Product Description

Since opening their Durham, North Carolina, restaurant in 1986, chefs Ben and Karen Barker have been hailed as rising stars of the American culinary scene. Their award-winning Magnolia Grill has been featured in publications such as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, the New York Times, and Southern Living. With a menu that changes daily and draws inspiration from fresh, often locally produced ingredients, the restaurant is the ultimate showcase for the bold, imaginative cuisine that embodies the Barkers' motto, Not Afraid of Flavor.

From spectacular soups to inventive updates of classic American desserts, this beautifully illustrated book features more than 125 exciting recipes from Magnolia Grill. While not strictly Southern, many of the dishes display a Southern sensibility--making creative use of regional ingredients or offering a new twist on a familiar favorite. Clear, detailed directions encourage readers to try such "fearless" creations as okra rellenos, spicy green tomato soup with crab and country ham, pan-roasted duck breast with sun-dried cherry conserve, striped bass with oyster stew, wild mushroom bread pudding, brown sugar pear poundcake, and Jack Daniels vanilla ice cream.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #768509 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-29
• Released on: 2002-12-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Amazon.com Review
Magnolia Grill, Ben and Karen Barker's Durham, North Carolina, restaurant, is among the country's best places to dine. The couple--he's the chef, she's in charge of pastry--now offer Not Afraid of Flavor, a collection of their spirited, Southern-influenced recipes, plus culinary wisdom all cooks can use. Dishes like Celery-Fennel Chowder with Oysters and Bacon, Crab Cakes with Sauce Diablo and Corn Relish Salads, and Pan-Fried Pork Chops on Creamy Shrimp Hominy are representative of the book's deeply savory fare, conveyed in easy-to-follow recipes. Though many of these require multiple preparations, it's smooth sailing once ingredients are organized and procedures understood. Readers who enjoy a kitchen workout in the service of great eating and others interested in top-of-the-line American cooking should embrace the book.

Emphasizing their devotion to the freshest ingredients and encouraging readers to be similarly choosy, the authors then offer over 125 recipes in chapters like "Tar Heel Tapas," "Dixie Delights," and "A Few Cocktails" through sections on soups, entrées, breads, and desserts. Outstanding among the sweets are Double Chocolate Waffles with Strawberries and White Chocolate Ice Cream, the Chef's Favorite Lemon Tart, and Ginger-Lime Crème Caramels with Tropical Ambrosia. Bakers will also want to try Buttermilk Bread and a definitive recipe for flaky Angel Biscuits. Illustrated with color photos throughout, and with a helpful section on pantry basics, the book represents an American culinary journey that home cooks can now share. --Arthur Boehm

Review
Ben and Karen Barker are the King and Queen of Flavor, which is truly the soul of Magnolia Grill. (Chef Emeril Lagasse) -- Review

Review
Enables a home cook to recreate restaurant-style fare. . . . [that] is rustic and simple, so as not to take attention away from ingredients' natural favors. (San Francisco Chronicle)

This is as good a chef cookbook as has been published in the last several years, even in New York City. (Los Angeles Times)

For everyone who has relished a meal cooked by the Barkers, Not Afraid of Flavor is a love letter you'll want to savor every day. (TasteFull)

Unlike so many chefs' books, Not Afraid of Flavor is designed to really make their celebrated cooking accessible for home cooks. The recipes are clear, easy to follow and, more to the point--they work in a home kitchen. (Savannah Morning News)

Ben and Karen Barker are the King and Queen of Flavor, which is truly the soul of Magnolia Grill. (Chef Emeril Lagasse)

Customer Reviews

Soul plus precision
Many chef/restaurant cookbooks suffer from recipes that simply don't work; ripped from the context of professional kitchens by busy chefs, the recipes are often poorly written or simply wrong. NOT IN THIS CASE. This is the lovely exception, signature dishes from a great restaurant that are replicable by competent home cooks. And, these are clever, inventive dishes that make the most out of their combination of ingredients. Underneath it all is the soul of farmstead cooking overlaid with imagination and professionalism. The best chef cookbook I've seen in a long time.

A chef-written book for home cooks, not just a souvenir
I got this book because Magnolia Grill is a favorite restaurant. It's a gorgeous book with incredible photographs, but after seeing the authors of the Food Network the other night I am inspired to get it dirty in the kitchen. The recipes they cooked on the air were not terribly complicated and they looked yummy. I particularly like the Barkers' advice to break the rules and adapt the recipes to your own tastes and to what fresh ingredients are available.

Exquisite Cuisine
Two of the finest chefs in the Southeast give up their secrets in this book. With the holidays looming - try their 150 cloves of garlic turkey, it was a smash hit at my house. And Karen isn't called "The Queen of Ice Cream" for nothing- try the bourbon vanilla ice cream! She gives tips on how to make your own pie crust which I must admit was a "lost" art for me. The beauty of this book is that it contains the real recipies, with the real secrets behind their signature dishes and make the results attainable for the average weekend chef.