Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner [A Cookbook]

by Ashley Christensen, Kaitlyn Goalen

Overview

From the James Beard Award–winning chef Ashley Christensen comes a bold and revelatory reinvention of Southern food, as told through the recipes and stories from her iconic and beloved restaurant, Poole’s Diner. 

Ashley Christensen is the new face of Southern cooking, and her debut cookbook, Poole’s, honors the traditions of this celebrated cuisine, while introducing a new vernacular—elevated simple side dishes spiked with complex vinaigrettes, meatless mains showcasing vibrant vegetables, and intensified flavors through a cadre of back-pocket recipes that will become indispensable in your kitchen. Recipes like Turnip Green Fritters with Whipped Tahini; Heirloom Tomatoes with Crushed Olives, Crispy Quinoa, and White Anchovy Dressing; and Warm Broccoli Salad with Cheddar and Bacon Vinaigrette share the menu with the definitive recipe for Pimento Cheese, a show-stopping Macaroni au Gratin, and crave-worthy Challah Bread Pudding with Whiskey Apples and Creme Fraiche, all redefining what comfort food can be.

Poole’s is also the story of how Christensen opened a restaurant, and in the process energized Raleigh’s downtown. By fostering a network of farmers, cooks, and guests, and taking care of her people by feeding them well, she built a powerful community around the restaurant. The cookbook is infused with Christensen’s generous spirit and belief that great cooking is fundamental to good living.

With abundant, dramatically beautiful photography and a luxe presentation, Poole’s is a landmark addition to the cookbook canon, a collection from which readers will cook and find inspiration, and pass down for generations to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607746881
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	09/20/2016
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	97 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN is the chef and owner of seven restaurants—Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s, Fox Liquor Bar, Joule Coffee & Table, Death & Taxes, and Bridge Club—all located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Ashley’s cooking and her philosophy of bright, fresh flavors and locally grown, seasonal ingredients have garnered local and national acclaim. Ashley is involved in a number of charities, including the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, the Southern Foodways Alliance, and Share Our Strength. In 2014, Ashley was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.

Read an Excerpt

Welcome. 

Diners are an American fixture. They’re a piece of every town, and usually they’re not much to look at: worn countertops, free refills on coffee, an everyman’s clientele. Typically the genre doesn’t offer much in the way of memorable cuisine, but it delivers a sense of dependability. It seems like everybody I know has a soft spot for some diner, somewhere. Perhaps it provided refuge on a late-night road trip, or it has the only breakfast that will cure your hangover. Maybe it’s the place you went on Sundays with your grandparents. As one of the most accessible forms of restaurant, diners are places where strangers can find familiarity through food, whether it’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes,  a straightforward burger, or chicken potpie. 

This is the story of one such diner and of the people and food that belong to it. 



Oyster Stew with Twice-Fried Saltines and Charred Turnip Relish

The secret to this rich, indulgent stew is only partially in the cream. Oysters are pureed into the base, which connects their briny salinity to the rest of the ingredients and naturally thickens the soup. It builds an undeniably oystery backbone. The turnips provide a sharp, wasabi-like heat that brings the luxurious richness of the soup back into balance. I’ve always loved the oyster crackers that come alongside a bowl of chowder. The fried saltines operate along the same principle, but are even more delicious.
SERVES 8

CHARRED TURNIP RELISH
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
4 ounces turnip greens
Sea salt
1 tablespoon minced shallot
Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
3⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

OYSTER STEW
3 cups shucked oysters in their liquid (about 30 oysters)
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (about 1 medium onion)
2 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 1 bulb)
2 cups diced turnip (about 2 small turnips)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A large sachet 
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 cup white wine
1 cup dry vermouth
6 cups heavy cream
1 cup Dijon mustard

TWICE-FRIED SALTINES
Neutral vegetable oil, for frying
1 sleeve saltines

To make the relish, add the oil to a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the greens and cook, flipping the leaves occasionally, until they have a nice sear on them, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a cutting board or baking sheet to cool. Once cool, finely chop the greens and place in a medium bowl. Fold in the shallot and lemon zest, then mix in the olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Place the oysters in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and drain well.

