Smoke & pickles Recipes and stories from a new southern kitchen

Lee's debut cookbook is an inventive and exciting take on Southern food inspired by the chef's Korean roots. Raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lee is the chef and owner of the restaurant 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky., (where he has lived since 2003). "All the lovely and resourceful traditions of the Southern landscape would propel me back to my grandmother's spicy, garlicky foods," explains the author. Recipes are combined with entertaining stories of Lee's life and culinary journey. He begins with a chapter on rice and remoulade. Other whimsical chapters include Lamb & Whistles, Cows & Clover, Birds & Bluegrass, Seafood & Scrutiny (a reference to the chef's run on the TV show Top Chef), and Pickles & Matrimony ("Pickles are a lot like love stories.... You worry that it's not going to work out, but with patience, there is always a happy ending." The book contains over 100 comfort-food recipes with an Asian twist, like a bourbon-and-Coke meatloaf sandwich with fried egg and black pepper gravy, miso-smothered chicken, pulled pork shoulder in black BBQ sauce, and fried trout sandwiches with pear-ginger-cilantro slaw and spicy mayo. Staying true to the book's title, Lee gives four recipes for kimchi, including red cabbage-bacon and white pear, as well as bourbon-pickled jalapenos and pickled jasmine peaches. In the end, this is an irresistible collection for any adventurous home cook. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Korean American chef Lee, the three-time James Beard Award-nominated owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY, has appeared on Bravo's Top Chef and Food Network's Iron Chef America. His collection of contemporary, complex Southern favorites features strong Asian influences: darkly braised lamb shoulder simmers in a mix of bourbon, sorghum, black bean paste, and chocolate, for example, and chicken-fried pork steak gets breaded in crushed ramen noodles. Distinctive pickles, cocktails, sides, snacks, and desserts round out this meaty cookbook, which includes beautiful photographs and considered anecdotes. VERDICT Asian fusion cuisine is extremely popular right now, making this a good choice for most collections. Best for experienced cooks. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.