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

I'm a grandmother and I've lived my entire life in the Deep South. I grew up on grits, biscuits, and BBQ. The last few years, I've taken an interest in various Asian cuisines, especially Korean foods such as kimchi. I would have never imagined that typical southern cuisine could be fused with Korean influences and result in such unique and bold flavors. Just reading this cookbook makes my mouth water. I usually skip long text in cookbooks, and go straight to the recipes. Not so in this case. For example, I very much enjoyed learning how Lee watched his grandmother making kimchi when he was a child, and the lessons he learned along the way. Every story he shares is interesting and often emotional. It brings a lot to the recipes that follow. While many of the recipes are complex, and well worth the time and effort, some of the simpler recipes are equally full of flavor. Roasted oysters are topped with a simple butter and bourbon sauce, and the results are mouthwatering! I love the way Lee has merged the two cuisines in unexpected ways. For example, in Korea it's common to take several ingredients and roll them up into little lettuce wraps. Here, Lee wraps lettuce around southern cornmeal fried oysters and country ham, and dabs it with a little caviar mayo. It's simple, but elegant and delicious. My favorite chapter must be Pickles and Matrimony. I found wonderful recipes for kimchi, as expected, but I also found pickled grapes with chai tea, pickled beets with coffee, and pickled cherries with rosemary. Each recipe is unique and builds upon layers of flavors in the most unexpected ways. I love everything that I've tried so far, and I'm not finished yet! Other than seafood, I don't eat meat. I was able to take some of Lee's recipes and convert them to tofu and tempeh with delicious results. The interesting combinations of ingredients in this cookbook have helped me to become more adventurous in my own kitchen. I really love this cookbook.

INTRODUCTION: A trip to one of the 'Souths' most beloved events, The Kentucky Derby, results in an unlikely culinary pilgrimage for Edward Lee. His journey immerses him in the eclectic food culture known as Southern, (or Suthun' depending on your geographic orientation). Ed undergoes an interesting transformation whereby he finds a happiness through lip-smacking southern goodness and easily connects it with his own Asian food perspective. But do NOT call it a fusion, he hates that. PHYSICAL COMPOSITION: Solid book. No dust-cover. Binding is sewn and glued. I love sewn bindings because they tend to lay flat easier, and will not fall apart once the glue starts to vulcanize. Pages are thick, but not glossy making for easier reading, much less strain on the eyes than glossy or semi glossy pages. I assume this is a 'Bond-matt' paper-type. Almost a kraft-construction paper. Nice rustic touch-feel. CONTENT: Partial personal journey and narrative: roughly 15%, with the rest 85% being recipes. The narratives have nice little educational pieces on things like "What is 'miso' or 'fish sauce'?". I really enjoy these pieces that help people understand how certain (sometimes unfamiliar) ingredients work. This is important to people who are aspiring to become better chefs, and yet the author does not come across snobby, quite the opposite. There is a nice humble-ness in Mr. Lee's writing. MECHANICS: Grammatically everything works. No huge errors in punctuation or spelling, intent of the message was clear and precise. GRAPHICS: Graphics were well-done with an earthiness to them. Pictures of the dishes were clear, and understandable. In particular I appreciated the full-table spread photo's. The dishes on the table were fairly recognizable, however one has to work a bit to find out what they all are. RECIPES: Recipes were very clear as were the ingredients. The stand-outs are the Coke and Bourbon meatloaf, the 'imperfect rice', Bourbon Jalapeno pickles, Rosemary Pickled Cherries, in addition to one of the most interesting perspectives on Remoulade I have every seen, incorporating, (0f all things) miso. The miso rubbed chicken is absolutely amazing! Ed even inspired me to appreciate bourbon more, which is a big deal for me. OVERALL: Totally enjoyable! Reminds me a bit of Anthony Bourdains work 'Les Halles', but less comical, but that does mean 'overly serious' either. Ingredients were relatively easy to source, however, the one thing readers should know is that some Japanese ingredients do not always translate across Asian styles like one would assume. In Asian stores here in western Arkansas I have found it almost impossible to source 'miso', and (not required for this book) 'soba noodles'. I interviewed a Taiwanese home chef who mentioned, Japanese food culture doesn't translate across to Vietnamese, or Chinese cuisines very well at all. I loved following Ed's journey. His experiences added to the food and the recipes without overwhelming them. A fun and interesting read with great recipes to try. On a personal note, Asian cuisine was totally LOST to me. Eating Asian food is a delight, making Asian food (for me anyway) was an effort in futility. A mysterious chasm of flavors that I could never quite place. HOWEVER, due to this work, I understand it a lot better and have been able to pull off some remarkable 'pho', 'spring-rolls', and cold noodle salads. Well done Artisan Books, and well done Edward Lee!