Place a large saucepot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onions, fennel, turnip, and garlic. Reduce the heat and sweat until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the sachet and salt. Stir until you can smell the herbs in the sachet.

Add the white wine and vermouth and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Add 1 cup of the drained oysters, the juice that has collected in the bowl, the cream, and the mustard. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.

While the stew is simmering, make the saltines. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1⁄2 inch of oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil reaches 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer, add the saltines in batches of 6 crackers and fry, turning frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until tanned. Transfer to the plate and reserve.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the stew mixture until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and return the liquid to the pot. (You can prepare the stew up to this step up to 1 day before.) Place over medium heat; add the remaining drained oysters and stir, cooking for just 1 or 2 minutes more to warm the oysters. Ladle into bowls and serve with the twice-fried saltines broken up over the top and a dollop of relish.

Table of Contents

Recipe Contents

Using This Book
Winter Pickle Brine 16
Summer Pickle Brine 16
Poole’s Cure 17
Roasted Garlic Butter (Rogar) 20
Porcini Butter 20
Basic Cider Mayo 21
Basic Malt Mayo 21
Rich Poultry Stock 24
Rich Beef Stock 25

Counter Snacks (Things That People Stand Around and Eat)

Pimento Cheese 33
Classic Deviled Eggs 35
THE BACK POCKET: Confit for Duck or Rabbit 38
Duck Rillettes 39 Chicken Liver Mousse 41
Black Pepper Parmesan Popcorn 42
Fried Eggplant with Burnt HoneyAioli 44
Tuna Tartare with Piment d’Espelette and Cucumber 47
THE BACK POCKET: Crispy Quinoa 48
Pork Ribs with Mustard Sorghum Sauce 49
TNT Chicken Livers with Hot Hot Aioli and Pickle Relish 53 
Pickled Shrimp with Roasted Tomato Cocktail Sauce 55
Oysters Rock-a-Billy 57
THE BACK POCKET: Pâte à Choux 58
Crab Churros with Piquillo Pepper Mayo 60
Turnip Green Fritters with Whipped Tahini 61
THE BACK POCKET: Whipped Tahini 62

Cocktails

Baked Apple Sangria 68
Bitter Islander 69
Garden & Gun Club 70
AC’s Greyhound 71
Milan Mule 73
Wake County Cooler 74
The Captain’s G & T 75
Beer Can Michelada 77

Vinaigrettes

THE BACK POCKET: Red Wine Vinaigrette 84
Bibb Lettuce Salad 87
Arugula with Button Mushrooms, Crispy Sopressata, and Sherry- Sherry Vinaigrette 88
THE BACK POCKET: Charred Onions 91
Mustard Frills with Crispy Okra, Charred Onions, and Tahini Dressing 92 
Charred Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate, Pecorino, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette 95
Summer Melon with Country Ham, Burrata, Toasted Chiles, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette 96
Tomatoes with Grilled Cornbread and White Balsamic–Thyme Vinaigrette 99
THE BACK POCKET: Cornbread 100
Heirloom Tomatoes with Crushed  Olives, Crispy Quinoa, and White AnchovyDressing 102
Watermelon with Avocado, Chèvre, Basil, and Sweet Onion Vinaigrette 105
Marinated Avocados with Apples, Blue Cheese, and Almonds 108
Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Poblanos, Chèvre, and Banyuls Vinaigrette 110
Warm Broccoli Salad with Cheddar and Bacon Vinaigrette 112
Lamb Carpaccio with Roasted Tomato, Crispy Artichokes, and Yogurt Vinaigrette 113
Beet Salad with Fromage Blanc and Burnt Orange Marmalade Vinaigrette 116

Vegetables

Marinated White Acre Peas 124
Luck and Money 126 Beluga Lentils with  Melted Leeks 127
Oyster Mushrooms and Asparagus with Sherry and Cream 129
Cornmeal-Fried Okra with Tabasco Mayo 132 
Wilted Greens with Olive Oil and Garlic 137
Charred Summer Squash with Fresh Herbs 138
Rutabaga with Brown Butter and Thyme 140
Pit Peas 141
Stewed Tomatoes 142
Stewed Tomatoes and Charred Okra 143
Sautéed Broccoli with Red Wine and Garlic 144
Roasted Carrots with Whipped Tahini 145
Duck Liver and Sweet Potato Dirty Rice Cakes 148
Mashed Potatoes with Herb-Scented Cream 151
Rose Finn Apple Potatoes with Shaved Celery, Buttermilk, and Dill 152
Homegrown Tomato Pie 155
Latkes with Crème Fraîche 157
THE BACK POCKET: Countertop Crème Fraîche 159
Vidalia Onion Rings 160
THE BACK POCKET: Roasted Tomatoes 162
Malted Slaw with Roasted
Tomatoes 165

