A New Turn in the South by Hugh Acheson
This sensational cookbook by Canadian-turned-Georgian chef Hugh Acheson (who appeared on Top Chef Masters) is a fresh take on Southern food. The recipes emphasize vegetables and are delicious and lighter and fresher than you might expect. (Except for the mashed potatoes which are “more like butter with a touch of potato.” Well, and except for the desserts.) But what really sets this book apart is its design and its philosophy. You get a real sense of Acheson—his fun and quirky personality, and his dedication to all things local. Support local farmers (and artists, and coffee brewers, and native plant growers), he says, and you create and support community. (To which we say, Amen!) It’s not so much a political stance for him as it is his passion.