Saw this book several months ago when it first came out. I passed it by because I saw "Smoke" and "New Southern Kitchen": My mind immediately turned to barbecue and Deep South Gulf Coast recipes. Living down below Houston, I don't need another "new" attitude towards cooking Texas- or Louisiana-style dishes. But when I saw it available at my local library, I decided to get on the waiting list for it. I've had it for a few weeks now and I'm very excited by the recipes I've tried and those that I've marked. Boy, what a fool I've been! Oh, what I've been missing! I can't avoid it; I am ordering my own copy of this book. (And I think the cover of this book is a bit misleading--I'm not sure where "Smoke" comes in...) As I state in the title of my review, the ingredient lists are way, way long. But--for once--I don't care how long they are. The many ingredients allow for a complexity of flavor that I don't often see in "do-able" recipes. Assembling ingredients is probably the most difficult and time-consuming part of these recipes. And that's not a terrible thing, is it? By "do-able"--and I like "do-able"--I mean recipes that don't take hours and hours to build; recipes that don't break the bank, and recipes where the instructions don't cause my heart to flutter with anxiety (over intricacy issues) or consternation (over unclear directions). And, I usually shy away from cookbooks written by restaurant chefs, but this time I don't care about that either. The dishes that Chef Lee has created for this book are outstanding and he is not overbearing. There are incredible recipes in this book. The ingredient combinations tie together and overlap; they blossom and bloom into some awesome and unique taste experiences and take on and highlight the best of many cultures: His Korean heritage and his Grandmother's cooking, the places near his old neighborhood (where he was told not to venture when he was a youngster), his experience working in New York and the dishes learned from his friends and co-workers, his adopted home in Louisville, Kentucky and the artisan farms, craftsmen and distilleries of neighboring counties and states. You can STOP READING HERE if you are short on time, as I hope I've conveyed to you that this book is well-worth buying. But if you want more info and input from me, keep on reading: I like to write and I love this book. The recipes incorporate so many main ingredients and flavors that appeal to me: There is an entire chapter dedicated to lamb; there is a chapter on pickles (near and dear to my heart); there are Asian flavors and my favorite booze, bourbon; there is country ham. He uses miso, rice, citrus, soy sauce, peppers, mayo and cola. Then, of course there is a chapter of beef, pork, fowl (chicken, turkey, game birds) and well-loved Southern veggies. Do you like to make quick pickles? I sure do! Included are some interesting combinations that I've not run across before: Pineapple and jicama, caraway (instead of dill) to flavor cuke slices, Bourbon-Pickled Jalapenos (and I think mine turned out prettier than his because I used both red and green peppers), jasmine tea and star anise with peaches, grape halves with chai tea, coffee beans with beets and cherries with rosemary. There are also four seasonal recipes for kimchi. I like to make kimchi; it's not hard to do, just a bit time-consuming and a waiting period for the fermentation process. UPDATE, Aug. 2013: The simple caraway seed and cuke pickle is the best quick pickled cuke that I've ever tasted. I've made two batches already. The peach pickle is wonderful and the pickle juice is so versatile I've been using as a secret ingredient in savory dishes. The grape pickle is tart and brings contrast to a dish. I've used it successfully in a tomato salad, of all things. I can't pick up the bourbon flavor in the jalapeno pickle and I thinking through how I can rectify that. Bottom line, at this point in time: The pickle recipes are keepers! There is a complex "master" remoulade sauce that runs through many recipes in the book with a little of this and that added to compliment the dish--sometimes it's miso that is added, or maybe corn and chili powder, or kimchi. Here are favorite recipes; some I've made, some are on the bucket list: --The Vietnamese Lamb Chops (honey, bourbon, fish sauce, lime and more in the marinade) is super. (I grilled them; he roasts them.) --There is a fabulous meatloaf flavored with cola and bourbon that he's combined with a pepper gravy and a sunny-side up egg on an open sandwich. --He's made a ham pho that is less complex than the traditional beef pho. --I grew up with pork ribs and sauerkraut, but Lee cooks it in such a way that he takes the simple dish over the top, and then he tops it with a horseradish cream. I may never make my old recipe again. --He's got recipes incorporating country hams and a recipe for a tamarind-strawberry glazed "city" ham. --There is a somewhat simple Poached Grouper that is heavenly. --And, talking fish recipes: My favorite recipe in the book is this one: Panfried catfish; the fillets are not breaded, just fried in butter and oil in a skillet. But it's the vinaigrette that sends me: Red seedless grapes crushed in the blender and combined with bacon, thyme, vinegar and mustard; simply beautiful. --He's made a rhubarb mignonette for raw oysters, and a bourbon brown butter for baked oysters. --His idea for curing strawberries in salt and sugar sparks my imagination. --I've made the Braised Bacon Rice and it is mighty fine. --And his Bourbon-Ginger-Glazed Carrots is destined for my Thanksgiving table. --Because my husband doesn't much care for buttermilk, I halved the Buttermilk soup recipe and ate it all myself: Chilled, with maple syrup and tangerine juice, then topped with bourbon-soaked cherries. --And, a recipe we didn't like: His pimento cheese. We like pickle in ours. There are braised dishes: Short ribs; brisket with cinnamon, paprika, stout, bourbon and peach preserves; turkey legs with sorghum, cider and fresh sage; Cola Ham Hocks; a pork shoulder with Black BBQ Sauce, and lamb shoulder with bittersweet chocolate. He uses ground meats, too: Piggy Burgers with hoisin sauce and a sun-dried tomato ketchup with brown sugar and soy sauce; a rice bowl with lamb and fresh herbs, and an Asian-flavored chicken sausage to work with an orange-flavored miso remoulade in a rice bowl. There are essays scattered throughout the book. He talks about a local soy sauce, his favorite fish sauce (from Vietnam), country hams, frying at home, miso, sorghum, buttermilk, goat cheese and (of course) bourbon. Plus he talks about himself and his escapades and his life experiences. Together the words present a very personable and likable guy--one with a responsible attitude, inquisitiveness and sensitivity. Seems like he likes to drink and party and have fun, too. The pictures are excellent and interesting, the Resources section is enlightening and very helpful, and the index works very well with the recipes and the way the book is put together. I'm done. Sorry it took so many words. I guess I really like this book, and Chef Lee, and his creations.