Bowls & Such

Chilled Corn Soup with Cherry Tomatoes 170
Cauliflower Soup with Sultanas and Crispy Capers 172
Mussels with White Wine and Dijon 173 
Oyster Stew with Twice-Fried Saltines and Charred Turnip Relish 177
Caramelized Onion–Tomato Soup with Jarlsberg Croutons 178
Creamy Rice Grits 181
Yukon Gold Potato Soup with Buttermilk and Bacon 182
Duck Slick 183
Pork and Dumplings with Stewed Tomatoes and Butter Beans 186
Macaroni au Gratin 190 Grits with Roasted Pumpkin, Aged Maple Syrup, and Crispy Pepitas 195
Short Rib Pot Pie 196

Meat & Fish

Cast-Iron Roast Chicken with Garlic and Herbs 202
Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Hot Honey 205
Chicken Salti with Rosemary Tomato Gravy 207
Royale with Cheese 209 Short Ribs, the Simplest Way 213
Poole’s Steak 217
Rabbit Poblanos Rellenos with Charred Chile Sauce 219
Crispy Flounder 222
THE BACK POCKET: Chow-Chow 224 Cornbread Crab Cakes 225
Pan-Roasted Scallops with Olive Gremolata 226
Slow Shrimp with Marinated Peppers 229
THE BACK POCKET: Marinated Peppers 230 
Lamb Meatloaf with Mushroom Pan Gravy 232
Lamb Shoulder Steaks with Mom’s Mint Vinegar 235
Pan-Roasted Salmon with Spring Pistou 237
Fried Soft-Shell Crabs 241 Butter-Seared Octopus 243 Braised Pork Shanks 246

Desserts

Sweet Potato Hummingbird Cake 252
Toasted Coconut Cream Pie with Macadamia Nut Crust 255
THE BACK POCKET:  Poole’s Piecrust 259
Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie 260
Buttermilk Chess Pie with Grilled Peaches 261
Bumbleberry Crisp with Lemon Curd 262
Sour Cream Panna Cotta with Red Wine Cherries 265
Zucchini Doughnuts with Mascarpone 269
Roasted Banana Crème Caramel 270
Jacked Up Devil’s Food Trifle 272
Strawberry Shortcakes with Rhubarb Marmalade 275
Challah Bread Pudding with Whiskey Apples and Crème Fraîche 276
Benne Seed Toffee Ice Cream 278
Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk 281

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2016
The first two snacks, among the more than 100 recipes in this collection, are misleading: pimento cheese followed by deviled eggs might cause readers to think that this is another tome featuring good old Southern comfort food classics. But the James Beard Award–winning chef Christensen, owner of Poole’s and six other eateries in Raleigh, N.C., quickly reverses course, steering head-on into the wilds of modern cuisine with fried eggplant with burnt honey aioli, and turnip green fritters with whipped tahini. Dynamic flavor and texture combinations highlight the salad section, which includes tangy options such as heirloom tomatoes with crushed olives, crispy quinoa, and white anchovy dressing. The vast breadth of a diner menu perhaps explains why a standard recipe for potato latkes turns up in the vegetable chapter, though they would certainly go well as an accompaniment to the Poole’s steak, simply seasoned and served with a red wine pan sauce. Meanwhile, in his many full-color photos, Asheville photographer Johnny Autry shows a subtle appreciation for utensils: a thin knife tangential to a tomato pie, a school of seafood forks beside a bowl of mussels, and spoons and forks immersed in pork and dumplings. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

When Ashley Christensen promises Poole’s comfort food, I think she means food so delicious and generous in spirit, you almost overlook the effort behind it; dishes whose thoughtful sourcing and painstaking technique are expressed so seamlessly and humbly on the plate, your only obligation as a diner is to enjoy. That’s not an easy thing for a chef to achieve. But here it is.”
—DAN BARBER, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns

