No one can bring small-town America to life better than a native, especially when it comes to Maine. Arguably one of the country's most off-the-beaten-path states, it enjoys four distinct seasons and an abundant natural bounty that comes from its coastline, rivers, farms, fields and woods — a cook's dream. Erin French grew up in Freedom, Maine (population 719), helping her father man the griddle at his greasy-spoon diner. An entirely self-taught cook who used cookbooks and trial and error to form her culinary education, she now helms her dream restaurant in a restored historic mill in the same town, creating meals that draw locals and visitors from around the world to a dining room that feels like an extension of her home kitchen. In fact, Dana Cowin, former editor-in-chief of Food & Wine, singled out a dinner at Erin's resaurant as one of her five ''Favorite Meals of 2015'' in the December issue of the magazine, writing: ''The food was brilliant in its simplicity and honesty.'' It is this pure approach that makes Erin's cooking so appealing — and so easy to embrace at home.

• 7.7'' W x 10.3'' H x 1'' D
• Written by Erin French
• Publisher: Penguin Random House
• 256 pages