From Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food.
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Louis Osteen, a noted Chef with 20 years of experience cooking in the South, takes regional favorites to new heights in "Charleston Cuisine."If you watch the TV Food Network, you've probably seen Osteen. A very pleasant Southern gentleman with a wonderful sense of humor, Osteen focuses on locally grown products and seafood, offering traditional regional dishes and many of his own unique and refreshing interpretations.

The Cookbook

The 280-page cookbook begins with the basics -- sauces, condiments, breads and gravies -- and the rest is divided into seasons, with starters, entrees, side dishes and desserts within each season. A fifth seasonal index covering summer cooking outside is a nice bonus.

About the Recipes

Along with some wonderfully rich and more complex recipes, you'll find plenty of less-challenging dishes for everyday meals. Some of the familiar recipe offerings include Buttermilk Bread Pudding, Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding, Charleston Chile-Pickled Shrimp, She-Crab Soup, Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Green Chile Rub, Muffy's Meat Loaf Deluxe, Sorghum Glaze for Pork, Deviled Crab Cakes, Garlic Custard, Oyster Pie, and a Chicken Bog. Some of the more unique offerings are Cabbage Stuffed with Beer-Braised Rabbit, Blood Orange Creme Brulee, Spicy Chicken with Lemongrass and Fried Capellini, Seared Duck Breasts with Buttery Savoy Cabbage, Christmas Goose and Gravy, and the list goes on.

Whether you're looking for a taste of Charleston or just want to add another Southern cookbook to your culinary collection, this cookbook is the perfect choice.