"...I must have cooked for every celebrity in town. The list is too long to mention."
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Beyond Soul Food:
Modern American Heritage Cuisine by Richard Petty Richard Petty
book review by Corinna Underwood
Do you love soul food? Executive chef Richard Petty has drawn together a selection of his mouth-watering recipes. In one great collection, he has added a modern flavor to a wide range of classic soul food favorites. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Petty worked Bradley Ogden and Wolfgang Puck. He has created dishes in some of the most prestigious restaurants on the West Coast including the Beverly Hills Inn, the Diaghilev Restaurant and Keyshaun Johnson's Reign Restaurant.
Each dish in Beyond Soul Food has a unique twist. Petty's shrimp hushpuppies on skewers are perfect hors d'oeuvre for a cocktail party or a starter to compliment his lobster on spoonbread. His sides and tidbits recommendations include tasty dishes to set your soul singing like creamy yellow grits, garlic mashed potatoes and fired okra fit to go along with his barbecue roasted yard bird or gravy smothered pork chops. Add some potato bread or buttermilk biscuits to complete the meal. Perry doesn't skimp on the desserts either, yam aficionados with love his sweet potato chiffon pie and sweet potato cheesecake, while his vanilla bean ice cream adds a true taste of the south.
You don't have to be a top-class chef to reproduce Petty's dishes, though your dinner guests will be suitably impressed. Whether you're a novice or an expert in the kitchen, this collection is a staple item for your cookbook shelf.