Studios in many delightful people, had seen a
West Chester, Pennsylvania. Since then, great portion of their beautiful country,
Gwen has appeared numerous times on and were even more committed to their
goal of Preserving America’s Food
QVC showcasing many of the BEST OF
Heritage.
THE BEST STATE COOKBOOKS. This rela-
tionship has been a successful collabora- From 2001 to 2003, Gwen and
tion, allowing a tremendous number of Barbara completed eight BEST cook-
people to become aware of the SERIES. books and covered eleven states (Best
In addition to bookstores, many small of the Best from the Mid-Atlantic
gift stores and kitchen shops have given Cookbook includes Maryland,
valuable support to the BEST cookbooks Delaware, and New Jersey. Best of the
over the years. Best from Big Sky Cookbook covers
Talented food stylist Bobbi Cappelli, shown at left with Gwen and Barbara, makes the BEST
OF THE BEST recipes for QVC on-air presentations. She makes the dishes look as good as they
taste. The hosts and crew are treated to a banquet when the shows are over.
11
Montana and Wyoming). From Cape
May (New Jersey) to Glacier Bay
(Alaska), this was a demanding stretch.
However, the SERIES had now gained
national recognition, a devoted follow-
ing, and the process of searching for
those special local recipes was a great
deal easier.
In Anchorage, Alaska, Chef Matt
Little Dog, at Simon and Seaforts,
shared his incredible bread pudding
recipe after Gwen had dined on this
delicious treat and begged for his secret.
Best of the Best from Alaska
Cookbook, incidentally, became the
best-selling cookbook in Alaska shortly
after it became available there.
Gwen and Barbara were now a long
way from home in the Pacific
“It helps our research to find out all we can
Northwest and Alaska, but still discov- about the food of the state, and Pike’s Place
ering wonderful cookbooks and select- Market is the place to do that in Seattle,”
ing from them the popular recipes of says Barbara. “Just look at this gorgeous
the region. seafood.”
. . . We’re getting close! 2001-2003
12
Oregon’s fruit-growing district, “The
Fruit Loop” offered many fresh fruit
treats that inspired recipes like
Boysenberry Swirl Cheesecake with
Hazelnut Crust (Best of the Best from
Oregon Cookbook, page 212).
Seattle’s Pike Place Market was an
exciting experience. The great variety
of vegetables, fruits, and fish on display
challenged the editors to find recipes
that could fully exploit such an abun-
dance of fresh ingredients. They feel
they have met the challenge with Best
of the Best from Washington Cookbook.
The state fair in Palmer, Alaska, was
another unique occasion to taste some
local fare. The exhibit at the fair con- Passing along her love for cooking, Gwen
enjoys letting her grandchildren have fun
tained remarkable blue-ribbon winning
with her in the kitchen. What better way to
fruits and vegetables.
Preserve America’s Food Heritage!
Gwen and husband, Barney, attended the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, and were aghast at
how big the long summer days grow these vegetables. It was a wonderful place to get a first-
hand look and taste of some of Alaska’s food products. They found Moose Kabobs, Alaska
Salmon Nuggets, Sourdough Bread, and Bear Tracks, all of which made their way into Best
of the Best from Alaska Cookbook.
13
also helpful as she allowed the editors
to review her own extensive cookbook
collection, many of which were of a
vintage nature.
Utah and Nevada, the final two states,
offered an opportunity for the editors to
experience not only the tasteful cuisine
but also the unique beauty of the desert,
quite different from their lush, green,
southern landscapes.
here are forty-one volumes in the
T complete BEST OF THE BEST STATE
COOKBOOK SERIES. This is due to the
fact that some states were combined
into one cookbook. Best of the Best
from New England Cookbook, for
instance, consists of Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont,
New Hampshire, and Maine.
Best of the Best from the Mid-Atlantic
On the drive up the North Shore on O‘ahu
Cookbook includes recipes collected
(in Punalu‘u), you can’t miss the bright yel-
from cookbooks published in Maryland,
low Shrimp Shack truck. Irene serves up
Delaware, and New Jersey.
delicious pan-fried shrimp herself, deliver-
ing it personally to you on her umbrella- The recipes from North Dakota,
topped picnic tables. A big sign says, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas
“Suck, peel, dip, eat,” and, believe me, you were combined into Best of the Best
will not need encouragement to do so. Her
from the Great Plains Cookbook. Best
recipe has been written up in magazines,
of the Best from Big Sky Cookbook con-
and she has been featured on the Food and
tains the most popular recipes from the
Travel channels. When Gwen asked her if
leading cookbooks of Montana and
she would share her recipe, she sweetly
agreed. Wyoming.
The SERIES also includes second edi-
tions from Louisiana and Texas. These
n beautiful Hawaii, the editors states published early in the process are
I encountered many helpful people, the two bestsellers in the SERIES. Best
including Jeff and Bennett at Booklines of the Best from Louisiana II Cookbook
Hawaii. Booklines was a gold mine as (1998) and Best of the Best from Texas
they either publish or distribute almost II Cookbook (1996) are part of the
every current cookbook related to forty-one book BEST OF THE BEST STATE
Hawaiian cooking. Faith in Kauai was COOKBOOK SERIES.
14
N
Completely new editions have been ow that the SERIES has been
created for Mississippi and Florida. completed, what next? Gwen
These cookbooks consist of new con- and Barbara, both grandmothers many
tributors and new recipes and are now times over, are not ready to retire.
part of the forty-one book collection. “There are still cookbooks to be discov-
The original editions are still available ered and tasteful recipes to be pre-
while the current supply lasts. served,” says Barbara. “We might just
The BEST OF THE BEST cookbooks start over.”
range in size from 288 to 380 pages and “Regardless of what we do in the
contain between 350 and 500 recipes. future,” Gwen adds, “we set out to col-
They are ringbound for convenience of lect, capture, and celebrate the food of
use, and are enclosed in heavy, laminat- America on a state-by-state basis, and
ed covers that resist stains and spills. that mission has been accomplished.
