by Kristen Kish
First published 2017
Kristen Kish transforms familiar ingredients through unexpected techniques in this collection of over 80 recipes. The Top Chef season ten winner draws from her Korean heritage, Michigan childhood, and years cooking in Barbara Lynch's acclaimed Boston kitchens. Kish sears avocado with brined shrimp seasoned with coriander and ginger. She creates an earthy farro dish with pancetta-parmesan broth and roasted mushrooms. Her fried chicken thighs come with caramelized honey spiked with chiles and lemon for sweet, smoky, and bitter notes. Each recipe reflects her journey from Korean orphan to American adoptee to distinguished chef. Her approach takes standard ingredients and cooking methods in surprising directions while maintaining refined execution. The book celebrates technical precision alongside creative adaptation, offering home cooks access to dishes that balance familiarity with innovation.
Genres: memoir, biography-memoir, cooking, 21st-century, food-and-drink, asian-american, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Boston, Korea, Michigan
Period: 21st-century
288 pages · Hardcover · Clarkson Potter