Down South + East
A Chinese American Cookbook
Infused with family stories and historical tidbits about Southern cuisine, Chef Ron Hsu’s bountiful, celebratory, and edifying cookbook Down South + East marries flavors from across the world in its irresistible dishes.
A La Bernardin alumni and the chef-owner of Atlanta’s Michelin-starred Lazy Betty, Hsu cooks “soulful dishes relevant to today’s increasingly global kitchens.” A tantalizing array of these are represented herein, via home cook-accessible variations. The book’s recommended larder includes ingredients ranging from okra to oyster sauce and star anise, reflecting Hsu’s Southern and Asian backgrounds and appetite for experimentation. Still, he resists labeling his multicultural recipes “fusion” food; rather, this is food for everyone, marked by generous cross-cultural ingredient sampling and luscious combinations.
Beginning with flavorful vegetable recipes for dishes including Braised Romaine with Ham Hock Pot Likker, Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Mala-Buttermilk Dressing, and Hoisin-Roasted Eggplant, the book includes chapters devoted to rice dishes, particular proteins, noodles, and sauces and dessert. Inspired flavor combinations appear in recipes for Spicy Dry-Fried Catfish with Cilantro and Cumin, Mandarin Beef and Papaya Salad with Roasted Peanuts, and Pimento Cheese Wontons, though the book also includes some classics.
Mouthwatering variations are proposed, and backstories are shared, in the recipe headings for dishes like Crispy Rice Sticks with Sriracha Ranch. Staple Southern ingredients including collard greens, bacon, and peanuts recur throughout. The mostly single-page recipes also boast clear instructions, as well as notes about modifications, kitchen tools, and preparation techniques, punctuating Hsu’s efforts to help home cooks experience the rich comforts of his particular culinary story.
Southern hospitality also informs the work, in which Hsu’s family proves to be a crucial element. Indeed, the book includes tributes to Hsu’s mother, Betty—a restaurateur herself—as well as recipe notes regarding which dishes his daughter can’t resist, and which were inspired by his wife. Credit is given to the chefs who mentored Hsu throughout his career as well, and an essay dedicated to Buford Highway’s international markets and fare captures the best of the “Dirty South.” These heartwarming elements function as an additional invitation to the audience, whose own families Hsu hopes will be fed from Down South + East.
Certain to “inspire you to explore a market you’ve never been in, to see and taste ingredients you’ve never heard of,” Down South + East is a warm and welcoming cookbook.
Reviewed by
Michelle Anne Schingler
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
