This is a beautiful cookbook, all about chicken recipes from a Southern perspective. It will make you crave fried chicken like nothing else, but it is far more than just a fried chicken cookbook. There are a variety of chicken dishes, as well as sides, desserts, and sauces, so you can have an entire chicken feast. All the recipes look fantastic, and nearly all of them include a gorgeous photo of the finished dish. This makes me really want to visit Matt Horn’s restaurant of the same name next time I’m in Northern California!

I eat a lot of chicken. Like, a LOT of chicken since developing allergic reactions to “hoof meat” (disgusting term used by the allergist). And my parents are from the south so my palate grew up Southern. When we went to Mississippi to visit family, I think I dripped oil for days because we fried every meal using it. I consider myself pretty qualified to review this book.

I can’t wait to try some of these recipes. The Georgia Peach thighs. Oh yes. The Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken looked nice and juicy. Chicken Brunswick Stew- sounds interesting. The Chicken Salad - maybe; I have a pretty good recipe of my own. Then there are some desserts I need to try.

This is a good cookbook. Just like 96% of cookbooks, it needs more photos. The photos included are well-labeled. Great book!

Southern chicken at its best - fried. This cook book contains variations on the basic southern style chicken including recipes for sauces, gravies, and rubs. I’m looking forward to trying the Nashville hot styles and making the remoloude sauce, something I’ve been curious about but never tried. I liked that the recipes did not seem too complicated and the ingredients were straightforward- nothing that I would be buying for one recipe only.

Making fried chicken has never seemed so easy! I loved how simple the recipes are, most have only a handful of ingredients and the steps are straightforward. And at the top of each recipe is a great history or back story to each recipe. I love the southern roots to the recipes and how it all seems home cooked, but not long drawn out processes and meals. Great section breakdowns and a good range within the sections as well. I also appreciate how clean and open the recipe pages are. It is very minimalistic, the food speaks for itself.
The pictures of the food are so clean and look like a regular person could easily replicate what it looks like, and I love the landscape black and white pictures so much. They really give the feel of the land for the inspiration for these recipes.
The only part that seems a bit much was the longer and multiple essays at the beginning of the book. The background was interesting and I loved the history and breakdown of the types of chickens, but it also was a little long winded on the rest.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harvard Common Press for my ARC!

So many solid recipes. I've been to the restaurant several times and it was so nice to be able to recreate some dishes at home, especially now that I'm no longer living in the area.

I’M HUNGRY. I wish there were more pictures in the second half of the book of the sides and deserts but what we had were great and there’s definitely a few recipes I might want to try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the digital ARC.

No fuss. No frills. Big bold taste.

I love how straightforward this recipe book is. I recently had friends over for a cook out and used the bbq chicken recipe. Great guide to serving up big flavors with few steps. Can’t wait to try more recipes!

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Kowbird is a great way to bring the Southern cooking into your home. They’re enough recipes to have a yummy feast that consists of variations of chicken (which should satisfy anyone’s taste), sides, desserts and sauces. The photos are a work of art themselves- some will make you hear an oil sizzle or others will make you feel a wind in the field.

Each recipe is made from simple, easy accessible ingredients and the instructions are short and understandable.

I chose to review this book from Netgalley as one of those books acting as a catalyst for getting me back into reading and reviewing after a long hiatus. The cover is one of the things that drew me to this book. A delicious spicy chicken sandwich with dripping sauce and pickles. I can almost taste it and feel the crunch of the chicken crust and the bite of the dill pickle, wiping a smear of sauce from my chin.

Inspired by his Oakland restaurant Kowbird, the author Matt Horn begins the book talking about the humble chicken, and its background and history as a staple in Southern cooking. I never knew that someone could have so much to say about chicken, and with such passion and adoration! He would argue that the chicken is not so humble and is such a versatile protein that can be downplayed or elevated and is a perfect representation of cooking in the south.

The book starts with an introduction to Southern cooking and the chicken's place in it. The collard greens and fried okra, chicken roasted or fried or in chicken and dumplings. This cookbook is broken into eight chapters: "Why did the chicken cross the road?", "The southern roots of Kowbird: Chicken, culture and community", Chicken Mains, Southern Sides, Desserts, Southern Sauces, Gravies for Chicken, and Seasonings for Chicken.

The first chapter walks you through the "chicken's journey through the culinary landscape". It's the ability for chicken to transport you back in time to your grandmother's kitchen with the smell of chicken stew simmering on the stove. Memories of picnics and Sunday dinners. And the author lauds the chicken's ability to "unite": "In a world brimming with differences, the love for chicken is a universal thread. It's a silent reminder that simple joys and flavors bind us all, regardless of where we come from or where we're headed."

The author then offers up a primary on chicken breeds, temperaments and reputations of each, and for what kind of dishes each breed is preferred. His restaurant Kowbird is about community:
"Kowbird is more than just a nod to my Southern roots, though it is about building bridges, reviving communities, and fostering entrepreneurship."

The chapter on "The Southern Roots of Kowbird" explores "chicken, culture and community". The author acknowledges some other culinary establishments around the country from which he's garnered inspiration, such as the hot chicken from Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville or the chicken at Honey's Kettle. He explores the origins of ingredients like black-eyed peas and deep-frying techniques being attributable to the slave trade and enslaved Africans. How many Southern dishes were born of hardship:

Many Southern dishes-- often labeled soul food-- originated during times of hardship, particularly during slavery and the subsequent eras of segregation and economic disparity. Enslaved peoples often made do with the least desirable ingredients, which they transformed into nourishing and delicious meals with creativity and resourcefulness: pork intestines became chitterlings, pig's feet became a pickled delicacy, greens slow-cooked with ham hocks were sublime, and cornmeal transformed into grits.
This cookbook offers up main dishes like Chicken Brunswick Stew, the Kowbird Chicken Smash Burger, and Georgia Peach Chicken Thighs as well as Southern staples like Southern Fried Chicken and Chicken and Dumplings. Dive into Southern Sides like Southern Green Beans with Bacon and Biscuits with Honey Butter. Finish off your meal with Desserts like Sweet Potato or Mississippi Mud Pie, 7Up Cake or Peach Cobbler. Additionally, you have recipes for things like Country Sausage Gravy and Memphis Dry Rub.

