Because cookbooks are a girl’s best friend.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching and that means everyone has holiday shopping on the brain. I started to think about the gifts I’ve received that I treasure most, and of course my Charleston Receipts and Sean Brock cookbooks were the first things to come to mind. Also, my friends The Cocktail Bandits’ book, Holy Spirits, is available for pre-order as well.
Congrats, bandits! Photo by Basil & Bubbly
In that vein, I put together this list of cookbooks from Charleston locals (or chefs who will be in attendance at Charleston Wine + Food next year) that is sure to delight any foodie in your life!
People & Personalities
Sean Brock – Chef at Husk, McCrady’s, and Minero
From the book jacket: “The recipes include all the comfort food (think food to eat at home) and high-end restaurant food (fancier dishes when there’s more time to cook) for which he has become so well-known. Brock’s interpretation of Southern favorites like Pickled Shrimp, Hoppin’ John, and Chocolate Alabama Stack Cake sit alongside recipes for Crispy Pig Ear Lettuce Wraps, Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Tomato Gravy, and Baked Sea Island Red Peas.”
The Lee Brothers – Local Writers / Business Owners
From the book jacket: “Let James Beard Award–winning authors and hometown heroes Matt Lee and Ted Lee be your culinary ambassadors to Charleston, South Carolina, one of America’s most storied and buzzed-about food destinations.”
Carrie Morey – Chef at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
From the book jacket: “Carrie Morey shares her modern approach to traditional Southern cooking in more than one hundred recipes that pair classic Lowcountry fare with surprising twists, for incredible results. Carrie guides you through the foundational techniques of Southern cooking to reveal how she developed her new takes on favorite heritage dishes and how to take the fuss and huge time investment out of traditional preparations.”
Frank Lee – Chef formerly of Slightly North of Broad
From the book jacket: “It is a home, a family, and a heart for thousands that, for more than twenty years, beat to the resounding drum of Chef Frank Lee.
This book does not try to speak to every dish churned out of the S.N.O.B. kitchen over the years. Instead, it presents classic recipes―those “sacred cows” that regulars would not allow off the menu―as well as long-running seasonal plates and many of the sauces, side dishes, and dressings that played foundational roles in the restaurant’s popular Lunch Express and Dailies menus.”
Holly Herrick – Local Author
From the book jacket: “From the best roadside dives to the finest upscale eateries, The Charleston Chef’s Table opens up a new window on the Holy City, which has become a world-class culinary destination in recent years.”
Nathalie Dupree – Local Author
From the book jacket: “Nathalie Dupree was ahead of the curve eight years ago with her classic book Shrimp and Grits. Now this Lowcountry comfort combo is found on restaurant menus all around the country―from top to bottom, coast to coast. All-new photography, new recipes from southern chefs, and a fresh design revamp a southern food cookbook for gift giving or one’s own kitchen library.”
Marvin Woods – Chef formerly of The Gentry Bar & Room
From the book jacket: “But The New Low-Country Cooking is much more than a great cookbook. Woods shares historical tidbits on how dishes and ingredients got their names, where they originated, and the indisputable importance of African-American cooks in Southern life.”
Restaurants & Classics
The Fat Hen – Johns Island, SC
From the book jacket: “Fat Hen is committed to honoring the culinary history of French Lowcountry food through the creation of classic French preparations with the freshest local ingredients and by creating new classics in the spirit of the Huguenots. Examples of French Lowcountry include Duck Confit with Collard Greens and Squash, Flounder Nicoise over Bacon Cheese Grits, and Seared Grouper over Succotash.”
Magnolia’s – Downtown Charleston
From the book jacket: “The soul of the South meets the spark of innovation in dishes such as the Down South Egg Roll stuffed with collard greens, chicken and Tasso ham, served with red pepper puree, spicy mustard sauce and peach chutney and Shellfish over Grits with sauteed shrimp, sea scallops, lobster, creamy white grits, lobster butter sauce and fried spinach.”
**Note: this post includes affiliate links, which means if you buy any of these products, I might make a little money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
