Description:
Rooted in the cuisines of North America, Europe, and Africa, Southern cooking is delicious, classic fare. But according to Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Cooking, traditional dishes like fried chicken, gumbo, cornbread, and pecan pie aren't the whole story. Stating that Southern cooking as such makes sense only if we recognize it as the result of multiple interpretations over time, Fowler presents his versions of traditional dishes that also take into account today's busy, health-conscious world. His recipe for Grilled Pork Tenderloins with Bourbon Mustard Glaze, for example, honors the Southern passion for pork, but uses a lean cut of meat. The result of Fowler's approach is 160 easily made recipes that salute the old and the new delectably. In chapters that cover every course from appetizers and snacks to breads and desserts, Fowler finds innovative ways with quintessential Southern ingredients, offering the likes of Baked Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese with Warm Peach Chutney, Green Tomato Gumbo, and even Sweet Potato Latkes with Homemade Applesauce and Crème Fraîche. He also offers polished examples of traditional fare, including Grilled Breaded Veal Chops, Scalloped Eggplant a la Creole, and, of course, Buttermilk Fried Chicken (touched unconventionally with garlic). Bread lovers will dote on Fowler's Cinnamon Pecan Drop Biscuits, while fans of dessert should swoon for the likes of Maryan's Chocolate Pound Cake, Lemon Pecan Pie, and Shortbread Banana Pudding. With menus and a useful list of ingredient sources, the book is an exciting addition to the Southern cookbook shelf. --Arthur Boehm
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