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Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen

Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal: A Cookbook

Author Sara Foster, Lee Smith
$14.99 US
Random House Group | Random House
On sale Apr 05, 2011 | 9780679604570
Sales rights: US, Canada, Open Mkt
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Sara Foster’s love of Southern fare began in her Granny Foster’s Tennessee kitchen. There, the combination of down-home comfort, fresh-from-the-farm ingredients, and dedicated preparation hooked her for life.

Now the award-winning cookbook author and restaurateur serves up nearly two hundred contemporary interpretations of classic dishes—Shrimp Jambalaya, Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Butt, Cheesy Grits Casserole; refreshing drinks, including Mint Juleps and Sweet Tea; and such satisfying breakfasts as Country Ham and Hominy Hash. And a table wouldn’t be Southern without the sides—Skillet-Fried Corn, Creamy Potato Salad, and Arugula Pesto Snap Beans. Be sure, too, to save room for Molasses-Bourbon Pecan Pie and Freestyle Lemon Blackberry Tart.

From revealing the secret to fluffy buttermilk biscuits to giving us ideas for swapping out ingredients to accommodate any season, from providing tips for frying up chicken like a true Southerner to detailing barbecue fundamentals that put you on par with any pitmaster, Foster’s helpful sidebars ensure that your dishes will turn out perfect every time. You’ll also get expert tips on the essential equipment (cast-iron skillets, griddles, casserole dishes) and the ingredients no Southern pantry should be without (from stone-ground grits to Carolina Gold rice). As a bonus, Foster offers her “Sidetracked” feature, profiles of tried-and-true roadtrip destinations throughout the South where you can find the best fried catfish, barbecued brisket, big breakfast plates, and more. And finally, Foster’s lessons in pickling and canning guarantee that you can enjoy your favorite flavors all year round.

With its handy list of resources and Southern pantry essentials, and entertaining stories, Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen is an all-inclusive collection of Southern cooking in which simple feasts meet artisanal ingredients, traditional tastes meet modern methods, and fantastic flavors make every bite a succulent mouthful of Southern comfort.
Chapter One

Southern hospitality may be a cliché, but there’s a reason people talk about it. Southerners love to entertain at least as much as they love to eat and drink, maybe even more. After all, entertaining is not just an opportunity to connect with friends and family; it’s an excuse to dust off the nice dishes, fix everyone’s favorite recipes, and, if one is so inclined, to open the liquor cabinet just a crack.

To be sure, good entertaining doesn’t hinge on cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. As for me, I never feel obliged to precede a nice dinner with appetizers and aperitifs—especially not when the recipes are more complicated than the main dish—but there is something cozy and congenial about easing into dinner that way. And, of course, the pleasures of whiling away an afternoon or early evening with friends, drinks, finger food, and a bocce ball or badminton set shouldn’t be discounted.

In keeping with my belief in stress-free entertaining, the recipes in this chapter—from Herb Deviled Eggs (page 10), and Cornbread Toasts with Pimiento Cheese (page 18) to Sazeracs (page 28), Salty Dogs (page 27), and Wendy’s Bloody Marys (page 28)—are easy in both spirit and practice, and many can be made in advance. Meaning the only thing left for you to do is welcome your guests to come on in.
Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
“Sara Foster’s book on Southern cooking is absolutely stunning. She takes old-fashioned recipes like buttermilk biscuits and fried chicken and updates them for modern cooks. I can’t wait to work my way through this gorgeous book!”—Ina Garten

“From squash-threaded hush puppies to brûléed rice pudding, Sarah Foster is a keen synthesizer of Southern genres and geographies. My copy of her latest is already dog-eared and (red-eye) gravy splattered.”—John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing

“Sara Foster is the quintessential Southern cook. On every page of Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen there is ample evidence of the accuracy of its subtitle: ‘Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal.’”—Julia Reed, author of Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties

“Sara Foster skillfully breaks through the boundaries of classic Southern cooking. The recipes and photographs are full of Southern soul and charm. I want to stick a fork right into the pages and devour them.”—Donald Link, chef and author of Real Cajun

“Some of the recipes in this book are traditional, others have been adapted to modern times. All will tempt people who love to cook.”—Bill Smith, chef and author of Seasoned in the South

About

Sara Foster’s love of Southern fare began in her Granny Foster’s Tennessee kitchen. There, the combination of down-home comfort, fresh-from-the-farm ingredients, and dedicated preparation hooked her for life.

