Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey: Recipes from My Three Favorite Food Groups and Then Some

by John Currence

Not just another successful Southern chef, James Beard Award-winner John Currence is THE ambassador for Oxford, Mississippi. In his first book, he shares his rugged and fancy style of cooking through 130 delicious recipes, colorful personal stories, music pairings, and beautiful photography.

Chef John Currence would rather punch you in the mouth with his fantastic flavors than poke you in the eye with fancy presentation. In his first cookbook, Currence gives you 130 recipes organized by 10 different techniques, such as Boiling/Simmering, Slathering, Pickling/Canning, Roasting/Braising, Muddling/Stirring, Brining/Smoking, and Baking/Spinning, just to name a few. John's fun-loving personality rings true throughout the book with his personal stories and history, and his one-of-a-kind recipes for Pickled Sweet Potatoes, Whole Grain Guinness Mustard, Deep South "Ramen" with a Fried Poached Egg, Rabbit Cacciatore, Smoked Endive, Fire-Roasted Cauliflower, and Kitchen Sink Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Each recipe has a song pairing with it and the complete list can be downloaded at spotify.com. Over 100 documentary-style color photographs by photographer Angie Mosier complete this stunning look at the South.

Pickles, Pigs, and Whiskey is at once irreverent, and at the same time a serious look at Southern food today. John's upbringing in New Orleans, time spent in his grandparent's garden, experience living in Western Europe, and schooling along the Eastern Seaboard all inform this volume of recipes that reflects where today's Southern culinary landscape is going. This book illustrates why Southern food is finally recognized as the driving force in the American culinary movement today.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Southern, Food and Drink, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restaurant Quality Recipes for Home

Beautiful Southern recipes you would expect in five star restaurants broken down into steps for home cooking.

The recipes sound so delicious but most require more ingredients than I have time or inclination. I did highlight a few however. Due to the virus, I no longer host holiday events with guests starting at lunchtime and the last one being put out around 3 am because I have to be at work by noon, so the recipes are a lot more work than I need at this time.

[Dale Mullings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure I’m a vegetarian now, but there are many great non-pork options in this cookbook and canning ideas. I think the authors infusion of his personal story and music recommendations for each dish hooked me, and will draw me back to recipes again and again. Looking forward to making a mustard from this one on the weekend to go with some pretzels cooked on my Big Green Egg.

[Scorpio Hank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currence created some amazing recipes with inventive flavors and brilliant adaptations. My only critique would be that the recipes are fairly advanced. I applaud Currence for sticking to his guns and offering a book that is reflective of his style. That said, there are not many recipes that ease you into the cooking here. This is a great read for Southern food fans who are ready to up their game.

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'd think there'd be more whiskey in this book. But nope.

[Ashleyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insane! One of a kind recipes and voice. Don't know how much I'd actually male but would grin every time I walk by it. Buy!

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are much better Louisianan/Southern cookbooks out there. Anything by Michael W Twitty springs to mind immediately (bonus, less reliance on pork based dishes).

[John McCarter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes

Southern food and surprising twists on recipes. This compilation will have you drooling on your phone/ laptop, I know I did.

[Mark Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it, great stories & great recipes.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much name dropping and too many typographical errors for my taste, but the recipes seem both delicious and approachable. The way the recipes are divided into sections based on technique is a nice touch.

[todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Currance was born and raised in New Orleans and for many years has been head of a small, distinguished restaurant empire in Oxford Mississippi. Traditional southern culinary roots are deep in his recipes, but many show inventiveness comparable to anything seen from top young American chefs in any more easily recognized food Mecca. While essentially a cookbook, Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey goes well down the road toward literature. Themes are developed, and stories spun. Not only do the recipes intrigue on their own, but there is enough engaging commentary to make the reader excited to try them. The chapters are organized by technique and include: Frying (pan and deep); Roasting and Braising; Pickling and Canning; and Stirring, Shaking and Muddling (yum). This approach shows the logical connections across a wide range of ingredients and ultimately helps the reader become a more creative cook rather than merely a better follower of instructions. I haven’t tried enough recipes to give this book five stars, but four is an absolute lock. Embrace the new south.

[Bill Kte'pi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best new southern cookbook I've read since Bill Smith's Seasoned in the South. There have been a handful of great cookbooks lately that are really lightweight - engaging, solid viewpoint, a clear reason to exist, but once you ignore the basics, there's like a couple dozen recipes, and most of them can be summed up with "take the regular version of that thing you make, and change it by adding X, substituting Y, or pairing this thing you already know with this other thing you already know." They're cookbooks you can read in an hour and not have to come back to, because what little they really had to tell you is short enough to remember. These aren't BAD cookbooks - there's often three or four great ideas. But they're great appetizers instead of great meals.

This is not one of those, is what I'm getting at.

[Caroline Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey for a gift, but of course I read it before I wrapped it. AND I made a mint julep for the Derby from a new recipe that I found inside.

As a cookbook goes, it is perfect. Good back story, wonderful photography, solid cooking philosophy, interesting recipes, music parings. I found several ideas to add to my own repertoire. That's the sign of a successful cookbook. Anything usable in there?

Unfortunately, this isn't my style of cooking. I no longer fry, use lard, eat hearty. It isn't so much about health as changing tastes and a reluctant digestive system; however, the gift recipient will not only love but also use John Currence's new cookbook. That's what counts!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met John Currence at the Southern Foodways Alliance Summer Symposium. A great guy in addition to being a rockstar chef. Read the cookbook cover-to-cover...good storytelling and great recipes. I've made a number of them now. Of the ones I've cooked so far we especially liked the Szechaun Pepper-Crusted Farmraised Catfish with Ginger Tartar Sauce, Smoked Chicken Salad, Stewed Okra and Tomatoes, "Smoked " Sazerac, Pimento Cheese and the Garlic-Fried Frog's Legs Sauce Piquant (I substituted chicken thighs for the frog's legs since they weren't available, and it was still delicious).

[Jesse Henning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very pretty.

But that's about all I have to say. This looks more like a restaurateur's home cooking brag book than anything else. Call me un-adventurous, but a lot of the more interesting-looking recipes are more trouble than they're worth.

Also there's like one whiskey-related recipe in here. Be warned.

[Marc E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with recipes for entry level cooks as well as professionals. It's not a bad story book either; however I wish the author (and publisher) didn't feel the need to use so much foul language. For me the routine F-bombs and the like added nothing to the story and instead made it a book that sits high up on the shelf away from the kids.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting recipes such as: Cream of Roasted Salsify Soup, Quail & Waffles, and Pickled Lemon Honey Crisp Apples. These are some very adventurous recipes, I am quite sure I will probably won't attempt to make them. It is great to see what chefs are creating and new ideas for recipes.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing keeping me from 5 stars was that there were several mistakes in the recipes. It needs some more editing. Other than that, amazing book, highly recommend it. I can't wait to try some of these recipes!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great author, great cookbook for a serious chef. Recipes range from easy to professional. Most of the ingredients I had on hand, but I do like to cook. Bought for a present, had to read it before gifting it!

[Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

DANG this book is awesome. Beautiful to look at and some challenging preparations as well. Fantastic bloody mary recipe and some pickling I can't wait to try.

[Ben Stiefel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great recipes, some great pictures and I really like his introduction about his philosophies on food & drink.

[Ken Hilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome cookbook. HIGHLY recommended.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I'm starving.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh so good. Don't read the introduction if you want to avoid some profanity, but the recipes are amazing. John Currence is a culinary genius.

[Ambur Taft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history - awesome pictures and recipes....made me want to visit his restaurants more than make the food though.