Recently we were at my son’s house for dinner where he and his boyfriend cooked us an exceptional, authentic Korean dinner. It made me want to go back to one of my favorite cookbooks authored by a first generation Korean-American. Edward Lee’s book, Smoke & Pickles combines his Korean heritage with his current culture in Louisville, Kentucky where bourbon and ham reign supreme.
I can’t decide if I love his recipes more or his stories, both compelling and seductive. I first knew of Edward Lee, classically trained in French kitchens, when he competed in the television reality show, Top Chef. He was an immediate favorite. Although he went far in the competition, he didn’t win but he kept me as a fan. I was fortunate to meet him in person where he was demonstrating a recipe from this cookbook at a local 
Williams-Sonoma store. Of course I purchased a signed copy of his book and took a picture with him.
Lee was raised in Brooklyn with his Korean immigrant family. He later moved to Louisville, Kentucky. His restaurant there is 610 Magnolia. His stories of his grandmother mirrored my own with my grandmother and that pulled me into his culinary world even more. Much like my own grandmother, Lee writes, “My grandmother cooked every day. Her entire life. In our tiny windowless Brooklyn kitchen with just a few pots, mismatching lids, a plastic colander or two, and a fake Ginsu knife, she re-created all the Korean dishes she had learned before she immigrated to America.” It’s through his stories that you understand, appreciate and enjoy his fusion of Korean and Southern foods. When I saw that one of the recipes in his book was Ropa Vieja, I knew we were kindred spirits. Although his version is very different from the one in which I grew up, he learned about the dish from a Latin line cook in New York.
One of my favorite and easiest recipes in his book is his yellow squash soup. I am a soup lover and no matter the weather, I am always up for a good bowl of soup. 
Lee has over 150 recipes in this book. Being in Louisville, he has incorporated bourbon in a lot of his dishes making them even more delicious. From his now Southern roots, don’t miss out on his recipe of Cola Ham Hocks, a delight for pork lovers. For you lamb lovers, try the cinnamon-honey roast leg of lamb. Whatever your taste, I’m sure you will find many dishes in this book that will delight and satisfy your appetite.
Gail Simmons, a Canadian food writer and cookbook author, writes of Lee’s book, “Smoke & Pickles is more than a cookbook, it’s a passionate declaration! And chef Edward Lee is so much ore than a chef, he’s a vital force in modern American cooking” I agree. Visit his website: https://chefedwardlee.com/lee-initiative/
