Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking: Classic Flavors for Today's Cook

by Damon Lee Fowler

Book Overview

The culinary master behind Classical Southern Cooking presents 160 mouthwatering recipes that capture the authentic flavors of the South for today's home cook. Full-color photos.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743250583
• ISBN13: 9780743250580
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 360 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.7" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The Proof Is In The Eating

Southern cookbook writers are almost as prolific as its novelists. Just when we think there is nothing else to be said, another great book with new, untried recipes gets published; and we know we cannot live without it. Damon Lee Fowler has written just such a book. Mr. Fowler in his introduction gives a brief history of Southern cooking, tracing its roots primarily to the African American and European tradition. He reminds us that there is no need to publish yet another lemon meringue pie recipe as there are dozens floating around. It also "pains" him that he cannot print again his fruitcake recipe (I for one feel no pain since I've never met a fruitcake, the accordion of desserts, I liked although I've neither cooked nor tasted his recipe). He also discusses fully ingredients and equipment in a chapter called "Southern Baking Essentials." There are chapters on quickbreads, stove-top baking, cookies, cakes, pies and pastries, and yeast baking. Finally there is an exhaustive biibliography and reading list. I'm easy on cookbook writers. They must only print one outrageously good recipe in order for their book to be a success. Bubber's Key Lime Cake (pp. 184-185) makes the cut. This divine cake is a beauty to behold (all white layers and icing); is easy for the most part to assemble although sifting almost five cups of confectioners' sugar for the icing will not make your day; the key lime cream cheese buttercream icing, however, is as good as I have ever eaten; and finally the aroma of lime when you present your cake to your guests will make them smile. I guarantee it. There are other recipes I want to try. The Appalachian Stack Cake (pp. 188-189) is close to one my grandmother baked when I was a child and I haven't had since then. The Brown Velvet Cake with Dark Fudge Frosting will probably let you live longer without the poisonous red food coloring we associate with red velvet cake. Mr. Fowler also includes several varieties of poundcakes and apparently has a love-hate relationship with them, noting that if you worry about them they are bound to fall. There are of course many other recipes that will appeal to the individual baker. Mr. Fowler's directions are clear and easy to follow; to his everlasting credit he always tells the reader where to position the rack in the oven, something that many otherwise good cookbook authors fail to do. Mr. Fowler writes an often pleasantly chatty introduction on the subject covered in each chapter and includes general information about baking those items. Examples: "The first thing required of biscuit making, as with all pastry, is a light touch." And filtered or bottled water should be used for your bread baking. Finally there are several fine color photographs included. You will find many recipes to try in this delicious book.

Will appeal to all levels of cook with easy recipes and plenty of tips

From cornbread to sweet potato breads and cakes, Southern baking holds a wide reputation - and there's no better place to learn the basics than from Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking, celebrating traditional baking techniques but updating dishes for modern times. New Southern Baking will appeal to all levels of cook with easy recipes and plenty of tips - and it'll even appeal to advanced cooks who want different twists to dishes, such as a Chocolate Chip Pecan Wedding Shortbread or Sweet Potato Griddlecakes. Recommended above other more general Southern cookbooks, with its focus on baking and the wonderful blend of tradition vs. innovation.