Great book. Easy to follow and great recipes. A good reference book for any collection. Thanks to the author.

Great pictures, great recipes and great advice and tips. I really liked this cookbook and can't wait to try out some of these tasty recipes for myself. I loved the little tips and instructions of the basics and everything is laid out in a clear and approachable way.

This was an amazing cookbook that was reminiscent of growing up in the South. I really enjoyed this cookbook and will highly recommend to some of my family and friends that are from the South or not.

What a fun and nostalgic cookbook for me. Like the author/chef who wrote this book, I am from a long tradition of Southern women who cook. Every holiday had the same hand-me-down (in the best possible way) recipes. There have been many times where I have shared the kitchen with my mother, grandmothers and great-grandmothers pouring over recipes scratched onto index cards, or memorized, to find the perfect one for the occasion. I also had these wonderful women always have a big ol’ pot of simmering boiled peanuts on the stove when I came to visit on a weekend away from college, with the perfect balance of saltiness and softness. There’s nothing like it! So good. The author also mentioned her love for carrot cake. We chose it for our wedding cake because it was something my grandmother and I would always make from scratch.
I tagged a number of recipes in this beautifully presented book. My personal favorite was probably the Black-Eyed Peas with Greens and Potlikker and Fried Cornbread….YUM! Like the author’s brother, I was always a more “regular food” over dessert kind of kid, so the peas and greens were my go-to seconds at any family meal.
I had several other recipes that were familiar to me through my family or friends, such as the grits recipes, the sweet potato recipes and the crab recipes. I have to say that I will try making this version of a Chicken Pot Pie as well. My husband would probably go along with that as his last meal if he had to choose. He loves that stuff. That is his ultimate comfort food choice.
I enjoyed the recipes, the gorgeous photography of this cookbook and the ideas for some alternatives to the base recipes. All in all, I will be eagerly awaiting the final version of this cookbook. One famed Southern staple that I don’t recall seeing was Shrimp and Grits. We have a local restaurant that serves the standard version and a spicy version, both are delicious and would absolutely fit the theme here.
I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who enjoys cooking and wants an insight into Southern cooking, right down to the cast-iron skillets. Everything about this is traditional Southern eating and atmosphere.
This would also make a terrific gift book.
#SouthernGrit #NetGalley #ChronicleBooks

The Book Maven’s Journal Reviews for Word Connoisseurs
REVIEWER: J.Hunt

STAR RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sincere Appreciation Goes to NetGalley & Chronicle Books for Providing an Advance Reader's Copy for Review

Southern Grit – 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook By Kelsey Barnard Clark

Coming in August 2021…
Hurry up and eat, y’all.

A modern Southern cookbook for the home cook featuring over 100 recipes from preeminent chef, multitasking mom, straight-talker, and Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark.

My mouth was salivating as I feasted with my eyes while looking at the pictures and reading the recipes all the way through Top Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark’s soon to be released cookbook, Southern Grit – 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook.

Kelsey’s beautifully photographed volume is filled with step-by-step directions on how to prepare lots of traditional Southern favorites like fried chicken, smoked gouda grits with red-eye gravy, squash casserole, cornbread and pecan pie, as well as unique creations prepared with her own special flair.

There are so many terrific-sounding recipes in Kelsey’s new Cookbook that I am looking forward to trying. Her recipe for marinated Christmas Beef Tenderloin is one that I am truly anxious to prepare, and I’m not waiting until the holidays!

This Top Chef Champion may live, and run a very successful restaurant in L.A. – Lower Alabama (Dothan); however, Kelsey has trained and honed her professional and technical skills with some of America's leading chefs and restaurateurs.

From the recipes in this book, as well as from being a frequent patron at her restaurant, KBC’s on Foster in Dothan, I can attest to Kelsey's palate pleasing skills. She can also proudly boast of descending from a long line of talented Southern cooks and hospitality enthusiasts.

Following are just a few of the recipes from family members and friends that Kelsey shares in Southern Grit: Bee’s crispy and scrumptious Fried Chicken (I know first hand!); Mrs. Rodman’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake; her Mother's Carrot Cake; and Beeb’s Blackberry Cobbler. I’m starving ya’ll!

In addition to sharing some of her favorite recipes in this volume, Kelsey also gives her thoughts on Southern Hospitality; presents advice on being a gracious and prepared hostess; suggests a quick daily routine of tidying tips; and of course, provides a thorough reference for establishing a well-equipped and provisioned kitchen.

