Montgomery, Ala.— More than 225 dishes at restaurants across the state are featured in a new photo book titled Alabama Food that goes on sale Dec. 3.

The colorful 128-page book was produced in cooperation with the Alabama Tourism Department and covers the food scene in the state by geographic region, starting in North Alabama and ending with the Gulf Coast. It’s based on the popular “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” brochure and emphasizes unique and original Alabama restaurants, the growth of the farm-to- table movement, and native Alabama foods.

A section profiles food products manufactured in the state. More than two dozen Alabama photographers contributed images for the book. Karim Shamsi-Basha’s photo of Hot and Hot Fish Club’s iconic Tomato Salad is on the book’s cover.

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association has kicked off the “Alabama’s Best Steak” contest, a statewide beef promotion designed to find the best steakhouse in the state. Online voting for this contest began on July 1st and will continue until September 24th. The contest is open to anyone to vote and any restaurant in Alabama that serves a great steak to their customers.

After a few weeks of online voting, over 40 steak restaurants around the state have been voted for in “Alabama’s Best Steak” contest. Cattlemen and consumers all around Alabama are visiting www.bamabeef.org and clicking on the “Alabama’s Best Steak” icon to vote on the online survey. It’s simple and only takes a few clicks! Keep the votes coming in to ensure that your steakhouse in the “Top 5” of vote-getters. The “Top 5” will be announced as a kickoff to “October Beef Month”!