“Ashley Christensen does with food what Bob Dylan has done with song. She takes all the pieces we’ve come to understand in our life thus far—the ingredients, the familiar chords—and puts them together in a way that feels new, universal, and earth shaking, and yet somehow down-home. Having her food feels like church, sitting at the bar with best friends, and a history lesson all at once.”
—JUSTIN VERNON of Bon Iver

“This is an inspiring peek into the incredibly full life that Ashley leads. We can all take away so many valuable things from this book, from the insanely delicious recipes to the way Ashley lives life on a daily basis. This is more than a cookbook, it’s a life book.”
—SEAN BROCK, McCrady’s, Minero, and Husk

“Cauliflower soup with sulatanas, fried eggplant with burnt honey, rabbit poblano rellenos, and oysters rock-a-billy: the recipes here trip off your tongue and across your palate. Poole’s is a catalog of great eats. It’s also a work of sly philosophy, a meditation on community, and a celebration of the experiences that chefs and guests create together in those quicksilver moments when food and drink and good intentions converge at well-laid tables.”
—JOHN T EDGE, co-author of Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

“We relate to the idea of the American diner because we find familiarity through that style of food, but Ashley Christensen has taken that notion, that essential piece of culinary identity, and created a magnificent temple to edible pleasure. This book is a superb and brilliant set of recipes and a marvelous story of the food we all want to eat. Poole’s Diner is one of my favorite restaurants in the world and this book is your gateway to understanding why. Oh, and two words: Tomato Pie.”
—ANDREW ZIMMERN, host of Bizarre Foods

“This book is just right. I want to eat at Poole’s, drink at Poole’s, meet all of Ashley’s friends at the counter at Poole’s. I want the white acre peas and the crispy flounder, and while we’re at it, I want her dad’s cold meatloaf sandwich. I hope she is very proud of the work. She should be.”
—GABRIELLE HAMILTON, chef and author of Blood, Bones & Butter and Prune

“Ashley Christensen’s restaurants—just like her personality—are beloved for their comforting, no-frills warmth, and for how seamlessly they express the fabric of her community. Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner is chockful of dishes that beg to be cooked, savored, and returned to again and again. I can’t wait to get my fix next time I’m in Raleigh.”
—DANNY MEYER, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group

“Poole’s reminds me of my favorite bistros and brasseries in Paris, the out-of-the-way places that thrive on real food and no hype, the beautiful yet simple little restaurants where the recipes are time-honored yet creative, the ingredients are not too far removed from the farm, the presentation is fun and never fussy, and the entire dining experience is an adventure that I think about long after the meal. Eating there is an absolute joy.”
—JOHN GRISHAM, author

“If there were a Poole’s in every state in America, I would be going on a never-ending road trip knowing that at the end of a long drive I would be guaranteed a delicious meal. Now the secrets—and delights—of Poole’s Diner are in Ashley Christensen’s terrific new cookbook. This is an excellent addition to your kitchen library, and you might want to drop off a gift copy at your local diner.”
—NANCY SILVERTON, chef and author of The Mozza Cookbook
 
"The first two snacks, among the more than 100 recipes in this collection, are misleading: pimento cheese followed by deviled eggs might cause readers to think that this is another tome featuring good old Southern comfort food classics. But the James Beard Award–winning chef Christensen, owner of Poole’s and six other eateries in Raleigh, N.C., quickly reverses course, steering head-on into the wilds of modern cuisine with fried eggplant with burnt honey aioli, and turnip green fritters with whipped tahini. Dynamic flavor and texture combinations highlight the salad section, which includes tangy options such as heirloom tomatoes with crushed olives, crispy quinoa, and white anchovy dressing. The vast breadth of a diner menu perhaps explains why a standard recipe for potato latkes turns up in the vegetable chapter, though they would certainly go well as an accompaniment to the Poole’s steak, simply seasoned and served with a red wine pan sauce. Meanwhile, in his many full-color photos, Asheville photographer Johnny Autry shows a subtle appreciation for utensils: a thin knife tangential to a tomato pie, a school of seafood forks beside a bowl of mussels, and spoons and forks immersed in pork and dumplings."
- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Chef Ashley Christensen revived Raleigh, NC's historic Poole's Diner in 2007, putting a modern, approachable spin on Southern classics. The simple, often whimsical, dishes in Poole's dazzle."
- COOKING LIGHT