Southern Grit is the perfect compendium on style and gracious living for the modern cook. To further whet your appetite, following is a favored local Dothan recipe of Kelsey's, as well as her 2016 Top Chef Winning entry—Key Lime Crunch—locally known as “crack” because it's so tasty and addictive. Bet you can't eat just one handful!

Key Lime Crunch Recipe (Kelsey’s Top Chef Winning Recipe)

Ingredients:
5 cups [800 g] white chocolate chips
Zest and juice of 5 limes
4 cups [140 g] Chex cereal (any variety)
4 cups [140 g] Cinnamon Life cereal
3 cups [105 g] Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
1 cup [125 g] macadamia nuts, whole or halved
1 cup [130 g] cashews, whole or halved
1 cup [80 g] banana chips
1 cup [100 g] shredded coconut
3 Tbsp salt
Zest of 2 lemons
One 14 oz [400 g] box graham crackers, crumbled

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, melt the white chocolate. Place 1 cup [160 g] of the melted chocolate in a small bowl and whisk in the lime juice. It will seize; that’s OK!
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. In a very large bowl or tub, toss together all the cereals, the macadamia nuts, cashews, banana chips, coconut, 11⁄2
Tbsp of the salt, and the lemon zest. Pour the lime and chocolate mixture and the remaining melted chocolate over the top and toss together thoroughly. Promptly pour the mixture onto the prepared pans. Separate and flatten the mixture so there are no large clumps. Sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs, remaining 11⁄2 Tbsp of salt, and the lime zest. Let sit out for about 1 hour or until the chocolate has hardened. Gently break up into bite-size pieces before serving.


https://www.goodreads.com/joyreadergirl1
(Check-out some of my other favorite Books and their Reviews that I've posted on Goodreads at the above link. I’ve written and posted more than 300 book reviews with an average of 3.98 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Star Rating Average on Goodreads.)

Thank you Chronicle books and Netgalley for the ARC to read and review.

Southern Grit excited me enough to request. I echo the sentiments of two other reviewers that the content of the first part of the book makes the author/chef seem pretentious and what we Southerners call “uppity”. I think this book would be better if it just dived into the food.

Many of these recipes are a bit high end. But we have staple Southern dishes: Pimento Cheese, Fried Catfish and Chicken, Squash Casserole, and Buttermilk Biscuits that legitimize the author.

Overall, I would probably to attempt more than a quarter of these dishes as they are somewhat complicated and ingredient specifications could be hard to obtain.

The photography is well done, but who walks through a chicken coop to gather eggs in a print dress and seersucker?

Great ideas for some southern cooking. Ready favorites for parties or everyday eating. For those who are southern and have had these meals before, these are a twist to all time favorites.

I should start expecting that most cookbooks are going to be too complicated for a person like me who just doesn't have the attention span for it. Some of the recipes looked pretty delicious, but a lot of them were out of my range of ability.

This cookbook is full of Southern recipes many of them look amazing. The book is laid out nicely with a photo accompanying many of the recipes. Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Southern Grit is a beautiful book with delicious recipes that are easy to follow, definitely using many of this recipes for gatherings at home..

This is the Southernmost cookbook I've seen in a long time.
So many great recipes. Group well together and very easy to make.
I want all the food photographed in the book. It looks so good!
I can't wait to try the Deviled Eggs additions among a slew of other recipes.

I received Southern Grit as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

Southern Grit features both traditional and updated Southern classics designed for newcomers to the cuisine. The recipes seem delicious, hearty, and reasonably accessible (though I think some of the ingredients could be difficult to find if you're not in the south), and the food photography is lovely. Unsurprisingly, it's very meat-heavy--this isn't the cookbook for vegetarians. I could have done with less of the "lifestyle" stuff at the beginning about entertaining and cleaning tips, as it doesn't seem relevant to the theme of the cookbook and feels a bit preachy (even if this brown thumb could keep a snake plant alive, they're toxic to my pets, so...no).

This book is beautifully laid out with large colorful photographs that evoke the feeling of a slow Southern Charm. The recipes are well written and easy to follow, although they're a bit more Country Club than Down Home Country Cooking. There are some perennial favorites like pimento cheese and cheese straws mixed in with liver pate' and oysters. This cookbook would be a great gift for a rich southern grandma or Reese Witherspoon, but if you're looking for more traditional comfort foods look elsewhere.

