Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains

Another day, another cookbook to tell you about. Many of you have eaten at one of the many locations of Tupelo Honey Cafe, so you will recognize some of the recipes in their newest cookbook, Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the flagship restaurant in Asheville, NC, and several other restaurants around the mountain south, Tupelo Honey Cafe serves up a new twist on classic “hillbilly” (their word, not mine) fare. As with every culture, the common foods tell the story of the people. The mountain foods of the Appalachian people are rich in vegetables, which tells the story of the peoples’ earthiness and connection to the land. Chef Brian Sonoskus have made these stories come to life with the dishes he serves in his Tupelo Honey Cafe locations.

While I’ve never been privileged enough to eat at Tupelo Honey Cafe, it’s definitely on my list if I ever find myself in the same town as one. In the meantime, I will pore over their newest cookbook sent to me by Andrews McMeel Publishing. I could tell you all about how good the recipes look, but I though a picture would be worth a thousand words.

Don’t you know a cookbook is good when you mark almost every recipe so you can try it out? Here’s my list of recipes I want to try right away:

• Technicolor-Rama Asian Slaw with cabbage and jicama and Granny Smith apples(!!!)
• Pimiento Cheese with a Kick – It has whole grain and Dijon mustard, cumin, and cherry peppers 🙂
• Roast Beef Po’ Boy with Cherry Pepper Aioli
• Dressed Up For COmpany Onion Casserole. It has heavy cream and Gruyere. Oh, dear.
• Rib Eye Steak and Mushroom Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuit Crust. Why wouldn’t you?
• Acorn Squash Stuffed with Bacon Bread Pudding
• Cornmeal-Fried Black-Eyed Peas
• Cheesy Grits Souffle
• Country Ham and Pimiento Cheese Biscuits
• Southern Pretzels with Pimiento Cheese Fondu. Because SOUTHERN CHEESE FONDU. And homemade pretzels.
• Shrimp Cakes with Roasted Garlic Aioli
• Red Onion Marmelade
• Flat-Out Fantastic Flat Iron Steak Au Poivre

I can’t wait to get started cooking my way through this cookbook!! It’s definitely one that will inspire you to gather your family around the table. Would one of you like a copy? I’ll give you three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post letting me know which of the above dishes you’d like to try.
2. Follow @TheHillHangout on Twitter and send me a tweet about which dish you’d like to try.
3. Follow The Hill Hangout on Facebook and leave us a comment at this post.

I’ll announce the winner on Friday.

If you don’t win a copy, please feel free to order one from my Amazon affiliate link.