Each cookbook contains a mix of We did it!”
contributing cookbooks ranging from a
modest little church cookbook to a
grandiose bestseller.
The editors are particularly pleased
that, although some of the smaller con-
tributing cookbooks may go out of print,
their most popular and tasteful recipes
are not lost but are preserved in their
state’s BEST OF THE BEST cookbook.
. . . We did it! 2004
15
RECIPE HALL OF FAME COOKBOOK COLLECTION
he recipes selected to be in
T the HALL OF FAME COOKBOOK
COLLECTION have earned extra
distinction for consistently produc-
ing superbly tasteful dishes.
These are recipes that have
become classic family favorites
that will be made over and over.
The recipes have been collected
from the entire database of more
than 17,000 winning recipes
included in the BEST OF THE BEST
304 pages • $19.95 304 pages • $19.95
STATE COOKBOOKS—they are the
BEST of the BEST OF THE BEST.
The four HALL OF FAME cook-
books can be ordered individually
at the price noted below each
cookbook or can be purchased as a
four-cookbook set for $39.95,
almost a 50% discount off the total
list price of $76.80. With over
1,600 recipes in the HALL OF FAME
COLLECTION, this amounts to less
than three cents for each incredible
recipe, an amazing value!
240 pages • $16.95
304 pages • $19.95
Best of the Month Club
Individuals may purchase BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOKS on a monthly
(or bi-monthly) basis by joining the Best of the Month Club. Best of the Month
Club members enjoy a 20% discount off the list price of each book. Individuals
who already own certain state cookbooks may specify which new states they wish to
receive. No minimum purchase is required; individuals may cancel at any time. For
more information on this purchasing option, call 1-800-343-1583.
Special We Did It! Discount
The entire 41-volume BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOK SERIES can be purchased
for $521.21, a 25% discount off the total individual price of $694.95. To order call
1-800-343-1583, and mention, “We Did It!”
Individual BEST cookbooks can be purchased for $16.95 per copy plus $4.00 ship-
ping for any number of cookbooks ordered.
Best of the Best
“Best of the Best from Virginia is a boon to Virginia cooks who
can’t remember exactly which book in their collection includes
a favorite recipe . . . enough to tempt even dyed-in-New
England Yankees to try out Old Dominion recipes.”
—Louis Mahoney, Food Editor; Richmond News Leader
###
“Although I have acquired a very extensive collection of cook-
books over the years, when looking for a recipe in any category,
I find myself perusing my BEST OF THE BEST books.”
—Dorothea O’Donnell, Stoughton, Massachusetts
###
“Each book I receive is better than the last one, if that is
possible, for they are all the “BEST.” I can’t say which is my
favorite. I would have to say that my favorite is the new
one—until the next one arrives.”
—Arlene Luskin, Silver Spring, Maryland
###
“I think the BEST OF THE BEST cookbooks are fantastic and a good way to dis-
cover America the culinary way. Please pass on my regards to the editors
and thank them for the great work they do. I look forward to the chance of
adding to my collection.”
—Bert Klein, Muenchen, Germany
###
“The selection of fabulous recipes is not all . . . they’ve put the proverbial icing
on the cake by including wonderful photographs of interesting places in the
state, beautiful line drawings, and a wealth of informative little one-liners
that tell you many facts about the history and geography of Pennsylvania.”
—Louise Dodd, Dublin Courier-Herald
###
“After reading this book, I would recommend it to anyone who
craves a sampling of some of the state’s ‘down-home’ recipes.
It would make an excellent gift to out-of-state friends (or home-
sick transplanted Kentuckians).”
—Carole Bailey, The Lexington Messenger
Best of the Best
G wen and Barbara have made many new friends while compiling
the BEST OF THE BEST STATE COOKBOOKS. They have also become
acquainted with many more individuals who have written them to say
how much they enjoy the BEST cookbooks. Listed below is a random
sampling of comments from individuals and reviewers who have praise
for the cookbooks in the BEST SERIES.
###
“You have brightened my Alaskan winter day! I received your
Best of the Best from Alaska Cookbook yesterday, and have toted
it around with me to show everyone that I know how lovely our
book is. You have captured Alaska in a cookbook.”
—Ann Berg, Nikiski, Alaska
###
“I’ve learned to trust Gwen and Barbara. Now I make anything
from their cookbooks with total confidence that it will be delicious”
—Shirley Laird, Cookeville Tennessee
###
“I just want you to know how very much I have enjoyed
all of the BEST SERIES. They are truly “Best of the Best” and
they make cooking fun because you know the recipes are tried
and true! I recently received Oregon’s Best, have tried several
of the recipes, and they were just great! My husband was so
impressed that he started planning dinner parties!”
—Caroline Frazier, Jackson, Mississippi
###
“My cooking class enjoyed cooking from Best of the
Best from Missouri so much that I have scheduled
another one with Best of the Best from Pennsylvania.”
—Bessie Theodorou, Dierbergs School of Cooking
Additional comments on reverse side.
QUAIL RIDGE PRESS • P. O. Box 123 • Brandon, MS 39043
1-800-343-1583 • www.quailridge.com
Let LinkedIn power your SlideShare experience
+
Let LinkedIn power your SlideShare experience
Customize SlideShare content based on your interests
We will import your LinkedIn profile and you will be visible on SlideShare.
Keep up to date when your LinkedIn contacts post on SlideShare
Gwen McKee
