The University of North Carolina Press

272 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 51 color and 41 b&w photos , index

Cloth

ISBN  978-0-8078-2585-3

Published: November 2000

Paper

ISBN  978-0-8078-5498-3

Published: September 2003

Not Afraid of Flavor

Recipes from Magnolia Grill

By Ben and Karen Barker

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Awards & Distinctions

Ben Barker: Winner of the 2000 American Express Best Chef in the Southeast Award, James Beard Foundation

Karen Barker: Winner of the 2003 All-Clad Bakeware Outstanding Pastry Chef Award, James Beard Foundation;

Winner of the 1999 Best Pastry Chef Award, Bon Appétit

Finalist, Best Regional/Local Cookbook, 2001 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

Eleventh on Gourmet's 2001 List of the 50 Best American Restaurants

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.

About the Author

Ben and Karen Barker are the chef-owners of Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina. Ben was named Best Chef in the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2000. Karen is the 2003 winner of the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Pastry Chef Award and the 1999 winner of Bon Appétit's American Food and Entertaining Award for Best Pastry Chef. Before opening Magnolia Grill, the Barkers, who live in Chapel Hill, N.C., were chefs at Restaurant La Residence and the nationally acclaimed Fearrington House.

Reviews

"What the Barkers have been doing for the last decade is turning out rustic Southern fare--with notable refinements."
-- Kansas City Star

"It is a delicious relief to taste [Karen] Barkers sensational updated classic American desserts. . . . [She] has led the way in re-inventing home-style treats"
-- Bon Appétit

"Ben in the role of chef and Karen as pastry chef dance a pas de deux of flavors that never fails to entertain the palate, from the first crust of buttered batarde to the last morsel of night-black chocolate. . . . Magnolia Grill is the stage where Ben and Karen Barker perform, and their standing ovations can be measured in the tables that quickly fill up on weekends. Their restaurant is more popular than ever because theyve worked hard to maintain consistency while keeping the performance exciting. . . . The result speaks for itself. All the diner can add is 'Bravo!'"
--Raleigh News & Observer

"When local food cognoscenti speculate on the Triangle's top kitchen, the most frequently mentioned name is Magnolia Grill. No wonder. Chef/proprietor Ben Barker is a local treasure. . . . The bill of fare at this Durham institution evolves daily, in pursuit of the markets freshest offerings and Barkers inspiration."
-- Hemispheres (United Airlines in-flight magazine)

"[This book] enables a home cook to recreate restaurant-style fare. . . . [which] is rustic and simple, so as not to take attention away from ingredients' natural favors. But those flavors are deepened and layered by the right combination of ingredients and the appropriate stock, infused oil or spice blend. . . . The results [are] outstanding. . . . This book is a terrific guide and learning tool."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"Not Afraid of Flavor is perfect for those who love regional food."
--Traditional Home