Smoke and Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen

I had read quiet a bit about this book and was intrigued. Did I really need another cookbook at this time? Was it one I'd cook from or did it contain hard to find ingredients? To help me answer these questions I decided to see if I could find it at my local library. They didn't have it but it was available through our inter library loan system, so I placed it on hold. I've enjoyed the three weeks I've been able to call this cookbook mine and now of course I know I have to have a copy of my own.

While we were in California for a few years our family fell in love with Korean food. I was surprised to find that I often thought of southern food when I was having a Korean meal. It seems Edward Lee came to the same conclusions. Koreans seem to use smoke to cook many of their meats as do us southerners (BBQ) and we love to pickle anything and everything and serve it with our meals as do Koreans (Kimchi).

I have so enjoyed reading his many stories scattered though out this book and the recipes as well. Not only does he include stories of growing up in Brooklyn and how he came to become a chef but he also shares stories of his life as a restaurant owner in Kentucky and how he came up with ideas for some of his recipes. There there are the places he explains some ingredients that everyone might not be familiar with. He often gives suggestions of things you can use instead if it's an ingredient that not everyone may be able to find easily and he give you tips on how to make these recipes successfully yourself.

The day I brought the book home I read it from cover to cover. Then I went back and read all the recipes that looked like something I'd want to cook.

His table of contents has interesting names and each chapter includes stories and recipes. They are as follows: Lamb & Whistles, Cows & Clover, Birds & Bluegrass, Pigs & Abattoirs, Seafood & Scrutiny, Pickles & Matrimony, Veggies & Charity, Bourbon & Bar Snacks and finally Buttermilk & Karaoke. One name gives you a hint as to what recipes are included and the other is about the story included. A fun read as well as fun to cook from.