THE SOUTHERN FOODIE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

THE SOUTHERN FOODIE

100 Places To Eat In The South

Before you Die (And The Recipes That Made Them Famous)

By Chris Chamberlain

OVERVIEW: Thirteen states, 100 chefs, and 134 recipes later, one thing is clear: the food of the American South tells a story that spans the distance from New Orleans to Louisville. Little Rock to Charleston, Nashville to Dallas, and every city in between. The Southern Foodie explores a hearty swath of the South's culinary culture, following its roots and exploring its evolution in the region's best restaurants. Meet the people who are keeping the tradition alive and reinventing the flavors of the South. The Southern Foodie shows you where the South eats and how to create those distinct flavors at home. You're sure to rediscover old favorites and get a closer look at the delicious new traditions in Southern cuisine.

AUTHOR: Chris Chamberlain is a food and drink writer based in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has lived his entire life except for four years in California where he studied liberal arts at Stanford University and learned how to manipulate chopsticks. He is a regular writer for the Nashville Scene and their "Bites" food blog. He has also contributed to the Nashville City Paper, Nashville Lifestyles magazine, 200l Edgehill and at www.geardiary.com. Chris is the Southern correspondent for Food Republic, a national website dedicated to "Drinking, Eating and Living the Way a Man Should."

MY REVIEW: Growing up in Oklahoma with parents from Kentucky and going to school in Texas I grew up eating a lot of southern food. I'm a diabetic and my doctor would love to wean me off "comfort food." After years of trying, I think he is giving up. 

I usually sit down with a new book, thumb through it reading a section here and there and then return to page one and read through to the last page. This is not that kind of book. I opened it up and found that when I looked at a section I couldn't stop reading until I had read that entire section, including the recipes. So I went to the index and picked out the states and their recipes that I wanted to read first. I chose Kentucky, Texas and Tennessee for the first three and then moved on to others.

I have not finished reading the entire book yet. Usually I do read all of the book before I write a review. However, this time I do not need to do that. I will be reading and re-reading this book for a long time. By this time you have a good idea what the book is all about and can determine if you are interested. Needless to say, I like it a lot. It is not just about fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and pulled pork. No, the chefs in this book can whisk together a perfect red-eye gravy but also a delicate mushroom bordelaise sauce.

(I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.)