I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef

by Vishwesh Bhatt, John Currence (Foreword)

One of the South’s best chefs invites you to grill, stew, and fry your own way to a more expansive and delicious dinner.

Winner of the 2023 James Beard Cookbook Award (U. S. Foodways)

Named a Best Cookbook of 2022 by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, Cup of Jo, BookPage, and Library Journal • An NPR "Book We Love" • One of Garden & Gun's Best Southern Books of the Year • One of Southern Living's Best Host Gifts of 2023

A Vishwesh Bhatt dish conjures an evolving American South. Peanut Masala–Stuffed Baby Eggplant alongside fried okra, tossed in tangy chaat masala. Collard-Wrapped Catfish with a spicy Peanut Pesto. These much-loved dishes are stars on the menu at Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi, where Bhatt has been the executive chef since 2009, earning him Best South (2019 James Beard Awards) and induction into the Fellowship of Southern Farmers, Artisans, and Chefs in 2022. His food draws from his Indian heritage and is unpretentious, inventive, and incredibly delicious.

I Am From Here organizes 130 recipes by ingredient, emphasizing staples, spices, and vegetables that are as beloved on the Indian subcontinent as they are in the American South. Summer means okra, tomatoes, corn, and peas. Winter brings sweet potatoes and mustards, collards, kale, and spinach. Rice is a constant throughout.

Bhatt vividly recounts the special meals cooked by his mother and grandmothers—vegetarian comfort food such as Khichadi, custardy rice pudding, and Stewed Gujarati-Style Black-Eyed Peas—and presents them alongside dishes he’s shared with friends, colleagues, and family across the decades. Recipes run the gamut from uncomplicated roast chicken and Citrus-Herb Rice Salad to dinner party–worthy Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Tandoori Spices.

Writing for the home cook, Bhatt includes recipes for making your own spice mixes, including a versatile chaat masala. A mix-and-match meal-planning guide will help you pair dishes for different occasions. And every ingredient is within reach even if you’re cooking far away from the warmth of Mississippi. This cookbook thoughtfully, and persuasively, expands notions of what it means to be, and cook like, a Southerner today.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 16, 2022

Reviews

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a cookbook! I've never wanted so badly to eat my least favorite vegetable (okra). The photography is beautiful and makes everything look scrumptious. The stories with the recipes are easy, short, and down to earth. Such a unique, personal take on Southern food, Indian-style. I'd make so many of these recipes if only my husband were more receptive to trying new flavors. I think I'll start small with the Succotash :)

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Publishers, please. I am begging you. In this day in age, you must add pictures on each recipe.

Despite the hit or miss picture status, there were a lot of creative mashup recipes here. However, many looked very intricate and time consuming. Probably not dishes you can get on the table easily during the week.

[Carrie Honaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for research for an article, but the recipes are blowing me away! Approachable and delicious :)

[Kayes Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

**A Beautiful Blend of Southern Stories and Cooking!**

*I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef* is a wonderful celebration of Southern food, personal history, and the traditions that shape a chef's culinary identity. What I enjoyed most is how the book brings together meaningful stories and delicious cooking inspiration, making it feel much more personal than an ordinary cookbook.

The recipes reflect the richness and character of Southern cuisine, while the storytelling adds warmth and depth to every page. I especially appreciate the way food is presented as a connection to family, community, and cultural heritage. It makes the reading experience both enjoyable and memorable.

This book is a lovely choice for anyone who appreciates authentic Southern flavors or enjoys learning about the experiences behind a chef's cooking. It offers inspiration for the kitchen while reminding readers why traditional dishes hold such a special place in our lives.

Warm, engaging, and full of culinary personality, this is a cookbook I would gladly recommend. A well-deserved five stars!

[Zihad · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

**A Beautiful Blend of Southern Food, Stories, and Tradition!**

*I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef* is a wonderful cookbook that celebrates the connection between food, family, culture, and personal history. I love how it brings storytelling and cooking together, making the experience feel much more meaningful than simply following recipes.

Southern cuisine has a special charm, with its comforting flavors, familiar ingredients, and traditions passed down through generations. This book offers an inviting opportunity to appreciate those culinary roots while discovering recipes inspired by a chef's personal journey and experiences.

What makes this collection especially appealing is the personal touch. Food often tells stories about where we come from and the people who shape our lives, and that idea makes this cookbook feel warm and memorable.

Overall, this is a lovely choice for anyone who enjoys Southern cooking, meaningful food stories, and recipes with a sense of place. An inspiring cookbook that deserves five stars!

[Tymber Wolff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this cookbook not just for the recipes but, for the stories behind them. As a brown person myself, many times I have had to explain to people, "I am from here", after being approached and randomly asked where I'm from. The shock on their faces, hmmm, how are you from here? Where are your parents from? Feeling othered in your hometown hits some kind of way that is hard to put into words but, Vishwesh does it gracefully and eloquently. He shows that he has a unique experience by being from the south and also Indian and he embraces both through his cooking. I love these types of 'own voices' books, even if they are sometimes outside my usual genre they're so relatable for me. Worth a read even if you aren't into cooking much, though the recipes are also great and unique.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes From a Southern Chef by Vishwesh Bhatt (W.W. Norton & Co. 2022) (641.5975) (3949).

This book was written by a chef who grew up eating the foods of the Indian subcontinent. The recipes in this volume all adapt Southern US ingredients and cooking styles to the Indian flavors on which he was raised.

I’m Southern born and bred, and I too love Indian cuisine. Several recipes in this collection made me drool.

My rating: 7/10, finished 5/10/24 (3949).

[Beth]

I am interested in cooking Indian food. Not so much in Southern food.
So this cookbook was a little hit and miss for me.
I enjoyed reading it. I don't think I would bother buying it to add to my bookshelves, since half of the recipes do not appeal to me. Some of them look very time consuming s well.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely cookbook. Upidi Tomato Omelet (basically, savory pancakes built on garbanzo bean flour (2 cups flour, 1 t salt, 3 cups chopped vegetables and lots of spices and aromatics) might become a staple. Not terribly vegetarian-friendly. Glad it got it from the library.

[Maureen Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely outstanding. A marvelous story and filled with divine recipes. Recommend highly!

[Margery Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

inspiring recipes. going to try the cornbread first and the rice w toor dal. very excited about the rice, corn and okra recipes

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lm enlightening read! I loved the personal stories about Vish and related to his stories about Southern cooking and culture. I look forward to making some of the recipes!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, but nothing stood out to me.

[Sonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever preference you may have for cuisine, the touching stories alone make this book well-worth a read for anyone who loves to cook.