Poole's

From Raleigh’s James Beard award-winning chef, a comprehensive look at the guiding principles of great cooking—with over 100 recipes for the food that has made Poole’s Downtown Diner one of the South’s most celebrated restaurants.

From theJames Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen comes a bold and revelatoryreinventionof Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconicand beloved restaurant, Poole’s Diner.

Ashley Christensen is the new face of Southern cooking, and her debut cookbook,Poole’s, honors the traditions of this celebrated cuisine, while introducing a new vernacular-elevated simple side dishes spiked with complex vinaigrettes, meatless mains showcasing vibrant vegetables, and intensified flavors through a cadre of back-pocket recipes that will become indispensable in your kitchen.Recipes like Turnip Green Fritters withWhipped Tahini;Heirloom Tomatoes with CrushedOlives, Crispy Quinoa, and White Anchovy Dressing; and Warm Broccoli Salad with Cheddar and Bacon Vinaigrette share the menu with the definitive recipe for Pimento Cheese, a show-stoppingMacaroni au Gratin, and crave-worthyChallahBread Pudding withWhiskey Apples and Creme Fraiche,all redefining what comfort foodcan be.

Poole’sis also the story of how Christensen opened a restaurant, and in the process energized Raleigh’s downtown.By fosteringa network of farmers, cooks, andguests, and taking care of her people by feeding them well, she built a powerful community around the restaurant. The cookbook is infused with Christensen’s generous spirit and belief that great cooking is fundamental to good living.

With abundant, dramatically beautiful photography and a luxepresentation,Poole’sis a landmark addition to the cookbook canon, a collection from which readers will cook and find inspiration, and pass down for generations to come.

Author Biography

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN is the chef and owner of seven restaurants-Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s, Fox Liquor Bar, Joule Coffee & Table, Death & Taxes, and Bridge Club-all located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Ashley’s cooking and her philosophy of bright, fresh flavors and locally grown, seasonal ingredients have garnered local and national acclaim. Ashley is involved in a number of charities, including the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, the Southern Foodways Alliance, and Share Our Strength. In 2014, Ashley was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.