My final word: This is such a thorough southern cookbook of everything chicken! It has beautiful photography, passion, history, and above all else, pride. This is a chef who takes pride in his Southern roots and wants to share the flavors and love and novelty and versatility with the world. If you love Southern cooking, or if you just love the humble chicken, I strongly recommend this cookbook!

Will definitely be buying a hard copy of this cookbook! Chicken is probably my most used protein and I really appreciated the new approaches to that ingredient, but I also never felt like I was going out and buying an ingredient that I would never use again. Really solid cook book.

As the book promises, you've never had chicken like this before! Packed with amazing chicken dishes that will take you to the heart and soul of Southern cooking, with some detours along the way. I loved the inclusion of so many side recipes to accompany the dishes too and a section on rubs and spice blends to elevate the chicken dishes too. The chicken is not all fried, there are stews, wings, burgers and so much more as well. A great book for those of you who enjoy dude food and elevate food made from simple ingredients and everyone's favourite protein!

Kowbird: Amazing Chicken Recipes from Chef Matt Horn’s Restaurant and Home Kitchen
Matt Horn
Chicken is my favorite meat, so I was excited to receive a copy of this book from NetGalley for review. Matt Horn is a celebrated chef at his restaurant Kowbird. He takes great pleasure in developing chicken recipes along with herbs, spices and sauces and techniques. His instructions are easy to follow. His book Kowbird is filled with 65 delicious recipes and photographs. He shares tips and tricks for creating his dishes. There are recipes for every occasion from weekday to weekend to special occasions. While the food has a gourmet taste the recipes are fairly simple. There are also recipes to round out the meal and complement the chicken. Desserts, bread, side dishes are included with the chicken recipes.

I love this one. I do find some of the Cajun recipes a little off for me as I am from Louisiana, but the fried chicken and the coq Au vin blanc was particularly interesting to me.

A beautifully photographed cookbook, with an awesome 80s nostalgia feel to the photographs. Each recipe is written in a simple manner making the reader feel confident and capable. The beautiful history of chicken in cooking and the feelings and senses it evokes especially in southern cooking

“Kowbird” by Matt Horn is a cool chicken cookbook with easy to read recipes and gorgeous photos! It carries a subhead of “Amazing Chicken Recipes from Chef Matt Horn’s Restaurant and Home Kitchen” and the book delivers! The first quarter of the book describes the importance of chicken in traditional Southern cooking and especially for Southern Black American society. “Yardbird” was easier to come by for a weekly family Sunday dinner. It’s also firmly entrenched as Southern Comfort Food. The listing of popular chicken breeds was oddly fascinating. I’m a city kid but the child of farm kids, so I had heard of some of the US breeds in family stories. Then we get to the recipes. Recipe sections are “Chicken Mains,” “Southern Sides,” “Desserts,” “Southern Sauces,” “Gravies for Chicken,” and “Seasonings for Chicken” and provide the perfect spectrum of dinner combinations for full delicious meals. The “My Mother’s Smothered Chicken” recipe really got my attention; it is different than my own mother’s favorite version and I may have to try this version. And gravy recipes? Gravy is always my downfall when cooking from scratch but I shall be braving several of the gravy recipes contained herein. You’ll be hungry just looking at the recipe photos. You’ll be starving after reading the recipes. If I’m ever in Oakland, CA, I’ll definitely be looking up Chef Horn’s Kowbird restaurant.

What a wonderful book! It's filled with fun facts about chicken and recipes that made my mouth drool! I can't wait to try some of the recipes and salute my Southern heritage!

I was provided a copy of the book from Harvard Common Press via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Real food from America's South, Kowbird is a cookbook that will talk to many Americans and introduce a bunch of new comfort foods to everyone else.
I am part of this second group and greatly enjoyed discovering those recipes. Most are a little too heavy for my taste, I will replace buns with crusty French breads, and add large sides of greens, but this didn't remove any of my enjoyment because this book is all about comfort and cosiness.
What I loved most of all is the friendly tone of the writing, inviting you to share a meal between friends and family. It is full of genuine love and that just feels so comfy.

An excellent cookbook!
The way the food is described will make your mouth water, and just when you thought you couldn't get any hungrier, you see the pictures!
I have just about every other recipe marked for trying!

A brilliant recipe book with clear instructions! My boys love chicken and this recipe book is perfect for them! Lots of recipes to still try!

This is an excellent compilation of chicken recipes and other classic southern fare, especially the stuff you’d get in a great restaurant like his, with plenty of sauces, sides and simple but delicious recipes. There are photos of most of the recipes and they are simple and straightforward.

There is no nutritional information for the recipes and there is a complete lack of healthier recipes. Everything is fried, vegetables are sparse, and while Horn talks in the introduction about the evolution of soul food to include vegetarians and sustainability, he doesn’t include these kinds of recipes. That’s a shame, as I would love to taste the dishes he could come up with for readers who love these flavors but want to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Still well recommended for the occasional indulgence.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.