Customer Reviews

Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes from Magnolia Grill

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Many chef/restaurant cookbooks suffer from recipes that simply don't work; ripped from the context of professional kitchens by busy chefs, the recipes are often poorly written or simply wrong. NOT IN THIS CASE. This is the lovely exception, signature dishes from a great restaurant that are replicable by competent home cooks. And, these are clever, inventive dishes that make the most out of their combination of ingredients. Underneath it all is the soul of farmstead cooking overlaid with imagination and professionalism. The best chef cookbook I've seen in a long time.

I got this book because Magnolia Grill is a favorite restaurant. It's a gorgeous book with incredible photographs, but after seeing the authors of the Food Network the other night I am inspired to get it dirty in the kitchen. The recipes they cooked on the air were not terribly complicated and they looked yummy. I particularly like the Barkers' advice to break the rules and adapt the recipes to your own tastes and to what fresh ingredients are available.

Two of the finest chefs in the Southeast give up their secrets in this book. With the holidays looming - try their 150 cloves of garlic turkey, it was a smash hit at my house. And Karen isn't called "The Queen of Ice Cream" for nothing- try the bourbon vanilla ice cream! She gives tips on how to make your own pie crust which I must admit was a "lost" art for me. The beauty of this book is that it contains the real recipies, with the real secrets behind their signature dishes and make the results attainable for the average weekend chef.

I'm a recent transplant from New York and have been spoiled rotten by its hundreds of cutting-edge restaurants and innovative chefs. But I have to tell you, the Barkers and Magnolia Grill are right up there. As a rule, I find chef cookbooks beyond the capabilities of the average-- or even the advanced-- home cook. NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR is the exception. Not only are its recipes inviting, they're approachable. Moreover the story of the Barkers and their Durham, NC restaurant is warm and appealing. Thanks to the Barkers (not to mention several other local chefs they've mentored), this red-clay country is no gastromic wasteland. Even my New York City friends are impressed. I've given NOT AFRAID OF FLAVOR to half a dozen of them and they're as impressed by the cookbook as they are by the cooking they sampled at Magnolia Grill. From a huge Barker fan.

What a beautiful cookbook. Ben and Karen Barker's wonderful cuisine looks as artful on the page as it does in person. Although I'm not exactly a gourmet chef myself, I've found their recipes to be understandable and clear. And delicious!

Having desired this cookbook for awhile, not disappointed in the least now that its in my collection.

This is rich book, with a rectangular format with big print and nice photos accompanying each recipe, which is given in adequate instructions and comments.

Knocked out by the variety and creativity of this recipe collection. They combine so many tastes and styles here --- Moraccan, Asian, Mexican, etc. Try these and you'll go bonkers as I--- Spicy Green Tomato Soup with Crab & Country Ham, Moraccan Roasted Eggplant Bisque with Grilled Chicken and Minted Yogurt, Roast Squab with Blackberry Essence & Carrot-Thyme Spaetzle, Pan Fried Mountain Rainbow Trout with Green Tomato and Lime Brown Butter Salsa on Sweet Potato, Artichoke and Crawfish Hash, or Grilled Sturgeon on Wild Rice Risotto with Butternuts, Grilled Leeks, and Cider Reduction.

Desserts are exceptional here, especially: Brown Sugar Pear Poundcake, and the Banana Pecan Crostata with Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Super creative food, that takes some time and attention to prepare, but the results are worth it.

Recommended for the serious cook who likes this food which ventures to truly zap the diner with flavor, flavor, flavor. Excellent!

Not Afraid Of Flavor: Recipes From Magnolia Grill showcases more than one hundred Southern dishes that are simply delicious and ingredient-driven. From Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Grits Cake, Country Ham & Redeye Vinaigrette, Gabriel's Favorite Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Lemon & Capers, and Molasses Mashed Sweet Potatoes, to Pickled Pepper Relish, Deep-Dish Apple Cinnamon Crisp with Brandied Vanilla Ice Cream, and Watermelon Ganita, Not Afraid Of Flavor is a beautifully illustrated, aptly elegant, and very welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.

The author run the Magnolia Grill restaurant in North Carolina and here provides a cookbook of their dishes and Southern culinary traditions. The restaurant's favorites have been adjusted for the home cook and include fine innovations ranging form Salmon Choucroute in Creamy Mustard Sauce to Roasted Duck Breast with Sun-Dried Cherry Conserve. Color photos pepper and finish the presentation.