I loved the cover and description of this cookbook. I was hoping to find recipes similar to ones my grandmother made, like her crabapple and hot pepper jelly. Sho 'nough there is a jalepeno jelly and some wonderful buttermilk biscuits to put it on. I had never heard of Kelsey Barnard Clark. She is a professionally trained chef, winner of Top Chef, owner of a restaurant and mother of two little ones. In addition to amazing southern recipes she shares tips for entertaining, keeping house with little ones and notes on canning. The photography is beautiful and the layout is clean and easy to scan while cooking. Small sidenotes warn of possible pitfalls or hold nuggets of wisdom that mean each recipe will turn out perfect.

A beautiful book to display or gift but you will likely keep it in the kitchen and work your way through every recipe. I can't wait to make the Smoked Gouda Grits with Redeye Gravy.

Southern Grit was for the most part what I was expecting out of a cookbook based on Southern recipes. I’m obsessed with buttermilk biscuits so I was curious specifically about this recipe. It definitely didn’t disappoint.

Overall the pictures were good and the intro outlining knife skills and cutting definitions was helpful. The book could have benefited from maybe a few more smaller images (especially in the appetizer section). With a lot of the recipes using regional ingredients that everyone may not be familiar with, pictures would really help to keep readers on the right track. The instructions throughout were easy to follow although a lot of kitchen gadgets are required at times, which can be a turn off for some.

The only recipe that seemed completely out of place for me is the Cuban Pork Butt. The recipe is good, but clearly not Southern. With an intro focused on maintaining “Southern Traditions”, that was a little cringeworthy at times, the inclusion of this Cuban recipe just seems like appropriation.

Southern Grit by Kelsey Barnard Clark is a beautiful full color photo and instructions for such yummy recipes. I'm part of a cookbook book club and I'll definitely recommend this title for our group!

It's a nice cookbook with southern recipes. There are some recipes that I would make at home but most of them I wouldn't make everyday. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I really like how this cookbook is divided up, and I really enjoyed the "Knife Skills" section that shows what each cut, dice, etc. should look like. I also really enjoyed the "Canning 101" section because there were some really good tips and tricks in there. I do wish that every recipe had a picture, but there are some really good recipes in here that I am going to try out.

I loved reading this book as it did bring back some memories of my childhood growing up in The USA. So I couldn't wait to try some recipes to reinforce those great memories and share them with my Australian partner.

And what can I say.... He loved it too!

The Blackberry Cobler worked a treat as it was a great warming dessert for our cool autumn nights in Tasmania. The Buttermilk Biscuits were so easy and yummy and the Pot Riast and then Leftover French Dip Sandwiches..... Well they will be a regular in our household from this day forth.

Thank you and I will continue to try some more hearty favourites to share with my Aussie family and friends.

This book, coming from Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark, is a sassy and direct guide to Southern living. This is a cookbook, with 100 recipes varying in level of difficulty for the home cook, but it also a guide to living well. To Clark, this is all about "MEP"-ing your life which means setting yourself up to succeed. She shares recipes, entertaining tips, and general home with this framework in mind. I appreciate shared wisdom around this topic, and I am certain that many women will find her guidance to be valuable, but I did find the tone to be a little presumptuous.

The recipes stand out to me as some of the best Southern recipes I've come across in a modern cookbook. I appreciate her emphasis on traditional techniques, like canning (also known as putting up) beans and veggies to preserve through the seasons. I found these recipes to be accessible and easy-ish, but my level of comfort in the kitchen is high. I also know that Clark has had experience working in a professional pastry kitchen so I was excited to see her pastry/baking - it did not disappoint. She covered the Southern classics and there are quite a few I can't wait to try. Standout recipes include: Cornbread Panzanella Salad (with Fried Cornbread!), Po'Boys with Remoulade, Cornmeal Catfish with Green Goddess Dressing (I want to make this tonight), Golf Cart Cinnamon Rolls (the book will tell you why they are named this!), and Mrs. Rodman's Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

The photography is stunning and as soon as I read that two of her essential ingredients are Duke's Mayo and Old Bay, I was in. This book is perfect for anyone who loves Southern Food or want to learn more about Southern traditions. In my non-Southern opinion this book really covers the MVPs.