Now the award-winning cookbook author and restaurateur serves up nearly two hundred contemporary interpretations of classic dishes—Shrimp Jambalaya, Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Butt, Cheesy Grits Casserole; refreshing drinks, including Mint Juleps and Sweet Tea; and such satisfying breakfasts as Country Ham and Hominy Hash. And a table wouldn’t be Southern without the sides—Skillet-Fried Corn, Creamy Potato Salad, and Arugula Pesto Snap Beans. Be sure, too, to save room for Molasses-Bourbon Pecan Pie and Freestyle Lemon Blackberry Tart.

From revealing the secret to fluffy buttermilk biscuits to giving us ideas for swapping out ingredients to accommodate any season, from providing tips for frying up chicken like a true Southerner to detailing barbecue fundamentals that put you on par with any pitmaster, Foster’s helpful sidebars ensure that your dishes will turn out perfect every time. You’ll also get expert tips on the essential equipment (cast-iron skillets, griddles, casserole dishes) and the ingredients no Southern pantry should be without (from stone-ground grits to Carolina Gold rice). As a bonus, Foster offers her “Sidetracked” feature, profiles of tried-and-true roadtrip destinations throughout the South where you can find the best fried catfish, barbecued brisket, big breakfast plates, and more. And finally, Foster’s lessons in pickling and canning guarantee that you can enjoy your favorite flavors all year round.

With its handy list of resources and Southern pantry essentials, and entertaining stories, Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen is an all-inclusive collection of Southern cooking in which simple feasts meet artisanal ingredients, traditional tastes meet modern methods, and fantastic flavors make every bite a succulent mouthful of Southern comfort.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Southern hospitality may be a cliché, but there’s a reason people talk about it. Southerners love to entertain at least as much as they love to eat and drink, maybe even more. After all, entertaining is not just an opportunity to connect with friends and family; it’s an excuse to dust off the nice dishes, fix everyone’s favorite recipes, and, if one is so inclined, to open the liquor cabinet just a crack.

To be sure, good entertaining doesn’t hinge on cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. As for me, I never feel obliged to precede a nice dinner with appetizers and aperitifs—especially not when the recipes are more complicated than the main dish—but there is something cozy and congenial about easing into dinner that way. And, of course, the pleasures of whiling away an afternoon or early evening with friends, drinks, finger food, and a bocce ball or badminton set shouldn’t be discounted.

In keeping with my belief in stress-free entertaining, the recipes in this chapter—from Herb Deviled Eggs (page 10), and Cornbread Toasts with Pimiento Cheese (page 18) to Sazeracs (page 28), Salty Dogs (page 27), and Wendy’s Bloody Marys (page 28)—are easy in both spirit and practice, and many can be made in advance. Meaning the only thing left for you to do is welcome your guests to come on in.
Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Praise

“Sara Foster’s book on Southern cooking is absolutely stunning. She takes old-fashioned recipes like buttermilk biscuits and fried chicken and updates them for modern cooks. I can’t wait to work my way through this gorgeous book!”—Ina Garten

“From squash-threaded hush puppies to brûléed rice pudding, Sarah Foster is a keen synthesizer of Southern genres and geographies. My copy of her latest is already dog-eared and (red-eye) gravy splattered.”—John T. Edge, series editor of Cornbread Nation: The Best of Southern Food Writing

“Sara Foster is the quintessential Southern cook. On every page of Sara Foster’s Southern Kitchen there is ample evidence of the accuracy of its subtitle: ‘Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal.’”—Julia Reed, author of Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties

“Sara Foster skillfully breaks through the boundaries of classic Southern cooking. The recipes and photographs are full of Southern soul and charm. I want to stick a fork right into the pages and devour them.”—Donald Link, chef and author of Real Cajun

“Some of the recipes in this book are traditional, others have been adapted to modern times. All will tempt people who love to cook.”—Bill Smith, chef and author of Seasoned in the South

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