Fans of Top Chef or Food Network may recognize Justin Sutherland from those beloved competition shows. Hungry people in the Twin Cities may recognize him from his restaurants or social justice work. But if you want to know who he is and what drives him, you should pick up his new cookbook Northern Soul. In it, he talks about his culinary viewpoint and his heritage. But mostly he talks about what he loves most about cooking good food and feeding hungry people.
Sutherland is an outdoors guy who loves to barbecue and fish and play with his dog in the snow (if the photos in the cookbook are accurate, which I think they probably are). He grew up in Minneapolis, to a family that gathered for family meals and made them into love. With one grandparent from Japan and another from Norway, he got to experience a lot of diversity in his childhood meals.
And then he got older and traveled. He fell in love with the food in New Orleans. He went to culinary school and leaned French techniques. He sampled barbecue in all the major cities. And then he moved back home to Minnesota and opened a restaurant or two. Northern Soul is the culmination of all that eating, with Sutherland sharing his favorite recipes from all over along with his warmth, his humor, his laid-back vibe, and his love of flavor.
In fact, he starts out with flavor, with a chapter that is all about the Spices, Sauces, and Rubs. There is a lot here for the barbecue fans, from the brisket rub and rib rub to the Bourbon BBQ Sauce, North Carolina Vinegar BBQ Sauce, and the South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce. But if you’re not so barbecue, then there’s also his cajun seasoning, chicken dredge, chicken salt, and Tennessee Hot. From there he goes on to Pickled Things, including several kinds of pickled cucumbers, Fresno chiles, green tomatoes, okra, peaches, pears, strawberries, and watermelon rinds.
Then Sutherland brings out his favorite appetizers, from Pimento Deviled Eggs to Hush Puppies to Shrimp Cocktails to Spicy Boiled Peanuts. But more than offering recipes, he starts cooks thinking about the whole meal. Whether it’s a family dinner or a dinner party for a bunch of friends watching soccer (I threw that in because Sutherland is also the culinary consultant for Allianz Field, where Minnesota United FC plays; also, I love soccer), Sutherland encourages hosts to think through who is coming for the food and how to balance a great meal. Or just a bunch of appetizers, because that works too.
But if you are talking about a big meal, then you’ll want to keep reading to get to the Sides and eventually the Mains. For the Sides, he includes BBQ Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Braised Chard, No Mayo Coleslaw, Buttermilk Biscuits, Collard Greens, Creamed Corn, Sweet Potato Mash, and his Hot Mac ‘n’ Cheese. He has a chapter on Soups and Salads, which includes his Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, BBQ Chopped Salad, Southern Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, Crawfish Bisque and Ham and Crabs Soup.
Then he talks sandwiches, like his Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Hot Brown, Pork Dip, Shrimp Po’ Boy, Tennessee Hot Chicken Sandwich, and his restaurant’s signature burger, the Handsome Hog Burger with Bourbon Onions and Cry Baby Craig’s Aioli. But then, Sutherland gets serious and talks main dishes. There is Biscuits and Gravy, Smoked Brisket, BBQ Ribs, Fried Buttermilk Chicken, Gumbo My Way, Creole Jambalaya, Chicken Stew with Ramp-Ricotta Dumplings, Chicken and Waffles, Bourbon Mussels, Catfish and Grits, and Low Country Seafood Boil. And that’s with me skipping over a few things. There is so much soul to these recipes, and so many layers of flavor.
But it wouldn’t be a true Midwestern soul cookbook without a chapter on cocktails and a chapter on desserts. The cocktails are the ones from his restaurant, and there is a lot of smokiness throughout, like the Smoked Sazerac or the We Smoke Anything or the Smoked Absinthe Rinse. But there is also a Bourbon Slushy and Coffee-Infused Boulevardier. And he’s not a big pastry guy, but he believes in making an easy dessert ahead of time for his guests and offers up recipes for Super Easy Peanut Butter Banana Pudding, Stewed Peaches and Bourbon Over Cornbread, Kinda Healthy Pecan Pie with Maple Whip, or Beignets with Chicory Chocolate Sauce.
I enjoyed watching Sutherland on those cooking shows (big Top Chef fan here), but reading Northern Soul has made me feel like I know who he is a little better. He puts so much of himself on these pages and in these recipes that he feels a little like a friend now. Or like a really cool teacher who will help you throw the best dinner party or show you how to make a big holiday meal that will totally impress your family and friends. This cookbook blends strong, creative flavors with the soul of the South and the hospitality of the Midwest, and it serves it up with an invitation for the whole neighborhood to come to the barbecue. There will be good music, great stories, laughter, friendship, and plenty of delicious food for all. And maybe a bourbon slushy to top it off. Who could resist that?
Egalleys for Northern Soul were provided by Harvard Common Press (Quarto Group) through Edelweiss, with many thanks.
