Heritage by Sean Brock

Don't be intimated by the cover of this book, as I have heard that people are. The cover, with its tattooed hands holding beans is just a cover. It is a cover representing a man who stands for tradition, but not in the way of over-whipped and soggy cakes or tasteless potato mash, but in a way that takes us back to the roots of cooking. The pictures are tempting, and the recipes are simple, yet very special. Every recipe, at least for me, is something I would love to make, be it simple roast chicken, cornmeal-dusted snapper, husk cheeseburger, or benne-buttermilk rolls. They are not just recipes. They are stories about saving what was once and should always be. Beautiful and inspiring. Not just to cook, but to read, too.