Cook Like a Local

August 5, 2019
For Houston chef Shepherd, cooking local means employing “techniques and ingredients from a spectrum of immigrant influences,” which he expertly illustrates in this tempting, accessible debut. The six chapters are organized not by key ingredient (each of which is easily sourced) but by essential flavoring. Chapter one focuses on fish sauce, and the recipes, including pork riblets in fish sauce caramel, are primarily Vietnamese. The second chapter, “Chiles,” is more diverse and includes recipes for green beans with Japanese curry and a chile tater tot casserole. Soy, in its many guises, is examined in the third section, which includes green curry pancakes that are drizzled with a syrup of sweet soy sauce and honey. Shepherd’s signature dish, Korean braised goat and dumplings, is the star of the section on rice, with its dumplings made from pan-fried cylindrical rice cakes in a stew flavored with beer and the red chile paste called gochujang. Throughout are profiles of the markets that Shepherd frequents and their proprietors. Flavors from around the world redefine the concept of home cooking in this rich and satisfying collection.

December 13, 2019

Acclaimed chef Shepherd, along with food writer Goalen (The Short Stack Cookbook), have put together a fun book organized around six ingredients: fish sauce, chiles, soy, rice, spices, and corn. Each chapter explores the core food in depth, including a brief history of its development; advice on buying, preparation, and storage; and recipes featuring the ingredient in a range of cuisines. The focus is on Asian, Creole and Tex-Mex flavors, but there are nods to Shepherd's Midwestern roots as well in recipes such as Vietnamese fajitas, Chile tater tot casserole, and Gobi Manchurian. Shepherd is a James Beard Award winner for his Houston restaurant Underbelly and has a respectful, but unpretentious, attitude toward the concept of authenticity. The book also includes profiles on other area cooks and food providers. Throughout, Shepherd encourages exploration, learning, and reliance on one's own palate. Many of the recipes come from Underbelly and its follow-up restaurant UB Preserve, including lamburger helper and UB Preserve pickles. VERDICT While many of the recipes are on the cheffy side and require a lot of prep work, experienced home cooks will find this to be an attractive choice.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2019
This is an epicurean sonnet to culinary Houston: to all the ethnic diversity that has made the Texan city a haven for new Americans, and to the six special ingredients (fish sauce, chiles, soy, rice, spices, and corn) that have contributed to Shepherd's recognition as a James Beard Award-winning chef. Don't let his humble, educational narrative hoodwink you; notes, sidebars, and Shepherd's 80-plus recipes attest to a chef at the top of his game. He doesn't assume readers are blas� about any of his featured ingredients, and devotes many pages to defining those ingredients as well as how to buy, store, and use them, and where to find the brands he recommends. Though a bit lengthy, recipes certainly take on his experimental, adventurous spirit?green beans with Japanese curry, Korean braised goat and dumplings, masala Hindi (an okra dish), salt and pepper-fried blue crabs, and vinegar pie (akin to chess pie). It'll be hard to choose. Best yet is his gracious acknowledgment, in lengthy sidebars, of local chefs and restaurants that have added to his development as a chef, like the Patels of London Sizzler and the owners of the now-shuttered Asia Market.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)