ANDERSONVILLE — Paul Fehribach knows every dish in his kitchen has a story and he wants to tell them one by one in his new cookbook, "Big Jones."
The book is named after Fehribach's Southern-inspired restaurant, Big Jones at 5347 N. Clark St., and will feature some of its recipes that customers have always been curious about.
"I get asked every day of the year about the recipe to the cornbread," Fehribach said, adding he will also "give up the ghost" on the award-winning fried chicken, which goes for $33 for a whole bird at the restaurant.
The book will also include recipes for his famous Sea Island Benne Cakes, which feature heirloom sesame and an old fashion icing similar in texture to silk. Fehribach gives customers tips to cook the same quality meal found at Big Jones in their own kitchens, while also learning the story behind the meal.
"We have really interesting recipes that are very unique. The cookbook is to reflect the stories behind the recipes and show them the inspiration behind the restaurant," Fehribach said.
"Big Jones" differentiates itself from "any other Southern cookbook on the market" by offering a narrative-driven history of the dishes, he said.
"The great thing about Southern cuisine is that every dish is enchanted in a rich tapestry of stories, and I like to find those dishes that are particularly interesting," Fehribach said, adding the other difference will be the wide region from which the dishes originate.
"People are doing cookbooks about a specific region, and this is much more diffused. It comes from my background. I'm not from the South, I'm from near the South," Fehribach said. "People tend to have a narrow view of Southern cooking. I'm going against the grain."
Fehribach has had a lot on his plate for a while, having written the original draft and now editing the 8,700-word book in preparation for its release in spring 2015.
He also hopes to release his second book, "Kitchen, Gardens and Bourbon Bottles," a year to a year and a half later. The second book will have a more photo-driven approach to telling the American country cooking story.
