ARTHUR SCHWARTZ'S NEW YORK CITY FOOD GEB - Tapa dura

Arthur Schwartz is the Big Apple's official foodie-about-town, the Schwartz who ate New York City, a fellow who has fork-and-knived his way through the five boroughs. He knows his knish from his kasha, his bok choy from his bruschetta, his falafel from his frittata. And in "Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food, he shares his gastronomic expertise, chronicling the city's culinary history from its Dutch colonial start (think crullers and coleslaw) to its current status as the multicultural food capital of the world. For good measure, Schwartz also includes 160 recipes for American classics that either originated or were perfected in New York: Manhattan Clam Chowder, Eggs Benedict, Lindy's cheesecake, Lobster Newburg. Schwartz is not only informed, he's funny, and throughout the book he covers everything from the phenomenon of the celebrity chef to his first meeting with James Beard. His text is transporting, taking readers back to Delmonico's, the Colony, the Horn & Hardart Automats, and the once-popular Childs Restaurant with its renowned buttery pancakes. Whether revealing how an obscure dish known as Omelet Surprise was transformed into the decidedly chichi dessert Baked Alaska; investigating why some Jewish restaurants came to be known as Roumanian steakhouses; or instructing readers on the way to bake a molten chocolate minicake worthy of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Schwartz is the ideal dining companion.