Atlanta-based food writer Reese takes readers on a culinary tour of her hometown in this handsome but hit-or-miss collection. Some dishes (Pimento Cheese, Cobb Salad, Croque Monsieur, Macaroni and Cheese, etc.) are so basic it's clear their inclusion is meant as a nod to the restaurant that offered the recipe. Of greater interest are riffs on regional classics, such as the Horseradish Grill's Fried Green Tomatoes, with its remoulade sauce and spicy roasted pecans, and Repast's flavor-packed Butter-Poached Shrimp and Grits. Reese offers multiple versions for local favorite fried chicken and greens (pot likker included), and the humble catfish gets star treatment in Wisteria's Catfish with Green Tomato Ragout. Ingenious surprises include Chef Linton Hopkins' Corn Milk-Poached Maine Lobster Tail with Gratin of Mustard and Blood Orange Reduction Sauce (which, surprisingly, only calls for six ingredients) and The Blue Bicycle's succulent Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs with Saffron Risotto. Recipes best considered for their novelty include Strawberry Serrano Mussels and Gravity Pub's terrifying Vandross Burger, which replaces the bun with a glazed Krispy Kreme donut. Atlantans and those familiar with the city's culinary specialties will get the most out of this volume, but even culinary carpetbaggers should find some happy surprises. Color photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reese, a restaurant critic who writes for Bon Appétit, the Washington Post, and Southern Living, credits the chef and restaurant that created each of the 100-plus recipes here. Southern favorites include Southern Pan-Fried Chicken, Chicken & Dumplings, Collard Greens, Fried Okra, and Sweet Tea. Those new to Atlanta cooking are sure to enjoy some nontraditional dishes such as Balsamic Marinated Quail with Pine Nuts and Roasted Cauliflower and Duck with Beautiful Leeks. Recommended for those interested in Southern cooking.
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Library Journal 2010-05-01)
From the Inside Flap
Atlanta is a city of contradictions―a hotbed of growth and business, steeped in a tradition of Southern hospitality. Not long ago, its restaurants offered only specialties like crisp fried chicken, iced tea with hair-perming sweetness and flaky-crusted pies and biscuits, made from scratch. Today, you’ll find those dishes intact at such beloved spots as Mary Mac’s, the Busy Bee and Carver’s Country Kitchen, as well as contemporary versions at their elegant Southern heirs: Restaurant Eugene, 4th & Swift, the Horseradish Grill. Check out the work of award winners like Watershed’s Scott Peacock, Rathbun’s Kevin Rathbun, and Park 75’s Robert Gerstenecker. Here, too, are the flavors of our bubbling urban melting pot: Strawberry Serrano Mussels from Babette’s Café; Vietnamese “Shaking” Filet Mignon from Nam. Finally, don’t miss out on witty creations like the Gravity Pub’s Vandross Burger (served on a Krispy Kreme doughnut bun).
Krista Reese takes readers and eaters on a poignant tour of Atlanta’s culinary history, and includes an entire chapter of recipes for its most iconic dish: fried chicken, in its most down-home, upscale, and around-the-globe varieties. Whether you’re a cook, a restaurant-goer, or just someone who loves Atlanta, you’ll find its heart and soul in more than one hundred recipes from fifty-six of the city’s favorite restaurants.
About the Author: Krista Reese is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and restaurant critic who has covered the city’s food scene for two decades. A former reviewer for Atlanta magazine and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she has been dining editor at Georgia Trend magazine since 2001. She is an occasional contributor to Wine & Spirits, and her work has also appeared in Bon Appétit, the Washington Post, Southern Living, People, and U.S. News & World Report.
About the PHOTOGRAPHER: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn’s work has been published in more than a dozen books and more than one hundred articles for numerous regional and shelter magazines, including Atlanta, Coastal Living, Veranda, Traditional Home, and Elle Décor. She lives in Atlanta.
From the Back Cover
“Krista Reese understands the ever-changing dynamics of Atlanta’s churning dining scene and finds all the dishes and exciting flavors that define it today.” ―John Kessler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution food columnist and former critic
“Dining critic Krista Reese’s tastiest discoveries reveal the heart and soul of one of America’s most vibrant―if misunderstood―food cities.” ―Susan Puckett, author of Food/Drink Mississippi Delta: A Terroir Guide
“In recent decades, Atlanta’s food scene has exploded into an amazing array of world-class restaurants and wonderfully creative new chefs. . . . [This is a] delightfully delicious new cookbook.” ―Joseph Dabney, winner of the 1999 James Beard Cookbook of the Year medal for Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread & Scuppernong Wine
About the Author
Krista Reese is an Atlanta-based cookbook author and restaurant critic who has covered the Atlanta food scene for two decades. Her work has appeared in Bon Appétit, the Washington Post, Southern Living, People, and U.S. News & World Report.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Shorty's Guacamole
SHORTY'S, OWNERS BRYAN WILSON, BRIAN HOGAN, AND MICHAEL MURPHY
Serves 6 to 8
This creative little pizza parlor with the big-screen TVs prides itself on creative takes on familiar fare, like this fresh-smashed guac, served with flatbread.
6 ripe avocados
1 large lime, quartered (room temperature is best)
1 cup Pico de Gallo (recipe follows)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Use a spoon to remove the fl esh from the avocado. Squeeze lime juice over avocados, and then add the pico de gallo and salt. Mash the guacamole (potato masher works well) leaving some small chunks for texture. Serve immediately.
NOTES: The acidity is "brighter" if the guacamole is served immediately.
If you must prepare it in advance, place the pits on top of the guacamole to keep it from browning and cover the surface with plastic wrap.
Sardinian flatbread can be found in Italian specialty food stores and usually comes in packs of ten to twelve pieces of 12-inch razor-thin flatbreads.