"Raleigh's empire builder extraordinaire Ashley Christensen makes her cookbook debut, fittingly, with a chronicle of her very first restaurant, the acclaimed Poole's Diner. Expect recipes for gussied up Southern favorites and diner staples, whether pimento cheese, macaroni "au gratin," or for the gorgeous cover dish of watermelon, avocado, goat cheese, basil, and a sweet onion vinaigrette. Southern food lovers and restaurant obsessives alike will be eagerly awaiting this one."
- EATER NATIONAL

"Christensen’s Southern restaurant empire runs seven deep, but at each additional restaurant, she doesn’t let up on her commitment to local ingredients and Raleigh, North Carolina, appreciation. Her recipes, like the lively Poole’s Diner itself, exude comfort and warmth. Which you’ll find in the versatile chow chow, cornmeal-fried okra and dark chocolate pecan pie."
- TASTING TABLE

"If you’re looking for inventive dishes and unique flavor combinations, then reach for Ashley Christensen’s bold recipes. Her modern take on Southern food honors the traditional meals while incorporating new ingredients that take the flavors to a whole new level. Delight the senses with turnip green fritters with whipped tahini and warm broccoli salad with cheddar and bacon vinaigrette. It’s a beautiful collection."
- MyDomaine.com

"Fine recipes that blend traditional Southern cooking with innovative twists, including dishes like turnip green fritters with whipped tahini, bread pudding made with challah, whiskey, apples, and creme fraiche, and her famous pimento cheese, inspired by her grand-godmother’s original. With personal vignettes about opening the restaurant—a milestone that effectively help set off a culinary renaissance in the city—Poole’s is more than a cookbook; it’s a story of creating a vibrant community around fresh food."
- DEPARTURES

"Since making Raleigh, North Carolina, her home, chef Ashley Christensen has opened multiple restaurants there, but Poole's Diner was her first back in 2007. I've not had the pleasure of dining at Poole's, one of the South's most celebrated restaurants, but the cookbook has me wanting to try every single recipe in it. Part of Christensen's genius is starting with homey fare that we can all relate to and then elevating it to make it sound (and taste) better still."
- FINE COOKING

"Christensen is a North Carolina native, and her recipes paint a portrait of a hip, modern South."
- GARDEN & GUN

"Most cookbooks fall into one of two categories: the aspirational and the useful, those that are flipped through on lazy Sundays, then returned to the top shelf, and those that live a dog-eared life on the counter. With Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner, Ashley Christensen has written the rare cookbook that begs to be labeled as both."
- NEW YORK TIMES

"[Poole's] pulls the cooking and ethos of Christensen’s diner, providing recipe after recipe for Southern comfort food. The book presents at a much higher level than you might expect, with the gorgeous photography and glossy pages of a fine dining restaurant cookbook. The incommensurateness works well: We quickly understand that though this is a diner in the South, the techniques and ingredients are first-rate, that Christensen’s recipe for cornmeal-fried okra with Tabasco mayo, say, or pork ribs with mustard sorghum sauce, requires the same honesty and care as any dish coming out of any classic French kitchen, New York bistro or L.A. farm-to-table restaurant."
- LOS ANGELES TIMES

From the Publisher

11/15/2016
Poole's Diner is James Beard Award-winning chef Christensen's flagship restaurant in Raleigh, NC. Here, Christensen empowers home cooks to reproduce the diner's best-loved dishes, including chilled corn soup with cherry tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken with hot honey, and sweet potato hummingbird layer cake. Like Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns's Bar Tartine, this cookbook showcases numerous flavor-building techniques, from using aromatic herb sachets to improve a pot of beans to toasting and grinding peppercorns before adding them to pimento cheese. VERDICT Mouthwatering Southern foods beckon to readers from the pages of this attractive restaurant cookbook, which recalls other excellent titles such as Frank Stitt's Southern Table. Highly recommended.

Library Journal