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

I Am From Here is as warm and welcoming as a bowl of Sunday 'Everything' Dal. Vishwesh Bhatt has written a beautiful, approachable cookbook that blends quintessential Southern ingredients with a decisive and incredibly unique personal perspective.--Michael Solomonov, chef and co-owner, Zahav
A devotional to his origins and a brilliant testimony to Vishwesh Bhatt's peerless approach to integrating the cultures and foods of the region that gratefully adopted him. Vish's stories beautifully depict the inspirations and thought processes that define his elevated, very personal cooking style.--Ben Barker, chef, Magnolia Grill
To know Vish is to be in the presence of a chef who is at once thoughtful and kind, confident and humble, vibrant and comforting. I am proud to call him a friend, and I am prouder still of this debut cookbook that portrays not only the complexity of his wildly delicious cuisine, but also the stories of his origins, his identity, and his place in the diverse history of American cuisine.--Edward Lee, author of Smoke & Pickles
I met the town of Oxford, MS through the warm and inspiring table of Vish Bhatt. His food and his hospitality strike a beautiful balance between familiar ingredients and traditions, and ideas and flavors beyond my experience and imagination. To cook beside Vish always opens my eyes and my heart to a new way of thinking about the plate, and these pages graciously invite the whole world in on the adventure. From Stewed Gujarati-style Black-eyed Peas to Mr. Bunzendahl's Green Tomato Pie...This book will be a fixture in my kitchen.--Ashley Christensen, Chef and author of Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner
A noted Southern chef delivers a palate-pleasing blend of memoir and recipes. . . . Bhatt makes a convincing case for a Southern cuisine based on both tradition and innovation.-- "Kirkus Reviews"
To use I Am From Here is to rediscover cooking. You can tell flipping through the pages of this cookbook that Bhatt has a deep respect for food.--Kayleigh Skinner "Mississippi Today"
[Bhatt] challenges perceptions of what defines the American South.-- "TIME"
[I Am From Here] is both a love letter to Southern cuisine and a declaration of his status as an authentic Southern chef.-- "Wall Street Journal"
[Bhatt] had me from hello with his genteelly defiant title, I Am From Here. Western India and the Southern U.S. share more culinary parallels than you'd think, from rice varietals and sesame to okra, shrimp and fresh tomatoes. Here, these ingredients explode in gleeful fusion, the torrid affair of a spice cabinet and a well-stocked pantry.--T. Susan Chang "NPR"
Chef Vishwesh Bhatt refuses to be othered. In his debut cookbook, I Am From Here, he claims the American South as his home in a voice that is straightforward, confident, and tender towards both his childhood in Gujarat, India, and his adopted home of Oxford, Mississippi. . . . Come for the Boiled Peanut Chaat, Kashmiri-style Collards, and Upma Grits. Stay for the paens to Southern culinary traditions and a delicious inclusivity that flips the script.--Haven Bourque "Civil Eats"
Bhatt's forte is his treatment of vegetables. Raised in a vegetarian household, he knows how best to make okra and eggplant attractive and filling for all. Bhatt also whips up some Turkish and Lebanese dishes, and . . . even comes up with his own version of the South's beloved grits, enhanced with mustard seeds, cashews, and ginger.--Mark Knoblauch "Booklist"
With influences of his childhood in India, Bhatt's food is his interpretation of eating in the South. From dirty rice grits that pair with redfish to peanut masala-stuffed baby eggplant as a main or side dish, Bhatt will give you a look at what it means to be a Southern chef who has made the American South his home.-- "The Philadelphia Inquirer"
A nice balance of the more labor-intensive-but-big-pay-off recipes . . . and quick-ish dinners that can be pulled together on a weeknight. . . . The writing is conversational and funny and feels like it reflects Bhatt's bighearted personality and way of cooking.--Alex Beggs "Bon Appétit"
A seemingly simple tomato soup explodes with warm spices, ginger and black pepper, while grilled summer corn gets rubbed in a powerful mix of toasted cumin, hot cayenne and lime juice. . . . When you need inspiration, this collection won't let you down.--Janelle Bitker "The San Francisco Chronicle"
Bhatt has . . . established himself as a leader in the modern Southern restaurant scene.--Chandra Ram "Food & Wine"