From the James Beard Award–winning chef Ashley Christensen comes a bold and revelatory reinvention of Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconic and beloved restaurant, Poole’s Diner. Ashley Christensen is the new face of Southern cooking, and her debut cookbook, Poole’s, honors the traditions of this celebrated cuisine, while introducing a new vernacular—elevated simple side
From the James Beard Award–winning chef Ashley Christensen comes a bold and revelatory reinvention of Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconic and beloved restaurant, Poole’s Diner.
Ashley Christensen is the new face of Southern cooking, and her debut cookbook, Poole’s, honors the traditions of this celebrated cuisine, while introducing a new vernacular—elevated simple side dishes spiked with complex vinaigrettes, meatless mains showcasing vibrant vegetables, and intensified flavors through a cadre of back-pocket recipes that will become indispensable in your kitchen. Recipes like Turnip Green Fritters with Whipped Tahini; Heirloom Tomatoes with Crushed Olives, Crispy Quinoa, and White Anchovy Dressing; and Warm Broccoli Salad with Cheddar and Bacon Vinaigrette share the menu with the definitive recipe for Pimento Cheese, a show-stopping Macaroni au Gratin, and crave-worthy Challah Bread Pudding with Whiskey Apples and Creme Fraiche, all redefining what comfort food can be.
Poole’s is also the story of how Christensen opened a restaurant, and in the process energized Raleigh’s downtown. By fostering a network of farmers, cooks, and guests, and taking care of her people by feeding them well, she built a powerful community around the restaurant. The cookbook is infused with Christensen’s generous spirit and belief that great cooking is fundamental to good living.
With abundant, dramatically beautiful photography and a luxe presentation, Poole’s is a landmark addition to the cookbook canon, a collection from which readers will cook and find inspiration, and pass down for generations to come.
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Delightful, accessible recipes from a Beard award-winning chef whose fabled diner’s cuisine is “a meditation on comfort food.” Introduction, chapter introductions, and headnotes are delightful, always weaving together a little bit of the author’s family history, some helpful information about the dish and its ingredients, along with, more often than not, the author’s philosophy about cooking and feeding people. We’re told about the history of Poole’s, which opened in 1945. Although Poole’s played a role in her early years, Chef Christensen did not take the helm of the diner until 2007.Kindle format:…
The Recipes Live Up to the Restaurant Version I bought this cookbook specifically because I was craving the Mac and cheese, and the sweet potatoes with creme fraiche. Everything turned out exactly like I remembered it tasting. Four stars only because it had more “out there” recipes than ones I would normally be able to afford to make, and than I expected from a diner and southern cooking inspired book.
Fantastic book with amazing food recipes and a story A must have for Raleigh food lovers. We’ve cooked many things from this (and we frequent her restaurants). Highly recommend.