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Two for the Road - Our Love Affair with American Food
by Jane and Michael Stern
Houghton Mifflin
ISBN 0-618-32963-3
Published May 2006 - Hardcover - 292 pages - $24.00

I wasn't sure in which category to put this book as it's part memoir, part food, and part travel by these culinary commuting authors, Jane and Michael Stern.  These intrepid two have shared their love of food (and life) with us through some thirty books, numerous awards, columns, and on radio.  Their travels started after graduation in the 70s, and as novices, they landed a book deal and took off across the country.  From the get-go, I was drawn into this book and found myself chuckling aloud.  They hadn't gone far and I was already enjoying their tales.  Their hilarious recollections of southern eating establishments is so funny - remember, there were no fast food chains so they ate at diners, cafés, restaurants, and such, often while being stared at because they weren't local.  They ran the gauntlet of the Bible Belt South, ate pie, observed the locals, learned how to cook on coals, and were gawked at as they either entered a "restaurant" or pulled into or out of town in one or other of their cars.  They drove the desolate open roads in North Dakota, visited Chicago, tripped through Tennessee, hung around their home state of Connecticut, and whether it's Arkansas or Rhode Island, it seems they've been everywhere.  What alarmed me however, was the volume of food they consumed while on the road, per day.  Then having to drive for zillions of miles, just sitting.  It could not have been good for the digestive system - I mean, twelve meals a day!  They've even given some recipes at the end of each chapter.
Visit the Sterns at their website www.roadfood.com for more information.
Conclusion - This is the kind of book I wish I could have written - funny, interesting, and very observant.  Loved it!