I love this book. It is a great story, his life is tied together as the "before", the "after" and the meshing of the two that is the "now". I have had a longtime,enduring love for the south and its' outstanding food, so I love to read and cook food that is tied to additional cultures, making it even more appealing.

I recently bought Smoke & Pickles by Edward Lee, and I'm really excited about it! As someone who loves both Southern and Korean food, I really appreciate how he incorporates Korean ingredients and techniques into his recipes creating a new twist on classic dishes. The recipes are fun, inventive, and easy to follow, making them perfect for home cooks. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to try something new in the kitchen!

I love this book. I can't remember the last time I read a cookbook cover to cover, but I have devoured this one. If you don't believe in the importance of smoke, as a taste that deserves to rank with the other five, or in the importance of spicy, briny, vinegary pickles to cut through the smoke and refresh the palate, then this book may not be for you. But for anyone who has come to the same conclusions, by whatever path you've traveled, this book will nourish your soul and spur you further along the way. Edward Lee's path is entirely his own. He was born in Brooklyn, in a Korean-American family, where his grandmother made only traditional Korean food, yet he dreamed of French cuisine and trained in French restaurants in NYC before finally finding a home in Louisville, Kentucky, of all places. In the introductions to each chapter, he tells the story of this culinary journey, but it's woven into the fabric of each recipe, where he combines bourbon with ginger, cola with soy sauce and miso, pulled pork with kimchi, remoulade with a rice bowl.... And the results are delicious. Although I have devoured the book, I still have so much to digest. I came to the book as a fan of barbecue and pickles, but I have only just begun to appreciate how his surehanded addition of Asian seasonings and spices can enrich this tradition.

How many recipe books can you say that even your family will pick it up and read it and laugh and enjoy it? That’s what will happen with Edward Lee’s cookbooks. He has such a unique style of writing and humor that he includes with his recipes that you will find this book is as fun to read, as the recipes will be to make. You will want every book he’s written!

Just received this book in my hands 30 mins ago from the big brown truck. I was pre-ordered and I can tell you I am going to LOVE this book. I love to "read" cookbooks and they are all the better when the author shares his story. Everyone has a story. Well Edward Lee claims everyone has a recipe. This book starts with a Rice and Remoulade intro.. Interesting. Photos are very important and this book doesn't short cut. My favorite pics so far are the overhead shots looking down on a table with all the hands working the forks and plates of food. Lots of love at this table. Lots of inside notes that makes you see and gives you reminders of how to get the best results. Can't wait to try: Curry Pork Pies, Eggplant ricotta Newsoms Ham, quick sauteed squid and bacon salad, Lime beef salad and chilled buttermilk maple soup with bourbon soaked cherries. LIke I said, I have only had this cookbook in my hands for now 45 mins. So I will update for sure. But if your even debating.. Get this book. YUM

Tanto pelo serviço da amazon em prazo de entrega como a qualidade do material recebido. Fiquei sabendo pelo livro pelo canal no Facebook do autor, procurei em livrarias físicas e sempre foi complicado de achar . Excelente livro. qualidade de fotos e informações completas. 100% satisfeito. Recomendo o livro e a amazon

This is exactly the kind of fusion cookbook I love, one that celebrates and enhances the best of diverse cuisines! Mark my words: the strawberry ketchup recipe in here is going to start a revolution! Every recipe in here is an adventure, and I can't wait to delve deeper into this book! Maybe I'll check back in once my pickled coffee beets are done. :)

Some very unique recipes that I am working my way through. Currently, working on a Prosciutto Lamb; although, not with the curry, but rather a middle eastern one. I do recommend to people who are a bit more adventurous, but it is still accessible as opposed to being crazed in multi-stepped science of a molecular gastronomy book.

It is one of the best cook books out there. Great fusion dishes; great booze; excellent condiments. Stories are very cool too.

libro que esta cerca de que lo considere el mejor libro de cocina que tengo! muy recomendado.