The Local Palate

1 week ago | thelocalpalate.com | Amber Chase

I’ve been a die-hard fan of Nini Nguyen ever since her appearance on Top Chef season 16, and when her cookbook debuted, I was ecstatic. Harboring both the distinctive flavors of her Vietnamese heritage and her heartfelt experiences as a chef in New Orleans, Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook by Nini Nguyen and Sarah Zorn © 2024, is a cookbook that belongs in every household.

2 weeks ago | thelocalpalate.com | Emily Havener

Birmingham’s Frank Stitt takes inspiration from British and French traditions to make the most of the famous strawberryFrank Stitt has a history with strawberries. “My mother’s family farmed strawberries commercially, and so that was a big part of my childhood,” the chef says. For about five or six weeks during the season, he sources strawberries for his Birmingham restaurants, Chez Fonfon and Bottega, from a farm just a few miles down the road from his grandparents’ old place in Cullman County.

2 weeks ago | thelocalpalate.com | Erin Murray

Nothing screams summer like wrapping your hands around a warm brioche bun loaded up with a hot patty and all the fixings. There’s no shortage of joy found in capturing that perfectly proportioned bite. Looking for just the right combination? We’ve got you covered with a roundup of mouthwatering burger recipes to make at home (shishito pepper turkey burger, anyone?). Let the Summer of Burgers begin.

2 weeks ago | thelocalpalate.com | Emily Havener

Annabelle Tometich spent 18 years as the restaurant critic for The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida, where she grew up. Her memoir, The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony (Little, Brown, April 2024) tells the story of her childhood in Florida as the child of a Filipina mother and a white father, and won the 2025 Southern Book Prize for nonfiction. Members Only Content This page is for Cookbook Club members only. If you are a member, please sign in and try again.

2 weeks ago | thelocalpalate.com | Erin Murray

Some burgers you just can’t re-create at home. Worth their weight in both calorie and price, these restaurant whoppers deliver pure joy, bite-for-bite. It’s the raclette that stops you in your tracks—the creamy, oozing blanket of cheese is a thing to admire. But that never stops us from devouring this double-patty, short rib-and-brisket beauty.