John Besh Announces 3rd Book, Cooking From the Heart

2013, Year of the Chef Cookbook, marches on: Andrews McMeel has officially announced the rumored third John Besh book, which will be called Cooking from the Heart: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way. The book sort of follows Besh's culinary education, and chapters titles include "Lessons of the Hunt," "Leaving the Ocean to Learn Fish," "A Leaf of Lettuce," "Not Just a Potato," "Vegetable Love," "Curiosity & The Cook," "The Anchovies & Orange Peels," "Mussels in Marseilles," "The Art of the Table," "A Proper Bouillabaisse & More Soup Lessons," and "Fruit, Cheese & Sweet Things."

With 375 photographs and 140 recipes, Cooking From the Heart also takes a look at Besh's time in France and lessons learned from chefs Chris Kerigeorgiou and Alain Assaud. It comes out October 29 (pre-order on Amazon). Here's a press release.

COOKING FROM THE HEART: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way BY JOHN BESH

Featuring Personal Stories, 375 Photographs and 140 Recipes,

Cooking from the Heart is the Next Best Thing to an Apprenticeship with Chef John Besh

John Besh - New Orleans steward, James Beard Award winner, philanthropist, author and renowned chef of nine acclaimed restaurants - is known for his dedication to New Orleans, his family, seasonal ingredients and local cuisine. Now, in his highly anticipated third cookbook, Cooking from the Heart, John reveals with ready good humor his journey of discovery: learning the lessons that really matter to him as a cook, lessons learned in the kitchens of his mentors, sometimes the hard way and often at his own expense.

COOKING FROM THE HEART: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way (October 29, 2013; Andrews McMeel Publishing; Hardcover; $40.00) recalls the places, lessons, and mentors that shaped John's culinary journey. His engaging personal narrative takes the reader to his touchstones, from the heart of Germany's Black Forest to the sun-drenched south of France. Each chapter features a lesson learned, told in Besh's own charming style, full of heartfelt memories and delicious recipes.

"Twenty years ago, after I had served in the Marines, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and cooked in kitchens of some of the best Southern chefs, I somehow had the good fortune to know that I did not yet know enough. Fortune led me to extraordinary mentors," says Besh. "Cooking from the Heart is more than a cookbook; it's a journey to revisit the places and the people from whom I've learned the most important cooking - and life - lessons."

With 375 original and archival photographs and 140 easy-to-follow recipes, the 11 chapters bring John's experiences home into the everyday cook's kitchen. The book also includes instructional "Cooking Lessons," illustrated with step-by-step photography, that demonstrate techniques which will help readers master classics such as building a perfect green salad, roasting a whole fish, coaxing deep flavor from stews and roasts, making easy and elegant fruit desserts start to finish and many others.

Chapter highlights include:

· The first three chapters, Lessons of the Hunt, Leaving the Ocean to Learn Fish and A Leaf of Lettuce expound upon John's fundamental commitment to respect and honor animals and ingredients, with recipes such as Country Påté, Duck Confit, Marinated Salmon with Dill and Mustard Sauce; Roast Sea Bass Provençal; Leafy Herb Lettuce with Roast Nuts, Carrot and Chive Salad, and Brussels Sprout Salad.

· Chapters Not Just a Potato and Vegetable Love transform traditionally humble ingredients into simple yet masterful dishes including Basic Potato Gnocchi, Sauteed Potatoes with Quince and Onions; Roast Fingerling Potatoes with Lemons & Rosemary; Grilled Artichokes with Lemon; Fava Bean & Tomato Ragout, Tomato & Fresh Cheese Tartines; Grilled Porcini Salad; and Braised Fennel.

· "Curiosity & The Cook" showcases the more adventurous - and rewarding - side of cooking and eating, as experienced by John and his wife Jenifer as a young couple discovering Europe.

· The Anchovies & Orange Peels and Mussels in Marseilles chapters detail mentor Chef Chris Kerigeorgiou's teachings, such as how to coax rich flavor from basic key ingredients, demonstrated in dishes like Ragout of Lamb with Cavatelli, Artichokes Barigoule and Mussel & Swiss Chard Soup.

· In The Art of the Table, we learn about the experiential elements that go beyond cooking, to discuss what it means to truly dine, illustrated by a sidebar on the social meaning of the apéritif, and recipes like Fennel Soup with Crab & Pistou; Fresh Herbed Goat Cheese Mousse; Olive Tapenade and Eggplant & Tomato Confit.

· A Proper Bouillabaisse & More Soup Lessons: John's annual pilgrimages to the south of France led him to a culinary soulmate in Alain Assaud, who revered simple "peasant foods" and passed along these preservationist recipes, such as A Proper Bouillabaisse and Vichysoisse, accompanied by classic techniques for basic stocks.

· Fruit, Cheese & Sweet Things present approachable yet elegant desserts like Blueberry Tart, Brown Butter Caramel Tart with Bananas & Pistachios, Dark Chocolate Pot de Crème and, of course, Black Forest Cake.

John's first book, My New Orleans (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009), revealed John's devotion to the importance of local ingredients and cuisine. His second, My Family Table (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011), honored his family and made a passionate plea to readers to make meals at home. Turn to Cooking From The Heart to share in John's personal story of lessons he has learned along the way. The recipes and stories are sure to inspire curiosity in readers and encourage them make John's recipes their own.

COOKING FROM THE HEART: MY FAVORITE LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY

By John Besh • Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC • ISBN: 978-1-4494-3056-6

Price: $40.00 ($45.00 Canada) • Hardcover: 9 1/4 x 11, 320 pages

Publishing October 29, 2013

· All John Besh Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Cookbook Coverage on Eater [-E-]